Old doesn't mean bad and Manchester City FC

There are some TV shows that I would watch over and over again. When people say they don't listen to old music, read old books or watch old movies or TV shows just because they are old, I certainly raise my eyebrows. Old doesn't necessarily mean bad. I can give you a few examples. Growing up in the 80s, I adored "The A-Team", "Knight Rider", "MacGyver" and "Quantum Leap". In the 90s, it was "The Simpsons" and "Have I Got News For You" (and still are) plus "Frasier" and "They Think It's All Over". This millenium I wish I could still see "The West Wing" on the TV.

One show that I do watch over and over again is "Top Gear". I know a lot of people think they are over-the-top and are no longer ratings cars. I tend to disagree, as they need to bring the programme to a broader audience and filling the show with segments like "A Star in a Reasonably Priced Car" is just another mixture of entertainment and automotive journalism. Another criticism is their lack of regard for speeding and the environment. The show is about cars - they need to test cars out to see how good they are and that means having to go at high speeds to rate the performance. Plus if you want to see a show about the environment, watch a nature documentary and stop tuning into show that you hate just so you can complain about them.

I am rather glad the local English TV channel ATV World are showing past episodes. I am even more glad Top Gear has show the Polar Special. It was a great show and the first time I considered Arctic exploration very difficult. There may have been documentaries and shows regarding people going to the North Pole but at least Top Gear showed it is very difficult for ordinary people.

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The state of Manchester City has left me wondering whether or not it can be rescued. It had large debts and just recently sacked Stuart Pearce, even though he did a reasonable job under the circumstances. Even the recent purchase by former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra (yes, I had to look that name up) and the appointment of Sven Goran Eriksson as manager may not be able to turn the club around. They still need a large investment into players, Eriksson has to prove himself with results on the pitch, Shinawatra should hope his past does not affect the club and the supporters need to be won over.

At least they have got the ball rolling with buying in some new players, some of which I have never heard. Another area that needs attending is the forward line-up. Last season they contrived to score nine goals at home - the worst record. It surely means most if not all will not start the season as the City of Manchester stadium.

City fans should be happy if they survive this season but in the long term, with this type of investment and manager, they should be expecting success sooner rather than later.