“Manchester City have a multi million pound squad, but can they challenge for top honours?” a question that everyone in football has grown accustomed to since the City Sheikh up in recent years.
Roberto Mancini is the man currently tasked with taking his side to the highest level. In his first full season in the Barclays Premier League he broke the traditional “top four” clique guaranteeing champions league football, the “promised land”. But more importantly for the fans, he won them their first trophy in 42 years, triumphing in the F.A Cup Final and adding gloss to the destruction of rivals United in the previous round.
So Mancini looks like the man to bring further and much greater glory to the other half of Manchester, but to do so, he must improve on the mistakes of last year.
Three games into the season, three impressive wins, and most of all a valuable nine points on the board an impressive start to the season for Mancini and co, a start that signals their intent.
City now loos a force to be reckoned with not just on paper, they are playing with confidence, and almost with the swagger of champions, so what separates this team from last season, how has Mancini improved his squad?
Carlos Tevez was their key man last season. When games looked lost he would take the game by the scruff of the neck and score vital goals, or create golden opportunities for his team mates.
When he expressed his desire to leave, everybody knew that City needed someone as a replacement, with Edin Dzeko misfiring, Adebayor pleading his case for a new club, Bellamy completely frozen out and Ballotelli more interested in showboating, they needed someone fast.
With all their fortune, people see only marquee signings, but when Sergio “Kun” Aguero made his way to Manchester, you knew this was not the case. A fantastic talent, one that has almost justified his hefty price tag in just three appearances.
He’s the perfect foil for Dzeko, who has already shown vast improvement, and looks set for an impressive season ahead.
Dzeko’s performance today says everything you need to know about this improved City team.
Left back has been a niggling problem for Mancini, with Bridge not up to the task, and Kolarov only showing promise in spells, Clichy was brought in from Arsenal. A seasoned pro in the league, he adds experience and confidence that will surely have him soaring in his new surroundings, and Mancini will surely be reaping the rewards for it.
Centre midfield, a place where Mancini has players in abundance. The powerhouse and surprising twinkle toes of Yaya Toure, the grace and class of David Silva, the defensively astute De Jong, the hard working Gareth Barry, all stellar names who have proven their worth for City. But when Mancini needed freshness and more creativity in the centre of midfield, he could only look to the bench and feel the missing link.
Samir Nasri appears to be just that. Already proven a true talent in Arsenal’s side for the last two years, he will slot straight into this City side and add that extra zest that they so desperately needed at times last year, already showing his worth in today’s blitzing of Tottenham.
Tottenham vs City in the last two seasons has acted as a decider for that fourth spot, and champion’s league football. Tottenham edged it the previous year, City edged it last. Today’s game may only be the fourth game of a long season, but already City look to have improved tremendously, it’s exciting times in the blue half of Manchester, and if today and the start they’ve had is anything to go by, there appears to be much more excitement in store.
Dale Benton @D_Benton