Our Favourite players are leaving!

[ant london]

we have to be aware that changes have taken place and we have to choose to buy into it or opt out.

that's the key thing for me at the moment John

Some of the posts I've seen of late bemoaning the loss of soul etc (that thread by longball being a prime example) just beggar belief to me.

It's a personal choice whether embrace this new City or whether you preferred the old one and don't like the new form of the club. But if people don't like it that much I just wish they'd fuck off rather than hanging around whinging and, frankly, tarnishing the enjoyment for those who are happy to move forward with the club

[zuricity]

Although it sometimes pains me to see the likes of Ireland, Neddy and most certainly Bellamy being frozen out and moved on, and also the likes of Micah, SWP and Vladi looking like it is difficult for them to even get a game ..... I am actually getting quite ambivolant towards it.

Originally, I thought we could be making some big mistakes, but what I keep reminding myself is .... WE NEVER ACTUALLY WON ANYTHING WHIST THEY WERE HERE! Maybe, we are too sentimental about them and they are not as good as we thought they were?

Yep, Mancini is probably right ..... they have all had their chances to bring us success .... time for a shake up now methinks.

What's with the use of the royal "We" ? "Our Favourite" ? Bellamy was never one of my favourites. Sure he's played well at City , no doubt about that. He's returned to his old ways again this week though hasn't he ? It's normal that there will be players coming in and players going out. It wouldn't surprise me if Micah starts today. He and Jerome changed very well last weekend and I'd rather have a controlled Micah at CB than Kolo any day of the week. As for Steve Ireland, I guess we knew he was going as soon as he sold his Audi.

[daveh1962]

Lets face it though if any players at our club were offered more money to play for another team they would have taken it. Few if any players think and fell about our club the way that we do. To them they are employees doing a job. So whilst I am sorry to see players leave when they are not wanted by the manager they would have had no qualms in leaving if they were made a betteroffer so what comes around goes around and I only support those players who wear my teams shirt.

I think that certain players Given, Ireland and Bellamy have not been happy since Hughes left where they were probably part of the central core whereas it seems that Roberto has no real favourites and you are picked on merit hence Jo being given another chance

[Midnight Blue]

It's become clear that the only way to join the top 4 in premier league is to become ruthless, show little loyalty to players and spend big. Not an ideal situation but we are all city fans so have no choice but to take it or leave it. Luckily success has a way of making you forget about all you gave up to get to the top.

The biggest downside for me is that by not showing any loyalty to the players how can we expect the players to show any loyalty to our football club? It becomes harder and harder to feel like they are our team and not just a group of highly paid professionals who we hope will give 100% in their workplace. What motivation do they have to give their all for Manchester City other than the pay cheque? The distance between the fans and players just continues to grow and eventually the supporters will become ruthless showing absolutely zero sentimentality and will criticise and abuse their own players just as quickly as we do the opposition. Which a quick look at any forum shows is already happening.

Personally I find balance in also being a strong follower of aussie rules football, where loyalty and tradition still play a large role in the game with most players spending their entire career at a single club. I feel closer to my AFL club than I do to city, but for me City are all about the supporters. And as a collective we are one of the most passionate, dedicated and loyal groups going around and once you have experienced the feeling of being part of it, you are never truly able to leave it behind.

[daveh1962]

The biggest downside for me is that by not showing any loyalty to the players how can we expect the players to show any loyalty to our football club?

-when have players ever shown any real loyalty to this club

just a group of highly paid professionals who we hope will give 100% in their workplace.

this has always been the case

The distance between the fans and players just continues to grow

-[color=#FF0000]why does it as long as they wear the shirt we and they are part of the City team

I think the problem that alot of fans have is that we were a club that had no money and so players stayed with us not because they loved the club but because we couldnt afford to buy replacements so players stayed at the club for longer periods and we as fans became attached to the players. Now we have a good YOUNG and I emphasise the word young squad who I think will develop into a brilliant side and we will become attached to them in the same way the difference being they are quality players too.

We are in a period of transition at the moment so we as fans are having to adjust Roberto seems to have already adjusted they are not here for the pay cheque they are here to win things and clearly you cant win things without money oh were it so like the days when half the team got a local bus to get to the ground. Those days have gone this is big business and we are owners want a winng side and so do I

[Sister of fu]

It's very sad. I had hoped we could keep our core and surround it with talent. Our core is getting smaller and smaller.

Sadly our core isn't good enough though is it. When was the last time we had a world class homegrown talent playing for us, I'm stuggling to find one, maybe Paul Lake before he got injured. We have produced several good standered football players but none I see that will take us to the next level.

I would love us to field a full 11 of home grown City boys but it's never going to happen and I got used to that fact a long time ago. If we win a major trophy this season no one will give a 2nd thought to the likes of Bellemy, Dunne, Neddy and Ireland.

[johnny crossan]

It's very sad. I had hoped we could keep our core and surround it with talent. Our core is getting smaller and smaller.

cheer up Dazby, things are just starting to look up, Mario's here and Milner is on his way.

[Tokyo Blue]

Sadly our core isn't good enough though is it. When was the last time we had a world class homegrown talent playing for us, I'm stuggling to find one, maybe Paul Lake before he got injured. We have produced several good standered football players but none I see that will take us to the next level.

I would love us to field a full 11 of home grown City boys but it's never going to happen and I got used to that fact a long time ago. If we win a major trophy this season no one will give a 2nd thought to the likes of Bellamy, Dunne, Neddy and Ireland.

I think this post just about sums up the situation perfectly.

With me having been over here in Japan for nearly ten years, all my favourite players have gone already and I do not feel the same attachment to players I have not watched in the flesh week-in, week-out.

I prefer to think of how I'll feel about the players who bring that first trophy in my time as a Blue rather than looking back at the good old days.

If we don't win any trophies, that will be where it all falls down, of course.

[King Kev]

I have to admit that I hate the thought of the academy lads not being good enough. I think Ireland can be twice the player milner will ever be, I also think that ned can be englands number 1 choice as centre back if he sorts his injuries out.

The whole change of manchester city fc will sit a little uncomfortable with me for a while, whilst I get used to the new city.

This pretty much sums up how I feel too.

I am desperate to see my club be successful but I can't help feeling that the club has changed so much in recent years that it is almost unrecognisable from the one I fell in love with all those years ago.

It's a time of transition and it will take some of us a while to get used to it. Seeing that first trophy being lifted should help.

[john@staustell]

Another sentiment thread. Great.

Fuck me lets fill the team with Weiss, SWP, Ireland, Ned and every fucker else who aint going to make top 4 and stay back in bloody mid table. Or worse.

The manager is doing what is necessary to get us winning.

Remember that???? WINNING!

Most of you seem happy to stay with mediocrity. Apart from the deluded ones who think these players like Weiss are actually top 4 stuff.

Give me strength.

[King Kev]

Another sentiment thread. Great.

You tend to get sentiment on football forums because football is a sentimental and passionate game.

If you want to believe that there is no room for sentiment in football then that is your right, but I feel a bit sorry for you.

[Kladze]

Another sentiment thread. Great.

Fuck me lets fill the team with Weiss, SWP, Ireland, Ned and every fucker else who aint going to make top 4 and stay back in bloody mid table. Or worse.

The manager is doing what is necessary to get us winning.

Remember that???? WINNING!

Most of you seem happy to stay with mediocrity. Apart from the deluded ones who think these players like Weiss are actually top 4 stuff.

Give me strength.

[john@staustell]

Another sentiment thread. Great.

You tend to get sentiment on football forums because football is a sentimental and passionate game.

If you want to believe that there is no room for sentiment in football then that is your right, but I feel a bit sorry for you.

It's not about what I feel. Management at top level now HAS no room for sentiment. That's what I am saying. Non of Mancini, Cook, Mubarak or Marwood have any room for it, or they fail. That's the way it is.

Also if these players were off down to sleep in some cardboard boxes in a bus shelter I might shed a tear, but they are all multi-millionaires, who will carry on making money at a lower level, and buying Lamborghinis and fishtanks. I've had too many knocks in my own life to cry about that.

The sentiment point has been made, and made, and made, and made. And made again. And again.

[Tokyo Blue]

The manager is doing what is necessary to get us winning.

Remember that???? WINNING!

No. Most City fans under 40 don't remember that, funnily enough.

They do remember being told to be patient repeatedly.

They do remember clinging on to what they can, i.e. "I like Player X because he is one of us", because their team has been unmitigated shit for 30-odd years. That sentiment will not disappear in a couple of seasons.

[King Kev]

The manager is doing what is necessary to get us winning.

Remember that???? WINNING!

No. Most City fans under 40 don't remember that, funnily enough.

They do remember being told to be patient repeatedly.

They do remember clinging on to what they can, i.e. "I like Player X because he is one of us", because their team has been unmitigated shit for 30-odd years. That sentiment will not disappear in a couple of seasons.

Well fuclin said that man!

[Piccsnumberoneblue]

After 38 years of shattered dreams I can confidentally predict that City will self destruct this time like they did on all the other times before. (apart from 76)
I am too old to become an optimist.
Thank you and good night.

Bah humbug!

spoken like a true blue, lets enjoy our dual heart attacks in may 2011

i thought it was just me who thought like that!!

And Me!

Personally I think John is wrong on this one, I have no choice to make, nor dilemma. City have got better players, but they still play in Blue and I'll still be there. What choice?

[patrickblue]

After 38 years of shattered dreams I can confidentally predict that City will self destruct this time like they did on all the other times before. (apart from 76)
I am too old to become an optimist.
Thank you and good night.

Bah humbug!

spoken like a true blue, lets enjoy our dual heart attacks in may 2011

i thought it was just me who thought like that!!

Can I join your club.

[brite blu sky]

The manager is doing what is necessary to get us winning.

Remember that???? WINNING!

No. Most City fans under 40 don't remember that, funnily enough.

They do remember being told to be patient repeatedly.

They do remember clinging on to what they can, i.e. "I like Player X because he is one of us", because their team has been unmitigated shit for 30-odd years. That sentiment will not disappear in a couple of seasons.

with all due respect i think these arguments are a bit confused, or at least it is not as black and white as these two posts suggest. i would throw into the mix that all football fans of all teams have a sentimental dream of the lads making good.. roy of the rovers overcoming adversity to grab glory, so in that sense it is universal, before you throw into the mix City's own history of frustration. I started a thread on this recently... the level of ruthlessness required to acquire top status.. and the consequences of that ruthlessness. I think that right now at City we are in a unique situation as the level of ambition can be backed up with the finance, so Mancini is given the question of why take gambles on maybe players, he doesn't have to.
For fans though i think it asks serious questions of ourselves... ones that are not black and white to answer.

[Blue2]

Personally I dont care who plays for us ( except NO rags) as long as we win things. Our worst two players yesterday were " home grown"- SWP & Micah. I still think that Micah has plenty of potential, but much as I love SWP , his time here is almost done. He isn't good enough anymore, sadly.

[Murph]

Players come and go, that's the nature of the game. As long as the ones coming in are better than the ones leaving then I'm happy.