James Milner

[BobKowalski]

He made money from Lescott and seemed to do OK. A player signed for a small amount and sold on for big money. Pienaar could go the same way. I can't name every signing he's ever made but Everton are regularly there or thereabouts despite not having big names at the Club. His ability to create a Team that's difficult to beat is top notch.

Let us not forget that Everton did Mancini's City both Home & Away last season...

...and finished below us.

As did Villa.

They will both win big games and rise to the occasion and all that but at season end all they will have to show for it is 6th and 7th spot and the boys on Soccer Saturday insisting that both managers are top managers and both done well and their teams are definitely progressing and the fans should be pleased.

They may win battles, even big ones, but they are losing the war.

If you're happy to send huge amounts of money to rival Clubs for players worth about half of the fee they command then so be it. In recent seasons we've provided Arsenal, Aston Villa and Everton with money they wouldn't have got from elsewhere.

The money has unjustly put Fan expectation through the roof. Imagine what will happen if we have a slow start next season?

I wouldn't say I was happy about it but last year we had to throw money at the situation because we came off the back of a relatively poor season (10th) so we had to give players some reason to come to us and money was it.. The teams we threw money at were Everton and Arsenal and in Everton's case it didn't translate into an issue as we finished higher then them. Arsenal used the money to pay down the stadium debt and finished above us and we ended up with Kolo Toure so not so good.

But essentially City have to look after their own interests first and ADUG's strategy, in their first full season in charge, took us from 10th to 5th and kept us in the hunt for 4th almost to the last game and I think has established us as serious contenders for future major honours in a way that was simply not the case 12 months ago. This being the case we can, and seemingly are, being more circumspect this time around. In Milner's case I do not think £25m+ is that excessive because I do rate him very highly.

As for fan expectation being unjustly high well that is simply the way it is these days and we have to live with it. As for a slow start to the season I am fully anticipating the first rumblings of discontent 25 minutes into the 1st half of the opening game if we are not at least 2-0 up and playing Barca like footie. If Vieira starts then make that 10 minutes into the 1st half. There will be a poll on Mancini by the 65th minute and various threads merged into one debating whether we can ever win anything with Mancini in charge by the end of the game. And that's if we win 1-0.

[Bianchi on Ice]

Every time Milner crosses and someone puts it in 30million becomes more of a realistic transfer fee in Villa's eyes. I dont set the prices, but IF England somehow smuggle it to the semis and he is part of it NO WAY will the price be lower. Even today, we'll have to pay more than for Lescott. Personally I'd walk away, he's consistent, but "there isn't value in this market"(see bacon I can say it too) As Kinkylola alluded to, his initial form will be under the closest scrutiny, because even though the press and TV have taken their beady eyes off City these last few weeks, they'll be back to us soon enough.

[btajim]

As for fan expectation being unjustly high well that is simply the way it is these days and we have to live with it. As for a slow start to the season I am fully anticipating the first rumblings of discontent 25 minutes into the 1st half of the opening game if we are not at least 2-0 up and playing Barca like footie. If Vieira starts then make that 10 minutes into the 1st half. There will be a poll on Mancini by the 65th minute and various threads merged into one debating whether we can ever win anything with Mancini in charge by the end of the game. And that's if we win 1-0.

Rubbish. You know full well this place calmed down as soon as Hughes went. Absolute rubbish there.

[john@staustell]

Despite the clubs constant talk about, and striving to get, 'value for money', the bottom line is that clubs know we have it, and if we want a certain player we have to pay through the nose. This turned out to be the case with Lescott and whatever the early misgivings, by the time he got injured people could see he was and will be a real asset in our future title challenge.

So Bobby sees Milner as someone who will improve the squad, someone who is young and fast becoming an established England international. Therefore if we want him we have to pay a level where Villa cannot turn it down, not this mystery 'market value'. Value is what one team asks and another is prepared to pay EG: Lescott's 'value' last August was £24M.

So let's leave aside personal opinions on the player's future value to the team, the important thing is what the manager thinks.

I cannot understand the attitude that more or less says 'oh he's only worth 20M City should walk away and not improve the squad, let's get someone else'.

I appreciate some posters point that he's not (yet) a 'great' player, but he will bring improvement. Improvement in several positions will lead to Bobby's desired title challenge. Settling for the next target down the list is second best.

It's not the case that 'money doesn't matter', but I really think some would rather reduce our title challenge than see City spend an extra 10M!

We are too used to being broke and saving our pennies!

[BobKowalski]

As for fan expectation being unjustly high well that is simply the way it is these days and we have to live with it. As for a slow start to the season I am fully anticipating the first rumblings of discontent 25 minutes into the 1st half of the opening game if we are not at least 2-0 up and playing Barca like footie. If Vieira starts then make that 10 minutes into the 1st half. There will be a poll on Mancini by the 65th minute and various threads merged into one debating whether we can ever win anything with Mancini in charge by the end of the game. And that's if we win 1-0.

Rubbish. You know full well this place calmed down as soon as Hughes went. Absolute rubbish there.

Its a joke. Lighten up.

[btajim]

As for fan expectation being unjustly high well that is simply the way it is these days and we have to live with it. As for a slow start to the season I am fully anticipating the first rumblings of discontent 25 minutes into the 1st half of the opening game if we are not at least 2-0 up and playing Barca like footie. If Vieira starts then make that 10 minutes into the 1st half. There will be a poll on Mancini by the 65th minute and various threads merged into one debating whether we can ever win anything with Mancini in charge by the end of the game. And that's if we win 1-0.

Rubbish. You know full well this place calmed down as soon as Hughes went. Absolute rubbish there.

Its a joke. Lighten up.

I find it hard too on occasions. I'd always been proud to be Blue but the behaviour of fellow Supporters on this forum following narrow defeats, draws or wins which weren't considered good enough began to make me question why I paid good money to be surrounded by Tossers. Although I never saw or heard anything in person which remotely mirrored that of the comments on here. i.e. Wanting us to lose to Hamburg because it might speed up Sparky's departure.

[BobKowalski]

As for fan expectation being unjustly high well that is simply the way it is these days and we have to live with it. As for a slow start to the season I am fully anticipating the first rumblings of discontent 25 minutes into the 1st half of the opening game if we are not at least 2-0 up and playing Barca like footie. If Vieira starts then make that 10 minutes into the 1st half. There will be a poll on Mancini by the 65th minute and various threads merged into one debating whether we can ever win anything with Mancini in charge by the end of the game. And that's if we win 1-0.

Rubbish. You know full well this place calmed down as soon as Hughes went. Absolute rubbish there.

Its a joke. Lighten up.

I find it hard too on occasions. I'd always been proud to be Blue but the behaviour of fellow Supporters on this forum following narrow defeats, draws or wins which weren't considered good enough began to make me question why I paid good money to be surrounded by Tossers. Although I never saw or heard anything in person which remotely mirrored that of the comments on here. i.e. Wanting us to lose to Hamburg because it might speed up Sparky's departure.

Fair enough.

Its a new season. Lets all start as one happy band

At least until a run of defeats/draws tears us apart with interminable tactical debates, wingers playing on the wrong side and Italians in general :)

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

As for fan expectation being unjustly high well that is simply the way it is these days and we have to live with it. As for a slow start to the season I am fully anticipating the first rumblings of discontent 25 minutes into the 1st half of the opening game if we are not at least 2-0 up and playing Barca like footie. If Vieira starts then make that 10 minutes into the 1st half. There will be a poll on Mancini by the 65th minute and various threads merged into one debating whether we can ever win anything with Mancini in charge by the end of the game. And that's if we win 1-0.

Rubbish. You know full well this place calmed down as soon as Hughes went. Absolute rubbish there.

Its a joke. Lighten up.

I find it hard too on occasions. I'd always been proud to be Blue but the behaviour of fellow Supporters on this forum following narrow defeats, draws or wins which weren't considered good enough began to make me question why I paid good money to be surrounded by Tossers. Although I never saw or heard anything in person which remotely mirrored that of the comments on here. i.e. Wanting us to lose to Hamburg because it might speed up Sparky's departure.

wow.
I'd love you to bring up topic where people said they'd love to see us lose to Hamburg.

In fact, I think you just made that up.

[Buffalo Soldier]

As for fan expectation being unjustly high well that is simply the way it is these days and we have to live with it. As for a slow start to the season I am fully anticipating the first rumblings of discontent 25 minutes into the 1st half of the opening game if we are not at least 2-0 up and playing Barca like footie. If Vieira starts then make that 10 minutes into the 1st half. There will be a poll on Mancini by the 65th minute and various threads merged into one debating whether we can ever win anything with Mancini in charge by the end of the game. And that's if we win 1-0.

Rubbish. You know full well this place calmed down as soon as Hughes went. Absolute rubbish there.

Its a joke. Lighten up.

I find it hard too on occasions. I'd always been proud to be Blue but the behaviour of fellow Supporters on this forum following narrow defeats, draws or wins which weren't considered good enough began to make me question why I paid good money to be surrounded by Tossers. Although I never saw or heard anything in person which remotely mirrored that of the comments on here. i.e. Wanting us to lose to Hamburg because it might speed up Sparky's departure.

wow.
I'd love you to bring up topic where people said they'd love to see us lose to Hamburg.

In fact, I think you just made that up.

He's definately not making it up, I remember reading the same thing myself. Although I'm 99% certain it was that complete twat 'Barney Blue' or some such shit who wrote it so it doesn't really count as I'm not convinced he was even a real person never mind a real City fan.

[btajim]

wow.
I'd love you to bring up topic where people said they'd love to see us lose to Hamburg.

In fact, I think you just made that up.

He's definately not making it up, I remember reading the same thing myself. Although I'm 99% certain it was that complete twat 'Barney Blue' or some such shit who wrote it so it doesn't really count as I'm not convinced he was even a real person never mind a real City fan.

You're full of shit, Antti. It happened. Thanks to Buffalo for sticking up for me. I've no idea who the Poster was though.