Post by QPR Report on Jan 18, 2009 8:37:23 GMT
Very much a contrast to the pronouncements of Briatore et al re not just trying to spend, spend, spend. With Manchester City, get the feeling one has seen this film before; and it has an unhappy ending! - Although there are now reports re no Kaka to Man City. So will see.
David Lacey/The Guardian
Manchester City primed for a nightmare in the land of make-believe City's move for the best of the Brazilians is no guarantee of future success
Douglas Adams never mentioned it yet Hitchhiker's devotees may need some convincing that Marvin, the paranoid android, is not a closet Manchester City supporter. After decades of seeing hopes raised and dashed, City have acquired a breed of fan whose theme song should be an old Noel Coward number which is surely due a revival : There Are Bad Times Just Around The Corner.
Such fatalism is well-founded. Take the end of the 1988-89 season when Mel Machin's Manchester City side needed to beat Bournemouth in their last home fixture to win promotion to the First Division. Victory seemed assured at half-time when City led 3–0 but their followers were not convinced. "Don't like the look of this," said one. "No," another agreed, "if they score we've had it." Sure enough Bournemouth recovered to force a 3–3 draw and the celebrations were delayed by a week.
So the prospect of Kaka arriving from Milan is unlikely to have been welcomed with unalloyed joy by fans who, while they would be unlikely to greet the Brazilian with a chorus of "Are you Barry Silkman in disguise?", might take some convincing that this was not just another Messiah passing through.
After all, having been restored to life once by Kevin Keegan, what else is left? Kaka is arguably the best footballer in the world, whatever was awarded to Cristiano Ronaldo this week, and he could surely be relied upon to retain better control of a Ferrari on rolling English roads. He is reputed to be a cultured man from a middle-class background with deep religious convictions. For City, then, a natural successor to Joey Barton.
Whether or not Kaka ever plays in a Manchester City shirt will remain a matter for gossip and conjecture until he signs, or stays with Milan. But should he turn up in the Premier League for a £100m-plus transfer fee and a contract worth £500,000 a week it is clear that the game would once more have to live with a new set of financial perspectives, much as it did when Roman Abramovich bought Chelsea and spent what were then unprecedented millions on building a title-winning team. Then again Claudio Ranieri had laid the foundations of a more than half-decent Chelsea side before Jose Mourinho took over. Kaka would be joining a City team still struggling to find their way under Mark Hughes following the false dawn of Sven-Goran Eriksson.
Given time and sensible money Hughes would doubtless try to rebuild from the back, which is where many of the present team's problems lie. However, Sheikh Mansour, the club's almost limitlessly wealthy owner, would appear to believe that the introduction of a thoroughbred alone will bring about a revival. If only it was that simple.
Kaka would probably adapt to the pressures of Premier League football which stem not so much from its frenetic pace as the remorseless intensity of the action. This proves too much for some overseas players. Last season another Brazilian, Elano, began impressively under Eriksson but faded once the clocks had gone back. Robinho, a relative snip at £32.5m, has shown inspired touches but not that often while Jo has been a disappointment. Summer is surely the time to rebuild teams around outstanding individuals. Pre-season games give the newcomers time to settle in and others time to learn to play alongside them. Plunging Kaka into mid-season with, say, a visit to Stoke in a fortnight's time might dampen his initial enthusiasm.
The get-out clauses the Milan player is reported to be demanding should he decide to leave the San Siro suggest either that he is not desperate to join a team at present two points above the bottom three in the Premier League or that the ante will have to be raised to a level which threatens the ozone layer. If what is printed is to be believed Kaka will only join City if Mansour's ownership and future investment are guaranteed and Robinho stays. Kaka would also retain his image rights and would leave for a predetermined fee if any clause was broken. So far as is known there has been no mention yet of a helicopter with a rope ladder on permanent standby.
Hughes wants Kaka – who wouldn't? – but might be forgiven for feeling that life would be easier staying in the real world and continuing to try to sign Roque Santa Cruz from Blackburn Rovers, his previous club, on the principle of better the devil you know. Rovers only want £25m. Sheikh Mansour could find that down the back of a sofa.
www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2009/jan/16/kaka-manchester-city-ac-milan-david-lacey
David Lacey/The Guardian
Manchester City primed for a nightmare in the land of make-believe City's move for the best of the Brazilians is no guarantee of future success
Douglas Adams never mentioned it yet Hitchhiker's devotees may need some convincing that Marvin, the paranoid android, is not a closet Manchester City supporter. After decades of seeing hopes raised and dashed, City have acquired a breed of fan whose theme song should be an old Noel Coward number which is surely due a revival : There Are Bad Times Just Around The Corner.
Such fatalism is well-founded. Take the end of the 1988-89 season when Mel Machin's Manchester City side needed to beat Bournemouth in their last home fixture to win promotion to the First Division. Victory seemed assured at half-time when City led 3–0 but their followers were not convinced. "Don't like the look of this," said one. "No," another agreed, "if they score we've had it." Sure enough Bournemouth recovered to force a 3–3 draw and the celebrations were delayed by a week.
So the prospect of Kaka arriving from Milan is unlikely to have been welcomed with unalloyed joy by fans who, while they would be unlikely to greet the Brazilian with a chorus of "Are you Barry Silkman in disguise?", might take some convincing that this was not just another Messiah passing through.
After all, having been restored to life once by Kevin Keegan, what else is left? Kaka is arguably the best footballer in the world, whatever was awarded to Cristiano Ronaldo this week, and he could surely be relied upon to retain better control of a Ferrari on rolling English roads. He is reputed to be a cultured man from a middle-class background with deep religious convictions. For City, then, a natural successor to Joey Barton.
Whether or not Kaka ever plays in a Manchester City shirt will remain a matter for gossip and conjecture until he signs, or stays with Milan. But should he turn up in the Premier League for a £100m-plus transfer fee and a contract worth £500,000 a week it is clear that the game would once more have to live with a new set of financial perspectives, much as it did when Roman Abramovich bought Chelsea and spent what were then unprecedented millions on building a title-winning team. Then again Claudio Ranieri had laid the foundations of a more than half-decent Chelsea side before Jose Mourinho took over. Kaka would be joining a City team still struggling to find their way under Mark Hughes following the false dawn of Sven-Goran Eriksson.
Given time and sensible money Hughes would doubtless try to rebuild from the back, which is where many of the present team's problems lie. However, Sheikh Mansour, the club's almost limitlessly wealthy owner, would appear to believe that the introduction of a thoroughbred alone will bring about a revival. If only it was that simple.
Kaka would probably adapt to the pressures of Premier League football which stem not so much from its frenetic pace as the remorseless intensity of the action. This proves too much for some overseas players. Last season another Brazilian, Elano, began impressively under Eriksson but faded once the clocks had gone back. Robinho, a relative snip at £32.5m, has shown inspired touches but not that often while Jo has been a disappointment. Summer is surely the time to rebuild teams around outstanding individuals. Pre-season games give the newcomers time to settle in and others time to learn to play alongside them. Plunging Kaka into mid-season with, say, a visit to Stoke in a fortnight's time might dampen his initial enthusiasm.
The get-out clauses the Milan player is reported to be demanding should he decide to leave the San Siro suggest either that he is not desperate to join a team at present two points above the bottom three in the Premier League or that the ante will have to be raised to a level which threatens the ozone layer. If what is printed is to be believed Kaka will only join City if Mansour's ownership and future investment are guaranteed and Robinho stays. Kaka would also retain his image rights and would leave for a predetermined fee if any clause was broken. So far as is known there has been no mention yet of a helicopter with a rope ladder on permanent standby.
Hughes wants Kaka – who wouldn't? – but might be forgiven for feeling that life would be easier staying in the real world and continuing to try to sign Roque Santa Cruz from Blackburn Rovers, his previous club, on the principle of better the devil you know. Rovers only want £25m. Sheikh Mansour could find that down the back of a sofa.
www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2009/jan/16/kaka-manchester-city-ac-milan-david-lacey