I agree that full back, especially left back, will probably be our weakest area. I dont claim to be as familiar with overseas players as some on here but it doesnt seem to me that there are that many top class fullbacks around who can defend and attack. I would have been reasonably happy if we'd signed Johnson but even then I dont think he would have improved us defensively.

As for Garrido, I think he will be a back up back up until another left back can be signed. I doubt if he'll get a place on the bench and we'll probably use Barry or Lescott (if Everton sell) as cover for Bridge.

Does anyone else agree that signing Adebayor could be the worst bit of business City could do?

In Bellamy, RSC, Robinho and Tevez they have a god mix up front. Not sure that EA has the right attitude to be part of squad rotation, he has only delivered in one season for Arsenal and if he does not get his way he could end up upsetting moral.

It will be interesting to see if Hughes can handle the pressure this season and if he is able to manage bigger players and a bigger squad.

A 28-year-old centre back should be good for more than 3 years comfortably. Barring the unpredictable, 5 years minimum.

The ideal is to buy 1 of each, and then if Onuoha emerges as some seem to think he'll learn from the experienced man coming in and then take over.

Football at the top level is f*cked, but it's not just because city are splashing the cash. It started when Sky and the Premier League breakaway kept the cash up at the top level. Jack Walker throwing his fortune at Blackburn's success; United whoring themselves out to the entire world to pull in cash and then allowing an American family to plunge them in hundreds of millions of pounds worth of debt in what was nothing more than a money-making exercise; Chelsea being bought by a Russian Billionaire and throwing money around left, right and centre; Liverpool selling out to Americans in the hope it would end their trophy drought, only to get lumbered with a crippling debt; Real Madrid being allowed to spend much money than they actually have...

I could go on. It's utterly ludicrous. That's nothing to do with bitterness, either, more a heavy heart seeing the way the game has gone. And it's not something you can lay firmly at city's feet, either. They're only doing what most other clubs would do if given the chance. That's the sad thing about it - everyone's willing to bend over and become some rich man's plaything in order to chase success. It's happening even down at North West Counties level and puts many clubs in danger. If any of these people get bored and f*ck off, it could push many of them over the edge.

Just my opinion, like. In the meantime, I'll look forward to city's trophy quest going belly-up spectacularly.

If Adebayor doesn't work at citeh and the balance between the other attackers is good then he'll not be in the side. If he is a failure at citeh then there's a good chance of recouping much of their outlay by shipping him off to Milan or Barca.

They'll also be weakening Arsenal a little and Arsenal will have to take a punt on someone new.

It's a risk, but a small one IMO.

You're making yourself look a bit silly aren't you?

No-one has set ourselves a target of the Champions League this season, not the owner, the chairman, the manager or the fans. The brief was simple, first year top ten, second year Europe, third year Champions League, fourth year, Championship challenge. No-one is stupid enough to believe that our squad is good enough for the top four at this moment, let alone it being a disaster if we don't get there.

So what you are saying is that the club doesn't know what it's doing, the manager doesn't but you know better. I remain to be convinced by this.

All this talk about us not going for young players too is strange. It's quite clear that we have a very large number of young players in the squad (including many recently bought) and we need a few proven, quality older players to get that right blend.

Can you tell me what the average age of a big core of our squad, Ireland, Johnson, Onuoha, Richards, De Jong, Kompany and Zabaleta is please?

You see, in that lot you've got your players for the future and I dare say if we spot a next John Terry we can look at him too. However, we have the money to get the current one and the new one if need be. We are not in an 'either or' situation.

I must admit, I'm loving all this bitterness and jealousy heading our way at the moment and, at the moment, 99% of it is heading from the blue half of Liverpool.

I know, the way that Portsmouth spend a billion quid to win the FA Cup made me puke. The way that Millwall spent so much money just to get to the FA Cup final - disgusting.



Wasn't that superstar a kid once, who a club brought through? Didn't that 50m fee go to the selling club? There's a massive incentive to bring kids through when quality kids can bring in so much money.



What if your crystal ball is faulty and Terry and Adebayor help citeh to a top 2 finish?



Man United have had decades of advantages that no one else has had, You cannot take their transfer policy and implement it at a club that has had a massively different recent history.

I doubt he can. I'm not even convinced that he is making the decisions now.

rl£12m for Crouch?rl

Sunderland or Fulham. Outrageous.

Yes, because Manchester United buying Rio Ferdinand really affected Jonny Evans' progress and development.

Not happening