Too many Cooks spoil the game (That’s Gary, by the way)
I have to read texts, emails etc whilst I present ‘6-0-6’ on BBC 5 Live. On Saturday night I read out the comments of a City fan ‘Londis’ who’d posted a message on Facebook: “This is the worst day of my life.”
He/she was reflecting on the derby defeat by United as well as the Spurs victory over Chelsea that radically lessened City’s chances of qualifying for the Champions League. It was a ludicrous exaggeration of course but it made me think: City fans are so caught up in the club’s new-found wealth that they’ve blindly bought into the vision propagated by the likes of the Chief Executive Garry Cook.
This is the guy I saw walking into Eastlands on Saturday in the company of an obvious bodyguard but still smiling all around him as if he’s the centre of attention: the same guy that proclaimed City’s proposed pre-season tour in the United States this summer as reflecting “the support there is for us in America” and how it reached out to “the existing Blues fans across the world” – in their ‘tens’ I’d suggest.
I’m amazed the Abu Dhabi owners, seemingly otherwise sharp, put up with the preposterous Cook.
You see, I’ve always really liked City as a club but, and this isn’t down to jealousy, they’re rapidly transforming from being one of the country’s best loved clubs into the one that’s most hated: worse than Chelsea under Abramovich and that’s saying something.
Open your paper, listen to the radio or, if you can stand the constant gossiping, switch on to Sky Sports News: City are ‘linked’ with every player under the sun. ‘X’ is your best player, bet City are prepared to pay him oodles more than he’s worth: not necessarily to enhance their team, as much to weaken yours. It borders on the immoral.
Amongst the latest gossip was that concerning Joe Cole. I can certainly believe that City are prepared to pay him £200,000 a week but, tell me, in just whose mind is he remotely worth it? City have already collected an obvious bunch of mercenaries: Toure, Barry, Bellamy, Tevez and Adebayor amongst them. When any of them dares ‘kiss the badge’ I feel like throwing up.
And they’re mostly ‘expendable’. In a quiet moment, of which there were many, I ran my eye down the City team during Saturday’s derby and wondered who might be ‘first choice’ next season. I settled on four: Given (if they haven’t paid a ludicrous amount to Juventus for Buffon), Bridge, Barry and Tevez.
And who’d be spending this money? Roberto Mancini (perhaps he appealed as more of a fashion item) who quite unnecessarily replaced Mark Hughes? Before the defeat by United he said this was “the most important (run-in) in the club’s history”: afterwards he said, as rashly as Benitez, “we’ll finish fourth”.
They may do but after the fantastic week they’ve had (that’s if you only start counting after last Sunday) my money would be on Spurs. And I rather hope I’m right because if Manchester City actually qualify for the Champions League they’ll obscenely spend money as if there is no tomorrow and blast every other club out of the water.
This Premier League is far from perfect. Top clubs wield too much influence and much of their strength is automatically replenished. But wouldn’t you rather it was challenged by a club that had history and sound management rather than one built solely on money?
Mancini is no fool. It is a critical run-in. Succeed and he can spend what he likes: fail, ie finish fifth, and he’ll be out that revolving door at Eastlands. Beware the madness that is Manchester City.
* Alan Green is chief football commentator with BBC Radio 5 Live
