MARK Hughes is ready to wield the axe in a bid to break into the top six next season.
The City boss will radically overhaul his squad, with a number of star signings expected to arrive in the summer.
Up to 16 senior players will be heading out of Eastlands as with the Blues ready to again be one of Europe's major players when the transfer window opens, the club is keen to clear the decks.
Those departures, added to fresh funds provided by ambitious and committed owner Sheikh Mansour, will raise cash and free up wages for the Blues' top transfer targets.
City chief Hughes, who seems sure to keep hold of the managerial reins despite constant rumours to the contrary, has so far had only 24 hours plus the notoriously difficult January transfer window to spend Sheikh Mansour's millions on the men he wants to help the Blues gatecrash the `big four' dominance.
His first summer in charge of the chequebook became a farce as former owner Thaksin Shinawatra and his aides decamped but not before cutting off the flow of transfer cash and leaving behind signings for which Hughes was not wholly responsible.
Since then the manager has strengthened thanks to the acquisition of Shay Given, Craig Bellamy, Wayne Bridge and Nigel de Jong.
When placed alongside the other shrewd captures of Shaun Wright-Phillips, Pablo Zabaleta and Vincent Kompany, the new faces have impressed the owners that the side is heading in the direction they want and more funds have been promised this summer when City are expected to be the major player in the market place.
Hughes has already had preliminary discussions over who he would like to bring in and Thierry Henry, Franck Ribery, Roque Santa Cruz and Joleon Lescott are all on that wishlist.
But he knows that chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, Garry Cook and the board will expect some of the cash that he will inevitably spend to be raised by sales and the release of some high earners.
Here we look at who might go as the Blues squad gets its most radical overhaul since the days when Joe Royle complained that there were so many players at Platt Lane that they were not training but 'grazing' on the pitches there.
GOALKEEPERS
Kasper Schmeichel, who has been denied a loan move this month because of his UEFA registration looks certain to move on. He will be much coveted by Championship sides in particular.
Joe Hart
is a tricky one. He would probably benefit from staying with the Blues, who will not want to sell, but, with his ambitions to be in England's World Cup squad, he knows he either has to oust Shay Given - no easy task - or seek a move. An alternative would be a loan move in the manner pursued by Scott Carson and Ben Foster in the past.
DEFENDERS
Danny Mills
after 50 league and cup starts in five years, much of it disrupted by serious injury, is finally out of the five-year contract handed him by Kevin Keegan and will go.
So, too, will the currently long-term injured left back
Michael Ball
while
Glauber Berti
is highly unlikely to have his one-year deal renewed after getting no further than the bench this season.
Also likely to be on his way out is the least successful of Hughes' signings in his first season,
Tal Ben Haim.
The Israeli international central defender, who is on loan at Premier League strugglers Sunderland, made eight league and six cup appearances following his £3m switch from Chelsea. But the man who celebrates his 27th birthday today could never nail down a permanent berth in the side and could be available for a knockdown fee.
With Academy product and Northern Ireland international Ryan McGivern being handed a three-year deal last week, City may also listen to offers for Spaniard
Javier Garrido.
MIDFIELD
Veteran German international
Didi Hamann, who started eight games this season under Hughes but clocked up more than half a century in his stay, is out of contract and will not be offered a new one.
It would be no great surprise to see Swiss international
Gelson Fernandes
move elsewhere, possibly still in the Premier League, after he failed to nail down a regular starting berth and fell behind De Jong, Kompany, and Zabaleta in the pecking order. Michael Johnson's return to fitness will not help his chances either.
Although Hughes is not desperate to offload the youngsters,
Adam Clayton's future may lie at another club if he is get regular senior action and the same applies to
Kelvin Etuhu,
who will get restricted opportunities.
STRIKERS
It is here that the biggest cull will surely take place as Hughes thins out his options in order to bring in some marquee names.
Former England star
Darius Vassell, who has started 110 games and scored 22 goals for the club in the four years he has been there since leaving Aston Villa, will be on his way and he could be joined by
Benjani
whose stay after arriving from Portsmouth in January 2008 has been punctuated by injury and yielded only six goals.
Hughes could be ready to cut the club's losses on
Felipe Caicedo
- the Ecuadorian hitman who cost Sven-Goran Eriksson more than £5m and there have to be question marks too against youngsters
Ched Evans
and
Danny Sturridge.
If Hughes, as expected, keeps Craig Bellamy and Valeri Bojinov as his preferred frontmen and adds at least three more, it will leave the home-grown kids down the pecking order.
Sturridge is out of contract in the summer and wanted by the Blues but talks over a new agreement have proved heavy going.
Evans too is likely to be given the option to stay but if he sees little first team football ahead of him then he may choose to either go on loan or decide a move away is in his best interests.
IMPONDERABLES
This section contains the three Brazilians who, between them, have cost the club a colossal £60m to buy.
Striker
Jo
has been a bitter disappointment since he arrived for almost £20m in the summer and if Everton, where he is on loan, come up with the right amount of cash, City may let him go though he is young enough at 22 to adapt and improve.
British record signing
Robinho
is the great enigma with no one quite sure whether he wants to stay or go and whether he fits into the team pattern or not.
Fans are split down the middle not about his abundant skill but his ability to fit into a team pattern. He struggled at Madrid, too, but even if City did want to let him go in the summer it may be difficult finding a club who either can or want to pay £32.5m and £160,000 per week. Any parting of the ways might be very painful on Sheikh Mansour's wallet.
Finally, there is midfielder
Elano, who is wanted by a string of clubs in Italy and could yet find himself playing there next season after an in and out campaign with the Blues.
What do you think? Have your say.
City clear out
March 31, 2009
Comments
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Right, who's going to be the first NUMPTY to say Robbie and Elano should go ?
Depending on who comes in, Sturridge must stay.
Danny Mills!!!!! (Kevin - what were you thinking about giving him a deal, let alone a 5 year deal!
Agree with all the potential OUTS mentioned - except for Elano, who although I think will probably go, I for one will miss.
I have always maintained that players come and go but Manchester City will always be there. Whilst some players are better than others and some strike up some kind of bond with the club and our fans I very rarely have been upset by the loss of a player. Any player.
Let's face it I'm 45 and for the last 30 years we haven't had many players that have really been worth shouting about.
Hope that's not too depressive for an early post.
Out of the names in this section i would really only like to see; Hart, Robinho & Sturridge kept on however, I don't think Sturridge should be getting anymore than £30K when he clearly hasn't proved his worth yet on a consistent basis in the Premiership !. Yes surely a talent for the future but pay should reflect that ?. We will get nothing for him as he will be out of contract this summer & he is looking for a bumper pay day so this will likely see him leave for one of the current top six ??.
Jo is a gonner, he hasn't really shown his best at Everton either and that even though he has gotten lots of action, not bad but some one we need to keep hold of. Good ridens, I say. If we even consider letting Robbie and Elano off then we must be dimwitted, but hey we have shown our tactics are as bad as our man-management at many times in this last year so nothing should surprise me I guess.
I mean look at the tactics in Denmark (I was there, in the cold and supported the team, luckily enough I had a friend that bought me a ticket on the Danish side. So have we seen yet anyone taking the blame that should take the blame? Well our players were "magnanimous" in their comments, but our "illustreous" leader and super coach hasnt, and yet, .... well the players just delivered on the managers tactic - sit back and defend at all costs.
Every time Mark H comments publicly and in the media he astounds me with just another blooper, everyone can see his absolute abysmal man-management and failure to own up to his mistakes, such a typical "technocrat" behavior I cant believe it. And yes his comments after the match just continued to grease the wheel, this man amazes me, truly.
And yet I continue to see lots of great support for MH??? Yes he has recruited well, but that doesnt make a top 4 club placement, I want to see us get up and truely hurt the biters in the future and with this I dont see that happen, unless MH get to kick out all players he hasnt recruited, and suck and try on all he brings in. A very typical middle league manager that can manage very well on a shoe string and play clogers footbal, but he isnt a free flowing fotbal manager, we have seen him fail time after time and we just dont seem to buy it. Denmark was just an absolute unforgivable tactical miss and I truely lost all remaining confidence that reaching a sustainable top-4 status can be achieved under MH - at least if we want to see good football.
If Elano, Caicedo and Sturridge want to stay then keep them, but ship out the rest including Robinho (possible swap with Ronaldinho if today's newspapers are correct in saying he now wants to come to city - probably not true).
Some of the players on their way will do a good job elsewhere, and a shrewd manager at a newly promoted club next season or at a Hull or Fulham may well reap the rewards. Don't be surprised if Vassell or Ben Haim hits a purple patch for one of these teams.
I suspect several of these guys will go on to be top Championship players who will end up getting promoted and sold on promotion seveal times over. Ched Evans has already done the business at this level and looks every inch a solid Championship player as does Michael Ball.
I'll be the first 'numpty' for Robinho! wouldn't bother me at all - it certainly wouldn't change anything at present! 160,000 a week!? sorry.
oh and robbie and elano to stay!!!
CTID
I think that every player mentioned could leave in the summer for various reasons.We have to many players especially from Sven's regime who are just not good enough.We are trying to raise the team to another level which will mean bringing in at least 10 new faces.
Getting rid of some of those players on good contracts in the present financial situation may not be so easy.
There will also be at least another 20 players who play in our two reserve team who will leave by the back door and even some of the 18 year olds from the current youth team may be advised to look for another club.
This summer will see the highest number of professional players ever released as clubs seek to try and to address their financial problems.
42andnotseenowtreally, Heaton Misery
31/03/2009 at 09:09
And I'm the 2nd numpty - all Brazillians out, they're not team players and can't cope with 50+ games / season.
At times this season we have ripped teams to bits, played sublime football and really looked like we're on the up. But, you can count those times on the fingers of one hand when set against the times we have been poor.
MH has made mistakes for sure, but the execution on the pitch by the players is what has been particularly disappointing. Often it has looked that they are just incapable of thinking for themselves.
The squad just isn't good enough at the moment. It is certainly looking better than in the recent past ( down mainly to MH recruits, but please don't forget the improvement of Super Stevie! )
We know Joe Hart will be a great keeper and we know that some of the youngsters will improve.( please sort yourself out MJ ) But to make the jump to be challengers we must increase the quality in the squad.
I will not insult MH by giving him a list of targets. I haven't agreed with all his recruits, but I will concede that they have all been an improvement on what is here already.
For all his failings MH does deserve more time. Changing managers now will only put us further back down the road and although I wish we were progressing more quickly the Club has moved forward.
Apart from the Kaka fiasco our transfer dealings have been handled well so lets get behind the team and manager and see out the season in Istambul!
CTID
Must start a Sturridge to stay Campaign, or at least a chant of support.
Sparky don't take the heart out of our academy stars, and undermine all the great work Jim Cassell has done. I true Legend!!
Anybody who watched the Brazil v Equador game on Sunday night will hopefully be putting a line through Ronaldinho's name as a must for us next season. Bone idle.
Hopefully the penny will drop for our Robbie and we will get a few more quality people in which will not allow opposition teams to place 2 guys on him week in week out.
Still have my doubts about our midfield and wonder where we are going with it. If we want to be top four or more then what we have clearly isn't good enough. Ireland, Zaba, Nige and Company have been great but against quality opposition they all struggle. Sadly the game against Trafford showed the gulf in class between them and us as the game passed us by. Rome wasn't built in a day and hopefully the mix is right for them all to gel more next season.
All 4 Brazilians should go as on the whole they don't integrate well and just don't adapt to the premier league - No Brazilians have stood out in the whole league (except Geovanni) let alone at city. Its also a fact that all the 'off the field' stories have centred around the brazilians, so there are dicipline issues.
I would be very disappointed to see Sturidge sold as he is very gifted but its clear that the city team is now taking shape and he would have to settle for being a squad player.
Evans simply isn't good enough nor Fernandes, Caceido, Vassell and Benjani for where we want to be challenging next term.
Players long term health must not be put at risk by the club/clubs/country he plays for,there should be certain rules and conditions put in place to protect peoples long term health.Anything done to put their long term health at risk should be noted by a medical board and should have to keep a log of the persons playing career to be looked at by the medical board and can also do spot checks to make sure everything is being done properly.If needed the player would be able to take action and would also have the medical board there.The club/clubs/country responable would have to pick up medical costs,treatment and unforseen costs for the the persons long term future.
So who have we got here?
Schmeichel - if only he was as good as his dad? Mind you his dad didn't sign for Brondby til he was 24 and it was later still that we saw him at his best, so Kasper might be a late developer. I'd send him out for a season-long loan rather than sell.
Hart - the same, he's not ready yet. Pundits regularly carp on about how he did little wrong when he was City's number one but that's nonsense. He's a good goalie but the one thing Given has is he can boss the defence. Joe still has plenty to learn about organising a defence around him and has a long career ahead of him. A loan would help or just sticking around and learning from Given.
Mills, Ball, Berti, Ben Haim - all gone. Garrido isn't great and I agree his days are probably numbered here. Hamann and Fernandes - gone. Clayton and Etuhu might benefit from another year at the club - we will hopefully be able to stay in the cup competitions for longer this time and that will give players like these more opportunity.
Vassell & Benjani I agree but I think Hughes like Caicedo, he's really bulked up and is starting to become a target man - might be interesting to see him and Bellamy up front together this season before we consider getting rid. Evans is not the finished article and I think a loan to another premiership club would be the better option for him, likewise Sturridge who would be playing regularly if we were on more of a budget like Fulham or Wigan.
With the Brazillians I don't agree that these are imponderables. The options are very obvious. Jo has to go, he hasn't settled in the premiership for whatever reasons, he clearly lacks the attitude to get on here. Elano will do what he has always done - whatever is best for Elano. If he stays I'll be happy, if he leaves I won't be upset. And Robinho - his home performances have been sublime but away from home we struggle to get him in the game. With better players around him that won't be so much of a problem but we need to change our away tactics to do that. Our away form has had nothing to do with him - his lack of involvement away from home has been symptomatic of the style of play away from home. He just drops deeper and deeper which means his markers advance up the pitch - we need to take advantage of the way he is marked out of games by pushing him up more and creating gaps for the rest of them to exploit. And he needs to be way less selfish in front of goal, it doesn't matter if he doesn't score but it does matter if the team doesn't score and so many times he has taken on shots that should have been squared to Bellamy or Caicedo or Ireland unmarked in the box. Needs an attitude transplant, could talk to Ireland whose own attitude transplant worked much better than the hair transplant ;)
add me to the numpty list
robinho and elano out please
not going to bother with my reasons, they have all been said before, and won't change anyones mind. it's all opinions
Anyone who blames Sturridge leaving on Hughes needs their head examined!! The reason we are in this Sturridge situation is because of Sven and Thaksin not bothering to sort it out because neither cared as they both knew they weren't gonna stick around!! Sturridge has since either been ill advised or thought it himself that with all the money flying around and the fact im in the last year of my contract i can get an obscene wage!! What has he actually done to deserve getting paid more than established England internationals at other clubs? dont get me wrong he is very talented and might prove to be a very good player emphasis on might but if he leaves it proves he never loved the club that groomed him.
If he goes the people to blame are Sturridge, Sven and Thaksin!!!
Hm, bit of subtle editing by MEN there. Very good!
On the subject of Brazilians. Wouldn't it be great if Robbie & Elano were on the bench watching the team smash all and sundry!
Thats the real point. If we had new players, playing a system that worked, scoring goals and winning matches it would be their choice; change their attitude/style of go!
At the moment we do not have any alternatives.I know Petrov and Johnson would have provided competition and getting 1 or both back will be a great boost. But we haven't had any real choice.
Look beyond the first team and we are really thin!!
Agree with a comment made about Jim Cassell. A legend who deserves so much credit.
There will always be a place for the Academy players. If they are good enough they will get a game. They will surely learn from better quality
recruits and those that do make the first team will be top notch!
CTID
i dont understand,last night on the city debate show chris said that bojiniov woule be on his way out and now him and craig bellamy will be the first choice strikers??
what has changed in 10 hours chris??
cptpattern, Sunny Peel Hall, Wythenshawe
I too was gutted to find out I share my birthday with Ben Haim!
On the bright side - we share it with Angus Young (of AC/DC!).
Happy Birthday mate!
Obviously quite a few players(10 plus?) will be leaving at end of season, but i`m sick of hearing fellow blues campaigning for "Sturridge Must Stay".
No wonder negotiations are slow, because while some City fans are adament he must stay this kid`s Ego is going into overdrive and he &/or his agent are possibly trying to milk the club for it on a new-deal.
Sorry but out of contract or not, we now have unlimited budgets, within reason, and can afford to lose Sturridge on a free and buy someone else that is (already) performing consistently at top level.
There`s a big difference between doing it consistently in the Youth & Reserve teams to then performing consistently in the Prem, and although Sturridge has shown lots of potential he`s not even started yet, never mind the finished article, when he`s played 10 prem games on the trot we can begin to judge him.
Fair enough give him a decent wage with the promise of annual or half-season reviews dependant on performance, but if Chelsea (apparently) want to pay him top-dollar from day one then let them.
REMEMBER DICKSON ETUHU - WHERE`S HE PLAYING THESE DAYS? (another kid that thought he`d made it as soon as he`d left the nursery). ANSWER..................little fulham.
We can afford to keep one Brasilian, I'd keep Elano but no one will buy Robinho for more than £20 million or pay his ludicrous wages so he may be the one to stay. Sturridge is an arrogant parasite and can go to the club that specialises in them, Chelski.
Is this really news? We have been talking about the clearout for months as it is inevitable. What isn't guaranteed is getting as many of the right calibre of players to replace them this summer. Top players want to play in the top competitions, specifically the Champions League. Older players who want to secure their final couple of million before retiring want a pay cheque. The young talent with at least 5 good years left in their tanks (who are what we need for a long term plan) will be more difficult to entice than a lot of people imagine, especially if they are already at a club destined for trophies and the CL next season.
The young talent we want to keep are Jo Hart & Danny Sturridge (loan to other PL teams next season), the proven talent are Robinho & Elano who must stay and the jury is still out for me on Jo as he has youth on his side but he doesn't offer anything different that are current encumbents already do. A first team squad of 30 players (3 x GK, 10 x defenders, 10 x midfielders & 7 x strikers) is plenty big enough which, after the proposed clearout, means we will need 3/4 defenders, 3/4 midfielders and 3 strikers of a higher quality than we currently have. Working on a rough average of 7-8 million for each one (and we know that some will be considerably more than that) we are looking at a minimum spend of 80 million! That's some serious shopping.
On a lighter note, a multi-million dollar star studded sequel to the Flintstones movie is being planned for filming this summer. Dubai was the originally intended location for filming on set but it transpires that the Dubai hierachy don't want the disturbance during the holiday season. Fears of cancellation have been staved off at the last minute however, because our owners in Abu Dhabi Doo!