BEN THATCHER admits that Manchester City's fans have taken his breath away with their fervour since his summer move from Leicester City.
The 27-year-old Welsh international, who arrived at Eastlands after stints with Wimbledon, Spurs and Leicester, made his debut in the 4-0 win at Hull on Wednesday night still on cloud nine following his summer switch.
It hasn't taken him long to realise how different life is with the Blues than at his previous staging posts.
"I hurt my leg the day before the Bury game and just popped up there to watch, I couldn't believe how many City fans turned up, it was amazing," he said.
"It was unbelievable. I spoke to someone from Bury and they said it was the best gate for ages.
"I know the kick-off was delayed but I remember looking up during the first half and seeing our fans still pouring in.
"It was a fantastic sight. I had never seen that before in a pre-season friendly against a team from a lower division.
Phenomenal
"It just shows the phenomenal support and what would happen if we really got going. It is staggering really.
"From the moment I arrived in Manchester I realised just how big this club's support base is.
"Virtually every cab driver I have met has been a Blues fan and most of the staff in the hotel in which I am staying support City.
"I think where I used to live in Surrey must be home to all the United supporters.
"Even when I was out shopping with my wife in Manchester we saw loads and loads of people in City gear."
It has not just been the supporters who have surprised Thatcher but also the training regime undertaken during pre-season at the Carrington headquarters.
Despite a lengthy top-flight career, he says he has been taken by surprise - pleasantly - by the way the Blues approach their fitness work.
"It has been a new pre-season for me because City have their own specialist fitness coach in Juan Carlos Osorio and I have never experienced that before," he explained.
Professional
"The way pre-season training has been structured is a lot more professional and a lot more thought out.
"The hard work is there, there is no doubt about that, but the running has been slightly disguised and that makes it all the more enjoyable.
"Instead of running for half-an- hour at a time, most of work is done with the ball and that makes things more interesting.
"The nearest I have come to a specialist in this field before was at Wimbledon when we had Olympic gold medal winner Daley Thompson training us pre-season.
"Obviously he got us very fit but football-wise he left it to the experts whereas Juan has a bit of both.
"I have got to say it has been an eye-opener for me and, like I said, it makes pre-season that bit more enjoyable.
"Everyone here seems to look forward to training which is not always the case when you come back to work after a break.
"We have been working mornings and afternoons so the fitness is there.
Understanding
"The defence and the forwards have separated in some sessions to do their own bit of work with Derek Fazackerley and it is just a matter of getting an understanding, working out how people like to play.
"That will take a bit of time because both Danny Mills and myself are new but the start has looked quite good.
"When you join a new club the first aim is to prove yourself and nail down a first team slot and that is what I aim to do.
"Pre-season for me is about fitness and getting to know people particularly those alongside me in defence and in front of me on the left.
"I need to know how certain people do things and how they set their stalls out."
Is Ben right: will you find more Reds fans in Surrey than Manchester? have your say
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Clever chappy that Ben. Straight away he is trying to win the fans over with his comments. I think we've got to relise though that Manchester is half City & half Jump on the band wagon supporters.
this teams comin together now...defence will be better next year..we have 3 defenders who can speak english now..and james is a mouthy git...cool!
piccadilly station is rammed with nited when they play their games over in salford..all comin from essex and london..when will the men learn that theirs ONLY ONE CLUB IN MANCHESTER?
salford is close but hey..not mancs are they?
We all know that Surrey is the natural home of the reds. Ben is making all the right noises. Lets hope he produces where it matters as well. Keep the faith..
"Manchester the greatest CITY"
Of course! Next question....
I never thought i'd stick up for the small borough of Salford part of the city of Swinton but we are not having The Theatre Of Screams being included in our City its in Trafford/Stretford which is not in our City so take it back before you wake up one day and realise you are a secret red(god forbid).
As a blue residing in deepest Surrey, I can confirm this to be true . . . . still makes for a very enjoyable place to live when we stuff them on derby day again
Make that 4 English-speaking defenders - Distin's English is superb.
Another myth created by BITTER city fans.
Oh well, They gotta have something to crow about I suppose, It's a little sad really isn't it!!.....LOL
Welcome to City Ben. If his performance on Friday at Wolves is anything to go by he'll soon have a massive fan base. Very quick and very strong. Just what we wanted. For everyone who has been bemoaning the loss of Van Buyten, Mikkel Bischoff looked very good after a slightly shaky start on Friday night too. Plenty of height and good skills on the ball. I'm looking forward to the new season...AT LAST! CTID
Very clever Ben but i am afraid you will be judged on your performances not your goading of the rags! By the way how can Birmingham justify charging us 40 quid to get in that hole? City take note and charge them the same.
Another season, same old tired propaganda. Lap it up imbeciles.
Manchester is 99% blue dont you know. Its true and Salford its mostly blue as well. you will never find a man u fan in Manchester cos they are all from down south. cITEH are the only team from manchester we took 250 tousand to blackburn!
i think religion is a pigeon
He'll fit in well, coming out with the normal nonsense.
Mcr is Red & you all know it.
I've just read Thatcher's comments and have to say he has as much idea as his famous namesake. If he wishes to subscribe to the urban myth about where our fans are based he should first of all carry out some research. The report last year clearly showed the breakdown of fans for both clubs. The fact that he had neighbours in Surrey supporting United means nothing. His beloved new club have fans in other parts of the country as well. He would be better off trying to apply his limited skills on the pitch rather than getting involved in something that he doesn't (and never will understand).
So they turn up to friendlies but not European games? But it wasnt their fault, the ticket distribution was a farce! To think that my council tax paid for their stadium and they are still broke. Massive club!
People from Sandbach should support their local club which is Crewe Alexandra. The fact that Crewe are skint is because people who live in the area support teams in higher divisions. Support your local club and practice what you preach!
What a terrible attempt at a windup. Ben's a very poor man's Stuart Pearce in the fact that he likes to intimidate the opposition. He is often the weak link in any defence he has played in and his positional sense is woeful. He'll fit in well at City.
Just wait till Ronaldo skins him.
This is typical of a new player (and a not very good one at that), trying to endear himself to his new supporters. Manchester is obviously about 70% red, and to argue otherwise is to try to perpetrate the same old lies in order to make up for the gaping chasm in staure, qulaity and fanbase of the two clubs.
Bet this won't be printed as it doesn't trot out the Man City tired old mantra.
Here we go. Spot on Ben, but get ready for a deluge of silly "Manchester is Red" rants from dyed-in-the-wool rags such as 'Hank in Chicago', 'Kieron in Galway', and of course 'Kim in Kuala Lumpur'
Thatcher's been in Manchester for a few days, I'm sure he's seen a lot of the city in that time and spoke to loads of native Mancs to back up his outlandish statements.
Pity the City fans he so fulsomely praises today, will be the same ones booing him off the pitch within a mtter of weeks.
Maybe someone at the MEN would be kind enough to point Mr Thatcher to the MEN survey a couple of years back? The one that showed (yet again!) that United supporters outnumber city supporters 2:1 in the greater Manchester area.
Still...can't be too hard on the chap. He's still got his trial-by-fire at the hands of the city boo-boys to come.
There are more United supporters in Manchester than City supporters. For evidence please see the research done by Adam Brown at MMU regarding season ticket holders from both clubs.
It doesn't matter how often you perpetrate a lie, it remains a lie.