There always comes a time when the Empire strikes back. And as a lifelong Manchester City fan I’m now going to take it upon myself to strike back on behalf of the Eastlands Empire.
No more apologising for being the richest club on the planet. No more shuffling away in embarrassment when we are accused of ruining English football. We’ve arrived at the top table and we are staying there.
And I’ve got another message for those fans from all over the country who are devouring themselves with envy at what’s going on in east Manchester. We are going to get bigger and better so you’d better learn to live with it.
The green-eyed brigade mocked us when we went after Gareth Barry – but we got him. They sneered that Carlos Tevez would never swap Red for Blue – but he did. They laughed off the prospect of David Silva joining the Eastlands revolution – but they’re not laughing any more.
Well chew on this, all you envious City-haters. Our manager Roberto Mancini wants to add Fernando Torres to the galaxy of stars he’s already amassed at Eastlands. And you should accept by now that what Roberto wants, Roberto usually gets.
Do you remember what former Oasis front man Noel Gallagher revealed a couple of weeks ago? He had been shown a list of players City intended to sign during the transfer window by the club’s chief executive Gary Cook.
Blue-Mooner Noel said that one of those signings would ‘blow your mind’ and I’ll wager a pound to a pinch of the other that the player in question was Torres.
While in America on Sunday evening Mancini confirmed on television he wants Torres leading his attack in the coming season.
Intent
How refreshing was that? No umming and ahhing. No meaningless “manager speak”. Mancini just looked calmly into the camera and admitted he wants to sign the world-class Spanish star.
And if that’s not a statement of intent then I don’t know what is. In a calm and collected manner Mancini proved that City mean business. And those out there who don’t like it had better lump it.
Had I been a little bit wiser I would have guessed at the weekend that Torres was heading for the Anfield exit door.
All the clues were there in the words spoken by the new Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson when he admitted that he had gone ‘as far as he could’ to retain Torres’s services. The striker, he said, had ‘no beef’ with him but had a ‘beef’ with the club itself.
We know now what that beef was. Torres wants more quality players around him than Liverpool can provide. For him, the acquisition of one quality player in Joe Cole does not meet his requirements.
Fernando, lad, get yourself over to Eastlands. You’ll find more quality players there than you can shake a stick at. Open up any cupboard door and a top-class footballer drops out.
Why choose Chelsea or Blackburn or Real Madrid when you don’t have to move house to realise all your dreams and ambitions?
That might appear a minor detail but it’s not.
Torres and his young family like life in Cheshire.
Why uproot them when you know you are wanted by a club which will be a major force in this country and in Europe in the immediate future?
My guess is that Torres has already decided which club he is going to join when he leaves Liverpool and that club is Manchester City.
After watching and listening to Mancini on television on Sunday night my second guess is that he already knows that he’s bagged his man.
So any time soon the anti-Blue chorus will pipe up again. Sixty million quid for an injury-prone striker.
It’s a waste of money. It’s a disgrace. City are buying success. It should never be allowed to happen.
Yeah, and wouldn’t all you critics just love to have Fernando Torres and all our money?
What do you think of Paul's comments? Have your say.
Paul Hince column
July 27, 2010
Comments
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You echo my sentiments entirely Paul. Bring on the new season!
I highly doubt Torres will be joining us and as ever man and his dog keeps on saying 'he's a sicknote'. We need to build a team that will stand the test of time, If Torres is bench warming every few weeks he may never have a chance to get a truly great partnership going with Tevez.
I don't know a lot about Balotelli except he's supposed to be a bit of an arse, but he seems to be a better option at the moment.
That being said, I wouldnt be unhappy to Torres pull a sky blue shirt on.
Oh how times have changed !!!, he's no Chris Smalling but he's still a big name linked with the blue army
CTID
Absolutely brilliant article Paul, Love it Love it Love it and I hope he's right about "Nando"
Keep the Blue faith. CTWD
Oh and by the way, excellent article
TICK TOCK TICK TOCK...........
I'm living the dream, 30 yrs of hurt might finally come to an end!
It's only a matter of time! Until the Blue's win a trophy or two......
Good article by the way.
Torres will go to Chelsea because they are playing in the Champions League.
i do agree with the article that it is refreshing to hear Mancini come out and say whats on his mind whether it be regarding the signing or selling of players, it must be a cultural thing.
The rest of the column is defensive and baiting and an example of why we are now the most hated club in the Premier League.
I would prefer us to maintain some degree of dignity, even in the face of the barrage of mean spirited comments that seem to come our way these days.
Nice one Hincey!
As much as I like this article and Hincey is as passionate as the rest of us about City but Torres has said that he wants to play champs league footy next year and unfortunately we cannot offer him that.
What we can offer however is a really shot at the title. He is never going get that at Liverpool and Chelski has an ageing squad which will need a major overhaul in the coming years - we however are ready - ready to launch our assault on anything that stands in our way - Torres should come and be a part of that!
The last time I knew something very special was about to happen to City Mr Paul Hince was skinning every left back in the top league as City blasted their way towards the Champions of England title.
If Hincey is right about this, and I suspect he is, we should not hope to be Champions this coming season. We EXPECT to be.
Bring it on.
Dzeko was the guy I hoped we'd get, but Torres + Balotelli is quite a haul. Thank you for the article, Mr. Hince. If Milner isn't coming, get Keisuke Honda. I'd also venture to say that both Kolarov and Balotelli have the long-term potential to be the world's best at their positions. Kolarov isn't far off that already, and just needs to improve his tackling and adjust to the pace of the Premiership.
Blackburn?
about time mr so called city fan you have spent years writing drivel as a supposed city fan yet sucking up to the rags and ferguson whats up has the light finally shone for you or is it that you are now wanting some of the gravy that city will now finally have to offer in abundance where have you been all these seasons of pain ill tell you you have been bigging up united and just regarding your so called favoured team as a joke well you dont fool the true city fans that have always believed .....but no sour grapes from me we welcome all who now want to write positive things about our beloved team just such a shame that it has taken you till now tick tock tick tock the future is blue the future is here CTID
Rowan Boat, Manchester (27/07/2010 at 11:32)
Torres will go to Chelsea because they are playing in the Champions League.
The rest of the column is defensive and baiting and an example of why we are now the most hated club in the Premier League.
I would prefer us to maintain some degree of dignity, even in the face of the barrage of mean spirited comments that seem to come our way these days
Whatever City do in the short to medium term we will be the most hated club in the land, We have to live with that. I would take that any day as long as we started to deliver silverware playing great football.
As for Torres saying he wants Champions League football - He will get his wish next season with us.
City have 'arrived' at the top table!! No City have 'returned' at last to the top table! I wouldn't strengthen Liverpool by giving them so much money for such an injury prone striker. Let them struggle with their debt and watch them continue to self-implode.
Rowan Boat, Manchester
We will never be the most hated team in the EPL-that title belongs to the Rags...we will however be the most envied....and rightly so....we have the most wonderful owner in history -Sheikh Mansoor may you live a thousand years and be blessed for every one of them.......as for dignity,we have only just started getting there...too many decisions in the past were poor and weren't right for the best fans on the planet.....what is happening about a testimonial for Neil Young?
A fully fit Torres is currently the best striker in the world - end of story. Any one who claims that they wouldn't want him in their team is either a fool or a liar. Pulling a deal off to bring him to City would certainly rub supporters of every rival's club right in it.
Sorry, but Joe Cole a quality player? That bench-warming teletubby is the epitome of mediocrity. As for Torres coming to us, can't see it but would welcome him with open arms...
Good point about him not wanting to move home because he's got a young family, I was saying the same thing about Carlito this time last year and the rag wums were having none of it. When you're already wealthy, other things become more important.
Good to see a journalist coming off the back foot and attacking the begrudgers on City's behalf. Most of the adverse comment the club has attracted though is from fans of other clubs - invariably United, Liverpool or the London clubs and much of it is not well thought out, viz the recent "City will have to sell 12 players" load of nonsense - these guys should do their maths.
Torres, Balotelli, Dzecko? Bring 'em on, good to see the club signing quality players (like others, I remember Jed Brannan, Jamie Pollock, 'Fat Bob' Taylor). I don't mind which of the three we get - though the signing of Torres would indeed be a welcome poke in the eye for the PL 'establishment'.
I still think this will be the year that Manu Adebayor will really come good. People who say he's "lazy" are not watching his constant off-the-ball movement. If he looks "slow" it's because he can lope faster than other people can run. Given an unhampered run - free from injuries and suspensions - he should show the quality we all know he has.
To supporters of United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool I will say "City are among you. Get used to it. And get over it."
Probably your best article that Paul, about time!
Torres is a really great and natural goal scorer, like Tevez he can manufacture opportunities for himself and then take them. Whether he'd come to City or not I'm not sure, because although he likes the north west he's stated previously that he wants Champs League football - didn't he also say he thought we were a small club with no history (or was that someone else?).
It's been a fantastic summer with all these quality players coming in but I'd be a little cautious about making predictions about how our season will pan out. Quality doesn't necessarily guarantee anything, it's how all the disparate parts come together as a team that will determine our success or failure. Keeping a lot of very large egos in check if we don't start winning early and often may be the key to how our season develops.
I also wouldn't write off the usual top four contenders of being in with a shout. Just because a number of them have not added players, or changed managers, or lost players it doesn't mean they can't compete. Plus they all have the added ingredient we don't have at the moment, which is the recent experience of success. I'm all for looking at the season ahead with great optimism, but I'm not arrogant enough to believe that all we have to do is turn up with our big stars and walk over the opposition. If only it were that simple.
I do agree with Hincey that we shouldn't give a stuff what anyone thinks about our money and how we spend it. There was an awful lot of money floating about in the Prem before we suddenly won our particular lottery. However, to read some of the bilge written in the papers we're about to bring on the Armageddon of football, which is a total nonsense. I hope the new season fulfill's all of our dreams, but I'm prepared to be patient if it doesn't.
Get in my man
You tell em', Paul.
I would probably agree that Torres is a perfect fit for City.
The Blues desperately need a pacy front man, but perhaps have the capacity to rotate Torres sufficiently to allow him to recover fully from inuries without rushing him back in as soon as the crutches are thrown aside.
The other fact is that City need a globally recognised superstar and regardless of injuries such a signing would raise the profile of the club, particular as it would inevitably see City setting a world record transfer fee.
That would surely provide a magnet for the "Doubting Thomas" footballers, who have let the press put such heavy blinkers over their eyes with the Anti-City vitriol that they cannot see the inevitable rise of City as a footballing super-power.
Players of the profile of Torres can pay for themselves in terms of revenue they bring into the club from overseas.
So irrespective of injury problems, I would personally love to see Torres come to the club whatever the price.
Being hated by opposing fans is a small price to pay for City supremacy in Manchester!!!
Let's keep our gobs shut until it happens and it WILL happen.