The Wigan Athletic chairman claims he would love to be in the Blues’ position right now and says too many people within footballing circles are simply jealous of the club and their Eastlands empire.
Whelan, whose club face Roberto Mancini’s side tomorrow, told MEN Sport: “People who keep saying what City are doing is not good for football would do exactly the same if they were in City’s boots.
“Don’t tell me they wouldn’t be splashing the cash, buying top players – I know I certainly would.
“I also wish we at Wigan Athletic were in the fortunate position of having a very wealthy backer from the Middle East pumping millions into the club.
“Don’t forget it’s all City’s money, so they are entitled to spend it how they want and good luck to them, I say. They have become incredibly wealthy.
“People have also been saying it’s not right for just one club to become so powerful – the same thing used to be said of Chelsea not so long ago, but that’s now fading.
“Everybody seems to want to have a pop at City. There’s so much jealousy around. Those who are knocking City would give anything to be in the same position and have the same kind of opportunities.
“I always look forward to welcoming City to Wigan, it’s always a good game and they have a great set of supporters who are as good as anyone around.
“The City fans are tremendously loyal, they deserve to see their team be successful.
"I remember playing City in the old third division in front of 40,000 fans at Maine Road.
“City have become a force and they are aiming high and, in Gary Cook, they have a man in charge who can go on to become one of the Premier League’s leading administrators.
“I’ve known Gary for a long time. He’s been in the sports business all his life. He’s a very good operator and I know just how ambitious he is.”
Wigan manager Roberto Martinez is bracing his team for a tough test.
He said: “I really do feel it’s only a matter of time before City are competing to win the Premier League.
"They are going to be challenging for the title very soon – there’s no two ways about that – and we must try to make it difficult for them.
“City have assembled probably the best squad of 20 footballers anywhere in the world right now so that’s obviously a fantastic position to be in. We look forward to facing them.” Tweet
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Who says Whelan has got it in for City ? What a top bloke !!
I don't usually agree with DW, but he is spot on!
He's changed his tune!! The club has become rich,but,in the past he's charged the fans as if they were rich too!!!
"like"
Dave Whelan is a very honest and honourable man he not only talks the talk but walks the walk...yes I am a City fan and obviously I like what he says here.However I loved the way he dealt with Marlon King the footballer who beat a defenceless woman.
What a refreshing change from the normal jealous rants of the Knighted Scottish Git, Wenger , Bruce, Moyes, Arry the Spiv , and several others !
I have never heard Dave Whelan in such a supportive manner of City before, and it does make for a better appreciation of him .
Let's hope that City can keep up the mood by winning at Wigan tomorrow !
At last a very positive comment and lets face it who wouldnt like to have our spending power.
Others believe that only the likes of Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea or even Arsenal should be able to spend big, if that was the case all would be hunky dory. I personally dont care what anyone thinks, Hanson, Lawerenson, Shearer and Lineker hopefully will eat their words one day.
He's gone up in my estimation. It's nice to hear a professional opinion instead of the usual jealous rants. Hopefully we'll show him our strength tomorrow.
"The best squad of 20 players in the world"
Dementia is a terrible affliction, it can happen to anyone regardless of whether they're an ordinary fan or the CHAIRMAN of a football club.
Geez, what the hell has brought this on?!! Is this a different Dave Whelan?
Excuse my scepticism, but you can bet they will be asking for one of our players on loan.
Once N'zogbia seals his move, maybe a loan for Cunningham is in the works to fill the gap on the left........
thats mr whelan off the xmas list for bacon face
about time
I am not surprised Mr Whelan enjoys it when City go to the D.W. as we have never really excelled in that stadium for one reason or another . Lets all pray that tomorrow is different !!
He`s had his snipes at us don`t let him kid you, like YaYa said lets go for the jugular, no sympathy please !!! CTID BELIEVE.
He's changed his tune: on the 15th January 2009 when CIty were trying to sign Kaka Mr Whelan is quoted as follows:
"Wigan chairman Dave Whelan believes Manchester City could ruin football with their outrageous spending in the transfer market"
followed by:
'If this kind of deal is the kind of deal which is about to take place it will ruin the heart and soul of football,' he told Sky Sports News."
And finishing with:
'If some Arabian fellas or oil-rich sheikhs come in and pay £90million for a player, that is totally barmy. 'If Manchester City come in and offer that I think the game will suffer in the end.'"
So is this the same Mr Whelan or, as has just been asked on the Blue Moon website, has he been invaded by the body snatchers?
Type your comment here...where did that come from amazing
Has the ghost of Christmas future visited Whelan?The guy has changed his tune whatever brought it on.
CTID
I hope this gets faxed to every single idiot journalist in the UK with extra large lamenated special edition ones made especially for the two biggest pr@tts of them all, Henry Winter and Sean "Sneer" Custis. Custis being the worst of them all, a real smug no nothing no it all who is convinced his reactionary opinions about football are on a cerebral par with plato and nelson mandella. If anyone on Sunday Supplement has a different opinion to his he literally just shouts them down and starts acting like a 3 year old. He deserves a Blackburn Rovers season ticket as punishment with a few away games thrown in during the winter just for good measure. Wait, ive gone too far - the man has a family...............
Dave Whelan - congrats on having some objectivity and not being afraid to express it, as a token of our appreciation please accept a 96th minute rugby tackle from maicon richards to help sort you out. Only if we are already 3-0 up at that stage of course. Seriously though we appreciate your support, we dont need people to love us, all we ask is they dont be hypocrits who cant wait to publicaly run us down even though our manager only ever talks about his own team..................Its a real indictment that you can have such a well balanced and gracious outlook when your in Wigans position yet red nose, with all his success and trophies, cant go 2 minutes without publically disrespecting us. Oh well, i suppose he's just insecure............
Tip of the hat to Mr. Whelan. Thanks for speaking out.
Dave Whelan has got more faces than a Rubik's cube, one minute he's brown nosing Fergie's mob now he's trying to ingratiate himself with City. I wish he would just keep his pie face out of things that don't concern him and start worrying why nobody wants to watch football in a rugby town.
Hang on, DW saying something positive about us! What gives, I know he expects a mauling on Sunday- 3-0 City!
About time someone stuck up for all those critics thank you Mr Whelan if any team did have the money. We had they would of spend the same as us and we had 6 of our players called up for England did't we. So now can people like Stan Collymore,Mark Saggers,Alan Green,Sir Alex Ferguson,Jose Mourinho,Steve Bruce,Harry Redknapp and the rest can now shut up giving us stick.
dont think he has necessarily changed his tune that much. he once said that wealthy arabs etc would change the state of football forever and could ruin it. Now supposedly other wealthy owners (liverpool, nitid, pompey) play at it for personal kudos and have to all intents ruined the game as we know it. charging exhorbitant prices to fans, paying wages they cant afford and getting clubs into debt whilst creaming off any profit. So whelan was right about that in every sense. I suspect he didnt envisage out guys trying to improve the ground, the vicinity etc as well - and without getting anyone into debt. THAT is the big difference. He has a romantic view of city though cos in the third tier we couldnt get 40000 in the ground at that point but get the gist.
Looks like Dave wants some of Puffy palm no top lips money in January.
I don't care if Dave Whelan has changed his tune, what he is alleged to have said in this article is the truth. Any crumb of comfort, based on truth, is welcome, because we get unjustifiably mauled by the media. There is not a club from Forest Green Rovers to Stretford that would not jump at the opportunity of our wealth and spend it in exactly the same way. They are all hypocrites. Well said DW, I remember watching you in the 1961(?) cup final when youplayed LB for Blackburn Rovers. Unfortunately, in that game a broken leg ended your game and your career. Of course, as a hardened and talented business man, I know you will appreciate the 5,000 supporters City will bring with them to Wigan - a very nice pick up on your gate money. Keep speaking the truth - eventually some of the other hypocrites will also change their tune.