Be careful what you wish for

[trebilcock66]

At the start of the season, I thought aloud on this site that Man City (given their track record) might mess up their new found status. Surely (I thought) if there's a club that'll make a pig's ear of this it's them.

Premier League: Mark Hughes' hands tied as he struggles with mutinous trio | Sport | The Guardian

Reading this article got me thinking: So you find an investor with deep pockets. And you go out and bid for whomever you want. Robinho, Buffon, Terry, blah blah. And you assemble a group of wealth chasers without an ounce of loyalty in their whole bodies. Cue dressing room disharmony, onfield mayhem and a slide down the table.

Hughes is a good manager. His new found power may yet overwhelm him, though.

I'd hate for that to happen to DM. The only model worth working for - surely - is the Aston Villa one. Respect the traditions, build slowly, build from within.

Now, i'm not even sure I do want a big investor. Maybe just someone with enough wealth to secure our future, nothing more.

 

[Slight_Return]

I'd say the arsenal model without the corruption and the ruining of hundreds of young africans lives.

Villa are a strange beast, deadly doug (billy bull?) gave them a good ground, lots of corporate, good enough to host numerous fa cup semis and the like. not in debt up to their gills. some good players on the pitch. stability in terms of management.

They have brought some youth through and have made some good acquisitions. O'neil has resisted the urge to go out and throw new chairman Lerners cash around on Robinhos (city), Owens (toon), Malbranques (mackems), Nugents (pompey), Elmanders (bolton), Keanes (cesspool), Pavyluchenkos (spurs), Bellamys (west ham).

No faux superstar names at villa, worst one is carew and his dirty stop out at a lap dancing club. The squad has to be a unit, otherwise it means problems - the kind throwing money at continually simply does not fix.

 

[Robin Sisland]

At the start of the season, I thought aloud on this site that Man City (given their track record) might mess up their new found status. Surely (I thought) if there's a club that'll make a pig's ear of this it's them.

Premier League: Mark Hughes' hands tied as he struggles with mutinous trio | Sport | The Guardian

Reading this article got me thinking: So you find an investor with deep pockets. And you go out and bid for whomever you want. Robinho, Buffon, Terry, blah blah. And you assemble a group of wealth chasers without an ounce of loyalty in their whole bodies. Cue dressing room disharmony, onfield mayhem and a slide down the table.

Hughes is a good manager. His new found power may yet overwhelm him, though.

I'd hate for that to happen to DM. The only model worth working for - surely - is the Aston Villa one. Respect the traditions, build slowly, build from within.

Now, i'm not even sure I do want a big investor. Maybe just someone with enough wealth to secure our future, nothing more.

Hughes will be gone by summer, there will be busloads of new faces at their soulless new stadium and city fans will be left contemplating the Ship of Theseus/George washington's axe paradox.

 

[davek]

Hughes will be gone by summer, there will be busloads of new faces at their soulless new stadium and city fans will be left contemplating the Ship of Theseus/George washington's axe paradox.

Nice angle, Robin. That theory is a great way of explaining the changing nature of the football 'industry' whilst acknowledging there's something intangible about football clubs that will ride all those changes out.

As for City: it's a bit early in the day to be declaring this takeover a failure.

 

[Rook]

When Hughes goes and city hires Murinho they'll start buying good young players like Chelsea did and compete for league titles. It'll take a few years though.

Hughes just can't coach that team. He made a name for himself by having his players kick others in the shins. The big money players just aren't going to do that.

Villa is doing it right. O'Neal hasn't spent much. One reason is that Lerner isn't insanely rich, he just bought Villa becasue it was for sale cheap even though they have a good ground. Villa won't go into debt and always will at least break even so they'll never be big players in the transfer market. Sooner than later the team will be hit hard by injuries or other teams buying up their players.

 

[Goat]

Moyes is a far better manager than Hughes could ever dream too be.

 

[BadWool76]

Moyes is a far better manager than Hughes could ever dream too be.

Hughes is now where Moyes was a couple of years ago . Such a job as the one he now faces at City has I am afraid come far too early for him in terms of him finding a way through what must be a daily maze of bullshit and rumour . When Sparky does eventually walk I bet I will not be the only one looking twice in Moyes direction because this is indeed modern day football and as we all know Money takls and bullshit runs the marathon