[versa]

Source and edited from: Sportingo


Move over, Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool - Sven's new-look team could be set to join the Premier League elite.

Nobody could have predicted that Manchester City would be ahead of Liverpool in the Premier League at this stage of the season. Naturally, a good start always helps the manager of a new club, and Sven-Goran Eriksson certainly enjoyed his honeymoon period at Eastlands, basking in the glow of a Manchester derby victory which owed more to resolute defending than sublime football.

However, it's now the middle of January and City are still stationed in the Champions League places. Not only will they be playing European football next season, but at this rate they'll be rubbing shoulders with Milan and Real Madrid rather than PAOK Salonika and AZ Alkmaar. OK, Liverpool fans, stop sniggering at the back. It's true that City have ridden their luck this season, not least on December 30 when, playing like the away side, they held out for a draw at home to the Reds. However, unlike Rafa Benitez's men, they don't have the distraction of Europe to contend with - at least not until next season.

City's current league position owes itself to two main factors - firstly, and most obviously, their excellent home form. While their 100% record had to go at some time, it would be no surprise to see them unbeaten at the City of Manchester Stadium for the remainder of the season. Especially if centre-halves Richard Dunne and Micah Richards continue to stay free from injury and repeat some of their many exceptional performances this campaign.

The second factor might sound slightly odd but the game which Eriksson probably learned most from was the 6-0 thrashing at Stamford Bridge. It's almost easy to forget the way that the Swede's team were humbled late in October, with Frank Lampard, Joe Cole and Didier Drogba carving apart the visitors with consummate ease. A visibly shell-shocked Sven promised afterwards that his team wouldn't lose in that manner again, a mission statement that has proved to be accurate, with just one league defeat since that dark autumn day.

If Manchester City are to finish in the top four this season, they need to do a number of things. One of those is to sign a striker who's going to quickly adapt to Sven's preference for 4-5-1 and score a handful of goals between now and May. Rolando Bianchi has made noises that he's not happy in England, while Darius Vassell and Emile Mpenza are not the answer up front either.

They'll also need to start collecting more points on their travels, starting with the game at Goodison Park on Saturday. While the victory at St James' Park was impressive enough, it came against a Newcastle team shorn of confidence and (as we now know) their manager teetering on the brink.


So from the look of things, are our distant-cousin-by-default-only City finally going to join the big boys? Or are they just eyeing a pie in the sky?

More interestingly, a member recently lamented that half of the residents in Manchester actually support City!? Is it true?! And is the rivalry between us really that 'legendary' or exaggerated or just simply imagined? [I don't live in England, know we should be hating each other but don't really understand the 'ingredients' involved.]

 

[reddwarf]

I used to read the Famous Five by Enid Blyton. Lol

I know some United fans that are perversely excited by Man City's revival because it should make for some thrilling Manchester derbies in the near future.

If City have money to spend then they have to be taken seriously because Sven has already proved this season with City and during his time at Lazio that if he has it he knows how to spend it wisely (for the most part).

This season Liverpool should be the most concerned because they could be competing with City for 4th spot.

However, continued spending in the summer combined with a good start to next season could even have City featuring in the title race

As long as they don't win any trophies or finish above United I don't mind what they do in the league.

 

[Daemonic Jackal]

Dunno about City tbh, though i wouldn't rule Everton having a good shot for 4th spot as well. As for The Rats im hoping Benitez gets booted then the wheels will really come off for them. As far as im concerned its not the big four anyway its the Top 3 & Liverpool.

 

[eoininho]

city are the one to challenge the top four cos they have money as well as svens significant pulling power, dont see there ever bein a 'big 5' really, the champions league is the ultimate pull to bring top class players in and with only four places its hard to see a big 5 in the same context as we talk about the current big 4...

if anything i see liverpool being tipped to 4th place by city be it this year or next! and i hope they do it cos city imo are a much more attractive side petrov and elano have been a revelation this season! if they get a 20 goal a year man on top of their already good spine they'll be a serious threat particularly to us cos we might start losing more of the derbies!!!

 

[versa]

city are the one to challenge the top four cos they have money as well as svens significant pulling power, dont see there ever bein a 'big 5' really, the champions league is the ultimate pull to bring top class players in and with only four places its hard to see a big 5 in the same context as we talk about the current big 4...
if anything i see liverpool being tipped to 4th place by city be it this year or next! and i hope they do it cos city imo are a much more attractive side petrov and elano have been a revelation this season! if they get a 20 goal a year man on top of their already good spine they'll be a serious threat particularly to us cos we might start losing more of the derbies!!!

Plausible and clever deduction.

 

[The_Red_Prince]

hey've been a reavelation this season so far.I never expected them to keep up the same pace all this way.Kudos to them,but i takes more than a good start to consider urselves title contenders.

 

[mulletsneverdie]

i hope so, lovin the fact how classy city have got, sven says it all really, the guy knows his shit-club level, gettin the foreigners in and keeping them is a bit hit and miss for any club in england, two quality centre halves though

 

[HUW_92]

Bollocks Everyone Sed Tottenham Wud Do That Last Season And Look Were They Are. City Dun Alryt No Amazin So Stop Over Rating Them!!

 

[carlyluvsunited]

Bollocks Everyone Sed Tottenham Wud Do That Last Season And Look Were They Are. City Dun Alryt No Amazin So Stop Over Rating Them!!

Sadly everyone is entitled to their own opinions on here.....

Which seems to annoy you somewhat.....

But hey freedom of speech and all that.....

 

[akash_reds]

the main reason they r hear is because there signings started firing early.........i expected them to struggle even with their new signings.........the players proved me wrong.......they hav a slight chance.........but then also i think everton,blackburn,tottenham hav a chance to make this league very interesting..........

 

[Justice]

Never make it a Top Five. Only 4 CL places at the moment and that looks like its going to be cut down to 3. Not really any City support outside of Manchester where as United has a third of a billion supporters.

 

[Red Devil]

wash your mouth out!!! How dae you even suggest Citeh might be a big club!!!! Cheek!.

 

[rubberdecky83]

In fairness, it has to be said that City have the makings of an excellent squad, lets face it if you were offered the pick of their squad or the pick of Liverpool's or Everton's or Villa's, you'd probably go with City's finest. They have also done it with reasonably young players which is a new one, most people tend to buy old but tested (Big Sam, Harry R etc) and its working for them. They have a great back four and a tidy midfield but they are still weak up front and their squad overall is vulnerable to a few injuries to key players (Dunne, Richards, Elano).

Crucially though, with the financial backing they have, they unlike most teams in that part of the table can do something about it in the near future. Am not sure about Castillo and still think this is what will make or break them, I agree that a 20goal player would see them seriously push up the table and also that their lack of a wide fanbase will hamper them but hey, look at Chelsea, they only have what fans they bought in the shops (apart from the long-suffering ones they had from back when they were entertaining but patchy in the 90's).

I can't see them pushing Pool out of the CL places this season, although that is dependant on whether or not RB is given the boot, if that happens God knows, I do think that City's upturn in fortunes will last for a good while yet. Here's to putting six past them in OT for revenge.

 

[Red Devil]

a few injuries and suspensions and they will crack wide open. They have had a lot of luck to date with lack of serious injury.

 

[versa]

wash your mouth out!!! How dae you even suggest Citeh might be a big club!!!! Cheek!.

Oh my, I didn't know that! You are criticising the thread under Football Banter!?

Er.... so who should be buying the Listerine?

The writer or the post-er?

 

[KuwaitMUFC]

Because of their AWAY form i think Man City wont finish in the Top 5

 

[NateR]

I reckon it is a possiblity..within the next few years...He still has a lotta rebuilding to do, especially in the strikers department. You're not ever gonna win anything with Mpenza or Vassel up front....lol

 

[J_Stand]

Is there even such thing as a big four??
Liverpool are so far off the pace every season that they don't deserve to be included with the big 3

As for City not a chance mid table mediocracy here they come, been waiting too long for the wheels to come off this one

 

[CROoney]

for our media eriksson said that only yet this year it will be a 2 horse race - but for the next he'll be challenging for the trophies ! Oh and he said something that made me laugh my brains off. Pitty there wasn't any scousers around me - He said : "The teams are getting better every year. The likes of Everton,City , Villa and Liverpool are narrowing the gap with every season. " Lol he put Liverpool where they deserve to be - with the likes of City, Villa and Everton !

 

[scott 4 evra]

I tink they're over achieving. They'd be lucky to get into Europe. Pool and Everton will finish ahead of them. I tink they ar on a par with Villa and Blackburn. Stephen Ireland looks a top player btw. He is as comfortable as anyone in the league on the ball and he supplies Martin Petrov most of the time.