Monday 22 September 2008

More on the 6-0

  • This is a point that people who don't agree with me often make, but it is nice to see skill triumph over strength from time to time. Spain's triumph in Euro 2008 was particularly satisfying for this reason: Silva, Xavi, Iniesta and Cesc were towered over by the Germans in the final, but were just too subtle for the rather blunt German gameplan. Yesterday saw a similar victory. Yes, we have the colossal Kompany anchoring midfield and Jô leading the line. But in between them lie Elano, Wright-Phillips, Robinho and Ireland - none famed for their size or strength. I feared they would get nowhere against the might of Distin, Campbell, Kaboul, Diop and Diarra. But, like the artful Spanish on that night in Vienna, they danced around their towering opponents.
  • Eriksson suffered last year from giving his new owners too good a start. Flowing football and good luck was seen as the rule - the subsequent levelling out the exception. I don't want to get into another debate on SGE, but I just hope Khaldoon al-Mubarak realises that it isn't always like this. Maybe Thaksin told him?
  • The reception given to Thaksin when his image was shown on the big screen, and then holding a rather embarrassed looking al-Mubarak's arm aloft, was a surprise. Six weeks ago there was a threat on bluemoon called something like 'MCFC died the day Toxic bought us'. But it does seem that he has got more right than wrong: bringing in Garry Cook, replacing Eriksson with Hughes, buying a 'superstar' to fill the ground and now selling to the right people at the right time. His exit from controlling the club has been far more graceful than I ever thought it would be.
  • I don't see how Martin Petrov gets into this team. The other high profile player not fit yesterday, Michael Johnson, could replace Elano in central midfield. But Petrov? The only solution would be a 4-2-3-1 with him, Robinho and SWP operating behind the front man. But then the only place for our best player this year, Ireland, would be alongside Kompany in the midfield. Would this ask too much of our most creative player?
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4 comments:

Jonny said...

Bringing in Cook is a good thing? You want to see 24/7 City energy drinks and a 14 team Premier League with no relegation?

The guy's a crettin, and the sooner he's out of football the better.

Wigan Blue said...

I think Garry Cook is a smart cookie (sorry!). I think he's been throwing ideas around, and has very quickly learned what goes down well, and what plummets like a lead balloon.

From a purely marketing standpoint the restricted Premier League is an extremely attractive proposition (the so-called top four have all toyed with the idea at various times). Cook quickly learned that it also goes against every tradition of the game - and we quite like our traditions.

What's wrong with the energy drinks? When we are winning all our games 6 - 0, people are going to start wondering where we are getting all our energy from! They may as well start buying from us rather than Lucozade...

TLDORC said...

You don't have to agree with Cook's plans for the Premier League to think he's a good acquisition for City.

He's an experienced businessman with a background in global brand management. He brings confidence and professionalism.

In the era of Kenyon and Galliani all clubs who want to do well need someone like this to run them. I think he's been a good pick.

Jonny said...

“I worked at a company – Nike – where we were accused of child labour rights issues… Morally, I felt confident in that environment." Garry Cook.

Yeah, he's a top bloke, exactly the kind of guy I want running the club I want to take my kids to support!!!

Don't tell me this is progress and we'll get left behind, there are hundreds of competent business men out there. He has big ideas but they're all idiotic. "City" themed fast foods outlets demonstrates he's not as sharp a business brain as he'd like us to think.