RSC at last

After almost a whole year of frustration, we've finally landed Roque Santa Cruz. And after thirteen long years, we've finally replaced Niall Quinn.

Santa Cruz may well be merely a good, rather than an exceptional centre forward, but with his , physical presence, control and aerial ability he's the best of his type since Quinn left for Sunderland in 1996. We've had a whole year now of debating whether he's good enough, and there's no escaping two central facts: that Santa Cruz has only had one good season in ten attempts in European leagues; and that that good season was his only season under the management of Mark Hughes.

Just remember Craig Bellamy: he's had disciplinary problems everywhere he's played, except for where he'd been managed by Mark Hughes. He came to City, and scored five in seven before his old knee problems returned. Hughes clearly values relationships he forges with particular centre-forwards, and his pursuit of Bellamy and Santa Cruz when many fans would rather have him try for a name like Luís Fabiano or Karim Benzema demonstrates the importance of these familiarities to Hughes.

One can take this point further: while Hughes' targets have changed in other areas - we would never have gone for Carlos Tévez or Gareth Barry last summer, or even over January, when we were instead focussed on Scott Parker - Santa Cruz has remained a constant in Hughes' plans; such is the importance of the Paraguayan to our manager. So we can presume from this that he will be first choice this season. Exactly whom he plays with, and in which system, depends on a host of still unclear futures. Until we know where Robinho, Tévez and Bellamy are playing next season, this is still beyond our grasp.