** Summer Transfer Window 2011/12 Season Rumours/Signings **

[Dr. Pain]

I would love it if he plays well. I hope he scores the winner against the other side in the 97th minute (AKA Fergie time) knocking them out of the cup, and lifts the Premiership trophy with City

I would like him to play too.

But Im afraid I cant see it happening.

Its just another case of Man City one upmanship like the Tevez saga.

Who's place in the ManCity Midfield would he take anyway?

I feel for the guy I really do, but its all looking so desperate. If I was him I think I would retire and just enjoy being a millionaire.

 

[Bloodshot]

I thought they'd signed him and sent him out on loan

Unfortunately not; Genk rejected the latest Chelsea offer.

 

[Caseh]

He will be earning basic wage of course, he will offer CL experience more than anything considering a few havent played in it before. He is a replacement for Vieira really, will be able to help a few of the youngsters. Especially what he has been through is relevant to Michael Johnson etc


I believe quite a few on "redcafe" have...a lot of City fans were mentioning it on "Bluemoon"

Ahh, well I'm going to assume that place is just like the Sheff Utd fan forums, and that it is full of ****.

 

[Bloodshot]

Are you calling me a Man Utd fan?

Surely that's a personal attack!


I can understand the need to replace Lampard but a midfield 3 of Meireles, Ramires and Mikel lacks balance and goals imo. Providing Torres starts scoring and Mata + 1 chip in with a few, it wouldn't be too bad but if/when they're not scoring you could struggle for goals imo.

We also have Sturridge on the right; the front three should really be scoring most of our goals. I'm not too worried about the midfield scoring, as even if we got Modric, he doesn't exactly score many goals either .

 

[Biz.Kid09]

Its just another case of Man City one upmanship like the Tevez saga.

Who's place in the ManCity Midfield would he take anyway?

I feel for the guy I really do, but its all looking so desperate. If I was him I think I would retire and just enjoy being a millionaire.

Your not serious?

Well Yaya leaves in Jan for AOC and anything can happen there. Barry and Milner could for example both get injured v Bulgaria leaving De Jong who Mancini is apparently looking at selling anyway. So he isnt particularly needed but is good cover.

There is no negatives from this deal imo. We have kept Johnson on for 3yrs and he has played 20mins i think.
I think if Mancini is willing to keep Johnson for so long then why not Hargreaves.

He could have retired but i think its admirable/good that he hasn't and he has gone out of his way to try and play again. Not many would do the same.

 

[BaZ87]

He will be earning basic wage of course, he will offer CL experience more than anything considering a few havent played in it before. He is a replacement for Vieira really, will be able to help a few of the youngsters. Especially what he has been through is relevant to Michael Johnson etc

I'm not sure what use Hargreaves' CL experience will have if he's not playing in the matches nor am I sure how he could help Michael Johnson when he's out on loan.

City aren't a young side that need an old head around the squad and I can't see how he'll get a game for you either.

We also have Sturridge on the right; the front three should really be scoring most of our goals. I'm not too worried about the midfield scoring, as even if we got Modric, he doesn't exactly score many goals either .

Agree with you on Modric which is why I wasn't sure why you were after him. Pigeon_Killer made a good point (yea, I was surprised too ) about how Utd were after Sneijder and you were after Modric when it really should have been the other way around.

 

[Biz.Kid09]

I'm not sure what use Hargreaves' CL experience will have if he's not playing in the matches nor am I sure how he could help Michael Johnson when he's out on loan.

City aren't a young side that need an old head around the squad and I can't see how he'll get a game for you either.

Why does he have to play the matches?
Of course he can help him, Unless we sell him M.Johnson is coming back next summer, it is a bit of a longshot but just a possiblity..Mancini wants to keep him and use him otherwise why would you keep him for so long so he will likely be coming back.

So if Barry/Milner/De Jong all got injured whilst Yaya was in AOC you cant see how he will get a game? An unlikely thing to happen but it could. Why take the risk of being left playing Razak and someone in the centre? When you can pick up a player who has shown a will to play and train on a free?

 

[Robbo]

Why are people confused about Hargreaves signing for City? They collect defensive midfielders, fit or otherwise.

 

[BaZ87]

Why does he have to play the matches?
Of course he can help him, Unless we sell him M.Johnson is coming back next summer, it is a bit of a longshot but just a possiblity..Mancini wants to keep him and use him otherwise why would you keep him for so long so he will likely be coming back.

So if Barry/Milner/De Jong all got injured whilst Yaya was in AOC you cant see how he will get a game? An unlikely thing to happen but it could. Why take the risk of being left playing Razak and someone in the centre? When you can pick up a player who has shown a will to play and train on a free?

If Hargreaves isn't playing then how is his European experience anymore useful to the side than Vieira's or even Platt and Mancini's? And you're hardly short of European experience in your squad anyway.

So Hargreaves, who has been given a 1 year contract is going to help Michael Johnson, who is out on loan for the season, develop/recover from his setbacks?

And the likelihood of all your CM's being unavailable at the same time AND Hargreaves being fit, seriously?

 

[Tom84]

all the man utd fans said he was worth £16 million even though he only played for 1 season he was instrumental for them in the league and champions league in that 1 season and they would have paid £16 million just for that 1 season.

now he's gone to man city, he's apparently never been any good.

in case you didn't know Baz ain't a utd fan

Hargreaves in his one season with us had some good games and some meh games unfortunately that's all I can say about him as that's all we saw of him and even in that one season he still picked up the odd injury here and there

His best games actually came with him wide right, playing as part of a midfield two the one thing I noticed above all else was his quite average passing ability compared with Carrick (at that time)

That said as I've said before Hargreaves at his best was still a million miles better than Gareth Barry and James Milner.

 

[Biz.Kid09]

If Hargreaves isn't playing then how is his European experience anymore useful to the side than Vieira's or even Platt and Mancini's? And you're hardly short of European experience in your squad anyway.

So Hargreaves, who has been given a 1 year contract is going to help Michael Johnson, who is out on loan for the season, develop/recover from his setbacks?

And the likelihood of all your CM's being unavailable at the same time AND Hargreaves being fit, seriously?

He can give advice to the younger players? who will be our future players in the CL etc?

M.Johnson could get injured and come back, Hargreaves might get a 3 year contract in Jan. It wasn't a great idea it was just something that popped in my head when i thought how they were both similar. Move on...

It could happen. Look at Arsenal last week they took off injured Gibbs? brought on that swiss CB and he got injured as well. Multiple injuries can happen. It is extremely unlikely but it can happen. Well Hargreaves is fit otherwise he wouldn't have been signed. Physically fit but not match fit clearly.

 

[Azza]

Royston Drenthe was once asked in an interview "How often do you have sex?"

His answer was "With my wife do you mean?"

This was after he was "found out" having an affair with a Playboy Bunny while his wife was pregnant with their second child - the same child he named his debut rap album after.....

wow

 

[BaZ87]

He can give advice to the younger players? who will be our future players in the CL etc?

M.Johnson could get injured and come back, Hargreaves might get a 3 year contract in Jan. It wasn't a great idea it was just something that popped in my head when i thought how they were both similar. Move on...

It could happen. Look at Arsenal last week they took off injured Gibbs? brought on that swiss CB and he got injured as well. Multiple injuries can happen. It is extremely unlikely but it can happen. Well Hargreaves is fit otherwise he wouldn't have been signed. Physically fit but not match fit clearly.

I've just had a quick look and iinm, you already have 13 players with CL experience in your squad. What more can Hargreaves add?

And when you mentioned the possibility of all your CM's being injured and Hargreaves being fit at the same time, I shouldn't be surprised that you're talking about the possibility of Johnson having a career at City and Hargreaves getting a 3 year contract. Lets be honest though, neither will happen.

Injuries/fitness is only part of the problem and he has and will continue to pick up niggling injuries all the time. Football isn't like riding a bike. You can't not play for years and just carry on from where you left off.

 

[Biz.Kid09]

I've just had a quick look and iinm, you already have 13 players with CL experience in your squad. What more can Hargreaves add?

And when you mentioned the possibility of all your CM's being injured and Hargreaves being fit at the same time, I shouldn't be surprised that you're talking about the possibility of Johnson having a career at City and Hargreaves getting a 3 year contract. Lets be honest though, neither will happen.

Injuries/fitness is only part of the problem and he has and will continue to pick up niggling injuries all the time. Football isn't like riding a bike. You can't not play for years and just carry on from where you left off.

He cant add anything we haven't already got but he is still useful. Last season Balotelli and Richards both said a key reason why they had played so well was because of Vieira. Hargreaves might be the same with a certain player in the EDS etc. Why not have him?

So M.Johnson doesnt have the possibility? If he doesnt why didnt Mancini just pay him off? why keep giving him treatment and still having a contract despite being injured?
He might do. No one can say for definite what will happen.

He might do, but why not take the risk for 1 year. Next year he might leave and retire to the MLS or something or he might stay and become a first team starter.

 

[Tom84]

So M.Johnson doesnt have the possibility? If he doesnt why didnt Mancini just pay him off?

in case you haven't noticed there's been quite a few players on the City wage bill that have been surplus to requirements but you've kept around. Granted you've got rid of most of them this summer but there's still the odd one still hanging around Johnson being one, Bridge another and you're still paying a portion of Adebayors wage as well

 

[Biz.Kid09]

in case you haven't noticed there's been quite a few players on the City wage bill that have been surplus to requirements but you've kept around. Granted you've got rid of most of them this summer but there's still the odd one still hanging around Johnson being one, Bridge another and you're still paying a portion of Adebayors wage as well

I have, but i am just saying that especially him being injured for so long Mancini could have just torn up his contract and let him go but he hasnt.
To me that means that he wants him around and sees him in the team.

We have sold/released 31 players i believe it is. Quite incredible really. Saving in excess of 20m in wages IIRC. We also still have Onouha around to sell with Bridge hopefully this Jan.

 

[BaZ87]

I'll bet anything you like that Johnson doesn't play another 50 league games for City. Why pay a player off when you can send him out on loan and get another club to pay some or all of his wages until his contract expires.

He looked like he might become a decent player but injuries have ruined him and he's not going to get a look in at City even if he can get over his injury problems.

And I can't be bothered arguing with you about Hargreaves. I don't believe he's got anything to offer you; he'll make single figure appearances (mainly in the League Cup and as a sub) and will be released at the end of the season.

 

[Tummy]

Is this Michael Johnson that looked really good a couple of seasons back?

 

[Tom84]

Is this Michael Johnson that looked really good a couple of seasons back?

Yeah played in the same side as Elano who also looked really good. Appearances can be deceptive no?

 

[Tummy]

Is injured then?

I'd heard that he struggled with off the pitch problems, mainly being lazy, eating too much, drinking too much, chasing skirt and had a gambling problem.

A Johnson is apparently a tool off the pitch as well.