Manchester City…too much of a good thing?

How should Manchester City deal with their player surplus?

Most Manchester City fans are overjoyed by the number of talented players making their way to the club this summer.  To say the least, Yaya Toure, David Silva, Jerome Boateng, Aleksander Kolarov and (pending financial discussions) Mario Balotelli would be impressive additions to any roster. The same cannot be said of the players who made their way to the club before Mancini was hired in late 2009- ya know, the ones that believed in the club’s vision and aspirations from the beginning (of their wealthy history)….For most clubs the hardest part is attracting and financing the recruitment of deep, talented squads.  It seems Manchester City has the opposite problem which has led to a player surplus and some embarrassing outbursts from players such as Craig Bellamy and Shay Given who are feeling abandoned by the club and Mancini in particular…

Both Given and Bellamy were brought to Manchester City by Mancini’s predecessor, Mark Hughes.  For better or for worse, Mark Hughes departure from the club can only be described as acrimonious and the manner in which it was done caused divisions within the team as some players (and fans!) spoke out against the club.  Needless to say, a few of those players never seemed to warm to Mancini when he took over from Hughes (a mere few hours later). One of those players was Craig Bellamy, who reportedly got into an argument with Mancini in February and hasn’t spoken to him since.  Bellamy’s tirade at the club (and Mancini in particular) also included an accusation that the club tried to force him to join Wolfsburg only a year and a half after he arrived in January 2009.

Bellamy is reportedly so broken up about being put out in the cold by the club, he’s considering quitting football all together…

I’m probably more unwanted than I’ve ever been. I find myself in a situation that’s hard to get my head around. I’ve felt that I’m being pushed aside there – I will remember this.

With this 25-man rule, if I don’t get in I don’t know what I will do. If I’m not on the list, which is unlikely, then the only games I will get is with the reserves.

’Ive got a fair indication of what they all think though, as I’ve had 80 minutes in pre-season. I’ve even seen players not part of the club over the last three years get more minutes than me. I’m so dejected and disheartened I could even walk away from the game.

Now, this isn’t just a player whining about not getting enough minutes – the situation is much more complex than that.  According to Bellamy, its a clear case of “we don’t want him….but we don’t want anyone else (who can hurt us) to have him.”  Wolfsburg is the only club Manchester City have been interested in negotiating with, mostly because they wanted to use him a bargaining chip to get Dzeko.  And, though (according to Craig) several other EPL clubs “in the top seven” are interested in his services, the club refuses to negotiate with rivals.

And, truth be told, I think Craig Bellamy is being reasonable.  Did I just say that?  Someone check to see if Hell has frozen over because I think this might the second time this year I’ve uttered those words.  The first, of course, being after he commented on John Terry’s “well known off-field” behavior. After a career like Craig Bellamy’s – which includes faking injuries, several public falling outs and (allegedly) attacking a teammate with a golf club - he seemed to be finally hitting his stride.  In his own words, last season was undoubtedly one of his best, despite the managerial switch…

’Whatever people think about me, I’ve just come back off my best year in football. I got double figures in goals and double figures in assists, and that’s all as a midfielder. Enough said.

Now this is where I have a problem with Manchester City (if Bellamy’s accusation are true).  I understand that football is a business and the club’s primary purpose it to improve its position and ability to win trophies and titles.  Perhaps I’m naive, but surely this lust for competition and winning should be tempered with some ethical boundaries.  Keeping a player to ensure your squad has depth to survive a long, injury-filled season is one thing.  But, banishing players who could start at most clubs in the EPL to the reserves because you are afraid of the damage they might inflict against you is quite another.  While most clubs wouldn’t be able to do this because they can’t afford the extra salaries on payroll, that is clearly not a problem for Manchester City.  With their seemingly infinite resources, they can stockpile as many players as they want to waste and whittle away their careers….

Alright. I can already tell many of you are unsympathetic to Bellamy’s plight.  Whatever you think of Bellamy, just realize that this could be any player.  If Messi, Xavi and Iniesta were enticed to make their way to Manchester City, David Silva could be out in the cold.  Now, its a depressing thought to think, in that situation, the whole football community would be robbed of the opportunity to watch David Silva play.  To me, this is analogous to national teams who call-up players who have duel citizenship for a one-off cap to prevent them from playing for anyone else (even if they have no intention of ever using them as part of the team in the longterm).  Strengthening your team is one thing…sabotaging players, rivals and the fan experience is quite another.  For me, the solution is simple:  If Manchester City have no intention of playing Bellamy this season, they should negotiate with teams Bellamy is interested in playing at.  Period.

Bellamy’s situation is not unique at the club — where Shay Given has also threatened to leave if his starting spot is given to Joe Hart in Manchester City’s opening match of the EPL vs Tottenham Spurs.  Bellamy has also reported that Tevez is given similar treatment by Mancini, with neither one receiving attention (has Carlos not informed Messi?).

And oh ya, the club still has that tiny (yet costly) problem of what to do with their record-breaking signing, Robinho.  His loan deal with Santos ended August 4th so the club will either have to leave out their 42.5M Euros signing off their team list or (quickly) find another home for his as well.  When Mancini was asked about the connundrum the club faces in the coming weeks, he said…

I think it’s better for the other players to find another solution, other teams, because it’s better for players to play.

Oh, except if that means playing for one of their rivals….

For more on Manchester City and how they are managing the massive personalities they are recruiting – visit The Offside-Manchester City blog!

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