Here's a small list of the players released by Premier League clubs. Ron Vlaar Steven Reid Brede Hangeland Antolin Alcaraz Maynor Figueroa Matthew Upson Glen Johnson Brad Jones Micah Richards Tom Cleverley Ryan Taylor Jonas Gutierrez Joey Barton Richard Dunne Karl Henry Shaun Wright-Phillips Bobby Zamora Jos Hooiveld Wilson Palacios Wes Brown Youssouf Mulumbu Carlton Cole Guy Demel Juusi Jaaskelainen All in all, there's some great players in that list, and if you were to build a side purely from that list you'd probably have a rock-solid Championship team. Would you want City to sign any of these players? There's a few that look like they'd be fantastic for us in the Championship on a year contract. Given how highly we're rated by the bookies I reckon a number of those players would join us, and I reckon a handful of them wouldn't cost the earth either.
Would say no to literally every single one of them bar one. Some good players there but that's just a list of Has beens, OAPs, Never was and the rest would be asking for to much. The only one I would consider is Youssouf Mulumbu, Good age at 28, prem experienced and is genuinely a very good footballer. Would be a quality addition and a midfield 3 of him Freeman and Smith would be amazing! but we wouldn't stand a chance of signing him.
You all say we want young and hungry, but Cotterill proved this season that you can't just sign a bunch of young players and expect them to do well, because what we get is the ****show we had under SOD. Experience is key, and someone with experience at a higher level is invaluable. Very few people on that list would consider us, but I reckon a select few on that list would fit into our side well. Joey Barton would be incredible at this level, and would probably be a good influence on some of our younger players (despite what people read about his private life). Alcaraz would also be good at this level, purely because he's used to playing in the kind of system we favour. I doubt either of them would be too expensive, and given our status in the Championship would probably favour a move to us as it would guarantee game time.
Fancy Cole and Cleverley, but as has been pointed out, they would probably cost far too much money. It could be that the approach from last summer is the correct way to go - buying outstanding talent from Divs 1 & 2.
Carlton Cole at our level....in theory he should tear the Championship apart. But seriously, how interested will he be in putting his arse on the line for 50p a week with us having been on Prem wages at Chelsea and West Ham
Carlton Cole..... would score about 6 or 7 goals for us! I'd rather we go out and get Grigg or Bradshaw. Young and upcoming.
Cleverley signed for Everton a week ago, iirc.. And I would ask for my money back if Barton signed for us, any man that can stamp a cigar out in an 18 year players eye is a complete **** as far as I'm concerned!! so not a good influence on our young players just a jumped up bully.
John Guidetti has just been released, and would be a stellar signing for us. A former Man City player, just like Cunningham, and has top flight experience in a number of leagues. He was unremarkable for most of his teams, but scored 20 goals for Feyenoord on loan. Since he flopped at Stoke and wasn't that great at Celtic I reckon he'd definitely go to a Championship side.
expensive? what is expensive if we spent £1m for any one of them and they turned out like wadey, or wilbers it would be money in the bank! Young yes hungry yes most players that are young are on the way up, up could easily be lge 2 or lge 1 etc, Akinde, John never really performed for us was keen but his time was to early, next season will show for him. We need a pool of about 6 ... 20 to 24 year olds on the fringe, plus a squad of 18 -20 we will play nothing like the number of games we did this season lucky to play 53 games and no wembglee to look forward to
Calton Cole said a few days ago that he thinks he has "a few years left in the Premier League". He's not a bad player, but he's not prolific enough for a Premier League club to take a real gamble on him. He could absolutely dominate in the Championship though, if he has his head screwed on, and takes the league seriously. I'd like a few young signings, but with Wade not playing any more we definitely need an experienced player, ideally with experience in a league above this one; someone that could help guide our younger players and help them push even further this season. We also don't have the money to cherry pick from League 1, so the free transfer market is the next best place for us. If we're talking about the loan market, then I'd love for us to get in Dele Alli. It's looking like he won't be loaned out this season after all, but I reckon he would fit in perfectly in our system.
Carlton Cole said a few days ago that he thinks he has "a few years left in the Premier League". I am sure he thinks he does! However, he has never been prolific, even when younger, so cannot see any team in the Prem taking a gamble on him, not even the newly promoted sides. He will go to QPR, they pick up all the ex Prem has beens, especially the London based ones.
