Start of 'A New City Revolution'?- Landed in Eindhoven

[JD10]

were's Ronaldo and the £135 mil signing

 

[treva]

Surely the Chairman could tell you in person?

Nice stuff Shan, a few more signings and this team will be top notch. Fifth place could be a real possibility.

 

[JD10]

I think i don't understand arabic

 

[treva]

What are you on about? First of all, why are you replying when I'm talking about Shan's email and secondly, Abu Dhabi speaks English.

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Fixtures Announced
2nd July 2008

I and my staff were shocked when the fixture of the new season were announced. It was the toughest start ever to my managering career. We started at home against Fulham and then played Pompey at Fratton Park before we invited Liverpool and then go to Emirates to face Arsenal and then to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea. We played the three of the top four teams in the same month. Next we had some challenging but tricky fixtures against the likes of Bolton, Stoke, Blackburn and Middlesbrough before we played the most important game the Manchester Derby against United at Old Trafford. After that game we played Newcastle, West Brom, West Ham, Villa, Everton, Hull, Tottenham, Wigan and Sunderland before the start of the new year. It was surely the most toughest start any team can get. But at the same time it would be a great challenge for me and the whole team. If we could get 9 points from the possible 12 against the top 4 then it would be great job done. But the best thing was we ended the season against Wigan at JJB before we played the final fixture against Sunderland at home. After looking at the fixture I really felt that a place in the top four this season is really on the card if we perform well and remain consistent this season.

21/08 Fulham(H)
26/08 Portsmouth(A)
09/09 Liverpool(H)
16/09 Arsenal(A)
23/09 Chelsea(A)
30/09 Bolton(H)
15/10 Middlesbrough(H)
21/10 Stoke(A)
29/10 Blackburn(H)
04/11 Manchester United(A)
19/11 Newcastle(H)
25/11 West Brom(A)
03/12 West Ham(H)
09/12 Aston Villa(A)
13/12 Everton(H)
18/12 Hull(A)
23/12 Tottenham(A)
26/12 Wigan(H)
30/12 Sunderland(A)
03/01 Fulham(A)
13/01 Portsmouth(H)
21/01 Liverpool(A)
24/01 Arsenal(H)
04/02 Chelsea(H)
10/02 Bolton(A)
17/02 Middlesbrough(A)
24/02 Stoke(H)
04/03 Blackburn(A)
11/03 Manchester United(H)
17/03 Newcastle(A)
24/03 West Brom(H)
08/04 West Ham(A)
15/04 Aston Villa(H)
21/04 Everton(A)
25/04 Hull(H)
29/04 Tottenham(H)
05/05 Wigan(A)
12/05 Sunderland(H)​

After having a look at the fixtures I decided to arrange some pre-season friendly matches so that the team get good practice before the big kick-off on the 21st of August. I and Tim Flowers arranged friendlies against PSV Eindhoven, Hamburg, Lyon, Inter, AC Milan. We would play PSV at Phillips Stadium, Hamburg at AOL Arena and Lyon at Stade Gerland while we would play Inter and AC Milan at the City of Manchester Stadium which is our home ground. We would get the best practice from this games which I think could halp us a lot when we face Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea in consecutive matches in September and January this season.

12/07 PSV Eindhoven(A)
26/07 Hamburg(A)
01/08 Lyon(A)
10/08 Inter(H)
16/08 Milan(H)​

​

shantanu_rooney added 2 Minutes and 30 Seconds later...

were's Ronaldo and the ?135 mil signing

Well I never signed Ronaldo or Man City in reality has never signed him

I think i don't understand arabic

And where are we talking in Arabic?

 

[matty_boy08]

Bojinov is a gun!

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Six Signings Unveiled
8th July 2008

Its been seven days I took the charge of the club and today I finally unveiled all the six summer signing that took place before I arrived in front of 10,000 fans who had come at the City of Manchester Stadium to see the new signings.

Tal Ben Haim

"With so many games to play this season it is important to get the balance right.Last season the team was weakened when Micah Richards and Richard Dunne were not in it. We are trying to address that."

"I think it's a very good club and a famous club with a lot of ambition. I want to win things with this club and I know for many years that hasn't happened. It'll be hard and it takes time to build something.I know Shantanu Ambekar matches my ambition. He wants to win everything as a manager. He has ambition, the passion and the desire to do that and it matches my ambition because I am like that as well. I want to help City to be a better club and to win something."

Pablo Zabaleta​

"We feel the addition of Pablo is another great signing. He's young and a winner, with an Olympic gold medal to prove that, but more so he will provide us with great balance in the side."

"Estoy muy feliz de venir aquí y jugar en la Premier League. Jugar en Inglaterra ha sido un sueño de toda la vida que finalmente ha llegado por cierto de trasladarse a la ciudad. Me reuní con él (Shantanu Ambekar) y anteriormente fue realmente impresionado con él, pero haber hablado con él sobre la ciudad de Manchester tuve que venir aquí y ser parte de sus planes. Estoy muy confiado de ayudar al primer equipo para alcanzar sus objetivos ".

translated..

"I am very happy to come here and play in the Premier League. Playing in England has been a lifelong dream which has finally come true by moving to City. I'd met him (Shantanu Ambekar) previously and was really impressed with him, but having talked to him about Manchester City I had to come here and be part of his plans. I'm very confident of helping the first team to achieve their goals."

Vincent Kompany​

"Vincent is one of the outstanding talents in Europe and understands the ambition of the club, We want to be a young, vibrant team with energy and technical ability. He comes into the category of the kind of young player we are trying to attract. The thing like about him is his flexibility to play exceptionally well in a number of positions."

"Die Chance kam zum richtigen Zeitpunkt - das ist ein Club mit viel Ehrgeiz. Das hat mir geholfen, dass meine Entscheidung, und ich freue mich auf Spielen in der Premier League. Ich hatte gerade ein gutes Gefühl über diesen Schritt. Wenn Sie der Meinung sind sie sind dynamisch Menschen in Stadt, die wissen viel über Fußball, Sie feststellen, dass Sie sich in einem guten Umfeld zu verbessern Sie Ihr Spiel. "

translated..

"The chance came at the right moment - this is a club with a lot of ambition. That helped me make my decision and I am looking forward to playing in the Premier League. I just had a good feeling about this move. When you feel they are dynamic people at City, who know a lot about football, you realise you are in a good environment to improve your game."

After handing over their jersey to the three defenders it was now time to hand over jerseys to the main three signings.

Shaun Wright-Phillips​

"I've always admired Shaun and he's been a target of mine since I came to the club. To actually secure the deal and bring Shaun back home is a fantastic coup for us. I'm sure the supporters will be just as excited as we are to have him back at Manchester City."

"Obviously I'm delighted to come back to City and I can't wait to get started again. At Chelsea I lost a lot of form and now I want to regain the form back. I feel like this Man City with Shantanu Ambekar as manager can go all the way to win the Premier League. If we can acheive our goal then it would be a dream come true for all our fans and all the players. And I am ready to give everything to make our dream come true."

Jo Alves​

"A lot has been said about him and there was a big expectation on him coming out of Brazil. So with the success he's had I think it's a real coup that we've been able to bring him to the club. He's a big guy, in stature and in ability, so I think everybody will enjoy watching him play."

"Decidi vir ao Manchester City, pois é um dos clubes que mostraram maior interesse em mim, embora eu tivesse bem como outras ofertas. Thhe Depois eu falei com o clube, eu fiquei muito contente. Foi-me dito Manchester City é um clube indo avançar neste momento. Podemos ir para lugares, esse é o nosso objectivo. Nós pensamos sobre isso e eu decidi vir ao Manchester City, por esse motivo. "

translated..

"I decided to come to Manchester City because it is one of the clubs who showed more interest in me, although I had other offers as well. After I spoke to the club I was very pleased. I was told Manchester City is a club going forward at the moment. We can go places, that is our objective. We thought about it and I decided to come to Manchester City for that reason."

Robinho​

​

"I am absolutely delighted to get the opportunity to work with such an incredible talent like Robinho. I have said that in order to compete with the best teams in the Premier League we have to be in the market for players of this calibre, and Robinho is undoubtedly one of the best players in the world."

"Estou absolutamente encantado por ter acordado com os termos Man City. Este é um dos famosos clubes em Inglaterra. Semper quis jogar na Premier League e para um clube topo. Eu queria jogar, mas para o Chelsea Man City fez uma melhor oferecer o que foi acordado por Madri, e foi uma boa oferta para ser aceite por mim também. Sou agora um jogador Man City e quero ganhar tudo wont para com o clube e alcançar o sucesso. "

translated..

"I am absolutely delighted to have agreed terms with Man City. This is one of the famous clubs in England. I always wanted to play in the Premier League and for a top club. I wanted to play for Chelsea but Man City made a better offer which was agreed by Madrid and it was a good offer to be accepted by me also. I am now a Man City player and I wont to win everything with the club and reach success."

 

[treva]

A nice update that Shan. Will be interesting to see which of those players are big factors this season.

 

[DPRA]

Im going to watch, but will you finish this story this time?

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Captain Appointed
8th July 2008

After unveiling the new signings I decided to call a small team meeting to appoint a new permanent skipper of Manchester City. I had some options like Micah Rchards, Richard Dunne, Elano or Martin Petrov. But after some discussions with assistant Juan and coach Tim, I decided to retain long serving captain Richard Dunne. It was an expected appointment for the players. Richard Dunne looked delighted and said to me in personal that he would give his everything to win trophies for the club and help me in my revolution. The Republic of Ireland international who played two-hundred-sixty-six matches for Man City was has all the qualities of what a captain needs.

Richard Dunne retained as skipper​

But there was a unhappy face in the squad and that was the veteran Dietmar Hamann. The thirty-five year met me in the parking area and said that I had made a mistake appointing Richard Dunne as the captain. He also said its because of his poor captaincy Man City has not won any major trophy yet. He ended saying that he himself was the right person who could lead City to win trophies this season. On saying this he left towards his car. I was feeling angry on him. Hamann had joined Man City in 2006 from Liverpool and has played just forty-four matches for the club. How could I make him a skipper who had just joined the club in 2006. While Richard has served the club since 2000. I stood firm with my decision but also I decided to give Dimi's saying a thought.​

 

[treva]

Richard Dunne is a great player and deserves. Ditmar isn't really a player who moans though and he is a quality midfielder.

Good stuff Shan.

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Landed in Eindhoven
11th July 2008

The whole Man City first team squad left Manchester on the 11th July and we reached Eindhoven on the same day. It was a good journey flight journey of around four and a half hours. After the formalities at the airport we all boarded a huge luxurious bus which took us to the hotel. As we completed the formalities at the airport there was a huge crowd to welcome us. It was a great experience. We all boarded the bus and we went to the Van der Valk Hotel. Van der Valk Hotel is a very luxurious hotel near the main city.Hotel Van der Valk Eindhoven is located in the middle of the 'Genneper Parken,' a green are to the south of the city Eindhoven. A nice walk through the parks will bring you to the city centre, but the connections by public or private transport are also more than adequate. The hotel also has many fatalities. It has sports center, huge grounds and also huge swimming pools for relaxation. The hotel is also near to the Phillips Stadium where we play our first freindly.

Van der Valk Hotel Eindhoven​

Here is the squad which I decided to tour with us for the first three friendlies against PSv, Hamburg and Lyon.

Man City squad in training​

Kasper Schmeichel, Joe Hart ; Micah Richards, Richard Dunne(c), Pablo Zabaleta, vincent Kompany, Nedum Onuoha, Tal ben Haim, Javier Garrido ; Dietmar Hamann, Michael Johnson, Gelson Fernandes, Stephen ireland, Martin Petrov, Shaun Wright Phillips, Elano ; Jo, Robinho, Valeri Bojinov and Benjani. ​