Its all going so right for Manchester City afterall

By: Rob | July 29th, 2009

So after failing to get John Terry from Chelsea, it seems City have succeeded in signing a different top four defender in the shape of Kolo Touré from Arsenal. So despite the odd disapointment, and in Terry’s case, people using their spending power to their own ends, Man City are looking genuinely quite strong this year. In fact Martin O’Neill is talking up the concept of a “Genuine Big Five“, and that City could even contend for the title this season.

While I don’t think they’ll be title winners, I think they’ll genuinely be challenging the top four and stand a pretty good chance of a Champions League place looking at their line up.

Although O’Neill is off with the idea of a big five – the only reason there’s a big four is because there’s four Champions League places – but it does mean there certainly could be an upset to the hegemony this season.

Assuming they sign no-one else (which to be honest they almost certainly will) their line up looks something like this:

In goal they are in pretty safe hands with Shay Given, one of the most underrated keepers of recent times.

Micah Richards will be a strong first choice at right back, Touré and Dunne a decent paring in the middle, with Wayne Bridge at left. As it stands Ben Haim will prove a decent enough back up. If Vincent Kompany can live up to his potential he could knock Dunne out of that starting XI as well.

Midfield will depend on formation and how many strikers they want to play. But Barry will be a certain starter in defensive midfield, With Ireland partnering him in the middle. Then they have a choice – do they want to play with two attacking wing-forwards, as is fashionable these days, in which case, you can expect to see Robinho and Wright-Phillips as widemen, with Elano, Petrov or promising youngster Michael Johnson in the other attacking midfield berth.

Up front, they are spoiled for choice. If they go two up front, Tevez and Adebayour. One up front with the five man midfield, could see Tevez move out wide and Adebayour be the main striker. On the bench, Santa Cruz is probably first in line.

To me that looks like a side that could push into the top four. It surprises me that its Touré and not Gallas that Wenger is getting rid of after the controversies of last season, but it certainly seems to me that if they don’t sign a couple of players, they might be the ones falling out the Champions League spots.