CBC-Sports

It's hard to feel sorry for Manchester City

January 5, 2009 01:46 PM | Posted by   John Molinaro  

It just keeps getting worse for Mark Hughes.

On the same day Manchester City announced the signing of England international defender Wayne Bridge from Chelsea, the Blues crashed out of the FA Cup in spectacular style Saturday, suffering a humiliating 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest at home in their third-round tie.

Toiling at the bottom of the Championship standings (just above the relegation zone), Forest looked every bit like a Premiership heavyweight, putting the boots to the Blues in convincing fashion and confirming that crisis has fully set in at City.

Hughes' boys have just won two of their last 11 games in the Premiership and sit two points out of the relegation zone, just above Stoke City, Blackburn and West Brom.

With the prospect of the Blues going down at season's end a real possibility, you have to wonder if the Abu Dhabi ownership group is now second-guessing its decision to buy City three months ago.

Wouldn't that just be a kick a pants? At the time of the purchase, Abu Dhabi bought a Premiership club that was being touted as an up-and-comer and one that could challenge the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea.

Now, it looks as though they might be stuck with a Championship side, and will have put their Champions League aspirations on hold for another year.

I couldn't be happier.

City fans long complained about their cross-town rivals and how Sir Alex Ferguson supposedly bought success for Manchester United, conveniently overlooking how the Red Devils themselves developed the likes of Ryan Giggs and his cohorts from the 1999 treble-winning team.

But when Abu Dhabi bought the Blues and promised to lure the world's top stars - Gianluigi Buffon, Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and Cesc Fabregas to name but a few - with their billions in oil money, City fans welcomed their new sugar daddy with open arms.

Parity, to be sure, is lacking in the Premiership, and something needs to be done to break up the stranglehold of the "Big Four" and ensure greater competitiveness in England's top division.

But the addition of another multi-billionaire from foreign shores who wants to just buy success is not the answer, as it would set a dangerous precedent - that success can merely be bought.

Instead, look to the example being set by Aston Villa, a club that through a shrewd series of transfer moves, development of youth players and the astuteness of a sharp manager in Martin O'Neill is challenging for the title this season.

That's how success should be attained.

If City does go down, I won't be among the many that will be shedding a tear.

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