sherm

Summer/Pre-Season 2008

After a successful first season at the helm, Sven wanted to do even better this time around, and when the board handed him a transfer budget of £32,000,000 his eyes bulged. With a side playing Champions League football, he felt he could attract some real quality players to the club, but before that he felt he needed to free up some extra wages from some of the deadwood in the squad

Transfers Out

Dietmar Hamann : £150,000 to Reading
Didi had proved himself useful, but he was too old for this level and was offloaded without hesitation

Geovanni : £1,000,000 to Mallorca
Sven had been impressed by the Brazilian, but with better options in the squad he felt the million pounds would be more useful spent elsewhere

Danny Mills : £500,000 to Crystal Palace
Surplus to requirements, and shipped off to Palace as soon as their bid came in

Michael Johnson : £8,000,000 to Tottenham
Not a player Sven wanted to part with, but when the nid came in it matched the fee realease clause Johnson wanted, and he was on his way to North London

Mauro Zarate : £5,750,000 to Reading
His criticism of Sven was not taken lightly, and when Reading's bid came in Mauro was off to join the UEFA Cup qualifiers


Transfers In

Luis Perea : Bosman free from Atletico Madrid
Sven's need for another defender was soon covered with Perea, and his experience and ability would prove crucial

Billy Sharp : £3,500,000 from Sheff Utd
Highly rated in many footballing circles, and a proven goalscorer wherever he has been. A player Sven had been tracking for 6 months

Georginio Wijnaldum : £4,500,000 from Feyenoord
The Feyenoord youngster was a regular for the Holland under 21s so Sven was delighted to get his ability to Eastlands

Emanuel Pogatetz : £3,800,000 from Middlesbrough
Didn't want to play Championship football and Sven's need for a left sided defender meant Pogatetz was perfect

Javier Modrego : £1,500,000 from Real Madrid
Signed as cover for Fernandes, a real star of the Spanish under 21 side

Rafael van der Vaart : £14,750,000 from HSV
The first of the big money signings, the former Hamburg man had real quality about his play and Sven was delighted to have him in the ranks

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar : £17,250,000 from Ajax
The big Dutchman's arrival got many people drooling. A real quality striker with a proven track record of scoring meant Sven had no problem making hime the club record signing for Man City

sherm

Manchester City Press Conference
City of Manchester Stadium, Eastlands

Seated at the table are Manchester City manager Sven-Erik Goransson, along with his assistant Hans Backe and the chairman of Manchester City, Dr. Thaksin Shinawatra

"Sven, Paul Hince from Manchester Evening News. After finishing 4th last season, do you believe that your side vastly over-achieved?"

"Over-achieved? No not at all. We played some good football, and picked up good results, and with the squad we had we fully deserved to finish where we did in the table"

"So you feel you have the necessary capabilities to finish in the same position again, or even higher this time?"

"Absolutely. The chairman has supported me all the way, given me money to spend, and I am confident that the players I have brought in ar emore than good enough for what we are looking to achieve"

"A lot of people questioned your ability to do the job Sven, do you feel that you have proved those doubters wrong?"

"I cannot be judged on one season. I must be judged in the long term, like managers such as Wenger and Ferguson. I feel I did a good job yes, but this club deserves to be back in the realms of greatness"

"A lot of people feel you have a mixed bag in terms of your signings. What do you say to that?"

"Ridiculous. I have signed quality players who will take this club forward"

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Spav

Aha, so you've got a second top-quality story on the go now, so I see, sherm. :thup:

Liam =D

Great Story sherm :thup:

sherm

Cheers lads, glad to know you're enjoying this one

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August 2008 - One season wonders?

Sven wanted to prove that his side were not one hit wonders so to speak, and that they were good enough to at least match what they had achieved the previous year. The first game on the quest to do that was a third round Champions League qualifier against the side with the most feminine shirts in world football. Palermo were a good side with European experience, and Sven knew it was vital to get a good advantage in the home leg of th tie. The team ensured that they did this with three goals in the last five minutes of the first half. Top scorer last season Rolando Bianchi headed home the opener, before he rippled the net again three minutes later. Brazilian midfielder Elano scored the third with a sublime free-kick, and even Fabio Simplico's second half strike couldn't put the dampeners on what was a stunning performance from the team

The opening league fixture saw a trip to London and Fulham, who had finished 14th the previous season. The first half was a dull affair, as Sven watched his team attack constantly without finsing that killer touch, but it took 36 seconds of football in the second half to go in front, as Klaas-Jan Huntelaar powered home his first goal for the club from a corner. That should have signalled the intention to push on, but the only other goal in the game saw Fulham striker Hameur Bouazza volley home on 69 minutes to rescue a point for the home side

Liverpool were next, and it was a performance that sent the fans away from Eastlands drooling, as they blue half of Manchester demolished the struggling side 5-0. Sven saw his side play some scintillating stuff, and the one man show was Rolando Bianchi. The big Italian saw everything he touched turned to goals, and his opener was a team goal of the highest class. It was his knockdown that allowed Elano to volley home a second, and his saved shot that was punted into the net by Huntelaar, before a quick double in the second half sent the Italian to his hat-trick and the City fans into raptures

The stunning win in the previous game was something Sven wasnted his side to build on, and a televised game at Wigan looked to be the perfect opportunity. They were a relatively poor side, and when a Huntelaar penalty in the 21st minute put his side ahead, Sven fully expected three points. The home side had different ideas, and thanks to a 61st minute goal came away with a very undeserved point from the game

The second leg of the Champions League qualifiers was nothing but a foregone conclusion, especially when Darius Vassell cancelled out the Italian's away goal at Eastlands. The game was dire, and the Italian side just did not look interested, and Sven saw his side wrap up a comfortable 4-1 aggregate win and make their way into the group stages of the competition

The opening month of the new season came to an end when Aston Villa came to Manchester. It was a decent game, and the visitors had the cheek to take the lead after 8 minutes when Luke Moore slotted home, but Sven saw his side seal the game with goals from Gelson Fernandes, his first ever in the Premiership, and Huntelaar's fourth of the season giving them the 2-1 win

sherm

September 2008 - An ascent on Europe's finest

The draw for the Champions League had certainly not done Sven and his side any favours, although before that they had other games to worry about. The first of these saw and away trip to Charlton, and when the home side took the lead with six minutes left, it looked like they had won against the run of play. Billy Sharp had other ideas though, and his late equaliser saved a point for Sven and his team

Another away trip was to follow, this time a short one to face Blackburn. A goal in the third minute from Bianchi put the visitors in front, and they had to wait until second half injury time to seal it as Elano curled the ball home to seal the 2-0 win

The first Champions League game in the club's long history was next, and that was a trip to Germany to face Bayern Munich. They obviously expected the win, and Sven wasn't sure whether they had underestimated his side or had not been at the races, but whatever it was, it allowed Elano to score in the 43rd minute to seal a famous victory. The German Champions were not helped by Franck Ribery getting himself sent off after 33 minutes however, but Sven was delighted his side took advantage of that

A home game against Southampton was next, and the visitors put ten men behind the ball from the kick-off. When Saganowski eanrt his marching orders, Sven expected his side to take advantage but they couldn't do it and the visitors held on for the goalless draw and a hard-working point

The League Cup provided the next encounter, and an away game with Preston at Deepdale. The game was all square at 2-2 after 90 minutes, thanks to a brace from Yoann Gouffran and the home side had Patrick Agyemang to thank. Extra time was all about Sven and his side, as they put four past the helpless Championship side. Gouffran scored two more to take his personal tally to four, but they were sandwiched in between goals from Modrego and Sharp which saw Sven's side run out with a 6-2 win

St. James Park was the next port of call, and Newcastle would prove to be a tough nut to crack. Former Manchester United man Guiseppe Rossi scored a first half brace, but Sven saw his star man Elano grab two himself. The winner came in the 77th minute, the ball coming across the box for Mathieu Flamini to fire home to seal the win for the Geordies

sherm

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre"> Holders - Chelsea| Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1st | | Arsenal | | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 7 | +13 | 20 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 2nd | | Liverpool | | 9 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 10 | +4 | 20 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 3rd | | Chelsea | | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 1 | +8 | 18 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 4th | | Tottenham | | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 3 | +5 | 18 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 5th | | Reading | | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 7 | +8 | 15 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 6th | | Newcastle | | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 11 | +6 | 14 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 7th | | Man City | | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 14 | 7 | +7 | 13 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 8th | | Man Utd | | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 7 | +6 | 13 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 9th | | Bolton | | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 11 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 10th | | Aston Villa | | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 6 | +2 | 10 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 11th | | Everton | | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 7 | +1 | 10 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 12th | | West Ham | | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 14 | -3 | 10 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 13th | | Blackburn | | 9 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 19 | -8 | 8 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 14th | | Sunderland | | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 10 | -2 | 7 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 15th | | Charlton | | 8 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 10 | -5 | 7 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 16th | | Portsmouth | | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 11 | -6 | 6 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 17th | | West Brom | | 9 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 11 | -6 | 5 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 18th | | Fulham | | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 15 | -9 | 5 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 19th | | Wigan | | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 10 | -7 | 4 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20th | | Southampton | | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 18 | -14 | 4 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| </pre>

sherm

October 2008 - Fireworks in Manchester

After a half decent start to his second season in charge, Sven wanted his side to push on even more in October. However, it wouldn't be easy, as the first game of the month saw Spanish champions Barcelona make the trip to Eastlands. The game swung in City's favour though, as injuries to the squad had forced the Spaniards to field an 18 year old goalkeeper and a 17 and 18 year defender, meaning Sven's side had to push on and make that advantage count. This they certainly did, as one man stole the show. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar hit all four goals in the match, which allowed Sven's side to come away with a superb 4-0 victory. The first two were in the 20th and 28th minutes, while the second two were early in the second half and the Dutchman quite rightly walked away with the match ball

After the European game, it was back to domestic action, and the visit of Portsmouth to Manchester. It wasn't the greatest match in the world, and for the neutral it was not a good game to watch, but Sven or his players didn't care, as they came away from the game with all three points. The scoring was opened by Italian Bianchi after 7 minutes, and the match was sealed four minutes from time when Vassell broke free and slotted home. The visitors did pull a goal back through David Nugent, but it made no difference and Sven's side won the match

A third successive home game was next, this time it was unbeaten league leaders Arsenal making the trip. The game itself was relatively back and forth, with both sides creating chances, but both 'keepers were forced into saves. Eduardo and Adebayor had the best chances for the visitors, while Sven's side had some good chances, although they fell for Corluka and van der Vaart, but the draw was inevitable and 0-0 was how it finished

An away game in North London was next, and that saw Sven and his side make the trip to White Hart Lane to face Tottenham. It turned out to be a terrific game for both sets of fans, but more so for the City fans, as they watched their side run out as 5-2 winners. They fell behind though to a Michael Dawson header, but the five goals in the Spurs net came from van der Vaart (twice), Billy Sharp (twice) and Rolando Bianchi, and when Benoit Assou-Ekotto scored a second for the home side it was nothing but a consolation

The Champions League was next, this time the faced the weakest team in the group as the travelled to Romania to face Dinamo Bucharest. Two goals in six first half minutes were enough to seal the win, as Huntelaar volleyed the opener on 19 minutes, before a header from Bianchi sealed it

Next was the small matter of a Manchester derby, and it turned out to be Sven's first win in one, as his team were terrific, showing passion and commitment and winning 4-1 against their bitter rivals. The opening goal came on the quarter of an hour mark, as the in-form Billy Sharp turned his man and fired home, before Yoann Gouffran doubled the lead before half time. Vedran Corluka scored the third, and the fourth came just 60 seconds after the visitors got back into the match when Huntelaar followed up the rebound and rammed it home

The final game of the month saw Sven and his side in league cup action as Wigan made the short trip to Eastlands. Neither side could seperate themselves in the 120 minutes of play, and the game went to penalties. The first 8 were shared at 3 a-piece, before Antonio Valencia missed his, and Huntelaar followed his goal in normal play up by netting the winning penalty and sending the side through the the 5th round

sherm

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"Sven, Anthony Woolidge from Times newspaper here. Is there any truth in the rumours about you leaving?"

"Absolutely not. My future lies here at Eastlands, and I have heard nothing from Spain"

"So if you were offered the job you wouldn't consider it?"

"Don't get me wrong, Barcelona is one of the biggest clubs in the world, and I'm flattered to be linked with them, but the time is not right"

"So you can safely say you will not be taking the job?"

"Absolutely. I am, and still will be for some time, the manager of Manchester City. My immediate future is here at Eastlands"

"OK thankyou Mr. Goransson"

milanfan_apoorv

heh, i like this. especially when i consider most of the stories here to be pretty meh.

i was thinking of doing this with milan and a certain Ancelo Carlotti but cheers!