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Manchester City have enjoyed a magnificent record-breaking season and the confirmation of them being crowned as Premier League champions came as no surprise to anyone. The trophy is a well-deserved reward for their dominant performances, and they look set to break even more records with 5 games more to play. Manchester United’s shock defeat to bottom-placed West Bromwich Albion ensured that the second-placed team had no mathematical chance left to overtake their local rivals. The Citizens have been widely praised, with many calling them the best team in Europe this season.
But success hasn’t come cheap for Pep Guardiola’s team, as his world-class team almost completely comprises of an expensively assembled squad of top players purchased for high transfer fees. It is undeniable that this wouldn’t have been possible, but for their rich owners – the Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG).
Acquiring a hard-working but relatively average squad which finished 9th in the league in 2007-08 season, the ADUG immediately sanctioned big money purchases for the team, and have continued to invest heavily in the transfer market ever since.
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The ownership change has certainly made an impact as City sealed their third Premier League title under the ADUG in a decade after many years of indifferent results of mid-table and relegation battles, which also saw them drop down to the lower divisions more than once. It is almost unlikely that top talents like Kevin De Bruyne, Ederson Moraes, Leroy Sane and Sergio Aguero would have been playing for the Citizens.
While this piece isn’t an attempt to undermine the quality of players who were at the club before the club saw an upturn in their fortunes, we take a look at the top-performing team members of the Man City squad in 2007-08 season, before the arrival of the ADUG to illustrate the impact of the oil-money in improving the squad.
1) Richard Dunne
The club captain, a solid figure in centre of the team’s defence, and also the official Club 'Player of the Year' for four consecutive seasons, Dunne was a central figure in the pre-ADUG Man City team. But it didn’t take long for the Irishman to realize that he would be dispensable in the new era at the club.
Soon after the ADUG takeover, club’s chief executive Garry Cook was quoted saying “China and India are gagging for football content to watch and we’re going to tell them that City is their content. We need a superstar to get through that door. Richard Dunne doesn’t roll off the tongue in Beijing.”
What happened next?
Despite Cook’s statement, Dunne went to captain the City side in the 2008-09 season and featured regularly. But with the arrival of Kolo Toure and Jolean Lescott in the summer of 2009, a move away from City was inevitable and Dunne joined Aston Villa. He later represented QPR as well before retiring in 2015.
2) Elano
The Brazilian international Elano had joined City in the summer of 2007, and instantly established himself at the club by finishing his first season as the side’s top scorer.
But the big-money signature of Robinho coupled with the return of Shaun Wright-Phillips in 2008 summer meant Elano was no longer the automatic choice for his preferred attacking role.
What happened next?
Similar to Dunne, Elano featured regularly for City in the 2008-09 season, before making a move away from Manchester. After playing in Turkey and his native Brazil, Elano finished his career with a successful (but controversial towards the end) stint in the Indian Super League with Chennaiyin FC.
3) Micah Richards
The youngest defender to play for England (at the age of 18) and the youngest player to captain City (at the age of 19), Micah Richards looked destined for big things in his career. While many in the City squad would have feared for their future with the club after the ADUG takeover, it is unlikely that Richards would have been one of them, as he looked set to play a major role in the club’s new era.
What happened next?
Richards continued to feature regularly for City until 2012 but then lost his place in starting XI to Pablo Zabaleta. The disappointment of not being eligible to get the Premier League winners’ medal in 2013-14 due to only 2 appearances in the season prompted him to explore his options away from City.
After spending a year on loan at Fiorentina, Richards is now with Championship side Aston Villa, but hasn’t featured much due to injuries. The player also finds himself out of the reckoning from the England national team’s plans.
4) Joe Hart
The winner of City’s Young Player of the Year award for 2007-08, Joe Hart tried to establish himself as the number-one keeper at the club with some impressive performances. His potential was evident, which also prompted a debut for England at the age of 21, and he was ear-marked as the future long-term keeper for both club and country.
What happened next?
Hart was the first-choice keeper at City for the first-half of the 2008-09 season, but the club brought in the much-more experienced Shay Given in January 2009, and immediately appointed Given as their preferred keeper.
But an impressive loan spell at Birmingham City, prompted Roberto Mancini (then City manager) to re-appoint Hart as club’s starting keeper in 2010, and Hart enjoyed great success at the club – including 2 league titles and a long spell as undisputed first-choice for the national team.
The arrival of Pep Guardiola, and his preference for a sweeper keeper (a role very different to Hart’s playing style) meant that Hart found himself unwanted at the club. After a loan spell at Torino, Hart is presently on loan at West Ham.
5) Stephen Ireland
A product of the youth system at Manchester City, Ireland had established himself as a regular in the playing XI before the takeover by ADUG. While the club attempted to bring in high-profile players to raise the quality of the squad, Ireland – with the club having taken note of his potential - was tipped to continue to be part of the City’s scheme of things.
What happened next?
Despite the arrival of big-name signings in the summer of 2008 with the Abu Dhabi money, Ireland continued to be a key member of the side, and was named the club’s Player of the Year for 2008-09 season for his excellent performances.
But, similar to others mentioned in this piece, Ireland soon found his opportunities in the first-team limited due to competition from the high-profile incoming players. He joined Aston Villa in the summer of 2010 as part of an exchange deal which saw James Milner move the other way. Currently Ireland is at Stoke City (whom he joined in 2014), but has had limited game-time due to injuries.
