Manchester City a club with a patchy history of rising and falling through the leagues, their past looks even more disastrous compare to the team up the Stretford Road.
But those days looked numbered particularly with the takeover by the new Arab owners – and their vast financial backing.
A complete contrast to a decade ago where Manchester City were eking out their existence in the old Division 2 – equivalent to today’s League One.
Although there was a happy ending for the Sky Blues that season after they won the play-off final against Gillingham.
Man City: Richest Team in the World
It is now a changed world for the blue half of Manchester, as Maine Road disappeared and the sudden adoption of the City of Manchester Stadium, signaling the end of Man City’s torrid past.
Now life could not be rosier for Man City fans with the star acquisitions that Manchester United would be proud to have gracing the hallow turf at the Theatre of Dreams.
The likes of Robinho, Carlos Tevez, Gareth Barry, Nigel De Jong, Vincent Company, to name a few, are all quality signings who will provide the ability for City to battle for a top four place.
This is already evident with their performances this season.
The question is: do these stars see Man City as a club they love as much as the fans love them.
Undoubtedly the money factor has a big influence on their desire to play at Eastlands, but the question has to be asked when more established and successful sides were touting for them.
However there is one thing that will come out of this, that no matter how many class assets arrive at Eastlands and how many fans have the names printed on their shirts, there will always be one true great star for Man City in the modern game.
Some may point to Naill Quinn, Nicky Summerbee or even Keith Curle.
Georgi Kinkladze
However the man who everyone will accept as a true great, someone who would fit in to Man City’s current squad of attractive football, would be a little known Georgian player – Georgi Kinkladze.
The diminutive star arrived at Maine Road back in 1995 and had a number of successful seasons, despite the Sky Blues struggling for survival and then finally getting relegated.
But Kinkladze battled on dazzling the crowds with his ability and audacious runs, notably the one he unearthed against Southampton when he took on the five Saints players then outrageously dummied Dave Beasant before lifting the ball over the big keepers sprawling body, in front of the Maine Road faithful.
This was a common occurrence from the little genius who seemed calm despite the scoring a fantastic individual goal.
Georgi was a true star, who no doubt Mark Hughes would relish to have at his disposal, someone who had a relax attitude to the game and his ability.
It seemed when he had the ball at his feet and running past defenders, his talent was never really being stretched.
He made the game look ridiculously easy, which is a significant achievement at a club like Man City where he was star in a below average team, whereas today with the many stars in the team it will be easier to make this happen as most players will have a similar ability.
A lot of the new City acquisitions have big reputations, but to become a legend in the blue half of Manchester they have to show the qualities from a relatively unknown player from a distant unheard of land.
If the players can show a modicum of modest like Kinkladze they will be on the right track to be following in the footsteps of Georgi the Great.
Only time will tell.
By Hemal Mistry
Tags: georgi the great
