Manchester City Forums

[color="DarkRed"]"City join race to snatch Sidwell"

Manchester City are set to hijack Aston Villa's proposed £6million move for Steve Sidwell.

Villa are confident of landing Sidwell, 25, after Chelsea deemed him surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge following his free transfer from Reading last summer.

But new City boss Mark Hughes is also a big fan of the midfielder after trying to sign him for Blackburn Rovers. And City's hierarchy have already been in touch expressing an interest in Sidwell, who is on holiday in Dubai.[/color]

Faily Mirror I know but there is probably a scrap of truth in it. Do we want him though? Is he back up for Jonno or a replacement for him or Hamann?

Nope not imo johno and gelson are better than him and we need to improve, decent sqaud player if the moneys right

I know Jonno and Gelson are better, was just wondering if this was a sign that Jonno was being let go. Hope not.

Didn't we want him when he chose to go to chelsea? I dont think it's ever a good idea to go back in for someone who has already turned you down once before. A rule I apply to women too, by the way.

I never apply rules to women. It tends to annoy them.

I like Sidwell. I also like Gelson, but of the two Sidwell's the better player.

I'd say he's very similar to Johnson though. If we do make enquiries about him it possibly doesn't bode that well for Johnson's future at the club.

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I raped myself once. My mind was telling me no but my body, my body was telling me yes.

My thoughts exactly. Hope it's not true. Johnson is the superior player. Sidwell is now damaged goods. Players tend not to recover from going to Chelsea and sitting on the bench.

On ssn this morning reported city being interested in signing Tom Huddlestone.Hardly a step up if true imo

This looks like we're now being linked to everyone who is known to play in a style that Hughes liked to play at Blackburn. Maybe he played that way because the budget dictated it. Maybe with the funds he'll want his team to play different. Who knows.

I was thinking that too - they sound very much like Blackburn-style signings, though it is possible that Hughes will stick with his tried and tested formula.

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[color="Red"]Keeper of the heretic's fork of doom [/color]

These are the cries of the carrots.

I hope that the level of money he has to spend helps him think outside the box. We're not Blackburn and I hope to God we never are.

Blackburn's midfield under Hughes was basically just dirty dirty bastards wasn't it? I'm not sure we've got that type of player at the club, and I don't think Sidwell or Huddlestone fit into that category either.

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I raped myself once. My mind was telling me no but my body, my body was telling me yes.

We'll be buying Savage and Bellamy then.

I do think the majority of our problems the second half of last year came from not having a natural leader in the heart of midfield. All the best clubs have a midfield general, the man that controls the strings. We need that kind of player. Jonno isn't ready for that responsibility yet and Hamann is past it.

Sidwell used to do that job very well. Might not be a bad shout. Good opportunity for him too - re-establish himself as a force to be reckoned with in the Premier League.

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I raped myself once. My mind was telling me no but my body, my body was telling me yes.

I'm just concerned because Chelsea seem to break players and they stay broke.

Who've you got in mind?

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I raped myself once. My mind was telling me no but my body, my body was telling me yes.

In particular, Scott Parker, but there's been others. They sit them on the bench and their careers seem to go downhill. Not sure that SWP will ever be the same.

He's wasted his peak years, that's for sure.

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I raped myself once. My mind was telling me no but my body, my body was telling me yes.

that's a bit harsh... bentley, dunn, tugay, pederson.

i think the blackburn team could all look after themselves but were hardly bullies.

Regarding Sidwell. i think he is a good player, probably currently better than Johnson and Gelson. Although the city pair have maybe more potential. Just look at how Reading have struggled without him.

We wanted to sign him and he wanted to come, but Coppell wouldnt sell him to us. Then when he was a free agent Chelsea offered him a contract whilst we had no manager and no owner.