ESM wrote:
Jo - Sven's idea, Garrry's doing
Robinho - Garrrry again, at the behest of the sheiks
Tevez - Marwood
A Johnson - Marwood
Yaya Toure - Garrrry - he'd been to Barca twice in the previous 12 months for talks and to "build a better relationship between the clubs". He was looking to sign Yaya and Eto'o and Barca were looking to sell. This deal, imo, was put in place a long time before Mancini arrived, and Hughes would have had fuck all to do with it.
Silva - Garrrry, as above - Garrrrry had been to Valencia for "talks etc" when they were skint and we were looking to sign Villa and Silva. Another that was set up without any input from any manager.
Milner - Marwood
I'd add:
NDJ & Kompany -
Hughes. his "type" of players I think - he likes a dirty fucker who grafts (Savage) and a tackler who can pass (Tugay)
and from our time scouting them I suspect..
Boateng -
Marwood. Jerome was coming through as a youngster at Hamburg when we'd have been over there looking at NDJ & VK. One our scouts would have recommended to Marwood/Garrrry at the time.
Kolarov -
Mancini
Balotelli -
Mancini