R.Dunne and the nutters running M.City

**Noelys Guitar** · 24/08/2008, 12:23 PM

Comments taken from Saturday's Guardian. Garry Cook is "executive chairman" at Manchester City. First on Richard Dunne.

Not everyone will be satisfied, but Cook is more bothered about the "10-year plan" to become a "global empire" and bringing in a box-office signing. "We need a superstar," he says. "I've talked about this a lot to Mark and he sort of understands. China and India, 30% of the world population, need a league to watch and we want Manchester City to be their club. To do that, we need a superstar because, no disrespect, Richard Dunne doesn't roll off the tongue in Beijing."

Later in the article he mentions Stephen Ireland.

Hughes was said to be against City's plans to sell Vedran Corluka and Stephen Ireland. Cook's take is very different. "Mark's assessment was that he had seen the players he wanted to keep and the areas where he felt we could do better. There were a couple of players we looked at [selling] because Mark said he wanted to bring in better. We went out to sign those players, they didn't come and we were left holding the baby."

It hardly represents a vote of confidence for Corluka and Ireland, but Cook is unapologetic. "Everyone's for sale. If they want to stay at this club they will have to aspire to it."

I hope Richard Dunne gets out of City soon.

**Colbert Report** · 24/08/2008, 12:28 PM

Borderline insanity. Richard Dunne has been their player of the year for what, four or five years in a row now? As of right now, he's up there with Robbie Keane as our only player who could line out for any of the top four and not look out of place. Senderos is terrible, a move to Arsenal would do him good.

Stephen Ireland is no Richard Dunne but he's a good young player who could make it with clubs like Blackburn, Sunderland, Aston Villa, Tottenham, West Ham or Newcastle. Why get him riled up with stupid comments like this? It makes no sense.

**bennocelt** · 24/08/2008, 12:39 PM

Originally Posted by Noelys Guitar

Not everyone will be satisfied, but Cook is more bothered about the "10-year plan" to become a "global empire" and bringing in a box-office signing. "We need a superstar," he says. "I've talked about this a lot to Mark and he sort of understands. China and India, 30% of the world population, need a league to watch and we want Manchester City to be their club. To do that, we need a superstar because, no disrespect, Richard Dunne doesn't roll off the tongue in Beijing."
.

business men in football never have a clue

fact is in China most clubs struggle to make anything - fake knocked off jersey sell in the millions. A Chinese person would laugh at you if you bought a jersey for 30/40 even 60 quid when you can buy one in the local market for about 5 Euro
Also Man utd played to a near empty stadium in Guangzhou last year. Tickets too high and not enough interest

**Wheels** · 24/08/2008, 1:43 PM

I don't see where Cook mentioned Stephen Ireland by name... just saying we tried to get in better players and couldn't isn't bad.

As for Richard Dunne, he just said he isn't a superstar that is known in Asia... that's just a fact. He may be a top quality player, but there aren't posters of him on kids bedrooms the world over. His point was they need a 'superstar' who can sell merchandise... nothing wrong with that statement either.

I'm not saying the club is in great shape; personally I would have liked Dunne to have gone to a big 4 club during the summer, but at least he's in a decent club, playing every week and highly valued.

**stiofain** · 24/08/2008, 2:21 PM

Originally Posted by Noelys Guitar

Not everyone will be satisfied, but Cook is more bothered about the "10-year plan" to become a "global empire" and bringing in a box-office signing. "We need a superstar," he says. "I've talked about this a lot to Mark and he sort of understands. China and India, 30% of the world population, need a league to watch and we want Manchester City to be their club. To do that, we need a superstar because, no disrespect, Richard Dunne doesn't roll off the tongue in Beijing."

Whenever i read quotes like this, i increasingly feel more of a mug for supporting a EPL team.

**Wheels** · 24/08/2008, 2:57 PM

Originally Posted by stiofain

Whenever i read quotes like this, i increasingly more of a mug for supporting a EPL team.

Yeah, Irish teams are run so much better...

Oh... except when they sell the top striker in the league for 250k euro, with no sell on clause, without consulting the manager...

**NeilMcD** · 24/08/2008, 3:18 PM

Well how man EPL teams are owned by their fans. With an EPL team you are a customer with a club owned by the fans you are a member. There is a difference.

**stiofain** · 24/08/2008, 3:32 PM

Originally Posted by NeilMcD

Well how man EPL teams are owned by their fans. With an EPL team you are a customer with a club owned by the fans you are a member. There is a difference.

Agreed.
I see what your saying there Wheels, but i think you missed my point.

**Wheels** · 24/08/2008, 3:56 PM

I should have added a smiley, I was just having fun

**Emmet** · 24/08/2008, 6:51 PM

Originally Posted by NeilMcD

Well how man EPL teams are owned by their fans. With an EPL team you are a customer with a club owned by the fans you are a member. There is a difference.

That is true but to be fair, I doubt if any EL side ever got to the point where their financial turnover was comparable to that of an EPL side, the club would still be run by fans.

**stiofain** · 24/08/2008, 6:54 PM

Originally Posted by Wheels

I should have added a smiley, I was just having fun

Something was lost in translation i think! No bother mate...

**NeilMcD** · 24/08/2008, 7:07 PM

Originally Posted by Emmet

That is true but to be fair, I doubt if any EL side ever got to the point where their financial turnover was comparable to that of an EPL side, the club would still be run by fans.

Eh Barcelona and Real Madrid do not do too bad that way.

**Emmet** · 24/08/2008, 8:36 PM

I didn't say it wouldn't work ... I merely said that it wouldn't happen. Someone would come in with an offer a buy the club. Real Madrid and Barcelona do work but they aren't representative of the vast majority of top football clubs and their structures exist as much because of the political and cultural tensions between the two clubs as anything else.

**NeilMcD** · 24/08/2008, 8:50 PM

Well there is no way of proving your point as I cannot see an EL getting to the stage were they have the same turnover of a Premiership team but at the moment there are membership clubs all over the world of various different sizes Bayern Munich being another example. Maybe the Premiership is out of kilter.

**Emmet** · 24/08/2008, 8:59 PM

Doesn't Adidas own a fairly sizable chunk of Bayern?

**NeilMcD** · 24/08/2008, 9:02 PM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayern_Munich

according to this they have a sizeable membership nearly as big as Bohs

90 per cent owned by members and 10 per cent by Addidas.

**Emmet** · 24/08/2008, 9:33 PM

Are you a Bohs member yourself Neil? Out of interest, what sort of benefits do members get?

**NeilMcD** · 24/08/2008, 9:36 PM

Yeah I am and you get to have a vote and attend AGMs and EGMs and run for the board after a certain amount of time. Other people would know much more about it than me but basically you can have a say in the running of the club and the cynics would say in the same way that a citizen has a say in the running of the country

**Bohemian1890** · 24/08/2008, 9:43 PM

Originally Posted by Ciaran

Corluka and Ireland are their two best young players, selling those two would be insane, especially as it seems they were trying to push them out the door.

Johnson is city best young player he also has his head in the right place.

**Bohemian1890** · 24/08/2008, 9:51 PM

[quote=Emmet;1005952]I didn't say it wouldn't work ... I merely said that it wouldn't happen. Someone would come in with an offer a buy the club. [quote]

The members would have to have a vote on that and being part of the club and having a say in what happens is more important than a couple of glory years to most fans.

Liverpool fans now want to buy the club and have it members only more and more clubs are going down this road as its better than having a sugar daddy who runs into trouble.