Khaldoon interview

Interview on City tv.

http://www.mcfc.co.uk/citytv/Interviews/2015/June/Khaldoon-Al-Mubarak-MCFC-interview-June-2015-part-one

He says...

Disappointing season.

To end the season empty handed is not what we have built here.

I'm not going to make excuses and blame it on FFP.

Today the club is profitable. Today the club has revenues of over £350M.

We've dealt with that pinch last year, whether we agree with it or not, that's behind us, we're out of it now.

Our strategy is to be succeeding on the pitch, bringing trophies and success for the club and our fans.

Let's focus on next year with Manuel.

Changes are part of the business. We've created a great nucleus and we'll preserve this nucleus, but we want to go to the next level.

We need to bring quality to the squad. Some players that have served us well, maybe it's time for them to move to their next challenges.

The squad will be stronger and more competitive. I am both confident and excited about what's coming.

Very happy for Sergio Aguero. Aguero is world class. He has the capability to be a ballon d'or winner.

Joe Hart had another very strong season. He's been a highlight for me. He's had some incredible games.

Silva has been magical. Statistics don't do him justice.

James Milner has been one of my favourite people that have been part of Manchester City's dream. I promised him, 'you join city and we'll win championships.'

The market has changed dramatically over the last 7 years. Our position has changed. Gone from a club making promises of a future from a low standpoint, today we are a club where players want to play. We can compete head to head. It's a hot market. This year will be an aggressive market. It will be a huge market this summer from what I've seen and heard.

There's an incredible amount of talent (U18s, U17s, U16s etc.). We're not there yet with our own CFA. We have to keep supporting them, developing them but we're not going to compromise on the first team.

last season in his report he stated that we had had a great season & the coming season we would be even stronger having learnt from our 1st premier league title defence. We would also be excited by the new signings for the coming season. In hindsight of what transpired those words appear very shallow. I only hope that this season they are not the same as last season, JUST WORDS.

Khaldoon Al Mubarak says star players want to join Man City
Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak believes leading players now want to join Manchester City for more than just money.
The Emirati businessman says the Blues were forced to pay high fees to attract players after Abu Dhabi United Group took charge of the club in 2008.
Early signings included Brazilian duo Robinho and Jo for £32.5m and £19m.
Al Mubarak says City had to pay "big premiums" but are now a club players want to join.
He said: "We were having to pay big premiums to attract the players we wanted to attract given we weren't in Europe.
"We're in a different position. We're a club players want to come and play for. We're an institution today."
[th]

City's major signings in 2008-09

[/th][th]Player [/th][th]From [/th][th]Reported fee [/th]

Robinho	Real Madrid	£32m
Jo	CSKA Moscow	£19m
Nigel De Jong	Hamburg	£18m
Craig Bellamy	West Ham	£14m
Wayne Bridge	Chelsea	£12m
Shaun Wright-Phillips	Chelsea	£10m
Pablo Zabaleta	Espanyol	£6.45m
Vincent Kompany	Hamburg	£6m
Shay Given	Newcastle	£5m

Market heating up

Al Mubarak believes City now have the infrastructure to lure leading players but expects competition to be fierce when the transfer window opens on 1 July.
"We can compete head-to-head with all the top clubs," he said. "Players look at the track record of Manchester City over the last couple of years, look at the academy, the facilities, infrastructure, the people in terms of management and coaches - we have a very attractive proposition for players.

Liverpool forward Raheem Sterling is among the players Manchester City have been linked with
"Nevertheless, the market is a hot market. I think this year will be an aggressive market. I expect it will be a huge market this summer from what I've heard and sensed so far - and we haven't even started."

'Changes will make us stronger'

After winning the Premier League and League Cup in 2013-14, City ended last season without a trophy. Manuel Pellegrini's team also exited the Champions League at the last-16 stage for the second successive campaign and Al Mubarak suggested changes would be made to the squad during the summer.
He said: "Every year players come and players go. We've created a great nucleus at Manchester City. We want to preserve this nucleus but at the same time we want to go to the next level.
"We want a squad which is able and has the capability and quality to win the Premier League, to compete and win the Champions League and be able to go all the way in two cup competitions in England.
"There are some players who have served us well. Maybe it's time for them to move to their next challenge and you will see us in the market bringing in high-quality individuals that fit within what we are aspiring to."

'Disappointment shows how far we've come'

City's spending led to them being punished under Financial Fair Play rules in May 2014.
Pellegrini was still able to add defender Eliaquim Mangala for £32m, midfielder Fernando for £12m, goalkeeper Willy Caballero for £6m and striker Wilfried Bony for £28m last season, but the team could only finish as runners-up to Chelsea.

Wilfried Bony joined Manchester City from Swansea in January 2015
Al Mubarak said: "It was a disappointing season. To end the season empty handed, this is not what we have built here - what we desire here at a team that is a winning organisation.
"While there were a lot of positives that we take out of the season, from a purely results perspective it was disappointing and is a testament to how far we've gone.
"If you asked me seven years ago that in seven years we will end the season second in the Premier League, we will be exiting the Champions League in the round of 16, losing to Barcelona, and that we would be extremely disappointed by that, this is a testament to how far we've gone."

skyblueoz wrote:last season in his report he stated that we had had a great season & the coming season we would be even stronger having learnt from our 1st premier league title defence. We would also be excited by the new signings for the coming season. In hindsight of what transpired those words appear very shallow. I only hope that this season they are not the same as last season, JUST WORDS.

I think he got hoodwinked, as we all did, that Managala was the bees knees and that Fernando would make a huge difference to DM. I think, and sincerely hope, that he is so pissed off that he will be authorising the big bucks for proper big players (ie, ones even he's heard of).

Topdawg wrote:
Let's focus on next year with Manuel.

These are possibly the worst words I've heard all year. And it will be another pish season because of them.

I hope I'm wrong

He always gives a very good interview and assessment of the last season (just as he did last season).....and what's to come for the season ahead. At the minute it's all words though, so until we actually sign any players of world class pedigree and see some more riff-raff out the door, i'll reserve judgement on what he says.

Watching his interview, I can see what he is saying:

Last season, we know the signings weren't the best - I think he knows that, however, there are some mitigating factors, even though he said he didn't want to use FFP as an excuse.

- we had a transfer budget of approx £60m and were still under the gaze of FFP and UEFA.

- we had a reduction in our CL squad - which meant buying more quality players who were on the market last summer, would have meant busting FFP and upsetting more players than just Jovetic, as more would have been left out.

- we lost Negredo, which I don't think was City's fault, therefore, we were left with Dzeko and Jovetic as back-up for Sergio. As it turned out - both suffered numerous injuries and loss of form, so much so, we had to play Milner as a false striker in the CL games.

- we managed to get Bony as a replacement, but only after the ACON, to which, he needed rest and then picked up an injury, so once again, we had to rely on Sergio.

- TLMLF had an appalling season form-wise, which really didn't do us any favours and I'm sure the whole 'cake-gate' and 'transfer rumours' didn't help as well.

- Vinny had a poor season and ended up picking up injuries throughout the season. When your Captain, one like Vinny, loses form - it's always going to be a big blow. We had to immediately throw Mangala into the fray and play him with DeM, rather than our captain.

- Nasri picked up too many injuries as well, just when he started to play some great football.

So overall, for the first time in 3/4 years - we had a team pretty much hampered by injuries to key players and in addition, we had 3/4 players losing form as well.

Yes, we all were pissed off with some of MP's selections, that were strange at times...but you only have to look at the likes of Liverpool, United and Arsenal. When they lost players like Sturridge, Rooney, Ramsey, Lallana etc etc jsut to name a few, their form dropped significantly.

We lost 3/4 key players at the same time as some players losing form....and Chelsea, apart from Costa at the end of the season, pretty much had a stable team all season.

So his assessment was spot on for me - there were other things than FFP that were the main contributing factors for not winning anything, but remember, we finished second, we progressed to the last 16 of the CL and got beaten by 2 goals, by what some say are the best team ever and treble winners.

I don't think he will allow that happen again and I can see us letting 4/5 players go....and we have to keep our fingers crossed that we CAN encourage the 'big' players in Europe to come to us - because if they do, I can see us having a real go at the PL and getting further in the CL next season.

Unless Arsenal do some storming business (goalie, forward, DM and CB), then I think it will be between Chelsea and ourselves.

I think we may have had a slightly better squad, but they had a better first team.

I can't wait until the first week of July when we should be announcing some major signings.

The pessimist in me thinks you maybe in for a long July Dawg

And me, just can't help it. For all the bluster the big names will not come.

The worry for me is that we are going to spend very big (even though we can afford it) and pay over the odds for De Bruyne and Sterling. I think we'll struggle to get Pogba and they'll bust the bank for the other two.

I'm not sure. I think we need to be realistic - that top quality players will cost serious money, and that will only get worse.

Do we want to go back to 'baulking' at players prices like Hazard?

If we have the money, then so be it if it costs us an extra 20% to get them.

Is Sterling worth £40m? No. Will we probably have to pay that to get him? Yes.

Is De Bruyne really worth £45m? No. Will we have to pay that to get him? Probably.

IF we've learnt one thing from last season, as you keep mentioning, is that £15-20m doesn't buy you players that seriously improve an already decent first 11.

We have NO choice...we're not under FFP, so why worry about it?

If we have to pay £70m for Pogba, £40m for Sterling, £45m for De Bruyne, £35m for Isco, £35m for Lacazette, £25m for Kurzawa....then so be it - pay the money and improve the first 11 and squad.

We can't have it both ways - want top quality players for £20m.....they're not out there.

United spent £57m on Di Maria....and if he stays, he'll be seriously good for them next season as he's quality.

Look how Ozil finished the season for Arsenal. He'll be another who will no doubt show his class next season.

Class is class.....and if we have to pay for it - why should we care?

I'd feel better paying over the odds for the other players if we landed Pogba, but I still wouldn't let other clubs take the piss. If you've are looking at what you consider 2 A grade players for the same position, then you shouldn't really be getting pushed around too much over price.

Having said that, we've got the money, FFP isn't such an issue so we can afford to take a punt or two.

That's my point Dawg. We were restricted last year, spent decent money on shit players that didn't improve the squad, never mind the first 11.

We've spent premium money on TLMLF, Silva and Aguero....and look what they've contributed over the past 4 seasons.

We'll get what we pay for....and if it means top dollar for them, pay it....SIMPLE AS.

Disappointing that the Old Stubburn one is staying but I think we have no choice to pay double to get decent players in... worrying that we are being linked with a lot of mediocre players like the Fernandos...

Who are these 'average' players?

Isco?
Pogba?
Sterling?
Lacazette?
Kurzawa?
De Bruyne?


Who are we supposed to buy?

Messi?
Ronaldo?
Bale?

Apart from the 3 above who won't be going anywhere....we're in for 2/3 players that Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern want.

You could add Benzema (maybe too old), Higuain (too overweight), Jackson Martinez (would be decent)....but apart from that....who else in the top class bracket should we be going after?

Part 2 now available:

http://www.mcfc.co.uk/

I really like listening to Khaldoon speak. And for those who mocked us 7 years ago, and still today say the owner will get bored of his toy - just listen to part 2 of this interview.

"We're going nowhere haters".

Dawg with the players the rags have signed and are continuing to be linked with for next season at a reputed further £200m, they must be serious contenders in the race for the title next season too? 
De Maria and Falcao were a bit of a flop but they seem to be throwing serious money about, £400m over 2 seasons? If they sign the players being mentioned, then i can see it being a 3 horse race unless Arsenal buy some quality too as you said and make it even more interesting.

Don't mind the 'stubborn one' staying - he's probably learned a lot from last season.  However he does need to change his hairdresser - maybe Maureen can give him his guy's number.