So, with the season having ended with the mighty Blues finishing in tenth place, it seems the right time to review the performances over the whole campaign of the players. Please remember that these are only my opinions so if you disagree at all with any ofthem, then please add your comments at the bottom of the page.GoalkeepersShay Given 21 total appearances (0 substitute appearances), 1 yellow card, 0 red cards, 0 goalsSigned in January from relegated Newcastle, Given proved to be an outstanding acquisition, making numerous match-winning saves and showing the authority needed for a Premier League keeper. Although short in stature, he is not short in confidence and organises his defence very well. If there is one weakne s, it is his command of the box at set-pieces and cro ses, but this is not a huge worry and most Blues supporters seem delighted with Shay. He could have easily been a contender for player of the season had he been around for the whole campaign. Rating out of ten = 9Joe Hart 33 (0), 0, 0, 0Started the season as first choice and coped admirably for such a young goalkeeper in the top flight. Made rapid strides of improvement from last season and looks to have the potential to be Englands future number one. Lacks presence and authority, but more than makes up for that with his undoubted shot-stopping ability. Was unlucky to lose his place when Given arrived, but will benefit from going out on loan next season. Rating out of ten = 7.5Kasper Schmeichel 2 (1), 0, 0, 0On the fringes of the first team squad throughout the season, making only two starts, both in cup competitions, and only making one Premier League appearance, coming off the bench away at Hull to replace the injured Joe Hart. Looks out of his depth at the top level and with opportunities likely to be limited again next season, will probably be on his way out of the club this summer. Rating out of ten = 5DefendersVedran Corluka 6 (0), 1, 0, 1The Croatian international departed from City to Tottenham at the end of the transfer window, having played six times for the Blues in the season. He scored a vital match-winning penalty in the UEFA Cup, but had his heart set on a transfer away from Manchester. Rating out of ten = 5Micah Richards 43 (1), 5, 0, 1A hugely disappointing season for the England international. It started at centre-back but his partnership with Richard Dunne, which was so effective last season, failed to hit the ground running and it was po sibly Richardss deficiencies which unsettled the Irish defender. He was moved to right-back partway through the campaign but his poor form continued, and it was only towards the end of the season when he looked to be returning to his best. Very powerful and quick, he lacks any sort of positional sense, so can get worked over by any half-decent winger. Good going forward, but needs to work on his finishing, whilst needs to learn how to get back quickly, rather than amble as is his wont. Rating out of ten = 6Pablo Zabaleta 37 (1), 5, 1, 1A ma sively succe sful first season in English football for the Argentinean defender turned midfielder. Signed from Spanish side Espanyol in the summer and settled into the right-back slot with consummate ease. With fantastic energy and commitment, his whole-hearted displays endeared him to the City faithful. Was sent off against Liverpool for a reckle s challenge on Xabi Alonso but learned, as the season progre sed, to curb his tendencies to lunge into tackles. After he was moved into central midfield in the second half of the season, he scored a spectacular goal, his first for the club, against Wigan. Maury Wills Jersey Will look to return to the right-back slot for next season. Finished second in theplayer of the season competition.Rating out of ten = 9Shaleum Logan 1 (0), 0, 0, 0The youngster, much of whom was expected at the start of the campaign, made only one league appearance for the team, against Portsmouth in February when City were suffering from injuries. Logan is another who will probably be on his way out of the club this summer. Rating out of ten= 5Tal Ben-Haim 14 (1), 4, 0, 0Israeli international Tal Ben-Haim was signed in the summer when it looked as if they would be no funds available to Mark Hughes. He started reasonably well against AC Milan in a pre-season friendly, but his City career failed to get off the ground after a succe sion of poor performances. A horrendous mistake against Hull, gifting Daniel Cousin a simple goal, summed up his season, whilst his performance away at Racing Santander was nothing short of abysmal. He was sent on his way to Sunderland on loan in the January transfer window, but he failed to have an impact there, playing on irregular occasions. Has been linked with Blackburn and it would be a huge surprise, as well as a ma sive disappointment, if he were to play in a City shirt again. Rating out of ten = 3Richard Dunne 40 (0), 6, 2, 1By his usual high standards, this was a below-par season for the likeable Irishman. He won the clubs player of the year award for a record four consecutive seasons, but his form dropped away this time around. After a shaky start partnering Micah Richards, he seemed to lose all confidence and a couple of red cards confirmed this, but after returning from the second of those sending-offs, he looked to have regained his authority, turning in a series of superb performances. Alongside Nedum Onuoha at the end of the season, he was back to his best, but it remains to be seen whether he will be at the club for the start of next season. Rating out of ten = 7Nedum Onuoha 20 (3), 1, 0, 2The injury-prone defenderwas sidelined for the fist part of this campaign, but after recovering from a succe sion of niggling setbacks, he took his place at the heart of the defence and looked as solid as a rock. Has displayed huge potential for a while now, but this was his first proper run into the side. Partnering Richard Dunne, he impre sed immensely, with some pundits even calling for his inclusion to the England squad. His positional play and ability to read the game, along with his undoubted pace and power,make him a formidable opponent and it is hoped that Russell Martin Jersey he can stay fit and cement his place in the side for the start of next season. Rating out of ten = 8Javier Garrido 17 (4), 2, 0, 1The Spanish left-back was forced to make way for Wayne Bridge towards the end of the season, but he played his part at the start of the campaign. Despite making over 20 appearances, he never truly settled in the back four, often being culpable for goals, but he did show slight improvements from last season. Equally adept at left midfield, he could prove to be a useful squad player, but will find his first-team opportunities limited. On the bright side, he has very amiable parents (regular readers will understand that). Rating out of ten = 6Michael Ball 10 (1), 0, 0, 0The former Rangers, Everton and, unbelievably, England defender played a peripheral role this campaign. He is a very solid anddependable player, but just lacks the quality for a top side. He will move in the summer and will be a decent signing for any promoted club. Rating out of ten = 5Wayne Bridge 15 (0), 0, 0, 0Signed for an extortionate fee in January from poverty-stricken Chelsea, Bridge became first-choice left-back, but has still to convince many supporters, myself included. Although good going forward, he has often been exposed at the back due to the lack of defensive cover provided by Robinho. Will benefit from a full pre-season under his belt, but will need to be impre sive at the start of the campaign, otherwise Mark Hughes may dip into the transfer market for a replacement. Rating out of ten = 6.5Defensive MidfieldersDietmar Hamann 8 (10), 1, 0, 1Not one of Didis more illustrious seasons in his career. After his succe s during Svens reign, expectations of the vastly experienced German midfielder were high, but due to a number of reasons, including other players form and his own personal injuries, he was unable to cement his place in the side. His season was summed up in January, when, trying to kick the ball, he ruptured his Achilles. Says it all really Will be on his way in the summer. Rating out of ten= 5Michael Johnson 8 (0), 1, 0, 0A mightily disappointing campaign for the promising midfielder, with a long-term injury, still to be cured, keeping him out for the vast majority of the season. Started brightly, but as stated, suffered a career-threatening injury which has been unable to be treated for ages. There have been countle s stories that his laddish behaviour has not helped the situation, and there was a rumour which said that he tested positive for drugs and is in the midst of an eight month drugs ban, but as unlikely as this is, Johnson needs to come back in time for pre-season, fighting fit and ready to get his career back on the right track. Rating out of ten = 4Vincent Kompany 44 (1), 11, 0, 1All in all, this was a fantastic season for the intense Belgian international. Signed in the summer from Hamburg, he settled into the English game with ease and became a fixture in the heart of midfield. Received the most bookings for a City player during the season, but this is a by-product of his aggre sive style of play. Its po sible that he will move into defence, his natural position, for next season after the arrival of Gareth Barry, but wherever he is played, Mark Hughes knows that Kompany will give a whole-hearted and committed performance. Came third in the player of the year award, behind Stephen Ireland and Pablo Zabaleta. Rating out of ten = 9Gelson Fernandes 9 (18), 2, 1, 2There is a reason whyhe only started three Premier League matches. Gelson is quite po sibly the worst player to have graced a football field. Somehow he scored two goals, one against Portsmouth in the 6 0 home demolishing, and the other coming in the Carling Cup against Brighton, so there is still hope for us all yet. A lack of positional play, combined with no talent and ability are just some of his main attributes, along with his inability to pa s to ateammate, but if we look on the bright side, he has got bundles of energy! If he doesnt leave in the summer, I will honestly, and you can hold me to this, rip up my seasoncard in half and not go the matches. Rating out of ten = 2Nigel de Jong 16 (0), 3, 0, 0A January acquisition from Hamburg where he played alongside Kompany, and he has slotted in quite well, sitting in front of the back four and doing a Claude Makll-esque job for the team. Reads the game fantastically, and whatever he lacks in pace, he makes up for with his tenacity and ruggedne s. Will benefit from a full pre-season and should be a fine player next year. Rating out of ten = 7.5Attacking MidfieldersShaun Wright-Phillips 37 (0), 4, 0, 8The much adored and popular winger returned from Chelsea for his second spell at the club, and if this season is anything to go by, SWP will be a fantastic signing. Having made a profit of 13 million on the England winger, much was expected of the ball-boy look-a-like and he didnt fail to disappoint. His ability to run directly at defenders with blistering pace caused opposition teams numerous problems, as did improved shooting from long-range. Eight goalsduring thecampaign testify to that, but apart from his attacking play, his willingne s to help out in defence also endeared him to the City faithful. Rating out of ten = 9Kelvin Etuhu 2 (5), 0, 0, 0The younger brother of current Fulham star Dickson, Kelvin had progre sed through Citys famed academy as a striker, often partnering Daniel Sturridge in attack. But he has been used sparingly this season as a right-winger on the rare occasions that SWP was injured. It is true that Etuhu does po Corey Seager Jersey se s lightning pace, but his inability to produce an end product probably cost him dear as he searched for more game time. He will, in all likelihood, move on in the summer, but he should have a bright future in the game at a slightly lower level (po sibly at Stoke). Rating out of ten = 6Vladimir Wei s 0 (1), 0, 0, 0There was just the solitary substitute appearance from the Slovakian youngster, but that short cameo of about 20 minutes confirmed the potential that Wei s has. More will be expected of him next season, but with SWP currently occupying his favoured position, Wei s will find it difficult to break through. A loan spell beckons. Rating out of ten = 6.5Elano Blumer 30 (12), 5, 0, 8Overall, this was a disappointing season for the talented Brazilian. He complained that he wasnt being handed enough opportunities, and thus received a club fine, but Mark Hughes certainly gave Elano his fair share of the whip. On too many occasions, he failed to produce any sort of decent performance away from home, and only sparkled in about four games towards the end of the season, especially the second leg of the UEFA Cup tie against Hamburg, when he scored one goal and rattled the woodwork twice. Unfortunately, it looks like Elano will be on his way in the summer, po sibly to Inter Milan, and he will certainly be mi sed for his sensational penalty taking ability. Rating out of ten = 7Stephen Ireland 47 (2), 9, 0, 13A hugely succe sful season for the Irishman who was on the end of criticism in the previous season and was heavily linked with a summer move to Sunderland. He worked extremely hard during pre-season and certainly reaped the rewards throughout the course of the campaign. He scored the second most number of goals for a City player, picked up the second most number of bookings, but came first in the player of the year award. He turned in outstanding performance after outstanding performance, regularly setting up an attack before sprinting back and intercepting an opposition chance. City probably reaped the rewards of his decision to refuse playing international football, and his story just highlights and emphasises what can be achieved through hard work. Rating out of ten = 9.5Martin Petrov 8 (6), 0, 0, 2An injury-riddled campaign was a huge shame for both Petrov and the City fans, whose juices were flowing at the thought of SWP and Petrov storming down the wings, tormenting opposition full-backs. But that dream never materialised as the Bulgarian suffered a long term injury, which limited him to only four Premier League starts. Next season will also be a challenge for Petrov, as he looks to dislodge Robinho from his favoured left-wing position. Rating out of ten = 6.5StrikersDarius Va sell 11 (3), 1, 0, 1The hard-working striker was actually one of the brighter sparks during pre-season, turning in a fantastic performance against AC Milan, and scoring in an early round of the UEFA Cup. But as the season progre sed, the former Aston Villa striker picked up an injury, and despite returning fairly swiftly, he never cemented his place in the side. He is sure to move on in the summer and Chris Taylor Jersey will be a decent signing for any promoted side. Still needs to work on his trickery though. At the moment, his party piece is a single step-over before pa sing the ball backwards! Rating out of ten = 6Ched Evans 5 (19), 1, 0, 1Scored a vital goal against FC Midgetland in the UEFA Cup which kept City in the competition. As the Cup run progre sed, he scored a couple of important penalties in shootouts, displaying a mature head for a young lad. Apart from that, he failed to cement a place in the side, often coming onas a time-wasting substitute in the final few minutes, and if he is to depart from the club in the summer, which seems likely, then there will be one fan at least who may shed a tear or two! Rating out of ten = 6Craig Bellamy 10 (1), 3, 0, 4Signed from West Ham in January, Bellamy is well-known to Mark Hughes, having played under Sparky for both Wales and Blackburn. Never le s than fully committed, the fiery striker had a very imper sive start to his City career, scoring four times in just eleven matches. Unfortunately, his season was curtailed by injury, but he should be back for the start of pre-season and he will look to impre s the manager as he bids to be named in the side for the next campaign. Rating out of ten = 7.5Benjani Mrawurawi 8 (4), 0, 0, 3A thigh injury prevented the derby day hero from playing a major role this season. Everytime he kept returning from lay-offs, he acquired another injury, and in the end, only managed eight starts during the campaign. Its po sible that he may move on in the summer as Hughes looks to strengthen the forward department, but the amicable Zimbabwean will also be held in high regard for by the Blues faithful, if only for the usefulne s of his left shoulder! Rating out of ten = 6Felipe Caicedo 14 (11), 2, 0, 8The bustling Ecuadorian has his critics, myself included, but it must be said that he does score his fair share of goals. Despite seemingly unable to move at all quickly, Felipe has a physical presence that seems to unsettle defenders. Needs to work on his ability to stay onside, his right foot and his heading, but looks as if he is worth persevering with. One for the future. Rating out of ten = 7Daniel Sturridge 10 (16), 0, 0, 4Four goals in 26 appearances, with at least one of those being a penalty, isnta great return for someone who is so promising, although he did have a major impact in the away draw at Blackburn. We may indeed have seen the last of Sturridge in a City shirt, with rumours persisting about interest from both Aston Villa and Chelsea. This all originates from his refusal to sign a 45,000 a week contract, instead holding out for nearly 60,000. Perhaps he is being ill-advised by his agents and family, but the original offer is more than enough for a player who has yet to set the world alight. If he leaves, he will have a good career in the top flight, but it wouldnt be a disaster if he left. Rating out of ten = 6Jo 14 (5), 0, 0, 3After being signed for nearly 20 million, much was expected of Brazilian striker Jo, but he produced a failure of monstrous proportions. He displayed so little effort and goalscoring instinct that many wondered if City had signed the wrong player! He was shipped off inJanuary to Everton where his standard of performance slightly increased. He has now returned to City, but it remains to be seen whether he has a long term future at Eastlands. Rating out of ten = 4Robinho 40 (1), 4, 0, 15An interesting, to say the least,season for the Premier Leagues most expensive player. Scored the most goals for a City player, but his overall performance was not satisfactory. On his day, for example, at home to Stoke when he scored a scintillating hat-trick, he could torment an opposition team, but these days were all too scarce. Unlike Ashley Cole, Robinho doesnt enjoy playing away from home, and it was on his travels where he copped a plethora of criticism. On too many occasions, he drifted through the game without doing anything, certainly not what you expect when you have paid over 30 million for his services. Much more is expected next season, and it is hoped that Robinho can display his undoubted talents on more regular occasions. Rating out of ten = 7Valeri Bojinov 2 (7), 1, 0, 1Another season for Podgy Boji that was ruined by injury. After last seasons heartbreak where he suffered an injury which kept him out for the entire season, this time around, he was sidelined for virtually the whole campaign. He returned towards the end of the Sandy Koufax Jersey season and showed fleeting glimpses of his ability, and it is hoped that Bojinov can stay fully fit next season and challenge for a first team place. Rating out of ten= 6.5LegendGluber Berti 0 (1), 0, 0, 0Now you may have been thinking that I had forgotten about Berti, but in actual fact, I believe he deserves his own section at the end. An unused substitute on 20 occasions, Glauber Leandro Honorato Bertifinally made his debut in thelastgame of the season, at home to Bolton Wanderers, where he came on for Wayne Bridge with just seven minutes remaining. Seven wonderful and succe sful pa ses of the ball and one effortle sly taken throw-in secured his place in City folklore forever, with the former Nuremberg defender becoming a cult hero with the fans. He has come to the end of his year-long contract and there is more chance of Alex Ferguson saying something positive about a referee than Berti being offered a new deal, so it with sadne s that we bid the Brazilian farewell and thank him for the memories! Rating out of ten = 10Remember, if you disagree with any of these, please comment. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it.
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