http://www.sport360.com/article/kolo-to ... oon-rising
When Kolo Toure left Arsenal after seven years in 2009, he knew titles would soon match the ambitious talk that made him join the Manchester City revolution. He recalls the top target back then was always the Premier League, and not just breaking the top-four stranglehold of sides such as his former club, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool.
To win it within three years – after a nerve-shredding 3-2 final-day win over QPR in front an enthralled Etihad Stadium audience – was no surprise to former captain Kolo. But tougher tests will now follow.
“City have always been a team that wanted to win trophies and when I came, it was always the Premier League that was the target,” said the centre-back, part of the Arsenal “Invincibles” side that won the league in 2004 unbeaten.
“The way we won it was so dramatic and I will always remember it in my career.
“But it’s going to be harder as I remember with Arsenal [who have not won the league since 2004]. Everyone playing City next season will be saying we are playing the champions. Our job will be much more difficult because every team will fight with their hearts against us. We have to concentrate more than before in every single game. But as a championship winner, you want to show why you won it and keep the standards high.
“City can stay at the top for many years. The owner, the chairman, the players, the people working for City through coaching or other areas, everybody is trying to build for the future.”
Manager Roberto Mancini has already targeted the Champions League – a prize that eluded Kolo at Arsenal, although they came agonisingly close in 2006 when they were beaten in the final by Barcelona.
“We have to try to win the Premier League and compete in Europe, that has to be the next target. The Champions League is going to be a great challenge for City definitely. “But I think we can compete with teams like Barcelona, Real Madrid. We have so many fantastic players who can help us do this.”
Kolo saw two of them highlight that during the Euro 2012 finals. David Silva, though, will have bragging rights when he meets up with Mario Balotelli in pre-season after the midfielder scored in Spain’s sizzling 4-0 final win over Italy.
“All through the tournament, the Italians played the best football. The back was very strong, Andrea Pirlo in the middle and Mario up front,” he says. “But in the final they played against the best team in the world in Spain. David Silva is a great midfield player, very intelligent and focused. In Mario, we all know about the impact he can make and there’s no doubt about the quality. He is a great, great player.”
Perhaps so great that City might not need to lure striker Robin van Persie away from the Emirates Stadium? “Robin is a top player. I’ve played with him, I know him, he’s a great man,” adds Kolo. “At City we have great players and the club does what it wants in transfers.
“But, for me, if Robin comes it’s great because I know what he can do. “You have to build your squad every year to do better. To win the Champions League is very difficult as we have seen.”
Kolo wants to play his part, although his future remains uncertain with a year left on his contract. Speculation has seen him linked with Paris Saint-Germain, Turkish club Bursaspor and even a Middle East adventure.
But at 31, he still feels he has unfinished business at the highest level before the devout Muslim considers a Gulf move on a sporting and spiritual level. “For sure I’d like to play in the Middle East,” he adds. “For my religion it is very important and if I look at a move in the future then I would think about the Middle East because of Islam and I like the lifestyle.
“Every time I have a holiday I go to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, [the holy city of] Mecca in Saudi and that spiritual side is an important part of my life. But we are not there yet on a professional side
. “I’m still a City player and still have a few things to show in Europe. Of course I still want to win trophies, it is not enough so far, and we will see after that. “If the club wants me, then I’m really happy to stay, otherwise we have to think about something else.”
One thing is more certain. Kolo has witnessed City’s standing rise in Africa as it has in other parts of the world like the UAE, through the obvious interest in owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The beaming smiles of the Victoria Island Secondary School pupils in Lagos will offer supporting evidence after his guest appearance at an Etihad Airways football clinic.
And the defender, whose brother Yaya has made his mark at City too, adds: “People know City now. Definitely they are getting bigger in Africa and around the world. “People are seeing trophies with the club and that makes a difference, and we hope that next season we will be successful again.
“It was great to come to the clinic in Lagos and see the enjoyment from everyone. “In Africa we need more clinics and academies like this. There is a lot of great talent but not enough organisation which makes it difficult. We are one of the continents that has not won the World Cup and that’s the dream.If we have more academies then it will help the young players develop
. “Look at South America with the way their young players learn and grow there before moving on. We just need to make the same adaptations to give us a chance of winning the World Cup.”
Kolo is desperate to bring pride to his nation and Africa on a global level. The heartbreak of their African Cup of Nations Final defeat to Zambia in 2012 was felt deeply by Kolo as he missed one of the penalties in the deciding shootout.
But, where Yaya may be considering his international future, his big brother – who missed six months of action after testing positive for a banned substance when he took his wife’s diet pills – is eager to keep going until the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
“I will play for two more years,” he adds. “As long as I feel fit I will keep playing. Every time I play on the pitch, it’s not a job for me, it brings me happiness. “The generation we have, I think we at least need to give one trophy to our country. It’s about pride.”
I think that's good news (If Bob wants it of course). Realistically, there are few players in the world we could sign as back up/alternatives at CB who are better. He may not be Bobby Moore but he is a proven Prem Champion. It gives us breathing space to bring through Rekik or a new younger player into the squad & also emergency cover for right back or one of a back 3.
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