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Are we about to repeat the exact same mistake we made last year...?

... by forcing an out of form Irish man and former player of the year out of the club, selling him to Villa for cheap only to find out that his expensive replacement isn't that much better if at all and then watch him regain his form and be one of the players of the season?

...this all does seem awfully familier doesn't it?

Selling Ireland will be a mistake. Selling Dunne wasn't. Those who actually saw Villa in second half of the season know very well what I'm talking about. He was back to his horrible form and constantly making bad mistakes. Cost them the place in run for top four and was the weak link in otherwise one of the best defences in the league last season. Which brings us to probably the most underrated defender in the league, Carlos Cuellar. I wouldn't mind seeing him in City if we need defensive strengthening is january for example.

Selling Dunne was a short term mistake rather than a long term one. He should have been phased out rather than dumped as he was.

Sad to see Stevie go, but his time has come. He had one good season. I wish him all the best.

Yes. It's a very bad dream.

We went from 9th to 5th. This time Mancini wants first. Neither Dunne nor Ireland are good enough for that journey.

john@staustell wrote:We went from 9th to 5th. This time Mancini wants first. Neither Dunne nor Ireland are good enough for that journey.

Correct

Blue2 wrote:

john@staustell wrote:We went from 9th to 5th. This time Mancini wants first. Neither Dunne nor Ireland are good enough for that journey.

Correct

I agree. Hope Stevie prospers at Villa. Bobby doesn't think he's got what it takes f

Grob wrote:Selling Dunne was a short term mistake rather than a long term one. He should have been phased out rather than dumped as he was.

Agreed. We could have done with Dunne at several key points last season specifically when we ran out of defenders. Ireland is just a crying shame but I can't honestly see a solution. He just doesn't fit in his preferred role and brings nothing to the table in any other role. I'd keep him but its out of sentiment and nothing else.

Blue2 wrote:

john@staustell wrote:We went from 9th to 5th. This time Mancini wants first. Neither Dunne nor Ireland are good enough for that journey.

Correct

Ireland at his best is good enough for that but look at the fee Villa are paying. If he was genuinely as good as people suggest, Arsenal, Spurs etc would offer double or treble that & even City wouldn't turn it down.

just gutted my favourite player is off..... but this is football and in tried and tested fickle football fan fashion I will soon have a new favourite

Nickyboy wrote:just gutted my favourite player is off..... but this is football and in tried and tested fickle football fan fashion I will soon have a new favourite

I too am sorry to lose Big Phil.

Nickyboy wrote:just gutted my favourite player is off..... but this is football and in tried and tested fickle football fan fashion I will soon have a new favourite

My favourite as well but like you said, that's the way football is.

There's always Diddy Silva to console yourselves with, you wont even need beer goggles.

really like the guy but with a heavy heart let him go. to move to the next level we need to shed him. he dips in and out of form to much and we are replacing him with better. vast majority of prem managers rate/would like millner. I sincerely wish steve all the best and hope when he is out of form it is against us

So when do get to see hin score against us? 28th December?

Dameerto wrote:There's always Diddy Silva to console yourselves with, you wont even need beer goggles.

Let's see him play first, eh?

His brief cameo appearance in preseason was enough to get me salivating at the prospect of him and Tevez together.

I would love for Ireland to stay. But he just doesn't seem up to the task of getting champions league football. I'm almost positive that if he does go to villa he will be a huge success there. He's had his chances here and he has been very inconsistent so it would be best for everyone involved for him to leave.

Good man management will surely get the best from him - I just hope to god it isn´t at the swamp, somewhere down the line