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Whether it's in real life, FM, FIFA or whatever the latest craze is, nothing compares to the anticipation and excitement of a new striker signing. It doesn't matter who you support from the non-league to the Prem, strikers are where it's at in terms of wetness.

I think the day Weah and Wanchope signed was pretty special and it was quickly followed by them running rings around Sunderland in their home debuts. Other ones that stick out in my mind are Gordon Davies (he signed at a time when we just COULDN'T score goals), Paul Stewart, Mark Lillis and from our homegrown range I used to buzz over the potential that was Paul Moulden and Darren Beckford when they were starting to break through. Robinho and Tevez obviously fit into the excitement category too, but I'm trying to go back a little further to the less obvious ones.

So come on, name the ones who gave you a stiffy when you'd heard they'd signed....

i don't know why but Rolando Bianchi. we have been so fucking woeful the season before in front of goal i would have looked upon any new striker as some kind of goalscoring messiah. scans on youtube only served to increase this feeling, and when he got on the end of that nedum cross at the boleyn ground i was positively ecstatic.

doesn't always work out the way you think it's going to though eh? ah well...

Fat Bob. I shit thee not. He'd been banging them in for years, 20+ a season, and considering where we were I thought he'd be a brilliant signing for us. But he was injured when we bought him, it took ages for him to settle, so by the time he played, the gloss had worn off. And instead of signing a deadly striker, somebody to put fear into the lower league defences, we instead ended up with Fat Bob.

Wiekens was another. I think the anticipation of him playing for us was built up due to us signing him half way through the season, but him not joining us until he finished his domestic year with Willem II. I was only young then, and getting somebody from Holland seemed exotic to me. So when I finally clapped eyes on him, it was man-love overdrive.

Thankfully he turned out to be brilliant. Unsung City hero that lad.

George Weah

I tend not to get too excited about signings anymore.

I think I'm with BT and KK on this, George Weah was a World Class player coming to Man City and even though I was in my early 20's, I was walking around like I was that man. But after what came next, I was left with a real stale feeling of 'You've Been Had Mate'!

I've never really got a Woodey On about individual players signing since, Weah took my virginity and what a let down, it was over in 2 seconds flat ;-)

Samaras. He looked good on youtube.

Ged Brannan





Seriously though Anelka made me excited, and he more justified that excitement with goals and untouchable class on the field. Would love to see him in the side this season.

Robinho by a mile, what an amazing day that was to be a City fan

Iloved it when we signed Trevor Francis , And of course Robiniho :(

Close one between Robbie and Carlito. Proably Robbie as it was out of the blue and made for an amazing night.

Although I hate to admit it..when Robinho signed I went into complete shock

I spent 14 hours glued to sky sports news that day as we tried to hijack berbaflop from the rags and that Portsmouth chairman fat boy told them that we would buy everyone hahaha

I loved every minute of that day..and when he signed I was jumping around the room like a special needs kid

I got pretty excited when we signed Steve Mcmanaman. Also the night robbie signed was up there for excitement stood outside coms with piccs

irblinx wrote:Robinho by a mile, what an amazing day that was to be a City fan

I love Robinho, he brought that passion back for skillful football . We had Kinky at a dire time in my opinion and the likes of Eyal and Ali at a time of transition who proved themselves to be City minor-Legends. They didn't really get your penile warts going at the time though did they?

Robinho was major excitement but I don't think we've ever signed an established player on the level of Trevor Francis before or since. It was the equivalent at the time of signing Henry at his absolute peak. I can remember being crammed behind that goal at Stoke & the ball coming to him & it was like a lightning bolt, he just burst through their defence & slammed it in the net. People were in shock & going fucking apeshit at the same time!

Robinho, thats why it hurts so much now.

Anelka, what a deal, what a player. i remember watching us play Arsenal, you could tell Anelka was on the wrong team, so much ease of ability. Didnt take him long to realise.

Ted Hughes wrote:Robinho was major excitement but I don't think we've ever signed an established player on the level of Trevor Francis before or since. It was the equivalent at the time of signing Henry at his absolute peak. I can remember being crammed behind that goal at Stoke & the ball coming to him & it was like a lightning bolt, he just burst through their defence & slammed it in the net. People were in shock & going fucking apeshit at the same time!

A massive signing at the time, and I still remember my Dad's joy of things coming back. It didn't happen though really, it was just another chance for me to pick up the change in the Kippax!

Robinho!

It wasn't just the player ...... it was the statement of intent that it gave out.

At the end of a day when we had just been taken over by people with squidzillions behind them, it gave us real hope for the future and made pople realise that our new owners would not be pissing about paying lip service to the fans etc.

However, purely from a player point of view it has to be Rodney Marsh or Trevor Francis.

Anyone else old enough to remember Ralph Brand?

He was meant to be the next big thing coming out of Scotland. We paid £25,000 for him, which was a fair amount then - and he was shite.

Other than that, it has to be 'clever Trevor'.

Robinho really. I thought it was unreal that City had even tried to go for him, nevertheless signing him for 30+ m.

I hope Bobby Manc can get his head around because he IS a fantastic player - but lacks the mental attitude required for the PL.

The Robinho signing was nuts, such a buzz at the time.Truely memorable night trying to take it all in on ssn ih had to pinch myself at the time and fans of other clubs could not believe it.None more so than the chelsea fans.So funny them having kits with his name on the back in the club shop at the time.