Good ol Garry.

[Cocacolajojo1]

I remember one anecdote from Hans Backe who said that him, Sven-Göran and Thakshin attended a CL-game at the Emirates and after the game was over and they were heading out of the suite, Thakshin got animated and started gesturing for them to come back and watch the field as the game was continuing. Turns out it was the unused subs who were destressing after the game.

Yes, there are quite a few of these stories. When I was told this one (in a voice recorded interview) by a former City director, it was the City game at Arsenal in 2007-08 (4th game) and it was one of the other City directors (best not put her name on here) who thought there was a '3rd half'.

There was also the time Thaksin was told how tough the opening 3 games of Sven's reign would be (remember it included MUFC in the days when they were tough to beat) and so he phoned Sven and told him that 3 victories were needed - as if Sven didn't know the significance of those games and as if it was that easy. In the end we won all 3 and Thaksin thought his approach worked!

Mind you I was also present in the meeting when Thaksin was outlining his plans. One of which was "We will be opening a store in the City". A staff member interrupted him and said "yes, we're already doing that. It'll be in the Arndale". John Wardle "er, sorry. Dr Thaksin means London when he talks about the City, not Market Street". In that brief exchange the rise in ambition was clear. Thankfully, in the end Thaksin appointed Cook and Garry convinced him to sell, but some of his ideas were interesting.

Ha! Perhaps it's one of those urban legends that gets attributed to people woh come into the football business from the outside?

[nottsblue]

On Thaksin... still not as straightforward as good v evil I'm afraid. Thaksin had some great ideas (and some ridiculous ones too!) and did bring Garry in to make them happen - Garry then realised that the only way out of the mire was to sell the club and the rest is history. Let's not forget that the FA/PL were happy that Thaksin was a fit and proper person (hmm!) and that those that controlled the majority of shares pre-Thaksin did believe that he was the right man to sell to and therefore to take the club forward.

Worth also noting in all of this that Garry's point on convincing Thaksin to sell is significant - although many believe Thaksin was only in it for the short term, Thaksin did not originally see it like that. I was in his presentations when he talked about his long term vision for City (not as significant as it became when GC arrived but significantly better than what had gone before).

My gut feel from what I saw and the interviews from that period I performed with Wardle, Khaldoon etc. is that Thaksin assumed it would be easy to find success at City and that that would then generate a good income for him (let's not forget that ultimately MCFC has to make a profit for its current owner - whether we like it or not that's the way football is now). Once his funds were locked and he was struggling to raise a few quid for himself, never mind the club, Garry recognised the issues and convinced him to sell before it went under.

It makes you wonder what would have happened had either Garry not arrived or Thaksin's funds had not been frozen. Phew!

Aston Villa.

If we were lucky. More like Leeds i reckon. The cupboard would have well and truly bare

[bigblue]

Two things stood out for me:

we could deliver the name City - something that could become a powerful brand

He recognized the value of building a brand name and now you see "CITY" on everything the clubs does. City in the community, NYCFC...

And:

“Yaya was different. He came and said, ‘I’m going to make this club great’. He was THE ONE. After we signed him, every top player began to see the possibilities at City.

“David Silva, for example. If we hadn’t signed Yaya, I don’t think David would have come.

"Once we signed Yaya, all the others followed. He was like a Pied Piper."

Massive credit to Yaya, shows where is heart has always been.

Was quite a "gaff" that he left on, but he is an extremely competent business man and I'd always be open to seeing him back.

[Pretty Boy Lee]

The yaya thing kind if shits sliver the past 4 years of speculation that he was nothing but a mercenary dying to leave at 1st chance. Some right wankers write these stories each day.

[Dubciteh]

I don't like Cooke, I think his treatment of Richard Dunne is the reason and the fact a lot of people used his gaffes as a stick to beat us, however I can't deny he did a lot of good work.

[DoomMerchant]

Always a fan.

He's a classic. Most have heard my story of meeting him in Baltimore. He's a fucking top guy and a real folk hero in my view. Balls of steel. And he got it done. Badass fucker.

[bayblue]

Always a fan. He's a classic. Most have heard my story of meeting him in Baltimore. He's a fucking top guy and a real folk hero in my view. Balls of steel. And he got it done. Badass fucker.

...how sick he must be now though... UFC .... or City "in this moment"?? (to use MP's favourite word). Credit to him though for his part in our Cinderella story.

[mcfc1632]

I am a massive fan and really glad to hear that he remains popular and welcome at CITY.

That said (and nothing negative meant here) - 'the project' will have a number of cycles/phases and just as Mancini was deemed to be perhaps not the perfect fit as manager for the next stage, I would think that the 2 Spanish dudes are better at the helm.

[Rag_hater]

Getting Marwood was his best move and the opinion some have of him.

[Ted Hughes]

I am a massive fan and really glad to hear that he remains popular and welcome at CITY.

That said (and nothing negative meant here) - 'the project' will have a number of cycles/phases and just as Mancini was deemed to be perhaps not the perfect fit as manager for the next stage, I would think that the 2 Spanish dudes are better at the helm.

I think you are probably right on that. He was the ideal man at the time (apart from when he spoke in public) & these blokes are the ideal for this part of the job.

It's a pity he can't be involved somehow though, but maybe he secretly is.

Enough time has passed now since 'the incident' that he could be involved in City again I would have thought. But I suppose a lot of the obvious jobs would involve him moving abroad & as he loves living round here, maybe he's happy not being involved.

[frankswift]

I thought he was a tosser. It's just possible that that is a minority opinion here.

[Rag_hater]

I thought he was a tosser. It's just possible that that is a minority opinion here.

Don't think he was a tosser but he just did his job,something thousands of other people could do just as well did.He was also very good at spending other peoples money.

[mcfc1632]

I thought he was a tosser. It's just possible that that is a minority opinion here.

Without his involvement it is now quite clear that the Sheik (and all that has followed) would not have happened. So for me CITY fans can have different views of how he conducted himself - but I would think to simply label him a tosser would indeed place you in the minority.

When set against the joy that achieving that deal meant - what the fuck importance do a few PR gaffes really have?

He also did a lot of promotion, but for me seemed a bot of a 'one man band' - the stable relentless machine we are now is a different league - but again would not have been possible without his drive at the start

[Ted Hughes]

I thought he was a tosser. It's just possible that that is a minority opinion here.

Don't think he was a tosser but he just did his job,something thousands of other people could do just as well did.He was also very good at spending other peoples money.

I think you could did his job do .

[Rag_hater]

I thought he was a tosser. It's just possible that that is a minority opinion here.

Don't think he was a tosser but he just did his job,something thousands of other people could do just as well did.He was also very good at spending other peoples money.

I think you could did his job do .

Sell things a a loss. No I would probably be than worse that Garry, I think though if I had spent my life training to do a job I would be quite competant at it and, i am sure if Frank found somebody different to Mr Cook that person would have been just as capable

[frankswift]

Sell things a a loss. No I would probably be than worse that Garry, I think though if I had spent my life training to do a job I would be quite competant at it and, i am sure if Frank found somebody different to Mr Cook that person would have been just as capable

I was trying to decide between you and Ted.

[Dameerto]

I'd always suspected he was behind the 'multiple Cities' idea, now he has admitted it. Good on you Gary.

[bigblue]

He made moves and signed deals, what more can you ask?

Lots of people think they can step into his role, but look what happened the summer after he left; we flapped about and bought a bunch of mediocre players.

Always room in any organization for people like Cookie Monster who just get shit done.

[Rag_hater]

He made moves and signed deals, what more can you ask?

Lots of people think they can step into his role, but look what happened the summer after he left; we flapped about and bought a bunch of mediocre players.

Always room in any organization for people like Cookie Monster who just get shit done.

Look at all the stuff that happened on his watch.
The world is full of people who get shit done.
Cookie was on his way down when he came to us,we should be aiming for people who are gonna peak with us.

[bigblue]

Look at all the stuff that happened on his watch.
The world is full of people who get shit done.
Cookie was on his way down when he came to us,we should be aiming for people who are gonna peak with us.

What happened on his watch?

Such as realizing that our owner was about to have their assets frozen, effectively completely fucking the club. What did he do? He met with some of the richest people in the world and sold them on the vision of what Manchester CITY could be. He beat all the other PL clubs trying to court the same people and more or less saved our club. From there he only signed most of our current star players. Plus, he seemed to sacrifice his family for our club.

He may have misspoke in the media, but the only fuckwits who care about that are people like you. I don't care what he says in public as long as the deals get signed in private. Luckily the people we have now seem to be able to handle both, but I still think Gary would have signed one or both of the Porto players.

Finally, it's not just "being good at spending other people's money". You talk so much shit it's unreal. If you've ever worked with a large organization's business development, M&A, or procurement departments you'd know there a hell of a lot more that goes on that just signing the check. Negotiations where everyone wants to carve out their own piece, different people stalling or negotiating in bad faith, lawyers from both sides delaying the deal, trying to convince shareholding 3rd parties who have no interest to go along with the deal to do so, executives sticking their nose in it for no reason at all after the deal is 95% done..... Basically "just spending other people's money" is .01% of the job. There is a reason why people in certain positions get paid so well; because they can cut through everyone's bullshit, align everyone's interests, and get shit done.

But I really don't know why I typed this out for you since you may be the most mentally handicapped person on this board (including PALUS/clit.revenge).