Owen Hargreaves

[KRS]

So it looks like he's about to become another addition to Citehs midfield. I've previously touted him as a transfer target and very disappointed to see he's going to end up as yet another bench warmer for Citeh. If he's genuinely fit, I would have loved to see him in a Villa shirt, in fact I'd rather see him play well in any shirt other than Citeh.

Is this just another case of money talks as it surely isnt consistent with the recent report/interview where he said he wants to play as many games as he can...upto 40 games I think he can be quoted as saying? Is this just Citeh trying to get a cheap dig at Man Utd? Is this a case of Hargreaves grabbing as much money as he can for an injury plagued career?

Very disappointed not only in Hargreaves but the fact that Citeh have grabbed a potentially great player on the relatively cheap (by their ridiculous standards) that they quite clearly do not need. Fuck right off Citeh and I hope Hargreaves gets injured again if he does sign for them.

[greenwichvilla]

Beautifully put.

[enigma]

Not sure why you're disappointed in Hargreaves. He's done nothing wrong. He was without a club and Man City have offered him a contract. Can't see a problem myself.

[dave.woodhall]

Not sure why you're disappointed in Hargreaves. He's done nothing wrong. He was without a club and Man City have offered him a contract. Can't see a problem myself.

Because a week ago he was desperate to prove his fitness and play again.

[enigma]

Not sure why you're disappointed in Hargreaves. He's done nothing wrong. He was without a club and Man City have offered him a contract. Can't see a problem myself.

Because a week ago he was desperate to prove his fitness and play again.

He may well do that at City. Any opinions either way is just speculation. After what he's been through the last few years when it looked like he'd probably have to retire I can't begrudge him having another crack at it. They're in four competitions so it's not like he'll be short of opportunities to play providing he's fit.

[Villanation]

IMO, Hargreaves will prove to be the signing of this transfer window, I don't see he's gone to Man City to warm the bench, i think he will be hungry and very hungry to prove himself against some of the best and it was Man City that gave him that chance.

Couple of months from now you you will be seeing him being touted for the England squad. wait and see.

He would have been brilliant for Villa and very savvy business if we had been bothered.

[Dave]

If I were him I'd have gone to Man City as well.

He knows that he's a good player, if he manages to stay fit (which he won't) then he's playing in the Champions League and gets another contract at one of the top two teams in the country.

If he doesn't, then he gets paid more for the next twelve months than anyone else would pay him not to stay fit.

I don't see it as much of a decision to make.

[TheSandman]

Me too.

Considering fat arse has no trouble getting into the City side I don't think it is a certainty that he will be warming the bench. He is probably thinking it's another shot at the big time.

[JJ-AV]

Barry, De Jong, Toure, Hargreaves, Milner.

Milner (regardless of how we see it) spends alot of time in wide areas.

They often play with three in the middle.

He'll get plenty of game time if he's fit. Look how much Vieira played over the last 2 years for them.

[KRS]

Yeah no doubt it was the best offer on the table for him so cant blame him for making a decision based on finances...if he gets injured or stays fit, its a win-win situation for him. In terms of playing time on the pitch, I absolutely disagree considering the midfield talent on show up there...even if you consider the 4 competitions they are competing for, he simply isnt going to get as much game time to push for the England squad as he would have done at Villa or most other Premier League teams.

Citeh already have at least 7 high profile midfielders competing for places off the top of my head:

Silva
Barry
Nasri
Toure
Milner
Johnson
De Jong

...with the addition of Hargreaves, that will be 4 England Internationals competing for places in the Citeh team and a place in the England squad.

[ozzjim]

The issue is City won't play 3 in the middle so often this season, as Mancini is under pressure to fit Tevez, Aguerro, Dzeko, Silva etc all into the side. As such, De jong and Barry will start most weeks I reckon, with Milner starting at home and not away

[JJ-AV]

Even if they only play 2 midfielders. De Jong, Toure, Barry, Hargreaves.

4 players for two spots, and they'll be on course for well over 60k games this season. He'll play more than enough (if he's fit).

Vieira played 32 games last season.

[curiousorange]

Man City signed Hargreaves primarily because they didn't want a rival club to have him. Nobody looked at Manchester City's squad a week ago and said to themselves 'You know who would really fit in? Owen Hargreaves.'

[Dave]

Man City signed Hargreaves primarily because they didn't want a rival club to have him. Nobody looked at Manchester City's squad a week ago and said to themselves 'You know who would really fit in? Owen Hargreaves.'

I don't think that West Brom, Leicester or (potentially) us would really be seem as a rival club to Man City.

[dave.woodhall]

Man City signed Hargreaves primarily because they didn't want a rival club to have him. Nobody looked at Manchester City's squad a week ago and said to themselves 'You know who would really fit in? Owen Hargreaves.'

I don't think that West Brom, Leicester or (potentially) us would really be seem as a rival club to Man City.

It's 12 points a season though.