Source: Man_City
Robinho, Weiss can save City a fortune
| Submit Comments| Comments (24)| Printable Version1/1Play SlideshowClose MapSHOOTING STAR: Robinho in action against North KoreaThe eyes of Roberto Mancini must have lit up as he tuned in to Tuesday?s action in the World Cup. Sitting in the luxury lounge of his holiday retreat in Sardinia, the Blues boss will have picked out two players who fit the bill for his upwardly-mobile team. One was a left-sided, innovative attacker with a gorgeous touch and an eye for an opening, the other a frisky, ambitious young winger with a few tricks and a shrewd eye for a pass. And Mancini will be able to get both of them for nothing this summer, other than investing some time, effort and man-management skills. The two men in question are already on the books at City, but both spent half of last season out on loan ? Brazil?s Robinho and Slovakia?s Vladimir Weiss. Weiss is due to link up with the Blues three weeks after his country?s interest in the World Cup finals ends, which could see him handed a chance to impress during the summer tour of the United States. And Robinho is, as things stand, set to complete his loan spell to Santos on August 4, and has been making conciliatory noises after it appeared his City career was well and truly over. Both players gave Mancini plenty of food for thought as he weighs up his options for next season. Mancini has highlighted the defence and central midfield as the areas he most needs to strengthen this summer, hence the signing of Jerome Boateng and strong interest in James Milner and Steven Gerrard. At Inter Milan, he won three successive Serie A titles by developing a flexible squad, and despite favouring a powerful central midfield, he also used wide men like Cesar, Santiago Solari and Luis Figo. He has not been shy of using City?s wide men, with Adam Johnson and Craig Bellamy regulars in his reign, even if Weiss and Robinho were both allowed to leave on loan. It appeared that Robinho had played his last game for the Blues, an FA Cup tie at Scunthorpe ? with some irony for Britain?s most expensive signing. The Blues plan was to allow him to regain his state of mind, and match fitness, in his homeland, head to the World Cup, and hopefully perform well enough to allow them to recoup a large slab of the £32.5m outlay they made nearly two years ago. Impasse But, unless Robinho emerges as a major star of the tournament, that hope looks misplaced. The Brazilian ace?s poor form and gutless retreat from City simply fuelled the talk within the game that Robinho can be a liability. He is immensely talented, but only applies that talent when it suits, hence the contrast between his home form and away form in his first season with City. The kind of risk implicit in buying Robinho is too large for one of Europe?s big guns to take, when he could simply implode, as he did at Real Madrid and has done at Eastlands. That leaves an impasse, unless City could line up a swap deal with someone like Benfica, who have a player or two who could interest Mancini. City fans are not happy with Robinho, who should have been a player who carried the Blue standard into a bright new future, but who wimped out at a crucial stage. But the player remained a key figure among the players at City, always a fun figure, and who commanded great respect. His January departure for Santos was accompanied by a ?good riddance? by many fans, but was taken as a blow by many players. Whether Mancini can recapture Robinho?s interest and get him back in harness for the new season is an imponderable, especially after the player appeared to criticise the way he was handled towards the end of his stay with the Blues. Weiss poses different questions entirely. His problem, unlike Robinho, is that he has wanted to play for City TOO much. Impatient for his chance, but kept down by the experience of Shaun Wright-Phillips and then by the acquisition of Adam Johnson, he accepted a loan move to Bolton. His promising displays for Owen Coyle?s side paved his way to South Africa, and he was the star as Slovakia opened up with a disappointing 1-1 draw with New Zealand. Stiffer tests ahead will be more of a pointer towards Weiss? true standing but he looked a dangerous and effective flanker against the Kiwis. If he can enhance his reputation as the tournament progresses, Mancini will have another international star on his hands heading into the new season. Do you think Robinho and Weiss can fit into City's first team next season? Have your say.
