Manchester City News 24/7Writer: Johnny Baguette 
Date:Monday June 22 2009
Time: 8:14PM
UK time is: 08:55:50
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The Rocky History Fact File
Rosler, Goater, Quinn. All legendary modern era target men that City could have done with last season.
All three cost relative peanuts to the fee of today's signing Roque Santa Cruz! Time to take a look at the lad's form...
Born: 16th August 1981, Asuncion, Paraguay.
Height: 6ft 2 inches.
CAREER RECORD:
International Caps 61
International Goals 20
Came to prominence playing for his local side Olimpia Asunción where he hit 13 goals in 23 games during City's 1998-1999 third division campaign.
Bayern Munich tracked him and brought him to Germany where to say the least, his record was far from exceptional as injuries ravaged his time there from 1999-2007. He started a Tricky Trevor Sinclair/Claudio Strainerish 103 games across those seasons in all competitions and made 86 substitute appearances. During those 7 to 8 years he scored 38 goals.
Summer 2007 came along and Blackburn brought Cruz to Ewood Park for £3.8 million. He went on to have a great first season under Mark Hughes and his Blackburn career realised 62 starts across the board, 8 off the bench appearances and 29 goals.
Cruz's European Record 1999-2009:
165 starts in all competitions.
94 substitute appearances.
67 goals.
Well, it's hardly prolific, is it? But considering the amount of bids City's boss has thrown at Blackburn this year, he obviously sees something he can work with.
Sure, the fee is excessive when weighed up across the increasingly crazy transfer market, but he's a Blue now and he'll be guaranteed our support.
Welcome to Manchester City, Rocky!
What do you reckon, Blues? Is Cruz the answer? Maybe part of a bigger Hughes vision or nothing of the sort? Give us a shout both here and in the Vital MC forums!
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Your Comments
Hughes is our manager and he sees something in Roque Santa Cruz. I don't know what he sees just yet. The guy may double the number of headed goals we scored last season but unfortunately that's not many. I'll cheer like a loony for him, but I'm taking this transfer entirely on faith. Come on Santa Cruz. Make your mark at City!
Sindbad
agreed sindbad.
Mike Hunt
We have to be realistic in our targets, last summer we would have all loved him to come here, hindsight is a wonderful thing and although he didn't have a good season last year who's to say he can't repeat his first year with Blackburn here. No disrespect to Blackburn but he'll have people who can deliver a ball better here and people like Stevie who can put a few on a plate for him. We may sign Tevez but he is in a unique situation, some of our signings won't bring waves of optimism like the Tevez deal will do. But i'll argue he'll be just as affective as Tevez next season.
butty1
quisiera que tengan un poco de fe en roque... es un buen jugador y no los va a defraudar.... desde paraguay, un abrazo para todos!!!!
If anybody can get the best out of this guy it has to be MH ....he's done it before.
Doody
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