My Response To The Chairman's Interview

Vital Manchester City regular, Wswilly3 sent us the following...

I found the recent interview with the Manchester City chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubrak totally enthralling and have to admit I immediately watched the replay because I experienced such a positive feel-good factor.

The discussion left me with a feeling that the club was in good hands and as a long standing and an ardent City fan, I felt both grateful for this and hugely positive about the future.

What came across in abundance was that we had at the helm a professional and successful business man with a genuine empathy for football in general and for Manchester City in particular. He was clearly ambitious and determined to succeed but this success was to be achieved the right way and this meant in an ethical, planned, disciplined, patient and honest manner.

The strategy was clearly not about cutting corners or of doing things on the cheap or one that was fuelled by a personal ego. On the contrary it was one based on achieving success through significant financial commitment, hard work, professionalism and a realization that things would take a certain amount of time.

It is clear that the chairman is the well chosen 'ambassador' of our owner Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and equally clear that he represents the values required by the Sheikh. It goes without saying that when the latter does visit the City of Manchester stadium he will be given a rapturous welcome by the genuinely grateful Manchester City fans.

This gratitude may be misunderstood by non Manchester City fans, for it is not simply gratitude for spending a lot of money on excellent players that will give us a better chance of competing for trophies.

Yes, this is part of it but it is far more than this as it is a gratitude based on doing things the right way. This embraces such things as keeping fans and the community at the heart of the club; of ensuring the Academy is cherished and that the 'soul' of Manchester City is preserved, whilst recognizing the necessity for positive change. It also involves doing things and communicating things in a straightforward and honest manner and in such a way that everybody at the club 'walks the talk'.

This level of transparency was evident in the Chairman's interview and I have felt the same about Mark Hughes's approach throughout his tenure.

What has been said in advance has happened, even though the press and critics in general have reported different things, have started conflicting rumours or have been openly critical. This approach to open communication is to be applauded, as it is not a quality one normally associates with the world of football management or ownership, where regrettably the opposite has become an accepted and acceptable modus operandi.

Yes, the interview left me with a tremendous feel good factor about the present ownership and management of Manchester City Football Club and the future inevitability of it becoming one of Europe's major football teams. Things will not be easy and there will be set backs along the way but one is left with the absolute believe that it will be a case of 'when' rather than 'if'.

Thank you Sheikh Mansour and thank you Khaldoon Al Mubrak, for your level of investment, your professionalism and your ethical approach which makes it such a good time to be a Manchester City fan.

To watch the Chairman's video, click here.

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