Manchester City News 24/7Writer: Lando78 
Date:Thursday October 8 2009
Time: 4:04PM
UK time is: 03:27:00
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City Mercenaries Are Just Amateurs
Manchester City fan, blogger and VMC member, Lando78 sent us the following article. His blog can be found at 5-1blogspot.com
The entire City squad are a bunch overpaid money-grabbing mercenaries, or so the media, pundits and fans alike would have you believe.
Since the Arab takeover last summer and in particular the arrival of Robinho from Real Madrid City have been the number one target for the media vultures, 'Loads a' Money' impersonators and 'Boo Boys' alike. No signing has been spared their wrath from the January arrivals Santa Cruz, De Jong and Bellamy to the summer arrivals of Toure, Adebayor, Tevez and Gareth Barry.
To understand what a mercenary is we have to look at the very core of the word. A Merc is a private soldier of fortune who fights for personal wealth or gain, rather than for a good cause or overwhelming patriotic feeling.
So in footballing terms a mercenary can be seen as anyone who leaves his own team for financial or personal gain. A player who no longer has the affection for their team in which they started their careers or at least joined very early on.
Putting that into context, almost all footballers are mercenaries, in fact so is the person sat behind the keyboard (as he left JD Sports for Allsports in 1997), and the person reading his article at the minute for that matter. So, lets all take a moment to see who are the truly world class Mercs and see how many of them play for the team in sky blue.
The List:
20. Robinho £10m Manchester City Age 25
18. Dimitar Berbatov £11m Manchester United Age 27
18. Joe Cole £11m Chelsea Age 27
15. Damien Duff £12m Fulham Age 30
15. Gary Neville £12m Manchester United Age 34
15. Petr Cech £12m Chelsea Age 27
14. Emile Heskey £13m Aston Villa Age 31
11. Ashley Cole £14m Chelsea Age 28
11. Fernando Torres £14m Liverpool Age 25
11. Nicolas Anelka £14m Chelsea Age 31
10. Didier Drogba £16m Chelsea Age 31
9. John Terry £18m Chelsea Age 28
8. Steven Gerrard £20m Liverpool Age 29
7. Frank Lampard £21m Chelsea Age 31
6. Michael Ballack £22m Chelsea Age 33
5. Ryan Giggs £24m Manchester United Age 35
4. Rio Ferdinand £30m Manchester United Age 30
3. Wayne Rooney £37m Manchester United Age 23
2. Michael Owen £38m Manchester United Age 29
1. David Beckham £125m England Age 34 Ex -Rag
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Your Comments
Can't believe Berbatov is actually worth £11m!!! I assume these figures take endorsements etc. into account?
fifthcolumnblue
How can players that play for top clubs - clubs constantly fighting for trophies be mercenaries? Your club is NOT a top club and that is why they're there for the money! Robinho only came to you because he'd made up his mind to leave, Real didn't want to sell to Chelsea, you were the LAST resort and the money you offered was ridiculous! He wasn't coming there because he was assured of trophies. Adebayor was also rejected by us and Chelsea and once again, you were the last resort. Well...the money you offered was also insane tbf. Kolo Toure said he wasn't sure he could perform to Arsenal standards and so chose to come to a club with lower standards. I'm very sure if money wasn't a factor, he would've fought it out at Arsenal. Tevez was desperate to leave us, he didn't want to leave England and you were the only club in England who could afford him and his wages so he chose you. I could so this with every player you've bought and you'll see the mercenaries you have in your team!
ForeverUnited
I'm sure thats what Petrov is thinking!
lando78
Ye you sound like your from Manchester pal! Glory Glory Man Utd and and all that lot. You should change your name to Bitter Foreign Legion pal. With every player we've bought eh? Would that include Given, Petrov, Garrido Bellamy, Zabaleta..... jog on please.
5th column yes the figures do indeed account for endorsements and what not.
lando78
lando78 - how many of the players you mentioned are of any quality? Bellamy and Given maybe but they came from lesser clubs. They came from clubs with as much future as Sturridge has at Chelsea. They would've paid their own transfer fees to leave their clubs!
ForeverUnited
Given, Petrov, Bellamy and Zabaleta are good enough to get in your match day squad bitter!
lando78
Foreverscum, Atleast we dont have mercenary owners then! unlike some who are only in it for the MONEY, answer me this big head would you rather your owners earn all that lovely money and put it in there banks OR would you rather pay the players that money and tell the owners to feckoff?, players may initially join us for the money but there is alot more to it than just money the future is bright and the players can see this, if that makes them mercenaries then so be it, but earning good maney and playing for a club THAT WILL WIN THINGS is better than playing for say everton for the same amount or more isnt it! (history is here to be made and the city players want to be the history makers!) ITS CALLED AMBITION
mark.mcfc.wedged
Petrov could possibly be classed as a mercenary as he thinks more about himself than the team and picks up his money but he doesn't make the list!
Kevinho
All footballers are 'mercenaries' - otherwise they'd be playing for the love of the game with their local side.
MCFC_Goatboy
lando78 - Given MAYBE buts that about it! Petrov can't get a game in your team but he'd get a game in ours? He'd be fighting it out with Tosic for a spot!
ForeverUnited
mark - how do you know the future is bright? I might as well get the lottery numbers from you. These mercenaries you've bought have to keep telling themselves "there is hope in the future" every morning just so they arent forced to realize their incredible mistake! Your manager, sorry fans and shyite players are all getting by on blind hope! The scum from liverfool live on their history and the dippers on here live on their unforseeable future. Interesting......
ForeverUnited
Everybody who works for a living is a mercenary ie. If another employer offered you a huge pay rise for doing the same job don't tell me you wouldn't take it. Just the same for footballers.
Thaibluefan
The figures don't lie. Rags players make up a bulk of that list so anyone who wants to try and call our team mercenaries, especially any rag's supporter hasn't got a leg to stand on.
bluesnozza
so all our players are here for the money, eh ,was'nt that the same thing that happened at the swamp when the PL started in 1992 when Taggart signed all his new team and lo and behold went on to win the title..... where they not mercenairies to as they did'nt win the title since 1967...... and are we not allowed to try to win things now? and just let the sky4 keep going on there merry little way and not upset the apple cart... well Fu welcome to our world ...as we WILL win the title in the very near future...
i can smell fear in your threads as Taggart will not be there forever!!!!!
cityman51
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