C'mon, you know the reason Sven is going foreign is because he gets better value for money as English clubs demand a lot more for their players. e.g. Rolando Bianchi scored 17 goals for struggling team last season & cost £8.8m. Darren Bent, similar amount of goals for a team in a similar situation..£17m. You know all this, but you can't resist a pop at Sven at every opportunity.

Ghost of 76, congleton,

city will finish comfortably mid-table and sven will be as dull and uninspiring as ever. I am not sure what any of this has to do with united, though. if the times is pro-united, I'm an inflatable banana.

jem, london , uk

if eriksson did as good a job at city as before with the national squad, then God should save the team

Csire Balazs, Budapest, Hungary

Let the £M roll and bring the goods in. Kick the majority of Pearce useless side of the pitch. Go for it Svennis!

The Rocker, Eastland,

I think Sven is an intelligent coach and he has the players who have the premier league experience like Richard Dunn,Vassell and Didi Hamann.I think he must use 4-4-2 with Ronaldo Bianchi up front with Mpenza or Geovini with Petrov on the left side of midfield and with didi hamann and johnson plays as a central midfielder and with Sun Ji Hai on the right hand side of the midfield.Sounds like good .Whats your opinion.

Salman, Karachi, Pakistan

Its enough credit to sven only to read these comments made by people from all over the world, being Swedish I totally love Svens work over the years and I eagerly await the day he will take over the Swedish national team, Im a Chelsea supporter myself but I believe Sven will take City well over relegation zone, The best players in England are way to expensivem Im sure Sven would love to have the likes of Lampard and Terry in his Squad but that is however unlikely.

Sven always does the best he can, And Im sure its gonna take a while before England does good in any competition again.

Joakim, Helsingborg, Sweden

City have one of the best youth academy's in the premier league, so combine with Sven's foreign legion we could be looking at an upturn in fortunes at Eastlands.

For much of last season teams like Arsenal didn't field 1 english player so why single Sven out regarding foreign signings? I wish the press would get off his back for a change.

John, Failsworth, Manchester

do not buy chiellini! he's not that good! having money is not a good reason to buy everyone you see around. one should look through a player before buying him and not to think he's great 'cause his former team is juventus.

roberto genovese, torino,

so once again manchester city are going to have an rollercoaster of an season but the recent signings city have completed proves that city are not going tobe rubbing rags for any body and some teams are going to have an almighty shock and that hopefully team morale will be high and hopefully success will rear its head and prove once and for all manchester city are going to be an major force in british football and also be the best team in lancshire and regain the title the best team in manchester once again.

kevin walker, forden welshpool , powys cymru (wales)

It's refreshing to see. Better than having to pay over inflated prices for players that every man and his dog is in for. Good work Svennis.

Harold Skinters Esq, Manchester, English Votes for England

Manchester city have the best academy in the country, and so have the best young England players here already.

We don't need to buy players like Chelsea or Tottenham.

Richard, Manchester, UK

The dubious parasitical elements within the Press have never appreciated Sven's cool & calculated approach. No sensational oubursts, no outrageous behaviour unlike a growing number of high-profile sports personalities, virtually nothing for them to 'feed on'. However, the more reliable elements and the Times who is amongst the leaders of this sector should appreciate his public persona.
Sven has strong links abroad, mainly in Italy and we all realise that home players are extremely expensive, consequently he is looking both at home and abroad. Example: Gorgio Chiellini, Juventus left back, 1.86m (6ft 1ins), aged 22, 6 full caps for Italy, 34 caps and former under 21 captain; price £8m (approx) OR Wigan left back: 1.70m (5ft 7ins), aged 22, 0 full caps for England, 16 under 21 caps (£8m approx) who would you consider the better option if you have the money available?
Giorgio, caldo benvenuto sono Eastlands!
p.s. Skoda stands for reliable, robust, value for money.

Andrew Holden, Isle of Man, Isle of Man

i've been a city fan for 40 years its been a long time since i've felt excited about the start of a season. Like many others i think it make more senses to buy abroad were you get more for your euro, Sven is a good enough manager which he has proved at club level before . I support his buys and look forward to the new season.

denis, wirral, england

If you were svennis could you please tell us which english players of equal quality you would have purchased and what fee they would have commanded ? i think i will be deafned by your silence or skint with the money that you would have had to use.

D.Thompson, Manchester,

This article could have been written with any other managers' name in the headline, surely? In Sven we (Manchester City FC)have acquired the second most successful England manager ever. We have a manager whose depth of knowledge of the game and contacts within the game have no equal.

Sven's club record speaks for itself and he is rightly being paid well for his services. Anyone with even a passing knowledge of the beautiful game realises that the old fashioned "blood and thunder" approach does not work. It never has. Even Alex Ferguson's hair dryer is reserved for the changing room. Players should not need motivating and most don't. Only the over priced, over paid, under talented English prima dona's.

This explains why we have had zero success at international level. All the players will blame everyone else bar themselves and the press managed to hound the FA into getting rid of the only manager who would have given us a chance of success. Good news for us City fans!!

Tim Lawson, Northampton,

Absolutely amazed by this article. How long are Ferguson and Wenger working in England? How many British based players did move to one of the so-called big four (except for Sidwell ... on a free)? This article should be about comparing the Premier League to other leagues in Europe. Trying to find out why managers buy overseas, why England has become Harrods of Europe, why Englands national team isn't performing, why loads of clubs sell their soul to try and be a force in the Premier League. No, this journalist singles out one man and one man only who was brave enough to ignore the ignorant (press), and actually tries to build within a club that for so many years is underperforming, yet taking with them the best bunch of supporters in England. Why? Because he watched 5 years British football and -as an England manager obviously- stated he watched the best league. Was it maybe because the best league contains so many foreign players, bought by those who worked long before? Typical ...

Eric Jonker, Zoetermeer, Netherlands

The media jury will be out on Sven until he proves them wrong.

Sven got the job very late. Most of the decent players in England had been sold on or had signed new contracts.

I'm sure Sven has been looking at players for months. He is really starting from scratch. If he can create a team by Christmas, this 68 year old City supporter will be more than satisfied.

David Ryan, Manchester, UK

You cannot blame him, english players are very physical and mediocre.

Makay, Bruxel,

Sirs,

With regards to anything above 16th place would be a surprise may I remind all that Sven is a proven club manager with more pedigree than probably 15 of the 20 managers put together.

Manchester City will prove a lot critics wrong and Sven will show England and the English people that he is capable. You have got to remember in five and half years he lost only a handful of games as England coach.

Sean , Dublin, Irish Republic

Another pop at Sven. You lot can't stop!

He and almost all the other managers are in the same position. They want English or PL experienced, but they are either too expensive or just not available! Only time will tell and I like most City fans have patience and understand this season could be difficult.

So stick to your pro United stories and leave Sven alone!

Gary Jones (Blue Expat), Bangkok, Thailand

Please you can't compare Henry and Bent, it's like a Rolls Royce and a Skoda.

One is proven world class and the other hasn't won anything before.. Please, you can't compare Cavier with baked beans

Andrew Watson, Hong Kong7,

Umm. You may not have noticed, despite it being a clear feature of Prem football her for some seasons, that foreign buys provide far better value for money that their generally hugely-overpriced English colleagues.

So, no, it's not a shock, it's not a surprise, it's - sloppy journalism.

Jeremy Poynton, Fromeville, 51st State

Sven was paid to promote English football hence all the twaddle about how good British players are. Now he is being paid to produce the best possible team and he has the whole world to look for them.

He has proved with England that he cannot pick the best available squad. It would need an optimist to believe he will be successful in his new position. However, most pub pundits could buy a squad capable of staying in the Premiership if given tens of millions of pounds to spend.

Anywhere above 16th place will be a huge surprise.

Bill Adams, New Delhi, India

English players are overpriced. Who can blame him for wanting to sign better players for a cheaper fee? Look at Darren Bent's move to Spurs, he played awful last season yet they stil payed £18million for him.. which is more than Barcelona payed for Henry, who is a much better player.

Shaun Goater, Manchester,

The 'bore' scours the world.

A season ahead of City going 1-0 up then trying to hold the lead - a waffle at the press conference before he heads out into the night to play the only attacking game he knows - trying to bed a new woman.
The Emperor's new clothes are resplendent - how much is he on again ?

Tim, Shanghai, China

Having followed City for the last 2 seasons and on and off before that, I think the current new signings are a welcome breadth of ingenuity, boldness and confidence. Credit to Sven and those who believe enough in him to take him on board City. I for one thinks City can only do better than last 2 seasonsand will benefit from Sven wealth of experience regardless of what others may think of him. Like the saying goes, the proof of the puding is in the eating. I can't wait for the season to starts and we'll see who are the ones with the red-face :o)

LC Lim, Singapore, Singapore

Squire,
You only have to look at the name of the guy that wrote the article to realise his side-kick must be named 'Diver'. Perhaps they actually write the United fanzine--period!! On the other hand, they sound like two of United's players. Enough said!!

Ray, Bracknell,

Your article assumes his search for players which include mostly foreign casts Sven as an Egnima! infact it is no more curious than your lack of knowledge, for there is a simple explanation and it is the fact that typically like for like talent is twice the price if that player holds a British passport. I am surprised a so called sports journalist needs informing of it. Yet nothing is beyond explanation when its Mcdebt Red Sox across the City in that swamp of belly wipes, all is roses whenever you write about them and no leap of imagination is beyond you in order to write grovelling praise which does little to hide a strange and weird lust for bacon face himself. Rooney who was not able to hold his temper and Ronaldo the winker together got us out of the world cup yet all you ever do is blame Sven who actually was not on the pitch.

Transparent. Childish. Rot.

Mark, Preston, England

You couldn't have seen a lot of City last season. We didn't play too much 4-4-2.
I think it's more a sign that Sven and his team won't pay the inflated prices English clubs are asking. Very reassuring as past boards and managers have been taken to the cleaners.

bluevalentine, Dublin, Ireland

Sirs,
How the standards of the wonderful old 'Thunderer' have slipped. I can understand that City are not the favourite topic for the Man united fanzine that the 'Times' on-line has become, but please concern yourselves with facts and leave speculation to us mere mortals.

Jack, Prescot, England