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Just for a laugh, I did some maths (yeah yeah), and totted up what City have spent since the big knobs took over in summer 2008.

Records show that they have spent a staggering £443.3 MILLION. That's not far shy of half a billion pounds. That is on player transfer fees alone, with loan fees, wages and managerial and backroom staff, the figure must come close to 3/4 billion.

And what have they to show for all this expenditure? A trio of Champions League titles? Some Premier League glory? Surely all four League Cups?

Nope, for all that money, for all the hype and all the fanfare, City have garnered a meagre return of a single, solitary FA Cup.

As Cheaty and now City are proving, you can't buy trophies, you have to earn them. I for one am delighted.

Matt.

I think most people would agree with your sentiments there Matt. They've not earnt many kind glances from the footballing fraternity since all this willy-nilly (yeah, i'm using that word) cash throwing.

Think what you want of Manchester United, but they are a team, built up with solid foundations over a number of years. As Chelsea have learnt, throwing money at a squad can work for short term success, but in the bigger picture this kind of project just doesn't look sustainable...

I like United, always have, have among my collection (of autographed things, it all started at Heathrow airport, full story upon request) a 1968 European Cup shirt, beautifully presented, signed by Nobby, Aston, Sadler, Foulkes and Stepney.

You are right, United are the only real team in Manchester and before all too long City will be back in L2, where they belong.

Matt.

For all i despise Man Utd and their plastic fans, you can't argue with what Sir Alex has done there. He is constantly evolving the team to suit and builds his teams on a togetherness and team ethic. Man City have by far the best attacking players in the Prem but if you have got shite defenders ( Kompany aside ) AND Gareth Barry then you won't win anything. You also won't win anything with clowns like Balotelli in the side who think they can get sent off every other week and commit random acts of off the field childish acts all the time because they are some sort of cult hero / amazing world class player. NEWSFLASH MARIO: YOU AREN'T EVEN VERY GOOD!! Hernandez is a better finisher than you, smiles when he scores and doesn't act like a ****. You don't even deserve the position you have and i'm saying this through gritted teeth and a sense of shame in myself but i hope one day somebody breaks your leg as i hold people likeyou in the highest of contempt. Anyway, this United side are poor which makes the job Mancini has done at City a massive failed embarrassment; however, United know what needs to be done and over the course of a season they'll do it and that is why they win things.

Andy makes a valid point, the Premier League is a poor, poor division this year. Can you imagine what 2004 Chelsea, Invincibles Arsenal and 1999 Man Utd would do to this lot? It would be an absolute massacre.

Matt.