Manchester City fan Ted Poole remembers Robinho and the beginning of the Mansour era at Eastlands…

The impression Robinho left on English football is best summed up by the matches closest to his arrival and departure and Manchester City. He arrived as the first marquee signing of the new Mansour era, with all the hype that comes with a new record transfer.

To most English fans he was something of an unknown quantity- everyone had heard his name, knew he was at Real Madrid (which meant he must have been a bit alright) and had probably heard he was renowned for his flashy tricks and dribbling skills- but he had yet to make a real impact on the European stage. Nonetheless, his signing caused a lot of shock and disbelief.

For City fans, he was almost immediately a symbol of hope for better things to come, as well as the absurd spending that would realise this vision. His debut came against Chelsea, the original ‘bought success’ side, and when he stepped up to score from a free kick it seemed like a hero had been born. Naturally (and possibly also symbolically) City lost this match, but Robinho had shown us all enough of a spark that we believed that City could have a huge star on their hands.  Continue reading →