Distin Exit Leaves Sour Taste

It was one of the worst kept secrets that ex-City skipper Sylvain Distin wanted out of the club to "seek a fresh challenge". None of us will be surprised that he's left, especially as he's come close to leaving several times over the course of the last few transfer windows.

What will come as a surprise though is that despite interest from quite a few clubs, including an 11th hour attempt by Liverpool to sign him, he's opted to join Portsmouth to pursue his dreams of major domestic and European honours.

Now with respect to Pompey, Distin has taken a big gamble in what at his age will probably be his last "big" move. I know that big Harry has done a sterling job to revive Pompey's fortunes, but as a manager he's got very little European pedigree as indeed do Portsmouth. It is a surprise therefore that Distin has chosen to follow David James to the south coast.

I don't blame Distin at all for wanting to move. He's been a great servant for City; a model professional, without whom, Christ knows we're City would have ended up. His partnership with Dunny has consistently been the best central defensive partnership for the last two to three seasons and we'll miss him next season for sure.

In a sense and now at 29, poor old Distin has wasted his best years at a club that's been in turmoil for a while, and with a recent string of managers that were never going to seriously challenge for any sort of honours.

What really leaves a sour taste though, is that a club like Portsmouth is considered a much better option for winning honours than City. Sadly, at the moment you'd probably have to agree, but that is a damning indictment of the years of under-investment and lack of ambition shown by the board; that's the thing that really hurts the fans.

His swift move and cryptic comments also raise some darker questions about City's future and the ongoing saga of the takeover. Like many fans, I'll believe it when I see it happen and I suspect there will be a few stings in the tail before it actually happens, if indeed it ever does.

I just have a bad feeling about the Thai takeover, especially reading today about the restrictive financial regulations for taking such large sums of money out of Thailand. Given that the ex-PM has a bit of a "colourful" past, it is by no means certain that the deal will actually materialise and it could all end up like it did when he attempted to take control of Liverpool.

So, farewell Sylvain and thanks for five years of service. He is a class act and Harry has again pulled off a bit of a coup. Personally, I think he's rushed into the wrong move, but time will tell.

Should He Have Dunne It ?

It seems that Richard Dunne's criticism of some of City's foreign contingent has touched a few raw nerves within the dressing room and the waves it has caused are still rippling away through the club.

Former skipper, Distin seems to have taken particular exception to Dunny's comments saying that the French and the Italian contingent have "taken it personally ! ".

Well Sylvain, they bloody well should take it personally, as should the American and African contingent; something you would find easier to understand better if you sat in the stands like we do and watch the same set of players either going through the motions or looking totally out of their depth.

What is it about these high-earning prima donnas who seem to live in their own cocooned world that they think they are above criticism or reproach? They need to hear it like it is and I'm only surprised Dunny has managed to hold on so long before venting a bit of steam. If the rest of us performed like they do in our respective jobs, we'd get a rocket up our arses!

Dunny is the club skipper and carries out his responsibilities with obvious pride. Being City captain is clearly a big honour for him and by speaking out like he did, he was only reflecting what fans have been complaining about all season. Make no mistake, us natives are extremely restless at the moment.

Dunny alone stands out like a beacon in the gloom of Eastlands and seeing him as fired up as he was on Wednesday against Chelsea, he did what he has done all season and lead by example. It was a hi-octane performance from a leader giving it 110%.

I'm sure Dunny will now be gagged by the Club and slapped on the wrist, but hopefully his controversial but accurate explaination of City's dire form will have done its job. Sure we lost again on Wednesday, but it was a gallant defeat rather than abject surrender. It remains to be seen whether the white flag goes up at the Riverside tomorrow and "normal service" is resumed or whether they have finally got the message.

To the sensitive souls in the City changing room - sorry guys but the truth hurts. If you don't like it, then do something about it one way or another!