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This is a mental time to be a City fan. Do you ever wish you were back in the days of Lee Bradbury and Shaun Goater?
No. I'm absolutely loving it, and if you ask 99.9% of City fans they would say the same. I'm sick of supporting loveable, affable City - f*** that, we want the best players in the world, playing the best football in the world in the best stadium in the world, owned by the richest people in the world.
There's a funny English attitude where almost overnight, attitudes change. I've lived in London for 15 years and every time I got in a black cab they've said, "Oh you're a City fan, we love City," and now they all think we're arrogant with ideas above our station. It's a funny English attitude towards success and money.
I'm just happy that the owners have followed through. They said they would spend money and they have done. And this is clearly not a one-season thing - you don't get players like that to sign unless you promise them more to come next season and the season after that.
Is there no part of you worried about paying someone £200,000 a week?
If the club was a PLC and it was my money being spent on wages then yes, I'd be mighty p***ed off. But it's not my money, it's not your money, and what right has anyone to tell anyone what to spend their money on? As City fans we're absolutely f***ing loving it.
What p***es me off though is that everything is now about the money. I read in the paper the other day that Emmanuel Adebayor is joining in a £65m deal. Well, he's not is he? But because it's City they've got to add up all the wages and make it look more obscene. Nobody ever discusses how much Ronaldo cost Manchester United like that.
What makes me smile is that on the day Carlos Tevez joined I was watching on Sky and some lad was saying that all his life City had been winning nothing and all his United-supporting mates had ripped the p*** out of him. He said it was the best day of his life when Tevez signed. Now that's f***ing priceless.
So which signing has excited you the most?
Well, I was actually staggered after Shay Given signed because I thought he was the best goalkeeper in the Premier League. Then it was Gareth Barry and I thought that was a masterstroke because he's that rarest of things - a left-sided defensive midfielder.
I suppose Tevez is the one though because you know you'll get 100% out of him for 90 minutes, like Kevin Keegan or someone like that. I don't care what we pay him if he puts in the effort.
But whoever we sign, they won't come close to Stephen Ireland for me. I think he's f***ing brilliant.
So would you want John Terry?
No. I don't like John Terry and I never have. He's got funny eyes and he's a cry baby. He's also a Cockney and he'd absolutely be coming just for the money.
And I hope the Adebayor deal falls through. I have always had a great dislike for Adebayor. I don't like all that silly dancing by the corner flag - I prefer a swift handshake and back to the game. We've got Roque Santa Cruz who can do a job in the same position.
No, I don't want Terry, I'd rather have Joleon Lescott. I think it's important to buy someone experienced in the Premier League at centre-half. You don't want to be messing around with a couple of Italians there. We've been linked with Matty Upson as well and I'd take either of those two, or preferably both.
Listen to me saying I'd take Lescott or Upson - 18 months ago the only thing I was hoping for was a decent kit.
What can you achieve this season?
I think with no European commitments we can go all out in the Premier League. I don't think we can challenge for the title but I expect us to finish between fourth and sixth. I think if Mark Hughes can't pull this off, then he's only got himself to blame.
Do you think he's the man to take City forward?
Who knows? I can't help thinking that they're building a squad to go to someone else and offer them the job. And when that happens I think they should go straight to Jose Mourinho, and then to Guus Hiddink if Jose doesn't want the job.
The best thing is that the two most exciting clubs in world football at the moment are Man City and Real Madrid - everybody is watching to see what we're going to do next. That's absolutely f***ing brilliant.
There's a load of sh**e written about how clubs like ours survive when the money runs out or whatever, but what does it matter? I've supported the club since I was four years old and I'll still be supporting them if they're in the Conference. I say just enjoy it while it lasts and have a ball.
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Sarah Winterburn
