One of the main reasons Manchester City have hit the ground running this season is Mark Hughes' transfer strategy over the summer. Instead of attempting to sign above-average players from around Europe and the world, he has instead opted to sign proven, successful Premiership players. With Kaka rejecting the club in January and Samuel Eto'o doing likewise over the summer, Hughes has realised that he is not going to be able to acquire a collection of world-beaters just yet. He first has to prove that Manchester City can compete for trophies.
In order to improve on their mediocre performances of last season, Hughes correctly decided that he should purchase players who understand the English game - players who have been successful and will not take time to adapt to the pace and power of the Premiership.
As such, in came Adebayor. As we've seen during his time at Arsenal, he's capable of being pure genius, but when his mood takes a swing, so do his performances. Since signing for City, he has been hungry to prove his doubters wrong, and has consequently gone on to score in every game he's played thus far. How long this will last is uncertain. We've already witnessed his nasty side in the match against his old club Arsenal. While it is a risky buy, if Hughes can keep Adebayor motivated, he will go on to score a hatful of goals. Tevez and Santa Cruz have also proven themselves in this league, and their acquisition has led to a strikeforce that will be feared by every defence in the league. Not just that, with Adebayor, Tevez, Santa Cruz, Robinho and Bellamy, Man City have the options available to suit a variety of tactics.
The centre of defence was a position City desperately needed to attend to. After a cheeky bid for John Terry failed - which would have been a major coup symbolically as well - Hughes went on to sign Toure and Lescott. Both these players have been a success in the league for a few years now.
Gareth Barry was also brought in in midfield from under the noses of Liverpool. A leader, an English international and a top-class player - in all ways a fantastic buy.
Whether intentional or not, Man City have actually weakened their rivals in the process. Two first team players from Arsenal, one from Manchester United, one from Everton and one from Aston Villa. These are all teams who have qualified for Europe and teams which City will have to overcome if they wish to qualify for Europe this season. In my opinion, this is a brilliant strategy - in the process of strengthening their squad, they have also weakened the squads of their rivals.
Realistically, it will be very difficult for Man City to become champions this season. While their squad has been strengthened tremendously, it is going to take time to displace the other top teams who have just as much quality in their squads. They should make it to the Europa League, and with a little luck, maybe even the Champions League. Let's see how they progress over the course of the season.
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