You need a very strong spine to the team.
Out of everybody there I'd say only Ireland would stay in a title contending team.
Dunne was never top draw, Richards makes too many mistakes (but makes up for them with his pace going back to mop up these mistakes) but ultimatley can be got at.
Kompany looks a good buy but for a top draw defensive midfielder (a title challenging one) he needs to have a work-rate ten fold of that he currently has, and a bit better ball distribution.
As I've said Ireland would probaly stay, he's ever improving but is he of the standard of Gerrard, Fabregas, Ronaldo, or fat Frank? No he's not even half as good being honest.
Up front you need a strong man who can finish, the Mancs (not you lot) have Berbatov, we have Torres (criminally under-rated in his hold up play), Chelsea have Drogba.
You also need a top class manager, Mark Hughes isn't it. He's a good man-manager but his tactical set ups are too traditionalist to challenge from match to match. I can't see Hughes "outthinking" many, success will come in spite of his rigid tactical set-up and not because of it.
Ultimatley you're in a good position to build but unlike Chelsea the foundations aren't in place. Having a good academy that produces top talent does not equate to having a wolrd class squad (as Arsenal show) as good as Richards, Sturridge, Johnson, etc. are I don't reckon they're top draw and will ultimatley need replacing.
You need to spend alot of money on top-class talent. The hard part will be convincing the big names to come to Man City. The danger is you buy whoever is on the market for big money and they turn out to be flops - I reckon Podolski could easily turn out to be one fo these "danger buys" should you get him, as Jo looks to have been as well.
Whoever says money doesn't buy success is wrong, it does. But with relying on a rich foreigner you're leaving yourselves very exposed should he walk away - as the arse twitching when Shinawatra was convincted shows.
It's not going to happen by the end of this season though, ro next season. Give it 5 years and you'll be a certainty in the Champions League spots should the investment continue.
As a Liverpool fan am I worried about Man City overtaking us?
No, by the time Man City could come close to achieving what we have then all of the oil in the world would have run out anyway and we'll be driving hydrogen powered cars.
Getting your spine in order is step one.
Look at Villa - Friedel, Davies, Laursen, Barry, Reo-Coker, Agbonlahor, Carew.
The spine gives you a platform to build, that's why Villa are challenging Arsenal for 4th.
If you want to go on and challenge the league you have to get the periphery sorted - like us bringing in Riera, Babel, players who become important but aren't the primary concern. The difference between us and Villa is that our periphery is excellent (Aurelio, Arbeloa, Babel, Riera, Kuyt) whereas they onyl really have Ashley Young.
To win the league you have to have a great squad, players who can come in when injuries strike and fill in just as well. This is still the part where Chelsea and the Mancs (not you lot) are still ahead of us, they can spend 10 million on the likes of Nani and never play him, Chelsea 11 million on Ivanovich, whereas we have Benayoun.
After all that you're relying on your manager to keep these players happy and use them in the best way.
So for you to be successful first you have to get a very good spine, then sort out the periphery, then have excellent squad players and finally make sure the right man is in charge.
At the minute you're nowhere near even step one, you;re still looking up at Hull City.
