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Roberto Mancini’s backline would be a vital part of Manchester City’s quest to become Premier League Champions and each member of the defence would have some input on helping them win the title
The defenders:
Wayne Bridge
Wayne Bridge’s contribution to the 2011/12 season was limited in Sky Blue. Bridge would only make one appearance that season in the Carling Cup against Birmingham City.
The England international left-back signed for a fee of £11.7 million in January of 2009 and made 22 appearances in his first season and 28 the following season. However, the arrival of Mancini signalled the left-back’s days were numbered in Manchester.
Consigned to a periphery squad role, Bridge undertook three loans spells over three years. He would add his experience at West Ham United, Sunderland and Brighton & Hove Albion, before signing permanently at Reading, from where he retired at the end of the 2013/14 season.
Aleksandar Kolarov
One of the best strikers of the ball seen at the Etihad, the no-nonsense Serb possessed a thunder-cracker of a left-foot, which saw him score 21 goals and make 37 assists in Sky Blue.
Signed for £21.47 million in July 2010, Kolarov made his debut against Tottenham Hotspur on the 14th August 2010. Kolarov scored his first goal in an exhilarating FA Cup tie against Leicester City.
Kolarov was a key member of the team which delivered City the 2011 FA Cup, making an appearance in every round.
Four goals in 27 appearances were to follow for Kolarov’s second season at the club, as City clinched their first league title for 44 years. However, a starting spot in the first team became difficult, as Gaël Clichy was signed from Arsenal to increase competition at left-back.
⏪ #OnThisDay in 2010, Aleksandar Kolarov signed for #ManCity!
? 247 Appearances
⚽️ 21 Goals
?️ 37 Assists
? 93 Clean Sheets? 2 Premier League
? 2 League Cup
? 2 FA Cup
? 1 Community Shield#MCFC | @ManCity pic.twitter.com/jP2lwFTrqt— WeAreManCity (@WeAreMCFC) July 24, 2020
After seven esteemed years in the North West, Kolarov would move on to Roma for a fee of £4.5 million in 2017.
Kolarov went on to finish his City career with 247 appearances, 27 goals and 37 assists. In that time, he achieved two Premier League titles, one FA Cup, two League Cups and one Community Shield.
The Serbian international joined Inter Milan in 2020 for a fee of £1.35 million, where he currently resides.
Gaël Clichy
Signings from Arsenal started to become a habit in the early 2010s for Manchester City, and Gaël Clichy was yet another player to move from North London to the North West of England.
Brought in for £6.98 million by Mancini, the French international had to compete with Aleksandar Kolarov for the left-back position, where it was hoped Clichy might bring added athleticism to the backline.
Clichy first appeared on City’s pre-season tour before making his debut in the 2011 Community Shield Manchester Derby, which City lost 3-2, despite leading at half-time.
Throughout the season, the left-back berth was up for grabs before Clichy nailed down his spot as the first choice, entrusted with the last seven-game title run-in. Clichy played all 90 minutes of the dramatic title decider against QPR, where he achieved his second Premier League winners’ medal.
Clichy finished his City Career with 203 appearances, three goals and 14 assists. Leaving in 2017, he joined Istanbul Basaksehir FK on a free transfer.
The energetic full-back now plays his football in Switzerland with Servette FC.
Micah Richards
Part of City’s fruitful academy nurtured by the influential coach Jim Cassell, Richards made his way into the City first-team squad in 2005. His first goal was scored away to Aston Villa in the FA Cup, which salvaged the tie in the dying seconds of the game, sending the City support into bedlam.
Richards established himself as a vital part of the team, whether at right-back or centrally in the 2006/07 season. Becoming England’s youngest defender, he had his primary involvement in England’s first team in 2006.
The Leeds born defender was a regular up until the 2010/11 season, with Pablo Zabaleta also competing for the role after arriving in 2008.
Richards would be vital in the FA Cup run of 2011, setting up Edin Dzeko’s crucial equalizer away at Notts County, forcing a replay and then scoring the final goal in a 5-0 victory.
? #OnThisDay in 2015, @MicahRichards left #ManCity.
? 245 Appearances
? 10 Seasons
⚽️ 10 Goals
?️ 14 Assists
? 83 Clean Sheets? Premier League [x2]
? League Cup [x1]
? FA Cup [x1]
? #PL Player of the Month [x1]#MCFC | @ManCity pic.twitter.com/TKIsk5Ntm2— City Xtra (@City_Xtra) June 30, 2020
Scoring the winner in the sixth round at home to Reading, he then missed out on the semi-final, but Richards still appeared with the players to do the Poznan with the City fans.
City’s then longest-serving player played the full 90 minutes in the final, in which they of course won 1-0. No one would know how much it meant to the club more than Micah.
Richards played in 29 games in the following title-winning season; his breathtaking and powerful overlapping runs led to him having the most assists out of any defender in the league.
However, a troublesome season was to follow, with Richards only making seven league appearances. Injuries started to take their toll, with ankle and knee issues limiting the defender’s involvement.
Richards made only two more league appearances in the 2013/14 season as his City career started to come to an end. A loan spell at Fiorentina followed from 2014 to 2015 before signing for Aston Villa in the summer of 2015.
Sadly, Richards retired in 2019 after more knee problems held him back the previous season. Too much high-level football too soon was a major factor in his early retirement as his body had been put under too much continuous strain.
Richards is now a revolutionary pundit on Sky Sports, bringing his infectious charisma to the studio.
Pablo Zabaleta
An Argentinian full of passion, grit and bravery, Zabaleta literally bled for the cause.
Signed in 2008, a day before the takeover by Sheik Mansour, costing £7.83 million, Zabaleta would make 42 appearances in his first season. He scored his first goal in a 1-0 win against Wigan Atheltic in 2009.
Zabaleta was a first-team regular for City but only averaged fewer than 20 appearances in his final seasons. He was a late substitute in the FA Cup final win, with Richards the preferred right-back in Cup games.
The Argentinian international scored the very much forgotten goal in the penultimate game of the 2011/12 season, a rasping shot which Paddy Kenny could not keep out.
? @pablo_zabaleta for #ManCity:
? 333 Appearances
⚽️ 11 Goals
?️ 28 Assists? 2 Premier Leagues
? 2 League Cups
? 1 FA Cup
? 1 Community Shield? 1 PFA TOTY
Bleeds City Blue! ?
— City Chief (@City_Chief) October 16, 2020
During the following season, Zabaleta was named in the PFA Team of the Year after solidifying his claim to be first choice right-back.
A key part of the 2014 title-winning team, Zabaleta played in 35 games and completed the personal English domestic quadruple, having won all trophies available on English shores.
He played up until 2017, making 333 appearances and being awarded an all-time season ticket for City. A true warrior and a cult hero, Zabaleta will always be treasured by the City faithful.
Zabaleta joined West Ham United on a free transfer in 2017, from where he retired in 2020.
Karim Rekik
Signed from Feyenoord’s academy in 2011, Rekik arrived with much promise. However, his two appearances of 2011/12 were both in the League Cup and off the bench.
Rekik made only one more appearance for City in a 1-0 home win against Reading in the 2012/13 season.
He undertook three loans spells with Portsmouth, Blackburn Rovers and PSV Eindhoven before joining Olympique Marseille for £4.5 million in 2013. Forty-eight appearances for Les Phocéens followed before moving to Hertha Berlin in 2015, where he made 75 appearances.
He now plays his football with Sevilla, who he joined in 2020.
Stefan Savić
The talented central defender arrived at City, with much expectation after showing promise for FK Partizan in Serbia. It was hoped Savić would provide a reassuring backup option for Vincent Kompany and Joleon Lescot.
Savić was recruited for a sizable £10.8 million, but the Montenegro international did not set the Etihad Stadium alight.
His debut came against Swansea City, playing in the last 16 minutes. Savić scored his first goal for the club in a 4-0 thrashing of Blackburn Rovers, heading Samir Nasri’s corner past Paul Robinson.
A regular on the bench for City, he made 20 appearances in all competitions, sometimes filling in at right-back when needed.
However, Savić’s spell at City would be limited to one more appearance, coming in the Community Shield win against Chelsea at the start of the 2012/13 season.
City’s interest in Serbian defender Matija Nastasić had become serious and Savić was included as part of the deal seeing Nastasić move to the Etihad. Savić swapped Manchester for Florence on a free transfer, while Nastasić cost Manchester City £13.68 million.
Savić had a successful period in Italy before attracting the interest of Athlético Madrid after 108 appearances for Fiorentina.
The Montenegrin has become one of Europe most reliable defenders much to the surprise of the City faithful.
Nedum Onuoha
Another player to be nurtured by Jim Cassell, Onuoha joined City in 1996 before making his way into the first team in the 2003/04 season. Onuoha would become a regular from 2004 onwards, playing at both right-back and in the centre of the defence.
However, the takeover changed Onuoha’s fortunes at Manchester City. New signings in Joleon Lescott among others saw Onuoha pushed out of the first-team picture.
Onuoha made three appearances in the 2011/12 season: twice in the League Cup and one as a substitute against Wigan in the league.
In January 2012, Onuoha left the club permanently as Queens Park Rangers paid £4.23 million for the former England youth international.
He played in the QPR side that would face City in the final game of the season in which his boyhood club won the title. Onouha also helped Rangers retain their Premier League status that same day.
After leaving QPR in 2018, Onuoha had a spell in America with Real Salt Lake before retiring in January 2021. He has now debuted in the media showing eloquence and knowledge in his punditry.
Kolo Touré
“Kolo, Kolo Kolo, Kolo Kolo, Kolo Toure, Yaya, Yaya Yaya, Yaya Yaya, Yaya Toure…” Manchester City fans tribute to the Touré brothers.
Kolo Touré was the first of Touré brothers to arrive at Manchester City. Another player signed from Arsenal, he arrived for £16.83 million to bring league-winning experience to the City project.
Touré was immediately appointed captain by manager Mark Hughes and made 35 appearances that season. However, City were unsuccessful in their trophy hunt as well as missing out on a Champions League spot.
The arrival of Roberto Mancini saw Touré lose the captain’s armband to Carlos Tevez, but the Ivory Coast international remained in the first-team fold making 29 appearances, but missing out on the FA Cup Final Victory.
Touré’s game time started to become much more limited as Vincent Kompany and Joleon Lescott became the preferred pairing, but the former Arsenal defender still made 20 appearances that season.
After another season with the Citizens, Touré moved on to Liverpool on a free transfer in 2013. Touré spent three years on Merseyside before signing for Celtic in 2017, from where he retired.
Vincent Kompany
“Here’s to you, Vincent Kompany City loves you more than you will know, Woooaaaaooooh….” City fans chant for their inspirational leader.
Vincent Kompany embodied Manchester City fans’ passion and spirit, with his courageous leadership. Kompany was a colossal part of City’s and the takeover’s success.
Kompany was signed from Hamburg for just £7.65 million in 2008 as a domineering defensive midfielder. However, the Belgian emerged as the best man to partner Kolo Touré in defence and seemed a natural leader.
His first goal came in a 2-1 away defeat to Wigan Atheltic in September 2008 and he appeared in 45 games in the 2008/09 season.
Kompany went on to captain City in the FA Cup semi-final, which led to City’s victory in the 2011 competition.
Mancini appointed Kompany the club captain at the start of the 2011/12 season in which he helped guide City to the Premier League title. Kompany’s towering header in the fourth Manchester derby of the season was the turning point in the title race.
?| #OnThisDay in 2012, Vincent Kompany scored this ICONIC header against Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium!
⚽️ @VincentKompany (45+1')#ManCity #MCFC pic.twitter.com/QhLsKIeOiY
— City Chief (@City_Chief) April 29, 2020
A vital member of the squad and a motivational captain throughout his time in Manchester, Kompany won every trophy available domestically.
Despite injury problems, Kompany won four Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups and two community shields. With an impressive trophy collection, Kompany is recognised as one of City’s greatest ever players.
After 11 years at Manchester City, Kompany become player-manager of Anderlecht before retiring from football in 2020 to be the full-time manager.
Vincent Kompany’s Manchester City legacy will be perpetual.
Joleon Lescott
Lescott cost City £24.75 million from Everton as they looked to end their trophy drought. The England international made 24 appearances in his first season but did not deliver any trophies until the following season.
The Birmingham born defender featured in the 2011 FA Cup final alongside Kompany to win the first trophy of his career.
Lescott was a regular during the Premier League winning season, but he is remembered for his aerial misjudgment that allowed Djibril Cissé to level the scores for QPR on the final day of the season.
However, Lescott’s blushes were saved by Sergio Agüero and he was able to pick up his first Premier League winners’ medal.
Lescott partnered Vincent Kompany regularly, making over 20 appearances each season but the former Everton man was edged out of the first-team squad by the 2013/14 season.
He left to join West Bromwich Albion in 2014 before representing Aston Villa, AEK Athens and Sunderland, from where he retired in 2017.
Lescott now appears regularly in the media and has also signed for Real Murcia, but he has not been able to play due to covid restrictions.
Read Part One, looking at the goalkeepers of the 2011/12 team
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