For some City fans it has been surprising that Mancini has ignored the possibility of buying a world class right back. Rumours of Maicon have floated around for years with no action and whilst Zabaleta is perfectly competent he is far from being one of the best in the world. Richards has been progressing quietly since he broke in to the first team at City but until this season he has not even deserved an England call up. He still hasn’t got one but that doesn’t mean he won’t if his form continues. Richards has added a defensive consistency and discipline to his game this year that has propelled him to being a force to be reckoned with.
