Adam Crafton reports in Europe for the Daily Mail, having previously served as the Manchester football reporter for the same outlet. He has been nominated for the Young Sports Writer of the Year award for two years running.
Adam has produced a series of great pieces when it comes to Manchester City, including two absolutely excellent interviews with Rony Lopes and City no.9 Alvaro Negredo.
Josh Lawless asked Adam for his insight on his route into the journalism industry and some of his experiences so far, gives his take on what has gone wrong at City this campaign and how they must address the problems this summer. He also tells us a bit about Marcos Lopes’ desire and drive to make it at City, the prospects in the youth set up he has been most impressed by and much more.
You seem to have started your journalism career quite early. What was your route into the industry and how did you get into your current position?
I went into the Daily Mail for a week on work experience when I was 17, around four years ago now. I was lucky that people were very kind to me and more opportunities came. I did lots more work experience and it all went from there. I then had the chance to work in Manchester mostly for the website and that went well too and now I contribute from abroad. I’ve been abroad since August – in Barcelona until Christmas and Paris until the end of this month.
Is it true that you have been studying languages alongside your journalism work? If so, how has this helped you in the job and would you recommend others follow suit?
Yeah, that’s right. I study French and Spanish at uni – I’m in the third year of a four year course at Cambridge. You spend the third year abroad. It is a hard balance – journalism is addictive and I find myself constantly looking for my next fix. I’ve probably missed out on certain things at uni and holidays’ with friends etc but I felt they were sacrifices worth making.
With regards to what people should study, I know there are lots of sports journalism courses being offered now – some for as long as three years -and I am wary of knocking something I’ve not done. For me, though, it seems better to acquire different skills – languages, a history or English degree, even economics, where you can acquire analytical skills and you read more widely. Ultimately, though, I feel you learn journalism on the job, learning from mistakes, watching more experienced colleagues. I’ve learned a huge amount from brilliant colleagues like Ian Ladyman and Matt Lawton at the Mail – and I’ve been lucky they’ve supported me.
With regards to languages, there are many outstanding journalists that do not speak other languages but I think it helps massively and I know players appreciate it. From my experience, it allows you a more instant rapport, they tend to feel more comfortable and their representatives are more inclined to meet you if you approach them in their language.
What has been your best moment as a journalist so far?
I interviewed Eric Abidal last month in Barcelona. You are sat opposite this guy that is still so physically imposing and who has achieved so much and it is difficult to imagine him as weak and vulnerable as he was when he suffered so terribly with cancer. His story is inspiring and he is, genuinely, one of the most lovely guys you could wish to meet.
Other than that, spending two days at Bojan Krkic’s home in Barcelona during his recuperation from injury was fascinating and playing central midfield with Paul Scholes during a charity match wasn’t bad. He stopped passing to me after five minutes.
Moving on, you were previously the Manchester Football Reporter for the Mail, which of course entails reporting on Manchester City. The Blues failed to retain their title this season, what do you think is the main reason for that?
I think it’s quite straightforward. They have not signed enough top quality players since winning the title in 2012. I look at Rodwell, Sinclair, Garcia, Maicon, Sagna, Fernando, Navas, Jovetic etc and the recruitment has been below-par.
At City, they will tell you FFP has prevented them competing for those top drawer players and there is an element of truth in that – yet FFP didn’t compel City to buy those players above or spend so much on Mangala (although I do think he might come good eventually).
The harsh truth, though, is that City’s best players are still the spine that won the league in 2012 – Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany (when fit), Toure, Silva and Aguero.
There have been a few names linked with the managerial job at City. Do you think Pellegrini will be in charge next season?
The form in the last few weeks has calmed the waters a little and I’d be surprised now if City make a change. If they were to, Ronald Koeman is somebody Txiki Begiristain likes a lot and they are old friends from Barcelona. Ancelotti would be excellent, too, but it looks like Pellegrini for one more year before they throw the kitchen sink at Pep.
In addition there is now the news that FFP regulations have been relaxed and that points to City being able to have more of a spree in the transfer market. What sort of business do you think they will conduct and who will they target?
This is long overdue. What a scandal those FFP regulations were. Any rules that legitimise the debt-burdening ownership model purported by the Glazers yet punish the benevolent regime at City cannot be right.
I’m not sure to what extent it will liberate City for this summer but they seem determined to spend. I think major reconstruction is required. I’d offload players like Boyata, Kolarov, Fernando, Nasri and Jovetic. Sagna, Clichy and Dzeko couldn’t have too many complaints either but you can’t do it all in one summer. I think over the next 18 months they need world class recruits at centre-back, left-back, central midfield, a winger and a forward to truly compete in the Champions League. I think they will push for Pogba but the Spanish clubs might edge them out while Sterling would be a good signing. De Bruyne would worry me though – Mourinho doesn’t get too much wrong and he quickly cast him adrift.
We’ve also seen you conduct a fair few excellent interviews with names with ties to City. Álvaro Negredo revealed to you how he felt Pellegrini lost faith in him, culminating in his move away. Was this the wrong call, having seen how much City relied on Sergio Aguero throughout the season?
Negredo’s an interesting one. If you’ve read the interview, you will see his views – he says Pellegrini lost faith in him after he suffered a shoulder injury, he then felt frozen out towards the end of the season, he then found out he wouldn’t be in the CL squad this season and he felt he had to go. City insist privately that Negredo was desperate to leave, that he endured personal problems & they were taken aback by his interview. He denied any personal issues when I asked him. So you can make your own minds up!
Clearly, though, City did miss him. Aguero and Jovetic are always vulnerable to injury and Milner ended up playing up front. I think the signing of Bony was an admission City left themselves short last summer.
What do you make of Wilfried Bony‘s time at City thus far?
Not great, really, so far but it’s always difficult in January and he was away at the African Cup of Nations. He’s a talented player and it reminds me of the sort of signing Sir Alex Ferguson used to make at United – cherry-picking proven Premier League forwards. Think Dwight Yorke, Andy Cole and Louis Saha, for example. Ultimately, though, in the big games, City should be playing an extra man in midfield (will Pellegrini finally get this?) so he’s going to be playing second fiddle to Aguero you would think.
As well as that Negredo piece, you had a very neat interview with Marcos Lopes in the Mail. Many City fans are backing this lad to break into the first team. How much does he want that spot?
I went to see Rony at Lille and I really liked him. He’s got a determination about him that sets him apart. He’s totally in love with football – he told me stories of playing street football in Hale Barns with his brothers (normally it’s lawyers and doctors cycling on the pavements in lycra, he added). City beat Barcelona to his signing which says everything you need to know about his talent. I feel he deserves to be in the first-team set-up next year and I know he believes he’s up to it too. He certainly won’t go back to play in the EDS, he wants to play competitive football and you can understand that. Another loan isn’t impossible but City also need to sort his contract, which expires next summer. Ideally, he’d like to stay at City and be in the first-team squad.
Jason Denayer has also had an exceptional season on loan at Celtic, helping them to the double and scooping the SPL Young Player of the Year Award. Are City fans right to be excited about this lad?
Well, with all due respect, it’s the Scottish league so it’s hard to tell. Mostly because I don’t watch very much of it (does anyone outside of Scotland watch it anymore?). I know he got a taste of Europe but for me, he’d have been better off at a top 6 Championship club. He’s good on the ball, tough in the tackle and very highly rated in Belgium. But we need to see him play!
The season hasn’t been too shabby for City at youth level. Patrick Vieira‘s men claimed the inaugural Premier League International Cup and reached the UEFA Youth League quarter finals. While Jason Wilcox‘s U18’s went on a wonderful FA Youth Cup run before losing out to Chelsea in the final. What do you make of the progress made?
You can’t knock the rhetoric and you can’t knock the facilities. But the jury will always be out until players come through. I was baffled that Pellegrini didn’t give any opportunities to young players in the final weeks of the season. I spent a week in Croatia last summer with Vieira, Wilcox and Mark Allen and they all talk with passion and intelligence on the academy but there seems to be an issue at the top of the food chain. I know Vieira feels the gap between the U21 league & the PL is too wide but we are not going to get ‘B’ teams so City simply have to make it work as it is. I hope (and believe) they will get it right.
They genuinely want to produce players but the challenge is how you marry that desire with the obligation to please the instant gratification generation – who want trophies now, now, now.
Having seen a fair bit of them in action, which talents in the academy have impressed you the most and who do you tip to make the grade?
Manu Garcia, a young Spaniard, is outstanding. I think he’s 17. He’s really special, pint-sized, technically excellent, humble, good family, speaks great English. He’s from the same part of Spain as Juan Mata and Santi Cazorla (he had the same youth coach as Santi) and he could go far. Brandon Barker seems a fine talent, too, from what people tell me, as does the full-back Angelino, although he should have seen some first-team game time already.
We thank Adam for taking the time out to answer these questions and provide such great insight. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamCrafton_.
