Football FanCast columnist David Mooney looks at the latest rumblings at his beloved Manchester City and wonders why any fan wouldn't welcome the signing of Ronaldinho.

Manchester City seems likely to play their first UEFA Cup game of the 2008/09 season at Oakwell, home of Barnsley FC. Not because they'll be playing Barnsley, but because Bon Jovi are playing the City of Manchester Stadium.

This is coming from the club that sacked its manager for achieving what was required of him and got into the UEFA cup by being the fifth fairest team in the league. Add to that the 8-1 defeat to Middlesbrough on the final day of the season and suddenly the phrase ‘Typical City' doesn't appear to do the club justice.

‘Typical City' over the years has been little things. Like winning games that should have been lost, losing games that were seemingly in the bag, statements like "Michael Frontzeck will be the answer to all out left-back troubles," and having no hot water at half time because the big kettles hadn't boiled - as if half time had come by surprise.

I expected small instances of this throughout last season - the likes of being knocked out of the FA Cup because of a balloon and beating the champions twice, but dropping points to Derby, Birmingham, Reading and Fulham. But then the end of the season arrives and it's a double whammy of it (I've not yet decided what the noun should be for ‘typical City'). Win more games than were lost, secure a highest ever points total in the Premier League, but get rid of the manager.

Now there's an ex-United player in charge. It's a situation I have no problems with, but it seems a lot of my friends can't see past this old connection - he said it himself, he did play for other clubs too.

We've also been linked with Jo and Ronaldinho, and, if certain sections of the press are to be believed, we're so close to signing them it's unreal. Let's just take a moment to comprehend that.

Ronaldinho at City. Ronaldinho. The best player in the world. At my club. I'll be honest, there's very little stopping me from jumping up from my chair and running around like a giddy little schoolboy, tanked up on Coca-Cola, blue Smarties and E-numbers.

A lot of people have been telling me that he's "past it". But I really can't see the evidence for that. He was "past it" when he left PSG, apparently only being able to perform against the big teams. But then in his first season with Barcelona, the team finished second in La Liga and won it the season after.

Last season, he played 17 league games and scored eight goals. That's in a season where he had a few niggling injuries and, as many people suspect, a falling out with the manager. With some of the dross we've seen at City over the years, I can't understand anyone who would turn his transfer down - he keeps making the cover of Fifa games, so he must be doing something right. Or have a good PR-man, at least.

The club's badge has the words ‘Superbia in Proelio', which I'm led to believe is Latin for the words that are lined over the players' tunnel - Pride in Battle. But for a club who are on the verge of two massive signings and got rid of their manager after their best ever Premier League finish, perhaps that should be ‘Typicalis Citium' instead.

Grp B Austria vs. Poland. 19:45