Eurosport Roundtable: Was Fabian Delph right or wrong to join Manchester City?

Just days after declaring his loyalty for Aston Villa, the 25-year snuck into Manchester to complete an £8 million deal at City.

But was it the correct decision?

We asked our team of writers for their verdicts…

WRONG: If you decide to leave Aston Villa for more money and more chance of silverware, that’s fine. Few would genuinely hold that against you. But if you publicly profess your loyalty to Villa and make PR capital from it, that decision has to stand for... well, let’s say six months. You can’t change your mind six days later. Delph is opening himself up to a world of abuse, vitriol and hatred from the fans who adored him. Yes, football’s a business, and yes it’s hard to turn down that extra cash – but really, why do that to yourself? Why ensure the most acrimonious exit possible from one club, only to be greeted with shrugs at the next? City fans are hardly breaking out the flags and bunting to welcome him to the Eithad – they find it hard to imagine any midfield with Fabian Delph as its heartbeat winning the league, and frankly they’re right.

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RIGHT: There’s no disguising that the nature of Delph’s u-turn is fairly grotesque, coming so soon after he pledged his future to Villa in such emotive terms, but the logic is completely sound. Manchester City offer a chance to win trophies and earn lots more money – in short the kind of career advancement which any player would be foolish to turn down. Delph may well be wary of the list of English talents who have failed at City – Rodwell, Sinclair etc – but this is not a comparable case. City have a need for a midfielder of Delph’s drive and quality and he should get a place in the starting XI without too much trouble. It’s the right decision, even if he came to it rather appallingly.

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When he first snubbed City to stay at Villa, I thought great, good for him. Here's a guy with his head screwed on; a guy who wants to play, not be a player; a guy who knows that he's already earning enough to set himself up for life even without a massive payrise; and a guy who knows that if he carries on his impressive trajectory, bigger money offers will follow further down the line – particularly if, as seemed likely, his good play at Villa could have made him a key man for England at Euro 2016 next summer.

Then I started thinking about it, and realised what a crock of **** all that stuff is.

You might be able to ignore a huge pay rise OR a superb chance to win medals OR a chance to prove yourself better than anyone believes, by playing your way into one of the strongest first XIs in Europe. But if you ignore all three? Well, that'd be just dim, and utterly lacking in ambition. When opportunity comes knocking, you open the door – if not you'll spend the rest of your life wondering why you didn't. And if it all goes horribly wrong? No doubt he'll still be regarded highly enough to be able to move back to Villa Park (or some other mid-table club) in three or four years' time.

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RIGHT - A man should always have the right to change his mind. It may not sound very clever dedicating your loyalty to one club then deciding the grass is greener elsewhere a week later, but you can't blame Fabian Delph for coming to the right decision. He will earn more money at Manchester City, and represent a club that has the prospect of challenging for trophies here and on the continent. All those berating his stance, should ask themselves them what they would do? And if you say staying at Villa is more sensible, you are not being truthful. Relegation fights have become the norm at Villa while an American owner tries to find a new buyer for the club. Who would find that appealing? Whether he will discover a regular game is another point, but he simply must find out for himself. Delph's move to City is nothing personal, just business as they say. And if Delph is going to have the prospect of wringing the maximum of out what is a short-lived career, in terms of financial and personal gain, he simply must move to City. 

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RIGHT - Delph made a ridiculous decision … last week. Why on earth did he turn City down in the first place? City can offer the chance to play in the Champions League and a genuine opportunity to compete for silverware regularly. Plus, one would assume, a better wage. From a playing point of view, City have an aging midfield, who were, all too often last season, overrun. Fernando and Fernandinho may very well be bigger ‘names’ but are they better equipped for the rigours of Premier League football? On last season’s showing, arguably not. Therefore it would not be a huge surprise if he managed to nail down a starting spot for City next season. More trophies, more money, playing time – this is a no-brainer.

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RIGHT - He made a mistake, swept up in the false world of football loyalty. Now he’s rectified it. Simple. Villa fans have every right to feel aggrieved at the u-turn, but you can’t begrudge him the move. It’s a decision borne out of ambition, not financial reward. City have an aging midfield and he actually has a chance to play, unlike failed recruits Jack Rodwell and Scott Sinclair. Tim Sherwood’s flimsy tactics will be exposed next season – the FA Cup final a trailer for the upcoming campaign. Delph’s career risks stagnation at Villa Park and that’s not what he needs aged 25. His arrival probably won’t be enough to fire City to trophies, but at least he’ll get the chance to play in a leading midfield. It’s now up to him to prove his final hunch was right.