Where Did It All Go Wrong for Micah Richards at Manchester City?

Since Manchester City’s takeover led by Sheikh Mansour in 2008, the club has been revolutionised in every way. Their progression has been remarkable: from perennial underachievers to one of the most dominant sides in English football and regular participants in the Champions League. Off-field operations are slick, revenue is higher than ever before and the infrastructure, underpinned by the new £200 million academy and first-team training centre, is now world class.

There have been very few negatives during that period, but one which sticks out in the mind of the club’s supporters is the demise of Micah Richards, a player heralded, at one stage, as a world star, but one whose City career was ultimately ended by injuries.

He’s a firm favourite, both with the fans and the club. He made his debut aged 17, captained the club’s young side to the 2006 FA Youth Cup, scored a last-gasp equaliser in a cup game at Aston villa before famously swearing on TV, became the youngest England defender to represent his country and was central to the FA Cup and Premier League wins which ended years of trophyless hurt.

The landing and corridor area leading to the press lounge at the club’s stadium remains a shrine to Richards, with giant pictures of all his major achievements lined up proudly for visitors to admire. It’s a clear sign he’s a player held in the very highest regard by those at the top of the day-to-day running of the club.

City’s academy produced a string of players who went on to play for the first team prior to the takeover, but as soon as investment into the senior squad was accelerated by Mansour, the jump in quality between the two levels increased massively.

It made it difficult for youngsters to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Nedum Onuoha, Stephen Ireland and Shaun Wright-Phillips, and even those who had come through the ranks after Mansour’s arrival were struggling to keep pace with the rate of change. Homegrown players were being phased out in favour of big-money recruits ready to make an assault on silverware.

The only one to make the grade at the new-look City was Richards.

And it wasn’t just tokenism, either. Richards was one of City’s best players under Roberto Mancini, a marauding right-back with increased defensive nous. The lapses of concentration were gone and Richards’ physicality was harnessed impressively. His performance in the seismic 6-1 victory at Old Trafford was the pinnacle, but it was far from an anomaly—he was a huge part of the club’s first league title win in 44 years.

However, a nasty knee injury early the following campaign signalled a decline; a downward spiral he was unable to reverse. Mancini’s dismissal at the end of that season didn’t help; his mentor was gone and he faced a fresh assessment from a manager who appeared to know very little about his past.

In came Manuel Pellegrini who, in truth, never seemed impressed. Richards’ form was poor, but given his injury record that seemed fair enough. He continually broke down when seemingly on the road to recovery, never once gaining momentum or finding any rhythm.

Three performances stand out from last season and all three were shocking in terms of how poor Richards looked. Sunderland away, where he looked completely lost, a short stint against Bayern Munich in the Allianz, where he was given the runaround by Franck Ribery and Wigan at home in the FA Cup where he was substituted ignominiously at half-time, were the final nails in his City coffin. Everyone knew when he was mercilessly replaced again in what proved to be a humiliating defeat to a Championship side that he would be at a new club next season.

With just a year left on his City deal, he was loaned to Fiorentina, with the chances of a renewal at the Etihad after his loan spell slim to none. But how has he fared?

He has failed to establish himself in the first team in Florence, making just five league appearances—only two of them starts, the last one coming in early November away at Sampdoria. A few starts in the Europa League have seen his involvement in the starting XI increase somewhat, but he will be disappointed with his level of involvement. One assist for a player with his ability going forward tells its own story.

There was even talk of another move in January, according to Chris Wheeler writing in the Mail, this time to Inter Milan where the 26-year-old would once again link up with Mancini, but it failed to materialise. It’s a deal which may be resurrected at a later date and it makes a degree of sense. Richards played by far the best football of his career under the Italian and was one of the few City players who appeared to still like him after he was sacked.

Mancini appeared to micro-manage Richards, constantly feeding him information on the touchline in his own inimitable and animated way during a game. Pellegrini’s more distant style appeared less suited to Richards’ needs. A reunion with his former boss could be just what he needs to revive his failing career.

It’s one of the sadder stories from City’s recent history, but Richards was ultimately ushered out of the exit door and he won’t be returning. He was a player who embodies everything great about the club and is liked more than any other recent player. Injuries were his downfall and every City fan hopes he can resurrect his career wherever he signs his next permanent deal.

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2014-15 season. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter: @RobPollard.