PDA

View Full Version : Man City


Pages : [1] 2 3

screamer
19-08-2007, 11:00 PM
I remember few years ago...

In a paper from UK.. " There are only 2 good team in Manchester, MAN UTD and MAN UTD reserve team. " This was highlighted to me by Nic Leeson.. he is a die-hard Man City fans...

Today, after 3 start and 3 win out of 3. But one fear is ... Thaksin. Anytime he be in grave problem....

But, lets Cheer for the BLUE half in Manchester!!

Cum_Luver
19-08-2007, 11:12 PM
A very BIG win for Man City today against their city's rival - Man Utd.
Both your Central Halfs was splendid and outstanding.

GPLs
19-08-2007, 11:28 PM
Sven deepens problems for Fergie as he is undone by Geovanni


Sunday, August 19, 2007, 22:44:09 HRS


Sir Alex Ferguson's early season problems deepened after Geovanni's first half goal settled the Manchester derby in favour of Sven Goran Eriksson and left Ferguson's United without a win in their opening three league games.

The victory sent City to the head of the Premiership table with a maximum nine points from their opening three games as Eriksson's dream start at Eastlands continued.

Defeat at the hands of the former England coach will have been frustrating enough for Ferguson who enjoyed a fractious relationship with him during Eriksson's time in charge of the national team.

But more importantly, the United manager was left to contemplate a title defence that has brought just two points and one goal from three frustrating outings.

And with Wayne Rooney out for two months after breaking a foot in last week's opener, United's latest misfiring display will understandably give cause for concern.

United may have dominated possession but a combination of Geovanni's deadly finishing and Micah Richards outstanding defensive work meant this was a day for the blue half of Manchester.

With Rooney, Louis Saha and Ole Gunnar Solksjaer missing injured and Cristiano Ronaldo starting a three-match, Ferguson had little option but to ask Carlos Tevez to operate as a lone striker.

But with Nani, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes all quick to offer support to the Argentine, there initially seemed little doubt United would have more than enough firepower to overcome a stuttering City.

Twice in the opening half Tevez and Scholes exchanged quick passes to unpick the City defence and create an opening for Nani but on both occasions the winger was denied by City keeper Kasper Schmeichel.

The 20-year-old - a 17 million pounds capture from Sporting Lisbon this summer - was eventually withdrawn after 60 minutes after a display that confirmed it could be some time before he emulates the feats of compatriot Ronaldo.

With Owen Hargreaves bolstering the United midfield with an impressive Premiership debut performance, Ferguson's side completely dominated the opening period.

Were it not for a succession of outstanding blocks, tackles and clearances by Richards, United would have been well on their way to a first win of the season long before City finally sprang into life.

It took Eriksson's men fully 30 minutes to manage an effort on goal - a wayward, long range effort from Michael Johnson.

But it took just another 60 seconds to register a second attempt - this time from Geovanni - that fired the home side into an unlikely lead.

In a rare moment of fluent attacking play, Didi Hamann linked with Elano who picked out his fellow Brazilian Geovanni in space 30 yards out.

And having been given time to set his sights by a flat-footed United back-four, the former Barcelona man drilled an inch-perfect strike beyond Edwin van der Sar.

The goal prompted a predictable response from United who, after a brief spell of control by City, laid siege to the home side's goal for the whole of the second period without properly testing Schmeichel.

Nemanja Vidic sent a bullet header crashing against the bar three minutes after the interval and Tevez somehow flashed the ball wide from Ryan Giggs' low cross.

And it was Tevez who wasted United's last clear-cut chance when he headed wide from just three yards deep into added time.

R-K-O
19-08-2007, 11:36 PM
at this kind of form going on till end of season, man city will be going for uefa cup placing. ;)

R-K-O

Castrol
20-08-2007, 03:48 PM
Today, after 3 start and 3 win out of 3. But one fear is ... Thaksin. Anytime he be in grave problem....


what i read is that the arrest documents from thailand are out for thaksin and britain has a extradiction pact with thailand, meaning both countries will co-operate to send back criminal suspects.

but the twist is, britain is saying they are afraid thaksin will not get a fair trial in thailand so no deal for now.

the question is, if thaksin got no billion$? will he even be able to smell the grass in the city of manchester stadium? :D

CKee
20-08-2007, 03:57 PM
but the twist is, britain is saying they are afraid thaksin will not get a fair trial in thailand so no deal for now.

the question is, if thaksin got no billion$? will he even be able to smell the grass in the city of manchester stadium? :D

$$$ talks and bullshit walks

whatever drink
24-08-2007, 12:46 AM
Man City has great improvement, 3 matches 9 points. Man U 3 matches 2 points! :eek:

Glen2712
25-08-2007, 09:10 PM
Eriksson's case for the defence


Sven-Goran Eriksson would be happy to see Manchester City defend every week if it meant three points.


City are the only club in the league with a 100% record as they prepare for their trip to the Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal on Saturday. Last weekend's 1-0 win over neighbours Manchester United was their toughest assignment to date, and they spent most of the 90 minutes on the back foot, with United dominating.


Despite watching his side pose little attacking threat, Eriksson would be more than happy with a repeat display against Arsenal.


"I could play like we did last week all the time if it meant I could win," he said. "I would have no problem with that at all.


"The problem against a team like Manchester United is that they are so good in possession, you have to defend a lot. What I wanted was for my team to attack when we had the ball, so the only thing I was not 100% happy about was that we weren't more precise in our passing because we did have the chance to create much more than we eventually did."


BEST TEAMS


Eriksson went on to talk about Saturday's opponents Arsenal, who lost star striker Thierry Henry in the summer.


"In a seven-day period we are playing two of the best teams in the world," said Eriksson. "Of course, Arsenal cannot find another Thierry Henry but I don't think it will affect them too much. I saw Eduardo Da Silva at Blackburn and he did a very good job while Robin van Persie is getting better all the time."






P.S: List Of UPPEES is not in full due to the capacity limitation of the signature function (not be longer than 300 characters excluding BB Code markup). Rest assured I've all ur nicks n u'll be awarded. If I do missed u, kindly PM me. :)


Appreciate the PM, Bro David_Ginola and Bro Rw6828!

Glen2712
25-08-2007, 09:19 PM
For the hosts (Man City), Jens Lehmann is out with an Achilles injury, so Manuel Almunia is set to deputise. William Gallas and Emmanuel Eboue are definitely out, while Gilberto is back in the squad.






P.S: List Of UPPEES is not in full due to the capacity limitation of the signature function (not be longer than 300 characters excluding BB Code markup). Rest assured I've all ur nicks n u'll be awarded. If I do missed u, kindly PM me. :)


Appreciate the PM, Bro David_Ginola and Bro Rw6828!

Glen2712
25-08-2007, 09:25 PM
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c6/Mcfc.png





COLOURS AND CREST


Manchester City's home colours are sky blue and white. Traditional away kit colours have been either maroon or (from the 1960s) red and black; however, in recent years several different colours have been used. In the 04/05 season, the team wore a white shirt with purple shorts and white socks, while the following season, the away kit was all navy blue. During the 2006-07 season, they sported an all-black (with grey trim) second strip.


However, when away to Premiership teams who wore predominantly dark blue as their first choice colours in the 05/06 and 06/07 seasons, the team generally changed to a third kit, which was yellow shirts with black shorts and socks. The club tried to justify the use of yellow as a Manchester City colour in an article in one of their match day programs, by saying that it was used in 1950s & 60s. The colour they were referring to was, indeed, amber with a maroon trim - and was very rarely used.


For the 07/08 season, white pin stripes appear on the home and away shirts. The away kit is all purple in colour. There is also a third kit, which consists of a white shirt with a sky blue flash over the club badge, sky blue shorts and white socks.


The origins of the club's home colours are unclear, but there is evidence that the club have worn blue since 1892 or earlier. A booklet entitled Famous Football Clubs - Manchester City published in the 1940s indicates that West Gorton (St. Marks) originally played in scarlet and black, and reports dating from 1884 describe the team wearing black jerseys bearing a white cross, showing the club's origins as a church side. The red and black away colours come from former assistant manager Malcolm Allison, who believed that adopting the colours of A.C. Milan would inspire City to glory.


The current club crest was adopted in 1997, a result of the previous crest being ineligible for registration as a trademark. The badge is based on the arms of the city of Manchester, and consists of a shield in front of a golden eagle. The shield features a ship on its upper half representing the Manchester Ship Canal, and three diagonal stripes in the lower half, for the city's three rivers. The bottom of the badge bears the Latin motto Superbia in Proelio, which translates as Pride in Battle. Above the eagle and shield are three stars, which are purely decorative.


City have previously worn two other crests on their shirts. The first, introduced in 1970, was based on designs which had been used on official club documentation since the mid-1960s. It consisted of a round badge which used the same shield as the current crest, inside a circle bearing the name of the club. In 1972, this was replaced by a variation which replaced the lower half of the shield with the red rose of Lancashire.


On occasions when Manchester City play in a major cup final, the usual crest is not used; instead shirts bearing a badge of the arms of the City of Manchester are used, as a symbol of pride in representing the city of Manchester at a major event. This practice originates from a time when the players' shirts did not normally bear a badge of any kind, but has continued throughout the history of the club.






P.S: List Of UPPEES is not in full due to the capacity limitation of the signature function (not be longer than 300 characters excluding BB Code markup). Rest assured I've all ur nicks n u'll be awarded. If I do missed u, kindly PM me. :)


Appreciate the PM, Bro David_Ginola and Bro Rw6828!

Glen2712
25-08-2007, 09:30 PM
SUPPORTERS


Manchester City have a large fanbase in relation to their comparative lack of success on the pitch. Since moving to the City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester City's average attendances have been in the top six in England, though in the 2006/2007 season City's attendances fell slightly, to an average league attendance of approximately 40,000.


Even in the late 1990s, when the club were relegated twice in three seasons and playing in the third tier of English football (then Division Two, now Football League One), home attendances were in the region of 30,000, compared to an average for the division of fewer than 8,000. Research carried out by Manchester City estimates a fanbase of 400,000 in the United Kingdom and a total in excess of 2 million worldwide.


Manchester City have a number of supporters organisations, of which three have official recognition: the Official Supporters Club, the Centenary Supporters Association and the International Supporters Club. There have been several fanzines published by supporters; two are still on regular sale, King of the Kippax and City Til I Cry.


Celebrity City supporters include brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher of the Manchester-based rock band, Oasis. On 27-28 April 1996, the group played their first headline outdoor concerts at the Maine Road ground. Highlights from the second night featured on the video ...There And Then, released later the same year.


The City fans' song of choice is a rendition of "Blue Moon", which despite its melancholic theme is belted out with gusto as though it were a heroic anthem. City supporters tend to believe that unpredictability is an inherent trait of their team, and label unexpected results "typical City". Events that fans regard as "typical City" include City's being the only reigning English champions ever to be relegated (in 1938), or the more recent example that City was the only team to beat Chelsea in the 2004-05 Premiership, yet in the same season City were knocked out of the FA Cup by Oldham Athletic, a team two divisions lower.


Manchester City's biggest rivalry, inevitably, is with neighbours Manchester United, against whom they contest the Manchester derby. unlike some other football rivalries in some other cities, such as Glasgow and Seville, the rivalry between City and United does not have its origins in religion and before the Second World War, when travel to away games was rare, many Mancunian football fans regularly watched both teams. As travel became easier, support for both teams became unusual and the rivalry developed.


A common stereotype is that City fans come from Manchester proper, while United fans come from elsewhere. A 2002 report by a researcher at Manchester Metropolitan University found that a higher proportion of City season ticket holders come from Manchester postcode areas; however United had a higher number of season ticket holders living in Manchester, as they had more season ticket holders overall.


However, the report contained a caveat stating that the number of City season tickets has since increased (the report was compiled before City's move to the City of Manchester Stadium). The study also found that City had the highest proportion of support in the south and east of the city, and United had the highest proportion in the north and west of the city. Manchester post codes also cover Salford, a city in itself located to the north-west of Manchester.


In the late 1980s, City fans started a craze of bringing inflatable objects to matches, primarily oversized bananas. The craze had its origins in a match against West Bromwich Albion when chants from fans calling for the introduction of Imre Varadi as a substitute mutated into "Imre Banana". Terraces packed with inflatable-waving supporters became a frequent sight in the 1988-89 season as the craze spread to other clubs (inflatable fish were often seen at Grimsby Town!), with the phenomenon reaching a peak at City's match at Stoke City on 26 December 1988, a match declared by fanzines as a fancy dress party. In the 2006/2007 season, City's FA Cup run to the sixth round of the competition saw the re-emergence of the inflatables craze, with hundreds of yellow and blue bananas being brought to cup matches.


In August 2006, the club became the first to be officially recognised as a "gay-friendly" employer by campaign group Stonewall (UK).


The official mascots of the club are the space aliens "Moonchester" and "Moonbeam", pun's on the club's anthem Blue Moon.


They also have been voted the most loyal and loud fans in the premership by the BFFA (British Football Fans Association) just above the teams Liverpool and Pompey.






P.S: List Of UPPEES is not in full due to the capacity limitation of the signature function (not be longer than 300 characters excluding BB Code markup). Rest assured I've all ur nicks n u'll be awarded. If I do missed u, kindly PM me. :)


Appreciate the PM, Bro David_Ginola and Bro Rw6828!

Glen2712
25-08-2007, 09:33 PM
OWNERSHIP


The holding company of Manchester City F.C., Manchester City plc, is a private limited company. The club has approximately 54 million shares in issue, of which over 80% are owned by UK Sports Investments Limited, a company controlled by former Thailand prime minister Thaksin. The remainder is held by several thousand small shareholders. Thaksin took control of the club in July 2007 in a takeover worth £81.6 million, purchasing shares from all existing major shareholders. Thaksin is chairman of the club, with former chairman and JD Sports founder John Wardle deputy chairman. Two of Thaksin's children, Pintongta and Panthongtae are also on the board of directors.


Prior to the Thaksin takeover, the club was listed on the specialist independent equity market PLUS (formerly OFEX), where it had been listed since 1995. On the 6th July 2007, upon acquiring a 75% share in the club, Thaksin delisted the club and re-registered it as a private company. The club made a pre-tax profit of £16.97m in the year ending 31 May 2006.






P.S: List Of UPPEES is not in full due to the capacity limitation of the signature function (not be longer than 300 characters excluding BB Code markup). Rest assured I've all ur nicks n u'll be awarded. If I do missed u, kindly PM me. :)


Appreciate the PM, Bro David_Ginola and Bro Rw6828!

Glen2712
25-08-2007, 11:38 PM
CASPER SAVES A PENALTY TAKEN BY VAN PERSIE!







P.S: List Of UPPEES is not in full due to the capacity limitation of the signature function (not be longer than 300 characters excluding BB Code markup). Rest assured I've all ur nicks n u'll be awarded. If I do missed u, kindly PM me. :)


Appreciate the PM, Bro David_Ginola and Bro Rw6828!

Glen2712
26-08-2007, 12:00 AM
SHITES! CASPER CONCEDES A GOAL TAKEN BY FABREGAS! :(







P.S: List Of UPPEES is not in full due to the capacity limitation of the signature function (not be longer than 300 characters excluding BB Code markup). Rest assured I've all ur nicks n u'll be awarded. If I do missed u, kindly PM me. :)


Appreciate the PM, Bro David_Ginola and Bro Rw6828!

sonic youth
26-08-2007, 01:07 PM
I remember few years ago...

In a paper from UK.. " There are only 2 good team in Manchester, MAN UTD and MAN UTD reserve team. " This was highlighted to me by Nic Leeson.. he is a die-hard Man City fans...
I have no idea he is or not, bro. but that phrase was plagiarized by him.

"There are only 2 good teams in Liverpool, Liverpool and Liverpool reserves.", Bill Shankly.

I'm not a supporter of the red half of merseyside.

lacoruna69
26-08-2007, 06:21 PM
Is any Bro coming up with a match prediction game thread for Man City?
Me not really a fan of them. I'm interested in Serie A. Not sure whether can start a Match prediction thread for Milan or Roma here. If can, I'll go ahead and start one for Milan.

screamer
26-08-2007, 06:51 PM
I but that phrase was plagiarized by him.

"There are only 2 good teams in Liverpool, Liverpool and Liverpool reserves.", Bill Shankly.

I'm not a supporter of the red half of merseyside.

OIC :D evil evil....


Last nite Man City lost Arsenal...

screamer
26-08-2007, 06:58 PM
w

but the twist is, britain is saying they are afraid thaksin will not get a fair trial in thailand so no deal for now.

the question is, if thaksin got no billion$? will he even be able to smell the grass in the city of manchester stadium? :D


Bro, if I am not wrong, many of the deal for all the new players Man City bought this year are all installment payment. If thaksin kana ship back to thai and had his asset frozen or..... will Man city be able to pay the remaining $$$$?

Castrol
27-08-2007, 11:15 AM
Bro, if I am not wrong, many of the deal for all the new players Man City bought this year are all installment payment. If thaksin kana ship back to thai and had his asset frozen or..... will Man city be able to pay the remaining $$$$?

is that right? but i'm sure there will be other rich magnates ready to bail man city out, as long as they are in the EPL. :D

Cum_Luver
28-08-2007, 06:31 AM
Is any Bro coming up with a match prediction game thread for Man City?
Me not really a fan of them. I'm interested in Serie A. Not sure whether can start a Match prediction thread for Milan or Roma here. If can, I'll go ahead and start one for Milan.

bro, i think should be alright to start an La Liga's thread or even an Italia's thread.
maybe u can check with the boss lor....

Glen2712
29-08-2007, 09:06 AM
RICHARDS HOT PROPERTY



http://www.imagefilez.com/out.php/i154347_9783.jpg (http://www.imagefilez.com)



'New deal for Micah'


Manchester City will make Micah Richards their highest-paid player with a £10.4million deal to keep their prized asset out of the clutches of Manchester United and Chelsea.


He will sign a new £50,000-a-week four-year deal next week as a reward for the key role he has played in helping City top the Premier League under new boss Sven Goran Eriksson.


The 19-year-old has become the most sought-after young player in the country with his colossal displays for club and country, which is why City have moved to offer him a deal which reflects his new-found worth.


Richards excelled in City's win over local rivals United in the Manchester derby and was equally impressive for England against Germany, where he displayed his versatility in playing right-back and centre-back.


Despite offering him the new deal, City know they face a battle to keep him beyond the end of this season, with United and Chelsea preparing £30m packages to land him next summer.


Eriksson admitted City will struggle to hold on to Richards, whose unique ability and rapid progress will demand he steps up to play Champions League football next season.


"For the moment it is okay," said Eriksson. "But then the question is 'Are Manchester City getting better and better? When will they be playing in Europe? So it depends on him in one way and on us in another.


"Micah still has three years left on his contract and I know the club are talking to him. This club will do everything possible to keep a player like that.


"He will get better. He doesn't need to be quicker or stronger than he is, he already has everything. But the more he plays at this level, the better he will be technically.


"His performance against United was exceptional. Some of his tackles and his recovery are things very few defenders can do. And I think he will handle things well.


"He won't start to fly above all the other players. He's a local boy and a good boy. And he's intelligent enough to know that life in football is about ups and downs."


Alex Levack, Richards' agent, said he hoped the new deal would be signed by next week. "We're in talks and hopefully something will be sorted by next week," he said. "Micah is happy at City and enjoying his football."


Despite the £40m investment in the City squad following the takeover by Thaksin Shinawatra, it is unlikely they will clinch a top-four place and a Champions League spot for next season.


That is why United and Chelsea are already plotting to lure Richards in what should be a titanic transfer battle.






P.S: List Of UPPEES is not in full due to the capacity limitation of the signature function (not be longer than 300 characters excluding BB Code markup). Rest assured I've all ur nicks n u'll be awarded. If I do missed u, kindly PM me. :)


Appreciate the PM, Bro David_Ginola and Bro Rw6828!

Glen2712
29-08-2007, 09:09 AM
'NUNO SET FOR CITY'


Manchester City boss Sven Goran Eriksson is ready to snap up Portuguese striker Nuno Gomes in a shock free transfer from Benfica.


The 31-year-old hitman, an idol in his homeland, has been cleared to sign for Premier League leaders City by the club's president who has personally given Eriksson first choice on the player.


Gomes has been one of the darlings of Benfica for years but can leave and Eriksson sees him as the perfect cheap and short-term replacement for the injured Valeri Bojinov.


Eriksson hopes to complete the deal today, with Portuguese sources claiming the move can be quickly agreed because of his friendship with his former employers.


The move for Gomes, who has scored 27 goals in 63 appearances for Portugal, looks to have ended City's interest in Bolton's Nicolas Anelka.


Eriksson would only say "no comment" with a wry smile when asked if he had made an approach for the brooding Frenchman, who has played for seven clubs in his nomadic career, including City.


Eriksson has also been considering a £7million move for Celta Vigo midfielder Borja Oubina, while Derby are interested in City striker Darius Vassell.






P.S: List Of UPPEES is not in full due to the capacity limitation of the signature function (not be longer than 300 characters excluding BB Code markup). Rest assured I've all ur nicks n u'll be awarded. If I do missed u, kindly PM me. :)


Appreciate the PM, Bro David_Ginola and Bro Rw6828!

Glen2712
29-08-2007, 09:18 AM
Passionate City fans get Bianchi's backing


Rolando Bianchi is adapting to all the differences he is finding between plying his trade in his native Italy and here for City.


The former Reggina striker, the first of Sven-Goran Eriksson’s signings this summer, looks to have settled in well having scored on debut at West Ham and featuring in every match of the season so far.


And it’s the Blues’ passionate and noisy support, both at home and away, that has really caught the 24-year-old’s imagination.


Rolando says, “They are so passionate, especially away from home. In Italy it is quite different because of the television coverage not so many fans make the longer journeys to away games.


“I thought our fans were brilliant at West Ham in the opening game of the season, the atmosphere at the derby was incredible and intense and then again the away end was packed at Arsenal.


“City fans seem to have a special song for every player and hopefully we will all give them plenty of reason to sing in the coming weeks.”


The Blues’ number 10 has worked mostly in the role of lone striker, with Elano linking up from slightly deeper, but Rolando is happy to slot into a style he is familiar with from his days in Serie A.


“Good team work is a vital and as a lone striker more emphasis is put on that part of my game but I have done it many, many times in Italian football so I am comfortable with it.


“In England the game is more physical where in Italy it is more tactical. If you make the right decisions and have the right mental sharpness and eye for an opening you can be very successful in England as well as in Italy.


“We have a lot of intelligent, technically gifted players in the City squad, clever footballers, and I have no doubt that we could play in Serie A.”






P.S: List Of UPPEES is not in full due to the capacity limitation of the signature function (not be longer than 300 characters excluding BB Code markup). Rest assured I've all ur nicks n u'll be awarded. If I do missed u, kindly PM me. :)


Appreciate the PM, Bro David_Ginola and Bro Rw6828!

Glen2712
29-08-2007, 09:22 AM
Inter's Adriano not interested in Man City loan


Inter Milan striker Adriano has dismissed the idea of joining Manchester City on loan, although he has refused to rule out a permanent move away from the San Siro.


The Italian club confirmed yesterday they would be willing to sanction Adriano's departure on a temporary basis, with Parma also reportedly keen to snap him up.


But the powerful 25-year-old, who has made little impact for Inter over the past two seasons due to injuries and a lack of form, insists he is not interested.


'When I could have left the club, I didn't do it,' the Brazilian said.


'Now, if I have to leave, I would only do it on a permanent transfer. But my wish is to remain here.'


The arrival of David Suazo from Cagliari has added another attacking option to an Inter squad already containing strikers Hernan Crespo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Julio Cruz.


The 25-year-old was not included in Roberto Mancini's squad for Sunday's 1-1 draw with Udinese on the opening weekend of the season.


'I don't want to go on loan again. I already went once to Parma when it was right for my career. Now if I must really leave, I'll go and that's it,' Adriano told Gazzetta dello Sport.


'What I and my agent don't understand is why they did not tell me immediately at the start of the summer that I had not re-entered their plans.'


Adriano said ideally he would like stay and regain his place at Inter and that the club owed him after he turned down moves to Real Madrid, Barcelona and Chelsea when he was in top form three years ago.


Inter President Massimo Moratti said English teams were among those interested in a loan deal but that he would not be sold permanently.


'He has two choices in front of him. Do really well with us or do really well on loan and return to us as the formidable centre forward that we know,' he told Gazzetta.


Moratti has said that if Adriano leaves before the transfer window closes on Friday, fellow reserve striker Alvaro Recoba will be have to stay at Inter rather than go to Torino.






P.S: List Of UPPEES is not in full due to the capacity limitation of the signature function (not be longer than 300 characters excluding BB Code markup). Rest assured I've all ur nicks n u'll be awarded. If I do missed u, kindly PM me. :)


Appreciate the PM, Bro David_Ginola and Bro Rw6828!

Schaumburg
29-08-2007, 09:59 AM
It will be very interesting to see Adriano playing in BPL! :D

WRX_STI
29-08-2007, 10:23 AM
bro Glen2712 is everywhere kudos to you :) but you are a Blues fan?

Glen2712
29-08-2007, 07:34 PM
Man City relishing role reversal


'The Temple of Doom' was an arena of undisguised glee. Having mockingly bestowed that rather unflattering moniker on the City of Manchester Stadium, it was only to be expected that Manchester City fans would savour the downfall of Sir Alex Ferguson and his team.


However temporary the change in the balance of power in Manchester, City are relishing it. The much-mocked underdogs are not accustomed to being in the ascendance, and they are milking it. Taunts of 'going down' won't prove accurate prophesies, but were savoured by the home support. League tables, with United seven points adrift of City, are in danger of being framed.


Because, at the ground where United won the Premier League last season, they took a step towards relinquishing it. Three games have produced a mere two points, and that sluggish start is without facing their title rivals.


And each ceded point is becoming more costly. United accomplished the treble while dropping 35 points. In the last four seasons, the champions have yielded an average of 22.75. 'We've left ourselves an uphill struggle,' admitted Ferguson. 'Ten years ago, we could handle it.' And now?


The implication is that it is harder than ever, despite huge expenditure. Record investment was rewarded, at the City of Manchester Stadium, with the good, the bad and the indifferent, in the shape of Owen Hargreaves, Nani and Carlos Tevez respectively. City's carefree attitude to spending has caught the eye, but their winner came from a rather cheaper acquisition.


Geovanni once cost Barcelona £12million. Sven-Goran Eriksson obtained him on a free transfer during a month of almost impeccable decision-making. If his start today was a consequence of Stephen Ireland's illness, it brought his second goal of the Premier League season.


And at this formative stage of the campaign, he has outscored Manchester United. That is not for a lack of chances. As Ferguson admitted: 'We had so many opportunities to win it ourselves. It's our own fault. I can't fault the performance. It was outstanding. We completely dominated the match.'


That is dubious but, as Eriksson conceded: 'If you could have points for possession on the ball and shots on target and off target, we would have lost.'


Even if victors can afford to be magnanimous, there was a lightness of touch in Eriksson's comments. Devoid of animosity, he sympathised with Ferguson, playing for the first time without Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney in the league. Yet, though the Scot produced a parody of the Eriksson England knew - though City were better in the first half than the second - his imitation appeared a form of flattery today.


Because United almost mirrored City's 4-2-3-1 formation in a match where attacking midfielders far outnumbered actual forwards. Stationed further back, however, Owen Hargreaves was United's greatest cause for optimism.


On an accomplished debut, Hargreaves expertly patrolled the area in front of the United back four. Even for the City goal, he was blameless, with Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick failing to track back and assist him.


With Hargreaves lured across to track Elano, the Brazilian squared the ball for his compatriot and Geovanni's curling drive, aided by a deflection off Nemanja Vidic, nestled in the bottom corner of Edwin van der Sar's net.


It was an isolated attack, and the second half contained still fewer, though Vedran Corluka almost scored with a 35-yard thunderbolt. United, in contrast, spend much of the game on the attack without exploiting Kasper Schmeichel's fallibility. Indeed, and at the risk of being ungenerous, it is hard to identify a less convincing keeper who has begun his career with three successive clean sheets.


But this was a match to outline the importance of Rooney and Ronaldo to the United cause. In their absence, the lone striker was the tireless Tevez. Serenaded with superlatives by Ferguson on his debut, his was an afternoon of frustration. Twice he advanced on goal, but mustered a shot on neither occasion because the Argentine, swift as he is, was outpaced by Micah Richards. He ensured City's decision to opt for a high defensive line did not backfire while one interception - when Giggs' inviting low cross merely required a touch - was outstanding.


Tevez's radar was marginally askew. Nani's was going haywire. In United's efforts to work an overlap in midfield, the extra man was often the Portuguese, but his efforts suggested shooting is not yet his forte. His crossing, too, varied in quality and the criticisms that used to be levelled at Cristiano Ronaldo - whether he supplied the end product to accompany his undoubted skill - may now be transferred to the younger winger. He only lasted an hour before, following one particularly wayward cross, Ferguson replaced him with Chris Eagles after a chastening derby debut.


The introduction of the callow Frazier Campbell followed and eventually he and Tevez were accompanied in attack by Vidic. Tevez missed a glorious chance to equalise when he found space on the far post in the final minute, Sven celebrated and the man who left the City of Manchester Stadium with a sense of doom was Sir Alex Ferguson.


MAN OF THE MATCH: Micah Richards - A quite majestic performance at the heart of the City defence. 'This young man is 19 years old and to have a defender that strong, so quick, I don't remember having that with anyone. That combination is very, very rare,' was Eriksson's view.


MANCHESTER CITY VERDICT: The resilience displayed by a band of virtual strangers was remarkable, even if it was based on the dependability of two of the players Eriksson inherited, Richards and Richard Dunne. Rolando Bianchi, meanwhile, was demoted to the bench because the Swede expected counter-attacking to be a feature of the match and wanted a speedier striker. Not for the first time, his analysis was correct.


MANCHESTER UNITED VERDICT: The decision not to sign a conventional centre-forward is looking ever more costly, though Tevez led the line with great enthusiasm. Only Giggs and Hargreaves left with their reputations enhanced, however, and Nani's display suggests he requires time to acclimatise.


EIGHT AND COUNTING: Eriksson has confirmed he is still looking for more players, who could include another goalkeeper and 'one or two midfielders'.


A NEW SVEN? The Manchester City manager has been spotted on the touchline more often and appears more demonstrative. His self deprecating verdict: 'When I go out, nobody hears me, so I have to wait until there is a stop in the game. You saw me with other eyes when I was England manager.'






P.S: List Of UPPEES is not in full due to the capacity limitation of the signature function (not be longer than 300 characters excluding BB Code markup). Rest assured I've all ur nicks n u'll be awarded. If I do missed u, kindly PM me. :)


Appreciate the PM, Bro David_Ginola and Bro Rw6828!

Glen2712
29-08-2007, 07:51 PM
Defeat can't dent City's revival


Arsenal 1-0 Manchester City


It has taken just two short weeks for Manchester City fans to rediscover the lost sensation of optimism.


In their reprogrammed minds, Sven Goran Eriksson is a manager who can do no wrong, while their admiration for a set of new signings they may never have heard of until they arrived in Manchester is already bordering on a love story. Oh, and the doubts over the true financial wealth of new owner Thakshin Shinawata have also been put to one side.


After beating Manchester United last weekend, all City fans want to believe the glory, glory days are back and while it seems a little harsh to shatter their fantasy, Soccernet's Insider arrived at the Emirates Stadium ready and willing to pour cold water on their hopes.


Yet even though this game ended in City's first defeat of the campaign, the manner of the performance and the impressive attitude oozing out of Eriksson's team suggested this Sky Blue revival is the real deal. Cesc Fabregas may have won this enjoyable game for Arsenal with dramatic winner ten minutes from time, but the visitors emerged with their newly earned reputation enhanced.


Logic suggests that a team with so many new arrivals cannot become contenders for a top four finish over night, with the more rational explanation for their rise being the classic early season story that happens for one unsuspecting club every year.


However, the first half an hour of this game suggested anything but that as they attacked Arsenal with the sort of gusto and passion their new-found belief has given them. The likes of Marin Petrov, Elano and Javier Garrido may be new to English football, but they look more than good enough to ensure the City revival is not merely a temporary blip.


Indeed, it was City who had the best of the chances in the opening quarter of this game as Petrov and Emile Mpenza wasted clear cut chances to expose an Arsenal defence that had been decimated by a pre-match problem for Philippe Senderos and Bacray Sagna's injury mid-way through the first half.


Eriksson may have developed a reputation for dour football during his long and often painful tenure as England manger, but he seems to have developed a different philosophy since stepping back into the club football domain he seems to excel in.


Not many sides come to the Emirates Stadium and try to match Arsenal blow for blow, but that seemed to be City's policy early on. Even though they were employing a lone front runner in Emile Mpenza, this was not merely a backs against the wall effort for the visitors.


Building their base from a solid defence featuring the ever impressive duo of Micah Richards and Richard Dunne, City's passing game was more fluid than it looked for the majority of what, even their most loyal and delusional supporter would admit, was a lucky win against local rivals United last week.


Solid performances from Dietmar Hamann and Stephen Ireland at the heart of his team gives Eriksson's flair players a chance to flex their muscles and even against an established 'top four' side, City were doing enough to fill their vast army of travelling supporters with hope that has now been revealed as genuine.


Arsenal may have wasted some presentable chances to snatch a half-time lead, but City worked hard enough to be level at the break and the work ethic Eriksson has instilled into his side so quickly suggests he has found a home for his talents at Eastlands.


Petrov's promptings on the left flank were especially impressive and identify Arsenal's weakness on the right side of their defence, he had another promising burst in the early exchanges of the second half, but the onus was always going to be on Arsenal to carve an opening and their age old problem was in evidence again.


Arsenal fans have sat through dozens of frustrating games like this in the last few years as their continued attacking promptings produced little more than near misses. As the crowd begin to vent their annoyance, it filters through to the players and panic then begins to set in.


Unless manager Arsene Wenger finds a way of converting fine build-up play into tangible results, Arsenal will continue to be the most attractive and unsuccessful member of the Premier League elite and as this game went on, you couldn't help but feel a City sucker punch was just around the corner.


City had decent claims for a penalty waved away as Michael Johnson was challenged in the box by Kolo Tore after 62 minutes, but referee Chris Foy did award a spot kick as Alex Hleb was pulled down in the box by the unfortunate Richards moments later.


It seemed City's fairy tale start to the season was about to come to an end, but as Kasper Schmeichel sprawled to his left and saved Van Persie's effort, the dream lived on and were it not for the late scorcher from Fabregas, they would have left North London with a point.


'We played better here than against United last week, but we ended up losing,' stated Eriksson, squaring up again to many of the journalists who tormented him during his time as England boss. 'Still, I can take so much from that performance because we stood up to Arsenal and did not just come here to defend and try to get the point. We deserved a draw, but they got through us in the end.


'This performance gives us much to be happy with and we created many good moments in this match to be leaving with so much more. So many of this team are new to the Premier League, but they are performing so well every week. So this is our first defeat, but there is much to smile about.'


Schmeichel's famous father was famed for charging up to the other end of the field in a bid to score last minute equalisers and the teenager nearly repeated the trick as he got his head on a last minute City set-play, but Wenger was among those leading the tributes to Eriksson's men.


'City looked dangerous at the start of the second half and the way Sven has got this team playing after so many new signings in very impressive,' he stated. 'We needed to fight till the end to get the goal and Cesc found it for us.


'This is the sort of game we would not have won this season, but this side is maturing now and continues until they can give no more. I was very impressed with City's performance and they are a side who can stay at the top end of the table all season, so this is a big three points.'


Having witnessed numerous games such as this at the Emirates Stadium in the last year, it seems Arsenal's determination to score the perfect goal is a damaging habit they cannot kick. They may have got out of jail today, but won't be so lucky every week.


As for the revived Manchester City and the masterful Sven - they are here to stay.


MAN OF THE MATCH: Richard Dunne
There may not be a better central defender in the Premier League right now as the big Irishman he stood up to everything Arsenal threw at him with real composure.


WENGER HUMOUR: 'When I saw my Dutch striker step up to face Schmeichel from the penalty spot, my memories went back to Dennis Bergkamp and an FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United back in 1999,' said the Arsenal boss with a chuckle. 'Then Schmeichel saves again. I just hope I don't have to meet his grandson in 20 years time.'


FOOD WATCH: Arsenal are getting ambitious these days and the sausage, mash and gravy offering was a delight. As ever, the ice cream fridge needed to be raided.


VERDICT: Arsenal still have plenty of questions to answer, but City have already done enough in four games to confirm they are more than just early season wonders. The top four will be out of their reach, but not the top six. Didn't we all say that Sven chap was a great manager?






P.S: List Of UPPEES is not in full due to the capacity limitation of the signature function (not be longer than 300 characters excluding BB Code markup). Rest assured I've all ur nicks n u'll be awarded. If I do missed u, kindly PM me. :)


Appreciate the PM, Bro David_Ginola and Bro Rw6828!

Thai Rak Thai
31-08-2007, 04:46 PM
Man City Thai up deal for defender Sukha

Manchester City have agreed a deal to sign Thailand defender Suree Sukha, according to owner Thaksin Shinawatra's lawyer.

The Chon Buri full-back, who recently shone for his country in the AFC Asian Cup in July, is one of three Thai players currently on trial at City.

Thaksin has stressed since taking over the club that he is keen to bring Thai players to the Barclays Premier League and should Suree complete the move he will become the first player from his country to play in England's top flight.

'Suree will be the first Thai player to play in the Premier League. His work permit is now being processed,' confirmed lawyer Noppadon Pattama.

Thailand's national team manager, Chanvit Polchovin, who recently returned to Thailand after staying with the players in Manchester, admitted the move will be a great boost for Thai football.

'It is a good news and a great boost for Thai players who dream of playing in the Premiership,' he said in the Bangkok Post.

'To be part of the first team for the Thai player is a great honour for him. But please don't expect too much. He is unlikely to go straight into the first team line-up.'

Red_Tirak1099
01-09-2007, 11:56 AM
Thai Lovers united to support Man City! This will be proxy club for all Thailand Lovers now! HIP HIP HOORAY!

Cum_Luver
01-09-2007, 01:40 PM
this weekend's match away to Blackburn Rovers is going to be a tough match for Man City...
u maybe looking at a 2nd defeat....

Red_Tirak1099
01-09-2007, 03:02 PM
Have faith. To show my support I have already open a strike gold account to place bets on Man City games. Virgin bet tomorrow. Going to Golden Mile to watch the game if it is LIVE.

Castrol
03-09-2007, 11:51 AM
i watched the blackburn vs man city match, the worst player must be the man city player on the left side called garrido or something. he couldnt do anything right the whole day. i mean he couldnt do anything right on the left flank. :D

Triad
07-09-2007, 06:28 PM
Whatever it is, I hope M City do well ... quite something to have a Thai owned club doing well ..... but too bad could see the Thai guy in action any time soon ...

Shawn Koh
16-09-2007, 12:35 PM
My prediction is Man City to beat Villa by one goal margin :)

Glen2712
17-09-2007, 02:07 AM
You're spot on, Bro Shawn Koh!






P.S: List Of UPPEES is not in full due to the capacity limitation of the signature function (not be longer than 300 characters excluding BB Code markup). Rest assured I've all ur nicks n u'll be awarded. If I do missed u, kindly PM me. :)


Appreciate the PM, Bro David_Ginola, Bro Rw6828, Bro Myo_Swee and Bro XboxSG!

Cum_Luver
17-09-2007, 06:58 AM
another win for Man City...
a very exciting match to watch....

Red_Tirak1099
17-09-2007, 10:32 AM
Man City Man City GO GO GO!

Watched the match LIVE in Golden Mile last nite. Saw 2 shots of Uncle Thaksin only. Now Man City still on top of Man U, those Man U supporters sure beh tahan kekeke sorry to rub it in guys. :D

SpyChanger
17-09-2007, 11:24 AM
I'm impress MC is 2nd in the table!! :)

no_faith
17-09-2007, 12:07 PM
the brazilian, Elano, not bad, settle quick in EPL.

oh ya, pai seh, side track. the manc owner's daughter seems not bad leh..:o:D

Shawn Koh
17-09-2007, 12:52 PM
You're spot on, Bro Shawn Koh!






P.S: List Of UPPEES is not in full due to the capacity limitation of the signature function (not be longer than 300 characters excluding BB Code markup). Rest assured I've all ur nicks n u'll be awarded. If I do missed u, kindly PM me. :)


Appreciate the PM, Bro David_Ginola, Bro Rw6828, Bro Myo_Swee and Bro XboxSG!



Man City 1:0 Aston Villa
Hope all Bros here win $$$ including Man City supporters :)

Red_Tirak1099
19-09-2007, 11:06 AM
oh ya, pai seh, side track. the manc owner's daughter seems not bad leh..:o:D That is Pingtongta Shinawatra....student at LSE.

screamer
22-09-2007, 04:19 PM
oh ya, pai seh, side track. the manc owner's daughter seems not bad lehD

:D i also alway aiming her

Zeply
23-09-2007, 02:48 AM
Man City draw with Fulham with score of 3:3.

Red_Tirak1099
23-09-2007, 12:07 PM
Man City draw with Fulham with score of 3:3. Kudos to Man City for its fighting spirit for coming back twice to equalize. Too bad could not hold on to their lead. Suree was suppose to debut in yesterday's game but kiv due to work permit problems.....any updates on the situation? Thailand will go crazy if one of their footballing sons play in EPL.

Shawn Koh
23-09-2007, 12:12 PM
Man City draw with Fulham with score of 3:3.

Bad sat night for me, I bought TG 4 & TG 5 from spools :(

no_faith
23-09-2007, 12:41 PM
That is Pingtongta Shinawatra....student at LSE.i tink is Pintongta instead of Pingtongta? i may be wrong.
anyway wat is LSE?:confused: care to tell?

Red_Tirak1099
23-09-2007, 12:53 PM
i tink is Pintongta instead of Pingtongta? i may be wrong.
anyway wat is LSE?:confused: care to tell?Yes you are rite! Anyway her father Uncle Thaksin oredi told the english fans to call him Sinatra for short coz they might find Shinawatra a mouthful to pronounce.

no_faith
23-09-2007, 01:00 PM
Yes you are rite! Anyway her father Uncle Thaksin oredi told the english fans to call him Sinatra for short coz they might find Shinawatra a mouthful to pronounce.Sinatra? hahaha, i tot got relation wif Frank Sinatra...

bro, u have not tell me wat is LSE leh?

ps: google her not much pix of her.:(

Red_Tirak1099
23-09-2007, 01:07 PM
Sinatra? hahaha, i tot got relation wif Frank Sinatra...

bro, u have not tell me wat is LSE leh?

ps: google her not much pix of her.:(
London School of Economies....lethal combo of beauty & brains with loads of moolah to boot :D

guangzhou
26-09-2007, 10:41 AM
London School of Economies....lethal combo of beauty & brains with loads of moolah to boot :D

London School Of Economics
London Stock Exchange :D

alfaarrg
28-09-2007, 07:26 PM
Man City's gonna gun down the Magpies! :D

Cum_Luver
29-09-2007, 01:33 PM
this should be an thrilling n exciting match if both team do not change their style of play....attacking

i expect a high scoring game, may end in a DRAW

Shawn Koh
29-09-2007, 03:53 PM
Man City's gonna gun down the Magpies! :D

I agreed Man City quite strong at home :)

WRX_STI
29-09-2007, 05:08 PM
going to be big match :)

Thai_boy
29-09-2007, 05:10 PM
man city win 1-0

terryoch
29-09-2007, 08:42 PM
Second half will be MAN CITY!! JALAN

tomvoyeur
30-09-2007, 02:25 AM
Man City is ozzing class all over the park at the moment. There r so many potential match winners in the Man City squad now. Thaksin should be really pleased now. :)

PS: Ericksson is proving that he is a fabulous club manager despite his international failings.

Cum_Luver
30-09-2007, 08:06 AM
another good n exciting game to watch.
another good performance by City at home.
another win.
this Elano is good...
if they can play as good on away game, then City will be the surprise package this season...

screamer
30-09-2007, 08:12 PM
Second half will be MAN CITY!! JALAN

Sadly, me no kangtou , unable to bet JALAN :o

Himerus
30-09-2007, 08:17 PM
Second half will be MAN CITY!! JALAN

wow bro, ur kangtao is chun man.
congr....:)

Red_Tirak1099
01-10-2007, 11:52 AM
MAN CITY!!! I won big money at singapore pools strike booth. Bought $500 each on 1x2 win $1.90 only & half ball at $4.20. When they down 1 goal I wanted to cry lucky kept the faith. :D

Cum_Luver
04-10-2007, 10:17 PM
this weekend, Man City should have no problem with their game against Middlesbrough.
Another win for City to preserve their unbeaten home record for this season.

Man City 4 Middlesbrough 2

Red_Tirak1099
06-10-2007, 07:40 AM
this weekend, Man City should have no problem with their game against Middlesbrough.
Another win for City to preserve their unbeaten home record for this season.

Man City 4 Middlesbrough 2Your prediction pays out $45 in Singapore Pools:D ......ManCity GO GO GO!

Yiko
06-10-2007, 05:52 PM
I think the score will be Man City 2 Middlesbrough 0

screamer
06-10-2007, 10:14 PM
Hope City keep the steam going...

Red_Tirak1099
07-10-2007, 03:39 PM
ManCity supporters out there...anyone know is there is a ManCity fans club in Singapore? Or a pub where supporters hang out for matches? Sorry I am new ManCity convert here:)

Cum_Luver
07-10-2007, 10:12 PM
Man City is leading 1-0 now....
Go City Go !!!

ANDYSIAO14
08-10-2007, 12:16 AM
Congrats to MANCITY for wining 3-1 :)
First half leading 2-Nil...

Cum_Luver
08-10-2007, 12:30 AM
another great performance by Man City...
if they can win improve their away performance, who knows they might just finished in the top 5 or maybe top 4...

Red_Tirak1099
08-10-2007, 03:47 AM
ManCity NO HORSE RUN!!! Once again prove they are no flash in the pan....let this fairytale start carry on till the season end....too bad tonite this game no 'live':)

Glen2712
09-10-2007, 02:55 AM
City already making plans for January


Sven-Goran Eriksson says that plans for the January transfer window are already in hand.


Newspaper speculation is already linking the Blues with a number of players from all over Europe, with City’s excellent start to the season making them an enticing proposition.


The Manager has refused to be drawn on whom he has in mind, but assistant manager Tord Grip and others have already started to look at potential targets.


“We’re thinking about January,” Sven says. “Tord and some of the scouts have been travelling a lot lately, in fact I think Tord saw four games in three days last week in the UEFA Cup and Champions League.


“We are working on it, but I haven’t seen any papers so I don’t know what names are out there but I should be very surprised if some of the names that Tord, the coaches and I are discussing are in there – I don’t think so.”


The Manager, who brought eight new players to the Club in the summer, asserts that he won’t be spending money for the sake of it.


“I don’t know how much we’ll have to spend but I’m told there will be money available if we need it. We’ll have to be very careful, if we want to buy someone it has to be someone who will make this team better, and the better we play the more difficult it is to find players that can do that.


“It won’t be shopping like it was in August, but this international break is also very useful to have a look at players who are involved with their national sides as well.”






P.S: List Of UPPEES is not in full due to the capacity limitation of the signature function (not be longer than 300 characters excluding BB Code markup). Rest assured I've all ur nicks n u'll be awarded. If I do missed u, kindly PM me. :)


Appreciate the PM, Bro David_Ginola, Bro Rw6828, Bro Myo_Swee, Bro XboxSG, Bro Best123, Bro Ahnook78 and Bro bhoven!

Glen2712
09-10-2007, 03:11 AM
Keepers present Sven with a tough choice


City’s goalkeepers are giving manager Sven-Goran Eriksson food for thought when it comes to team selection.


The Blues boss replaced Kasper Schmeichel with Joe Hart on Saturday’s game against Newcastle after the Danish Under 21 international had played in every Premier League match of the season so far.


Hart, capped by England at Under 21 level, had played in two Carling Cup ties and with Swedish stopper Andreas Isaksson nearing full fitness, Sven admits he has a hard choice on his hands.


"Joe came on and did well and is knocking very hard on the door," the Manager said.


"I think Kasper has been doing extremely well but maybe he is not yet the best on crosses. He is big and tall but I was a little afraid of free-kicks and corners against us, with Viduka being such a big, strong forward for Newcastle.


"It was more of a feeling than a reason and I understand why Kasper is disappointed. Andreas has been very unlucky with injuries and is very nearly back to 100%.


"I do not know who the best is and if you ask our goalkeeping coach Eric Steele he would say the same. Some of the saves all three were making in training this morning were incredible."






P.S: List Of UPPEES is not in full due to the capacity limitation of the signature function (not be longer than 300 characters excluding BB Code markup). Rest assured I've all ur nicks n u'll be awarded. If I do missed u, kindly PM me. :)


Appreciate the PM, Bro David_Ginola, Bro Rw6828, Bro Myo_Swee, Bro XboxSG, Bro Best123, Bro Ahnook78 and Bro bhoven!

Red_Tirak1099
09-10-2007, 06:09 PM
Any updates on Suree? Hope he can make the team soon

Himerus
12-10-2007, 08:57 PM
after the international's matches, City next match is at home against struggling Birmingham City.
City should have no problem in this match and continue with their great home's form...:)

ang09
13-10-2007, 08:07 AM
If man city can maintain the current form until jan transfer period,and bring in few gd quality players,i forsee them to be in next season CL!

Red_Tirak1099
21-10-2007, 12:02 AM
Another victory for Thaksin's MANCHESTER CITY!!! Top 4 all won so no change at the top of the table. GO Man City GO! :)

shiroc
27-10-2007, 03:13 AM
we c against Chelsea :)

hope can be fantastic match :D

Red_Tirak1099
28-10-2007, 08:40 AM
It got too painful to watch after 3-0 to Chelsea :(

Red_Tirak1099
01-11-2007, 06:13 PM
Good showing by ManCity in the League Cup to erase weekend's terrible loss. GO MANCITY GO! :)

snakehead
01-11-2007, 06:28 PM
Good showing by ManCity in the League Cup to erase weekend's terrible loss. GO MANCITY GO!

Wah bro.... U Thaksin supporter:D .... lidat ur nick misleading leh..... should change to Blue_Tirak1099:D

btw I prefer man city over their red neighbours.... I scad of devil & ghosts!!

Red_Tirak1099
01-11-2007, 07:00 PM
Wah bro.... U Thaksin supporter:D .... lidat ur nick misleading leh..... should change to Blue_Tirak1099

btw I prefer man city over their red neighbours.... I scad of devil & ghosts!!
Ya think I should change coz my other favourite team in EPL is Everton, blue also. I am an ABU (Anything But Untied). Now I become ManCity supporter so all the more reasons to dislike ManU :cool:

Red_Tirak1099
10-11-2007, 12:49 PM
ManCity supporters let's hope our team do well tonight against Portsmouth :)

Thai Rak Thai
10-11-2007, 06:44 PM
wah big match :eek:

screamer
11-11-2007, 12:47 AM
wah big match :eek:


man city away form was not so impressive....

Red_Tirak1099
12-11-2007, 02:34 AM
Hard earned point to keep up pressure......way to go! Improvement on away form. :)

screamer
23-11-2007, 04:41 PM
Glad to see MAN city able to come away from portmouth with a point.

Next home game, I think can take them -1.5. singaporepools

Red_Tirak1099
23-11-2007, 10:47 PM
Sure can give! I'm hoping for a whitewash against Reading.

Too bad I'm too old to join the academies. But its good to see someone do something for Asian football. Go Thaksin GO! :D

Thaksin targeting globalisation

Thaksin Shinawatra has revealed his ambitious plans to create a string of Manchester City academies across Asia as part of making the club the biggest in the world.


The City chairman made a personal address to City fans yesterday detailing his dream of making the Blues a dominant global force.


Thaksin has already made quite an impression since arriving at the City of Manchester Stadium in July and, with Sven-Goran Eriksson's side sat third in the Premier League, optimism at the club could not be higher.

An integral aspect of Thaksin's strategy is to be in a position to bring the cream of Asia's young talent to the club.

And he has used the successful transition of City's Chinese defender Sun Jihai to English football as an example for young Asian stars to aspire to.

He told the club's official website: 'I plan eventually to establish Manchester City Football Club academies in Asia, firstly in my home nation of Thailand, then in China.

'The Academies are designed to identify and foster talented Asian youth and give them new opportunities in life through the beautiful game of football.

'Manchester City is leading the way in tapping into the reservoir of football talent in Asia. One of my particular hopes is that young Asian players, who show great promise, can find a life in professional football through Manchester City.

'It's my hope that they will become as famous in their own country as our City star Sun Jihai is to China and that young Chinese prospects will follow his shining example.

'Jihai has helped City become a better known club in China.

Thaksin also revealed how he is hopeful Eriksson will sign Asian players in the near future but insists he will not bring them to the club unless they are good enough.

He said: 'For the moment, I'm doing my best to persuade Sven to sign Asian players. But, let me be clear, Sven signs no one unless they are good enough to play for Manchester City.

'I want young players from all over the world, particularly young Asian players, to aspire to play for City and we must develop the structure and means for them to do so.

MICCMI
23-11-2007, 10:57 PM
i feel man c can qualify for uefa cup but not CL...

Dirk Kuyt
24-11-2007, 08:52 AM
Man City 2 Reading 1 (Elano)

Cum_Luver
24-11-2007, 04:21 PM
yes, Man City should win this match with ease, if they perform to their potential. ;)

bluewind22
24-11-2007, 10:21 PM
Correct Score
MC 1 Reading 3 ($62) muck muck :D

ANDYSIAO14
25-11-2007, 09:04 AM
Correct Score
MC 1 Reading 3 ($62) muck muck :D

FULL TIME SCORE

mancity 2 reading 1

Soul_Reaper
25-11-2007, 09:56 PM
Man City 2 Reading 1 (Elano)

Bro, u r good lah!

errhhh.... this thread dun tink got competition n pts :D

Red_Tirak1099
26-11-2007, 07:40 AM
Man City 2 Reading 1 (Elano)
Yes bro you good though have to sweat till 90mins....hehehe....WELL DONE MAN CITY! :cool:

lolly pop
26-11-2007, 10:17 AM
Haha looks like Sven having the last laugh now with his team beating all expectations and Eng getting knock out of Euro championship ..

Red_Tirak1099
27-11-2007, 04:20 AM
Sven got a proven club track record.....

screamer
06-12-2007, 02:37 PM
Sven got a proven club track record.....

but the way he ask them his player to play in those away game... he is more happy to a draw... as long as dun over attack and own back like commit to a goal


All bros who are backing Man City on a away match, beware..

For home matches, if you want more $$$ eturn, consider Singaporepools, DRAW-HOME. between 4.50- 4.80.


I got 3 winning ticket on " draw-home " already.

Red_Tirak1099
08-12-2007, 08:32 AM
Let's hope they do well tomolo.........

Spurs 0 ManCity 2 (HT: 0-1) :)

Glen2712
08-12-2007, 05:34 PM
Sven bemoans inflated prices
City boss put off English players by price


Manchester City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson admits buying the best of British could be beyond his budget.


The Swede is expected to be involved in the January transfer window with chairman Thaksin Shinawatra happy to provide the funds to continue the club's push for Europe.


Eriksson brought eight new faces to Eastlands following his appointment in August, several of whom he had not seen play before.


There may not be such extensive activity this time around, and the expense involved in buying home-grown players could rule out an influx of Englishman.


Difficulty

"It is possible I could bring in someone from England but you have to look at the market," he said.


"The difficulty when you take players from England is the price.


"I bought Javier Garrido (for £1.5million from Real Sociedad) but if we wanted to sign an English alternative, we would be looking at Wayne Bridge or Ashley Cole - and what would the cost be?"


At a time when the PFA claim the English game is in 'meltdown' due to its dwindling number of home-produced stars, Eriksson points to the success of City's academy, which has produced three England internationals and scores of first-team players, as evidence of what could be achieved.


Talent

However, if the situation is to be corrected, Eriksson feels it must be done by improved coaching rather than artificial quotas such as those FIFA president Sepp Blatter and his Uefa counterpart Michel Platini would like to see imposed.


"Legally you cannot do anything about it," he said.


"The only way to get more young English players into the Premier League is to keep working at youth level so the talent eventually comes through, as big talents, such as Micah Richards and Wayne Rooney always will."






P.S: List Of UPPEES is not in full due to the capacity limitation of the signature function (not be longer than 300 characters excluding BB Code markup). Rest assured I've all ur nicks n u'll be awarded. If I do missed u, kindly PM me. :)


Appreciate the PM, Bro David_Ginola, Bro Rw6828, Bro Myo_Swee, Bro XboxSG, Bro Best123, Bro Ahnook78, Bro bhoven, Bro VOGS, Bro nacho, Bro desk13, Bro BatistaSG, Bro steamystreamsg, Bro Linkus, Bro Regaine, Bro evo7_5, Bro Thongchai and Bro curiouslooker!

Glen2712
10-12-2007, 12:27 AM
Petrov takes the corner... and Bianchi SCORES! 1-1! :ROAR:






P.S: List Of UPPEES is not in full due to the capacity limitation of the signature function (not be longer than 300 characters excluding BB Code markup). Rest assured I've all ur nicks n u'll be awarded. If I do missed u, kindly PM me. :)


Appreciate the PM, Bro David_Ginola, Bro Rw6828, Bro Myo_Swee, Bro XboxSG, Bro Best123, Bro Ahnook78, Bro bhoven, Bro VOGS, Bro nacho, Bro desk13, Bro BatistaSG, Bro steamystreamsg, Bro Linkus, Bro Regaine, Bro evo7_5, Bro Thongchai and Bro curiouslooker!

Glen2712
10-12-2007, 12:47 AM
Ireland sees RED and Defoe scores....... 1-2 :(






P.S: List Of UPPEES is not in full due to the capacity limitation of the signature function (not be longer than 300 characters excluding BB Code markup). Rest assured I've all ur nicks n u'll be awarded. If I do missed u, kindly PM me. :)


Appreciate the PM, Bro David_Ginola, Bro Rw6828, Bro Myo_Swee, Bro XboxSG, Bro Best123, Bro Ahnook78, Bro bhoven, Bro VOGS, Bro nacho, Bro desk13, Bro BatistaSG, Bro steamystreamsg, Bro Linkus, Bro Regaine, Bro evo7_5, Bro Thongchai and Bro curiouslooker!

Red_Tirak1099
10-12-2007, 12:55 AM
ManCity away form really CMI.....:(

Red_Tirak1099
11-12-2007, 02:40 PM
Catch repeat telecast of interview with ManCity Chairman Dr Thaksin Shinawatra on channel23 tonite at 9.30 pm :)

Thai Rak Thai
11-12-2007, 02:47 PM
i hope bianchi stays he is top player he will play for azzurri one day:)

Red_Tirak1099
15-12-2007, 01:49 PM
Go for a City win tonight give 1 half ball at SingPools.....returns 3.15 :)

machoman
15-12-2007, 01:56 PM
Go for a City win tonight give 1 half ball at SingPools.....returns 3.15 :)

Sorry, bro but I have to disagree.

I have a strong sneaky gut feeling that the Trotters will draw or even, cause an upset victory over the over-performing City team tonight & break their unbeaten home record. :eek: :rolleyes: :cool:

Cum_Luver
15-12-2007, 02:16 PM
should be a DRAW as Bolton is beginning to get back their resilence under Megson..

Red_Tirak1099
16-12-2007, 01:52 AM
Ole Ole Ole Ole.....Man City perfect home record intact.......fighting spirit come back from behind......me win big money!!! Man City I LOVE YOU!!! :) :):) :)

FuckTV
16-12-2007, 02:03 AM
Ole Ole Ole Ole.....Man City perfect home record intact.......fighting spirit come back from behind......me win big money!!! Man City I LOVE YOU!!!

Con samster's money and use it as your betting capital? :D

Cum_Luver
16-12-2007, 12:20 PM
a spirited n good comeback win for Man City...
congr on keeping the perfect home's record...well done

Glen2712
16-12-2007, 04:11 PM
Sven revels in ideal home exhibitions

The Observer


http://soccernet-akamai.espn.go.com/design05/DJ/20071215/bianchi_nsimp.jpg




Manchester City do not attract the same headlines as England, but the original foreigner in charge of the national team is making a bold bid for Premier League attention.


Thanks to late goals from Darius Vassell and the promising Kelvin Etuhu, Sven-Goran Eriksson will now reach Christmas with a perfect home league record. Nine games, nine wins. Beat that, Fabio. No one was predicting such a thing in August, although no one was predicting Bolton would need to be revived by Gary Megson, either.


On this evidence the revival is not fully complete, though for well over 80 minutes Bolton looked anything but a team threatened by relegation. They just could not match City's consistency and determination to keep going, and who would have predicted that? 'I told the players they looked like losers at half time, but we showed very good morale in the second half,' Eriksson said.


Bolton gave as good an account of themselves as City in the opening minutes, only to present an early goal to their opponents with an unforced defensive error. Ricardo Gardner had an opportunity to clear under no particular pressure from Vassell, but misjudged the flight of the ball and let his man in behind him. Vassell might have done better than strike his shot straight at the goalkeeper, although once the ball had rebounded back off Jussi Jaaskelainen at least he had the presence of mind to find Michael Johnson, whose first-time pass left Rolando Bianchi with a simple tap-in. If it was a sloppy goal for Bolton to concede, City's willingness to get forward could not be faulted. Johnson and Bianchi were both up in support before the Wanderers defence could get back to cover.


The visitors threatened mostly from set pieces, as is their wont, although Nicolas Anelka was always dangerous and grazed a post with a shot from a tight angle after 25 minutes. Two minutes after that, Nicky Hunt sent over a deep cross from the right that Kevin Davies not only reached but knocked down for Anelka, not quite accurately enough for an effective shot. Still, City had been warned, and could not say Bolton's equaliser just after the half-hour was undeserved or unexpected. It was actually the result of one of the best bits of interpassing in the first half, with El Hadji Diouf moving the ball out to Davies in space on the right, then continuing his run into the area to sweep a low cross into the net.


With Vassell lapsing back into disappointing mode and Bianchi failing to bother Jaaskelainen again before half time, Bolton saw an opportunity to turn round in front and took it. Gardner made up for his earlier mistake by skipping around Vedran Corluka on the left, doing well to keep the ball in play and when Dietmar Hamann attempted to cut out the cross, the City midfielder succeeded only in teeing it up for Kevin Nolan. The Bolton captain looked up as if amazed at the amount of unprotected goal he could see and lost no time in poking a shot into the generous gap.


City were back on level terms three minutes into the second half following a good run and cross from Etuhu, immediately adding more punch down the right than Vassell or Fernandes Gelson, who he replaced, had managed. Bolton survived the initial danger without fully clearing the ball and when improvisation from Johnson retained possession for City, a retreating Hamann sent in a hopeful shot that Lubomir Michalik inadvertently touched past his own goalkeeper.


Both sides appeared to think that was enough scoring for a cold winter's afternoon and the game was becalmed for 25 minutes until incident returned suddenly with a chance at either end. The quiet though ominously threatening Anelka brought a sharp save from Andreas Isaksson in the City goal after good work by Diouf and Davies, then, within seconds, Vassell held the ball up at the other end long enough for Johnson to stroke a shot against a post.


City's crucial third goal was considerably scruffier than either of those opportunities, though Vassell will not mind in the slightest. He was in the right place at the right time to meet Martin Petrov's cross and though his contact was not the cleanest, a stranded Jaaskelainen was powerless to prevent the ball trickling over the line off an upright.


'We left a massive hole and chucked away a result,' Megson said. 'We can't keep doing that. We only start defending about 10 seconds after we should.'


Bolton were all over the place chasing an equaliser by the time Etuhu added a last-gasp fourth, though, from Javier Garrido's cross, he took his opportunity coolly. 'He did two excellent things and then he scored a goal,' Eriksson said. 'He's not ready yet, but he's got pace and he's a talent.'






P.S: List Of UPPEES is not in full due to the capacity limitation of the signature function (not be longer than 300 characters excluding BB Code markup). Rest assured I've all ur nicks n u'll be awarded. If I do missed u, kindly PM me. :)


Appreciate the PM, Bro David_Ginola, Bro Rw6828, Bro Myo_Swee, Bro XboxSG, Bro Best123, Bro Ahnook78, Bro bhoven, Bro VOGS, Bro nacho, Bro desk13, Bro BatistaSG, Bro steamystreamsg, Bro Linkus, Bro Regaine, Bro evo7_5, Bro Thongchai and Bro curiouslooker!

screamer
16-12-2007, 09:28 PM
9 home win. 100% home record.

WELL DONE

Red_Tirak1099
17-12-2007, 08:42 AM
Man City sitting pretty in 4th spot.......Champions League here we come! :)

Red_Terok1099
17-12-2007, 01:25 PM
Sorry, bro but I have to disagree.

I have a strong sneaky gut feeling that the Trotters will draw or even, cause an upset victory over the over-performing City team tonight & break their unbeaten home record. :eek: :rolleyes: :cool:

FT Manchester C. 4 - 2 Bolton W.

Eh.... white hair fellow.... eat your words now. Stop your ranting....:rolleyes:

Red_Tirak1099
18-12-2007, 02:32 AM
FT Manchester C. 4 - 2 Bolton W.

Eh.... white hair fellow.... eat your words now. Stop your ranting....:rolleyes:
Relax.....all in the name of fun no need get personal.....you win some you lose some....cheers! :)

machoman
18-12-2007, 09:31 AM
FT Manchester C. 4 - 2 Bolton W.

Eh.... white hair fellow.... eat your words now. Stop your ranting....:rolleyes:

Ranting? :confused:

Just giving my opinion. :rolleyes::cool:

Red_Tirak1099
21-12-2007, 12:02 PM
ManCity this Sunday. They have a good record against Aston Villa.....time for them to start winning on the road. Go Go Go!!! :)

JWNY
21-12-2007, 05:27 PM
Man City job is Sven's 'until he retires' - Thaskin

Manchester City owner Thaksin Shinawatra says Sven-Goran Eriksson could have a job for life at Eastlands.

The former England boss has enjoyed a fine return to club management since being appointed by Thaksin in the summer and his work in elevating the club to fourth in the Barclays Premier League has not gone unnoticed.

Thaksin told the Daily Star: 'I think Sven can remain our manager until he retires.

'I didn't expect the team would achieve this kind of level. But I did believe when I arrived that Manchester City could improve a lot.

'And you simply have to hand it to Sven who has done a marvellous job.'

He added: 'He is a very good football strategist and he teaches the players well. His motivational ability is another important part of his game.

'We consider him as a world-class manager. There are not many of them in football but Sven is certainly one of them.'

Red_Tirak1099
22-12-2007, 03:24 PM
At club level, Sven Goran Eriksson has managed to win trophies with every club he managed except one (Fiorentina).......let's hope he maintain this proud record......maybe he can even transform Man City into another Lazio!

Red_Tirak1099
23-12-2007, 01:49 PM
No 3 points 1 point also will have to do :o

<<<SUCHINDA>>>
25-12-2007, 10:03 AM
Lionel Lewis for Manchester City? Where do I buy the Man City GK jersey with his name on it? :rolleyes:

Himerus
27-12-2007, 03:46 PM
against Blackburn, Man City should continue their fine form at home...

Man City 3 Blackburn 1

mastereign
28-12-2007, 01:17 AM
against Blackburn, Man City should continue their fine form at home...

Man City 3 Blackburn 1

Alot of Man City home game is DRAW / Home. $4.50 on this match from Singaporepools.

<<<SUCHINDA>>>
28-12-2007, 03:42 PM
100% home record broken liao :p

ah dorrer
30-12-2007, 09:44 PM
Alot of Man City home game is DRAW / Home. $4.50 on this match from Singaporepools.

I hope tonight will be home draw, the odd is just too worth the bet $9.8.

screamer
01-01-2008, 05:46 PM
I hope tonight will be home draw, the odd is just too worth the bet $9.8.


Bro, Man City vs Liverpool was Draw Draw

Hope tonight Man City will preform better

<<<SUCHINDA>>>
03-01-2008, 06:50 AM
Blues start new year with fine win

Teams:

Newcastle United: Given, Beye, Taylor, Cacapa, N'Zogbia, Milner, Faye, Butt, Duff, Viduka, Martins.

unused subs: Harper, Enrique, Rozehnal, Emre, Owen.

City: Hart, Onuoha, Dunne (c), Richards, Ball, Ireland (Fernandes 74), Hamann, Corluka, Petrov, Elano (Etuhu 70), Vassell (Bianchi 87).

unused subs: Isaksson, Garrido.

Goals: 0-1 (Elano 38), 0-2 (Fernandes 76)

Bookings:

Newcastle:

City: Elano (41), Vassell (85)

Pre match:

City's starting eleven remained the same from Sunday, with Kelvin Etuhu replacing Geovanni on the bench. For the hosts, Michael Owen was on the bench.

The Match

It was a bitingly cold night on Tyneside, but that had not put off over 50,000 fans, including the vociferous City contingent, housed as ever at St James’ high up in the corner to the left of the main stand.

A minute’s applause was held in the memory of Phil O’Donnell, who had tragically collapsed and died while playing for Motherwell on Saturday.

Newcastle’s first corner, after five minutes, saw Joe Hart in action, blocking Taylor’s header before getting in the way of Beye’s shot from the rebound.

City spurned a great opportunity on 19 minutes when N’Zogbia’s gave the ball away to Vassell. He quickly found Ireland in the box, but the midfielder dallied and his pass towards Elano was cut out. The hosts went straight down to the other end, with Martins forcing Hart to make a good save.

City’s Brazilian playmaker volleyed wide from an angle on 22, and then Martins shot wide, but Richard Dunne had forced him to turn away from target a the crucial time.

The home fans were claiming a penalty just afterwards when Martins went down in the area – but quite rightly the referee had seen that it was due to a superbly timed challenge by City’s skipper.

The hosts had their tails up, and N’Zogbia went on a great run into the box that ended with him pumping a shot straight at Joe Hart.

Martin Petrov forced Shay Given into action on the half hour, his left-footed shot being tipped around the post by the Irish international.

And with seven minutes of the half left, City took the lead thanks to an intricate little move. Elano fed Ireland, who laid it on to Vassell. He in turn found Elano, who curled it first time around Given’s outstretched right hand. It was the Brazilian’s first goal since the penalty at the Reebok Stadium on Hallowe’en.

The goal scorer was in trouble just afterwards, seeing yellow for a poor challenge on Faye, but not as bad as the Newcastle player made out as he writhed on the floor.

Michael Owen replaced Martins at the break, and it was almost the dream start as he forced Hart into a save from close range just seconds in.

City soaked up minutes of pressure, hitting back with frequent counterattacks. Owen was at the heart of the home side’s play, but to the dismay of the home fans their side could not threaten Joe Hart.

Kelvin Etuhu replaced Elano with 20 minutes left, the little playmaker receiving a huge ovation from City’s fans..

But it was another substitution that saw City double the lead with 14 minutes left. Gelson Fernandes had just replaced Ireland when Etuhu did well to hold the ball up in the area with his back to goal. He rolled into the Swiss international’s path,and he placed it beyond Given first time with his left foot from the edge of the area. It was his first touch and he looked as though he could barely believe what had happened.

Joe Hart made a brilliant save a couple of minutes later, flying up to his right to tip Butt’s shot from outside the box over the bar. Vassell and Cacapa clashed heads and stayed down for a couple of minutes, but both players recovered to continue.

As the clock wound down the stadium began to empty as the home fans made their feelings known, a fact not lost on City’s fans as they sang themselves hoarse.

The Blues played out time comfortably and after four minutes of stoppage time they had their first away win since August and three invaluable points.

Cum_Luver
03-01-2008, 07:00 AM
Congratulation Blues for an fine away win and what a way to start the New Year 2008.
My Reds draw again, what a disappointment...

Adidas020108
03-01-2008, 10:53 AM
a fine win by Man City...
this will definitely put more pressure on Newcastle's manger - Sam.

a quote from soccernet:

"Beleaguered Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce was plunged deeper into trouble as Manchester City ended their wait for a Barclays Premier League win on the road at the worst possible moment for the former Bolton boss."

well done Blues !!! :)

Glen2712
10-01-2008, 06:04 PM
Sven comfirms Mancini interest

City boss wants Roman gem


http://img.skysports.com/07/07/800x600/mancini_548043.jpg




Manchester City manager Sven Goran Eriksson has confirmed his interest in Roma star Mancini.


The Brazilian forward, who has previously been targeted by Liverpool, is now high on City's wanted list and Eriksson has compared him to Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo.


"I want Mancini here immediately as he is the ideal man to strengthen my squad," Eriksson told Il Romanista.


Talent

"He could become my Cristiano Ronaldo."


"Money isn't a problem for us, but it depends on whether Roma want to sell him."


"I know that contract talks have hit a brick wall, but we will have to talk to his agent Gilmar Veloz."


Mancini is contracted to Roma until 2009 - but the 28-year-old is unlikely to pen a new deal at the Stadio Olimpico.


Boost

Meanwhile, Eriksson has been boosted with the return from injury of starlet Daniel Sturridge.


The 18-year-old has been sidelined since the summer with a hip injury.


"Danny has been back in training for the last two days now, and from what I've seen there's no doubt that he's a very good football player," said Eriksson.


"He's not ready to play in games just yet, but maybe in a couple of weeks time or within a month he could be ready for a reserve match."


"I had heard that he is a big talent, and just looking at him in training I can see that he could well be an important footballer."


"I have said to him, 'I've finally seen you play!' I have been here half a year and had not seen him play yet, so to see him has been a positive surprise. He's got a good left foot and he's a strong guy as well."






P.S: List Of UPPEES is not in full due to the capacity limitation of the signature function (not be longer than 300 characters excluding BB Code markup). Rest assured I've all ur nicks n u'll be awarded. If I do missed u, kindly PM me. :)


Appreciate the PM, Bro David_Ginola, Bro Rw6828, Bro Myo_Swee, Bro XboxSG, Bro Best123, Bro Ahnook78, Bro bhoven, Bro VOGS, Bro nacho, Bro desk13, Bro BatistaSG, Bro steamystreamsg, Bro Linkus, Bro Regaine, Bro evo7_5, Bro Thongchai and Bro curiouslooker!

<<<SUCHINDA>>>
17-01-2008, 09:42 AM
Manchester City 1 - 0 West Ham

Wednesday Jan 16 2008


A piece of Brazilian magic earned Manchester City a place in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Elano was City's match-winner, scoring a late goal in their third round replay against West Ham United at Eastlands.

With extra-time looming, Elano settled the issue with his seventh goal of the season to earn City a tie at Sheffield United.

In a tightly contested game, a lone goal always looked like settling the outcome and City had the fortune of scoring it.

But it was rough justice on the Hammers as City's Joe Hart was by far the busier of the two keepers.

After an uninspiring opening half-hour, in which neither side created a clear-cut chance, the Hammers almost stole into the lead.Dean Ashton was put clean through on goal by a diagonal pass from Luis Boa Morte but Hart dashed from his line to make a brilliant block.

City were then forced to make a change when new signing Nery Castillo damaged his left shoulder after falling awkwardly in a challenge with Lucas Neill.

Castillo, captured a fortnight ago on loan from Ukraine club Shakhtar Donetsk, was replaced by Italian Rolando Bianchi.

The Hammers finished the opening half strongly with Lee Bowyer and Anton Ferdinand having attempts at goal though neither troubled Hart who, in stoppage time, again had to dash from his line to make another block to thwart Ashton.

Hart again showed why he is one of England's top young keepers when, early in the second half, he stood up well to keep out an angled shot from Boa Morte.

City had to wait until just short of the hour mark before creating their first scoring attempt of the match when Bianchi, sliding in at the far post, was unable to hit the targets from Martin Petrov's low left-wing cross.

That was followed by a period of City dominance as they became an increasing threat and their efforts were finally rewarded with a goal in the 73rd minute.

Petrov once again opened the Hammers defence on the left and, from his cross, Bianchi headed against the far upright before Elano found the net with a diving header as he reacted first to the loose ball.

Elano had a great chance to seal victory in the dying seconds at a time when the Hammers looked as though they might snatch an equaliser.Stephen Ireland squared the ball invitingly into the path of the Brazilian but he blazed over from 18 yards when he ought to have hit the target.

screamer
21-01-2008, 07:01 PM
Man City fail to get all 3 points last night from WestHam... hope they not losing the steam.

<<<SUCHINDA>>>
21-01-2008, 07:26 PM
Man City fail to get all 3 points last night from WestHam... hope they not losing the steam.look on the bright side.....unbeaten home record is intact :D

screamer
11-02-2008, 11:00 AM
For this season, Man city had a bad away form. only manage some draw ..

but last nigth, they got thier first away win. What make it sweet was it was against Man Utd.

lagi best was it was the first Double on UTD :D

darkafac
13-02-2008, 02:20 PM
i guess its bcos of the fact tt its a derby match.. Man City played very well..

especially Benjani who scored in his debut match which i think he deserve it cos for the whole match, his workrate is very high..

another player which i would like to praise is the young defender Nedum Onuoha who tight mark CR so well on tt game which u din even notice tt CR is playing..

Man City definitely has the capability to compete for the 4th place..

:)

Glen2712
07-09-2008, 11:43 AM
Now City can be bigger than the Big Four, warns Hughes

Manager won't be fazed by the pressure of managing the richest club in the world



http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Football/Pix/pictures/2008/09/04/460RobinhoPA.jpg




In the next few days Mark Hughes intends to visit Abu Dhabi to meet Manchester City's new billionaire owners and, if everything we have learned about Dr Sulaiman Al Fahim and his friends is true, he will be flying on a private jet, a presidential convoy of blacked-out limousines will be waiting at the airport and his hotel suite will be the kind of six-star luxury where even the Jacuzzi taps are chiselled from gold.


It is a far cry from the skinflint world that Manchester City used to know. Yet this is the way it is going to be at a club that can now be described, without fear of contradiction, as the richest on the planet - a club, lest it be forgotten, where it was not long ago that players had to put up without hot water in the dressing rooms and Niall Quinn remembers asking for basic necessities, such as a pair of new boots, being "like drawing blood from a stone".


For City, it has been the first step into a brave new world and, for Hughes, the craziest week of his professional life. "Agents never used to call me when I was at Blackburn because they knew we did not have the funds," he said. "Now, all of a sudden, I'm every-agent-in-the-land's new best friend."


Hughes was in good humour, holding court from behind his desk at City's training ground, and if there was one thing that came across it was that he was determined to embrace the new regime rather than worrying about the fact ultra-rich businessmen are not usually known for their patience.


"I've had pressure all my career, as a player and a manager," he said. "There's always pressure to win games, irrespective of what club you're at and what resources you have, so that doesn't change. Obviously the degree of expectation changes, but that doesn't really faze me. In fact, it doesn't faze me at all.


"I've been working in the Premier League for four years, it's the hardest league in the world and, in fairness, I did an exceptional job at my last club. I know I'm good at what I do and that's not me just blowing smoke up my own arse.


"The difference is that there was always frustration at Blackburn because there were weaknesses that I couldn't address due to not having the financial resources. There are weaknesses in my current team, too, but I'm in a position now to address them any time I want."


All of which was very apparent on transfer deadline day when it is difficult to look at the list of players City tried to sign - Dimitar Berbatov, Ruud van Nistelrooy, David Villa, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar are only four of the ones who are known about - without inhaling deeply.


"The owners wanted to make a statement and we tried to make the kind of bids to make people think very seriously about letting players go," said Hughes. "We didn't just pick names out of the sky. These were players we thought there was a real possibility we could get. It was a really important day for the owners, they wanted to come in and make a real impact, not only on the people of Manchester but the entire football world. They wanted to get someone in that would make people sit up and take notice and, in the end, they did exactly that and got a great player through the door."


In three days of business, more than 2,000 City supporters have already had Robinho's name emblazoned on their replica shirts. Pele, however, has questioned whether Robinho "needs serious counselling" to want to play for City. "Maybe Pele is not in full possession of the facts about what we are trying to do here," Hughes countered. "If he did understand, and he was still a player, maybe he would have thought about joining us as well."


City, according to Al Fahim, will bid £135m for Cristiano Ronaldo in the January transfer window, as well as offering £50m-plus for Fernando Torres of Liverpool and Cesc Fábregas of Arsenal. Hughes has misgivings whether the top English clubs will want do business with City - "some will be more receptive than others," he says - but he believes Robinho's arrival makes the club a "more attractive proposition" to potential signings.


Berbatov turned down City because he was "in a different stage in his career, in his late 20s, and wants to play in the Champions League very quickly". But eventually Hughes sees City being "bigger than the Big Four" and he smiled when he was asked whether he had spoken to Sir Alex Ferguson since trying to sign Berbatov from under Manchester United's nose? "No," he replied. "It was the other way round, wasn't it?"






P.S: List Of UPPEES is not in full due to the capacity limitation of the signature function (not be longer than 300 characters excluding BB Code markup). Rest assured I've all ur nicks n u'll be awarded. If I do missed u, kindly PM me. :)


Appreciate the PM, Bro David_Ginola, Bro Rw6828, Bro Myo_Swee, Bro XboxSG, Bro Best123, Bro Ahnook78, Bro bhoven, Bro VOGS, Bro nacho, Bro desk13, Bro BatistaSG, Bro steamystreamsg, Bro Linkus, Bro Regaine, Bro evo7_5, Bro Thongchai and Bro curiouslooker!

Glen2712
07-09-2008, 04:02 PM
Manchester City Transfers

2008/09 Season



http://www.bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk/images/layout/headers/manchester-city-squad.jpg








In

Jô - CSKA Moscow
Tal Ben Haim - Chelsea
Vincent Kompany - Hamburg
Shaun Wright-Phillips - Chelsea
Pablo Zabelta - Espanyol
Glauber Berti - FC Nuremberg
Robinho - Real Madrid

Out

Bernardo Corradi - Released
Paul Dickov - Released
Geovanni - Released
Emile Mpenza - Released
Jihai Sun - Released
Andreas Isaksson - PSV Eindhoven
Georgios Samaras - Celtic
Vedran Corluka - Tottenham
Felipe Caicedo - Hertha Berlin (loan)






P.S: List Of UPPEES is not in full due to the capacity limitation of the signature function (not be longer than 300 characters excluding BB Code markup). Rest assured I've all ur nicks n u'll be awarded. If I do missed u, kindly PM me. :)


Appreciate the PM, Bro David_Ginola, Bro Rw6828, Bro Myo_Swee, Bro XboxSG, Bro Best123, Bro Ahnook78, Bro bhoven, Bro VOGS, Bro nacho, Bro desk13, Bro BatistaSG, Bro steamystreamsg, Bro Linkus, Bro Regaine, Bro evo7_5, Bro Thongchai and Bro curiouslooker!

Glen2712
07-09-2008, 04:18 PM
City fans right to be optimistic, says Hughes

Manager In Bright Blue Mood



http://img1.uploadhouse.com/fileuploads/2576/25763714826e47e9acce5846108271310a662ac.jpg




Mark Hughes is determined to ignore all the talk surrounding Manchester City as he looks forward to building on a good start to the season.


The current international break comes at the end of a week where the Blues bagged two Premier League wins either side of a nail-biting UEFA Cup victory. Following that came the deadline-day move for Robinho, but the Manager is dismissing suggestions that he is already eyeing the next transfer window.


“Actually I am looking forward to the end of the international break,” he asserts, “so we can get the players back and start working with them. I’m a football person, working with players is what I do and making them go in the direction we want is key. The other issues surrounding the Club will addressed by people with that expertise, so for now I’m just hoping that all my players come back fit and well.”


The arrival of the exciting Robinho has captured City fans’ imaginations, but regardless of who potential targets might be Hughes says that his basic approach towards buying players remains unchanged.


“I think the fans are right to be optimistic,” he continues, “but it takes time to build a team and as I have said before we have to make sure that the balance of the squad is right. That’s my job, but we’ll get there as quickly as we can.


“What’s important is that we will try to get value, if we can, if the right player is attainable. We’ll still look for good, young players who will gain value because that is what I always think is the right thing to do.


“We’ll make sure that we get the right players for the right positions, that’s building a football team and a club. We will go for players that I think will enhance our expectations for success. My role does not really change, maybe the sums of money and the means to get a different level of player changes. But the same mindset is here, and that’s bringing players that will help build a team.”


Robinho will meet up with his new team-mates after returning from Brazil’s World Cup qualifier in Rio against Bolivia late on Wednesday night, and Hughes does not think there will be any problem integrating him, or Argentinean defender Pablo Zabaleta, when his squad reconvenes.


“I don’t see a problem, we are getting world-class players here and if you ask any club about bringing those sorts of players in, the effect is always positive. The guys already here will see it as a challenge, they will have to up their game.


“You have to regenerate a team to bring in new faces, it stimulates the group and bringing in the likes of Robinho can only be a positive.”






P.S: List Of UPPEES is not in full due to the capacity limitation of the signature function (not be longer than 300 characters excluding BB Code markup). Rest assured I've all ur nicks n u'll be awarded. If I do missed u, kindly PM me. :)


Appreciate the PM, Bro David_Ginola, Bro Rw6828, Bro Myo_Swee, Bro XboxSG, Bro Best123, Bro Ahnook78, Bro bhoven, Bro VOGS, Bro nacho, Bro desk13, Bro BatistaSG, Bro steamystreamsg, Bro Linkus, Bro Regaine, Bro evo7_5, Bro Thongchai and Bro curiouslooker!

Glen2712
07-09-2008, 04:45 PM
Amanda brings smile to City

Doncaster girl masterminded Arab takeover of Manchester City


http://img5.uploadhouse.com/fileuploads/2576/25764859f243acdc917e0881fdbb30b8cce247b.jpg




CITY'S sensational takeover was brokered by the same financial high-flyer involved in trying to help Liverpool into Middle Eastern hands.


Amanda Staveley, one of Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai's closest confidantes and senior partner at financial advisory firm PCP Capital Partners, is the woman at the heart of the deal that will see the Blues change hands for more than £200m.


Staveley, 35, is Dubai International Capital's chief negotiator, has been involved in completely separate talks over the Anfield club.


Under the terms of the deal, agreed in principle in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, after two weeks of manoeuvrings former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will retain a 10 per cent share of the Blues and be honorary chairman.


New owners Abu Dhabi United Development Group led by Dr Sulaiman Al Fahim and supported by the Emirate's ruler, HH Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, will not make change for change's sake in the boardroom or boot-room.


Mark Hughes job as manager is safe with the Abu Dhabi firm pledging as much assistance as possible in helping turn the Blues into a top-four club in the next three seasons.


"I advised City on the deal and what Dr Thaksin has done and intended to do all along was ensure the long-term stability of the club," said private equity specialist and former Businesswoman of the Year Staveley.


"The investment partnership has been entered to ensure the long term future of Manchester City. The deal includes a significant budget for player spending and working capital. Dr Thaksin wanted to be a responsible owner and didn't want a repeat of the shenanigans at Liverpool."


Advice

Staveley, who once famously dated Prince Andrew, is one of the most trusted business brains in the Arab world and was keen to stress how big a club the Blues already are to its new owners. Her advice and that of Thaksin's lieutenants was not unheeded.


"We were particularly attracted to Manchester City's reputation for having one of the largest and most loyal fan bases throughout the football world," said Dr Al Fahim who is promising limitless funds and aiming at the top four in the next two or three seasons.


"It is a great opportunity to further invest with the club and with Dr. Thaksin in regional and international sports promotion and youth development programmes.


"What also attracted us to Manchester City is the opportunity to expand our international business reach into the City of Manchester, and especially to consider the excellent real estate development potential on prime property surrounding the stadium."


The former owner was equally pleased with the way the deal has been constructed.


"I am delighted to be building this new partnership with Abu Dhabi United Development Group (ADUG), who share my vision for City to join the top tier of British football on an international stage," he said.


"With Mark Hughes at the helm and some strong player signings the Club is very well positioned for this season and beyond. I look forward to this new partnership delivering great things for City fans."


The strategic investment in City by Abu Dhabi United Group will mark the first time that a Middle East investor has taken a significant stake in a Premier League team.


It is thought that the Is will be dotted and Ts crossed within a fortnight.


Dr Al Fahim is due in England later this week with the deal subject to the finalization of definitive agreements and all appropriate consents and approvals having been obtained.






P.S: List Of UPPEES is not in full due to the capacity limitation of the signature function (not be longer than 300 characters excluding BB Code markup). Rest assured I've all ur nicks n u'll be awarded. If I do missed u, kindly PM me. :)


Appreciate the PM, Bro David_Ginola, Bro Rw6828, Bro Myo_Swee, Bro XboxSG, Bro Best123, Bro Ahnook78, Bro bhoven, Bro VOGS, Bro nacho, Bro desk13, Bro BatistaSG, Bro steamystreamsg, Bro Linkus, Bro Regaine, Bro evo7_5, Bro Thongchai and Bro curiouslooker!

Glen2712
07-09-2008, 04:59 PM
New owners must learn from Real how not to splash cash

The Guardian Daniel Taylor: In search for success what counts is not how much you spend but how you spend it




http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/UAE_map_flag.png




The aim, ultimately, is worldwide domination. Garry Cook, Manchester City's executive chairman, has already spoken of the club outgrowing Manchester United and, at the time, many people wondered whether he had his fingers crossed behind his back. But one takeover and one Brazilian superstar later, and nobody ought to be too taken aback when City's new billionaire owners start talking about making £135m bids for Cristiano Ronaldo.


We have been here before, of course. In 1976, City's chairman was Peter Swales and before one match he wrote in the club's programme: "If we've not hit the high spots in two years, I will consider that a failure. My personal ambition is to see City as the No1 club in the country. Anything other than that and I have failed, and I hope I am big enough to accept it." He wasn't and, 32 years on, City are still waiting for their next trophy.


The difference this time is that City are no longer just a football club but a giant fruit machine. Yet vast amounts of money do not always equate to trophies. There are certain models to be followed and, just as importantly, there are those that should be avoided at all costs.


Real Madrid once had wealth that made them the envy of every other club in the world. And yet the romance of the Galáctico era is largely a myth. Their president at the time was Florentino Pérez, an egomaniac who, in his final three years, spent €440m (£358m) on 20 players, fired six coaches and four sporting directors and won nothing - Madrid's longest run without a trophy for more than half a century.


The horror stories of that time should act as a warning about what can happen when people with vast sums of money but little knowledge of football get in a position of power. When Carlos Queiroz, as manager, asked Pérez for money to sign a defender and central midfielder, the club responded by selling their holding player, Claude Makelele, and that summer David Beckham arrived. Beckham was signed when the club already had Luis Figo to play on the right wing and, all the time, the presence of so many superstars caused resentment and friction among the other players. Outside the club's training ground one day there was a huge poster of Beckham, Figo, Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos. One player looked up at it and observed: "You'd think they were the only players at this club."


In City's case, Dr Sulaiman Al Fahim has already spoken about trying to sign Ronaldo, Thierry Henry, David Villa, Ronaldo (the tubby Brazilian version), Mario Gómez and Fernando Torres. Revealingly, he did not mention one defender or goalkeeper and only one midfielder, Arsenal's Cesc Fábregas.


This is where the manager should be trusted and, in Mark Hughes, City have someone who appears to be well qualified and well respected. Yet transfers are already being negotiated above Hughes's head. He had no say in the summer-long pursuit of Ronaldinho and little input in the £19m signing of Jo, and that smacks worryingly of what happened at Madrid before Pérez eventually fired the man who was responsible: himself.


Manchester United and Chelsea, despite the criticism both clubs attract, are much better models. Theirs are impressive behind-the-scenes operations and, in United's case, there is a manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, who has retained a strong enough position for the club's owners, the Glazer family, never to attempt to force a player on him.


When Ferguson hit rock-bottom in late 2005, the Glazers showed nerve and patience and put their trust in him. Would the billionaire tycoons behind the Abu Dhabi United Group do the same if Hughes has a sticky run? It is difficult to tell, but it will certainly not help Hughes if, after every bad result, he starts picking up Ranieri-esque vibes that the club are sounding out, say, Jose Mourinho.


Even if the Roman Abramovich is an occasional meddler, Chelsea have done more things right than not. They, like United, have a hinterland and fan base to attract new players even before the question of money arises. They have bought good players and, in doing so, projected the image of the club.


City have some catching up to do on that front - "we are at a different stage of our development," Hughes admits - but Manchester, as a city, is very much on the football map, with an international airport and a better climate than the stereotype. Robinho's arrival will encourage more A-listers to treat City seriously.


Above all, it is important that City do it with a touch of class. Everyone has seen the mistakes at Chelsea: the PR disasters, the egos, the mudslinging, the nouveau riche lack of class. Back in 1976, Swales, the son of an Ardwick fishmonger, had a combover, Cuban heels and a gritty Mancunian accent. The ultra-ambitious Cook has his initials sewn into his shirt pocket, an American twang and Club Jaguar cufflinks. In one respect already, Manchester City have become Manchester United.




Trouble at the top


Peter Swales Made his money in rented televisions and was chairman for over 20 years from October 1973. Became hugely unpopular after City's relegation in 1983

Francis Lee Former City striker turned toilet-paper businessman. Bought 29.9% of City in 1994, becoming chairman, but debts mounted. Resigned in 1998 shortly before relegation to the third tier

John Wardle and David Makin Owners of JD Sports who became major shareholders, presided over move to new stadium and top-flight promotion. Struggled with debts

Thaksin Shinawatra Bought City in June 2007 but chose to sell with £800m in assets frozen in Thailand







P.S: List Of UPPEES is not in full due to the capacity limitation of the signature function (not be longer than 300 characters excluding BB Code markup). Rest assured I've all ur nicks n u'll be awarded. If I do missed u, kindly PM me. :)


Appreciate the PM, Bro David_Ginola, Bro Rw6828, Bro Myo_Swee, Bro XboxSG, Bro Best123, Bro Ahnook78, Bro bhoven, Bro VOGS, Bro nacho, Bro desk13, Bro BatistaSG, Bro steamystreamsg, Bro Linkus, Bro Regaine, Bro evo7_5, Bro Thongchai and Bro curiouslooker!

Glen2712
07-09-2008, 10:08 PM
Villa would cost City '£121m'

President wards Eastlands side off striker


http://www.footballpictures.net/data/media/27/david_villa_2_footballpictures.net.jpg




Valencia president Vicente Soriano has said that Manchester City would have to pay £121million in order to land David Villa's signature.


Villa had been persistently linked with a transfer away from the Mestalla following his impressive showing for Spain at Euro 2008.


A move during the summer failed to materialise, however reports on the final day of the transfer window suggested Premier League club City had attempted to secure his services.


The new owner of City, Dr Sulaiman Al-Fahim, has intimated that Abu Dhabi United Group for Development and Investment (ADUG) could back a major overhaul at the club in January with Villa thought to be high on their list of targets.


No desire to move

But Soriano has warned the Eastlands outfit off Villa, insisting only a world record offer would see the 26-year-old depart Los Che.


He said in the Daily Star: "They would have to pay his release cause - £121million."


Villa's agent, Jose Luis Tamargo, added: "Villa has said he intends to remain in Valencia, where they want to keep him for a long while.


"He has never wanted to play in English football."






P.S: List Of UPPEES is not in full due to the capacity limitation of the signature function (not be longer than 300 characters excluding BB Code markup). Rest assured I've all ur nicks n u'll be awarded. If I do missed u, kindly PM me. :)


Appreciate the PM, Bro David_Ginola, Bro Rw6828, Bro Myo_Swee, Bro XboxSG, Bro Best123, Bro Ahnook78, Bro bhoven, Bro VOGS, Bro nacho, Bro desk13, Bro BatistaSG, Bro steamystreamsg, Bro Linkus, Bro Regaine, Bro evo7_5, Bro Thongchai and Bro curiouslooker!

screamer
11-09-2008, 10:11 PM
I think this season will see Man city having some high and low,
$$ is not a issue now but the manager is. They need a high profile manage to handle the stars, and star to come.

screamer
24-09-2008, 10:50 PM
Hope more will start to look at man city now

screamer
28-09-2008, 06:43 PM
After the weekday lost, this is a match Man City badly need to show what they can do.

My money on Man city, will also jalan this match!!

good luck to all Man City supporter

freegirl
02-10-2008, 12:28 AM
hi guys,

i am a man city fan too... stay forever in the eastlands... although i dunno so much abt soccer than u guys.. :)

screamer
05-10-2008, 10:48 PM
Man City vs Liverpool... first half leading 2-0.
:)

screamer
07-10-2008, 11:17 AM
Man City vs Liverpool... first half leading 2-0.
:)

very disappointment match.. from 2-0 .. to 2-1, then a silly red-card and.. 2-2, in the final min.. 2-3. :(

Man City seriously need a better Goal keeper, hope the owner can replace mark huges and get a big name manager then can start to bring in some mega star

D@rk Force
15-10-2008, 02:26 PM
very disappointment match.. from 2-0 .. to 2-1, then a silly red-card and.. 2-2, in the final min.. 2-3. :(

Man City seriously need a better Goal keeper, hope the owner can replace mark huges and get a big name manager then can start to bring in some mega star

Guess they need a world class gk like buffon.:D

chelsea4me
18-10-2008, 09:12 PM
very disappointment match.. from 2-0 .. to 2-1, then a silly red-card and.. 2-2, in the final min.. 2-3. :(

Man City seriously need a better Goal keeper, hope the owner can replace mark huges and get a big name manager then can start to bring in some mega star
Agreed. They should collect the 3 points during 2nd half if mark huges make the right call....
Man city should change the formation to 5 4 1 during half time. And bring out either jol or robinho and put in a midfielder. Yet mark huges naively thought they can thrashed pools, and stay put with their intial formation.

dc7176
11-11-2008, 01:21 PM
Man City offer Mourinho £15M to quit Inter Milan

Manchester City's Arab owners want to bring Jose Mourinho back to England.

The Sun says City will offer Inter Milan coach Mourinho an astonishing £15million a year to take over as boss.

City’s billionaire Arab owners have made Mourinho their first choice to replace Mark Hughes.

Third parties have already taken soundings about the move and have received a positive response.

The termination agreement Mourinho signed on leaving Chelsea banned him from managing another club in England for a calendar year. But he received the final compensation instalment on September 21, leaving him free to return here.

However, it is highly unlikely Mourinho will consider leaving Inter until the end of the season.

That means owners Abu Dhabi United Group must decide if they can afford to wait seven months to get their man.

boxingman
30-11-2008, 11:34 PM
Just finish watching the derby match between man city and man u. I would like to say Robinho is a big flop! He totally not contributing to the team...he can't outrun park, pass a visionary ball to strikers, pull the trigger when in gd position and worst of all he is lazy to chase after ball......shaun wright philips and dunn are the two players who really play their heart out for man city. the rest really really below par......wat a lousy display by the man city players....

screamer
06-01-2009, 06:09 PM
and mark huges said, they are near the big-four. think he mean the bottom four. :D



what man city really need is a high-profile manager. even if MC buy in the big name player, mark huges will have problem to manage them.

he got to go first.

nic_cool
06-01-2009, 07:23 PM
i think man city had a pretty damn good squad at the start of the season, wright-phillips, robinho, kompany, richards, ireland, zabaleta, jo.... i tink most of the players would be able to get into most sides in the premier league... man city shld change managers.. someone whu has a stronger character to manage the superstars tat they are supposedly aiming to buy... no point getting the big names when u dun have a manager with an astute tactical acumen... hughes is probably another of those manager that does well with a tight budget, like allardyce and curbishley...

Castrol
14-01-2009, 12:00 AM
i think man city should keep their chin up. :D

http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/11_01/StephIrelandSIE_468x787.jpg

wl-hunter
06-02-2009, 01:55 AM
Yeah! good to know that i am not the only lone supporter of Man City. :) Stars or no stars, i have always been an avid supporter for the FC.

Cheers dudes! :)

Cum_Luver
13-09-2009, 12:43 AM
congratulation...Man City 4-2 Arsenal
a perfect start to the season.

Cum_Luver
20-09-2009, 10:48 PM
Man City had been robbed of a pt by the referee.
The fourth official shown that there were to be 4 minutes of injury-time.
But he gave more than it and Michael Owen scored the winner in the 95 minutes toward the 96 minutes.
Sorry to the Blues.

peter88798
21-09-2009, 11:26 AM
Man City had been robbed of a pt by the referee.
The fourth official shown that there were to be 4 minutes of injury-time.
But he gave more than it and Michael Owen scored the winner in the 95 minutes toward the 96 minutes.
Sorry to the Blues.Mark huges was Furious!!! But honestly he should not move Ireland to left flank to tackle valencia and give the midfield control to man u......anyway it is a awesome match,and is a match worth watching again and again.

lacoruna69
28-02-2010, 12:03 AM
congratulation...Man City 4-2 Arsenal
a perfect start to the season.

I saw that match in a hotel room in Msia....pulsating Bellamy and Adebayor.
I thought it was a one-off performance by Manchester lesser known bro.

But I got a shock tonight.......maybe John Terry should be sitting at home instead of appearing at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea 2 - 4 Manchester City : Red hot Bellamy and Tevez sinks Blues

Wayne Bridge made a point, then left with all three as Manchester City blew the Premier League title race wide open once more by hammering nine-man Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

All kinds of conspiracy theories had been raised about the pre-match handshake following revelations about John Terry's alleged affair with Vanessa Perroncel, the mother of Bridge's young son.

In the end, there was no mass boycott of the traditional pre-match handshake by City players, just an icy stare from Bridge as he refused to shake Terry's hand.

It was perhaps the most predictable part of a truly astonishing afternoon that exploded into life once Frank Lampard had put the hosts in front just before the break.

At about that point, Chelsea's world imploded.

Henrique Hilario gifted City goals either side of the interval, failing to make saves Petr Cech would regard as routine to keep out shots from Carlos Tevez and Craig Bellamy either side of the interval.

Then Juliano Belletti was red carded for a foul on Gareth Barry that allowed Tevez to fire home a third from the spot.

And the drama did not finish there as Michael Ballack was also sent off for two yellow cards before Bellamy added another.

A stoppage time Lampard penalty at least raised a cheer from a team whose lead over Manchester United remains a precarious single point.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

Cum_Luver
28-02-2010, 01:25 PM
now it is a 3 corners fight between Arsenal,Chelsea and Man Utd.
making this season,one of the most competitive and open one.

average jOe
12-03-2010, 02:47 AM
Distin of Everton recently said that money can't buy spirit. I have no issue with bellamy or tevez, they are awesome fighters, but when you look at some others like E.A. etc.....they look quite lazy at times.Sometimes too much influx of foreigners without the education of british bulldog courage causes the team to be quite light weight. Still, I hope you guys do well really because my blood is also blue from merseyside. Get the fourth spot!!!

Pussies-Licker
02-05-2010, 05:39 PM
Man City eleminates one of their rivals for Fourth Place in EPL by coming back to beat Aston Villa 3-1.
So now it is between Man City and Tottenham Hotspur for the 4th placing. Although mathematically,both Villa and Liverpool still have a chance.
The next match between City and Spurs on this coming Wednesday will probably decide it.
If Man City won,they will take a 2 pts lead going into the final match on 9 May 2010 against West Ham.
But if Spurs wins,then Spurs will be FOURTH and the final match will not matter.
If the match between them is DRAW,then it will be decided on the last match of the season.

5 May 2010 - Man City vs Spurs
9 May 2010 - West Ham Utd vs Man City
9 May 2010 - Burnley vs Spurs

Good Luck to all Man City's fans here.

terryoch
30-08-2010, 12:40 AM
After spending the most.... with talk of squeezing into the Top 4 with all it Stars,

Small club like Sunderland just nick a nail into Man City coffin. 1-0 :o

joew2005
04-09-2010, 03:00 AM
Hving added Aleksandar Kolarov, Yaya Toure, David Silva, Jerome Boateng, James Milner & Mario Balotelli 2 the team, Mancini has alot of work 2 do.

These r all good players, but he must come out with solutions 2 make them all work in a team.

Mancini has spent approx £132 million for 2010/2011 season.

$ k buy the best talent in the world,bu$ kannot buy instant success.

some big names hv come & left, w/o winning any honours.

joew2005
05-09-2010, 05:14 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=820784&sec=england&cc=4716

Robinho explains City failure

Robinho has said his manager @ manc failed 2 understand him & admits he found the city "an awful place 2 live".

Despite his fee breaking the British transfer record when he left Real, Robinho ended a 2-year spell @ Eastlands on transfer deadline day when he moved 2 AC Milan, hving earlier spent a spell @ former club Santos on loan.

However, despite brief glimpses of his quality, Robinho struggled 2 adapt 2 England - particularly as he had intended 2 join Chelsea, with his ex-national team coach Luiz Felipe Scolari - & he feels Mark Hughes and Roberto Mancini did not get 2 grips with his mentality.

"Neither Hughes nor Mancini understood me," he told the People newspaper. "Perhaps they only believed in the sporting side of things, but that wasn't enough 4 me.

"There was a lack of contact between the players & the club. It was much like an office - 2 training & goodbye, 2 a match & goodbye. I am Brazilian & I can't offer my best performance if I'm not happy in every aspect of life.

"That was my problem. I am a special footballer & I need 2 be happy when I'm playing. That was the case @ Real but never @ City. Perhaps I should nvr have left Real Madrid.

"My destination was Chelsea with Luiz Felipe Scolari but, @ the last moment, City appeared & I accepted. I did not decide the transfer. Correspondence is always between clubs & I am not responsible 4 wat anyone will pay, but Mark Hughes called me & insisted I joined the club. He was decisive in my move."

His early performances had suggested he may ultimately prove successful in England but, with compatriots Elano & Jo failing 2 impress Hughes & making permanent or temporary moves away respectively, Robinho says he could not settle into life @ the club.

"At the beginning it was positive, but England is a hard country & I had problems adapting," he said. "Having Elano & Jo in the squad was a real bonus. They helped me to adapt but then Elano left I still don't understand the motives behind his exit.

"I do not understand why people said things abt us. We all demonstrated our quality in the team, Elano & I were both then in the Brazil side. Perhaps Hughes did not understand how best 2 use us both in his squad.

"After that, Mark left & I don't think Mancini had confidence in me. Going on loan 2 Santos was the best solution because, if I'd stayed @ City, I would not have played in the WC. The loan was very successful. I recaptured my love of football, won a title & confirmed my place in the Brazil team. It was an excellent experience & they tried to extend my loan, but City had made up their minds to sell."

Robinho admits he was disappointed tat City failed 2 become title challengers during his time @ the club & found the climate in Manchester unbearable.

"When I arrived, the directors @ City told me tat, in a couple of years, we would overtake United, but the time has passed & nothing has changed," he said. "Manchester is a sensational venue 4 football but an awful place 2 live ... the winter, the cold & the dark nights. It's very hard 4 a young Brazilian.

"The Premier League is 1 of the best in the world, without a doubt. The stadiums are always full & the atmosphere is incredible, but not every footballer is able 2 play in England. The character can be difficult 4 a foreigner.

"The best stadiums r Anfield & Old Trafford becos of their histories, & my best memories will be my 1st goal 4 City & how happy everyone was with me, & the support City fans gave me during my stay."

joew2005
10-09-2010, 06:18 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=821680&sec=england&cc=4716

Neville: I dislike Man City more than Liverpool

Manu defender Gary Neville has launched a thinly-veiled attack on manc saying he prefers arch-rivals Liverpool 2 the Premier League's nouveau riche club.

Neville, who has a long & well documented history of clashes with Liverpool fans & players, provoked the fury of City supporters last season by criticising Carlos Tevez & celebrating wildly in front of the visiting fans aft a derby win at Old Trafford.

City have spent in the region of £350 million on new players since the arrival of owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan in September 2008, but Neville prefers a club with history, even if it's Liverpool.

joew2005
12-09-2010, 06:57 AM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=293086&league=ENG.1&cc=4716

Manchester City 1 - 1 Blackburn Rovers

Paul Robinson kept manc @ bay & left Roberto Mancini's ambitious side hving 2 settle 4 a point @ Eastlands.

joew2005
18-09-2010, 09:27 PM
Mancini has a BIG game next week @ home ..... against Chelsea.
When these 2 teams clash,it could go some way in telling the world who spent the $ wisely, while the other didn't.

joew2005
20-09-2010, 09:06 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=825082&sec=transfers&cc=4716

Mancini paves way for Given to leave City

Manc boss Roberto Mancini has admitted he is prepared 2 let goalkeeper Shay Given leave the club in January, though Newcastle r reportedly preparing 2 swoop 4 their former goalkeeper in an emergency loan deal.

Given revealed on Sunday tat he is finding life on the bench "very, very frustrating" & said he is keen 2 secure a loan move in January.

Following Manc's 2-0 win @ Wigan, where Given was again an unused substitute, Mancini said tat his goalkeeper would be allowed 2 find a new club.

Mancini said: ''I have a lot of respect for Shay & I told him the situation b4 the finish of the [transfer] market, 'Shay, you k choose. I hope tat you stay here but I respect your decision & if you 1 2 leave you k.'

''He decided 2 stay here & until January he must stay here. I understand his frustration but I need tat Shay stays here and puts in 100%. In January if he decides 2 leave I respect his decision.''

Despite Mancini's assertion tat Given will not leave until January, his former club Newcastle - where he spent 12 years - r thought 2 be seeking permission 2 sign the Irishman on an emergency loan deal aft regular No.1 Steve Harper was ruled out 4 3months with a shoulder injury.

Young goalkeeper Tim Krul stepped in2 the breach aft Harper came off in Saturday's 1-0 win at Everton, but Magpies boss Chris Hughton is thought 2 be seeking a replacement with more Premier League experience.

Given has plenty of tat having played in the top flight 4 the past 13 years, though City's currently limited cover - they hv Stuart Taylor & Colombian David Gonzales as back-up goalkeepers - meaning tat Newcastle may be forced 2 look elsewhere in the immediate future.

Meanwhile, Mancini has played down reports tat he had a furious bust-up with City striker Emmanuel Adebayor. He joked: "We fought in the dressing room 4 an hour. I won because I don't have any scars. It was nothing."

joew2005
22-09-2010, 08:55 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=825687&sec=england&cc=4716

Mancini: We must emulate United's dressing room

Manc boss Roberto Mancini has demanded his players follow the lead of their rivals fr the United camp & stop making public complaints.

Mancini described as "impossible" the current habit of City players airing their frustrations in the media when they aren't selected as the Italian tries 2 muster some form of control over his bulging squad of internationals.

1st it was Craig Bellamy, who was quickly loaned out 2 Cardiff.
Stephen Ireland also launched a vicious assault aft being sold 2 Villa as part of the deal which saw James Milner move the other way.
More recently, Shay Given & Emmanuel Adebayor hv been @ the centre of stories upon which Mancini has been compelled 2 comment.

Mancini wants 2 emulate the culture in place @ Chelsea & manu where players more readily accept their roles. He wants his players 2 understand tat trophies k only be won by a strong squad, but tat a strong squad means competition 4 places & rotation of players in/out of the team.

"I played football. Sometimes I had this behaviour. I can understand it, so it is not frustrating for me,'' Mancini said ahead of his side's Carling Cup trip 2 West Brom on Wednesday. "But @ the same time it is important they start 2 change their mentality. If they 1 2 become a top squad & a top team they must change it. It is impossible tat every 3 days players do interviews complaining tat they are not playing.

"They need 2 knock on my door & speak with me so I can explain the situation. I want 2 create an atmosphere like they have @ Chelsea & ManU but maybe it is easier 4 them 2 accept it becos they hv had success.

"The players must be aware I am not choosing 11 players becos the others r not good. In 3 days' time we hv another match, so I can change it again. The players have 2 understand this. Sometimes there might be a tactical reason; 4 instance, I don't have Aleksander Kolarov & Jerome Boateng at the moment so I can't play with 3 strikers."

joew2005
24-09-2010, 04:02 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=826306&sec=england&cc=4716

Former City coach blames Mancini for injury toll

A former manc coach has blamed Mancini's "crazy" training methods 4 the club's growing injury toll. Raymond Verheijen, who joined the club under 4mer manager Mark Hughes & continued 4 the 2nd half of last season when Mancini took charge, has hit out via Twitter @ Mancini's gruelling training regime, which includes double sessions on some days, saying he "feels sorry 4 the players".
Carlos Tevez & former player Craig Bellamy hv publicly criticised the workload under Mancini. City released a statement defending their methods against Verheijen's attacks, insinuating the Dutchman is bitter abt hving his contract terminated @ the end of last season.
Despite their star-studded squad, City r struggling with injuries & Mancini has only 3 fit defenders 2 choose fr 4 Saturday's visit of Chelsea.
Verheijen wrote on his Twitter account @raymondverheije on Thursday: "I just read an article abt the enermous amt of injuries @ manc. Hopefully Mancini will finally question his training methods. I really feel 4 the manc players. They r having a difficult time. Hopefully none of them will suffer a career threatening injury."
Verheijen, who has been working with Bellamy @ Cardiff City, added: "Thankfully ... Craig Bellamy was able 2 escape tis training regime 2 save his career."
In an interview with FC Business magazine, Verheijen claimed manc went fr being the fittest & most injury-free in the Premier League using his methods under Hughes to becoming the current injury-plagued outfit directly as a result of Mancini's training schedule.
"During pre-season & the 1st half of last season Mark Hughes had all his players available," Verheijen said. "City played each game with the same team. The team had the best Prozone [computer data] statistics of the Premier League during the 1st part of the season. The players had the highest number of sprints & the highest total sprinting distance of all the Premier League teams.
"After the arrival of Mancini things changed dramatically. He probably did not even look @ the Prozone statistics & our best-injury record in the Premier League. He decided players had 2 do double sessions many times a week. Those sessions often lasted 4 2 hrs. Not surprisingly the players picked up 8 soft-tissue injuries within the 1st 2 wks of Mancini."
A City spokesman dismissed Verheijen's comments as sour grapes, saying on Thursday: "Mr Verheijen appears 2 hv become a regular critic of Roberto Mancini's training methods, perhaps not entirely coincidentally since his consultancy services @ manc were terminated by the club several months ago. We wish him well in his future practice."

joew2005
25-09-2010, 06:14 AM
http://blogs.soccernet.com/soccernetcomments/archives/2010/09/cash_clash_a_mismatch.php

Cash clash a mismatch

The Premier League's biggest spenders go head 2 head on Sat when manc host Chelsea, but apart fr lavishing huge amounts of cash on their respective projects the approaches of the clubs' owners vary wildly.

The most obvious example of this can be seen in their attendance @ matches. While Chelsea's Russian owner Roman Abramovich k invariably be seen in the VIP seats with his shirt sleeves rolled-up, living every moment of his team's games with a dead-pan expression, it took Sheikh Mansour 2-yrs 2 even attend his 1st home match - last month's 3-0 win against Liverpool.

Current Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti has waxed lyrical abt how Abramovich is a man who lives & breathes football & even revealed in his book tat the billionaire held 2 clandestine meetings prior 2 his appointment 2 sound out the former AC Milan coach abt his plans 4 the future of Chelsea.

Even though Abramovich's eagerness 2 be hands-on may hv back-fired on occasion - signing £30 million flop Andrei Shevchenko & hastening Jose Mourinho's exit with his attempts 2 becom involved in team matters - @ least his obvious interest in the sport offers plausible reasons 4 becoming involved in football.

It is hard 2 imagine Sheikh Mansour being knowledgeable enough 2 grill his new manager on tactics & transfer targets. And his motivation 4 buying manc, a team he presumably had no interest in when they were in the 2nd tier of English football in 2002, is hard 2 fathom - is it just an expensive PR stunt 2 promote Abu Dhabi via the most popular league in the world?

Abramovich bought Chelsea @ a time in 2003 when they were already challenging for titles & competing in the Champions League, the transition fr contenders 2 winners was minimal, if highly expensive. Abramovich's £720 million investment in Chelsea over 7 yrs has returned 3 Premier League titles, 3 FA Cups, the League Cup twice & a Champions League final.

Mansour took over a team tat was going nowhere despite a moderate investment by predecessor Thaksin Shinawatra in a city where Manchester United have the monopoly on success. Aft pouring £650 million in2 the club there is still nothing 2 show 4 his investment apart fr a collection of over-priced players.

While Abramovich is now in a position where he can be patient, if need be, in his quest 4 results as his team evolves under a relatively new manager, Mansour's City r desperate 4 the immediate gratification of silverware & @ the very least, a place in the Premier League’s top 4.

With City crashing out of the Carling Cup in midweek, their 35-year wait 4 a major trophy could be set 2 continue 4 yet another season & a defeat against free-scoring Chelsea on Sat will show the new boys jz how far they hv 2 go, & hw much more they will hv 2 spend, 2 buy a place at the top-table.

City may suffer the same nouveau riche-related criticisms tat flew in Chelsea's direction back in 2003, but tat is where the similarities end.

joew2005
25-09-2010, 06:24 AM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=826458&sec=england&cc=4716

Mancini: Chelsea will win the Premier League title

Mancini has conceded the Premier League title 2 Chelsea already, as his patched-up manc side containing just 3 fully-fit senior defenders gets ready 2take on the table-toppers.

It is hardly the backdrop he wanted heading into 1 of the key games of the campaign, & not one tat was anticipated when city were spending in excess of £100 million tis summer. However, according 2 Mancini, the result will not hv an affect on where the championship ends up tis season.

''Chelsea r the best team in the Premier League at the moment,'' he said. ''They r probably going 2 win the Premier League title easily. They are a strong team, who hv been playing 2gether 4 many yrs. They hv a fantastic manager & they hv worked to reach this situation.''

Chelsea certainly could not hv started the season in better form & hv registered a perfect 15 points fr their opening 5 games, scoring a hatful of goals in the process. Now city must try 2 keep them out with a side tat has been decimated.

Micah Richards has definitely been ruled out with a hamstring strain, so with Pablo Zabaleta earmarked 4 the right-back role, Mancini only has youngster Dedryck Boyata, plus midfielders Gareth Barry & James Milner available 2 fill the left-back slot if neither Joleon Lescott or Jerome Boateng r deemed to be fit enough.

Lescott has been troubled by a groin injury tat has kept him out of City's last 3 games, while Boateng has not featured @ all since his summer move fr Hamburg aft aggravating a knee injury when he was accidentally struck by a in-flight meal trolley.

''Joleon has worked with us 4 1 day. He is not ready 2 play 90 minutes,'' said Mancini. ''Jerome has been working with us for 1 wk. He is not ready 2 play 100%.

''I do not know wat I am going 2 do just yet. I will speak with Joleon & Jerome, but if they r not available I am not sure. Maybe Boyata, but I am not sure.''

Emmanuel Adebayor should be fit enough 2 make the bench aft a recent spell on the sidelines with a dead leg. However, with Shaun Wright-Phillips joining Aleksander Kolarov & Mario Balotelli on the treatment table with a knee injury, Mancini cannot believe his squad has so rapidly been torn apart.

''I am disappointed we hv all these injuries @ the moment,'' he said. ''I only hv 11 players who r 100% fit.''

Meanwhile, Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has already named his side 4 the game & welcomes back most of his big names.

Petr Cech, Branislav Ivanovic, Alex, John Terry, Ashley Cole, Michael Essien, John Mikel Obi, Ramires, Nicolas Anelka, Didier Drogba & Florent Malouda r the 11 he has chosen 2 maintain the club's 100% record, with Frank Lampard still absent following hernia surgery.

With 21 league goals scored & 15 points fr 5 games, accusations hv followed the club tat their start 2 the league campaign has been easy.

''Every game is easy aft,'' he said. ''You win 6-0 you k say it was an easy game. B4 every game is difficult & you hv 2 prepare every game, we started well tis season & now we hv another game, a different opponent.

''manc is a strong team, players with a lot of skills, but it is a game, & we hv 2 do the same, do our best & show our football 4 90mins. Every game is a test, [this] is an important test, it is also a test 4 manc 2morrow. It is a match against 1 of the most important teams in the Premier League.''

joew2005
25-09-2010, 09:18 PM
Aft 59mins, Carlos Tévez scored 4 manc 2 take a 1-nil lead against Chelsea.
Less than 20 mins in the game 4 Chelsea 2 fight back.

lacoruna69
25-09-2010, 10:19 PM
Aft 59mins, Carlos Tévez scored 4 manc 2 take a 1-nil lead against Chelsea.
Less than 20 mins in the game 4 Chelsea 2 fight back.

Full Time : Man City 1 - 0 Chelsea

Chelsea dead and buried at Maine Road with Captain Tevez's inspirational strike!:D

joew2005
26-09-2010, 09:31 AM
with tis 1-nil win @ home against defending champion Chelsea, Mancini would be most relieved. Tevez's inspirational strike helped 2 lift alot of pressure off his manager.
with Arsenal losing 2-3 @home against WBA & Spurs losing 1-nil away 2 West Ham United, manc close the gap @ the top with them thrilling Chelsea by 4 pts only.
Arsenal is on same pts as manc,but is currently 2nd on better GD.
Spurs is @ 7th place with 8 pts.

IS_YOURS
29-09-2010, 10:47 AM
Full Time : Man City 1 - 0 Chelsea

Chelsea dead and buried at Maine Road with Captain Tevez's inspirational strike!:D



LOL.... Good one Bro..... :)

Chelsea played quite bad for that match... surprising....

sam_chee
29-09-2010, 11:31 PM
MAN C will win this game..0-1/1-2..

joew2005
01-10-2010, 08:57 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=828829&sec=england&cc=4716

Manchester City announce losses of £121m

It has been revealed tat manc lost an incredible £121 million in the last financial year & they spent more on wages than their entire income.

The club's annual report has shown tat City's turnover of £125 million was surpassed by the £133 million tat they splashed out on wages 4 new players like Mario Balotelli, James Milner & Yaya Toure.

Billionaire Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan's 1st year in charge has shown an increase in income - fr £87 million 2 £125 million - which comes fr more season ticket sales & a 400% increase in sponsorship deals. But the 85-page report also highlights the 2nd biggest loss in Premier League history since Chelsea's £141 million in 2004-05.

The club's net expenditure on transfers fr May has been £96.6 million & finance chief Graham Wallace says players were brought in ''2 address historical needs''.

Chief Executive Garry Cook claimed tat that the financial results 'should come as no surprise' & said there would be no repeat of the club's transfer spending.

"It is safe to say tat player acquisitions on the scale we hv seen in recent transfer windows will no longer be required in the years ahead now tat we hv such a deep & competitive squad," he said.

Off the pitch City recruited an additional 106 non-playing staff, they donated £423,586 to UK charities & put over £1.5 million into developments to the stadium & the training ground. Some of these improvements included 408 heated seats in the boardroom & 30% bigger pies on sale during matchdays.

They did recoup some cash fr the sale of 12,000 of Roberto Mancini's trademark scarves, at £8 each.

However, the club will have 2 turn things around 2 get in line with the new UEFA financial regulations. The rules stipulate clubs k lose a maximum of £39 million fr now until 2014 or face sanctions which could see sides banned fr competitions.


http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=828791&sec=uefaeuropaleague&cc=4716

Mancini laments lack of cutting edge

Roberto Mancini feels manc lacked a cutting-edge in front of goal as they were held 2 a 1-1 draw at home 2 Juventus.

Vicenzo Iaquinta scored with a deflected long-range effort as Juve had the better of the early stages, but City bounced back with a well-worked Adam Johnson goal b4 the break.

City then had more of the game in the 2nd half, but it was Juve who came closest 2 finding a winner as Alessandro Del Piero's free-kick came back off the underside of the bar.

"Juve started the game well, especially in the opening 20 minutes, and scored the goal with Vincenzo Iaquinta," he told the Italian media.

"Then we started to improve and in the second half we maintained the initiative throughout. It's true we ran a few risks on the counter-attack, but we should be more incisive in the box."

Juve boss Luigi Del Neri was happy that City were unable to impose themselves on the game.

"We forced Manchester City to play badly and fully deserved the point this evening," he said. "It was a very strong Juve performance, because we never lost our desire to win right to the end and had some excellent opportunities for the victory.

"I am happy with this result, especially for those who said we'd lose tonight and concede a hatful of goals."

Johnson revealed his goal came as a result of work on the training ground.

"I've been working on it a bit in training, running across defenders," he said. "The manager wants me to do it more. It was a great pass by Yaya Toure. My first touch took it away from the goalkeeper and I thought I might need another..."

On the game, he added on Five: "It was hard. Italian sides obviously defend well but I think we were the better team. In the second half they were pegged in their own half for most of it. I think we should have won the game."

joew2005
06-10-2010, 08:19 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=830335&sec=england&cc=4716

Man City chief: Spending sprees are over

Manchester City's chief football administrator Brian Marwood insists tis summer's lavish spending spree will be the club's last.

City spent over £100 million in bringing in Jerome Boateng, David Silva, Yaya Toure, Aleksandar Kolarov, Mario Balotelli and James Milner in the transfer window. The outlay takes Sheikh Mansour's total spend, mostly on transfer fees and wages, to £500 million since his takeover in 2008.

City recently announced financial losses of £121 million for the year and while that is apparently not a problem for Mansour, it is not sustainable if City want to meet UEFA's new financial regulations and play in the Champions League from next season.

UEFA's new rules are an attempt to curb the massive spending that is crippling football clubs across Europe. Clubs will be allowed to lose no more than €45 million (£39 million) for the next three seasons and must then break even to be allowed entry into the continent's most high profile and lucrative competition.

There has been much doubt expressed that Champions League-chasing City would meet those requirements but Marwood claims the club are now happy with the squad they have assembled and will not be making such huge outlays in the future.

"This club has gone from 10th in the Premier League two seasons ago to just missing out on qualifying for the Champions League last season, and now including players with the quality of Yaya Toure and David Silva. We've kind of crammed 10 years' work into 12 to 18 months. Now the intensity of signing players is levelling off, allowing this group to develop." Marwood told The Guardian.

"We have fast-tracked a lot; we need to put the structure in place. We talk about elite development, the academy, because that is the foundation. That is the future for Manchester City."

Marwood believes the lavish spending has left City with a young, deep squad that will need only minor tinkering for years to come.

"We sat down with Roberto Mancini in February-March and planned our summer programme," he said. "The people here were on the list. There is a balanced strategy. English players and young players. Other than Yaya they are all young developing players."

Toure, who joined from Barcelona, is in the mould of another City player, the ageing Patrick Vieira, who joined in the previous transfer window. Together, they are the only exceptions to a policy of buying young rising stars.

"The feeling was we needed players of presence, quality, with a winning mentality to bring that culture to the club," Marwood said. "Patrick and Yaya have that. Micah [Richards] for example, is an emerging young player. To have him alongside Patrick, Yaya, Kolo [Toure] every day, in the changing room, on the pitch, is invaluable."

But the controversy over Yaya Toure's signing was not the 27-year-old's age but the reported £220,000-a-week salary handed to the ex-Barcelona man. Marwood insists he is value for money.

"Yaya can play centre-midfield, centre-half, attacking midfield, defensive midfield, he's a quality player. When we knew he was available, it was a no-brainer."

He added: "Everybody has become obsessed with what footballers are earning. We are comfortable where we are."

joew2005
06-10-2010, 08:20 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=830333&sec=england&cc=4716

Man City owner back on top of rich list

Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour has returned to the top of football's rich list, according to the latest figures from FourFourTwo magazine.

The 40-year-old's vast fortune is estimated to have risen by £3 billion, moving him back in front of QPR shareholder Lakshmi Mittal, whose fortune has dipped to £17 billion.

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, whose wealth once dwarfed all other fortunes on the list, has now dropped as far as fourth - displaced by Arsenal shareholder Alisher Usmanov, whose estate has exploded to rise from £1.3 billion to £8 billion.

"It's tempting to say that those who live by the rouble, die by the rouble," said FourFourTwo editor Hugh Sleight. "For so many years, Roman Abramovich was the top dog, but now he faces challenges wherever he looks.

"It isn't that Abramovich has got poorer, but more and more billionaires are coming into English football. When we first published this list in 2003, there were two. Now there are 15."

Usmanov's fellow Arsenal shareholder Stanley Kroenke is eighth on the list with a fortune of £1.85 billion, while Mittal's partner at QPR, Bernie Ecclestone, also makes it into the top 10 with his £1.4 billion estate.

The controversial owners of Manchester United, the Glazer family, are ranked ninth with an estimated fortune of £1.53 billion.

Others figuring in the top 10 are Southampton owners the Liebherr family, fifth with a fortune of £3 billion, Tottenham owner Joe Lewis, sixth at £2.7 billion, and Celtic's Denis O'Brien, seventh with a fortune of £1.87 billion.

Tom Hicks and George Gillett, whose ownership of Liverpool could come to an end if the club's other directors are able to force through a sale, do not feature on this year's list at all.

Having been listed joint 16th last year with an estimated £500 million each, analysts said it was now impossible to verify their worth as the turmoil continues at Anfield.

Among players, David Beckham still tops the list by a huge margin, but his worth is said to have dropped from £125 million to £100 million, pushing him from 38th overall to 49th. Wayne Rooney, meanwhile, has dropped from third to sixth.

"For Beckham, missing the World Cup and approaching retirement have had an effect and we've cut his value by a fifth to £100million," Sleight said. As you'd expect, Brand Beckham have a cunning business plan to ensure their financial power continues even after Becks hangs up his boots, but that's still in its early stages and has yet to bear fruit. So for now, it's down to number 49 for Becks."

Rooney has dropped beneath Rio Ferdinand, Sol Campbell and Ryan Giggs.

"Wayne Rooney's flirtations with the front pages have clearly affected his value to sponsors and we correspondingly cut his value by a third," Sleight said. He's young and he has time to bounce back, on and off the pitch, but for the time being, his reputation has been seriously tarnished."

Michael Owen is second on the players' list with a fortune of £40 million, £6 million more than Manchester United team-mate Ferdinand.

England boss Fabio Capello tops the managers' list with a fortune of £36 million, ahead of Ipswich boss Roy Keane, whose £28 million fortune was largely accumulated as a player at Manchester United. He sits one place above his old boss, Sir Alex Ferguson, third, with a fortune of £26 million.

New Leicester boss Sven-Goran Eriksson is sixth with a £15 million fortune, level with Manchester City's Roberto Mancini.

That puts him £5 million ahead of his predecessor at Eastlands, Fulham manager Mark Hughes, who is joint eighth with Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp and Manchester United reserve-team boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The list once again demonstrates football's ability to ignore the recession as the overall value has risen to £77 billion, £8 billion higher than a year ago.

joew2005
08-10-2010, 08:20 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=830685&sec=england&cc=4716

City face uphill battle

ManC face a major battle 2 be allowed 2 compete in UEFA competitions fr 2013.

City made a £121.3 million loss in 2009-10 & k expect 2 make a further loss of at least £130 million 4 2010-11 &, according 2 The Independent, UEFA has warned tat their heavy transfer spending "cannot be written off as a loss on next year's accounts alone".

When UEFA's Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations r fully enforced, clubs will be forced 2 break even, although benefactors - such as the City owners - r allowed 2 contribute up 2 £39.54 million 4 the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons and £26.36 million for the period covering 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18.

City will have to spread the losses of their recent heavy spending over the length of the corresponding players' contracts, though, meaning they will have to cope with a £50 million loss at the start of each season, over and above any other spending on transfers and wages. The club made an operating loss of £55.1 million in 2009-10, largely due to wages, which is set to rise.

City's chief football administrator, Brian Marwood, recently said the big spending at the club was over and that the focus would now be on developing youngsters through the academy, but it appears that will not be enough to secure a place in the Champions League when the new rules are introduced.

UEFA's head of club licensing, Andrea Traverso, told The Independent that any attempt to wipe out the spending before the rules come into play would "be seen as a way to circumvent the rules, and that is not allowed".

joew2005
10-10-2010, 01:42 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=831070&sec=england&cc=4716

Hughes 'compromised own values' at Man City

Fulham boss Mark Hughes has revealed he is glad 2 be out of the soap opera @ ManC & managing @ a club where he is simply allowed 2 do his job.

Hughes was installed @ ManC by former owner Thaksin Shinawatra in June 2008 but jz 3 mths later the club was bought by the Abu Dhabi United investment group,thus changing the face of football at Eastlands 4ever.

But it turned sour 4 Hughes as the pursuit 4 UCL football led 2 him being replaced in December 2009 in controversial circumstances. Hughes was back in the game tis summer, replacing the Liverpool-bound Roy Hodgson @ Fulham.

Hughes felt tat he should hv stood up 4 his beliefs more during a turbulent 18 months @ ManC, & not "toed the line'' against his instincts.

"It's good 2 be @ a club nw where I m not being pulled in different directions,'' Hughes told the Daily Mail. "Eventually, I understood it was a feeling of relief tat it was over (at ManC). I wasn't enjoying it there @ the end. I had no bitterness, no regrets, but I was relieved 2 be away.

"How was I treated? @ times, I had support. @ times, I needed support & I didn't get it. & then there were times when support tat was there was withdrawn ... especially 2wards the end.

"I toed the party line more than I should. I compromised my own values more than I shld. It won't happen again but I'll say tat tis has made me a better manager.''

On the appointment of Roberto Mancini as his replacement, he said: "Top clubs won't appoint British managers becos we don't hv trophies. I watch some of the teams in the UCL, with managers who hv won trophies, & I know I can set up a team to beat them.

"Competing in the BPL is more difficult than winning trophies in plenty of countries abroad. Who is the better manager ... 1 of these Champions League guys with a trophy fr Holland, France, Switzerland & places like tat - or me, in tis league, the hardest, most high profile league in the world?''

joew2005
25-10-2010, 06:08 AM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=292946&cc=4716

Gunners claim valuable City scalp

Samir Nasri, Alex Song & Nicklas Bendtner were on target as Arsenal struck a blow 4 the old guard against 10-man ManC, triumphing 3-nil @ Eastlands.

City had been looking 2 reclaim 2nd place in the Premier League but hopes of a 5th successive win were all but dashed with the early sending off of Dedryck Boyata.

Nasri put the Gunners ahead 20 minutes in2 a fiery contest & although Joe Hart kept City in contention with a penalty save fr Cesc Fabregas, Song & Bendtner finished them off.

Victory lifted Arsenal back into the top 4, abv City on goal difference & contradicted recent criticism of the Londoners' record against their perceived title rivals.

The momentum all appeared 2 be with City prior 2 the match, which was preceded by a memorial service & minute's applause 4 their late manager Malcolm Allison.

Carlos Tevez was back 2 lead the City line while Emmanuel Adebayor, despite a midweek hat-trick, was left on the bench against his former club.

And the hosts appeared in a rush 2 impress @ Boyata, starting ahead of Joleon Lescott, released Tevez with a superb ball down the right aft 1 min.

Tevez raced beyond the defence & into the area but David Silva failed 2 make firm contact with his ball in2 the middle & Lukasz Fabianski saved his scuffed shot.

Tevez then set Micah Richards free down the right but tis time Bacary Sagna slid in 2 deal with the cross.

Yet no sooner had City started 2 look dominant than Boyata, as the last man, was sent off 4 bringing down Marouane Chamakh as he raced onto a Fabregas ball.

Mark Clattenburg took time 2 consider his verdict but showed a straight red card. Aft tat it became clear Clattenburg was in for a tough afternoon as the tackles started to fly in.

He booked Denilson 4 a late challenge on Tevez but showed restraint aft Nigel de Jong felled Fabregas, Gareth Barry was shown a yellow card 4 fouling the Spaniard but Song escaped such punishment 4 a bad tackle on Silva.

In terms of chances, City had the next when Tevez mishit a shot @ Fabianski but Johan Djourou then headed over from a Sagna cross.

The opening goal came aft 20 minutes as Nasri played a 1-2 with Andrey Arshavin on the edge of the box & clipped the ball over Joe Hart.

Fabregas, still being given close attention by City, was booked himself after tangling with De Jong. City responded by again attacking down the right as James Milner played Richards through.

Arsenal struggled to get back but were relieved as Richards checked back onto his left foot and screwed his shot wide. Song and Djourou also went into Clattenburg's notebook before the break after challenges on Silva and Tevez respectively.

The game refused to settle down and Clattenburg was called upon again as Vincent Kompany recklessly lunged in on Fabregas just inside the area. A penalty was the obvious outcome but Hart kept City in the game with a brilliant save from Fabregas' spot-kick.

Fabregas had another opportunity early in the second half after combining well with Chamakh and Nasri but his first-time shot was weak and easily saved by Hart.

City boss Roberto Mancini decided to make a bold change after 52 minutes, gambling on the determination of Adebayor to impress and removing usual talisman Tevez.

An intricate move saw Milner feed Silva inside the box and the Spaniard's curving right-foot shot was brilliantly tipped wide by Fabianski. Adebayor had a chance from the resulting corner but Fabianski's presence forced him to direct his header over.

Arshavin then drilled a shot straight at Hart from 20 yards as Arsenal continued to push. Song finished City off in the 66th minute when he grabbed an opportunistic second for the visitors.

Wayne Bridge had blocked a Fabregas pass intended for Chamakh but the ball ran loose and Song, unchallenged, pounced to smash it into the top corner.

Adebayor raised City fans' spirits when he forced a fine save from Fabianski with a firm header but a flag had already been raised for offside.

There was a stoppage 15 minutes from time when an object appeared to be thrown from the crowd as Arsenal prepared to take a corner.

Substitute Bendtner put the result beyond any doubt five minutes from time when he raced clear and finished from a tight angle. Fit-again £23 million signing Mario Balotelli went close to a late consolation when he forced Fabianksi to tip over.

joew2005
26-10-2010, 04:58 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=836178&sec=england&cc=4716

City confident of avoiding European exile

ManC chief executive Garry Cook is confident the club will be able 2 comply with UEFA's stringent Financial Fair Play rules.

According 2 figures released tis week, the City owners invested a further £79.6 million in2 the club last month 2 take the total investment 2 £573 million since the 2009 takeover.

Under UEFA's new rules, designed 2 ensure clubs r self-sufficient, benefactors will only be able 2 contribute approximately £40 million in the 2013-14 & 2014-15 seasons, tat figure will drop 2 around £26 million 4 the 2015-16, 2016-17 & 2017-18.

Fr 2011-12, clubs will only be able 2 make a loss of €45 million (£39 million) per season &, when UEFA's rules r fully enforced, they will hv 2 break even, leading many 2 fear ManC could face exile fr the Champions League & Europa League.

City's income 4 2009-10 was £125 million but wages were at £133 million, with the club's loss standing @ £121.3 million. However, Cook told the Guardian tat the loss incorporated investment in the stadium - such as the City Square dining experience - & tat spending on new players will now be curtailed.

"Yes, the annual report shows income growth & the loss, which people r asking questions abt, but when you look fr a broader perspective, there r investments not only 4 the team but 4 the fans," he said. "The aim is 2 enhance the experience of tis football club 4 all those tat touch it.

"Clearly our intention is 2 comply (with Financial Fair Play rules). Our 2-yr plan was 2 take a budget & build a competency 2 compete @ the highest level, not forgetting the need 4 succession planning in every position.

"We r pleased with how tat worked & will not be signing players 2 the same level of intensity in the next transfer windows.

"Financial fair play is on our conscience. We talk abt it @ every board meeting & it's part of our long-term plan."

City hv faced criticism 4 what is perceived 2 be excessive spending on signings & wages, with some believing the arrival of billionaire owners has taken the game away fr the fans.

"Critics only hv their own perspective," Cook said. "They're not @ the football club - they haven't been part of the planning or the long-term financial strategies.

"People think we choose players fr the fantasy football league but there was a clear plan for who Roberto (Mancini) wanted 2 sign. 1 of the perceptions was that we only buy foreign players, then suddenly people saw that 6 of the England team who finished against Switzerland were City players.

"When people see the good things we r actually doing, they seem 2 be enlightened."

joew2005
31-10-2010, 01:00 AM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=292835&cc=4716

Wolves maul Mancini's men

David Edwards scored his 1st goal 4 14 mths 2 earn Wolves a shock win over ManC & boost their Premier League survival hopes.

City went ahead thru Emmanuel Adebayor's penalty & dominated the early part of the match.

But Wolves equalised thru Nenad Milijas & then Edwards earned Mick McCarthy's side their 1st victory since the opening day of the campaign.

City started the game as if they were going 2 win @ a canter as they threatened 2 prise open the Wolves defence every time they ventured 4ward.

But aft going ahead they seemed content 2 sit back, which allowed Wolves back in2 the game - & they seized the opportunity.

Matt Jarvis enhanced his England credentials with another sparkling performance on the flank as he supplied a string of menacing crosses.

With Stephen Hunt finally fit 2 make his league debut on the opposite wing, there was a far better balance abt the home side.

It was only in the final quarter of the game, with the introduction of Adam Johnson, tat City regained their early momentum.

Mario Balotelli had the chance 2 break the deadlock when he got on the end of a low cross fr James Milner but he could only stab the ball wide under pressure fr Kevin Foley.

Vincent Kompany got on the end of a David Silva corner & his glancing header was cleared by Milijas although it may hv been drifting just wide.

Aft 23 minutes Adebayor scored his 1st Premier League goal of the season fr the penalty spot 2 put City ahead.

Jerome Boateng played the ball through 2 Silva & he was brought down close by Stearman.

Referee Mike Dean pointed 2 the spot & Adebayor sent Marcus Hahnemann the wrong way.

Wolves responded in a positive fashion & David Edwards twice went close 2 equalising in the space of a min.

City's England goalkeeper Joe Hart did well 2 fingertip behind a header fr the Wolves midfielder aft he got on the end of a cross fr Jarvis.

But Hart was relieved 2 see a thumping header fr Edwards hit the post fr another dangerous ball in2 the box fr the impressive Jarvis.

The home side were not 2 be denied & aft 29 mins Milijas brought them back on level terms.

A cross fr Jarvis was blocked but the ball broke in2 the path of Milijas who beat Hart with his low drive in2 the corner.

Wolves were suddenly in the ascendancy & Jarvis supplied another telling cross which only just eluded the run of Hunt @ the far post.

But they had a let-off aft 41 minutes when Adebayor outjumped Hahnemann & glanced his header inches wide fr Balotelli's cross.

There was a quiet start 2 the 2nd half but aft 56 mins Edwards put Wolves in front.

Doyle had his shot blocked by Kolo Toure fr Foley's cross but the rebound fell 2 Edwards who kept his cool b4 sliding the ball past Hart & in2 the right corner.

Hunt was yellow-carded 2 mins later when he tugged @ the shirt of Adebayor as the striker tried 2 break clear down the left.

City tried 2 retaliate & Hahnemann did well 2 tip a low shot fr Silva around the post aft he had been teed up by Milner.

But Wolves were looking full of confidence & Hart had 2 be alert 2 get his body behind a low 30-yard attempt fr Milijas.

Adebayor missed a great chance 2 level aft 74 mins, shooting over the bar aft Johnson drilled the ball across the box.

It was Adebayor's last contribution b4 he was replaced 3 mins later by full-back Pablo Zabaleta.

Zabaleta & Balotelli were booked in the closing stages as Wolves held on 4 a valuable win.

Aft 10 games, Mancini's team thrill Chelsea by 8 pts.

The clock is starting 2 tick 4 Mancini.

joew2005
31-10-2010, 08:38 AM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=837512&sec=england&cc=4716

Mancini laments worst City display of the season

ManC's shock defeat @ Wolves was their worst performance of the season, according 2 manager Roberto Mancini.

City started brightly @ Molineux & deservedly took the lead when Emmanuel Adebayor converted fr the spot aft David Silva was felled by Richard Stearman.

But the home side hit back when Nenad Milijas fired in a low shot fr the edge of the area, b4 winger David Edwards finished fr close range in the 2nd half.

And the Italian admitted he was @ a loss 2 explain how his team had lost a game they looked firmly in control of. Mancini said: "We only played 4 the 1st 25 minutes. We played very well during tat period of the game & had 4 or 5 chances 2 score. But then we stopped playing & Wolves deserved 2 win tis game. It was the worse game we hv played.

"I don't know why tis happened but we must regroup & understand why tis happened. Maybe we thought aft 20 minutes tat it was an easy game. A team can lose but you can't lose like we did aft playing like tat 4 60-70 mins.''

Mancini admitted: "Tis was the sort of game you hv 2 win if you 1 2 challenge 4 the title. You must play all games @ 115%. I must understand very quickly why tis happened. But the season is long, we started it very well & there is time 2 recover.''

Wolves ended a run of 6 league games w/o a win but manager Mick McCarthy insisted: "Tat result has been coming 4 a few weeks. We deserved 2 win 2day.

"When you r bottom, but playing well, with a great spirit, it sounds really hollow when you say things like tat. But tis performance & result summed it all up 4 me. W/o our team spirit, we would be history. I hv been saying tat for weeks.''

Winger Matt Jarvis turned in another excellent display 2 press his England claims. McCarthy explained: "He has been excellent. He is giving every1 problems. "Last weekend, he gave Ashley Cole difficult time as he has had & ran the 2 Manchester full-backs ragged in the week.''

joew2005
04-11-2010, 09:26 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=838770&sec=uefaeuropaleague&cc=4716

Mancini rejects claims of Manchester City disunity


manager Roberto Mancini has spoken out against reports he is losing the dressing rm while midfielder James Milner said claims of squad disunity will only spur them on 2 success.

Mancini & Milner presented a united front ahead of City's Europa League Group A clash @ Lech Poznan amidst a string of player bust-ups & a dip in form 4 the big-spending club.

Successive defeats in the Premier League - 2 Arsenal & more damagingly, Wolves - hv led 2 reports of rows between key players & dressing room dissatisfaction with Mancini's methods.

Mancini, reacting 2 claims he had fallen out with the Toure brothers Yaya & Kolo - both of whom hv been left in Manchester with minor injury complaints - was also clear. Asked if he was losing the dressing room, the Italian said: "It's not true, it's false. But if there's some1 who wants 2 write these lies then I'm very happy 4 them. But no, it's not true.''

Milner is one of the players implicated for his recent on-field disagreement with Yaya Toure but he is clear about the fact that destabilising stories are only helping to forge City's siege mentality.

"When we see nonsense written in the papers it pulls us closer together,'' Milner said. "When it seems like the whole world is against you, that is when you pull together. These things will make us stronger as a football club. You go through times when things aren't quite right and it's important to keep things right off the field.

"I've been at Newcastle and Leeds where the press seemed to be outside the training ground whenever you drove in. We can't control what's off the field, we can only control results. (Having on-field disagreements) says we're very hungry to win football matches. We'd be worried if there wasn't that hunger because we're desperate to win trophies. In changing rooms up and down the country you'll see people disagreeing but it's forgotten as soon as you step off the pitch. We're a tight group.''

City are virtually assured passage to the knock-out stage of the Europa League, regardless of Thursday night's result, but there is encouraging news ahead of the weekend match against West Brom. Captain Carlos Tevez, who has been both injured and homesick, should return to Manchester on Thursday and while that rules him squarely out of the Europa action, Mancini is already considering his next league line-up.

"We will change some players for tonight; it's impossible to play the same players always,'' said Mancini. "But tomorrow he (Tevez) will be in Manchester and I think he will be ready for West Brom on Sunday. If he is okay then he should be.''

Striker Mario Balotelli could start for City against Lech Poznan. He had been struggling with a thigh strain but travelled following a morning training session.

joew2005
05-11-2010, 03:17 AM
currently there is a poll in soccernet abt - Roberto Mancini at City

He'll win it all given time 9.7 %
Top 4 & Cup but no more 36.6 %
Out of job by New Year 53.8 %

joew2005
05-11-2010, 04:30 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=839036&sec=england&cc=4716

Defiant Mancini asks: Why should I be fired?

Roberto Mancini's troubled reign as ManCity manager took another bad turn on Thurs as they lost 3-1 2 Lech Poznan, but the Italian responded by asking: "Why should I worry abt being fired?"

Emmanuel Adebayor appeared 2 hv rescued City fr defeat when he equalised 5mins in2 the 2nd half of the Europa League encounter. However, Mancini's much-changed line-up conceded twice 2 slump 2 an embarrassing loss.

Mancini has had 2 deal with endless amounts of speculation regarding the harmony of his squad over the past few days following City's defeat @ Wolves. However, he is adamant tat nobody can criticise the club while they remain on course for the main objective: Champions League football.

"The tabloids rage against us because City are headed by an Italian. I'm sorry 2 say, but the English r nationalists in football," Mancini was quoted as saying by the Guardian.

"City are 4th in the standings, & were in 2nd place. The club hv asked me 2 qualify 4 next season's Champions League & we r going well 4 tat.

"Why should I worry abt being fired? Tis does not exist. The team r against me? Lies, all rubbish. There were hard discussions with some players, but the team follows me & the results are arriving."

joew2005
07-11-2010, 11:16 AM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=839593&sec=england&cc=4716

Marwood unimpressed with player complaints

Man City football administrator Brian Marwood believes the players unhappy abt Roberto Mancini's training regime "need 2 wake up" & start giving their all 4 the club.

The spotlight has been on Eastlands aft 3 straight defeats, with dressing-room & on-field squabbles - as well as anonymous quotes fr disaffected players appearing in the press - fuelling reports of disharmony.

Mancini's gruelling training regime, which was criticised publicly by Carlos Tevez last season, is thought 2 be 1 reason 4 the problems, but Marwood says the players hv an obligation 2 do whatever is expected of them.

"Roberto is very disciplined," he told the Daily Telegraph. "With the 2 training sessions a day, you'll always hv players who hv an issue with tat.

"Players get in2 a pattern, dropping the kids off @ skool, taking the wife out shopping. 'I can't do tat anymore becos I hv 2 train,' they say. Tat upsets the rhythm. But we'd all give everything 2 be in tat position.

"This is wat players need 2 wake up 2 in terms of the life they hv. These players r under contract, hv obligations 2 our football club. They should train & play 2 the best of their ability.''

Marwood also said tat some agents had created "divisive" situations, telling players 2 agitate 4 moves away, although he was keen 2 stress tat others encouraged their clients 2 fight 4 their place.

"Not all agents r a pain,'' he said. "There r good agents. They k offer a very, very good service 2 players. They unfortunately hv got a bad name.

"Some k be divisive, creating situations @ the club which disrupts individuals & wat the team r capable of producing. It's happened here.''

Marwood understands tat agents profit fr transfers - "A lot of them make their $ by moving players," he said - but revealed the club has changed its approach 2 payment 2 help avert such issues.

"This club had a habit of paying substantial amounts 2 agents. Tat's changed now. If they r doing a good service, I've no problem with them earning good $.

"They get between 2% & 5% of the wages but split over the deal, so if a player signs a 5-yr deal & leaves aft 2, you wouldn't pay the agent the remaining 3 yrs."

Meanwhile, a spokesman 4 Tevez has rubbished suggestions his client is seeking therapy 2 cope with his homesickness.

Tevez has confirmed he is finding it hard spending so much time away fr his daughters, who live in Argentina, but the spokesman says he is dealing with the situation.

"There is not a shred of truth in it," he said in the Daily Mirror. "Carlos is very hurt by these accusations. Of course he misses his daughters, just as any father would in this situation, but 2 suggest there is more 2 it than tat, tat he is suffering some kind of problem tat requires professional help, is simply not true."

joew2005
08-11-2010, 10:27 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=839931&sec=england&cc=4716

Fergie: Man City will spend until they win

ManU manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes billionaire neighbours ManC will simply keep on spending until they win something.

Speaking ahead of Wed's Manchester derby, Ferguson claimed City could easily spend another £100 million on 5 or 6 players if they need 2 boost the quality of the squad.

United, the only unbeaten team in the top flight & lying 2nd in the Premier League, travel 2 Eastlands with a 3-point lead over their rivals & there is more than just bragging rights @ stake now tat City r genuine title contenders.

"It does put an edge on [the game]. I don't believe there's any question abt tat," Ferguson told Inside United.

"We know the kind of $ they're spending - they've bought another 5 or 6 players in the summer & they'll keep doing tat until they win something. You know tat's going 2 be the way it is & you hv 2 deal with it as it comes along.

"They're up there [challenging for the title] & you can't wait until 2morrow when there's something there 2day. I'm sure they're thinking tat way themselves."

Ferguson has worries over injuries 2 Nani (groin) & Ryan Giggs (hamstring) ahead of the match. England striker Wayne Rooney is still recovering in the USA.

joew2005
09-11-2010, 10:18 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=840108&sec=england&cc=4716

Mancini confident ahead of derby

Roberto Mancini says ManC r simply targeting a Champions League spot tis season but believes his side k now assert their superiority over ManU.

City recovered fr a run of 3 defeats in all competitions by beating WBA on Sunday, but they will face a significant test of their credentials when they host United in the Premier League on Wed.

The visitors r on a run of 6 consecutive victories going in2 the game, but Mancini is confident City k send a message @ Eastlands.

"We hv respect 4 United & respect 4 Fergie becos he's the top manager in the world, but we k be better than them always now," he said.

"I think tat the Premier League is veri long, veri difficult. It is important 4 us 2 stay in 1st, 2nd, 3rd position. I think Chelsea will win the Premier League, but all the other teams near them k try.

"In my opinion, Chelsea is better than the other teams. Our target must be the Champions League, but we will be there near Chelsea, near United, in January. We will hv a chance."

Sir Alex Ferguson knows City's spending power means they hv the capability 2 keep adding 2 the squad, but he feels tat may not lead 2 title success.

"If clubs hv $ & 1 2 spend it, they will," Ferguson said. "Chelsea did the same; so did Sunderland back in the 1950s. It is not an unusual thing. It is a fact of life.

"The only difference is tat City is an untapped well @ the moment, but it is difficult 2 say whether it is inevitable they r going 2 win the league @ some point.

"Obviously, in many people's eyes, having the money is a lot better than not having it, but it is still a difficult league to win. City recognise that themselves."

City have announced that they no longer plan to keep spending, though, and Mancini responded to Ferguson's comments by saying "the situation changed".

joew2005
13-11-2010, 08:15 AM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=841061&sec=england&cc=4716

Mancini happy with fourth

Roberto Mancini has claimed he would be happy if the BPL finished now despite criticism in recent weeks.

Aft another summer of heavy spending, some had tipped ManC 2 provide a title challenge tis season aft their 5th-placed finish last season.

However, aft a run of 2 defeats & a draw in the league, City r currently 4th, 7pts behind leaders Chelsea, & the team was accused of a lack of ambition in the wake of the 0-0 draw with ManU.

With City's owners desperate 2 secure a place in the UCL next season, though, Mancini believes the project remains on target.

"If the Premier League finished 2morrow, I m happy," he said. "Our target is 2 get 2 the UCL, but the season is very long.

"It's important 2 stay near the top until Jan & Feb, when the Champions League starts up again. When you get 2 Jan or Feb, the championship changes. Maybe ManU, Chelsea & Arsenal focus more on the Champions League, so it k be different.

"Our target tis season is 2 qualify for the UCL but during the season we k change tat target."

City hv previously indicated tat they will now curtail their spending but, amid reports the likes of Shaun Wright-Phillips, Roque Santa Cruz, Wayne Bridge & Shay Given will move on, Mancini has refused 2 rule out further arrivals.

"Anything k happen in January," he said. "If some players 1 2 leave becos they 1 2 play somewhere else then it is different, but @ the moment there r no problems."

joew2005
14-11-2010, 03:01 AM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=293188&cc=4716

City booed after another goalless draw

Roberto Mancini felt the full weight of frustration as his ManC side were booed off aft their 2nd 0-0 draw in 4 days @ Eastlands, tis time against Birmingham.
Just as against ManU on Wednesday, the entertainment value was sadly lacking, except on tis occasion City were playing against a side who could be in the bottom 3 by Sunday evening.

James Milner came closest 2 breaking the deadlock, 15 secs aft the interval, when his shot was cleared off the line by Stephen Carr.

It was not impressive stuff though 4 a side who, whilst remaining in a Champions League position, have now won just 1 match fr their last 5 Premier League outings & hv not scored a league goal on home soil since the beginning of October.

Tat Mancini compounded tis by taking crowd fav Carlos Tevez off b4 the end, & replacing him with Gareth Barry, jz heightened a sense of unhappiness @ the sight of an obdurate Birmingham outfit heading back down the M6 with a precious point.

As Birmingham turned out in a red away kit tat could hv passed 4 ManU, it was easy 2 believe tis was simply a continuation of Wednesday night's awful fare.

There were obvious differences. 4 a start, Birmingham were intent on defending their penalty area, a tactic tat became apparent within the 1st 5 mins.

Aleksandar Kolarov was introduced 4 only his 2nd start of the season, a notable figure if only becos he came across fr his left-back station 2 take City's right-wing corners.

And Adam Johnson was picked, offering the England star 2 match his words of discontent abt forcing himself in2 Mancini's plans so infrequently, with meaningful action.

Unfortunately, the end product was depressingly similar 2 a midweek derby generally acknowledged 2 be 1 of the worst of recent times.

If anything, due 2 a chronic lack of atmosphere mainly, tis was even worse.

Ben Foster did not hv a 1st half save 2 make, or @ least the 1 he did need 2 make but failed, turned out 2 be of no consequence anyway as Carlos Tevez was ruled 2 hv handled David Silva's cross 2 get it past the England man.

Referee Mike Jones got tat call right, jz as he was probably correct 2 rule it was not a penalty when Liam Ridgewell went down under Johnson's challenge.

It was more a case of accidentally tripping over some1's feet by the Birmingham full-back, who did not complain, even if manager Alex McLeish did.

Kolarov, Tevez & Johnson drove ambitious efforts wide, drawing groans fr home supporters who clearly expect much better.

They came very close 2 getting it within 15 secs of the restart.

Having organised his defence so well, McLeish must hv been startled @ hw easily they were undone in route 1 fashion when James Milner breached their defences.

Foster repelled the midfielder's 1st effort but Milner seemed sure 2 tuck the rebound home, only 4 Carr 2 pop up & make a fine goalline clearance.

It emphasised the greater purpose City had found during the interval, even if Tevez, Milner & most glaringly Yaya Toure wasted decent chances.

Toure is yet 2 win over the Blues support since his summer arrival fr Barca on a reputed salary in excess of £200,000 a week.

For tat money, more is anticipated tat a rushed finish 2 a move in which both Milner & David Silva created space 4 the imposing Ivorian 2 shoot.

Toure has been part of a spending spree over the past 2 transfer windows tat has turned Roque Santa Cruz in2 City's forgotten man.

The Paraguayan, signed by Mark Hughes fr Blackburn in an £18million deal 17 mths ago, admitted earlier tis week tat he would be seeking pastures new in January.

However, with Emmanuel Adebayor missing due 2 a bruised heel & his side starting 2 run out of ideas, Mancini opted 2 introduce Santa Cruz in2 a Premier League encounter for the 1st time tis season.

The Paraguayan almost had an instant impact 2, slipping an intelligent pass through 4 Tevez, who dragged his shot wide.

As thoughts of an upturn in fortunes increasingly looked like being an illusion, frustration in the stands turned 2 fury when Tevez was replaced by Gareth Barry 7 mins fr time.

Tevez raised a rueful eyebrow as he took his place in the dug-out, leaving Mancini 2 face the ire of his own supporters.

joew2005
17-11-2010, 06:55 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=843295&sec=transfers&cc=4716

Given ponders January exit due to City frustration

Shay Given has hinted tat he could look 2 leave ManC in January aft growing increasingly frustrated with his limited chances @ Eastlands.

With Joe Hart retaining his grip on the No. 1 shirt @ City, Given, 34, has been restricted 2 just 2 starts all season & not 1 single appearance in the BPL.

He will win a record 109th cap 4 Republic of Ireland against Norway on Wed night & says he will welcome the match practice aft being unable 2 dislodge Hart fr Roberto Mancini's plans.

Though Given could start the weekend's game against Fulham due 2 a back injury sustained by Hart, he appears open 2 a possible move away fr the club in January.

"As a kid growing up, you 1 2 play football, you 1 2 play games & when you don't it's frustrating, so it's more abt me getting a game than the cap thing," Given said.

"My own personal situation isn't ideal, as every1 knows,& we'll see wat happens over the next couple of mths. I 1 2 be playing football & so hopefully something will happen in the New Year. It's frustrating & I'm not coping very well, 2 be honest."

joew2005
18-11-2010, 08:47 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=843812&sec=transfers&cc=4716

Balotelli committed to Manchester City 'until June'

Mario Balotelli has only committed his future 2 ManC until June amid speculation he could join AC Milan.

Balotelli, a Milan fan fr childhood, has frequently been linked with a move 2 the Rossoneri & he fuelled speculation when he attended a restaurant with the club's vice-president, Adriano Galliani, aft the victory over the striker's former team, Inter, @ the weekend.

"Until June, I am certainly @ ManC," he said. "I hv a 5-yr contract & can't say anything.

"It's true tat I had dinner with Adriano Galliani aft the derby, but wat does tat mean? If I had dinner with Massimo Moratti would you say I was returning 2 Inter?"

Balotelli also had words of praise 4 Zlatan Ibrahimovic, currently on loan fr Barca but expected 2 join Milan on a permanent basis.

"1 day I would like 2 return 2 playing with Ibrahimovic," he said. "It doesn't matter wat shirt I wear. It would be great."

Ibrahimovic added: "Mario asked me 2 come 2 play with him @ City but Mario will 1 day ask 2 come & play here. We shall hv 2 watch tis space."

Balotelli also hailed another Milan star, Andrea Pirlo, when asked his favourite player in the current Italy side.

"He's another Milanista, but it's not my fault if they hv so many great players," he said.

Aft the meeting with Balotelli tis week, Galliani denied suggestions the striker was a January target following the injury 2 Pippo Inzaghi.

"We talked abt tis & tat, but there r no negotiations in progress," he said. "Aft all, ManC is a rich & powerful club & they hv not taken Balotelli only for 6 mths."

joew2005
18-11-2010, 09:03 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/feature?id=843395&sec=englandopinion&cc=4716

Mancini is not the man 2 deliver City's dreams ?

ManC r 4th aft jz 13 matches. Tat Roberto Mancini is defending his position may be seen as the onset of insanity. Mancini & Mark Hughes, already sacked 4 failing his audition @ the big time, hv many similarities.

As Hughes was shown the door by the dynamic Garry Cook & Brian Marwood, tat is not something the Italian would 1 2 hear. @ Inter, winning a league hat-trick was the reason City 1 him. However, the way he won, & hw rapidly Jose Mourinho upstaged him, demonstrates why he should nvr hv been given the City job.

Hughes & Mancini started their league management careers by making the best out of limited budgets. Hughes brought David Bentley, Ryan Nelsen & Roque Santa Cruz 2 Blackburn 4 less than £5 million. Against a backdrop of Walker Trust cloth-cutting, Hughes achieved as much as anyone could hv expected. @ Fiorentina, Mancini could do little but stretch out the club's life as it went fr playing in purple 2 being severely in the red. @ Lazio, also hamstrung by financial difficulties, Mancini was able 2 finish 4th & 6th, a comparable achievement 2 Hughes.

Hughes took over @ ManC in 2008. The chance 2 buy Carlos Tevez, Kolo Toure, Craig Bellamy & Shay Given meant City had a team tat could hv been creative & durable. However, he alienated, among others, Robinho. Like Mancini, Hughes does not get on with moonlight-fondling, nightclub-dwelling players. Aft 18 mths, he was sacked 4 cowering against their new peers of United & Chelsea. He could not give ManC the mindset tat they were a truly important team - something Mancini cannot do now either.

Mancini got his promotion 2 Inter in 2004. Inter were suffering dizziness aft chasing success 4 so long, hving won their last scudetto in 1989. A huge task &, given Massimo Moratti's constant involvement in transfers, few assumed Mancini would be the manager 2 bring consecutive titles 2 Inter. They were rite - Mancini didn't. But Luciano Moggi did. In Mancini's 1st yr, Inter were knocked out of the Champions League by AC Milan, out of the reaches of Italian referees.

Calciopoli's interference gave Inter their 1st title in 2006 aft they had originally finished 3rd in a discredited league. It is hard 2 treat tis as a genuine success. Of course, there seemed no alternative but 2 give it 2 Inter, but those responsible had tainted the neutral's appreciation of the achievement.

The punishment of Milan & Juventus meant tat Mancini's 2nd album, his scudetto hat-trick, will always hv a liner note 2 discredit it. Calciopoli did not just punish the guilty, but turned the scudetto fr a passionate affair 2 a brisk handshake with no eye contact with added faded glory. Mancini succeeded due 2 disqualifications & handicaps hobbling his opposition. In Europe, while nobody would hv demanded tat he win the Champions League 2 assert himself, it was the manner of defeat tat ought to hv worried Garry Cook.

In 2006-07, Inter lost in the 2nd round against a limited Valencia team, the game ending in slapstick fisticuffs. Sauntering down the tunnel as violence erupted might look cool, but it suggests tat Mancini has always had trouble relating 2 his players.

ManC hv indulged him with Mario Balotelli, a maniac & occasional footballer. He rubber-stamped Adam Johnson, a Marwood 'Buy British' purchase & a rag-week drinker, but who is now already willing 2 talk up a transfer away. His club captain, Carlos Tevez, sweats stories of unhappiness with football, Manchester & existence. Tat's Carlos Tevez, club captain, last week shown up by Rafael in an on-field contretemps.

He lost 2 a tactically superior Liverpool in 2007-08, & the failure stained him as it came in the 2nd ko round. Tat represents slow progress. Last season, Mancini guided City 2 5th, playing functional football. They r only 1 position higher aft more investment. Losing early in Europe so often was due 2 tactical intransigence. He secured his Italian titles becos of his 2-yr headstart. Seven defenders will never put clear water between a team & its fellow title challengers. Tactical inflexibility is 1 thing if your players r markedly better than anyone else's, but Mancini plays the same way against both Wolves & ManU.

His successor @ Inter, Jose Mourinho, however, k make triple substitutions 2 positive effect. He k switch a team fr 4-3-3 to 4-4-2 within the same half & back again the next. Similarly obsessed with control, Mourinho would rather do it when his team hv the ball, & with players who k score. Mancini just has Carlos Tevez. Comparisons with Mourinho r unfair on most managers, but they damn Mancini as a tactical coward. Think again of Mancini's progress tis year, from 5th to 4th. In his 1st season, & very 1st Premier League fixture, Mourinho had a Chelsea team beating ManU. Mancini fielded 7 defensive players in the comparable fixture.

Mancini is criticised 4 indulging in Italian tactics, a modern catenaccio. Tis misses the point. Another Italian manager, Claudio Ranieri, brought attacking football 2 Chelsea @ a level no less successful than Mancini, & his Roma team r still more attacking than defensive. Carlo Ancelotti oversaw fine attacking performances directed by Kaka, & his Chelsea side regularly demolish other sides with impressive urgency. Mancini's flaws r not his country's, they r his own.

Beyond tactics, & with his players, he is sentimentally stunted. Aft 4 more Chelsea managers, John Terry still belongs 2 Jose. @ Chelsea's peak, the 2 shared an umbilical bond. When Inter won the Champions League last season, Marco Materazzi was so devoted 2 his manager tat the 2 shared explicitly metrosexual tears of joy.

Mancini oftens acts as if he would not even defend his players in a fight. Emotionally he could nvr hv such a relationship with a player, & tactically he is not brave or smart enough 2 win a Champions League. Rite now, he does not look a manager 2 win a title in a fair fight. When the time comes, 1 wonders hw Cook & Marwood will justify their existence tis time.

joew2005
19-11-2010, 06:30 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=844076&sec=transfers&cc=4716

Dzeko back on the agenda as City plan clear-out

ManC hv alerted football's top agents tat they r willing 2 write off close 2 £100 million worth of players in the January transfer window.

Joleon Lescott, Wayne Bridge, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Emmanuel Adebayor, Roque Santa Cruz & Jo hv been earmarked either 2 be sold off @ cut-rate prices or loaned out with the club willing 2 pay 50% of the players' wages.

In addition, Shay Given & Adam Johnson 1 2 leave hving lost their places in the side.

City 1 2 make room 4 new signings, with Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko - rated @ £33 million - top of their wanted list.

A leading agent told ESPNsoccernet: "It is now common knowledge tat ManC 1 1 offload a no. of players."

Another added: "Players r queuing up 2 leave, but it won't be easy 2 shift them as they r on such high wages."

City allowed Craig Bellamy 2 join Cardiff City on loan tis season, effectively paying most of his salary, but the situation 4 some other players could be more complex, with some of them on massive wages.

ESPNsoccernet has been informed tat Adebayor is on £170,000 a week, with Bridge earning £90,000, Lescott £75,000, Santa Cruz & Jo both on £70,000 & Wright-Phillips on £65,000.

An agent said: "The best 1 k hope 4 is 4 the wages 2 be paid 50-50 with City paying half, but @ the end of the loan comes the problem.

"If any players r then sold off @ the end of the season & the clubs cannot afford 2 match, or get anywhere near, the wages, then City will hv 2 pay those players millions jz 2 get them off their books, & 2 make up the shortfall 4 the player."

City hv confirmed tat they do not intend 2 continue spending big money on players, with UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules threatening their rite 2 compete in Europe when fully introduced, but a move 4 24-year-old Dzeko still appears likely in the January window if they k offload 2 existing strikers.

The agent said: "There is a €40 million release clause in the player's contract, & while City wouldn't pay it b4, they might do now."

Dzeko's representatives r believed 2 hv attended City's 0-0 draw with ManU @ Eastlands.

joew2005
20-11-2010, 05:24 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=844269&sec=england&cc=4716

Mancini talks trophies ahead of City's Hughes reunion

Roberto Mancini is convinced he will hv a UCL place & a trophy @ the end of the season 2 prove he has changed ManC's fortunes 4 the better.

City head 2 Fulham on Sunday & a 1st encounter with Mark Hughes since the Welshman was dismissed in acrimonious circumstances by the Blues' cash-rich Abu Dhabi-based owners in December last year. 4 Mancini it promises 2 be an ordeal, not least becos the statistics surrounding his own tenure r open 2 criticism.

Mancini has gleaned exactly the same number of points fr the 1st 13 games of tis campaign as Hughes managed in the last, & the Blues hv also lost 3 times, compared 2 only once @ tis point 12 months ago. In fairness 2 Mancini, there is a significant difference in tat the Blues hv established themselves in the top 4, something they failed 2 do under Hughes.

Yet, 4 the money tat has been spent reinforcing Mancini's squad, it is not tat impressive. What would make ppl sit up is if the Blues were able 2 end a trophy drought tat will hv lasted 4 35 years by the time they next get an opportunity 2 win 1, & tat goes alongside a place in the UCL next season. Mancini is confident both targets will be achieved.

"We are in 4th position, 3 points behind United but we must check @ the end of the season,'' said Mancini. "@ the end of the season I think we will get in2 the UCL & probably we will win something. Tis is my opinion becos I believe we hv improved a lot.''

Others may argue otherwise. Certainly Hughes felt his side would hv achieved their objectives if they had been given a chance last term. Owner Sheikh Mansour & chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak had other ideas, which means Hughes will be fully motivated tis weekend, even if Mancini is eager the contest should not become a personal battle.

"I don't know if Mark Hughes has a point 2 prove but Sunday is Fulham against ManC, not Mancini against Hughes,'' he said. "Maybe it means more, I don't know. But I am sure they always try 2 win, whether they play against ManC or Newcastle, who they played last Saturday.''

Nevertheless, the spectre of Hughes lingers over Mancini's work, not least becos he was clearly talking with City b4 there was actually a vacancy. Not tat Mancini defends himself against such accusations. He merely points out the brutal reality of life @ the sharp end.

"This is our life. A manager's life,'' he said. "2day you k be here. 2morrow you k be @ another club. If a manager does not accept tis, he doesn't do his job. The world is full of football managers.''

What the world is not full of r clubs with the financial muscle City hv @ their disposal. It brings pressure Mancini insists he does not feel, a state due in a large part 2 his total belief in the work he has done so far.

"I am not saying we will achieve things becos I 1 2 keep my job. I m saying it becos I know my job & I know my squad. We r 4th now & the best is yet 2 come. We beat Liverpool & Chelsea & didn't give them any chances. We didn't give ManU any chances. This is very important. If we don't give our opponents any chances we won't hv a problem scoring when everyone is available.''

Not every1 will be available tis weekend though as controversial striker Mario Balotelli serves the final game of a 3-match ban. In addition, Mancini has doubts over England duo Joleon Lescott & Micah Richards but he has reported good news over goalkeeper Joe Hart, who was forced 2 miss the friendly defeat 2 France aft suffering a back spasm in training on Tuesday.

"Joe is getting better,'' said Mancini. "I think he will be available 4 Sunday.''

joew2005
20-11-2010, 08:55 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=844293&sec=england&cc=4716

Hughes: Man City would be better under me

Mark Hughes claims he would hv advanced ManC much more than Roberto Mancini has been able 2, had the club not sacked him last season.

Former Inter Milan coach Mancini has spent £135 million on new signings since arriving @ Eastland's last term, but has come under fire aft a series of negative performances.

And despite the massive investment, Mancini's Premier League title-chasers hv accrued the same point's total tat Hughes acquired aft 13 games last season & with an inferior GD.

Hughes, now manager @ Fulham, said: "They made the change with the view tat they 1 2 accelerate the process of getting success. Tat doesn't seem 2 hv happened.

"I know wat I left behind, tat the club & the group of players I had there was good enough 2 hit the targets I was given. I knew they had 2 spend significantly more money [last] summer - tat opportunity was going 2 be given 2 myself. It wasn't. If I had still been there I would hv been there 2 & a half years so tat I think would hv helped."

Mancini has strongly defended his record, claiming City r far stronger under his management.

"We hv improved a lot," Mancini said. "We hv won a lot of away games. We r in 4th position, 2 points behind ManU. We must check again @ the end of the season but I think we will get in2 the UCL & probably win something."

benglian
20-11-2010, 10:16 PM
Dzeko back on the agenda as City plan clear-out

Manchester City have alerted football's top agents that they are willing to write off close to £100 million worth of players in the January transfer window.


GettyImages
City will look to revive their interest in Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko
Joleon Lescott, Wayne Bridge, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Emmanuel Adebayor, Roque Santa Cruz and Jo have been earmarked either to be sold off at cut-rate prices or loaned out with the club willing to pay 50% of the players' wages.

In addition, Shay Given wants to leave having lost his place, although Adam Johnson has now said he wants to fight for his place.

City want to make room for new signings, with Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko - rated at £33 million - top of their wanted list.

A leading agent told ESPNsoccernet: "It is now common knowledge that Manchester City want to offload a number of players."

Another added: "Players are queuing up to leave, but it won't be easy to shift them as they are on such high wages."

City allowed Craig Bellamy to join Cardiff City on loan this season, effectively paying most of his salary, but the situation for the aforementioned players could be more complex, with some of the players on massive wages.

ESPNsoccernet has been informed that Adebayor is on £170,000 a week, with Bridge earning £90,000, Lescott £75,000, Santa Cruz and Jo both on £70,000 and Wright-Phillips on £65,000.

An agent said: "The best one can hope for is for the wages to be paid 50-50 with City paying half, but at the end of the loan comes the problem.

"If any players are then sold off at the end of the season and the clubs cannot afford to match, or get anywhere near, the wages, then City will have to pay those players millions just to get them off their books, and to make up the shortfall for the player."

City have confirmed that they do not intend to continue spending big money on players, with UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules threatening their right to compete in Europe when fully introduced, but a move for 24-year-old Dzeko still appears likely in the January window if they can offload two existing strikers.

The agent said: "There is a €40 million release clause in the player's contract, and while City wouldn't pay it before, they might do now."

Dzeko's representatives are believed to have attended City's 0-0 draw with Manchester United at Eastlands.

joew2005
21-11-2010, 08:00 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=844813&sec=england&cc=4716

Toure slams City slackers

ManC defender Kolo Toure claims a number of his highly-paid teammates don't deserve their place in the team becos they don't work hard enough.

Speaking ahead of City's Premier League clash with Fulham, Toure took a swipe @ his colleagues & even suggested the club could withhold the wages of certain players until they pull their socks up.

"You need 2 be honest, even if you hurt people, & there r some players here, I am not scared 2 say, who r not working hard enough 4 the team," Toure told the News of the World. "Some don't do enough in training but still expect 2 play."

The 29-year-old, a £16 million signing fr Arsenal in 2009, added: "We all get big wages @ City but some need 2 work harder. You cannot hv a place in the team - even if you r an international - if you don't show wat you k do in training.

"As players, we hv the best job in the world & if the manager said: 'You hvn't worked hard enough, you will only get half your wages tis week', it would make players fight harder.

"I'm a professional footballer & 2 me, playing regularly is the most important thing. Money is secondary."

However, Toure still believes 5th-placed City k win the Premier League title, as long as the players stop bickering & pull in the same direction.

He said: "Football is not jz abt $, it's abt winning trophies. City 1 2 be a big club. We feel pressure tat we hv 2 deliver & we k still win the title."

joew2005
24-11-2010, 06:36 AM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=845432&sec=transfers&cc=4716

City deny Adebayor is set for Juve loan

ManC hv denied Emmanuel Adebayor's claims they hv "reached an agreement with Juventus" 4 a loan deal 2 be completed in the January transfer window.

Adebayor has been arguably the most high-profile casualty of Roberto Mancini's mass summer spending spree, making jz 2 Premier League starts tis season. He has scored 5 goals in all competitions, but 4 of those hv come in the Europa League.

Following the arrivals of David Silva, Mario Balotelli & James Milner over the summer, Adebayor has fallen down the City pecking order, & he was even an unused substitute behind out-of-favour Brazilian Jo @ Fulham on Sunday.

Adebayor told Sport/Foot Magazine: "I don't know wat I did wrong 2 Roberto Mancini, but he nvr makes me play.

"I k tell you tat City has already reached an agreement with Juventus 4 a loan. I therefore expect 2 be able 2 leave in December."

However, although City r understood 2 be ready 2 listen to offers 4 Adebayor, they hv dismissed any notion tat a deal is already in place.

Juve, meanwhile, r also said 2 hv shown interest in ManU striker Federico Macheda, but his agent, Giovanni Bia, has dismissed the prospect of a move.

"What I can say is tat no 1 has called me - neither ManU nor Juventus - so 4 now I k rule out a move 2 Turin," he told Calcio Mercato. "Macheda is happy in England & is not feeling the urge 2 return 2 Italy."

joew2005
26-11-2010, 09:07 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=846372&sec=transfers&cc=4716

Mancini casts doubt on Ade loan

ManC boss Roberto Mancini has ruled out the prospect of striker Emmanuel Adebayor being allowed 2 leave the club on loan in January.

Adebayor, a £25 million signing fr Arsenal in July 2009, has started jz 2 Premier League games tis season aft falling behind Carlos Tevez in the pecking order.

The 26-year-old is rumoured 2 be 1 of a number of Mancini's players agitating 4 a move 2 another club due 2 frustration over a lack of 1st-team opportunities.

He appeared 2 be on his way out of City earlier in the week aft suggesting tat Juventus had agreed a deal 2 sign him on loan, with City assistant David Platt also conceding the player may leave in January.

However, Mancini appears reluctant 2 lose Adebayor & allow his squad 2 be weakened.

"No, in tis moment I don't see it - if we let 1 player [go] then we must get 1 player in," Mancini said. "Tis is difficult. Emmanuel must continue 2 work, & if he has a chance 2 play then he must play well."

1 striker virtually certain 2 leave Eastlands is Roque Santa Cruz as the Paraguayan has made only 1 Premier League appearance tis season & has openly discussed his wish 2 seek a new challenge.

Former club Blackburn would be interested in bringing Santa Cruz back 2 Ewood Park, but manager Sam Allardyce says he may be unable 2 finance such a transfer, despite the recent takeover by Indian company Venky's.

"Yes, I think so - there is no doubt abt tat," Allardyce said. "Whether players of that ilk 1 2 come back 2 Blackburn Rovers & play 4 us, tat is fine - but it all depends on the financial side of it.

"There will be some finances but whether it will stretch 2 the size of the sort of wages tat ManC pay is a difficult 1. They hv blown everyone out of the water recently by the signings they hv made & the main reason has been the size of the financial package they hv been offering.

"Whether ManC k recoup their money or whether we k afford tat player's wages is a difficult scenario 2 try & get over."

joew2005
28-11-2010, 04:53 AM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=293079&cc=4716

Stoke City1 - 1 Manchester City

Matthew Etherington emphasised Stoke's never-say-die attitude with a stoppage-time equaliser against ManC @ the Britannia Stadium.

Roberto Mancini's high-fliers looked set 4 all 3 points thanks 2 a marvellous goal fr Micah Richards in the 81st minute.

But Stoke refused 2 lie down & Etherington took advantage of a clever back-heel fr Tuncay 2 ensure his side got a share of the spoils.

City found themselves under pressure 4 long spells in the 1st half & must hv been delighted 2 go in @ the break on level terms.

Stoke showed their credentials as early as the 5th min when a long throw fr Rory Delap was flicked on by Ryan Shawcross.

Jermaine Pennant got on the end of it, clearing the bar with his effort b4 Delap caused further confusion in the City penalty area.

Ricardo Fuller found himself clear following a long throw, only 2 see his shot blocked by Vincent Kompany.

Etherington then took advantage of some defensive hesitancy 2 fire in a shot City goalkeeper Joe Hart got a hand 2 b4 the ball was scrambled away.

The home side should have taken the lead in the 16th minute when Fuller & Kenwyne Jones played a neat 1-2.

Fuller was released in the area but failed 2 test Hart, steering his effort wide of the post. City were again forced on the back foot in the 22nd min when Robert Huth cleared the bar fr a good position.

The visitors launched a quick counter-attack in the 31st min when David Silva released Carlos Tevez. The striker found James Milner but the move broke down following a timely challenge by Andy Wilkinson.

Back came Stoke & Fuller got goal-side of Kolo Toure only 2 send his shot in2 the arms of Hart.

Play switched down the other end & Aleksandar Kolarov tested goalkeeper Asmir Begovic fr distance in the 36th minute.

Stoke were nearly undone in the 42nd min following a mistake by Danny Collins. He played a casual back pass 2 Begovic, unaware Tevez was lurking on the edge of the area. Begovic came 2 the rescue, racing out of his goal 2 divert the ball 2 safety.

Mario Balotelli had started the half with purpose 4 City & showed good strength & pace 2 rattle in a shot in the 52nd minute tat went narrowly wide.

Stoke hit back & Fuller got on the end a ball fr Etherington 2 mins later & skipped in2 the area but sent a soft shot in2 Hart's body.

Then Etherington's miscued effort was met @ the back post by Shawcross, However the defender was off balance & headed over the bar.

Fuller was finding it hard going in the 2nd half & replaced by Jon Walters in the 75th min.

His arrival gave Stoke a bit of impetus & Jones saw his effort cleared off the line by Milner b4 Tuncay fired the rebound over the bar.

City, however, made the breakthrough in the 81st min with a marvellous piece of skill fr the recalled Richards.

He latched on to a ball fr Milner, sold a dummy 2 Collins b4 rifling a shot in2 the corner fr the edge of the area.

Stoke, though, secured a point in stoppage time thru Etherington, who got on the end of a clever back heel fr substitute Tuncay. Although Hart got a hand 2 the ball he could not prevent it going in2 the net.


ManC's owner wouldn't be happy seeing wat they got aft spending so much $.
ManC's home form in the EPL was looking good aft their early wins against Liverpool & Chelsea.
But they draw @ home against Blackburn Rovers, Manchester United, Birmingham & now Stoke City, & collected only 12 pts out of the available 21 pts @ home.
ManC away form also not impressive.
With 8 games on the road, they only got 4 wins, 1 draw & 3 loses.
& collected only 13 pts out of the available 24 pts.

joew2005
28-11-2010, 11:31 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=846903&sec=england&cc=4716

Pulis aims dig at Mancini after late draw

Stoke manager Tony Pulis aimed a swipe @ Roberto Mancini aft Matthew Etherington's late equaliser denied ManC all 3 pts @ the Britannia Stadium.

Mancini, who turned 46 on Saturday, claimed his side, who went ahead thru Micah Richards in the 81st min, deserved 2 win. Pulis disagreed & aimed a barb @ a manager & a club who hv spent millions in an attempt 2 reach the Champions League.

He responded: "Wat game was he watching? But he is entitled 2 his opinion. Tat is wat tis country is all abt. I will leave it 2 the experts 2 decide. When you r on top against 1 of the best teams in the league you hv 2 take your chances.

Tat was the 1 thing tat let us down 2day. We need 2 do better in tat respect. On the whole we played well. You k hv all the $ in the world & all the top players but you need 2 be a team.

We played like a team today, as 1. It takes a lot of beating, irrespective of who the opposition is & the players they hv.''

Ricardo Fuller shld hv opened the scoring 4 Stoke in the 16th min aft a neat-1 2 with Kenwyne Jones. However, the Jamaican failed 2 test goalkeeper Joe Hart & steered his effort wide of the post.

"Tat was an indication of the kind of football we were playing & it would hv been a great goal had it come off,'' said Pulis.

Robert Huth then hoisted a shot over the crossbar fr close range & Jones saw his effort cleared off the line by James Milner. Stoke were then left stunned in the 81st min when Richards opened the scoring with a marvellous effort. He picked up a ball fr Milner, sold a dummy 2 Danny Collins b4 rifling a shot in2 the corner.

Stoke's equaliser was also well crafted with Etherington finding the corner with his effort aft a clever back heel fr substitute Tuncay Sanli. Pulis said: "Tuncay has done well 2 play him in & it was a good finish fr Matty.''

Mancini was unconcerned his title-chasers had slipped further behind ManU & Arsenal, who both chalked up convincing wins. He said: "The season is very long. Every game 4 every team is difficult. Tis was a good test 4 us on a difficult pitch.

"I am disappointed with the result becos we deserved 2 win. It was a fantastic performance in the 2nd half. Richards scored a good goal, he was not 100% but played well & I am happy 4 him.''

Mancini was also pleased with Mario Balotelli's contribution aft the striker returned fr a 3-match suspension. "He did well, he did not talk 2 the referee & tat is important,'' added the City boss.

"Mario has only played 3 games in the league & had 2 or 3 chances. We know he will continue 2 improve.''

joew2005
04-12-2010, 09:07 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=848781&sec=england&cc=4716

Balotelli & Boateng clash in training

ManC team-mates Mario Balotelli & Jerome Boateng had 2 be pulled apart by team-mates aft clashing during training yesterday.

The pair, both new arrivals @ Eastlands over the summer, grabbed each other aft Balotelli reacted angrily 2 a challenge fr Boateng during a practice match @ the club's Carrington training ground.

3 City players, including Nigel De Jong, were required 2 intervene 2 prevent the bust-up fr escalating & as Balotelli attempted 2 return to the dressing-room, boss Roberto Mancini forced him 2 return 2 make up with Boateng.

"The incident is a reflection of the competitive edge the players apply in training," a City spokesperson was quoted as saying in The Sun. "The players shook hands @ the end & there are not further issues."


http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=848740&sec=transfers&cc=4716

Lescott fed up with City bench role

Joleon Lescott has admitted he will look 2 leave ManC if he cannot earn more regular playing time as he believes he will soon lose his England place.

The £24 million signing fr Everton has been behind both Vincent Kompany & Kolo Toure in the City pecking order tis season,& has often been deployed as a left-back when he has played.

With Roberto Mancini even preferring Belgian teenager Dedryck Boyata on occasion, Lescott admitted he is considering his future & would be open 2 a loan if his salary & fee ruled out a permanent move.

"I m not happy with the situation," Lescott said. "I don't enjoy sitting on the bench, & sometimes not even making the bench. Tat [a loan move] is down 2 myself & the club. The club might say 'If there's a chance 2 play, go & play' &, if not, I will hv 2 stay here."

Lescott was a 1st-team regular 4 City aft former boss Mark Hughes signed him fr Everton in August 2009, but despite racking up 17 Premier League starts in his debut campaign, his chances were limited in the 2nd-half of the season, with Kompany & Toure preferred by Mancini following his arrival @ Eastlands.

However, the former Wolves defender insists he has no regrets abt moving 2 Manchester & promised he would be ready 2 step in & prove his worth if City were 2 suffer any defensive injuries in the coming weeks.

"The squad's big & there is a lot of quality here so I knew it wasn't going 2 be a foregone conclusion tat I was going 2 start every game,'' he said.

"You hv 2 respect the manager's decision & it's warranted becos Kolo & Vincent hv been outstanding so far tis season, but when I've gone in I think I hv done okay. I've nvr regretted my decision 2 come here.

"Mark Hughes was in charge @ the time & I was playing every game but, even now, I still don't regret it. It's unfortunate tat I'm not playing as much as I'd like, but you just hv 2 get on with it sometimes. I'm a professional & level-headed person. I know situations come & go.

"Next week there might be an injury & I could be backin the team 4 the rest of the season. I just hv 2 be ready 4 tat, in case it happens.''

Lescott has retained his England place 2 date - starting the 3 Lions last 3 matches, but he believes tat might soon change if he does not get in the City team.

"Fabio [Capello] has kept his confidence in me when other players hv gone down with injury & I'm grateful 4 tat but there's going 2 come a time when, if I'm not playing 4 City, I'm not going 2 be in the England squad as well,'' he said.


http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=848767&sec=england&cc=4716

'Frustrated' Vieira reveals City unrest

Patrick Vieira has lifted the lid on the dressing room unrest @ ManC by describing the "frustration" he feels over a lack of 1st-team opportunities.

Aft City's squad was inflated by a significant summer outlay, several players - many of them internationals - hv found themselves forced in2 the margins.

There hv been persistent rumours of unease behind the scenes @ Eastlands, with some of the club's stars reportedly agitating 4 a move away.

Tis backdrop has set the scene 4 a potential exodus in January, with Roque Santa Cruz expected 2 be 1 of the 1st out of the door aft Blackburn admitted an interest in signing the striker, while Joleon Lescott has also expressed his wish 2 be playing more regular 1st-team football.

Vieira, who has played 4 times in the Premier League tis season, could find it harder 2 attract a suitor due 2 his advancing years. Nonetheless, the 34-year-old has gone public with his disappointment.

"Yes, of course, I'm frustrated, but I'm not the only 1," said Vieira."When you see the squad & how big it is, of course many players will be disappointed and frustrated not to play that often."

joew2005
07-12-2010, 07:41 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=849981&sec=england&cc=4716

Tevez: I'm happy at City

Carlos Tevez insists he is happy with life @ ManC, despite suggesting recently tat he was "tired of football" & contemplating retirement in the near future.

Tevez has repeatedly spoken of his discontent with his life as a professional footballer & in an interview with TyC Sports on Nov 26 explained: "I don't 1 2 play anymore & I m talking seriously."

The striker also hinted @ his restlessness when producing an angry reaction 2 being substituted against Bolton @ the weekend as he had a heated exchange of words with manager Roberto Mancini.

However, Tevez, who has scored 10 league goals in 15 appearances tis season, has now spoken 2 City's in-house media & claimed he is happy with life @ Eastlands.

"I m happy here. I really m," Tevez said. "I do miss my family, jz like any1 would when they r not around. But I don't see retirement happening 4 a long time 2 come.

"A sacrifice has 2 be made when you make a commitment like I hv done with City & it is something I m going 2 see through. Once tat job is done I will hv plenty of time with my kids."

City's season has been pockmarked by dissent, the latest incident of which saw team-mates Mario Balotelli & Jerome Boateng clash in training last week. Yaya Toure & James Milner r also reported 2 hv had an altercation while Emmanuel Adebayor & Vincent Kompany hv argued on the pitch.

Tevez has played down suggestions tat City's dressing room is a particularly discordant place though.

"It is jz like any club," he said. "There r both good & bad vibes alike. The most important thing is tat, as players, we r all pulling in the same direction & trying 2 do our best 4 the club. Anything tat goes on between us off the pitch or in the dressing room stays there he & I keep on fighting 4 the club.

"There is a lot of pressure within the club which the players are always stuck with. Sometimes the odd thing gets out of the dressing room through people who don't have the best interests of the club at heart. It's not big deal. You just have to live with it."

joew2005
12-12-2010, 06:32 AM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=293020&cc=4716

Yaya bags brace as City move on up

ManC put talk of dressing room disharmony aside 2 produce the perfect team display as Roberto Mancini's multi-million pound squad moved level on pts with Premier League leaders Arsenal.

City, without suspended former Hammers striker Carlos Tevez, dominated fr kick-off, & it was no surprised when Yaya Toure rifled in the opener on the half-hour mark.

The home side rallied aft the break & had appeals 4 a penalty turned down 4 handball against Yaya Toure.

However, the Ivory Coast midfielder then helped the visitors double their lead when his shot hit the post & went in off goalkeeper Robert Green, b4 substitute Adam Johnson wrapped things up with 9 mins left.

James Tomkins headed in a late consolation 4 the Hammers, who face a real battle 4 survival in 2011.

The visitors shld hv taken an early lead when Mario Balotelli - involved in a training ground bust-up with team-mate Jerome Boateng earlier tis month - missed his kick in the 6-yard box fr Jo's low cross.

West Ham looked 2 hit City on the counter-attack, but despite some promising runs fr Scott Parker, there were few options offered in the final 3rd.

Junior Stanislas fired his 25-yard free-kick high in2 the Sir Trevor Brooking Stand.

Upton Park nearly sparked in2 life aft 22 minutes when Stanislas cut inside the City box fr the left & drilled an angled strike goalwards, which Joe Hart did well 2 hold.

Yaya Toure ran through the West Ham rearguard, but his flick fr jz inside the penalty area lacked power.

City went in front aft 30 minutes aft a quick break when Gareth Barry fed the ball back 2 Yaya Toure jz inside the area.

Despite an attempted diving tackle by Jonathan Spector, the midfielder crashed his shot in2 the top corner.

The travelling supporters were chanting "We're going 2 win the league'' as the visitors went close 2 a 2nd goal when Pablo Barrera hacked Balotelli's header off the line.

The home fans, though, had little 2 cheer abt, with the atmosphere inside Upton Park very flat.

Parker remained industrious & created space 4 a 20-yard effort, which sailed harmlessly wide.

Julien Faubert did well 2 turn & whip the ball across the City penalty area, & Frederic Piquionne was unfortunate 2 see his header fly jz over.

West Ham needed some inspiration 4 the 2nd half, but there was little forthcoming - much 2 the frustration of the home support.

Victor Obinna drilled the ball in 2wards the near post fr the right, but Hart got there just ahead of Piquionne.

Yaya Toure tried his luck fr long distance with a fierce effort, but Green showed strong hands 2 pluck the ball out of the air.

There were more than a few hefty challenges being put in by both sides, as referee Phil Dowd did his best 2 let the game flow.

However, as the hour mark approached, Balotelli had pushed his protests 2 far & was cautioned.

Mancini withdrew Balotelli, sending on England international Johnson, possibly 2 avoid the temperamental Italian getting himself sent off.

It jz about summed up West Ham's afternoon when Obinna cut the ball back fr the byline, & Piquionne stepped over - only 4 Barrera 2 blast his shot high in2 the Bobby Moore Stand.

Tis was a good spell 4 West Ham now, as 4 the 1st time in the match, City came under some sustained pressure.

There were penalty appeals 4 handball against Yaya Toure as a corner came in, but with so many players jumping, it would hv been somewhat harsh.

Aft 73 minutes, Yaya Toure picked up the ball on the left, ghosted past marker James Tomkins & darted goalwards. His shot hit the near post, bounced off the unfortunate Green's back & in2 the net 4 an own goal.

Not surprisingly, all the spirit was drained fr the hosts, who continued 2 defend deep.

The home side were caught again when David Silva slipped in Johnson, who rounded Green & wrapped things up 4 big-spending City with 9 mins left, b4 Tomkins headed in a late consolation.

joew2005
12-12-2010, 06:38 AM
Kidd: Mancini work is paying off

Brian Kidd believes ManC r finally starting 2 show the qualities needed 2 last the distance in the race 4 the Premier League title.

"I think the work the manager has put in is absolutely fantastic,'' said City assistant manager Kidd. "His work ethic is fantastic, his passion & desire is 1st class.

"It doesn't come overnight, but the work we hv put in tis season & last is starting 2 show. I think the club r very lucky 2 hv him as manager. He is a winner. There is no way the boss will let the pressure get 2 him, he's 2 meticulous.''

With rivals Arsenal & ManU going head 2 head @ Old Trafford on Monday night & Chelsea, who r away 2 Tottenham on Sunday, also facing both in the hectic festive schedule, City could capitalise if they maintain form.

Kidd, though, insists no-1 @ Eastlands is getting carried away.

"You don't win anything in December, but if we r in the shake-up in March or April, we k start thinking abt it,'' the City assistant reflected. "People hv said abt the fixtures coming up, but you hv 2 make sure you win your games.

"It is not being flippant, becos it is a long haul in the Premier League & in the past, we hv seen tat some teams hv flattered 2 deceive.''

4 West Ham, it was another case of wat might hv been, as if referee Phil Dowd had awarded a spot-kick against goalscorer Toure, Avram Grant's relegation battlers may well hv taken something fr the game.

The Irons r still within striking distance of safety, but cannot afford many more defeats or they will be cut adrift.

"It was a penalty but the referee didn't see it. It could change the game but we don't want 2 complain,'' Grant said. "ManC were a better team then us, esp when we lost 7 players tat usually play. The boys r trying, tat is what is important 2 us.

"While we r not in the middle of the season there is time 2 turn it, but we do not like where we r. I don't know how many points we will need, but we k win 2 out of the next 3 games.''

Grant took Chelsea to the 2008 Champions League final, & also pushed United for the Premier League crown. The Israeli feels City could go on 2 lift the title in May.

"They could be champions, 4 sure,'' he said. "There is a big balance between the quality players, they weren't in the game then they k score a goal. They r also very physical. I am sure they k go on 2 win.''

joew2005
12-12-2010, 09:47 AM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=852297&sec=transfers&cc=4716

Tevez hands in transfer request

Carlos Tevez reportedly handed in a transfer request @ ManC ahead of his side's 3-1 win over West Ham on Saturday.

Tevez, 26, has long been rumoured 2 be unhappy @ Eastlands, but the latest developments hv shocked the club's billionaire owners, who may nw hv 2 part with him in the January transfer window.

The Argentine is reported 2 be stressed abt living away fr his 2 daughters, who r in Argentina, while his relationship with City's Italian manager, Roberto Mancini, has been stretched 2 breaking point.

Tevez reacted angrily 2 being substituted by Mancini last weekend & now 1s out of the club who paid around £30 million 2 persuade him 2 move away fr ManU.

The striker has netted 39 goals in 60 games 4 the club & rose 2 captain the side, but has always admitted tat he has fallen out of love with the game & could walk away fr it @ any minute.

A close friend of Tevez told ESPNsoccernet: "There is no offer 4 him, & it is not far off 2 say tat he might even walk away fr football becos of his personal problems."

joew2005
13-12-2010, 06:01 AM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=852576&sec=england&cc=4716

Tevez lift lids on reasons for quitting

ManC striker Carlos Tevez has confirmed he 1s 2 quit Eastlands.

Tevez says his relationship with "certain executives & individuals" @ the club "has broken down beyond repair". Tevez stressed he has "no personal issue" with manager Roberto Mancini & thanked owner Sheikh Mansour 4 his "understanding & support".

Yet the Argentine striker made it clear he only sees his future as being anywhere but @ ManC.

Through a PR agency, Tevez released the following statement on Sunday evening: "Since signing 4 ManC, I hv enjoyed playing 4 the supporters. They hv welcomed me 2 the club & I regret tat it has come 2 tis.

"They deserve success as reward 4 their passionate & patient support. The club is very fortunate 2 hv supporters like these. Anybody who has watched me play 4 ManC cannot question my commitment & passion 4 the club whenever I hv worn the shirt.

"However, I k confirm I hv handed a transfer request 2 the chairman of ManC Football Club. Now I need 2 clear my head & think becos tis is an important part of my career. My feelings hv not changed & it is regrettable we hv reached tis situation but It is something I hv felt 4 some time & hv spent many hours thinking tis through.

"I wanted 2 leave in the summer, but was convinced 2 return 2 the club. Sadly, my feelings hv not changed. I hugely resent the management's suggestions tat I hv been unduly influenced by others. It was my decision & mine alone. I m disappointed tat the management shld now see fit 2 try 2 portray the situation in another light.

"My relationship with certain executives & individuals @ the club has broken down & is now beyond repair. I do not wish 2 expand on tis @ tis stage. They know, becos I hv told them. I wish 2 clarify tat I hv no personal issue with the manager Roberto Mancini.

"I could have signed an improved contract, offered by the club during tis season; however tis decision is not abt money. I hv made tat clear 2 both the board & the management on several occasions. The owner has been very generous with wat he has offered 2 me. I would like 2 thank Sheik Mansour 4 his understanding & support.

"I 1 2 thank the supporters 4 making me welcome @ ManC & hope they agree I hv given my all 4 the club on the pitch."

Tevez is said 2 be livid @ the club's statement insinuating tat he has been manipulated in2 tis decision by his representatives.

He is said 2 hv rejected a 1-off bonus 2 stay for the season, the biggest ever offered 2 a single player, but he turned it down becos nearly 6 mths ago, he had virtually made up his mind he wanted 2 quit the club.

It likely 2 make Tevez ever playing again 4 the club virtually impossible, & certainly unthinkable beyond the January transfer window & will intensify the pressure on manager Roberto Mancini & also the senior management team behind the scenes.

ESPNsoccernet has been given a full insight into the reasons why Tevez, the team's captain & talisman, 1s 2 leave.

Tevez has shocked the title challengers by submitting a formal transfer request, which has brought a reaction fr City in turning it down, & now Tevez will react by going public on his reasons 4 wanting 2 leave.



http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=852321&sec=transfers&cc=4716

City reject Tevez transfer request

ManC hv released an official statement confirming reports tat Carlos Tevez has handed in a transfer request, & the club revealed they hv rejected the striker's demand.

Tevez has regularly threatened 2 quit English football, claiming he has lost his love of the game. The former ManU man's mood has not been helped by the fact he lives away fr his 2 daughters, who r in Argentina.

Relations with manager Roberto Mancini have grown increasingly strained during the course of the season, & it recently spilled in2 the public arena as Tevez launched a verbal volley @ his boss when substituted during the 1-0 win over Bolton.

A statement on City's official website read: "It is with disappointment tat we confirm 2 our supporters tat Carlos Tevez has submitted a written transfer request. The club can also confirm tat the request has been rejected.

"The club remains disappointed by tis situation & particularly with the actions of Carlos' representative. Roberto Mancini & all @ the club hv shown, & will continue 2 show, sensitivity 2 Carlos' personal circumstances including the issue of his family being based overseas. Indeed following his suspension as a result of the game against Bolton, Carlos requested, & was given, special dispensation by the manager 2 take leave overseas."

City clearly have not given hope of persuading their skipper in2 a Wayne Rooney-like U-turn, revealing tat the 26-year-old is keen 2 sign a new contract. The Eastlands outfit appeared 2 hint tat Tevez's transfer request is inspired by his advisors.

"The written transfer request is in stark contrast 2 Carlos' stated position in both public & club contexts," the statement continued. "Significantly, over recent months, the club has also received numerous requests fr Carlos' representative 2 renegotiate & improve his playing contract as well as more recently a request 2 extend tat contract by another year.

"However, in line with the club's policy of not negotiating playing contracts mid-season tis has not been granted. Carlos' current 5-year contract has 3-&-a-half years 2 run & he is the highest paid player @ the ManC Football Club.

"This is both an unfortunate & unwelcome distraction & the club will remain focused on the games ahead in wat is turning out 2 be a very promising season. The door remains open 4 Carlos 2 be selected 2 play."

With Tevez known 2 desperately miss his 2 daughters who r back home in Argentina, returning 2 South America is 1 option, as is retirement.

City hv tempted Tevez with the offer of a £100,000-per-week pay rise - which would take him up to £250,000-per-week - but the striker is reportedly so fed up @ Eastland's he never even considered the deal, & is in fact considering taking a pay-cut 2 ensure a transfer.

joew2005
15-12-2010, 06:07 AM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=853277&sec=england&cc=4716

Tevez trains, talks set for Friday

Want-away ManC striker Carlos Tevez has returned 2 the club's Carrington training ground aft hving his transfer request rejected & will hv showdown talks with manager Roberto Mancini on Friday.

Tevez has not travelled 2 Turin with the squad ahead of Thursday's Europa League match against Juventus, although manager Roberto Mancini apparently made tat decision b4 the wkend, knowing the game was a dead rubber.

An insider close 2 club revealed: ''None of the big players hv been assigned 2 the Turin game. Mancini has alrdy left, but there will be a showdown with Tevez on Friday when he comes back.

''It's a time 4 cool heads & 1 would expect cool heads 2 prevail. Mancini & Tevez will talk abt the issues & we will wait/see wat the reaction is.''

With Tevez suspended 4 last Saturday's match against West Ham United the unsettled Argentinian international was granted leave by Mancini 2 spend some time with his family. However, the striker headed 2 Tenerife & then handed in a written transfer request, claiming his relationship with "certain executives & individuals" @ the club had "broken down beyond repair".

The striker later released a statement claiming he would be committed 2 the ManC cause if his plea was rejected & has returned 2 training as scheduled, although the transfer request has not been withdrawn.

Mancini is currently back in Italy 4 a minor operation & his 1st thoughts on the Tevez situation will come on Wednesday when the Italian hosts a press conference in Turin.

Tevez is 1 of a number of senior players 2 be rested, although Mancini has alrdy indicated tat former Inter Milan striker Mario Balotelli will travel, even though he was racially abused by some Juventus fans last season.

City do not have a Premier League match until next Monday when they face Everton @ Eastlands.

petersim82
16-12-2010, 12:16 PM
I really like mancity and i support it for many years already =)

joew2005
17-12-2010, 10:43 PM
when a team spends alot of $ & sits veri near 2 the top of the table, some ppl would pop out & declare tat he has been supporting tis club 4 many yrs.

Davit30
21-12-2010, 05:43 AM
haha..
Its always the case..
Alot of pple like to support Favs.

joew2005
03-01-2011, 04:45 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/858651?cc=4716

Dzeko close to City switch - report

Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko is closing in on a Bundesliga-record €40 million move to Manchester City, according 2 reports in Germany last Wed.

Dzeko, 24, has made no secret of his desire 2 leave Wolfsburg & City hv been linked with a swoop 4 sometime, despite the Bosnian previously stating tat AC Milan would be his preferred destination.

But with City looking 2 consolidate their position in the upper echelons of the Premier League, Roberto Mancini is moving 4 Dzeko in a bid 2 boost his side's ability 2 challenge 4 the title.

The arrival of Dzeko would likely force the sales of Emmanuel Adebayor & Roque Santa Cruz, while Mario Balotelli - already struggling 2 earn a regular 1st-team place - is unlikely 2 welcome the Bosnian with open arms.

Mancini has confirmed tat he is a fan of Dzeko, with the Wolfsburger Allgemeine newspaper quoting Mancini saying: "We hv the chance 2 win the league tis year & the decisive factor could be Edin Dzeko. Tis player k decide titles & tat is why we 1 him.''

Wolfsburg's MD Dieter Hoeness declared last week tat his club is preparing 2 make major changes 2 the playing personnel aft a disappointing 1st half of the season.

Selling a player of Dzeko's talent may not be his preference, but the player's malaise @ the 2009 Bundesliga champions, who currently seem unlikely 2 provide him with the chance 2 play in the Champions League next season, may be 1 of the reasons the team has not been functioning since Steve McClaren took over as coach in the summer.

A fee of 40 million euros, which the Wolfsburger Allgemeine reports would be made up of an initial fee of 30 million euros with 5 million 2 follow in the case of City qualifying 4 the Champions League, while 5 million euros would go on signing-on & agent fees, would break the Bundesliga's transfer record.

Bayern Munich currently hold tat with their 30 million euros outlay on Mario Gomez fr Stuttgart in 2009. Diego's sale fr Werder Bremen 2 Juventus last year is the most expensive foreign sale 2date @ 27 million euros, while he returned 2 the Bundesliga last summer, joining Wolfsburg 4 a cut-price fee of 15.5 million.

And the Wolves r set 2 make a huge profit on a player they signed 4 just 4 million fr FK Teplice in 2007. He won the Bundesliga golden boot award last season aft coming runner-up 2 his team mate Grafite in Wolfsburg's championship-winning year.

He has already found the back of the net 10 times tis season, taking his overall tally to 66 in 111 games for the Wolves.

joew2005
03-01-2011, 04:57 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/858964/milan's-massimiliano-allegri-admits-interest-in-mario-balotelli?cc=4716

Milan coach admits interest in Balotelli

Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri has admitted he would welcum the chance 2 hv Mario Balotelli in his side, even if a move 4 the ManC star appears unlikely @ present.

Balotelli, who scored a hat-trick in a 4-0 win over Aston Villa on Tuesday, has repeatedly been linked with a possible move 2 Milan & is reported 2 be homesick & unhappy in England following his transfer fr Inter last summer.

The Italy international is a boyhood Rossoneri fan & has made no secret of his admiration 4 the side, even during his time with City rivals Inter when he was filmed wearing a Milan shirt.

While Allegri would be keen 2 coach Balotelli, he admits he would struggle 2 find a place 4 him @ present, given the club hv recently added Antonio Cassano 2 a list of forwards tat includes Alexandre Pato, Robinho & Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

"I would willingly coach Balotelli," Allegri said. "But it would be difficult given tat we have so many champions in our team."

City manager Roberto Mancini remains determined 2 transform the unpredictable Balotelli into 1 of the Premier League's finest players @ Eastlands, despite suggestions tat the forward is struggling 2 adapt 2 life in England.

Team-mate Nigel De Jong, who himself has had a difficult period in his career following his leg-breaking tackle on Newcastle's Hatem Ben Arfa in October, says Balotelli must focus on producing on the pitch, rather than courting controversy.

"Everything is a mental thing & abt character," De Jong said. "Wat doesn't break you can't kill you & tat's wat I hv tried 2 tell Mario. Just try 2 do your best & let other ppl talk abt you.

"I'm still the same Nigel de Jong tat I was. It's not abt changing your game, it's abt getting your head down on the pitch. It's abt talking with your feet & less with your mouth. Tat's wat I had 2 do & tat's my mentality. Tat's also why I try 2 bring it 2 the guys in the dressing room, like Mario.

"He is still a young lad. He is coming back fr a difficult couple of weeks, but he is still here & the team is there 2 help him. You k only becum a great player by working hard every day, though, & believing in yourself, with the backing of your team-mates. We will provide tat, but he has 2 do the rest himself."

Meanwhile, City striker Roque Santa Cruz has rejected the chance 2 join Lazio on loan, according 2 the Italian club. Santa Cruz is expected 2 leave City in January, with the club closing in on Edin Dzeko, but 1s a permanent move away fr Eastlands.

"We take in2 account Santa Cruz's reaction & his desire 2 make any transfer permanent," Lazio president Claudio Lotito said. "We r aware of tis & consider it a wise decision 4 him. It's no coincidence tat Lazio seek a strong rapport with their players & therefore understand his questions & ambitions."

City remain in talks 2 sign Dzeko from Wolfsburg, but assistant manager Brian Kidd was unwilling 2 discuss the deal in a press conference on Thursday.

"At the moment it is just speculation," Kidd said. "The window hasn't opened. It's the usual story isn't it, 'No buy, no sell, no tales 2 tell'. @ the moment it's just speculation with a lot of players being thrown in the pot.

"There is only 1 man who decides [whether Dzeko is a player of interest], & that's the boss [Roberto Mancini]. I don't think it's rite 2 speak abt other players @ other clubs."

joew2005
03-01-2011, 05:12 PM
http://blogs.soccernet.com/onthemove/archives/2010/12/dzeko_set_to_steal_the_show.php

Dzeko set to steal the show

Edin Dzeko's move 2 ManC looks set 2 happen very soon, & with it the January transfer may be receiving its biggest transfer b4 it has even started.

Widespread reports, & fr Germany especially, suggest tat Wolfsburg will cash in a player who has been linked with the Premier League 4 sometime. City, of course, r the club with the wherewithal 2 buy the Bosnian so expect him 2 be the final piece in the jigsaw/the new Rodney Marsh '72 edition.


http://blogs.soccernet.com/onthemove/archives/2011/01/dzekos_crazy_wage_demands_1.php

Dzeko's crazy wage demands

With City seemingly struggling 2 offload the likes of Wayne Bridge, Shaun Wright-Phillips & Emmanuel Adebayor due 2 their exorbitant wages, you'd think they'd knw better than 2 offer another player crazy wages.

Edin Dzeko, the Wolfsburg striker widely expected 2 move 2 Eastlands in January, has been offered £125,00 a week according 2 the Mail on Sunday. Crazy money, we're sure you'll agree, but the paper also claims tat Dzeko isn't happy abt tat & 1s £180,000 a week. City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak is apparently stepping in 2 sort things out: Dzeko will be offered £150,000 a week. He'll also cost £30 million. Those UEFA financial fair play rules r going 2 cause problems, aren't they?

joew2005
08-01-2011, 04:40 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/862009/edin-dzeko-makes-champions-league-vow?cc=4716

Dzeko makes Champions League vow

Bosnia striker Edin Dzeko is determined 2 lead ManC in2 the Champions League 1s he has completed his January transfer 2 Eastlands.

City hv alrdy agreed a £27 million fee with German club Wolfsburg & the player has passed a medical, but Dzeko is yet 2 finalise the details of his expected 5-yr contract.

The 24-year-old, who must also wait 4 his work permit application 2 be approved, expects the deal 2 go thru soon & is eager 2 prove his quality in the Premier League & Europe.

"After reaching the Champions League with Wolfsburg a couple of seasons ago, I don't 1 2 go back 2 a lower standard," Dzeko said. "I 1 2 keep testing myself against the best, & hope I k help make tat happen with City."

Dzeko has scored 66 goals in 111 Bundesliga games 4 Wolfsburg & finished last season as the league's top scorer.


http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/862312/'ambitious'-edin-dzeko-completes-manchester-city-move?cc=4716

'Ambitious' Dzeko joins City

Edin Dzeko claimed he was excited abt playing with Carlos Tevez aft he sealed a lucrative move 2 ManC on Friday evening.
Dzeko, who has scored 10 goals 4 a struggling Wolfsburg side tis season, joins City in wat is believed 2 be a £27 million deal, bolstering an attack tat already features Tevez & Mario Balotelli.

City hv handed the Bosnia international the No. 10 jersey previously worn by Robinho, & Dzeko has signed a 4-&-a-half year deal. His debut is expected 2 come @ home 2 Wolves next weekend.

"It has been a long time tat I hv been linked with the club going back 2 last summer but Wolfsburg did not 1 2 sell me until today," Dzeko said on City's official website. "There was too much speculation in the papers but my head is always clear. I was always attracted most 2 joining City.

"They hv been playing well tis season. I hv watched them a lot on tv. Nw the speculation is over & I just 1 2 do my best."

The 2008-09 German Footballer of the Year acknowledges the fact tat he is joining a club awash with money, but he insists it is the chance 2 play with top players, not the financial incentive, tat attracts him 2 Eastlands.

"Everybody speaks abt City hving lots of money but it is not abt tat. It is abt ambition & I hv spoken 2 coach [Roberto] Mancini & he told me 'tis is the best club 4 u'," Dzeko explained. "City r playing 4 1st place in the Premier League & tat is what I 1. I m excited 2 play alongside players such as Tevez & Yaya Toure who I hv only seen on the tv & 2 be in the same team as players I hv played against such as Jerome Boateng & Vincent Kompany.

"They will help me achieve my goal 2 be better in the future. I 1 2 show the fans why the club paid the money 4 me. Every1 expects goals & I 1 2 score them but most of all I 1 2 contribute 2 a successful team. I don't 1 2 talk abt my skill - tat is 4 other people 2 judge. However, I know my quality & when I m fit I am not afraid of a challenge."

Boateng has had previous clashes with Dzeko during his time @ Hamburg, & he promised City fans tat they hv every right 2 get excited by the club's 9th acquisition under Mancini.

"Dzeko has everything," Boateng said. "He k shoot right, left & k head the ball 2. He is a very strong striker. He is a quality player. Against Hamburg he always played well & seemed 2 score, it was always a big challenge. He k hold the ball well & he knows hw 2 move with his body. He has a good eye 4 the goal."

joew2005
23-01-2011, 04:28 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report/_/id/293000?cc=4716

Aston Villa 1 - 0 ManC - Bent opens account

Aston Villa striker Darren Bent showed why his £18million transfer fee could prove $ well spent with the winner against title-chasing ManC @ Villa Park.

The former Sunderland player, who joined Villa on Tuesday in a club-record deal, broke the deadlock with his 1st clear-cut opportunity aft 18 minutes.

With their £59million strike force of Carlos Tevez & Edin Dzeko, the visitors dominated 4 long spells but struggled 2 find a way past Villa's rock-solid defence in which James Collins & former City centre-back Richard Dunne were outstanding.

And the result means City are now 3 points behind Premier League leader Manchester United & hv played 2 games more.

Villa held on to register only their 2nd win in 11 league games & it lifted them further away fr the bottom 3.

It also gave them revenge 4 the 4-0 mauling @ Eastlands last month.

Villa had a let-off aft 16 minutes when an inswinging corner fr Aleksandar Kolarov caused problems but neither Dzeko nor Tevez could apply the decisive touch fr close range.

Aft 18 mins Villa Park erupted when Bent converted his 1st chance 4 his new club.

Gabriel Agbonlahor found Ashley Young in space & his curling effort was parried aside by Joe Hart.

But Bent was 1st 2 react 2 the rebound & slotted it in2 the corner of the net.

City tried 2 retaliate & Brad Friedel produced a fine save 2 tip Vincent Kompany's header over the bar fr Kolarov's corner.

Ciaran Clark became the 1st player 2 be yellow-carded aft bringing down Dzeko.

Young almost picked out the late run of Bent with a fine pass but the ball skidded off the surface.

Hart was also alert 2 cut out a similar ball fr Agbonlahor aimed @ the former Sunderland player.

Former Villa captain Gareth Barry went close 2 bringing City level aft 37 mins when his glancing header slid past the far post fr Jerome Boateng's threatening ball in2 the box.

Young got plenty of power behind a low 20-yard drive in the last minute of the half but Hart had his body behind the ball.

City continued 2 press @ the start of the 2nd period.

Collins blocked a shot fr Dzeko aft the striker had cut inside following good play by David Silva.

Dzeko got on the end of a corner fr Kolarov but could not keep his header down.

Mancini made his 1st change aft 57 minutes with Adam Johnson replacing Barry who was jeered by home fans as he left the pitch.

Collins again did well 2 block a drive fr Tevez.

But Friedel knew little abt keeping out a powerful low drive fr Boateng which bounced off him & away 2 safety.

Dzeko looped a header past the post & the pressure increased fr the visitors.

@ the other end, Hart was called in2 action 2 turn a dipping drive fr Young away 4 a corner.

Kolarov was booked aft 69 minutes 4 bringing down Marc Albrighton.

Cuellar threw his body in front of a drive fr Dzeko 2 typify Villa's fighting spirit.

Downing cut in fr the right but his rising effort did not over extend Hart.

Collins produced another superb block 2 deny a Tevez volley as the game entered the final 10 minutes.

Clark deflected a 25-yard shot fr De Jong against a post with Friedel stranded, & then Dzeko headed wide fr close range when it seemed easier 2 score.

In a rare Villa attack Young poked the ball wide @ the near post fr Albrighton's cross, but 1 goal was enough.

Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier hailed the instant impact made by record signing Darren Bent.

"The finish was tat of a natural-born finisher, something you cannot teach somebody," he said. "Tat is wat he is here 4, 2 score goals.

"Roberto Mancini told me b4 the game tat I'd signed a great player & tat is a tremendous start 4 him.

"I thought the boy handled the pressure very well. He had settled in well during the week, knows a lot of players fr the international scene, & I felt he was ready 2 play."

Houllier also praised the fighting spirit demonstrated by his side as they made amends for a 4-0 drubbing by City @ Eastlands last month.

He said: "Tat defeat really affected us & we were @ rock bottom then, but since the start of the new year things have got better & tis game epitomised wat we 1 2 do.

"We showed tremendous resolve against a very good side & also rode our luck @ times."

City assistant manager Brian Kidd believes the title is Manchester United's 2 lose aft tis setback but is confident City will respond in the right manner & keep their season on track.

He said: "United r going very well. They r undefeated. I always thought it was United's title 2 lose many weeks ago, but tis is only a blip. It is already history & we will put it behind us.

"We didn't show enough urgency in the 1st half but in the 2nd period it was a different story.

"We put Villa under severe pressure & full credit 2 them 4 a great defensive performance."

Kidd added: "Our aim @ the beginning of tis season was 2 get in the top 4. We lost @ Everton & responded very well & I'm sure we will respond in the right fashion in the coming games."

joew2005
23-01-2011, 09:24 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/869860/romelu-lukaku's-agent-confirms-man-city-interest?cc=4716

Lukaku's agent confirms City interest

The agent of Belgian starlet Romelu Lukaku has confirmed tat ManC hv joined the race 2 sign the highly-rated youngster.

Lukaku, 17, has been playing 1st team football 4 Anderlecht since he was 16-years-old & is already a regular 4 Belgium at international level.

Almost every major club in Europe, including all of England's big clubs, hv been tracking the striker, who has scored 13 goals in 20 games tis season.

Christophe Henrotay, Lukaku's agent, told Belgian Sport magazine: "I hv very good contacts with ManC, but they r only 1 of the clubs 2 ask abt him. There is no concrete offer or agreement.

"City did ask me 2 be keep informed, if other clubs insisted on him," Henrotay continued. "If some1 leaves ManC, it is not impossible things could be accelerated - but you hv seen the attackers there, but there is also the other clubs who r interested."

joew2005
03-02-2011, 10:09 AM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=292894&cc=4716

Birmingham 2 - 2 Manchester City

Gardner spot on for Blues

Craig Gardner was Birmingham's hero 4 the 2nd time in a week as he dealt a blow 2 ManC's fading title hopes @ St. Andrew's.

Gardner had scored the goal which earned Alex McLeish's side victory over West Ham in the Carling Cup semi-final & followed that up with a late equaliser fr the penalty spot as his side salvaged a precious point.
The visitors twice led thru Carlos Tevez & Aleksandar Kolarov but were pegged back by Nikola Zigic & then Gardner's 6th goal of the campaign.

It means they are now 8 points adrift of Premier League leaders Manchester United & hv played a game more.

There was no doubting the quality of Roberto Mancini's side & Tevez was a constant threat. But Birmingham's never-say-die attitude surfaced yet again with on-loan David Bentley & veteran Barry Ferguson impressing.

Edin Dzeko posted an early warning 2 the home side when his low cross was cut out by Ben Foster. But aft 4 mins Tevez converted his 17th goal of the campaign.

David Silva was allowed 2 break in2 the Birmingham box b4 finding Tevez. His shot fr a narrow angle took a slight deflection off Martin Jiranek b4 bobbling in2 the far corner of the net.

Tevez took up another good position 2 latch onto a reverse pass fr James Milner. But he failed 2 make full contact with his shot & Foster saved comfortably.

Joe Hart was seriously tested for the 1st time aft 15 mins when he tipped over a volley fr Zigic.

Birmingham started 2 get a foothold in the game & drew level thru Zigic in the 25th min. Bentley angled in a low free-kick fr on the left flank & Zigic was 1st 2 react @ the near post in deflecting the ball past Hart.

The visitors were rattled aft their early dominance & Nigel de Jong was yellow carded 4 bringing down Bentley.

Micah Richards was stretchered off jz aft the half-way mark when he bravely won the ball in the air but then collided with De Jong. He was replaced aft a lengthy delay by Kolo Toure.

Aft 41 minutes a superb strike fr Kolarov restored the lead 4 the visitors. Gardner paid the price 4 bringing down Dzeko on the edge of the area as Kolarov's powerful shot curled in2 the corner of the net.

Bentley was posing a threat & Kolarov was booked 4 a rash challenge on the on loan Tottenham player. Mancini made a half-time switch with Patrick Vieira replacing De Jong.

Bentley was only jz 2 high with a dipping drive fr jz outside the box as the action got under way again.

At the other end Jerome Boateng would hv been disappointed not 2 test Foster more seriously aft good play by Dzeko.

Birmingham retaliated but Jiranek completely mis-kicked fr 12 yards out & Johnson headed just wide fr a deep Bentley centre.

Tevez was linking up well with Silva & Foster did well 2 block a shot fr the Argentinian aft a diagnol run.

Birmingham levelled 4 the 2nd time aft 77 mins. Vieira fouled fellow substitute Kevin Phillips inside the penalty area & up stepped Gardner 2 hammer the spot-kick past Hart in2 the roof of the net.

In the last min Hart tipped over a deflected effort fr the alert Phillips.

Kolarov was inches wide with a free-kick in the dying seconds.


Mancini angered by late penalty

ManC manager Roberto Mancini branded Birmingham striker Kevin Phillips a diver when earning the penalty which earned his side a 2-2 draw.

Mancini said: "It was a disappointing result 4 us & we can't keep conceding 2 goals every game. It is impossible 2 win if you do tat every time & the gap @ the top @ tis moment is 2 much.

"But it isn't a penalty. It is nothing. It is impossible 4 tat 2 be a penalty. He dived, the player (Phillips). I don't understand how the referee gave the penalty. When he loses the ball, he goes (down).

"Tat decision was costly 4 us. We didn't play well but it was not a penalty.''

2 add 2 Mancini's woes, defender Micah Richards was taken 2 hospital suffering fr concussion aft colliding with his own player midfielder Nigel De Jong.

Mancini said: "Micah is in hospital. I hvn't spoken 2 him & I don't know wat's happened but it is concussion. He lost consciousness & he is in hospital.''

De Jong also suffered an ankle set-back on a night of frustration 4 the visitors.

But Birmingham manager Alex McLeish hit back @ Mancini's verbal attack on Phillips & claimed it was a legitimate penalty.

McLeish said: "If you look @ the penalties given against us tis season, they've been much softer than tat. I'm sure ManC hv had their fair share of the dubious kind.

"Kevin has flicked the ball past Vieira & he has clattered in 2 him. Tat is a foul. Kevin was 2 quick 4 him. Vieira collided with him. Kevin never dived. Kevin is not a diver. He is a true English gentleman.''

McLeish was impressed with the contribution of Phillips who had also gone close with a dipping volley 2 earning his team victory.

The former Scotland boss said: "Kevin gave us some quality & class. He was very bright.''

Birmingham again showed the fighting qualities which hv been inbred in 2 them by McLeish 2 earn a precious point in their battle 2 survive in the top flight.

McLeish said: "We deserved the draw. We shot ourselves in the foot by giving away a couple of silly goals but we were excellent in the 2nd half. City moved the ball well & hv great footballers in Silva & Tevez while Dzeko will bring a lot when he is really fit.

"But we had a right go ourselves @ them in the 2nd period & were more in their faces.''

joew2005
05-02-2011, 10:28 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/876031/man-city-striker-carlos-tevez-concedes-title-to-manchester-united?cc=4716

Tevez concedes title to United

Carlos Tevez feels ManC hv blown their chances of taking the Premier League title.

Roberto Mancini's side hv produced a fine effort tis season, albeit on the back of some huge investment, but they hv lost ground in recent weeks with a defeat against Aston Villa & draw with Birmingham.

City trail United by 8 points & the leaders hv a game in hand, a gap tat the Argentina striker feels is insurmountable.

"I'm not happy with the last results," Tevez said. "If we 1 2 fight 4 the title it is impossible 2 fail in matches against Aston Villa & Birmingham. 2 obtain only 1 point out of 6 is 2 concede 2 much advantage 2 rivals in the championship race. I hv the experience in tis aspect with ManU & these really r the type of matches where success is the key 4 the league.

For us not 2 hv won gives others a big advantage. Consistency is the key 2 becoming champions & now tis is our problem.

There r still many points left but 2 give an 8, 9 or 10-point advantage 2 United is 2 say goodbye 2 our chances."

joew2005
08-02-2011, 07:01 AM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/877494/carlos-tevez-stresses-commitment-to-manchester-city?cc=4716

Tevez 'completely at ease' at City

Carlos Tevez has underlined his commitment 2 ManC & says no 1 "loves the shirt more".

Tevez, who has regularly spoken of his dissatisfaction with life in England, handed in a transfer request in December as he said his relationship with certain individuals @ the club had broken beyond repair.

However, he has since committed his future 2 the club &, while there is still speculation over his long-term future, Tevez says he is now "completely @ ease" at Eastlands.

"I never walked out of the club or wanted 2 do any harm 2 the club, not 4 anything in the world," he told the club's official website. "I do not think there is any1 who loves the shirt more than me.

"I show tat in every game I play. I give everything I hv got. I do not speak very often 2 the press. I just have it in my head, I do my talking out there on the field, which is the most important thing.

"People might 1 2 hv a pop @ me but I am completely @ ease here. I 1 2 do my best 4 the City shirt."

He added: "It is a period in my career where I hv begun 2 enjoy things more. I m happy & very relaxed as a result of the football I am producing.

"We r right in there battling it out 4 a Champions League place. Tat is wat the team is aiming & where the team ought 2 be."

Tevez scored all 3 goals as City beat West Brom 3-0 on Saturday.

joew2005
08-02-2011, 07:06 AM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/877544/gary-pallister:-manchester-city-scraps-expose-squad-problems?cc=4716

Pallister: City scraps expose problems

Gary Pallister has rejected claims tat ManC's training ground bust-ups r replicated across the country.

Twice tis season pictures of players clashing @ City's Carrington training complex hv emerged. Jerome Boateng & Mario Balotelli had 2 be separated, as did former Arsenal team-mates Emmanuel Adebayor & Kolo Toure.

The argument was immediately put 4ward tat such rows only ended up in the public domain because sessions k be watched fr vantage points outside Carrington, something not possible @ ManU just down the road, & tempers flare everywhere else.

It is not an argument Pallister buys in2. As a member of United's 1994 Double-winning squad, the former central defender was part of 1 of the most fiercely competitive dressing rooms modern-day football has known.

Pallister himself, Steve Bruce, Paul Ince, Roy Keane, Bryan Robson, Mark Hughes, Roy Keane, Eric Cantona & Peter Schmeichel could all handle themselves, none of them particularly noted 4 their laid-back nature. But never did Pallister, now 45, see anything resembling the pictures tat hv emerged fr City.

"I don't buy into all tat abt tis kind of thing happening everywhere else,'' he said. "In my time @ ManU, I never saw a punch thrown let alone an actual fight on the training ground.

"Yes, you would hv arguments & if someone caught you with a tackle you would say something. But if you hv respect 4 each other it doesn't boil over.

"Tat is the worrying thing abt City. You keep hearing about all these egos & people not getting on. Tat can be detrimental 2 a squad. I keep hearing tat they r showing this winning mentality in training. It goes a lot deeper than tat. There r problems there.''

joew2005
08-02-2011, 10:16 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/877637/kolo-toure:-life-will-be-harder-for-manchester-united-after-loss?cc=4716

Toure: Life harder for United after loss

ManC defender Kolo Toure has become the 1st player 2 stoke the flames ahead of tis Saturday's derby by suggesting tat ManU's 1st defeat of the season against Wolves could be the sign of a slump 2 come.

United were beaten 2-1 at Molineux on Saturday, a result tat ended their hopes of going thru the entire Premier League season unbeaten, while City's 3-0 victory over West Brom saw Toure & co move 2 within 5 points of their Manchester rivals.

City go 2 Old Trafford tis weekend looking 2 further close the gap @ the top & also avenge last season's agonising 4-3 defeat, courtesy of Michael Owen's injury-time winner.

And Toure, who was part of the Arsenal side tat went thru the 2003-04 campaign without tasting defeat, believes tat United now face a stern examination of their credentials aft recalling hw the Gunners struggled when their run eventually ended with a defeat 2 Sir Alex Ferguson's men.

"When you're on a good run like tat & u lose, everything becomes harder," Toure said. "It shakes your confidence. Maybe tat k happen 2 them. It was difficult 2 lose tat game.

"The circumstances were hard because they got a penalty, which we didn't think was a penalty. 4 us, it was really difficult 2 lose 2 United. I think it's a great chance 4 me 2 get my revenge.

"I hv spent most of my career in England battling United, 1st @ Arsenal, now @ City. They r always @ the top. Now we hv new players, we r capable of fighting against them & tat has been shown with our results against them over the last 18 months.''

And Carlos Tevez, who on Monday reiterated his love 4 City, has insisted tat he is unworried by the prospect of being heavily booed on his 3rd return 2 Old Trafford since leaving United 4 their cross-city rivals in 2009.

"I don't care abt people booing me @ Old Trafford," Tevez told ZOO magazine. "It doesn't worry me & I'm not worried abt going there. The booing happened a lot last year, but I understand. As a supporter, u defend your club & I m on the opposing team now.

"ManU fans can never say I didn't give my all during the time I was there. Maybe many supporters still don't understand the reason I left. I m a professional footballer and being booed when I am on the field is a price I hv 2 pay sometimes. But it won't affect me @ all.

"Derby games r always beautiful. I enjoyed them in Argentina and Brazil but, in England, they are extra-special. Playing against ManU is a big incentive but it's not just because of personal issues for me. It's about the importance of 3 points. We 1 2 go 2 Old Trafford and win.''

joew2005
11-02-2011, 06:20 AM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/878452/real-madrid-and-barcelona-still-top-deloitte-rich-list?cc=4716

Real and Barca still top rich list

Spanish giants Real & Barca remain in the top 2 places in the latest Deloitte Money League, published on Thursday.

The top 6 places in the table remain unchanged with Real & Barca followed by ManU, Bayern, Arsenal & Chelsea. Real hv revenues of £373 million (€438.6m) compared with £338.6 million (€398.1m) @ Barca & £297.5 million (€349.8m) @ Old Trafford.

Real's revenues r up 9.3%, Barca by 8.8% & United 7%.

The financial study ranks clubs purely based upon the revenue they bring in rather than the wealth of their owners or profit & loss fr 2009-10 accounts. The earning-power of the Premier League means 7 of the 20 clubs r from England.

The big movers r ManC, who entered in 20th place a year ago but hv now shot up to 11th with revenues of £152.8 million - up 49.5% on 12 months ago. They look certain 2 climb even further if they begin 2 enjoy the riches of the Champions League in future seasons.

AS Roma suffer the biggest drop, with the Serie A side falling 6 places to 18th with a 16% reduction in revenue. Liverpool fall 1 place 2 8th with Spurs up 3 to 12th.

Vfb Stuttgart & Aston Villa r new clubs in this year's list.

Juventus (10th) get 65% of their revenue fr broadcasting deals, compared 2 Bundesliga side Hamburg with 23% (10th).

Arsenal enjoy the largest matchday revenue of 42% as they reap the rewards of moving fr Highbury 2 Emirates Stadium, with Juve bringing in just 8% fr their Stadio Olimpico games.

Schalke r most reliant on commercial business as tat brings in 57% of their revenue, with 20th place Aston Villa just 15%.

Deloitte Money League
1 (1) Real Madrid - €438.6m
2 (2) FC Barcelona - €398.1m
3 (3) Manchester United - €349.8m
4 (4) Bayern Munich - €323m
5 (5) Arsenal - €274.1m
6 (6) Chelsea - €255.9m
7 (10) AC Milan - €235.8m
8 (7) Liverpool - €225.3m
9 (9) Internazionale - €224.8m
10 (8) Juventus - €205m
11 (20) Manchester City - €152.8m
12 (15) Tottenham Hotspur - €146.3m
13 (11) Hamburg - €146.2m
14 (13) Lyon - €146.1m
15 (14) Marseille - €141.1m
16 (16) Schalke 04 - €139.8m
17 (18) Atlético Madrid - €124.5m
18 (12) AS Roma - €122.7m
19 (n/a) VfB Stuttgart - €114.8m
20 (n/a) Aston Villa - €109.4m

(Last year in brackets)

joew2005
12-02-2011, 05:30 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/878763/brian-kidd:-i-have-no-animosity-towards-sir-alex-ferguson?cc=4716

Kidd: I hv no animosity 2wards Fergie

ManC assistant manager Brian Kidd has refuted reports tat he has a strained relationship with ManU boss Sir Alex Ferguson, who he worked alongside 4 9 yrs.

Kidd & Ferguson enjoyed unprecedented success 2gether @ Old Trafford, guiding United 2 their 1st league title in 26 years in 1993 b4 winning 2 Doubles in 3 seasons in 1993-94 & 1995-96, & a further Premier League crown in 1997.

But aft Kidd left 2 pursue an ultimately unsuccessful managerial career with Blackburn - his Rovers side were condemned 2 relegation by United in 1999, 4 yrs aft they had won the league - Ferguson gave a stinging assessment of his former colleague in his autobiography.

The Scot described his former assistant as a "complex person, often quite insecure", & claimed tat the board viewed him as a person "with a natural inclination 2 complain". Ferguson also accused Kidd of going behind his back 2 moan abt training & questioned whether he could cut it as a manager.

But despite being a victim of an apparent character assassination, Kidd insists there is no animosity betw the 2 & he fully expects an invite 2 Ferguson's office aft tis Saturday's Manchester derby.

"I've nvr even talked abt it with him becos I don't think there's ever been a cause 2," Kidd told The Guardian. "And I will always appreciate wat he's done 4 me. You can't buy those wonderful memories.

"I'm relaxed abt it all. As I say, I know how I feel; that's all I can say. Other people might feel differently.

"[I have] no regrets. There's life b4 Old Trafford, there's life after it. You get on with it, don't you? It was my decision, no problem. I've been very, very lucky & blessed in my football career. No regrets @ all.

"With the gaffer [Ferguson], you always do [expect an invite to his office]. It happens less & less in football these days, but tat's one club where you can always go & hv a drink."


http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/878936/mancini:-united-'very-lucky'-against-city-last-season?cc=4716

Mancini: United 'very lucky' last season

Mancini says ManU were "very lucky" 2 enjoy the best of their meetings with ManC last season, & insists the balance of power is changing in the city.

Though the teams drew 0-0 @ Eastlands earlier tis season, City were twice thwarted in the league by United courtesy of 2 late goals in 2009-10 & were also defeated in the semi-finals of the Carling Cup.

Ahead of Saturday's Manchester derby, Mancini has warned United tat 1s City get a taste of winning silverware, they will be strong challengers 2 their local rivals.

"They were very lucky last year," Mancini said. "Our team is a good team. We hv improved in 6 months. Maybe United hv a better winning mentality than us becos they hv won a long time. Tis is the only difference.

"When we start 2 win trophies maybe things will change. When you r winning 4 20 years your mentality is very strong. Also when you do not play well you know if you hv a strong team @ the end of the game if you do not concede a goal you can win. We hv improved in tis way."

City currently sit 3rd in the Premier League, 5 points behind United & having played a game more, which gives the fixture an edge of competitiveness it has lacked in recent seasons.

Mancini is unwilling 2 speculate abt his side's title chances, but he does 1 Carlos Tevez 2 focus entirely on events on the pitch, having become embroiled in a very public row with the recently retired Gary Neville last season when he labelled the United defender "a sock sucker".

Hailing the understanding tat has blossomed betw Tevez & David Silva, Mancini has urged the former United man 2 do his talking on the pitch.

"They hv a good relationship," he said. "While it is important we play as a team David is 1 of those players who can change a game in a moment. I hope Carlos continues as he was in the last game. He should think abt the game & nothing else.

"I m staying @ home & not talking 2 any1. I know how important a game it is 2 the supporters."

joew2005
13-02-2011, 10:14 AM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=292922&cc=4716

Man Utd 2 - 1 Man City

Rooney fires United to victory

Wayne Rooney proved the old adage tat form is temporary & class is permanent as he scored a sensational overhead kick 2 give ManU the derby-day spoils @ Old Trafford.

For over 10 months now, there hv been major question marks over United's talisman.

Even following England's victory over Denmark in midweek, Fabio Capello was quizzed abt whether he would consider dropping the 25-year-old, who had scored 5 goals all season 4 United prior to the derby.

How can tat be contemplated? How can wat Rooney achieved here be ignored? How many players could watch Nani's floated 77th-minute cross, then leap 2 send the ball flying past Joe Hart, the City goalkeeper rooted 2 the spot, lost in admiration 4 a goal tat sent United 8 pts clear of their local rivals.

It was tough luck on City, who were the better side, & responded 2 Nani's opener by levelling thru an Edin Dzeko shot which deflected in off David Silva.

But Rooney's moment of genius was worthy of winning any game, & with City surely out of the running nw, maybe it will win United the Premier League title 2.

Attempts fr both sides 2 avoid inflaming wat was always going 2 be a volatile atmosphere, even b4 City's startling rise up the Premier League, were breached only by a member of the Blues groundstaff, who used a social networking site 2 post some pretty ugly comments & also the stadium announcer, who repeatedly welcomed supporters 2 the "greatest football club in the world".

A goalless meeting betw the sides in November had prompted complaints of negativity 2wards Blues boss Roberto Mancini, a feeling a similarly tepid encounter with Arsenal last month only reinforced.

Faced with a table tat showed his team 5 pts in arrears of their neighbours, hving played a game more, tis was the point of no return 4 City though - & Mancini went 4 it.

City should hv been ahead aft only 3 mins.

Silva started an intricate move tat also involved Micah Richards b4 Carlos Tevez threaded a brilliant pass thru 2 the Spain international, leaving him completely clear deep inside the penalty area.

Edwin van der Sar advanced quickly, forcing Silva 2 make an instant decision, the former Valencia star turning in anguish as his delicate prod rolled just wide of the far post.

Even @ tat early stage, Mancini must hv wondered whether another such opportunity would come.

Yaya Toure & Aleksandar Kolarov both went close as the visitors continued 2 press, but City could not get a clear sight of the United goal.

Not tat their hosts were doing much in return. It took them almost 35 minutes 2 force Hart into a meaningful save, Darren Fletcher climbing 2 reach Ryan Giggs' curling cross & though the Scot's header was firm enough, it lacked power.

Nani had been a peripheral figure up to tat point. He did serve notice of his intentions shortly afterwards though as he fired over fr the edge of the area.

Having done so well, City would hv been cursing at the manner in which they were opened up.

One long ball fr Van der Sar, which Rooney flicked on 2 Giggs. A neat pass fr the Welshman & Nani was in, his 1st touch taking him away fr Pablo Zabaleta b4 he steadied himself, then beat Hart with clinical ease.

City must hv spent the interval cursing @ the injustice of it all.

They were the 1s who continued 2 press aft the restart, although it was not until Mancini had called Shaun Wright-Phillips & Dzeko off the bench tat they got their equaliser.

Even Mancini would admit it took his side a huge slice of luck 2 drag themselves back into it, with the substitutes combining at the start.

Dzeko's shot fr Wright-Phillips' cross was going well wide of the goal when it struck Silva on the back, the deflection leaving Van der Sar totally helpless. It looked like City would grab a winner, with Dzeko causing huge problems inside the United area.

However, the inspirational figure was wearing red. For so long now, there hv been questions, but there can be none now - not aft he met Nani's cross with a jaw-dropping overhead kick tat sent the ball in2 the far corner, Hart rooted 2 the spot.


http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/879340/wayne-rooney-rates-derby-winner-as-his-best-ever-strike?cc=4716

Rooney delighted with strike

ManU striker Wayne Rooney is convinced the best goal of his career has ended any lingering hopes ManC had of winning the title tis season.

Even City boss Roberto Mancini admitted all you k do, faced with such genius, is applaud aft Rooney's jaw-dropping overhead kick 13 minutes fr time settled a pulsating Manchester derby.

City were marginally the better side, but tat counts 4 nothing now they r 8 pts adrift of their neighbours, hving played a game more.

Rooney will get all the plaudits & the England forward said: "Tat is my best goal. It was such an important game & 2 score the winning goal in tat way was a great feeling - indescribable.

"I hv seen it again. I was just trying 2 keep my eye on the ball & 2 get a good connection. Luckily it went in2 the top corner.

"It is a significant result & almost certainly rules City out of the title race unless a disaster happens."

As United boss Sir Alex Ferguson reflected, Rooney's heroics mean it is virtually certain there will be no discussion of a clinical opener fr Nani, nor the performance of Chris Smalling, who subdued Carlos Tevez to such an extent he did not hv a shot.

Instead, it was David Silva who levelled, thanks 2 a fortunate deflection of an Edin Dzeko strike.

Not tat it mattered in the end.

"When a fantastic player like Rooney scores a goal like this, you can only clap," City boss Mancini said. "I m very sorry 4 my players. They really didn't deserve 2 lose tis game."

There is almost a sense of deja vu abt City's fortunes against United under Mancini. When the Italian took over as Inter Milan boss he struggled 2 guide his team 2 victory over AC Milan.

Now he is experiencing the same emotions, hving lost 3 times in 5 meetings since his arrival @ Eastlands, the only success turning into a defeat in last season's Carling Cup semi-final.

"It is like my 1st 2 yrs in Milan," Mancini said. "Every time we didn't deserve 2 lose, every time we did. For the same thing 2 happen again is incredible, but ManU hv such a strong mentality. Even when they don't deserve 2 win the game, sometimes they do."

Mancini must now try & inject the same feeling in2 his own team, & in the short term raise their spirits ahead of a tricky Europa League trip 2 take on Greek outfit Aris on Tuesday, then an FA Cup 4th-round replay against Notts County @ Eastlands next Sunday.

Opposite number Ferguson now has a week 2 prepare 4 an FA Cup 5th-round meeting with non-league Crawley next Saturday ahead of United's re-entrance in2 the Champions League against Marseille.

"Nani scored a fantastic goal but nobody in their right mind will talk abt it becos the winner was unbelievable," Ferguson said. "Wayne hit a volley against Newcastle some years ago & it was the same ferocity. We hv had some fantastic goals here but in terms of execution, you will never see tat."

The result was a vindication of Ferguson's decision 2 leave leading scorer Dimitar Berbatov on the bench.

It was also the perfect way 2 bounce back fr tat shock defeat @ Wolves last weekend.

United hv still only recorded 3 victories away fr home tis season, contrasting sharply with their form @ Old Trafford, where they hv only dropped 2 points.

As 7 of the Red Devils' final 12 games r away, including trips 2 Chelsea, Liverpool & Arsenal, Ferguson understands there is an urgent need 2 rectify United's results on the road.

"I had 2 sit Dimitar down & tell him he was not starting," Ferguson said. "I did not enjoy tat. It was a difficult decision but we had 2 pay attention 2 the number of players they put in midfield, plus Silva floating.

"Wat I need 2 get out of Wayne & Berbatov is performances away fr home. They hv not been as good as they hv been @ home. With the ability those two hv, they really should be dictating games 4 us.

"When they do, it will make a hell of a difference 2 ManU."

joew2005
13-02-2011, 08:31 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/879906/francis-lee-believes-manchester-city-need-more-signings?cc=4716

Lee calls for more City signings

Former ManC chairman & player Francis Lee feels the owners need 2 spend even more $$ on some "knockout drops" if they are 2 win the Premier League.

Lee feels defeat by ManU on Saturday means tat City hv no chance now of winning the title tis season, & he believes the £400 million spent so far by owner Sheikh Mansour was not enough.

Lee told BBC Radio 5 Live: "I don't think you k win the Premier League with tis team - you need a couple of more knockout drops.

"Tevez is a wonderful striker but he just hasn't got tat support up front. We just don't hv tat real cutting edge tat k dominate games. We k pass it intricately but we just don't hv tat knockout drop & if Tevez doesn't do it we r struggling a bit.

"Dzeko needs time 2 settle in becos it's patently obvious he had not adjusted 2 the speed of the Premier League. He should be a very good player [eventually] but if Tevez gets injured you need some1 who k really stick it away & they r very difficult 2 find.

"I think there's a dearth of very, very high-class players - you r buying a lot of top-class average."

Asked if City boss Roberto Mancini will bring in new players in the summer, Lee added: "I would think so - he may hv 2 get rid of 1 or 2 ppl but he needs a wide option 2."

Wayne Rooney's stunning overhead kick won the game 4 United & Lee believes tat has guaranteed the title going 2 Old Trafford.

He said: "Certainly, yes. I think it rules everybody else out of winning the league. I thought City had 2 win 2 give the rest of the teams a chance - Chelsea & Arsenal 2 - it was a real big win 4 them.

"It was a wonderful goal by Rooney. It just shows tat old adage tat form is temporary & class is permanent. He was hving a wretched aftern & everything was going wrong 4 him & up he pops with a stunner."

joew2005
22-02-2011, 06:21 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/883839/yaya-toure:-city-have-potential-to-be-better-than-barca?cc=4716

Yaya: City can be better than Barca

Yaya Toure believes ManC hv the potential 2 become even better than his former club Barca in future seasons.

Toure left Camp Nou in order 2 become yet another expensive acquisition 4 City last summer & has helped the club occupy a top-3 place in the Premier League, leaving them well placed 2 qualify 4 the Champions League 4 the 1st time.

Although Barcelona r currently regarded as the best club side in football, Toure does not see why City cannot become even more impressive than the Catalans in years 2 come.

"You cannot compare Barca with City rite nw becos Barca r @ the top & hv top-quality players," Toure said. "They hv Leo Messi, Xavi, Andres Iniesta & Dani Alves, who r fantastic. But we r still signing new players.

"In a couple of yrs we could be better than Barca. What we need 2 do is continue 2 work hard & improve with every game. I keep saying 2 my brother Kolo & my family tat City hv great players but we need 2 continue 2 work hard 2 become great."

Toure has also reiterated tat City's priority tis season remains finishing in the top 4, despite their ongoing participation in the FA Cup & Europa League.

"Our target is still 2 be in the Champions League next year - tat is very important 4 tis club," he said. "But it will be tough to stay in there becos Liverpool r coming & I'm sure Chelsea will be back."


http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/883625/edin-dzeko-vows-to-come-good-for-manchester-city?cc=4716

Dzeko vows to come good for City

ManC striker Edin Dzeko is confident he k add physical resilience 2 his unstinting mental strength & make a success of his switch 2 English football.

Since the Bosnia-Herzegovina international's £27 million move fr Wolfsburg last month he has scored 2 goals - both against League 1 side Notts County - in 8 appearances.

Dzeko admits he is still trying 2 adapt 2 the more physical nature of football in tis country but has no doubts he will get 2 grips with the challenge.

''It's harder here but I will get used 2 it. It is something new 4 me,'' he said. ''The referees don't whistle 4 everything here - in the Bundesliga every small contact is a foul.

''The coach (Roberto Mancini) says 2 me it is different in Italy & Germany as the referees whistle everything. I hope I can get used 2 it, & hv 2 get stronger. I hv 2 play stronger.

''In some situations in Germany where I m not so strong it is no problem but in England it is different. You hv 2 fight 4 every ball. I am okay mentally. When I don't score 4 2 or 3 games & then lose the ball I always keep my head up.''

Dzeko played alongside temperamental young Italian Mario Balotelli against Notts County but rarely did the pair threaten either individually or as a pair. Tevez, the club's top scorer who registered his 50th City goal in 68 appearances, was on the bench but remains the club's premier striker.

However, Dzeko is confident he k forge profitable partnerships with both the Argentina international & Balotelli.

''We showed in the 2nd half how we (he & Tevez) can play together & also in the 1st half I played well with Mario & we understood each other,'' said the 24-year-old. ''Everyone could see it. Communication is important & when you hv an understanding with some1 on the pitch it is the most important thing.

''Carlos has been here a long time & I m the 1 getting used 2 everything, so when I settle we will all play much better. I know I can play much better & I will work hard & show people.

''Strikers r expected 2 score & I hv 2 goals in 8 games. When you see tis, you can think it's not good, but I try 2 work also 4 the team, not just 2 try 2 score. I try 2 assist team-mates. I m not a player who stays on the edge of the box & waits 4 a chance.''

joew2005
26-02-2011, 02:50 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/885847/roberto-mancini-slams-england's-congested-schedule?cc=4716

Mancini demands schedule rethink

Roberto Mancini slammed England's congested fixture schedule, claiming players r not "machines" & should not be treated as such.

As a relative newcomer 2 these shores, Mancini has reacted with increasing amazement 2 the demands placed upon England's senior teams. But the ManC boss has been left stunned by the scenario which has now unfolded.

Should City draw their FA Cup 5th round tie with Aston Villa on Wednesday, the replay has been scheduled 4 Monday, March 7, 2 days aft the Blues tackle Wigan in the Premier League @ Eastlands & only 3 b4 a punishing round trip 2 Kiev of around 2,800 miles 4 the Europa League 1st leg tie with Dynamo.

Either side of tis, City must face Fulham in the Premier League on Sunday & then either Everton or Reading in the FA Cup quarter-finals if Villa r successfully disposed of. It is fixture congestion the likes of which Mancini has never encountered b4. And the Italian does not believe it is fair.

"In my life I hv never seen tat a team arrives in February~March & has 2 play every 2 days,'' he said. "Tis is a big problem, not only 4 us but 4 all the teams. Something should change becos tis is impossible 4 all English players. At every World Cup & European Championships, there is a problem 4 England becos all their players r tired. We should hv more respect 4 them. They r not machines.''

Mancini's words will get a nod of agreement fr Sir Alex Ferguson & Arsene Wenger, who hv both attacked the schedule in the past. Fabio Capello has recognised it 2, although he appears 2 think it is futile attempting any change due 2 the competing interests of different governing bodies. Mancini's problems r more acute becos of the injuries tat hv swept thru his squad. Already, 6 senior players r sidelined & they could be joined by Vincent Kompany, who limped out of last night's Europa League win over Aris Salonika with a hip injury.

"At the moment, it is difficult 2 get performances fr my team every 3 days becos I only hv 15 players,'' he said. "Usually when I hv 18 or 19, I k change 6 or 7 players & keep them all fresh. At tis moment, it is impossible becos I can only change 3 or 4. I don't know if these matches will eventually catch up with us. We can only use the gaps in betw 2 recover, which we will hv 2 do 4 every game until we play against Chelsea on March 20.''

For City at least, tat Stamford Bridge trip will bring blessed relief, although most of their players will be required 4 international duty. By then, Mancini will know whether his side r getting ready 2 push 4 honours or scrambling 2 avoid the campaign turning in2 a massive let-down. Certainly he can expect no favours tis weekend fr a Fulham side coached by former City boss Mark Hughes, who will be making his 1st return 2 Eastlands since his dismissal 14 months ago.

Unlike City's tired players, the Cottagers hv only been in action twice over the past 3 weeks, 1 of which was a battling draw with Chelsea when Fulham were denied maximum points by Clint Dempsey's injury-time penalty miss. Bobby Zamora is doubtful aft going over on his ankle in training, although Mancini is wary of taking anything 4 granted tis weekend even though City hv already hammered the Londoners @ Craven Cottage.

"Our performance @ Fulham was 1 of the best of the season,'' he said. "I hope we k play like we did tat day but I feel Sunday will be a different game becos they hv got better as the season has gone on.''

joew2005
04-03-2011, 10:13 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/888907/roberto-mancini:-mario-balotelli-deaf-to-my-advice?cc=4716

Mancini: Balotelli deaf to my advice

Roberto Mancini has admitted tat he is struggling 2 get thru 2 hot-headed striker Mario Balotelli.

Italian international Balotelli has scored 6 goals in 10 Premier League games tis season but has struggled 2 maintain his discipline on the pitch & was substituted during City's FA Cup clash against Aston Villa tis week 2 prevent him picking up a 2nd red card 4 the season.

As his former boss @ Inter Milan, Mancini should hv known wat 2 expect when he spent £24 million on the 20-year-old. However, any thoughts the pair hv a special relationship k quickly be dismissed.

"He is not listening 2 me,'' Mancini said. "I speak but I don't think he listens.''

However, as long as Balotelli continues 2 score & work hard 4 the team Mancini will be happy & the striker should be handed another chance 2 shine against Wigan tis weekend.

"It is not important tat he doesn't listen 2 me,'' he said. "Wat is important is tat he does well, tat he scores.

"But I know he can do better becos I know his quality. He k change every game if he 1s. He could score in every game. I hope, 4 him & us, he can understand tis very quickly.''

Defender Kolo Toure will not face Wigan aft being suspended 4 failing a drugs test & Mancini is likely 2 offer an instant recall 2 Vincent Kompany, providing the Belgium international reports 4 duty without pain aft a recent hip complaint.

Mancini is also ready 2 welcome back midfield enforcer Nigel de Jong aft a 6-match absence with an ankle injury, although the combative Dutchman will hv 2 be content with a place on the bench.

"Nigel has been out 4 a month so it is difficult 4 him 2 be 100%,'' Mancini said. "Maybe he could be on the bench 2 play for 20 minutes or half an hour. Then he can be ready 4 Dynamo Kiev next Thursday.''

joew2005
05-03-2011, 04:52 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/889282/redknapp:-city-will-miss-toure?cc=4716

Redknapp: City will miss Toure

Harry Redknapp believes Tottenham & ManC r set 4 another duel 4 a Champions League berth - & tat Kolo Toure's absence could turn the race 4 4th in his favour.

Spurs boss Redknapp is convinced Chelsea will push their way back in2 the Premier League top 4, leaving Tottenham & City 2 compete 4 the 4th & final place in next season's Champions League, just as they did last year.

Redknapp's men narrowly won tat race last season & he is more confident of repeating the feat now tat key City defender Toure has been suspended following a failed drugs test, with Redknapp saying: "They'll certainly miss him."

"I don't know wat he's supposed 2 hv done,'' he said. "I wouldn't know 1 drug fr another, 2 be honest with you, or wat drugs he's supposed 2 hv taken. If tis sort of thing happens @ the club & it's an important player, it can hv an effect on the team, 4 sure. You don't know how it'll affect them but they'll certainly miss him.''

Toure was suspended fr playing on Thursday aft testing positive 4 a "specified substance'' - thought 2 be his wife's slimming pills - in the A sample of a recent drugs test. Both Toure & City hv maintained their silence on the matter but the Daily Mail quoted Toure's minder Valer Gourizro as saying "'he takes responsibility but believes he's done nothing wrong".

1 option open 2 the centre-back is 2 request his B-sample, taken @ the same time as the 1st 1, 2 be tested 2. Should tat come back positive, Toure, 29, would then get the opportunity 2 go b4 a personal hearing. If past doping cases in English football r anything 2 go by, Toure may hv 2 wait until @ least the end of the season b4 the hearing takes place.

Roberto Mancini's side 1s looked destined 2 fight 4 the title, but their recent poor form has left them 2 points ahead of Chelsea & 3 ahead of Redknapp's team hving played 1 more match than both. Redknapp is convinced tat Carlo Ancelotti's side r certain of a top-4 position & thinks Tottenham & City r set 2 fight it out 4 4th in a repeat of last year's contest betw the 2, which Spurs won.

"I've got a feeling it'll be betw us & Man City,'' Redknapp said. "I don't see Chelsea not being in the top 4. I felt b4 the Liverpool game, which they lost, tat they could still win the league. If they had beaten Liverpool tat day they would hv been in a very strong position. They r a very strong outfit.''

Spurs were level on points with City @ tis time last year b4 they won 8 of their remaining 11 matches - 1 of which came @ Eastlands - 2 pip the north-west club 2 4th. City hv since spent around £150million on acquiring new players 2 beef up their squad 4 their domestic & Europa League campaigns.

Spurs hv parted with a fraction of City's expenditure but hv still managed 2 make it in2 the last 16 of the Champions League & remain serious contenders for a top-4 place. Tat, Redknapp believes, is proof his squad is good enough 2 cope with wat could be a hectic run-in if they beat Milan next week 2 reach the quarter-finals.

He said: "4 us 2 be where we r in the league & 2 hv had such a great season in the Champions League is a fantastic achievement so it hasn't affected us at all - we hv managed 2 fight on both fronts & hv done great.''

The Spurs boss also believes tat aft tis year's lavish expenditure, there is a lot more pressure on Mancini 2 claim 4th.

"If they don't make top 4 it wouldn't go down well I'm sure,'' he said.

Spurs will leapfrog Chelsea back into 4th if they beat Wolves @ Molineux on Sunday as the champions do not play their match against Blackpool until the following day. Rafael van der Vaart & Gareth Bale r both likely 2 miss Sunday's match with their respective calf & back injuries, but Redknapp hopes 2 hv the stars fit 4 Wednesday's showdown.

"I'm hoping Gareth will be fit 4 Milan,'' Redknapp said. "He feels okay. He has just got 2 push himself thru it now. We'd love him back. We'll wait & see. Rafa is the same. He will not be fit 4 Sunday, but there is a chance he will be fit 4 Milan.''

joew2005
05-03-2011, 06:45 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/889298/yaya-toure:-it-will-be-difficult-to-play-during-kolo-suspension?cc=4716

Yaya struggling to deal with Kolo blow

Yaya Toure has revealed he will find it "very hard" 2 play 4 ManC during his brother's suspension.

Kolo Toure will not be able 2 take part in any 1st team or non-1st team games until an investigation in2 his failed drug test is complete & Yaya, who moved 2 Eastlands fr Barcelona in the summer, is struggling 2 deal with the news.

"My brother is damaged, & the squad is affected becos Kolo is an important man 4 us & 1 of our captains, so we 1 a quick solution 2 tis problem," he said. "We all hv confidence in Kolo.

"I am @ ManC due 2 the insistence of my brother. 4 me, it will be very hard 2 play without him in the team."

Kolo, a devout Muslim, has claimed the positive test came abt becos he took his wife's diet pills. Former Sheffield United goalkeeper Paddy Kenny & Hamilton's Simon Mensing were handed 9-month & 4-week bans respectively aft they claimed they had inadvertently taken specified substances.

Toure's advisor, Valer Gourizro, said the player accepts full responsibility 4 the mistake but remains confident he will avoid the maximum 2-year suspension such offences can carry.

"He blames himself," Gourizro told the Daily Mail. "You can't blame any1 but yourself in tis situation. He can't blame his wife, k he?

"He didn't know there was anything in the pills. Sometimes you do things but he didn't realise the consequences. He does now.

"He takes responsibility but believes he's done nothing wrong. We've got a good case & don't think it will be a 2-year ban. Tat would be a great shame becos he's 1 of the cleanest players in the Premier League.

"He's had phone calls fr the Arsenal players, Arsene Wenger - everybody. Nobody can believe it. His brother Yaya lives very close & is a big support 4 him @ the moment; so is Patrick Vieira, who he played with @ Arsenal. He's got Awo & the kids, and Yaya's family as well. Mentally he's fine.

"The City coach, Mancini, likes him & I spoke 2 [City football administrator] Brian Marwood last night. He said the club will stand by Kolo & they know tat he gives 100% 4 City."

joew2005
09-03-2011, 10:11 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/891639/roberto-mancini:-europa-league-is-a-great-competition?cc=4716

Mancini: Europa League is great

ManC manager Roberto Mancini believes the Europa League is now ''a great competition'' as his side prepare 2 face Dynamo Kiev in the 1st leg of the L16.

Mancini feels his team will hv 2 be @ their best if they r 2 win the trophy & end a 35-year trophy drought, esp in Kiev where Dynamo hv not lost in 6 UEFA home matches since a 2-1 Champions League group stage defeat by Barca in December 2009.

''The Europa League is a great competition,'' he said. ''There r big teams in it. You can get 2 the quarter-finals & meet an important team.

''There r a lot of well-known sides in the competition. All the teams we can play usually play in the Champions League. It is a little Champions League. All the teams r big ones.''

Mancini would love 2 trophies as well as a place in the Champions League next season - as his side face Reading in their next game in the FA Cup on Sunday - but knows it will be tough.

He said: ''We will try 2 reach the final if it is possible, both in the Europa League & the FA Cup. It depends on our players recovering their strength.''

Spanish forward David Silva is only 2 aware of the difficulty @ the Valeriy Lobanovskiy Stadium. He played & scored there in the 2008-09 UEFA Cup but Valencia went out on the away goals rule.

Silva recalled: ''It's a difficult place 2 go 2. We got a 1-1 draw so we didn't do 2 badly. They're a difficult team & @ their stadium it's very tough but we're excited abt our chances of going thru.''

joew2005
10-03-2011, 10:41 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story/_/id/891198/rewind-to-1976:-city's-era-of-success-ends?cc=4716

City's era of success ends

On Sunday, ManC will expect 2 overcome Reading & secure a place in the semi-finals of the FA Cup, 1s again raising expectations tat they will finally be able 2 end their lengthy wait 4 a trophy. Their last taste of silverware came with a League Cup win in 1976, with Dennis Tueart scoring an iconic goal, but even then the club was entering a period of decline.

It hangs on the Stretford End, a grim & constant reminder. Its numbers tick over, seemingly inexorably, chronicling 12 more mths of bitter disappointment 4 those across the city. It exercises a morbid grip over rival supporters, players & indeed managers, who r determined 2 render it obsolete. But as yet, the banner detailing ManC's trophy drought remains in place. 35 yrs & counting. 4get Carlos Tevez & 'Welcome 2 Manchester' - tis is the livery tat defines a rivalry.

City's long wait 4 silverware, in painful contrast 2 the extreme success enjoyed by United, extends all the way back 2 a League Cup victory over Newcastle United in 1976 tat was secured by a sublime overhead kick fr Dennis Tueart. However, the defining performance of the campaign was a 4-0 hammering of Manchester United in a previous round tat had seemed 2 be the mark of a potentially formidable side asserting itself, bursting with the promise of future success.

But, cruelly, contained even within the genesis of tat bright promise was the seed of decline. A serious injury suffered by Colin Bell in the win against United deprived City of their outstanding individual, his career truncated by a tackle fr Martin Buchan. City's own aspirations had been similarly curtailed, though they could not know it straight away, & certainly not in the wake of their Wembley success. It felt like a beginning, not an end. But it was, & United fans hv not let them 4get it.

City's most recent trophy win was not achieved in the kind of isolation they currently experience, a rare flicker of success in a dark expanse of disappointment. Rather it came in the wake of the club's golden era, a period in which manager Joe Mercer & renowned assistant Malcolm Allison took City fr the 2nd Division 2 European glory. Winning promotion in 1966, they were champions inside 2 years, went on 2 win the FA Cup in 1969 & both the League Cup & the Cup Winners' Cup in 1970.

Though stalwarts of tat side such as Mike Summerbee & Francis Lee had departed by the start of the 1975-76 campaign, gifted England international Bell, known as the 'King of the Kippax', was still influencing proceedings in midfield, while captain Tony Book had turned manager, providing a very visible & influential link betw the 2 City sides. Tis element of continuity would foster success, but only very briefly.

Having won the League Cup in 1970 when defeating WBA & losing in the final in 1974 to Wolverhampton Wanderers, City had pedigree in the competition approaching the 1975-76 season &, though they required 2 replays 2 defeat Norwich in the 2nd round, Nottingham Forest were dispatched 2-1 in the 3rd round 2 set up a meeting with local rivals Manchester United, who @ the time had not won a trophy since their 1968 European Cup final win & were still 18 years away fr their next title success.

Indeed, under manager Tommy Docherty, the glory & splendour of the Matt Busby era had been replaced by disappointment & relegation in 1974, even if United had returned 2 the top-flight & would reach the FA Cup final in 1976, only 2 lose 2 2nd Division Southampton. Tis was far fr a vintage United side, & they were exposed @ Maine Road as Book's team underlined their superiority in the city of Manchester with a resounding 4-0 victory on a famous November night.

The tone was set when Dennis Tueart scored aft just 35 seconds & Asa Hartford, Tueart again & Joe Royle added 2 the scoreline. Tis was a defining performance. Young winger Peter Barnes was hailed as "probably the most exciting young player 2 emerge since George Best", while Book described Hartford's immense performance in midfield as "world class", adding: "I don't think there's a team in the country tat could hv lived with us in tat form 2nite".

The national press agreed, The Guardian reporting how United "were torn apart by a ManC side playing football of classical dimensions - fluent, imaginative, decisive, @ times breathtaking ... almost everyone agreed tat it was by far their best performance of the season. Others considered it City's finest display 4 years."

It was a performance tat hinted a new golden era could be on City's horizon, but it came @ a terrible cost. Early on in the game, the gifted Bell had been brought down by Buchan & had suffered serious knee ligament damage. "I remember his knee swelling up like a balloon," City defender Tommy Booth later said, "but we didn't know how bad it was until much later". Initial reports put his likely period of recuperation @ 1 month, but the real prognosis was far more severe.

Bell, a winner of 48 England caps, had his career effectively ended by the tackle. Though he would make a return aft 2 years, his knee problems had severely diminished him & he was eventually forced 2 retire in 1979 aft continual battles with his fitness. Nicknamed Nijinsky in honour of the great racehorse by Allison when arriving @ City fr Bury in 1966, Bell's premature retirement was a sad event, & saw the midfielder described by 1 paper as "the Bobby Charlton of ManC ... Bell represented their last link with the glorious era of the late 60s & early 70s".

Though Bell himself was not prone 2 over-dramatisation - saying simply "there r no recriminations. It's a man's game" - team-mate Tueart was only 2 aware of wat the serious injury meant 4 ManC as a club. "Tat injury spelt the end of tat team," Tueart later said. "He was never replaced as he should hv been, & it meant tat the team never really realised their potential. Aft we won the League Cup, we didn't really push on & losing Colin was 1 of the reasons 4 tat."

Bell's absence was initially glossed over as Mansfield were beaten in the quarter-finals & Middlesbrough beaten 4-1 on aggregate in the semi-finals, & indeed he worked hard in training in order 2 be available 4 the final, only 2 be defeated. As Book admitted: "There is no way I can take a chance with a player of this calibre."

ManC's opponents on February 28, Newcastle, had also been weakened by injury with captain Geoff Nulty sidelined with a broken jaw & David Craig receiving treatment 4 a knee problem. Moreover, manager Gordon Lee had seen his squad afflicted by the 'flu bug, meaning a team including prolific striker Malcolm 'Supermac' Macdonald were distinctly under par approaching the tie @ Wembley.

What happened next? Swales replaced Book with Allison in 1979 but as Bell retired, the returning hero made some costly errors, most notably when attempting to replace the midfielder by spending £1.43 million on Steve Daley, who proved an unmitigated disaster, and selling Barnes to West Brom. Tueart left City for New York Cosmos in 1978 but then returned, becoming a director of the club in his later years and helping to recruit managers Joe Royle and Kevin Keegan. His goal was voted the greatest moment in League Cup history, and remains the defining moment of City's last trophy success.

joew2005
13-03-2011, 08:38 AM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/892821/nigel-de-jong:-euro-fatigue-won't-affect-man-city-in-fa-cup?cc=4716

De Jong: Euro fatigue won't affect us

ManC did not arrive home aft their Europa League tie with Dynamo Kiev until 5am, but midfielder Nigel De Jong says the loss of a nite's sleep will not affect the team ahead of Sunday's FA Cup quarter-final against Reading.

Manager Roberto Mancini has a policy of flying straight home aft European games but a delay, believed 2 hv been caused by issues over a gas bottle in City's medical equipment, means the players did not land in Manchester until Friday.

City lost their Europa League tie 2-0 in Kiev & aft struggling 2 beat the Premier League's bottom side Wigan just a few days b4 Mancini has voiced concerns over his players' fatigue.

However, the Italian stood by his decision not 2 stay overnight in Kiev. "If we left on Friday, we would hv lost another day," Mancini said. "Usually aft a game the players don't sleep, so we felt it was better 2 get them back & try 2 get them right 4 Sunday.

"Tis is 1 of the problems we hv playing every 3 days. We r playing on Sunday @ 5pm & I hope we k recover in time."

De Jong backed his manager's decision, saying: "I don't think it will affect us. We're not little kids any more. We've all got experience of how 2 handle tis schedule, & make sure we r rite & ready 4 them on Sunday. I'm sure I'll be okay."

City were back in training on Friday aftn, including striker Mario Balotelli who suffered a bizarre allergic reaction in Kiev & had 2 be substituted, De Jong believes the players r fully focused on their FA Cup challenge.

"The fans obviously really 1 2 win a trophy. So do we," the Dutchman said. "We know all abt the history of tis club so we know how long it's been (since a cup was secured). We r often reminded abt it. Every1 knows what's @ stake.

"You need tat spark 2 go on. 4 us, tat spark could be any cup. It doesn't matter which - the league, the FA Cup, the Europa League. It would be something 2 make the guys hungry 4 more success.

"We'd love it if it could be tis year &, yes, it looks like the quickest way could be the FA Cup."

City captain Carlos Tevez, who came off the bench 2 replace Balotelli in Kiev, is almost certain 2 return 2 the starting line up against Reading. However James Milner is expected 2 be ruled out with a hamstring injury.

joew2005
17-03-2011, 05:30 AM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/894892/roberto-mancini-defends-january-player-exodus-at-manchester-city?cc=4716

Mancini defends January player sales

Roberto Mancini has defended his decision 2 allow a hat-trick of ManC players 2 leave the club in January aft an injury crisis left his 1st team squad flagging.

Emmanuel Adebayor, Wayne Bridge & Roque Santa Cruz all left the club in search of regular 1st team action, as well as 3 younger members of the squad.

A heavily congested fixture schedule has taken its toll on City's stars as a string of stuttering performances hv threatened to derail their run in, epitomised by their 2-0 defeat 2 Dynamo Kiev in the Europa League last-16 clash.

Mancini's men will try 2 overturn the deficit at Eastlands on Thursday with the same group of players who hv been struggling with playing twice a week since January but Mancini is adamant he is not the architect of his own downfall.

He said: "If there r some players who 1 2 leave becos they wish 2 play every game, it is difficult,'' he said.

"Should 2 or 3 players leave the club, you could buy 2 or 3 more. But we didn't think 4 or 5 important players would get injured in the space of 20 days.''

Shay Given, James Milner & Adam Johnson hv all been sidelined 4 extended periods, with a succession of minor injuries 2 be taken in2 account as well. In addition, Kolo Toure is suspended indefinitely pending an inquiry in2 his failed drugs test, robbing Mancini of another valuable option.

"When you become a top club you should hv 25 players available in every game,'' he said. "If you watched the game between ManU & Arsenal in the FA Cup, United changed 8 players.

"When you play every 3 days, you need 2 change 5 or 6 players, minimum.''

In fact, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson changed 6. It could also be argued tat if Mancini had made more use of his squad earlier in the season, when he kept using the same group of players, the disaffected ones might hv been encouraged 2 remain in the fold.

In addition, FA Cup draws against lower league opposition in the form of Leicester & Notts County helped fill wat should hv been a spare couple of midweeks with replays.

City hv been left 2 play 7 midweek fixtures out of 9 since the middle of January & 1 of the others was reserved 4 international matches. Little wonder victory 2morrow could be regarded as something of a double-edged sword.

"If we win & reach the quarter-final, we r playing twice a week until the end of the season,'' he observed. "Tis could be a big problem.''

Not tat Mancini is prepared 2 countenance defeat @ tis stage, even if a Kiev side marshalled by a resurgent Andriy Shevchenko look set up perfectly 2 hit their hosts on the counter-attack @ Eastlands 2morrow.

All the more reason 2 lament the absence of Johnson, who has started training aft almost 2 months out with an ankle injury but will not be considered until aft the international break.

"We do not hv another player like Adam,'' said Mancini. "When he is on the pitch, he can change a game, just by the way he plays.''

The most obvious alternative is Shaun Wright-Phillips, although 4 much of the year he has been troubled by a back complaint tat has restricted his availability.

"Shaun only worked for 5 days last week becos his back was hurting,'' revealed Mancini. "Now I hope he can play & also change the games 4 us in the next 2 months."

joew2005
17-03-2011, 09:21 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/895222/mancini-worried-about-fatigue?cc=4716

Mancini worried about fatigue

Roberto Mancini has admitted ManC r struggling 2 maintain their energy levels, with the Italian citing a small squad as the reason players such as Carlos Tevez r exhausted.

After a fabulous 1st half of the current campaign, City's talisman Tevez has seen his season almost grind 2 a halt in recent weeks - the Argentine has only found the back of the net 1s in his last 9 appearances.

The 27-year-old plundered 20 in 26 matches prior 2 his lean spell but 11 club matches since February 2 appear 2 hv taken their toll on Tevez.

There will be no respite in the immediate future, however, as City look 2 overturn a 2-0 first-leg deficit against Dynamo Kiev 2night in order 2 progress 2 the Europa League quarter-finals. And their Premier League exertions continue @ the weekend, with a tough away trip 2 Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Argentina hv decided 2 omit Tevez fr their squad 2 face USA & Costa Rica later tis month, & Mancini is hoping the break will give his star striker a chance 2 recharge his batteries.

"Carlos needs 2 work in the next week," he said. "In the last 45 days, it's been impossible. If we hv 20 or 23 players when we play 4 or 5 games in 2 weeks, we would be able 2 change 6 players every game. We don't hv tat option & when you can't train it's difficult 2 keep the same level for 1 month or 45 days. That's the same for all the players.

"It isn't only Carlos who has lost his sharpness, all the players hv. But if we don't hv problems against Kiev or Chelsea, then we can recover all our players aft the internationals. Then they can come back very well, like they were 4 or 5 weeks ago. But the next 2 games will be very hard."

With City still firing on 3 fronts - the Eastlands outfit hv an FA Cup semi-final tie with rivals Manchester United in April - Mancini is worried how his side will cope with the strain.

He said: "If we get in2 the quarters, we will play every 3 days until the end of the season. Tat will be a big issue because when you become a top club, you should hv 25 players available 4 each game. If not, it is a big problem.

"But I always 1 2 win & tat should always be our mentality."


http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/895171/chelsea-boss-keeping-fernando-torres-fresh-for-man-city?cc=4716

Ancelotti keeping Torres fresh for City

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti insists he only benched £50 million striker Fernando Torres 4 Wednesday night's Champions League tie 2 keep him fresh 4 Sunday's Premier League clash @ Manchester City.

Former Liverpool striker Torres has failed 2 score in 6 games since moving 2 Stamford Bridge in January and with Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka both starting in the 0-0 draw with FC Copenhagen the Spaniard's place in the team was in doubt.

However, Ancelotti was keen 2 stress tat Torres - like fellow substitutes Michael Essien and Florent Malouda - were only left out the starting line-up due 2 the importance of the upcoming match with City, who are 2 points ahead of Chelsea in 3rd place.

"The players not involved fr the beginning 2night will play on Sunday,'' Ancelotti said. "I wanted 2 maintain the players fresh and with good motivation. If we 1 2 achieve something, we'll need all the players with good motivation.''

Torres came off the bench midway through the 2nd half 2 replace Anelka.

Ancelotti added: "The only reason (he didn't start) is tat we will hv these players - Essien, Malouda and Torres - fresh 4 City.''

Chelsea fans will be hoping for a much-improved performance when the side travel to Eastlands, having seen the Blues fail to net with any of their 25 shots against the Danish champions.

Ramires and Anelka were rare shining lights in the tie, although Ancelotti insists no performances in the last-16 second leg changed his mind about who to start this weekend.

"No, absolutely not,'' he responded when asked. "I'd already decided the selection to play against City.

"The atmosphere now is really good. After Copenhagen, everything was okay. The results were good, the performances... the injured players are coming back in good condition.

"Maybe on Friday we'll have all the squad training. This is important for us to do 100% of our possibilities. If all these players give 100%, we have a lot of chances of arriving in the final stages.

"To maintain this we have to try to win every game. We have to pay attention. Sunday will be very important for us, for City - a very difficult game for both teams. We have to be ready to try to win.''

Copenhagen counterpart Stale Solbakken agrees with Ancelotti that the Blues have what it takes to secure Champions League glory at Wembley - even if it means beating Barcelona.

Having led Copenhagen into clashes with Barca and Chelsea in this year's Champions League, Solbakken is in a unique position to judge both teams' qualities.

And, while admitting Barca have superior skill, the Norwegian believes the Blues' physical qualities could work to their advantage.

"Barcelona, I think, are a little bit stronger at this moment,'' he said. "But Chelsea have that advantage of having that great physique in the team.

"They can out-power Barcelona in certain areas. That can be their advantage.

"They can compete at Camp Nou because they are strong, and they have strangled them here before, and were unlucky with [Andres] Iniesta's goal.

"If they can handle them in Camp Nou... they have a better chance than Arsenal because of the physique of the team.''

joew2005
19-03-2011, 09:21 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/895902/carlo-ancelotti:-roberto-mancini-a-master-tactician?cc=4716

Ancelotti: Mancini a great tactician

Carlo Ancelotti has praised his compatriot Roberto Mancini ahead of Chelsea's crucial Premier League clash with ManC on Sunday.

"He's a very intelligent coach who prepares a tactical game very well,'' Ancelotti said. "Tat's the reason I hv difficulty against him. I hope 2 change tat on Sunday.''

Ancelotti & Mancini hv a friendship dating back 2 their playing careers. "We were team-mates in the national team - he's a friend,'' Ancelotti said. "Not such a friend because he's won 2 many times against me.

"He has 2 understand tat he is my friend, so sometimes he can give his friend something.''

Mancini also proved his fellow Italian's nemesis 2wards the end of the pair's time in charge of AC Milan & Inter Milan, respectively, & has now won 6 of the last 7 head-2-head clashes betw them.

With Chelsea & City boasting the biggest-spending owners in English football, Ancelotti & Mancini r arguably the most under-pressure managers in the country.

"Tis is normal, managing tat pressure, 4 the coach," said Ancelotti. "It's 1 of the skills a coach must hv in football.

"The 2nd thing is 2 be patient, not just with the players but with the club & the journalists. It's a good skill 2 hv, patience, a very good skill.''

Ancelotti is hoping 2 beat ManU in the Champions League 4 a 2nd time when the 2 sides meet in the quarter-finals. He knocked the Red Devils out 4 yrs ago when he was in charge of AC Milan.

"It was a fantastic evening 4 Milan & a bad 1 4 ManU," he said. "They were surprised by the way we started tat game but it was a tie tat was always in the balance.

"Winning the Champions League is not an obsession 4 Chelsea, it is a dream. At Milan the Champions League was the most important thing every year. We didn't focus on winning Serie A.

"Losing 2 Inter Milan last year was a bad moment 4 every1 @ Chelsea. Now we hv 2 see if we deserve 2 be in the semis again."

"I am always happy 2 play against United because you know it will be a fantastic game with fair play. Sir Alex is 1 of the greatest managers ever. What I like most abt him is tat even though he has won a lot of trophies he has always maintained his humility."

joew2005
20-03-2011, 08:50 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/896686/roberto-mancini-mancini-fears-for-man-city's-mario-balotelli?cc=4716

Mancini fears for Balotelli

Roberto Mancini believes his reputation as a manager could be harmed by Mario Balotelli.

Balotelli was already seen as an enfant terrible @ Inter Milan b4 Mancini managed 2 sign him 4 ManC last summer in a deal worth a reputed £23 million. And a series of injury setbacks, disciplinary problems & off-field indiscretions hv not done anything 2 change tat perception.

The striker was singled out 4 criticism by Mancini aft Thursday night's Europa League exit 2 Dynamo Kiev, with Balotelli missing a gilt-edged chance b4 being sent off 4 a high tackle on Goran Popov. It was the 20-year-old's 2nd red card of the season, 2 add to the 8 yellows he has also been shown.

Balotelli escaped being dropped 4 Sunday's game @ Chelsea by publically apologising 4 tat sending off, but Mancini says his antics must stop.

And the News of the World claimed on Sunday tat Mancini was so incensed aft the Dynamo match tat he picked up a suitcase in the dressing room & threw it @ the striker, shouting: "I don't 1 2 see your face again."

Asked if his reputation was being harmed, Mancini told the Sunday Mirror: "Yes, tis is true. I trusted him 100% but aft tis latest incident it's very difficult 2 trust him. If he continues like tis it is very difficult. I think it's time 4 him 2 stop losing control. I don't like tis.

"I think tat he's a young player but it's time he started 2 think with his head. Time 2 use his brain because if not it is very difficult. He's a fantastic player but I don't deserve tis situation & neither does the club or the rest of the squad.

"Balotelli is not repaying my trust @ the moment. He should work more 2 repay me. I work every day with him. And I hope tat every day he can improve like a player, improve like a man.

"Our big players r not important just because they play well. They r important because they hv 2 help their team-mates when we hv a difficult game. Every day I speak with him. I know him very well. I know tat he can become a strong player, 1 of the best players in Europe.

"He is very lucky because he plays football. When you play football it is a fantastic sport. You can play & enjoy every game, every training session. It's not difficult. I would like him 2 understand better abt his ­behaviour."

Meanwhile, ManC were on Sunday linked with a £24 million move 4 Chile winger Alexis Sanchez, who plays 4 Udinese.

joew2005
27-03-2011, 09:28 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/899201/mario-balotelli-caught-throwing-darts-out-of-first-floor-window?cc=4716

Balotelli caught throwing darts

ManC r 2 hold a meeting on Monday 2 discuss Mario Balotelli's disciplinary issues aft he was caught throwing darts fr a 1st-floor window.

Balotelli said in The People tat he threw the darts in the direction of youth players becos he was "bored". Nobody was hurt during the incident & ESPNsoccernet has been informed tat the club view the incident as a misguided prank rather than a serious transgression.

However, Balotelli has continued 2 attract negative press since leaving Inter in the summer & was fined 2 weeks' wages 4 his dismissal in the Europa League game against Dynamo Kiev. Roberto Mancini held the 4ward responsible 4 City's failure 2 overturn the 2-0 deficit fr the 1st leg & described his actions as "stupid".

ESPNsoccernet understands tat Mancini was not aware of tis latest incident on Sunday morning as he had been away fr the club, but there was due 2 be a conversation betw the board & the manager on Monday 2 bring him up 2 speed.

A club spokesman said: "The matter will be dealt with internally."


http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/897305/balotelli-asks-italy-coach-prandelli-for-help?cc=4716

Balotelli asks Prandelli for help

Italy coach Cesare Prandelli has claimed tat ManC's Mario Balotelli has asked 4 his help 2 keep him out of trouble, while the striker's agent has pointed the finger @ the English media 4 creating 'drama'.

Balotelli, 20, has made headlines since arriving in the Premier League 4 his behaviour & was sent off in a Europa League tie against Dynamo Kiev last wk.

The striker was not called up by Prandelli 4 the Euro 2012 qualifier against Slovenia aft the Italian FA implemented a code of ethics outlawing unsporting conduct, but the manager admitted he has been impressed by the youngster's attitude.

"I hv heard fr Balotelli," said Prandelli. "He understands tat he made a fool of himself. He said 2 me: 'I need help. I always ruin everything but I care alot abt the national team'.''

Prandelli maintained tat he could call up Balotelli 4 the friendly against Ukraine on March 29, while the player's agent Mino Raiola played down reports tat he has fallen out with City boss Roberto Mancini.

"It's an unfortunate time 4 Mario," Raiola told Sky Sport 24. "It's not a happy spell, but he'll come out of it stronger than b4.

"Nevertheless, there r no problems with his club or with coach Roberto Mancini. A part of the English media, the part I don't respect tat much, does everything it can 2 create drama.

"Prandelli & Mario hv spoken, it was a positive conversation & their relationship is an excellent 1. The boy is disappointed with his dismissal & the fact tat he's not been selected 4 Italy as a result."

joew2005
31-03-2011, 08:47 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/900599/david-silva:-i-joined-man-city-to-help-valencia's-debt?cc=4716

Silva: I joined City to help Valencia

ManC midfielder David Silva says tat he only decided 2 leave Valencia last summer in order 2 help ease the club's financial problems.

Silva left the Mestalla for €27 million along with star striker David Villa, who was sold 2 Barcelona 4 a fee of €40 million, in order 2 pay off some of the club's reported €550 million debt.

Now the Spain winger maintains tat he would never hv left the club if they had not needed 2 cash in on his talent.

''Why did I leave Valencia? Because the club needed me 2,'' he said. ''I was happy there & wouldn't hv left, but the situation the club was in demanded it.

"It was a big injection of money & it was good 4 them. My life has always gone step by step. It was time 2 take the next 1. City showed a great interest & I wanted 2 settle it quickly. It was a very interesting offer, a good club, & I didn't hv 2 think too much."

Having made the move 2 Eastlands, he admits he has struggled a little with the English climate but is enjoying his life in the country.

"The tranquillity is incredible, & the passion with which they live football," he said. "It's wonderful. British people r very fun. In the beginning, I only spoke with the Latin players & with Yaya Toure, who spoke Spanish, but now I'm better with the language & I get along really well with the English, with every1."

Silva lost his place in the 1st XI of the national team as Spain won the 2010 World Cup but says that he is perfectly happy 2 just be a part of the squad.

"I don't ask when I play & I don't do it when I don't play," he said. "I'm happy with being able 2 come 2 the national team, which I do with the greatest joy. It's a reward & I always hope 2 play, but there is a lot of competition & I understand if the coach prefers some1 else.

"I've played in 45 games & I started many times. I'm content. I've felt important since I was called up. I feel tat I participated in the successes of the team & I've scored many goals.

"I'm content because I hv the feeling tat when I've had the opportunity 2 play, I've contributed things. And I hope 2 continue like this."

joew2005
01-04-2011, 05:51 AM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/900677/mario-balotelli-insists-he-is-happy-at-manchester-city?cc=4716

Balotelli looking to repay City faith

Mario Balotelli insists he is enjoying his time @ ManC & believes the club can win the Premier League title tis season.

Balotelli, 20, joined City fr Inter in the summer, but there hv been regular reports tat he has struggled 2 adapt 2 England & he has come under fire 4 his continued lack of discipline.

He has been persistently linked with AC Milan & tis week the club's vice-president, Adriano Galliani, refused 2 rule out a move 4 the 4ward. "There is time," Galliani said. "We'll see in the future."

Balotelli, though, says he is enjoying his time @ Eastlands & tat he is working 2 repay Roberto Mancini 4 the faith he has shown in him.

"I hope the fans know tat I like it here & I m really proud 2 write the history of tis club," he told Goal.com. "It is a great experience.

"All the people @ ManC r fantastic & you can see the club growing every day. I try every day 2 repay the trust the manager & the club showed in me by signing me.

"It is quite different fr Italian football but I like it. The stadiums in the Premier League r fantastic & the way the supporters experience the game is extraordinary."

City r currently 4th in the Premier League, 10 points behind leaders ManU with 8 games remaining, but Balotelli insists they r capable of winning the title.

Asked abt his ambitions 4 the current season, he said: "Win win win. [Qualifying for] the Champions League next season. Winning the Premier League title. We 1, & we can win, the title."


http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/900755/man-city's-kolo-toure-hopes-to-be-'back-soon'-from-drugs-ban?cc=4716

Toure hopes 2 be 'back soon'

ManC defender Kolo Toure says he hopes 2 be "back soon" fr suspension aft failing a drugs test.

The FA suspended Toure aft he tested positive 4 a "specified substance" tat his former manager @ Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, said was 1 of the defender's wife's diet pills.

Neither his club nor the FA have revealed wat Toure has tested positive 4, & the player, 30, is now awaiting the results of his B sample.

When asked @ the Soccerex conference in Manchester if he had a message 4 City fans, he said: "I will be back soon - I hope so."

joew2005
01-04-2011, 05:28 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/900867/roberto-mancini:-it's-time-for-mario-balotelli-to-grow-up?cc=4716

Mancini: It's time for Balotelli to grow up

ManC manager Roberto Mancini has told troubled striker Mario Balotelli 2 cut the "crap" & concentrate on expressing his talents.

Balotelli has been involved in a series of controversial incidents since his summer move fr Inter Milan & was recently splashed across the papers aft throwing a dart in the direction of some of the club's youth players.

On the pitch, he has been booked 9 times & sent off twice in his debut season in England & his needless red card against Dynamo Kiev was blamed 4 City's early exit fr the Europa League.

"He is 20 & @ tat age people do crap things," Mancini said in The Sun, "but maybe now the time has come 4 him 2 help himself & 2 understand the mistakes he is making. Otherwise he risks throwing away his abilities which r immense. He has scored some beautiful goals tis season.

"He should think only abt expressing his talents on the pitch & leaving 2 1 side the other matters which hv nothing 2 do with football. If he does not, then everybody in England will begin 2 make him a target - starting off with the referees.

"I understand him & everybody has infinite patience with Mario. Every1 @ ManC has always helped him & wish him the best."

Balotelli was fined 2 weeks' wages following his kick-out @ Dynamo's Goran Popov last month & faces disciplinary action over the dart-throwing incident.

joew2005
02-04-2011, 09:22 PM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/901207/roberto-mancini-feels-secure-at-manchester-city?cc=4716

Mancini feels secure at City

Roberto Mancini believes his job as ManC manager is safe regardless of whether the Premier League's big spenders reach their goal of a top 4 finish.

City's ambitious owners laid down a top-4 spot as the target 4 tis season, in addition 2 an end 2 the club's 35-year trophy drought. Although there hv been a number of setbacks along the way, City remain on course 2 achieve both objectives.

Mancini's men head in2 the weekend fixtures in 4th, 4 points ahead of Tottenham, who hv a game in hand & r still 2 visit Eastlands in wat looks like a crucial encounter on May 10.

In addition, City hv a mouth-watering FA Cup semi-final with ManU @ Wembley on April 16 ahead of them. So, despite his enormous £150 million outlay on new players, Mancini feels his contract will be honoured.

"It is very important tat we reach our targets but I don't know whether my future is dependent on me finishing in the top 4,'' he said. "I don't think so. I hv a 3-year contract. In any case, we don't 1 2 finish 4th. We 1 2 finish 3rd.''

Tat aspiration took a massive hit when City lost @ Chelsea immediately b4 the international break. Since then they hv lost defensive duo Jerome Boateng & Micah Richards 2 injury, leaving Mancini in a quandary abt who 2 select @ right back 4 Sunday's Eastlands showdown with Sunderland as normal choice, Pablo Zabaleta, is visiting his ill father in Argentina.

However, as City's Europa League exit 2 Dynamo Kiev leaves them 2 tackle only 1 game a week 4 the remainder of the season, Mancini views the current picture as being far healthier than the 1 his players were slogging thru during the depths of winter.

"For 2 months we played every 3 days with 14 players,'' said Mancini. Tat is very hard 4 every team, not just us.''