Wednesday, 20 April 2011
Monday, 7 March 2011
Season 2010/11 Fixture change news
Season 2010/11
Fixture change news
The following fixtures have been changed in April:
Manchester City v Sunderland
Now: Sunday 3rd April, 4.00 pm. Live on Sky Sports. (subject to involvement in a FA Cup 6th Round replay)Liverpool v Manchester City
Now: Monday 11th April, 8.00 pm. Live on Sky Sports.
Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur
Now: Sunday 17 April, 1.30 pm. Live on Sky Sports (subject to participation in the FA Cup Semi-Finals)
Blackburn Rovers v Manchester City
Now: Monday 25 April, 8.00 pm. Live on Sky Sports.
Manchester City v West Ham United
Now: Sunday 1 May, 4.10 pm. Live on Sky Sports.
Tuesday, 1 March 2011
Transfer Gossip
What The Media Says, formerly known as What The Papers Say!
Or maybe you prefer "a pinch and a punch" to welcome a new month. A quick trawl through football cyberspace reveals plenty of pinching, although most websites are happy to acknowledge the source of their story.Tribalfootball.com reckons that "City could use Emmanuel Adebayor as a bargaining chip in talks for Real Madrid star Kaka." Or rather, they confess they've seen the speculation in the Daily Mail and, er, repeated it.
Here's the gist of their re-write: "Chelsea and City have been put on red alert after it emerged Real Madrid are ready to sell Kaka. The Brazil international has failed to impress at the Bernabeu since arriving in a £58million deal from AC Milan in 2009."
They recall the Blues' earlier bid to sign the player and suggest: "With Roberto Mancini's side now on course for Champions League football next season, Kaka could be tempted to join them if offered the chance. Adebayor, currently on loan at Real from City, could be used as a makeweight in any deal."
Right then. What else can they tell us at Tribal? Here's one. It seems they've discovered that "Micah Richards is weighing up his future at Manchester City." Do continue, chaps ...
"The Daily Mail" - aaah - "says Richards' advisors have alerted a number of Barclays Premier League clubs to the player's potential availability in the summer.
"Richards has played regularly this season, featuring in 20 of their 41 games. But his long-term future is unclear with manager Roberto Mancini looking at Barcelona star Dani Alves and Ajax full-back Gregory van der Wiel as potential replacements for Richards."
Moving swiftly on, let's check out FIFA.com, a drab affair that could do with a bit of colour and imagination injecting. They run with the post-match quotes from Gareth Barry that you heard first on mcfc.co.uk.
The story goes: "Gareth Barry concedes Manchester City are now focusing on cup success after falling away in the Premier League title race.
"City host Aston Villa in the FA Cup fifth round on Wednesday, with the chance to earn a place in the quarter-finals against either Everton or Reading. City are also through to the last 16 of the UEFA Europa League.
"England midfielder Barry admits that City are now targeting a top-four finish, which would take them into the UEFA Champions League for the first time, and success in the FA Cup and the Europa League."
They quote GarBar: "Of course the cups are becoming more important for us. It's a big game for us and we've got the incentive of another home tie in the quarter-finals. If we get through those two you never know, and you're getting close to Wembley. Cup competitions have been important to us all season."
Over at bbc.co.uk, they go with former City boss Kevin Keegan's assertion that the Premier League is a "two-horse race" between Manchester United and Arsenal after City drew 1-1 with Fulham.
And at skysports.com, the Blues line is that "Roberto Mancini admits the team is struggling without Adam Johnson, who is set to be out for another month."
Over on the prints, David Anderson's take on the Barry Fulham quotes is proper Mirror stuff. He has Gareth warning that City must become more ruthless to finish top.
He quotes the midfielder: “If you’re going to challenge for the title, you’re going to have to win games like this at home. The top teams over the years eventually break teams down, but that didn’t look like happening for us."
That Handshake
Shake that shook the Press box
Never mind the game. The meeting of City managers past and present was always going to be the focus of attention in the Press Box, and they were amply rewarded with the Greatest Handshake Controversy Ever.
Was it even a handshake? Will Arsene Wenger and Tony Pulis be able to put up a credible challenge for the title? Will people ever get tired of reading about these things? Well, the answer to that last one is emphatically No.And after a lacklustre 1-1 draw, the reporters and their offices were only too happy to pile in on the few seconds of "drama" that followed 90-odd minutes that offered little material bar Mario Balotelli's super strike.
You only need read the headlines to get a flavour, which is what headlines are for, after all.
"Sparky's Revenge" booms The Sun over Neil Custis' frontline despatch. "Angry managers share the points" responds the Express in rather weary fashion to do scant justice to Richard Tanner's well-honed words.
"Hughes shaking with rage"? That's more like it from the Mirror, who also take their cue from the mcfc.co.uk Chappys to award a few of their own mini-Oscars to aspects of the match. Not quite as funny, of course.
And where does the influential International Herald Tribune stand on all this post-match mayhem between a Welshman and an Italian in an English league game? "Birmingham scores late to surprise Arsenal, 2-1". Er, right.
The Mail sums it up well: "Mancini and Hughes fail to see eye to eye" above Ian Hodgson's picture capturing the moment when Hughesy looked one way and Roberto looked another. Their hands are tantalisingly close to touching ...
Serious points are sometimes buried on days like this. The Mail also notes that "City's points tally in 2011 (12 from eight matches) is more like that of a mid-table side and has hampered their push for a Champions League place."
And on that bombshell, another one. This is the final What The Papers Say. Stop cheering at the back: We're being replaced by What The Web Says in order to present the bigger picture of the way that others see City.
We're being promoted as well, to the home page carousel. You'll find us more easily. So from tomorrow, we'll be freewheeling down the information highway as well as scanning the back pages. Still wearing our snood, obviously.
Wednesday, 23 February 2011
Carlos Tevez
Carlos Tevez new doubts emerge over striker's future
Mancini and his coaching staff are endeavouring to play up the strength in depth of the Blues attack, and play down talk that they over-rely on the Argentinian.
And they are also batting away suggestions that Tevez is getting special treatment on the training ground to ensure he is at his best for the run in.
Brian Kidd, Mancini’s assistant, has acknowledged that City are making sure that they don’t over-train the striker ahead of a potentially frantic end to the season.
Of all the players at City, Mancini has taken the greatest care in his handling of Tevez. On the one hand, the manager handed his star striker extra responsibility with the captaincy last summer because he felt it would encourage him to interact better with his team-mates.
On the other, Mancini has been ready to ease the burden by giving Tevez time off when he has needed it in order to attend to family issues.
Anyone who has seen the Blues in action at any stage over the last season-and-a-half will understand Mancini’s approach.
Tevez is the heartbeat of the team, linking midfield to attack, foraging for the ball, refusing to give opposing defenders a moment’s peace and proving as comfortable setting up goals as scoring them.
Even when the striker slapped in – and then withdrew – a transfer request in December, Mancini did not strip him of the captaincy.
And even though Tevez’s English has shown little sign of improvement after four-and-a-half years in the country, the manager has not called his leadership skills into question.
City’s Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure, who spent three years at Barcelona, revealed this week that his conversations with Tevez are in Spanish.
“Having played in Spain, I learned Spanish so I can converse with him,” Toure said. “I think this is important.”
Toure is also fully aware of the striker’s value to the side.
“We really need Carlos to finish well for us this season,” he said. “We need all the team to do that, but especially Carlos Tevez.”
The statistics show why. Tevez was City’s runaway top scorer with 29 goals last season. His cool finish in Sunday’s 5-0 FA Cup victory over Notts County was his 50th for the club.
So the last thing the Blues needed as they prepare for a glut of league and cup fixtures was for Joorabchian to suggest that Tevez could soon be on his way out of Eastlands.
The Iran-born businessman, who acts as an adviser to the striker, has re-opened the wounds that seemed to be healing after December’s transfer request saga.
Joorabchian has suggested that Tevez may be heading back to South America to join Corinthians, throwing in United midfielder Anderson, Tottenham keeper Heurelho Gomes and Villarreal striker Nilmar as potential targets for good measure.
“I want to help Corinthians in their sporting quest and I can guarantee that Carlos Tevez would be happy to return to Brazil and play for Corinthians,” Joorabchian said.
“Ideally I would like a deal to be done swiftly, but in reality it will probably take time.”
City take a dim view these days of Joorabchian, who once enjoyed a close working relationship with chief executive Garry Cook. Blues officials felt the adviser was the driving force behind Tevez’s transfer request two months ago.
Whatever the striker’s long-term future holds – and that is something no one ought to predict with any confidence – his form on the pitch gives hope that City can achieve their twin aims this season of Champions League qualification and a trophy for the sideboard.
Sunday, 20 February 2011
FA Cup 4th Round
Five-star City crush County
Vieira strikes twice to set up Villa clash
Manchester City produced an impressive performance to overcome Notts County 5-0 at Eastlands and advance to a fifth-round FA Cup meeting with Aston Villa.
Notts County showed they could compete with City in the original tie at Meadow Lane, which finished 1-1, and they started well in the replay with Karl Hawley's wonderful curling effort hitting the inside of the post.However, City started to take control as the first half progressed and broke the deadlock on 37 minutes when Patrick Vieira headed in at the near post from David Silva's corner.
Vieira headed in from another corner just before the hour mark to double City's advantage and the resistance from County fell away in the closing stages.
Carlos Tevez came off the substitutes' bench to score a classy third in the 84th minute and then set up Edin Dzeko to make it 4-0.
Micah Richards completed the rout in stoppage time to bring County's run in the competition to an end and keep City dreams alive.
Micah Richards
Richards happy at City
Micah Richards insists he is happy to stay at Manchester City following a recent chat about his situation with manager Roberto Mancini.
The right-back has been in and out of the City team this season and was reportedly the subject of enquiries from Liverpool and Juventus in the January transfer window.Aston Villa and Chelsea were also rumoured to be interested in the 22-year-old, who has forced his way back into the City side in recent weeks.
Richards revealed he discussed his situation with Macini and is now feeling confident about his future at Eastlands.
Confidence
"I initiated the contact with Mancini," said Richards in The People. "I'd had a back injury and then I was on the bench for three games. I wasn't happy because I was fit, so I went to see him."I asked him what was going on because I think I've been doing the business this season. He told me to bide my time and then take my chance.
"Mancini makes it easy for you to speak to him. He has a tough side to him but, deep down, he is a soft guy. The chat only lasted about 15 minutes but I'm pleased with how it went.
"Getting a place in the side is tough but Mancini told me that if I concentrated more I could be a top defender and even a world-class defender.
"When a top manager says that, you have to start believing it. I do believe it because when I'm on top of my game I can match anyone.
"When a top manager says that, you have to start believing it. I do believe it because when I'm on top of my game I can match anyone.
"It's about maintaining your confidence. Some of the times I was on the bench were because I was injured but other times it was down to personnel.
"It was frustrating and that's why I went to see the manager. I want to stay here, of course. There were a couple of links with Chelsea and Aston Villa but I have not heard anything myself.
"I am happy as long as I'm in the team at City but if I'm not playing then I would rather go somewhere else and play."
Saturday, 19 February 2011
David Silva
David's feeling cold
Atletico Madrid are planning a shock summer move for Manchester City's homesick winger David Silva.
After taking a few weeks to adapt to life in the Premier League, Silva has been one of City’s best players this season but is struggling with life in England, particularly the weather.
Silva comes from Gran Canaria — where the average winter temperature is 23 degrees Celsius — and wanted to stay in Spain when he left Valencia in the summer but City were the only club prepared to pay the £24million asking price.
Silva’s struggle to adapt to life in Manchester has alerted Atletico, who wanted to sign him last season and they have already held talks with his agent Julio Llorente.
Atletico are aware that even if City could be persuaded to sell one of the best assets they would want to at least recuperate the money they paid for the 25-year-old but they are willing to negotiate and offer players in part exchange.
City will be hoping Silva changes his mind about life in England, especially following last weekend’s super display in the Manchester derby at Old Trafford, in which he scored City’s goal in a 2-1 defeat.
Atletico Madrid are planning a shock summer move for Manchester City's homesick winger David Silva.
After taking a few weeks to adapt to life in the Premier League, Silva has been one of City’s best players this season but is struggling with life in England, particularly the weather.
Homeward bound: Atletico Madrid are planning a summer move for homesick Manchester City winger David Silva
Silva’s struggle to adapt to life in Manchester has alerted Atletico, who wanted to sign him last season and they have already held talks with his agent Julio Llorente.
Pain game: Silva has struggled to settle at City since his £24million arrival from Valencia at the start of the season
City will be hoping Silva changes his mind about life in England, especially following last weekend’s super display in the Manchester derby at Old Trafford, in which he scored City’s goal in a 2-1 defeat.
Manchester City v Notts County - Injury Issues
Ankle Injury - Nigel de Jong
Assistant-manager Brian Kidd revealed Nigel de Jong is battling to overcome an ankle injury, whilst James Milner has a hamstring problem.
However, Mario Balotelli is fit and a typically industrious performance is expected from Shaun Wright-Phillips, even though it seems increasingly likely his future lies away from Eastlands.
"There is not a problem with Shaun," said Kidd.
"He has a really good mentality and is going to be a very important part of our squad from now until the end of the season.
"It is the same with Mario. With matches every three or four days, it is fantastic to have him back.
Friday, 18 February 2011
Edin Dzeko
MORE TO COME: Edin Dzeko The big Bosnian striker’s former manager Steve McClaren believes the Blues have done good business in buying a man he worked with at Wolfsburg earlier this season.
And he says that, compared to Liverpool’s £35million fee for Andy Carroll, Dzeko will turn out to be a snip.
McClaren said: “I think that Edin, once he learns to settle in England and adapts to the English system, will be a major force.
“He has all the attributes to be a hit in England. He is very good technically and has very good feet. In some ways he reminds me of a taller Mark Viduka. Mark was so brilliant in the box and for such a big guy he had amazing technical skills.
“Edin is very much the same. But given that Edin is a lot taller, I reckon his physical presence will be a lot more telling in the Premier League.
“City have got an excellent bargain in Edin. People might say it was £27million but look at the facts. Just a couple of weeks later Andy Carroll went for £35million so maybe it wasn’t such bad business after all.”
The jury is still out among City fans on Dzeko, who has scored once in seven games – the equaliser which has set up City’s FA Cup fourth round replay against Notts County on Sunday.
But McClaren urged them, and manager Roberto Mancini, to be patient with the 6ft 3in hit-man. After Dzeko drew a blank in his Europa League debut against Aris Salonika in midweek, Mancini suggested he would have to adapt more quickly to life at City.
But McClaren feels that is a tough ask, and it may be next season before Dzeko begins to show his paces.
The former England boss said: “They have got so many good strikers at Manchester City that of course it will take him time to bed in, but I think that he is a player that will be really suited to the Premier League.
“You do have to remember that sometimes not all of them settle in automatically. I think maybe – and I hope for Roberto’s sake that it will be this season – that it may be that you see the best of Edin next season.”
Aris Cock Up
The expanded squad The bulk of the programmes were withdrawn when the error was realised - it appears the programme designers had downloaded the spoof image from the internet without checking it through.
"I haven't seen it but it was very good," said Kidd at Friday morning's press conference.
"It is just a bit of fun. You have to laugh at yourself don't you?"
Thursday, 17 February 2011
Balotelli turns up the heat.
Mario Balotell in action against Aris Salonika
And he is now in strong contention for a place in Roberto Mancini’s team in the FA Cup fourth round replay against Notts County at Eastlands.
And that piles the pressure on Blues’ new boy Edin Dzeko who has been finding it hard to adapt to his new environment and the pace of the English game.
Mancini warned Dzeko after he drew a fifth blank in six appearances in Greece that he has to find his feet quickly at City, with an important three months looming.
Dzeko’s only goal so far was the late equaliser at Meadow Lane which set up Sunday’s replay.
But Balotelli stepped up his rehabilitation from a knee injury with a surprise appearance as a substitute in Salonika and looked lively.
By contrast to Dzeko, Balotelli has made quite an impact – both good and bad – in his seven months at the club.
Two lengthy spells out injured, one red card, four yellows, a car smash, some dubious headwear and a training-ground tussle with his pal Jerome Boateng have meant he has rarely been out of the spotlight.
But Balotelli has also bagged eight goals in 11 appearances, without appearing to get out of second gear.
With 20-goal Carlos Tevez the undoubted kingpin of the City attack, a fully fit Balotelli is already ahead of Dzeko in the pecking order.
He has fitted seamlessly into the left side of City’s attacking formation alongside Tevez, whereas accommodating Dzeko has been more problematic.
The big Bosnian is better suited to be the spearhead of the attack, but that is also Tevez’s most effective role, so Mancini has been wrestling with ways of getting the best our of both men in the same team.
Balotelli recovery
Balotelli damaged the meniscus in his right knee on his debut in Timisoara in August and was out for over two months following surgery.
After a hectic spell of 10 appearances, punctuated by a three-match ban for his red card at West Brom, he suffered internal bleeding on the troublesome knee after scoring a hat-trick in the 4-0 demolition of Aston Villa on December 28.
After fears he may need further surgery subsided, he was sent to Vermont for a fortnight to work under the gaze of world-renowned knee specialist Bill Knowles, the man who got Tiger Woods’ golf career back on track after cruciate ligament damage.
Knowles then came to Carrington to assess Balotelli and set him a careful programme of rehabilitation.
Balotelli was not expected to play in Salonika but had progressed so well that he was able to grab a valuable 15 minutes.
First team coach David Platt said: “In his programme he was always going to get a week’s training under his belt. He came back early last week and started to train on the training pitch.
“We looked at it the other night and thought we should put him on the substitutes’ bench and if we could give him 15 minutes we would do so. That is what he got, but as part of his rehab programme. He is now back in his rehab programme and is in full-time training.
He has done ever so well and that is why he was on the bench.
“By the time the weekend comes, he will have another week of training under his belt and will be available for selection if the manager picks him.”
City got the job done with a minimum of fuss on Tuesday night and are big favourites to secure a place in the round of 16 in next Thursday’s second leg.
Some City fans were underwhelmed by the team’s performance, especially in light of Tottenham’s 1-0 win over AC Milan in the San Siro later the same night.
But Platt said that sometimes in European ties it is about emerging unscathed and making sure that the odds are in your favour going into the return leg, and City have done that.
“I can’t say they ever really troubled us apart from a couple of free kicks where you start to get worried, but Joe Hart dealt with them comfortably,” he said.
“In the cold light of day people will look back at the game and say we were red-hot favourites, as we play in the Premier League and they are mid-table in their league.
“But I have been involved on nights like this before and the gaffer has been involved in a lot more of them, and you make sure you go back as the favourites in the second leg.
“We are the favourites, but we have not got that away goal, so they could come to our place and throw one in from 35 yards.
“It’s not over yet but I would say we are the happier side going back home.”
Platt also felt that Aris’s proud record of not losing a home game in Europe for 42 years – a run of 26 matches – also played a part.
“We were surprised when we heard that because it’s one hell of a record, and they have carried it on against us,” he said.
“But I don’t think we were going to be in difficulty unless we put ourselves in difficulty, and the pleasing thing is that we have come away with a good European performance.
“I don’t think we ever felt that we wouldn’t be the team to unblock the game.”
Wednesday, 16 February 2011
UEFA investigate Greek lasers
UEFA are today investigating after City players complained lasers were shone into their eyes during the Europa League 0-0 draw with Aris Salonika.
Blues boss Roberto Mancini confirmed his team had been targeted by the lights, shone from small laser pens and which can cause temporary blindness and disorientation.
Edin Dzeko and Aleks Kolarov were the two Blues who complained about seeing the lasers. City officials are playing down the incident, Mancini describing it as “typical”, but Uefa are aware of the problem.
City took on a hostile atmosphere as well as Aris’s 42-year unbeaten home record in Europe.
And Shaun Wright-Phillips called on the Blues fans to give Aris a similarly loud reception when they go to Eastlands for the second leg a week tomorrow.
“A lot of their unbeaten run is down to the crowd, which is always behind their team no matter what,” he said. “But now they have to come back to our place and our fans will do pretty much the same thing,
“For the size of the crowd, they create a great atmosphere. We had to block out the noise – we knew there would be whistling and jeering, so we just had to concentrate on what we had to do.”
The Greeks are notoriously bad travellers but Aris helped to knock out Europa League holders Atletico Madrid in the group stage by winning in Spain.
“We could have snatched a result but we will take the draw at the minute,” said Wright-Phillips. “The second leg isn’t a formality because they are a good team and like to play on the break.
“We have to concentrate on Notts County now and then take that next step when we get closer to next Thursday.
“We know how well they defend and how well they break – we have to have our wits about us and that is why we know it won’t be a formality.”
Tuesday, 15 February 2011
Roberto Mancini out to storm Aris Salonika fortress
Roberto Mancini has challenged his shell-shocked Manchester City troops to bounce back from derby defeat by storming “Fortress Aris”.
The Blues take on Greek side Aris Salonika tonight and need a good result ahead of the second leg at Eastlands next Thursday.
But the Greeks have the proud boast that they have not lost at home in European competition for 42 years, and City will face a fiercely partisan crowd in the Kleanthis Vikelidis Stadium.
Aris beat holders Atletico Madrid home and away in the group stages of the competition, and also drew with Bayer Leverkusen to maintain their tremendous home record. They also refused to capitulate to top clubs such as Benfica and St Etienne in the 1970s.
But Mancini, asked if City could be the team to end their 25-match run, said simply: “There is a first time for everything.”
Mancini expressed concerns after the 2-1 defeat at United on Saturday that the nature of the loss might knock some of the stuffing out of his team.
Knowing they had played well and still lost to a freak goal was a bitter pill to swallow.
But having seen his players in training at Carrington yesterday morning, he feels happy they will show their character.
“I don’t think we have a problem to bounce back, but when you play against United and play well away in a game you deserve to win, and you lose, then it’s tough. So it’s important we make sure we win our next game,” he said.
Mancini sprang a surprise by including Michael Johnson in his 20-man tour party but he emphasised that Johnson is not yet ready to play, as he has still not completed a game for the reserves.
He also included Mario Balotelli, even though he feels he will not be fit to even occupy a place on the bench until Sunday’s FA Cup replay against Notts County.
James Milner is the only notable absentee, out with the hamstring injury he picked up against United.
But Mancini refused to point fingers at Fabio Capello and England after Milner played a full 90 minutes for his country less than 72 hours before the derby.
“I think James can play one game every day – he likes to run!” said Mancini. “I don’t think he was injured because he played 90 minutes for England. We have played a lot of games in these last few weeks and he has a hamstring injury.
“We have 16 players and have brought Michael with us but he is not ready, even after a few games for the reserves. Mario is also with us but he is not 100 per cent.”
With his squad depleted, Mancini has taken all his big guns, and with the possibility of resting one or two against League One opposition in the FA Cup, he is expected to field a strong side.
“We have had three days to prepare for this game, and we know it will be a very difficult game because Aris have already beaten Atletico, and made it difficult for Leverkusen.
“I know they changed their manager three weeks ago, from Hector Cuper. They have a different manager but I think they play well as a team.”
Shaun Wright-Phillips is expected to start after his bright display as a substitute against United.
And Mancini said he fully understood why the wide man had put in a transfer request.
“Shaun will be an option against Aris because against United he played well when he came on,” said Mancini. “It is important Shaun can play because he is our only winger at the moment.
“I spoke with him as he wanted to leave because he wanted to play – this is normal for a player. But he knows Manchester City well and now it’s important he gives 100 per cent when he plays.”
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