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.