Ranieri resigns from Parma

From BBC Sport:

Claudio Ranieri has resigned as manager of Italian Serie A
side Parma.
The former Chelsea manager is expected to eventually take over
at Manchester City, who sacked Stuart Pearce at the end of the season.
The
56-year-old Italian took over the struggling Parma side in February and guided
them to safety, with a 12th-place finish.
His impressive stint has
reportedly convinced the City board he is the man to take over from Pearce.
A statement from Parma said: "Claudio Ranieri has informed the club of his
intention to leave his role as first-team coach.
"The club would like to
thank him for the precious work he carried out, which resulted in keeping Parma
in Serie A. We wish him success for the future."

What has been interesting in developments over the past day or so is the words that have come from the Ranieri camp - whilst never attributable to him directly, almost certainly done so with his consent:

"The Manchester City challenge reminds me of the
experience I had at Chelsea where without spending £1, we built a good team.
"I created the Chelsea miracle from nothing. My achievement convinced Roman
Abramovich to buy the club. Then, mountains of money came as well as a selection
of top players."

You do tend to forget that in the age of Mourinho and Abramovich, it was Ranieri who brought the likes of Cech, Cole, Lampard and Gudjohnsen to the club, whilst bringing through a young John Terry.

It seems a foregone conclusion that barring a miracle (we are talking about City here) things will be progressed along over the next week, and it is hoped that Ranieri will already be assessing the current squad with a view to reinforcing it shortly after his arrival.

Help wanted

I (along with some of the other City blogs) was contacted by a Robin, who is a student at Brighton University and is writing a dissertation on fans views of German footballers in the Premiership (and leagues preceeding it).


Robin sent me the following email outling a request from all City fans who would be interested:



From : German Footballer
Sent : 30 May 2007 09:11:28
To : bitterandblue@hotmail.co.uk
Subject : Rösler and Trautmann

Dear ManCity Fans,


I am a postgraduate student at the University of Brighton and my MA-dissertation is concerned with fan views on German players in English professional football. At the centre of my research are five players including ManCity's Uwe Rösler (1994-1998) and, of course, Bert Trautmann.


It is vital for my thesis to know especially fom the fan's perspective how and why Rösler became a cult figure in Manchester. I found some stuff about Trautmann, but I could not figure out why, when and how Rösler became a City hero. As you maybe remember, he came to the club in March 1994 on loan from Dynamo Dresden.


At the beginning of the next season he got a proper contract and was already very popular. Fans created an own song for him which ended at the end of the year in the creation of a special t-shirt saying "Uwe's granddad bombed Old Trafford". I really need to find out how his relationship with ManCity fans started, whether you loved him straight away (maybe because of your positive experience with Trautmann) or because of any special thing that happened.


Would be great if you could help in any way (fan contacts, books, articles, your own experience). If you know people who might be able to tell me their view, please ask them to write to this email address. Anyone who answers should, if possible, tell his name, hisage, for how long he has been a City supporter and how he follows the team (TV, internet, newspaper, stadium) so that I get an idea of his involvement with the club. I am really desperate and I would appreciate it very much if you could assist me with this problem. Maybe you could post it on your fan-site?


Thank you in advance and best regards,Robin.


I believe that Robin has had a decent response so far from City fans, so if any of you are interested please drop him a line.

Confusion reigns with Ranieri 'announcement'

Another day, another angle.

A day after Claudio Ranieri was believed to be leaning towards a stay in Serie A with Parma, and amidst stories that the Shinawatra deal was on the verge of collapse, comes reports that Ranieri has agreed to take the vacant City job once the takeover by Shinawatra is completed.

Sky Sports were first to report this earlier this evening and there hasn't been much follow-up from other news outlets (or the club) in actually confirming the story as legitimate.

This of course all comes after the afternoon news that Ray Ranson had withdrawn his offer - but may re-enter the race should Shinawatra make a formal bid, which on the back of the Ranieri reports (if true) seems to be the end of any hopes that Ranson has of gaining control of the club.

If Ranieri has agreed to take the job, he must have almost certainly been tipped off that the takeover will be completed in the not too distant future, given that by doing this he appears to be severing his relationship with Parma.

Hopefully, the next week will draw a line under all of this and we can finally have new owners and a new manager in place, and get on with the important business of trying to put together a side for next season - something that is imperative given the lack of international football this summer is leading to sides bolstering their squads even at this early stage.

View From The Away End feature

As from time to time as they are inclined to do, Newcastle United blog Black and White and Read All Over have published another 'View from the away end' feature and I was asked to add my two cents to how I thought their season had panned out.

The results (along with the other contributions) can be found here.

Bookies unsure as Ranieri's hints at Parma stay

So from Claudio Ranieri being a racing cert to be named the next manager following the end of the Italian season - which he guided Parma from the relegation zone to safety, his odds have lengthened in the wake of his comments which hint at a desire to remain with the Serie A side.


Ranieri has said, "I would like to remain at Parma it is a healthy club, led by people who love football. But my future has yet to be decided."


The bookies have shuffled the favourites around quite a bit on this one, as with several managers not in work augmented by those who have become available since the end of the season it is making for a lengthy list of available candidates - yet what is unknown is exactly who wants the job, and who is being considered for it.


For more on football (and all sports) betting visit BetUs.com.

Under-18's win Spanish tournament

From mcfc.co.uk:

City's Under 18 side have rounded off the season in fine
style, winning the Javea tournament in Spain over the weekend.
The Academy
team demolished the host side CD Javea 5-0, with two goals coming from David
Ball and the rest coming from Adam Clayton, Ben Morris and Ryan
McGivern.
This comprehensive win saw City move into the final of the
round-robin competition where they faced Villareal, themselves renowned in Spain
for an excellent youth system. A solitary goal from Scott Kay was enough for
City to take the title for the secind year in a row, having beaten Valencia when
the competition was staged there this time last year.

Bitter and Blue end of season awards

Ladies and gentleman, the results are in. Here is the second annual Bitter and Blue end of season awards....As a reminder, last seasons results can be found here.


Bitter and Blue player of the season:


Not too many candidates for this award in what was in truth a mediocre season for most players. Players such as Weaver, Distin and Mpenza played well in spells but the winner really came from one of two players.

It was close, but whilst Joey Barton may have played at a higher level at certain times of the season, overall Richard Dunne has been far and away the most consistent performer this campaign.


Winner : Richard Dunne (last year David James)


Bitter and Blue readers player of the season:


A couple of votes came in for Nicky Weaver and Emile Mpenza, but this was a fairly straightforward choice as by far and away the concensus pick from you guys was for Richard Dunne.

Winner : Richard Dunne (last year Richard Dunne/David James tie)


Breakthrough player of the season:

Without the Academy players coming through into the first team squad over the past couple seasons the club would be in even more of a depressing state than we see at the end of this season. There is genuine hope that a nucleus of a decent side could be built around the Academy graduates and this year saw another one come through in the form of Michael Johnson.

Winner : Michael Johnson (last year Micah Richards)

Overachiever of the season:


Emile Mpenza was a strong candidate here as his impact on a team desperately short of goals cannot be underestimated as he played a large part in helping us to safety, but having spent the best part of three seasons out injured perhaps just to get back playing was achievement enought but Nicky Weaver must have thought he was back when David James left - only to see Andreas Isaksson signed. He started the season between the sticks though and performed well enough to retain his place until the last part of the season - a feat not many expected him to do.


Winner : Nicky Weaver (last year Andrew Cole)


Underachiever of the season:

A rather large shortlist for this category (unfortunately) and indicative of the season we have had. Goalkeepers and defenders are probably expempt in this though as they generally been the reason we have avoided relegation.

The strongest contenders though must all come from the striking ranks and you could really stick a pin in and not argue with the outcome. However, due to the fact that for large parts of the season they were played out wide on the left and expected to do a job they are not comfortable with I'm going to pass on Vassell and Samaras and choose Bernardo Corradi, who could and should have provided so much more than he has done.

Winner : Bernardo Corradi (last year Danny Mills)

Performance of the season:


It's definitely not the most enjoyable thing looking back over this season that's for sure, and really strong performances were few and far between.

Rarely did we put a run together throughout the season where we built both confidence and momentum, and when we did what was surprising was that we managed to do this away from home - which was long a problem area for us.

Late in the season, when the threat of relegation was still very real, we put back to back wins away in the North-East to hoist ourselves away from the bottom three. Whilst the Newcastle win was an important one, the Middlesbrough win built on that (and laid the foundations for the win at Fulham) and I think the strongest one given our record against them.


Goal of the season:

Due to our lack of potency in front of goal, obvious candidates do not particularly jump out you here - in fact, the way we went at home we could barely muster a top ten. One player who did struggle for goals as much as anyone was Giorgios Samaras - but as frustrating as he can be he is perhaps the one player who is capable of scoring a goal worthy of a 'best of category'.

Winner : Giorgios Samaras West Ham home (last year Danny Mills Everton at home)

Incident of the season:

How do you pick one out of this? On the shortlist we have Thatchers challenge on Mendes, multiple entries from Joey Barton (Arse-gate, his post-match outburst and his assault on Ousmane Dabo), Richard Dunne's pre-Blackburn attack, takeover stories and the sacking of our manager.

As strong as Barton's entries have been - and really all could have been winners, the sacking of Stuart Pearce is certainly the biggest story of the season, containing plenty of stories, rumours and theories for all.

Winner : The Stuart Pearce sacking (last year Joey Barton transfer request)

2006/07 season review March-May

March

The month started with me musing over the potential number of points required for survival, something which became prevalent as defeat at home to Wigan pushed Pearce on the brink of the sack.

Kenny Jackett was brought in to the backroom staff, sparking rumours in some quarters that he was lined up to replace Pearce.

The Supporters Trust held their open meeting, and Wembley dreams were shattered as a spiritless display saw us crash at Blackburn. The performance at home to Chelsea was better, but still ended with no points and no goals.

Light at the end of the tunnel though as a rare win over Middlesbrough eased relegation fears.


April

Back to back wins in the North-East were completed at St.James Park to leave us fairly comfortable above relegation and this was reinforced with a point at home to Charlton but a win at Craven Cottage all-but ensured Premiership football next season.

Brian Horton and Paul Walsh were spotted out and about in Didsbury and Sylvain Distin announced he would stay at the club if they matched his ambition.

Another 0-0 was experienced at home to Liverpool and we were defeated on our first appearance at The Emirates.

The 1-1 draw at Watford was overshadowed by Joey Barton's outburst and the takeover talk heated up again.

Former manager Alan Ball passed away, and rumours abounded that Sam Allardyce was to be our next manager as he resigned from Bolton.


May

Joey Barton's City career was thrown in doubt after his training ground attack on Ousmane Dabo, occuring only days before the Derby - which saw a 1-0 defeat and a missed Darius Vassell penalty and Michael Ball banned for his stamp on Cristiano Ronaldo.


Trevor Sinclair and Stephen Jordan were released, and it looked like Thaksin Shinawatra was the man to take over the club. A defeat at Tottenham on the final day signalled the end of Stuart Pearce's reign and brought the curtain down on the 2006/07 season.....

2006/07 season review December-February

December

The month began with a 0-0 home draw against Watford on Sky - the only positive memory of that evening being the German market in town prior to the game.

Ahead of the AGM, the board announced that they were in talks with potential new investors. The first derby of the season saw us crash 3-1 at Old Trafford, followed by defeat on my birthday at home to Tottenham.

Bitter and Blue ran its 'half-term report', before City delivered a less than welcome Christmas present with a 2-0 home defeat by Bolton - with Nicolas Anelka delivering the blow.

The year ended more positively though with a Boxing Day victory at Bramhall Lane.


January

Back to back wins signalled the start of 2007 as we took maximum points against West Ham and Everton, before a 1-1 draw at Hillsborough forced a replay in which we triumphed.

A 0-0 draw at Bolton followed, and we took Francesco Coco on trial - which ended all too abruptly and subsequently saw us sign Michael Ball.

A woeful 3-0 home defeat by Blackburn then saw Stuart Pearce linked with the England under-21 job, but we rebounded by beating Southampton in round 4 of the FA Cup.


February

Another home defeat - this time to Reading then saw Pedro Mendes again in the wars against City.
To solve the goalscoring woes, Stuart Pearce turned to Emile Mpenza - the Belgian striker exiled out in Qatar.
A win at Deepdale saw the Wembley banners being dusted off, but there was a blow as Tim Flowers and Frankie Bunn joined Coventry as part of Ian Dowies regime, and the club announced a £7 million loss.

Sven in u-turn on City job?

"City is a big, big club with unbelievable support. It would
be an honour for me to be manager, like it would be for all other managers.
Every time I visited the club as England coach I was struck by the passion of
the fans and was made to feel welcome and at home by nice people. "They have a
beautiful stadium and the possibility of a new owner and of course I would talk
to them if they indicate they are interested in me becoming coach.Established
"City is an established Premiership club with great potential and I know they
have ambitions to be challenging higher up the table."

-Sven-Goran Eriksson.

This coming less than a week after he appeared to 'snub' the club by saying he wanted to get back into club management but it wouldn't be at City - something the press were all too happy to jump all over, and now it seems he is keen after all.

Why the change of heart? Either he was 'misquoted' as he claims in the Inside Story programme or if his original option of club management has now fallen through. It's hard not to be sceptical I guess as to Eriksson motives, but for me if he was available he would be the choice for me.

His record in club management is an excellent one, enjoying success wherever he has been (in Sweden, Portugal and Italy) and his England record stands comparison with other managers. The press never warmed to him not being an Englishman and the country were under some sort of delusion that the England time he had were actually capable of winning tournaments rather than an over-hyped set of players who at best were a quarter-final side.

The one concern I would have is that he has been out of club management for some time, and there is the worry that the game has moved on, but it isn't as though he has been out of football entirely and with his name and money available he would be able to attract players of the calibre that other candidates would not.

This is clearly a huge appointment that the club is going to make, and whoever it is, it needs to be a high profile manager with a succesful track record in terms of results and in the transfer market.

That criteria alone should see many of the names linked with us scratched off the list.

Shinawatra takeover 'going smoothly'

From reutuers:

Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra hopes to
complete a takeover of English Premier League soccer club Manchester City in
early June, his spokesman said on Friday.
"Everything is going smoothly,"
Thaksin's lawyer Noppadon Pattama told Reuters. "We hope the deal will be
formally concluded by early June."
Thaksin, who has not returned to Thailand
since being ousted in a bloodless coup in September, made an indicative proposal
to Manchester City earlier this month but no further details have been released
since.
But Noppadon said a formal tender had been made and the deal could be
wrapped up as early as June 2.
But he still declined to confirm the size of
the takeover, which a leading Thai newspaper put at 100 million pounds.

There has been plenty of concern about the length of time the deal is taking, leading to some speculation that the proposed deal may have even fallen through. A difficulty is that there is little in the way that the club can be publicly comment on whilst any takeover is in process - which invariably leads to speculation and rumour.

Early June was always the likely timescale that a Shinawatra deal and if the words from his lawyer are to be taken at face value then it seems the deal is on course to be completed.

Distin departs for fresh challenge

With the recent takeover news and dismissal of Stuart Pearce, the issue of Sylvain Distin has fallen somewhat on the City radar of late but was thrust back in the spotlight today as an announcement (without any real rumour or leaked speculation beforehand) this morning confirmed his departure from the club after five seasons.

Distin himself confirmed:

"It has been an incredibly tough decision but in the
end, I just feel I want a fresh challenge.
"I have had five very enjoyable
years at City and I wish the club all the best for the future but I want to play
somewhere different.
"It is time for a change and it is time for me to move
on."

The club defended itself and its negotiations however, saying:

“We left no stone unturned to try and persuade him that
his future lay with us. We recently explored a new option that would have
allowed Sylvain to leave in this transfer window or the next one on a free
transfer if he was not happy with the on-field progress we were making.
“This offer would have given Sylvain the maximum flexibility to consider his
future over the next few months.
“However Sylvain made it clear that he felt
his ambitions could be better delivered elsewhere.
“He was a fantastic player
for this football club and I am sure that all supporters would join me in
thanking him for his efforts over the last five years.”

It was an interesting point that the club would have allowed him a free transfer in January if he signed a new deal, and was subsequently not happy at the club - something I'm not aware of a club offering previously.

This is something I thought he may have taken, given the recent changes in manager and likely takeover resulting in potentially significant investment in the side - which could have matched Distin's own ambitions.

Did the club do everything possible to convince him to stay? On a financial scale I would say yes, and the add-in of an 'escape clause' probably backs that up also but it is the way the club has gone and been run over the past two seasons in particular that I think have led to Distin's departure as I think it probably was a case of now or never for Distin who, at aged 29, is potentially entering his last chance of success at club and international level.

Time and again he must have sratched his head as he was continually overlooked for France by the likes of Silvestre and Boumsong. Perhaps a different club or European football may have resulted in a different outcome.

I don't think there will be any bad will towards Distin from the fans as at no time has he conspired to mislead anyone with his negotiations, always being honest and seemingly not concerned with the biggest monetary offer out there (hence him turning down Middlesbrough last summer). He is believed to have turned down a record contract offer from the club to test the market.

Rumours of potential destinations seem to point towards Portsmouth - something that I would be disappointed at as I believe he could aim for far higher than that, both in this country or abroad and deserves to be playing on a bigger stage.

As for ourselves, it is obviously a blow, both in terms of having to replace him but also the potential impact it may have on any signings that are lined up. For me, Distin has been up there with Dunne as the most consistent (and best) player each season and their partnership has flourished into one of the leagues best. The skills that he brought to the position were probably unparallelled with anyone since the days of Keith Curle.

We do however have two excellent players in Onouha and Richards who may just be ready to step up to a bigger challenge, and the central position will suit Onouha better than full-back. What we will need is some experienced cover to challenge for the position and also replace Distin's knowledge at the position - I see Sami Hypiia has been linked with us the past couple of days.

Above all though, it will mean that before strengthening the squad from last season (something desperately needed) we will need to replace Distin (not to mention Barton) just to get to the stage where we finished up

2006/07 season review August-November

I'm not sure whether raking over the season is going to do me, or any of you any good, but here is part 1 of a three part post this week with a run down at the games and events of the 2006/07 season - linking into some of the posts that featured on Bitter and Blue over the season.


August

Not a good start to the season as a 3-0 defeat away at champions Chelsea was followed by an uninspiring 0-0 home draw against Portsmouth, a game which was overshadowed by Ben Thatcher's challenge on Pedro Mendes which saw him banned by the club and charged by the FA.

The month ended with a fine 1-0 win over Arsenal, and the end of the transfer deadline saw DeMarcus Beasley arrive but Andrew Cole and Antoine Sibierski depart.


September

Andrew Cole and Stuart Pearce were less than complimentary to each other following his move to Portsmouth and a toothless attack saw us fall 1-0 at Reading.

Ben Thatcher saw his ban extended by the FA, whilst I mused over where the goals would come from this season.

A 4-2 defeat at Blackburn was followed by a Carling Cup exit at Chesterfield to put the pressure on Stuart Pearce - which was lifted a little following a 2-0 victory at home to West Ham.

Off the pitch, the end of September saw the MCFC Supporters Trust announce their mission statement.


October

A 1-1 draw at Everton was clouded by Joey Bartons 'bum rap', and the CoMS was awarded the 2008 UEFA Cup Final - sparking hopes that we would make an appearance.

A 0-0 home draw (another one?) against Sheffield United was a welcome point compared to the next inept performance - a 4-0 hammering at Wigan (which saw the debut of Michael Johnson). It was a game which sparked a debate on ticket pricing and led to John Wardle publicly commenting on the teams performance.

Injuries were beginning to tell on the side, but the month ended on a positive note as the pressure was eased with a 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough.

October also saw Bitter and Blue nominated in the inaugral Manchester Blog Awards.


November

A game billed as a relegation battle saw us defeated at an Ian Dowie led Charlton, whilst Nicky Weaver's return to fitness and form saw his contract talks come under the spotlight.

Another 0-0 draw at home to Newcastle saw us bid for a new consecutive clean sheet record.

Micah Richards made his England debut and former-Blue Uwe Rosler was sacked by Lillestrom.

A pair of 3-1 victories (against Fulham and Villa) was sandwiched by a 1-0 defeat at Anfield against Liverpool, and Antoine Sibierski hit out at Stuart Pearce following his early success at Newcastle.

Rumours of a Shaun Wright-Phillips return started to surface as the January window began to appear on the horizon.

Trio in international call-up

From mcfc.co.uk:

Three of City’s younger players are heading for Spain
in a bid to secure a place in the England squad for this summer’s Under 21
European Championships.
Nedum Onuoha, Joe Hart and Michael Johnson are in
the provisional squad of 30 players who jetted off to Valencia on Monday for a
five-day training camp. That number will be whittled down to 23 next week, but
all three will have high hopes of making it to the finals in Holland after a
busy few weeks at the end of the domestic season.

2006/07 season - Player reviews

I originally intended to post up some of the season review stuff last week but with the Pearce sacking and the takeover news things got sidetracked a little.


Looking back over the season, not too many players can come out with a great deal of credit but here is a rundown of how Bitter and Blue thought the players fared over the course of the 2006/07 season:


Nicky Weaver
Finally recovered from his injury nightmare and got the nod at the start of the season and was solid enough. Surprisingly lost his place towards the end of the season though and is now out of contract.

Andreas Isaksson
Began to make noises when he could not dislodge Weaver from the side but has proved his worth since becoming the first choice and looks to have a good grip on the number 1 shirt now and is a better option than Weaver.

Joe Hart
Made a solitary appearance this season and looks to have a slight edge ahead of rival Kaspar Schmeichel in the pecking order. Spent time on loan at Tranmere and Blackpool and will be looking to push Weaver hard for the back-up spot.

Micah Richards
Still only eighteen years of age and probably could have done with a rest at some stage before his injury towards the end of the season. Only his first full-season yet is also established in the England set-up. A dominant player at the back and provided vital support in attack.

Danny Mills
Only seems to surface now when delivering an opinion on outgoing managers. Popped up on loan at Hull and the BBC commentary box and has no real future at the club. How long until his contract is up?

Nedum Onouha
Suffered again with injuries this season but when he had a long run in the team he reminded everyone of his quality. Clearly more comfortable in the centre than at right-back and he may help soften the blow should Distin leave.

Sylvain Distin
Another excellent season and his partnership with Dunne is up there with the best in the league. Strong, quick and a good distributor - will be sorely missed if he leaves but the new ownership/management have a lot of work to do to convince him to stay.

Richard Dunne
On the pitch for every minute of every game and is vital to the side. Again (and deservedly) won the supporters player of the year. Captain who leads by example and an under-rated player who does not get the league-wide credit he deserves.

Matt Mills
Just made a couple of appearances this season and spent time out on loan at Colchester. Didn't overly impress and faces a battle next season to establish himself in the reckoning for a first-team spot.

Ben Thatcher
A season now remembered for his infamous challenge on Pedro Mendes. Was solid enough during the season but was in, out, then back in favour with Pearce and then out of the blue sold to Charlton during the January transfer window.

Michael Ball
Was brought in on a short-term contract during the season following the sale of Thatcher and immediately looked a better option. Offers an option going forward and his performances earned him a new contract shortly before Pearce's sacking.

Stephen Jordan
Looked to have stolen a march on Thatcher at the start of the season but his performances and form slipped so badly that he lost his place when Thatcher returned from suspension. Never really kicked on or progressed as hoped and was released at the end of the season.

Joey Barton
His off the pitch antics have clouded what was an impressive season ON the pitch for a player who had his best season and saw him make his England debut. Unless there is a change of tact it does seem he is on his way out this summer in a move that will see everyone lose out.

Didi Hamman
Showed in patches that he does still have quality but another who spent too long in the treatment room and struggled to put a consistent run together all season. Difficult to see him being a viable long-term option in the midfield.

Claudio Reyna
His largely unfulfilled City career came to an end in January as he moved back to the USA. Again struggled through injury for part of the season and he was in and out of the side when fit but never really impressed when he got his chance.

Ousmane Dabo
Whatever happens in his City career, he will now forever be remember for being on the receiving end of a beating from Joey Barton. Never really got into his stride this season but fit in well in the holding midfield position when Pearce opted for the 3-5-2.

Trevor Sinclair
Another injury wrecked season and we never saw the best of him during his time at the club thanks to ongoing injuries. Released at the end of the season and unlikely that he will pick up another Premiership deal.

Michael Johnson
Looks a real talent. Was thought of highly by the Academy and made his debut in the 4-0 defeat at Wigan. Recovered to force his way into the side in the latter part of the season and appears to be set to stay in the set-up.



Sun Jihai
Again, another who missed a large part of the season through injury but was back in the side at the end of the season. His versatility is an asset to the squad, but is probably detrimental to him as he struggles to get a consistent run in any one position. Filled in well enough on the right side of midfield at the end of the season.

Hatem Trabelsi
Promised a lot at the start of the season and looked to be a promising signing. Injuries and falling out of favour saw his chances limited as the season wore on and he was not offered a new contract at the end of the campaign.

Stephen Ireland
Broke through this season and turned in his best and most consistent season at the club (also being a regular at international level). Offered options in a number of positions and formations. Signed a long-term deal and should cement his place in the line-up over the next few seasons.

DeMarcus Beasley
Flashed in patches and offered a different attacking option from midfield, but failed to show the overall consistency needed, and perhaps mindful of clearing the decks for a new manager he was not retained at the end of the season - going the same way as Rieira and Musampa before him.

Ishmael Miller
Appears to be more of an athlete than a footballer. Still very much in the early stages of his career and mainly limited to substitute appearances but I don't see him as being a long term success but perhaps he needs more time (or to play as an out and out striker).

Darius Vassell
The archetypical confidence player. Either is very good or very bad. Admittedly out of position a lot of the season, he worked hard for the team but looks well short of confidence in front of a goal - as evidenced by his penalty miss in the derby. Not looked the same without Andrew Cole.

Bernardo Corradi
I described him as a 'poor mans Luca Toni' when he arrived. Perhaps just poor would have been more apt. Should have shown more than he did and seemingly on his way out in the summer, but could Ranieiri offer him a lifeline?

Giorgios Samaras
Probably regressed in all honesty over the season. Frustrating as he does have undoubted talent but has not shown it often enough. He is still young though, but you sense that next season is a critical one for him. Could be Pearce's legacy.

Paul Dickov
Why oh why he was brought back to the club is a mystery. Yes, I remember 'the goal' but that's no excuse. Went goalless through the yeay and succeeded only in annoying goalkeepers/referees/fans during corner kicks.

Daniel Sturridge
Has been more hype than anything else so far but all who have seen him below first team level seem united in the view he has something special. Limited to a couple of (brief) substitute appearances so far but arguably should have been pitched in at some stage.

Emile Mpenza
A good pick up by Pearce in January and nearly stormed to the top of the scoring charts. Gained in fitness and confidence as the season went on and offers goals and a presence up front. Thankfully signed through next season at least.

Shinawatra makes formal bid

Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has made a
formal bid to take over English soccer club Manchester City, his spokesman said
on Saturday.
"What I can say now is we have tendered a bid for the team,"
Thaksin's lawyer Noppadon Pattama told Reuters by telephone.
Thaksin, who has
not returned to Thailand since a bloodless military putsch in September, made an
indicative proposal to Manchester City earlier this month but no further details
have been released since.
"We had to be silent because we had to follow the
stock regulations as we are trying to buy a listed company," said Noppadon.
A
leading Thai newspaper said on Saturday that a 100 million- pound deal had
already been reached, but Noppadon said this was premature.
"The deal is not
formally or legally concluded yet," he said when asked to comment on the Thai
Rath report.
The report also said billionaire telecoms tycoon Thaksin would
become club chairman and that he wanted to bring in former Chelsea coach Claudio
Ranieri to replace sacked manager Stuart Pearce.

Full story from reuters.com.

Over at OleOle

I've posted about the sacking of Stuart Pearce and also discuss the sacking and the iminent takeover on their weekly podcast.

Non-appearance

As posted the other I made my way down to the BBC Manchester studios and led to the bowels of the building into a small store room cum studio with a number of microphones and headphones dotted around.

I had a quick chat with the presenter Mark Whittaker, who prepped me a little on what he would run through in the interview and off we went. Clearly a seasoned pro, he ran through the questions in quick-fire fashion, covering the fans view on the takeover, concerns over the future and general opinion on Shinawatra.

All done, I slipped off for a couple of relaxing drinks later and tuned in later to catch my appearance. The programme ran through the first feature before getting onto the Shinawatra one. First up was a Thai professor who gave a bit of background on opinion back in Thailand before the introduction to a City fan for their opinion on the takeover led to the distinctive voice of Stuart Hall coming out of the laptop.

Yep, that's right. Bumped off the interview in favour of Stuart Hall.

I've emailed the producer who first got in touch but alas no reply thus far. Listening to Hall's answers to the questions (exactly the same as fired at me), he was unequivocal in his support of Shinawatra and threw in a couple of comedy voices and anecdotes.

Perhaps I just couldn't match up to the marquee name of Stuart Hall. Hey-ho.

The feature (minus the Bitter and Blue contribution from yours truly) on Shinawatra can be found at the listen again section on The World Today homepage.

Some things never change

I did have to laugh at this...

-----Original Message-----
From: Chris Shepherd [mailto:Chris.Shepherd@xxxxxxx]
Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2007 1:51 PMTo: Danny Pugsley
Subject: RE:

don't speak to me about Edghill - he is the worst player to ever wear the claret and amber - absolute disgrace. he can't run, tackle or pass. Wins a few headers and that is it. He is one of the reasons why we went down, just didn't understand why he was selected.

Shinawatra poised to make bid?

Thaksin Shinawatra, Thailand's exiled former prime minister,
is close to making a formal bid for Manchester City, the UK football club, and
is understood to have identified a new manager for the Premier League
side.
An announcement from both parties is expected “within days” according
to people close to the deal.
Bangkok’s media has been speculating as to
whether Mr Thaksin, who was de­posed in a military coup last year, would be
able to release funds held in local banks. But it is understood that Mr Thaksin
is funding the bid from private assets and has lodged monies for the bid with
his financial advisers, to the satisfaction of Manchester’s board.

No real surprise as it has been widely expected he would be the one to takeover, but it is the first 'confirmation' as regards a bid.

The article on ft.com also digs a little on how he will finance the bid and also his part in the sacking of Stuart Pearce.

Betting suspended on Ranieri

William Hill press release:

Bookmakers William Hill have suspended their book on the
next Manchester City manager after a flurry of support for Claudio Ranieri
forced his odds down from 6/4 to 4/6 favourite.
'We had one customer trying
to get a bet of £8000 on in a Chelsea betting shop before we started to see a
general gamble with people apparently wanting to take any price about Ranieri
and as we had already been tipped off by a foreign source that the former
Chelsea boss was a live contender for the City job we decided to close the book
for the time being in case negotiations might already be going on behind the
scenes'.
Hill had also seen money for Gerrard Houllier, the biggest bet of
£200, as he was backed from 10/1 to 6/1 second favourite, but the only other
serious interest was in Louis Van Gaal for whom Hills took a £200 bet at 9/1.
'There was no serious cash for any other contender outside of these three'
added Sharpe. 'There always comes a time in these markets where you first
suspect and then know that someone knows more than we do.'
Closing Man City
boss odds....4/6 Ranieri; 6 Houllier; 9 Van Gaal; 11 Hiddink; Koeman; 16 Hughes;
20 Warnock.

With van Gaal, Houllier and Koeman apparantly ruling themselves out of contention earlier today, it does seem that the smart money is on Ranieri's appointment.

Wigley and Woan axed

The club today announced that Steve Wigley and Ian Woan have left the club following Stuart Pearce's sacking.

Both coaches were of course brought to the club by Pearce, with Wigley in particular taking on a greater role over his time at the club. Neither move is a surprise though as the club continues to clear the decks ahead of the arrival of the new manager and ownership.

Pearce speaks on dismissal

Stuart Pearce has commented on his sacking, and whilst not criticising the board, did stress a couple of points which he believed hamstrung him in his attempts to be a success in the job.

"Losing your job is all part of football management and
I knew it would have to happen one day.
I wasn't taken aback, shocked or
angered by the board's decision. I am not naive or stupid.
The previous
manager had around £50m to spend and if the club is taken over the next manager
may have £50m.....in that sense I feel I have been a caretaker with no money to
spend, getting the books balanced while keeping them in the Premiership."

Granted, people point to the fact he spent £7 million on Samaras and Corradi, but he did have to sacrifice Shaun Wright-Phillips at the end of his first season so can justifiably point to the fact he has had as little (net) money to spend than most City managers in recent times.

I'll have a full review of Pearce's City career posted up over the next couple of days.

More players released

From mcfc.co.uk:

Manchester City has confirmed that eight senior players
have been released by the Club.

Trevor Sinclair – Signed from West Ham in July
2003, the former England international and lifelong City fan made 65 league
starts for the Blues, scoring five goals, two of which came in derby wins at the
City of Manchester Stadium.
Stephen Jordan – A product of the City Academy,
Stephen made most of his 57 starts at left back but occasionally filled in at
centre half. His final appearance came in Sunday’s defeat at White Hart
Lane.
DaMarcus Beasley – The American winger returns to PSV Eindhoven at the
end of his season-long loan from the Dutch club, having made 13 starts for the
Blues. DaMarcus scored on four occasions, most memorably his late strike at
Upton Park giving City a 1-0 win over West Ham just after Christmas.
Hatem
Trabelsi - The Tunisian international started 20 times following his arrival in
the August transfer window and scored once, in the derby at Old Trafford last
December.
Nathan D’Laryea – The 21-year-old central defender never appeared
for the first team but captained the reserve side on many occasions, he also had
a loan spell at Macclesfield early in 2007.
Djamel Abdoun – The French winger
arrived in January on a six-month loan from French side Ajaccio, making one
substitute appearance in the FA Cup win over Southampton.
Laurence Matthewson
– The goalkeeper was part of the Under 18 side that reached last season’s Youth
Cup final and played for the reserves this season.
Ashley Williams –
Midfielder who also appeared in the Youth Cup final and played for both reserve
teams in the Barclays Premiership Reserve League and Pontins
League.

Can't say I'm surprised (or disagree) with any of the decisions overall to be honest. I've posted before about Sinclair and Jordan, whilst Williams, D'Laryea, Matthewson and Abdoun are youngsters who have not made an impact on the first team.

As for Trabelsi and Beasley, they showed in flashes their talent but over the course of a season did not do anything to justify a regular place in the side or warrant a new deal. In truth, once Stuart Pearce was axed any chance of them re-signing was all but gone.

Interview

Shortly I'll be heading down to the BBC Manchester studios to record an interview for BBC World Service programme The World Today to discuss the potential takeover of Thaksin Shinawatra.

More later...

Tottenham 2 City 1

News the twenty-four hours after this game have far overshadowed yesterday's events, but we finished the season with a 2-1 defeat in a game where the result would seemingly not have affected the decision to dismiss Pearce today.

I only managed to catch the goals on this one, and for me Tottenham's first was definitely offside, but from a margin of 2-0 down perhaps there is some credit to the players for getting back into the game and being a little unlucky to not come away with a point.

Pearce was asked about his future following the game, commenting that:

"From my position, I never worry about losing my job, my
reaction would be exactly this – I’d thank the supporters and everyone connected
with the Club.
"It’s a fantastic Club and you people [local press] know that
better than me, you’ve been around the Club a lot longer than I have, but I’ll
go and work somewhere else and prove myself elsewhere.
"I’ve got a feeling
that I’ve got something good to offer management."

Perhaps deep down he knew that time had run out.

Reports:
MEN
Sky Sports
Harry Hotspur

New kit revealed

Hmm, not sure of the look of this one.






The deal signed with Le Coq Sportif is believed to be worth £10 million over four years (double the Reebok one), and also has a tie in with Sergio Tacchini and Ecko in relation to a line of leisure wear.


Kudos to the club though in pegging their prices at around £30 for an adult shirt and £19 for a junior one.

So who is next?

The decision to sack Stuart Pearce may not have been surprising, but the timing probably was as it seemed that there may be some hope for him as regards a future at the club.

Less than twenty-four hours though, after a 2-1 defeat at Tottenham (the result he started his tenure with) Pearce has had his contract terminated - the club announcing the news in a brief, terse statement.

Before the dust has had time to settle on the managers chair, there is news aplenty as regards Pearce's successor - to go along with reports that the takeover is set to be completed within the next week.

When time permits over the next couple of days I'll have a more in-depth look at the Pearce reign, along with all the end of season round-up's I have planned.

But for now, who are the candidates in the frame for the hot seat?

Stories of Sam Alladyce began to resurface today, but it may be too late as as Newcastle have a press conference scheduled tomorrow - seemingly to rubber-stamp the announcement. Adding two and two together, there are suggestions that Paul Jewell's departure could pave the way for his arrival, something though that Dave Whelan was quick to dismiss and news that he wants to take a break are seemingly accurate.

So who else? Paul Simpson's name could again be in the frame, whilst former-Preston man Billy Davies is highly regarded and Chris Coleman is of course available following his sacking at Fulham.

From the foreign contingent, Ronald Koeman was reportedly interested in moving to the Premiership (albeit with Fulham) and Gerard Houillier is believed to be interested in a return but Sky Sports linked Guus Hiddink with us at odds of 6/1. News of Sven Goran Eriksson also surfaced but seemingly Claudio Ranieri is the hot favourite with the bookies.

I would be surprised (or maybe not with our board) if there wasn't someone in the wings waiting for an (official) approach, but at least making the decision early has given the board (current or new version) time to get the right man in and give them time to get to grips with the club and the squad in time for next season, one which I expect the manager to hit the ground running.

Stuart Pearce Sacked

well contract terminated , same thing !!

adios

Lets see who's next on the merry go-round !

Sinclair and Jordan released

The club announced over the past couple of days that both Trevor Sinclair and Stephen Jordan were to be released at the end of the season.

Whilst both moves were widely expected, there were stories that suggested Jordan may have been offered a new deal but perhaps Stuart Pearce felt that either Jordan's progress had stalled permanently or young Shaleum Logan was ready to assume more of a senior role behind Michael Ball next season.

What is perhaps a little interesting in this is that despite stories regarding his future at the club Pearce is already beginning to shape the squad for next season and has talked about the Chairman indicating the level of funds available.

The MEN reported yesterday that the board would have to 'act fast' in order to land Sam Allardyce, indicating that he would be prepared to take the Newcastle job (despite a preference for City).

Pearce has always been bullish regarding his role and that he would be in charge next season, despite the board keeping their cards far closer to their chests. One problem for the current board is that although there would be no compensation involved for dismissing Pearce, Allardyce (or another big name) would command a hefty, long-term contract in addition to significant funds being made available.

Whilst this may not be a problem to any new owners who come in, whilst the current board remain in charge, it could be more likely that Pearce remains in charge at the club.

Tottenham preview

In light of the comments on the recent post on the former-Thai PM, perhaps this preview should centre around the political and humanitarian fall-out from Sunday's game at White Hart Lane - perhaps a City win could affect the outcome of the Labour leadership?

Well, it would be more interesting to write than putting something together about a game that has only minimal interest on a large scale due to Tottenham requiring a point to qualify for the UEFA Cup.

In light of recent events (both on and off the pitch) it is seemingly the case that the club and everyone connected (mainly the fans) just wants the season to end. Once the spectre of relegation had lifted it is fair to say we have been stuttering towards the end of season, turning in some inept performances, continuing our goalless home form and enduring off and on pitch incidents which have seen plenty of negativity come our way.

As for Sunday's game, Tottenham will undoubtedly be favourites and I fully expect them to get at least the point they require. Team wise, not many options jump out at Pearce but it may well be the case that Stephen Jordan and Trevor Sinclair feature in what would be their final games in a Blue shirt whilst Paul Dickov may well beat Adrian Heath's season of futility back in the early 90's.

Spurs have no such problems selection wise, but are unlikely to feature Hossam Ghaly following his shirt throwing antics against Blackburn this week.

So, another season draws to a close and I don't expect it end on a positive note to be honest. Interestingly though, we need five goals to equal the 1995/96 record low of 33 goals.

Could this be the day that the 5-2 prediction finally comes in?

Thaksin Shinawatra

In a season full of City public relations disasters (the Ben Thatcher and Michael Ball incidents, Joey Barton in general, the home goal scoring drought, etc.), the worst could still be forthcoming...

MCFC's serious consideration of Thaksin Shinawatra's acquisition offers is very disappointing in my opinion. In light of Mr. Shinawatra's well documented poor human rights record as a former Prime Minister, I can only hope that our club will inevitably come to its senses and reject Shinawatra's overtures.

The great public relations damage that accepting Shinawatra's bid would cause far exceeds the benefit that would be gained from his financial prowess in my view. Liverpool FC for example was condemned by groups such as Amnesty International for entertaining Shinawatra's interest in LFC three years ago. Out of curiosity, do the majority of fellow City supporters share these viewpoints?

City dressing room divided?

On-loan French player Djamel Abdoun, has hit out at Joey Barton today over the recent training ground incident.

From eurosport.co.uk:

Manchester City midfielder Djamel Abdoun has
blasted Joey Barton following his training-ground fight with Ousmane Dabo. He
said Barton picked on Dabo because he would not fight back, and claimed the
midfielder acts like "he is the Zidane of Manchester City".
"Joey Barton is a
coward. The marks he left on Dabo's face were shocking. Ousmane was unlucky to
be caught up in it," said Abdoun.
"He would not hurt a fly, and Barton knew
it - he would never have picked on someone like Sylvain Distin, Hatem Trabelsi
or Bernardo Corradi.
"Ousmane just pushed him and did not aim a blow, but
Barton hit him with punch after punch.
"Barton simply does what he likes. He
acts the big star - he thinks he is the Zidane of Manchester City, but he is
just a player like any other.
"He is an over-inflated footballer. He is way,
way off from being a Frank Lampard or Steven Gerrard.
"Manchester City is a
great club but the problem is that they have foreigners on one side and English
players on the other.
"If the two halves manage to bond together City can
finish in the top six - but that good mentality does not exist.
"In the
dressing room the foreign players will sit on one bench, and the English players
on the other side. I noticed it straight away when I arrived.
"It's time
City's people realise football is a team sport, and stop telling the papers the
foreigners are to blame for their position.
"The clash between Barton and
Dabo symbolises the two factions at the club.
"And the guy who started it is
the one who is always creating havoc - this is not the first time he has been
involved in something like this."

You wonder what role Stuart Pearce plays in this as we have seen Barton question the foreign signings and Richard Dunne went on the offensive before the Blackburn defeat, as the likes of Hamman, Beasley, Trabelsi, Corradi and Samaras have either struggled or been slow to assimilate into the side and show anything resembling decent form.

Yes, I know players are over-pampered and soft these days, but is it a fact that Pearce - generally considered one of the 'old school', does struggle to communicate and integrate the foreign elements into the side?

There is clearly a problem that persists, and if Pearce (or his coaching staff) are failing to spot it, or worse, turning a blind eye to it, then surely this is something else that can be added to the list of reasons stacking up to support a change in manager.

Goal machine

From mcfc.co.uk:

Emile Mpenza is already setting himself targets for next
season after inking in his permanent deal at Manchester City.
The
28-year-old Belgian striker settled in well after arriving on a short-term deal
in February, so with his new contract now tied up, does Emile think he'll be
able to improve City's striking fortunes next term?
"I hope so! I think next
season I will be more at home here because I will have trained with the team
from when we come back in the summer. If that happens, I think I can get 10
goals or more next season.

10 goals? Our troubles are over...

Barton - Most wanted?

The venerable WillieMcKay has been in the press today talking up Joey Barton, and espousing the benefits of what he could bring to a potential new club.

McKay confirmed that Barton is on the way out from City, stating that the club have told him that if the £5.5 million release clause is triggered from his contract he will be sold and McKay has kindly thrown Everton's name into the hat as one of the sides who have ensured his mobile phone has been 'red hot' - interestingly some of the interested clubs are reported to be from outside of the Premiership.

The Guardian ran a poll on it's site today, asking readers if Barton was available on a free would they be happy to have him in their side. Current figures at the time of writing show 77% would not welcome him into their club.

There will of course be no shortage of takers for Barton though, and it is certain that he has played his last game at the club. I expect most interested parties to bide their time though, in the hope that the longer he technically remains a City player the keener the club will be to rid their hands of him.

The one thing I will be most surprised about in the whole saga though is if we do actually get anywhere near the £5.5 million figure for him - as I imagine most interested clubs would be looking at around half of that.

Ball Charged by FA following Derby Stamp

Michael Ball has been charged by the FA following his derby stamp on Cristiano Ronaldo.

A source close to Michael said ' he deeply regrets not finishing the career of the cheating cunt, the way that guy has made diving acceptable in the English game repulses everybody associated with the once proud sport. Ball would like to apologise to football fans everywhere he was genuinely aiming for the jugular but lost his balance, he feels he has let everybody down'

No word from the FA at the moment as to whether the show pony will be charged for his 312 dives this year.

Bitter and Blue Player of The Year award

Just under a week to go now until the 2006/07 season draws to a (merciful?) close so I've reposted this to give anyone who may have missed it originally a chance to vote/comment on their own Player of The Year award which I'll be posting up around the middle of next week....

Last year saw the inaugral Bitter and Blue end of season awards, and I'll be running the awards once again at the end of the season.

One of the categories I put in last time round was a readers player of the year award which was quite interesting to gather the views of everyone who stops by the site.

Again, like last season there isn't perhaps a clear cut winner and I would say there are two or three candidates likely in the mix. As a reminder, this is how last seasons awards panned out

So, with just a couple of games to go here is your chance to get your choice across. Feel free to either email me or fill up the comments section.

League Cricket Yearbook

Something that I have been working for the most part of this year is a publication called the League Cricket Yearbook.

The synopsis of the book(s) is as follows:

With full details of every cricket club and league in
the North East and Yorkshire below County Championship level, including 2007
fixtures, past results and league tables, historical league winners, directions
to grounds and contact details, the "League Cricket Yearbook" edition will be an
indispensable guide to cricket grounds and data for the 2007 Northern cricket
season. With over 500,000 cricketers regularly playing the game at club level
across the country during the summer, the "League Cricket Yearbook", which will
eventually encompass five editions ("North East", "North West", "Midlands",
"South East" and "South West") is set to become the 'Rothmans Annual' of club
cricket. It will include lead editorial features focussing on player and
spectator behaviour and guest columns from well-known figures within the game.
Following on from the successful monthly "League Cricket Review" magazine,
previously published by Empire Publications, but discontinued when Andy Searle
left Empire, this annual publication will provide a comprehensive round-up of
everything club secretaries and cricketers need to know from where to buy
equipment to how to organise tours. The book is accredited by the
ECB.

Ahead of the launch of the book, there is currently the opportunity to purchase at a discounted price of £8.99 (for a single copy, £6.99 for 2-19 copies and £6 for 20 copies or more.

For further details contact myself at dannypugsley@hotmail.com or Know The Score Books at www.knowthescorebooks.com

City 0 United 1

Ironic I suppose that in a season where we have struggled so badly for goals, in a derby game where we have offered pretty much nothing in the way of attacking we are awarded a penalty at 1-0 down with around ten minutes left, and fail to take the opportunity.

Thus, ensuring that we have the inognamy of no being the most impotent home side ever, 'beating' a near 100 year old record. Little wonder really when you think back over the games this season, and the tactics and approach adopted at home (regardless of opposition). Tactics, which in fairness have worked well in patches on our travels (and in truth the Christmas and Easter away run of victories are looking vital now) but are not condusive to getting wins at home.

And so it proved on Saturday. Concensus being it was one of the most lacklustre derbies in some time with neither side impressing and creating chances. Perhaps United were suffering from tiredness with recent exertions but this meant there was an opportunity to attack them, but we failed to do so. There was an interesting obervation that against the top four sides at home, we have scored one and conceded two - all goals being scored from the penalty spot.

I felt United's penalty was one, allbeit slightly earned with Ball all too keen to jump into the challenge which wasn't necessary - maybe he had not quite calmed down from his stamp on Ronaldo which I imagine will see a letter from the FA land on his doorstep.

But (the suited) Pearce couldn't alter things enough following going behind to get back in the game, and any 'chances' were reduced to a couple of long range efforts easily handled by van der Sar.

The introduction of Dickov may have been the final straw for some fans, and his highlights package included pushing players at a corner (earning himself a booking) and tussling with Wes Brown in the corner when there was no real gain to be had.

A penalty was won though, and I used the word won as Ball was quite clever in making contact with Brown to get the decision. In the absence of Barton, Darius Vassell (whose career has seemingly been in decline since missing a penalty for England) stepped up and hit it straight down the middle and van der Sar got enough on it to send it to safety.

A defeat then (perhaps as expected by most), but certainly not in the manner that most expected. If the last home game of the season lives long in the memory over the summer then there will not be too many fans thinking back over the season and hoping for same again next time round.

Reports:
Telegraph
Independent
The Times

Barton to face charges?

From bbc.co.uk:

Manchester City footballer Ousmane Dabo has reported
team-mate Joey Barton to police over an alleged attack.
The 30-year-old went
to hospital for treatment for injuries to his eye, nose and lip after an
incident at the club's training ground on Tuesday.
It is understood that
Dabo has asked police to press charges.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) have
confirmed that the incident has been reported to them. Barton has been suspended
by the club.
A spokeswoman said: "Greater Manchester Police has received a
report from a 30-year-old man that he was assaulted.
"Inquiries are
ongoing."

Psycho's Last Stand ?

A quiet week in the build up to the derby, just multi billionaire former presidents, recently capped by England and 2nd best player of the season suspended with the likelihood of him never playing for the club again and other recently capped rising star linked with a move to dark side, amongst other things !!

So we go into our 'cup final' (do i have too pay Red Issue for that?) with even the most optimistic blue as downtrodden as the route from Old Trafford to Piccadilly train station, the feeling is very much one of 'preparing ourselves for the worst'

Scenes from Fight Club have been predicted for the stands as rumours that lots of reds have seized on the apathy and foreboding of many blues to snap up tickets for the city ends of the ground, at least some might stay in their seats at the end whilst the city players partake in the traditional end of season 'lap of honour'.

And then there is matters on the pitch !! obviously Johan (well he thinks he is !) Barton will be missing and never one to do things by halves he took out his natural replacement in Dabo. Thanks Joey. The Rags will welcome Evra and the drugs cheat back to their defence.

On the touchlines Surly Alex has had his usual whine about something or other whilst Pearce has commented on the fact that he believes this game means more to us than their supporters. You know Stu, the media might love you but your fast become the most hated man at Eastlands concentrate a little bit more on your own job than passing judgement on other teams. This just might be your last home game, particularly if it all goes wrong. So save your energy for the dressing room and get them fired up like you used to be instead of this media darling luvvie you have become.

Prediction - 1-0 - our very own georgie boy to complete uniteds greek tragedy.

No Surrender.

United preview

City of Manchester Stadium, Saturday 5th May 2007.

Both teams head into the 136th league derby on the back of a week to forget about, with ourselves having Barton-gate, and the ensuing fall-out which continues to dominate headlines leading up to the match.

Meanwhile, United's treble dream is up in smoke as they were outplayed, outthought and outclassed by Milan in this weeks second leg.

A win will all but secure the title for United, whilst a win for ourselves would dent their title ambitions - although it would still leave Chelsea with a lot of work to do.

Following another blank day against Aston Villa, we now have an uphill task to avoid securing the unwanted record of least home goals in a season, as we need to score to pull level with Woolwich Arsenal and Sunderland.

The press have been trying to make an issue this week of the kick-off time not being put back to Sunday, with accusations of sour grapes thrown at City and suggestions of a lack of integrity and help from the Premier League. If anything, surely the extra days rest for the Chelsea game is of more use to United in terms of affecting the outcome of the title?

As for the game, we are suddenly looking well short in midfield with the likely absence of Michael Johnson, the decision to suspend Joey Barton and the injuries suffered by Ousmane 'Elephant Man' Dabo. In attack, we will again stumble along and see which pairing (or lone striker) Pearce pulls out of the hat. I read one report this week that stated Paul Dickov was the player who hauled Joey Barton off Dabo, and if true means he has least contributed something to the side this season.

In goal and defence will once again be the key for us in this game as United's threat will undoubtedly come from Rooney and Ronaldo - who have something to prove after flopping in midweek. Their defensive struggles saw Vidic recalled for the Milan game (with less than succesful results) and it is possible Rio Ferdinand may come back for this one along with Louis Saha.

I don't think there is a great deal of confidence (or realistically any) flowing through the Blue half of the city at the moment in this game, and looking at positives in thinking how we will get a result it is the usual things such as raising the game, anything can happen in a derby etc that is likely to see us get something from it.

Whilst baseing my prediction slightly on United's performance against Milan - and we are as far away from Milan as is possible, I do feel we can get something from the game, and (shock horror) manage to find the net.

It won't be enough to stop United ultimately winning the title, but I have a feeling that we will come away with a 1-1 draw from the game.

Optimistic? I'm sure there's worse amongst you...

And we're the bitter ones?

From Stuart Mathieson in todays MEN:

It was a sad finale for a side who've done so much
growing up in the Champions League this season and a disappointment for English
football that the Reds won't be in Greece. In 1999 United went to Turin on the
wave of hope from most football lovers that the free-scoring United entertainers
wouldn't suffer the injustice of falling at the final hurdle. Value for money
alone they deserved their place in the Nou Camp.
Eight years on and it's something of a travesty of
similar proportions that the team who've enriched the knockout stages are to
miss the Athens extravaganza.All the more galling too for United fans that,
while they've provided thrilling fare, bitter rivals Liverpool had booked their
place in Greece playing methodical football more likely to drive fans away from
seats.
The Anfielders and Chelsea had done little over 210 of
minutes mind-numbing tactical negativity to promote the English game. The
hierarchy at the Premier League must have been hoping that at least Fergie's XI
would be a welcome advert to the multi-million global audience in three weeks
instead of Rafa Benitez's robots.

Supporters Trust membership details

Manchester City Supporters' Trust is now officially registered with the FSA and accepting individual membership. The Supporters' Trust will give individual fans an opportunity to have a say in the way the club is run by acquiring shares in the club on behalf of supporters. It would look to establish the principal of close consultation between the club and its fans, not simply for now but for always. Players, managers, and owners come and go but it is the fans that remain the constant at the club and it is the fans that can safeguard its values.

The Supporters' Trust is looking to attract everyone with the interests of Manchester City at heart. There are two main categories membership currently available: Adult and Junior. Adult membership is available to all aged over 16, with concessionary rates applicable for those aged over 60, and a number of levels ranging from annual to lifetime.

The package includes:

- One share in Manchester City Supporters' Trust
- One vote in all Trust ballots
- Eligibility to attend MCST AGM and other announced General Meetings
- A personalised Trust Share/Membership certificate
- Regular communication via our newsletter. The Junior membership package is as above, but in accordance with the Industrial & Providential Society and Supporters' Trust guidelines, excludes voting rights.

The packages have been devised in consultation with both supporters and shareholders, offering a variety of benefits according to individual requirements.

The Trust have received hundreds of membership enquiries, and this launch will enable us to work towards the aims previously announced which are:

- To acquire on behalf of the Trust a shareholding of over 3% and represent the interests those shareholders
- To facilitate and promote wider supporter ownership of the Club.

As such, we are also now able to register interest for inclusion in the share save scheme, share proxy or transfer of current MCFC plc shares.

For further details (including application forms) please contact mcstmembers@hotmail.co.uk and mcstpress@hotmail.co.uk

Barton's days are numbered

Almost as quickly as the news stories broke yesterday announcing the suspension of Joey Barton came the reports today that Barton has played his last game for the club, with the us offloading him in the summer - with agreement from both Stuart Pearce and the board.

It was stated that Barton has been told to stay away from the club and indeed may even have left the country in the wake of the incident, but most interesting for me was the article that appeared in the MEN today from Chris Bailey.

From what I am aware of how both the MEN and club operate, the article wouldn't have appeared without the club being aware of it, or indeed having 'given the ok' in some capacity. It was a quite a damning article, very critical of Barton's previous misdemeanours and laid the blame for the incident squarely on his shoulders and suggesting that Barton has 'lost' any support from within the dressing room he may have previously had.

Barton has been quiet thus far (even his myspace page remains untouched), leaving all talk to the esteemed Mr McKay, but the PFA (as they are duty bound I guess) have offered their support to him.

Whatever the rights and wrongs of Barton's behaviour (both with this and previous incidents), it does appear that the club is hellbent on showing him the door. If indeed this is the case, it already puts us a step behind in terms of strengthening a squad that is in definite need of reinforcing.

Dunne scoops Supporters Club Player of the year

In news that really should have been making the headlines, but will be relegated to a couple of column inches in the wake of Barton-gate, Richard Dunne has again been named as Player of the year by the official supporters club.

Dunne wins the honour for the third consecutive season (itself a record?), and is joined in the roll of honour by Micah Richards who won the Young Player of the year award and Ched Evans who was named Most Promising Academy player.

Barton suspended after training ground incident

As mentioned by Brian previously today, Joey Barton has indeed been suspended by the club for the remainder of the season according to nearly all news services. The official club announcement merely refers to 'a player', but remarks from Willie McKay confirm Barton is the suspended player.

Hardly great timing is it, but in truth could there ever be for an incident such as this. Without the facts (which will no doubt emerge), it is difficult to say exactly what happened and who was at fault (I see McKay stated Barton was only 'defending himself'), but the facts as they are currently is that Barton has been suspended following a training ground incident, an incident deemed serious enough not to try and brush under the carpet as 'one of those things' and serious enough to warrant an immediate suspension without the need for a ful, drawn out investigation.

Seemingly, it would be logical to suggest that the incident stemmed from Barton's recent comments following the Watford game (Dabo is of course one of the players brought in last summer who Barton tagged as 'not being good enough'), and indeed even Barton's missed penalty on Saturday.

What Dabo's role in this is we don't know, and he may himself face further action down the line, but it does seem that Barton is clearly a frustrated individual at the moment and how spontaneous todays incident was is again something that may be revealed over the next few days.

Talk of Barton's sale/sacking as has been mentioned is extremely premature at this stage, but if Barton does feel he is the victim in all of this, we will undoubtedly have one unhappy player on our hands as we head towards another frustrating seasons end.

The press have been feasting on this story so far and a selection of the reports is as follows:

The Times: Is Barton's City career over?
The Mail: Barton's roll of shame
Sky Sports: Barton named as banned star
Reuters: City suspend Barton for rest of season
The Guardian: City suspend Barton for remainder of the season

Barton suspended for remainder of season

According to BBC Sport, Joey Barton has been suspended by City for the remainder of the season as a result of a bust up Tuesday at Carrington. Barton is alleged to have hit Ousmane Dabo, who went to hospital for injuries to his mouth.

City have yet to publicly announce the suspension, while Barton's agent Willie McKay is downplaying the incident and claiming that Joey was defending himself.