Bristol City 1 City 2

To quote Sven as he infamously said during his time as England manager following a game; 'First half good, second half not so good'.

I was immediately concerned that the wholesale changes I believed would not happen, did actually occur and it gave the side an obvious weaker look and one which Bristol City must have fancied their chances of beating.

It was surprise then that the first half was one in which we looked at ease and our opponents strangely hesitant and almost uncommitted. I thought our movement and balance were superb with the front two linking well together and the midfield gelling together well given their lack of playing time together. Particularly impressive early was Gelson Fernandes who looks to have a good technique and Rolando Bianchi, whose touch set up Emile Mpenza for the opener after he had failed not long before with a similar effort.

The half-time break must have brought the preverbial rocket for the Bristol City players as they sprang to life in the opening twenty minutes, whilst we looked prepared to let them have possession and begin to create opportunities. Whilst we were not unduly troubled save for an excellent stop by Joe Hart, the creativity in midfield of the first half was not seen and I'm sure groans went up all round and minds were cast back to Chesterfield and Doncaster when we conceded an equaliser after some slack marking at a set-piece.

Extra time looked imminent following that, but it was Bianchi who out of nothing fired a beauty of a shot from outside the area to seal our passage through to the next round, but not before a slight scare when Trundle put the ball in the back of the net only for it to be (correctly) ruled out for offside.

I was slightly concerned at the team put out by Sven, but have to back his judgement and that he wanted to see some of the squad players in action. Depending on who we draw in the next round though, I would hope it is an approach that may well be revised.

Ratings:

Hart - 8. Two excellent saves and looked confident.
Sun - 6. Steady without offering much.
Ball - 6. Defended well and offered support going forward.
Corluka - 7. Adapted well after moving into the middle.
Onouha - 7. Looked calm under pressure.
Logan - 6. Bright in patches but understandably faded as the game went on.
Ireland - 6. Came into the game more in the second half but I expected more.
Geovanni - 7. Offered some nice moments again and was the creative outlet.
Gelson Fernandes - 7. Looks to have a good technique.
Mpenza -8. Took the goal well and offered himself all night.
Bianchi - 9. Excellent finish and all-round play was a class above.

Subs:

Dabo - 6. Little time for an impact.
Dickov - 6. Merely a time wasting exercise.

Reports:

MEN
Sky Sports
BBCi
Guardian

Bristol City prediction

Having been dumped out of the competition at an early stage far too many times in recent years, I was a little concerned when news of wholesale changes were mentioned but fortunately it appears as though only those fringe players such as Logan and Onouha, who have waited for a chance this season will step in tonight. I'm also hopeful that Bianchi will get a full ninety minutes as well this evening.

Bristol City have started well in the Championship following their promotion and shouldn't be underestimated. In Lee Trundle they have a striker who scored two neat goals at the weekend and has had clubs sniffing around him whilst he was at Swansea (possibly including ourselves).

Still, we should have enough quality in the line-up and I'm going for us to have a relatively comfortable evening and to progress with a 2-0 victory.

Is Anelka worth a gamble?

The MEN ran an editorial which suggested that Nicolas Anelka should be the option that Sven-Gorna Eriksson turns to should he decide to reinforce the striking department before the deadline closes on Friday, something which should it happen would no doubt divide opinion amongst fans.

With the injury to Valeri Bojinov it does leave us light up front with the trio of Vassell, Samaras and Corradi out of favour leaving only Bianchi and Mpenza as options for Eriksson, and it was apparant that there were a couple of chances that went begging against Arsenal on Saturday.

Thinking from a purely playing perspective, the prospect of Anelka fitting in with this current side is definitely a mouth watering one with his pace and ability to run at a defence providing a different option from the other strikers we have. Think of him linking in with the likes of Petrov, Elano and Geovanni and he would add another dimension to a side that has played some really positive stuff so far this season.

The downside of Anelka though is of course his attitude, or at least perceived attitude, with the 'Le Sulk' references still ringing true to this day. His spell at the club ended in acrimony with the accusation that he engineered a move away from the club, and while he wanted away I believe this was for footballing reasons as Anelka became disillusioned with the direction (or lack of it) the club was heading in and he had a strong desire to play again in the Champions League. However, there was no disputing the fact that his body language was poor towards the end of his spell and could his return to the club upset the harmony that has been created thus far by Eriksson and his team.

Chris Bailey provided a near character reference for Anelka (perhaps trying to smooth fan opinion for an impending return?), evidencing that he has now married and a more rounded and mature person these days and there are as many anecdotes from former colleagues to hail him as a 'team man' as there are those who paint him as a disruptive influence - notably close to the club in Shaun Goater and Robbie Fowler.

There have been other forwards linked this week as we head to the closure of the transfer window - with Adriano (another who could be filed under the 'disruptive' label) another player linked with us this week.

So, should Eriksson take a chance on Anelka if he is available and wants the move? I think Eriksson is the type of coach that would get the best out of Anelka and there is a positive air about the club at the moment which he should respond to.

I am really undecided on this. Sure it would be a gamble, but one I think worth taking from a footballing perspective. If you were solely bringing that on board it would be a no brainer.

Any thoughts?

Fantasy league update

Week 3 sees Cam extend his lead at the top of the table, whilst just outside the top five could Mr Banks addition of Antoine Sibierski see him close down the leaders?

The less said about my week the better, so here is the current top five with the full table here.

1. Big Tackle (AusCam) Week 132 Total 453
2. Hose's Blumers (Joseph Millar) Week 118 Total 410
3. Florida City Legion (Florida MCFC) Week 99 Total 369
4. Ooka Dooka Dooka Dee (Blue Wisconsin) Week 104 Total 368
5. Sven's Blue (ali_rainsbury) Week 83 Total 329

Johnson and Logan tie up long-term deals

MANCHESTER, England (AFP) - Manchester City's England
Under-21 midfielder Michael Johnson and defender Shaleum Logan have both
extended their contracts with the English Premier League club.The 19-year-old
Johnson, who has been first choice in City's midfield under new manager
Sven-Goran Eriksson, has penned a new four-year contract.Logan, also 19, has
signed a new three-year deal after impressing during the pre-season tour of
Sweden.City's chief executive Alistair Mackintosh said: "In awarding new
contracts to Michael and Shaleum we are once again demonstrating Manchester
City's commitment to investing in our young, home-grown players."With a spine of
hugely-talented academy-bred youngsters we have made an excellent start to the
season and are delighted to have secured the long-term futures of both players
at this football club."

-Soccerway.com

Perhaps this wil hopefully put an end to any 'Johnson to Liverpool' stories that began circulating prior to the season and follows the remit to Eriksson from above to reward the Academy graduates with longer term, and no doubt financially improved deals.

Arsenal 1 City 0

So the bid to extend our 100% start to the season stalled at The Emirates as (another) late goal from Arsenal sent us away empty handed points wise, but gaining a few more plaudits for the manner of our performance.

Catching the game later that evening on Football First it looked like we were fairly neat in our build-up play and movement, and once again were sound at the back - with the Dunne-Richards partnership earning rave reviews, but perhaps we looked a bit of a cutting edge or sharpness up front with Mpenza preferred to Bianchi.

There is definitely plenty of potential with this side, and whilst Eriksson has put together an impressive overhaul of the squad could he be tempted to add one, possibly two new faces before the deadline this week to perhaps achieve more than was expected coming into the season?

Reports:

Bangkok Post
Purely Man City
The Observer
Inside Arsenal
Arsenal Vision
Gunner Blog

Arsenal prediction

After riding high after the first three games with a 100% record and no goals conceded, this is certainly a game which could bring things back down to earth a little.

Arsenal away is a fixture that brings a little trepidation given our less than stellar history in this encounter, but it will be a good test of the progress made and our ambitions for this season.

Arsenal have taken four points from two games this season but have stuttered a little, particularly in their opener at home where they cam from behind against Fulham to win 2-1. It could be a similar scenario to last weeks derby where the opposition have plenty of possession and territory but struggle to break through something which has been an achilees heel for Arsenal in the past.

I don't see us struggling to keep possession and create as little as we did last week and we should go into this game with a definite degree of confidence, and I think we are well capable of coming away with a point in this one - something most of us would take.

A 1-1 draw with Arsenal again equalising after going behind in a game at The Emirates.

A look from the opposition:

Arsenal.com
InsideArsenal

Vassell set to move on

Sven-Goran Eriksson, the Manchester City manager, is waiting
to hear whether Darius Vassell has decided to join Derby County.
Vassell is
yet to even win a place on the bench during City's 100 per cent start to the
season, and Billy Davies, the Derby manager, has inquired about the 27-year-old.
The former England striker has held discussions with the Midlands club after
being made surplus to requirements at City following Eriksson's massive summer
recruitment drive.
"It is a fact Derby are interested in Darius - but I have
not heard any results," Eriksson said. "I should find out more soon."

-The Times.

I think if the story is this far advanced then it would likely be that Vassell will move on, and the only spanner would be if another side threw their hat into the ring.

It is fairly clear that despite the England connection - and don't forget Vassell was a regular in Eriksson's England squads, that Vassell will not get a look in now at the club and will have to move on if he wants to get regular football.

It is fair to say that apart from brief flashes, Vassell's City career will be looked upon as a disappointing one as all the frustrations that Villa fans saw were evidenced at Eastlands. It did look promising during the early stages following his arrival and he built up an impressive partnership with Andrew Cole but once Cole went down injured (and subsequently departed) so Vassell's fortunes went.

Very much a confidence player, for all of last season he looked hesitant and unsure of himself - although playing on the left wouldn't have helped, and as the new broom has swept in he finds himself cast aside - and he could well be the first of a number to head to the exit door over the next week.

Trio feature for under-21's

Nedum Onouha, Joe Hart and Michael Johnson all featured for the under-21's 1-1 draw against their Romanian counterparts yesterday evening.

I didn't see the game but believe that the Romanian goal owed much to a touch of misfortune from both Onouha and Hart, but both will be permanent fixtures in the side I imagine and add further weight against the argument that the club has ignored English talent since Sven-Goran Eriksson took over.

Scaremongering?

MANCHESTER City have no plans to release utility man Sun
Jihai despite media reports to the contrary last weekend.The 29-year-old has not
featured in the Blues' rise to the top of the Premiership after being given
extra time off to recover from the Asia Cup.However, boss Sven-Goran Eriksson
said: "He has not been told he can leave. He is a valuable and very versatile
member of our squad."Jihai added on www.mcfc.co.uk:
"I haven't been told by either the Manager or anyone at the Club that I can
leave."It's been a good start to the season, but hopefully I'll get the
opportunity to show my quality. Of course I am happy to fight for my
place."

-MEN.

I didn't catch this one over the weekend, and I'm not sure where the 'media reports' originated from - perhaps the same sources that are claiming the club are anxious over Micah Richard's contract status, despite him being tied to the club for a further two and a half years.

Stick or twist between the sticks?

Has the impressive start to the season by Kaspar Schmeichel (and of course the defence in front of him) forced a rethink by Sven-Goran Eriksson as to whether to enter the transfer market for a goalkeeper?

Leading upto the start of the season in the wake of Andreas Isaksson's injury, it was widely speculated that Eriksson was keen to add another keeper to the squad - with Italy number 2 Marco Amelia tipped as the most likely candidate.

For whatever reason though a deal did not get done and we went into the opening day with Kaspar Schmeichel backed up by Joe Hart - something Eriksson admitted he was reluctant to do (despite praising their talents).

Three clean sheets later though and on the back of a trio of solid performances, Eriksson has admitted that the priority of signing a new keeper is now 'on ice', and on the back of the long-term injury to Valeri Bojinov his attentions have turned to attacking reinforcements (along with the possibility of a second attempt to sign Mark Bresciano). Perhaps the endless buckets of cash are not evident and there could well be limited funds to add to the players he has already brought in for a cost of around £40 million, with substantial wages on top.

I see it as likely now that Eriksson sees the need to add firepower up front as a far more pressing matter before the end of the transfer window than bringing in another keeper bearing in mind the job Schmeichel has done this season added to the fact that Isaksson is nearer to full fitness.

Schmeichel - despite lacking a little in height, has looked assured, confident and shown good anticipation. And of course he has been helped in no small part by the impressive performances the new look defence have displayed.

Whereas it may well have been a journey into the unknown at the start of the campaign, I feel that Eriksson is now more confident in the ability of Schmeichel (and Hart) to maybe not be the full-time number 1 but at least be capable of stepping up when required, and it would only make sense to add another keeper if it is with a view to replacing Isaksson as the first choice - something which Eriksson has given no indication he is looking to do.

Fantasy league leaderboard

A big week for Cameron over in Australia sees him lead the league after two weeks of games, and the top five appears to have a healthy representation by managers from overseas.

The top five is as follows and the full table can be found here.

1. Big Tackle (AusCam) 321

2. Hose's Blumers (Joseph Millar) 292

3. Florida City Legion (Florida MCFC) 270

4. Ooka Dooka Dooka Dee (Blue Wisconsin) 264

5. Sven's Blue (ali_rainsbury) 246

They guys at Squad God are also on the look out for fans to write player profiles on the site so if anyone is interested in penning the City profiles (now we've actually seen them play) drop them a line at hello@squadgod.com or to myself at bitterandblue@hotmail.co.uk.

Mills loaned to Doncaster

Doncaster have completed the loan signing of Manchester City
defender Matthew Mills.
The 20-year-old centre-half, who has agreed to a
six-month spell at the Keepmoat Stadium, is expected to go straight into Sean
O'Driscoll's squad for the visit of Bournemouth on Saturday.

-Sporting Life.

Not a surprise that Mills leaves the club, and perhaps like Ishmael Miller it is hoped an extended spell away will help his game develop as he certainly appears to have regressed (in the pecking order at least) since signing and had little realistic chance of cracking the first-team line up.

Bojinov blow

VALERI Bojinov will not play again this year after
suffering knee damage in the derby day win over United.The 21-year-old Bulgarian
fell awkwardly after a challenge with Patrice Eva and was stretchered off after
just five minutes following his surprise inclusion in the starting
line-up.Hospital scans showed damage to the cruciate ligaments and specialists
believe it will be the New Year before the striker returns to training.Bojinov,
who has only played 47 minutes football since his £6m switch from Fiorentina
last month, will return to Italy for treatment.

-MEN.

A real shame this as from the brief look at him this season he does look a good player, and from seeing him in Serie A on occasions he does have talent.

It is likey he won't be fully fit for some time after returning to full training so it is conceivable he could miss upto three-quarters of the season, perhaps prompting Eriksson into the transfer market.

The difficulty being though, unless he has specific targets on his radar it may be tough to get someone in just over a week - particularly with teams knowing we are in the market, and the fact that we are unlikely to be the only ones in the hunt for strikers.

City 1 United 0

Things are rolling along just nicely aren't they?

A derby win, another clean sheet and top of the league with a 100% record for the first time in sixteen years has definitely fired optimism (not to mention enthusiasm) even more.

For me, the game itself seemed to go by fairly quickly and the only heart-stopping moment was the corner that flashed across the face of the goal before Tevez headed wide. This despite us being dominated in terms of possession and territory for almost all of the game.

I dispute the ascertion that we were lucky though. I don't think you can put a defensive performance like that in and be labelled lucky, and I don't recall United peppering the goal or Kaspar Schmeichel being forced into save after save.

United passed the ball around well and built up nicely with both Scholes and Giggs seeing plenty of the ball and Nani looked threatening early on as Corluka had no help from Giovanni as Evra sought to get forward. The frst twenty-five minutes we were very much under the cosh and we really struggled to keep the ball in midfield and Mpenza did not get to grips with the lone striker role - I thought Bianchi would have made a better replacement for the injured Bojinov.

We did however get into the game though, and probably with great timing took the lead through another goal from outside the area following a neat build up. The scourge of United in games gone past - Geovanni, finishing well with the aid of a deflection past Van der Saar. Following this, we played some nice stuff up until the end of the half with one series of passing resulting in chorus of 'Oles'.

Perhaps concentration was lacking in the early stages of the second-half as the defence allowed Vidic to head unchallenged against the bar.

It was a difficult time in the second-half as Geovanni's injury and Elano's substitution peraps highlighting the fact the squad is still a little light and there weren't many options other than defensive moves.

United increased their territorial and possession advantage as the game wore on - with Hargreaves having an excellent game, but still could not create a genuine clear-cut chance (all very well bemoaning the lack of an 'out and out' striker but they still need service) and as the game wore on it they threw numbers forward but to no avail as we held on well for the points and headed to the top of the table.

Ratings:

Schmeichel - 6. Steady enough.
Corluka - 8. Superb in both defence and attack.
Dunne - 8. Gave his all.
Richards - 9. Man of the match and let the hype really begin.
Garrido - 7. Another solid game.
Hamman - 8. Shadowed Scholes well for the most part.
Petrov - 6. Too in and out of the game again.
Elano - 6. Nice touches but needs time to settle.
Johnson - 8. Good driving force.
Geovanni - 8. Seems to have a habit of making things happen.
Bojinov - n/a. Disappointing early injury.

Subs:
Mpenza - 6. Tried gainfully but looked short of fitness.
Bianchi - 7. Leads the line well.
Ball - 6. Looked solid.

Reports:

Guardian
MEN

The Pride Of Manchester

Some days your the statue some days your pigeon.

In today's Manchester Derby, City were undoubtedly the pigeon ! Dominated for a good 80% of the match a deflected goal from Geovanni saw the blues extend their 100% winning start to season and also keep the clean sheet record intact.

I'm torn between two minds as to whether we were lucky, to just say 'lucky' would disrespect the efforts of the likes of Richards and Dunne, we will leave the disrespect to Surly Alex who plunged new depths with his pre-match 'mind games' including a few swipes at Sven, Claiming not to know the name of several players we have signed, accusing city of been cloggers (before sending his team out with an obvious 'hit list') and generally acting like the cunt we all know him to be.

They do seem to take their lead from the purple nosed whisky soaked liar though, note the distinct lack of class from Mr Ferdinand on more than occasion and yet another display of the hypocrisy from the reds support as they wave their Argentina Flags. I don't know if they think it makes them look like 'cool rebels' or 'ironic' but I have other words for it. They took defeat with the class you would expect though as the scenes near the stewards confirmed.

Two really tough games coming up with Arsenal and Blackburn away sandwiching the Bristol City Carling Cup tie.

So for today enjoy these two : oooooooohhhhhhh ahhhhhhhhhhhhh

And raise a glass for Frank and Sven.

United prediction

Earlier than the usual scheduling comes the first derby of the season and despite the early stage pits an in-form and confident City side against a United side who have stuttered a little in their opening pair of game.

Whilst the bookies make United strong favourites still, there are (shock horror) some observers out there who are tipping us to come out on top in this and we go into the game in as good a position as we have been for a derby for some time.

Personally, I think it is set up to be a very interesting encounter as (and despite United's injuries and suspensions) both sides have plenty of attacking options available to them, and I certainly don't think we will approach the game with the negativity of last seasons encounter.

However, given the early setting in terms of the season for the game I think both managers will be playing this one fairly cagily, wary of the threat of each other and perhaps over-compensating for that by adopting a more defensive approach - not wanting to give too much away and certainly (more from United's perspective) concerned that a defeat could have longer term ramifications.

I believe Eriksson will go in with a definite game plan, and has the players to execute it. It will be an intriguing game and certainly not a dull one but for me both sides would be fairly happy to come away from this with a share of the spoils and I'm going for 0-0 stalemate.

Carling Cup draw

With a positive start to the season on the pitch and the increased media attention off the pitch, I guess we were a plum tie for most of the sides in the draw for round 2 of the Carling Cup.


Well, with the past two seasons in mind a trip away at Ashton Gate to Bristol City throws up the perennial description 'banana skin'.


Certainly we will be ripe for the taking as far as they are concerned and they are in good shape following promotion from League 1 last season.


A nervy trip beckons...


Full draw:

Birmingham v Hereford
Bristol City v Man City
Bristol Rovers v West Ham
Burnley v Oldham
Cardiff v Leyton Orient
Carlisle v Coventry
Charlton v Stockport
Derby v Blackpool
Luton v Sunderland
Middlesbrough v Northampton
MK Dons v Sheff Utd
Newcastle v Barnsley
Nottm For v Leicester
Peterborough v West Brom
Plymouth v Doncaster
Portsmouth v Leeds
Rochdale v Norwich
Sheff Wed v Hartlepool
Shrewsbury v Fulham
Southend v Watford
Swansea v Reading
Wigan v Hull
Wolves v Morecambe
Wrexham v Aston Villa

Matches to be played week commencing August 27.

Pearce picks wrong 'un with poor cricket analogy

Former Manchester City manager Stuart Pearce says he
performed the role of a "night-watchman" for the club.
City's New owner
Thaksin Shinawatra has backed Pearce's successor Sven-Goran Eriksson, who has
seen his side win their opening two Premier League games.
Pearce, who was
City's boss for two years, said: "I was probably the first of the footballing
night-watchman.
"I was sent in to bat through the night until some money was
available - I knew that when I took the club over."

-BBC Sport.

I've played (and watched) a fair bit of cricket over the years and I wouldn't agree that a mangerial reign over around two and a quarter seasons (with a longer contract in place before it was terminated) was akin to the role of a nightwatchman. Thinking both over recent history, someone like Phil Neal or Asa Hartford could justifiably claim it, but Stuart Pearce? I don't think so.

I'm not for one moment denying Pearce under far tougher times than his successor is enjoying but there was no indication when he took the job it was for a limited period only and he always (in public anyway) enjoyed the backing of the board.

Ultimately, it was his performance in the role that lost him the job, not before he had the lost the fans and despite the resources given to him the differences between Pearce and Eriksson are telling already.

Maybe if during his time at the club (crease?) he had performed like this guy did then he may well have been moved up the order as opposed to being dropped to the second XI.

It isn't for one minute a pop at Pearce as despite results (and performances) he always enjoyed backing to a certain degree from fans for his approach and how he went about things - and it is clear the club meant a great deal to him during his time here; "I've got a lot of time for the club and I'm pleased to see there's some financial input to help push the club forward."

Pearce could quite easily have come out and had a bitch about his treatment, and bemoaned the general lack of finance afforded to him but to his credit he hasn't and this is a major factor in why he will have the best wishes of the majority of fans as he begins his new full-time role as manager of the under-21's - picking three City players in the first squad.

It is in contrast to the story earlier this week regarding Dennis Tueart's 'treatment' by the club, something that does seem to have backfired on him after his comments this week which were undoubtedly timed to generate maximum exposure and cause maximum damage - a move though which has hardly endeared him to fans judging by the concensus reaction.

Regardless of how justified he was in his opinion, the fact that he seems to have completely misread what the opinion would be has only served to have him portrayed as a sour individual with a very large axe to grind.

City 1 Derby 0

There is always something about the first home game of the season that gives things an extra buzz around the place, and most went into the last night's game with the expectation levels ratcheted up after recent events and the win at Upton Park.

Whilst perhaps not meeting the high expectation level, last nights performance was certainly good enough to take the points and displayed some positives that should last well beyond the honeymoon period that the new management and ownership are currently enjoying.

In the early stages lst night I thought we looked a little disjointed, and more the sort of performance expected from a hastily assembled side and Derby were perhaps the brighter of the two in the opening quarter of an hour or so - albeit without threatening Kaspar Schmeichel's goal.

As the half wore on though we got more of a grip of the game, but struggled to break a side down whose primary objective was to try and nick a point and apart from the odd foray from Petrov and moment from Elano overall we struggled to carve anything out.

The goal however was a moment of quality and it was a neat exchange between Johnson and Elano (set to become a familiar phrase?) creating acres of space which led to Johnson being played in to execute an excellent finish to put us ahead just prior to half-time.

By and large in the second half we controlled the game and weren't threatened apart from a half chance which Schmeichel got a good hand on. Some of the spells of football were of a high standard and the patience and ball retention was noticeable as we were willing to retain the ball and bide our time rather than simply hit and hope as Derby were often resorted to doing.

I though Derby offered little, more endeavour than anything else and will struggle away from home which could prove costly over the course of the season. At times I thought the 4-5-1 perhaps left Bianchi isolated but his willingness to run and create space was intelligent and far and away above anything seen last season - I also noticed he follows every shot up to sniff out a chance.

Another three points and a generally comfortable evening. I predicted that we should have enough craft and creativity to beat teams of Derby's calibre and so it ultimately proved. Another clean sheet is a bonus and incidentally leaves us as the only side yet to concede.

On a off the pitch note it was interesting to see Richard Scudamore from the Premier League flanked by Alastair Mackintosh and Thaksin Shinawatra at the game - no doubt plentyto discuss but positive in that the league don't seem to be trying to distance themselves at least.

Back on the pitch it was good to get a first look at the new signings and overall it was definitely impressive - some areas to work on but all look to be able to bring something to the side and my match ratings are as follows:

Schmeichel 7 - Good anticipation and pulled off one smart save.
Corluka 7 - Impressed me both in defence and moving forward.
Garrido 7 - Strong and linked well with Richards and the midfield.
Dunne 7 - Usual solid self but a litte careless in possession.
Richards 6 - Didn't have the most comfortable of nights.
Petrov 6 - Flashes of quality but a little bit out of the game for me.
Hamman 7 - Played a vital role in allowing others to create.
Johnson 9 - Man of the match. Well taken goal and imposed himself well.
Ireland 8 - Far more creative and confident than at any time last season.
Elano 7 - Quality touches look a class above. Still to get fully fit I think.
Bianchi 7 - Looks a proper striker and willing runner.

subs:
Geovanni 7 - Neat cameo and adds touch of class.
Bojinov 7 - Looked lively when he came on.
Mpenza 6 - No time to make impact

Other reports:

purelymancity
bluesology
therams.co.uk
guardian

Derby prediction

First home game of the season on the back of an impressive opening day win and we should be capable of banishing the memory of last seasons home offerings - and more importantly actually hitting the net.

I didn't see any of Derby's 2-2 draw with Portsmouth, but I imagine they will fall into the chippy, resillient, give 100% type of team that comes up from the Championship.

Most Blues will be expecting the three points ahead of a certain game on Sunday, and I am no different. Derby may be a tough opponent but based on Saturday we will have enough craft, creativity and firepower to get past a visiting side - and when was the last time we could say that?

Prediction: City 2 Derby 1.

Shinawatra issued arrest warrant

Thailand's Supreme Court has issued a warrant for the arrest
of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on corruption charges.
The
ruling came after Mr Thaksin and his wife failed to attend court in the Thai
capital, Bangkok.
The court was to hear the first of a series of cases being
brought against the former leader, who was ousted in a military coup last
year.

-BBC.co.uk

The first day of the Shinawatra trail over in Thailand actually achieved little angible progress, merely that the recommendation was that Shinawatra and his wife should be subject to an arrest warrant ahead of a new trial date of late September. Shinawatra's lawyers had asked for delay in the trial due to them deeming it unsafe for him to travel back to the country at this time.


It is probably an unsuprising manoevre, and for those political consipiracists out there probably a reaction to our opening day win to try and dent his popularity!


Joking aside, Shinawatra has already announced he would not return until after elections have been held so he seemingly won't voluntarily return at this time, leaving a possible course of action for the UK to extradite him back to Thailand.


Although there is an extradition treaty agreement in place between the countries on a case by case basis, if this move occurred it would certainly be subject to a (lengthy) legal challenge by Shinawatra and I am sure is something that the government (and the Premier League) would look to avoid becoming involved in.


Shinawatra has issued a brief statement - “I am aware of the decision in Thailand. I shall consult with my legal advisers and make an announcement in due course.”


Whilst this is seemingly set to run on for a good while yet, it seems very much in the pre-amble stages with the current Thai government trying (unsuccesfully at the moment) to bring him to trial on their terms whilst Shinawatra appearing able to set his own timetable for returning - and let us not forget that he has been in the UK for around a year until he took control at City without any trial proceedings being brought against him.


As an odd onto this, there was a profile of Shinawatra in this weeks Observer and of everything I have read it was probably the most balanced and in-depth look at him I have come across.

Miller-time for Baggies

YOUNG City forward Ishmael Miller has gone on a month's
loan to West Brom.The 20-year-old had also been attracting interest from Preston
and Watford but will now help the Baggies try and bounce back from their opening
day defeat at Burnley.West Brom manager Tony Mowbray earlier indicated his
wish to bring Miller in, saying: "Ishmael is a young player who has been on the
fringes at Man City in a difficult period for their club."He would play as a
striker if we managed to bring him in and he would offer different assets to
what we have already got at our club."He is a big, powerful and quick boy."He
has played a lot of reserve matches and is someone who needs exposure on the
football pitch."

-MEN.

There had been stories that Miller could be on the way out permanently but it maybe the Eriksson feels he potentially does have a future at the club - or is at least not willing to let him go just yet until further additions arrive.

It is a good move for Miller - who after making a handful of appearances last season, finds himself marginalised by the new arrivals to the squad. West Brom should be a decent fit for him and it will benefit him playing up front rather than out left where he operated last season.

The only surprise for me with the move is that it isn't a longer one, with a move until January perhaps a better one all-round to allow him to settle in and get at least a dozen or so games under his belt.

West Ham 0 City 2

A good start to the season then eh? No, make that a very good start.

Not only an away win, but an accomplished performance that will have done wonders in laying down a marker to the rest of the league and gives us an ideal platform to make a good start, considering our less than stellar usual opening day record.

I predicted a 2-2 draw beforehand - not necessarily because I thought West Ham would cause problems, but because of the short period of time that the squad had been together and the inevitable teething problems that would come with it.

However, there appeared to be no problems at all as the side put out displayed a cohesive performance, which was abundant in quality and left onlookers in the media suitably impressed.

Team wise, the formation looks good and despite mirroring last seasons one up front, allowed plenty of scope for Elano, Petrov and Geovanni to get forward and Bianchi looked more than capable of holding his own up front - would any of last years forwards been in that position to slot home from Elano's cross (and I am convinced it was a cross rather than a shot)?

I am pleased for Eriksson and he appeared genuinely pleased to get the win and certainly enjoyed the post-match press conference, yet the media still appear obsessed by his time in charge of England and will undoubtedly continue to carp on about it throughout his time at the club.

One thing Eriksson clearly brings is the ability to put out a well organised and disciplined side - important (and evidenced) yesterday given the short preparation time. He was also clever with substitutions which is a new experience given the previous tactical changes employed by Pearce and Keegan.

Team wise, I was surprised Hamman started but on reflection he could be a key player in midfield this season as the 'spoiler' - giving Elano and Petrov plenty of license. I'm encouraged as well that Eriksson is willing to be able to change formations and tactics - again, something not evidenced a great deal last season.

Richards looked good in a more central position and I don't think we will see him operation on the right a great deal from now on and Elano looks to have the potential to be the type of midfielder we have never been able to replace Bernarbia and Berkovic with - his skinning of Upson for the first goal was a joy to see.

As for the second goal - at one point I thought Nedum Onouha had swapped his City kit for a Brazil 1970 one as he combined skill, pace and strength to expertly set up Geovanni and we also went close for a third which would have capped the day off perfectly.

Of course tougher times lie ahead and one game is but one game, but how many games over the past two seasons have we seen where the game is there for the taking but we have lacked a cutting edge or clinical spell? This team looks to have players who should have enough to beat those teams in the lower end of the division where we have struggled previously.

The opening day is a fantastic day in the season, where every side goes in with genuine hope and belief for the campaign ahead - but yesterday we saw plenty enough to sustain us for the season ahead.

Other reports:

The Telegraph
The Times
The Independent
Knees Up Mother Brown
Ian Dale

Bitter and Blue fantasy football league

It's finally here and in association with squadgod.com the Bitter and Blue fantasy football league is up and running.

For those who have contacted me already you should have an email with the links etc to join the group, but alternatively any of those who want to join just follow the link and join the 'Bitter and Blue' group.

I'll put a link up on the blog to the page and once the season kicks off I'll post up weekly updates as we go along.

Update:

Just a quick reminder for anyone still to join up. There is now a leaderboard link on the right hand side of the page which will update obviously once the season kicks off and a quick overview of the rules can be found here.

As a slight incentive, the guys at squadgod.com are offering a £10,000 prize for the overall (not just Bitter and Blue unfortunately) winner come the end of the season.

Update:

Last chance to get a team in before tomorrow's big kick-off. There's a fair few teams in there at the moment so anyone wanting to enter get yourself over to squadgod.com to register.

West Ham prediction

A tricky start perhaps although I am surprised that not too many have picked West Ham to struggle this season, given their large turnover of players - and more crucially have lost their better players.

The media glare will be at Upton Park tomorrow, given the 'big boys' are not playing until Sunday and it is a difficult one to predict given what is a largely unknown pair of squads.

I have a feeling there will be a couple of mistakes tomorrow as players get familiar with one another, so my prediction is a 2-2 draw.

Elsewhere around the blogsphere, there are previews of the game from the following blogs and sites:

BBC Sport
Bluesology
MEN
Goal.com
Vital football - West Ham

Keeper signed

City have given former Brighton & Hove Albion
goalkeeper Richard Martin on a month long trial period.
The 19-year-old has
been watched several times over the years by City goalkeeping coach Eric Steele,
and played for the reserves last Saturday at Accrington.

-mcfc.co.uk

So, not Scott Carson, not Marco Amelia, Mark Shwarzer or Jussi Jaskelainen. Either this means Eriksson cannot get the guy he wants, or he is happy to go with Schmeichel and Hart until Isaksson returns from his hairline fracture.

Some other season predictions

For those interested, here is my Premiership preview over at OleOle, my look at City at Who Ate All The Pies and The Observer, and a Newcastle preview I did for Black and White and Read All Over.

Duo granted work permit

Recent signings Valeri Bojinov and Vedran Corluka have this
afternoon been granted work permits in order to be registered for the
Club.
Manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, together with other club representatives,
attended the successful hearing earlier today so that the Bulgarian striker and
Croatian defender can now apply for international clearance.
Sven said: “We
are talking about two extremely good footballers of enormous quality, and I’m
delighted that the permits have been granted.”
Also, Brazilian midfielder
Elano already has his work permit and is hopeful of receiving international
clearance in time to be available for the season-opener at Upton Park.

-mcfc.co.uk

It is unclear whether either Bojinov or Corluka will be ready in time though for the West Ham game, and it also looks unlikely that either Mark Bresciano (despite him training with us) or a new 'keeper will arrive before the season opener.

A look ahead to the new season

What a turnaround a couple of months makes. From early talk of season tickets not being renewed and the possibility of another dour season with a couple of Bosman reinforcements the only additions to a depleted squad comes a new season of hope and promise, with a brand new owner awash with bucketloads of cash (along with a questionable background) and a manager with a proven international and domestic pedigree who has already added some undoubted quality and potential to a squad that whilst depleted, was not without some quality.

For a long time over the summer months, it was still unsure whether the takeover would be completed, which left everyone in a state of limbo, but now Eriksson has quietly begun to assemble a squad which should be easily capable of challenging the top half of the table.

The losses of Barton and Distin were an undoubted blow, and whilst it was inevitable that Barton was allowed to leave I still have the sense of disappointment that Distin walked - and perhaps wished he had given another year to see the undoubted difference that will be made (on and off the pitch) this season but departures of largely squad players Weaver, Reyna, Beasley and Jordan will perhaps not be missed as much given the ability to recruit far more easily than under the Pearce regime.

Eriksson - without managing to land a true 'knock-out' signing, has added well with quality in Martin Petrov, Elano and Geovanni, and the captures of Rolando Bianchi, Valeri Bojinov and Gelson Fernandes augment well for the future. Undoubtedly Eriksson will continue to add further to the squad, and boding well for us is that he doesn't appear to be rushed into any panic buying as managers are sometimes wont given a narrowing transfer window and pots of cash at their disposal.

There have been plenty of backroom changes as well with Eriksson bringing trusted sidekick Tord Grip to the club in an 'overseer' role and the experienced Hans Backe as assistant manager. Gone are Steve Wigley and Greg Rioch (following on from late season departures Frank Bunn and Tim Flowers) but Kenny Jackett and Derek Fazackerley are holdovers from previous regimers.

Eriksson was much maligned in his time as England manager as being negative and too one-dimensional wit a reluctance to deviate from the 4-4-2 formation. But, perhaps he was largely hamstrung by trying to fit certain over-hyped players into a line-up but at City he will be able to add players he covets and appears to have a young an energetic squad at his disposal with the average age plummeting from last season.

Andreas Isaksson begins the season as number 1, albeit being sidelined for a short time with a hand injury. He has beaten off the challenge of Nicky Weaver who has moved onto Charlton but rumours persist that Eriksson is looking to add another 'keeper to challenge Isaksson. Kaspar Schmeichel's desire for first team football may see him leave to pastures new, leaving Joe Hart in possession of the number 2 spot.

Despite adding defensively recently, the loss of Sylvain Distin will undoubtedly be felt. Along with Richard Dunne he was undoubtedly the most consistent performer the past few seasons and their partnership was one of the leagues best. Nedum Onouha appears to have shaken off his injury troubles but Eriksson felt the need to go out and add Croatian defender Verdan Corluka.

Micah Richards is set to break out even more this season following off-season surgery, whilst Michael Ball will likely be beaten out by Spaniard Javier Garrido with Sun Jihai's versatility providing useful cover across the defence and midfield.

Danny Mills has been allowed to move on whilst it may not be long before Matt Mills could be headed to the exit.

Potentially, the midfield could see a whole new look this season with Eriksson bringing in a host of new faces. The relatively experienced trio of Petrov, Elano and Geovanni will be counted upon to make an immediate impact - with Petrov in particular impressing during pre-season. Fears that both Michael Johnson and Stephen Ireland may be frozen out appear to be unfounded as both have seen plenty of action under Eriksson so far along with fellow youngster Gelson Fernandes.

Despite his off-pitch misdemeanours, Barton was the key cog in midfield last season and was a much improved creative spark (and finished the season as top scorer) and his presence and energy in the middle will be sorely missed but if Mark Bresciano arrives from Palermo this will go some way to replacing him, however, veteran Didi Hamman may see much reduced time this time around, even given the possibility of Ousmane Dabo's departure.

A particular problem area last season, and another which has been overhauled this campaign. Both Giorgios Samaras and Bernard Corradi will be hoping for turnaround seasons after enduring poor seasons during 2006/07 and have had fairly bright pre-seasons - Corradi moreso.

Emile Mpenza weighed in with some important goals after he signed in January, but it remains to be seen what role he will have following the new arrivals Rolando Bianchi and Valeri Bojinov who have both arrived from Serie A and whilst still both young, they arrive with strong reputations and will expected to contribute immediately.

Youngsters Kelvin Etuhu and Daniel Sturridge may have both been pushed a little down the pecking order but are highly touted and will likely see some loan action elsewhere this season but I expect Paul Dickov time at the club to be all but over, assuming there are any takers for him.

Pundits have not tipped us to do well this season - either they are wary of all the changes and upheaval we have undergone or their is an underlying anti-City/Eriksson/Shinawatra agenda. There has been a sense of realism at the club though with people involved talking about this being a transition season and it is really the 2008/09 campaign where expectations on the pitch will have to begin to match the progress made off it.

Clearly we are not about to gatecrash the top four this season and there look to be (more settled) sides more capable of occupying the UEFA positions but I am yet to be convinced that the Premiership overall is getting better and better as the seasons go by.

Much of the new Premiership TV money is being spent by sides keen to improve yet none seem to have made significant strides over anyone else, with several players being recycled amongst mid-table sides.

I don't for one minute envisage we will come anywhere close to the threat of relegation seen last season and despite a toughish looking start on paper we will be more than good enough to always feature in the top-half of the Premiership.

With every preview that I have done on here I have stressed there is an opportunity to make an impact if we can get a strong start, or put consistent ten game spells together - yet this is something that we have always failed to do in recent times. It will take Eriksson time to shape the side into how we wants and there will be bumps along the way, but as much as anything else, fans will want to see performances this season which will generate excitement and hope - both of which have been sorely lacking in recent times.

Predicted league position - 9th

League Cup - 4th round

FA Cup - 6th round

Top scorer - Rolando Bianchi

Player of the season - Martin Petrov

Wildest prediction of the summer

...Has to be this one from Marcello Lippi:

“The big English improver is Manchester City. Rolando
Bianchi can make his name in the Premiership. They are ready to compete for the
English title.”

Trio up for sale

Manchester City have revealed they have made Ousmane Dabo,
Danny Mills and Paul Dickov available for transfer.

-Sky Sports.

Although Eriksson was praising Mills' professionalism, he admitted it was time for him to move on and the club also announced they are open to offers for both Dabo and Dickov - both of whom would also have been peripheral figures at best this season, as evidenced by The Telegraph's analysis of their 2006/07 campaigns.

It is no surprise that any of the three are being pointed towards the exit door as Dabo and Dickov were brought in last summer when times were more frugal and we were limited in who we could bring in to the club, whilst Mills has been overtaken in the pecking order by Onouha and Richards.

It is all very well though listing these players, but whether there will be any serious takers is a different matter. Whilst all three will be solid enough players at a lower level, their wages would likely be prohibitive to many interested sides and it maybe that we have to allow them to leave for no more than a nominal fee in order to facilitate a move.

City 0 Valencia 1

CITY failed their Spanish inquisition but as far as
Sven-Goran Eriksson is concerned, their pre-season ended on a positive note.A
10th minute goal from Silva, courtesy of mistakes from Gelson Fernandes and
Kasper Schmeichel, was enough to see the Thomas Cook Trophy winging its way back
to the Costa del Azahar.The Blues did hit the bar twice but were never able to
dominate the Champions League hopefuls who left their superstar David Villa on
the bench.Even so Eriksson was far from downcast."We matched Valencia, one of
the best teams in Europe. I thought we played as well as they did and created
more chances than them," he observed though the pace of the game was hardly that
of a full-blooded encounter."We had five new players out there, two of them have
not played for us at all in pre-season and don't speak English, so if you take
that into consideration then it was good."

-MEN match report.

I was away cricketing at the weekend so wasn't at the game but from media reports and (probably more accurately) first-hand reports from people I know who went it suggested that it was very much as expected with it being a bit hit and miss with the side having barely played together at all, so the overall result is far less important than the fact the players had (albeit brief) time to gel.

A shame we haven't got another pre-season coming up this midweek to give futher opportunity prior to the opening day game at West Ham - perhaps one plus being that they are also a side who have picked up a fair amount of new players close to the start of the season.

Looking round on YouTube, it seems DPercussion wasn't the only succesful event held in the city last Saturday:

League of nations

Looking at the players who featured on Saturday, it must rank as the most cosmopolitan side ever put out by the club, featuring players from no less than xx countries:

Schmeichel, Onuoha (Sun 62), Dunne, Richards, Garrido, Elano (Geovanni 46), Johnson (Hamann 73), Fernandes (Corradi 73), Petrov, Ireland, Bianchi.

By my reckoning, we had the following representation from the following countries - Denmark, China, England (x3), Ireland (x2), Spain, Brazil (x2), Germany, Switzerland, Italy (x2) and Bulgaria.
Not included in the line-up were players from Sweden, France, Belgium and Croatia.

Not everyone is best pleased though with the diverse touch that has been brought to the club:

"Sven has had an opportunity to look at plenty of
English players during his time with the national side.
"He said we could
win the World Cup and that we had great players coming through from the
Under-21s - yet none of the players he has signed is English.
"He must have
worked with around 50 England players. Perhaps that shows what he thinks of
English football."

Now I stopped giving this consideration as soon as I realised it had come from the mouth of John Barnes - a supremely talented footballer, but as a pundit (not to mention manager) is severely lacking.

Yes, Eriksson did work with some talented players whilst England manager but didn't these predominantly come from those clubs who have occupied the top five positions in the Premiership - and not one to put us down, are unlikely to make a move to ourselves (at this time anyway).

Other young English talent transferred this summer that we could have acquired? The likes of Kieron Richardson, David Nugent and (soon to move) Leighton Baines - all average Premiership players who are commanding fees of £6 million plus. We have also been linked with Scott Carson (I would personally go for Marco Amelia) for a similar fee today - are these players really worth signing for that money over the players that Eriksson has brought in?

Clever football

Phil over at Soccer Shout has set up a new venture - cleverfootball.com which is basically a social network for football fans, 'to provide a fun place for football fans to come and do stuff to enhance the experience of following the game'.

For anyone interested in this sort of thing, hop on over and take a look around.

Now for the departures?

Sven Goran-Eriksson was talking further today at the press conference introducing the new quartet, and was enthusing amongst other things about how the players have settled into the squad, and also regarding Petrov's debut at Shrewsbury.

Perhaps not fully finished with bringing players in as it seems he wants genuine competition with two players fighting for each spot, although I have a feeling that this could be it until January with only perhaps one more arrival between now and the end of the window but he did hint that there could now be players heading towards the exit door:

“If it goes on like this we will need two training pitches!
Today we had 27 outfield players and three goalkeepers – that’s too much and we
have to think about want to do about that.”

I think Eriksson clearly had players in mind when he took the job but most certainly identified others once he got to grips with the squad and began to see who he did and didn't think could do a job or have a future.

All of the squad (apart from those who are injured) have tasted action during pre-season and it does not appear there is a log-jam at certain positions, with whilst short on overall quality depth is certainly not an issue in attack and central midfield also looks to be congested.

Rumours of departures for Samaras, Vassell and Mills & Mills have been mooted in the press recently. For me, I think Samaras warrants further investment in him and cutting him loose at this stage would be a mistake but Vassell and Mills & Mills don't offer anything in the 'new era'.

I also think that both Hamman and Dabo could be on their way if a bid came in for them - but does that really appear likely and they may get to hang around as squad depth, whilst the same fate probably awaits Dickov and possibly Sun-Jihai.

Young Kaspar Schmeichel has again been linked with a permanent move away, and Joe Hart looks to be the back-up to Isaksson at the moment with suggestions Eriksson could look to bring in another keeper. It would be disappointing to lose Schmeichel but from what I have read he is keen on playing regular football.

Whilst Eriksson has generally added young players to the squad, apart from Gelson Fernandes none appear to be long-term 'projects' so should all be competing for starting positions from the word go, which (although at an early stage) could spell the end for a number of the holdovers from the Stuart Pearce era.

Barton charged with assault

The Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton has been charged with
assault following his alleged training-ground bust-up with former team-mate
Ousmane Dabo. Barton, who is claimed to have attacked Dabo at the end of last
season when he was still at Manchester City, was formally charged with assault
by police after answering bail in Manchester today.

- The Guardian.

Not an entirely surprising story, but perhaps pleasing that it is someone else's problem now rather than ours and just serves as a reminder as to just how much progress has been made with the squad over the past month given what a huge hole his transfer appeared to create in the midfield, not to mention his status as top goalscorer last season

Manchester City buy - erm everybody !

Triple signing news !!!! (how long have i waited to say that)

In Chronological order :

Javi Garrido - 22 yr old left back from Real Sociedads

Verdan Corluka - Centre/Right Back from Dinamo Zagreb

Elano - Midfielder 8million from Skaktar Dontesk - hailed by Dunga 'the symbol of the new brazil'

Official Site keep pressing refresh Valeri Bojinov is bound to pop up in a minute or two.

Strange feeling of excitement a bit of giddyness , this is all very un-city like. Fortunately im on holiday next week and will come back to Warnock in charge or something like that and feel a bit more normal ??

Viva La Sven !

Update:

Valeri Bojinov talks about his move here ("I'm disappointed but life goes on") and here ("I'd like to thank Mr Eriksson for this transfer"), and the official City site rounds up what was surely the busiest day news wise we have had for sometime.

Profiles of the new arrivals are over at purelymancity.com

Shrewsbury 0 City 2

A game of two halves last night then as Sven swapped his entire starting line-up at half time to give the majority of his new squad an outing ahead of the tougher test this Saturday against Valencia.

Match reports suggested Martin Petrov was the pick of the bunch, whilst Corradi again got on the scoresheet, and Paul Dickov notched what I believe was his first goal since re-joining the club.

Reports:

mcfc.co.uk
blueandamber.co.uk
MEN

match photos

Bojinov arrives, more to follow

Fiorentina striker Valeri Bojinov has reportedly joined
Manchester City in a deal worth around £5m.The Bulgarian hitman has been
unsettled since the arrival of Christian Vieri at the Stadio Artemio Franchi
which left him unlikely to make many appearances in the coming campaign.Ex-Lazio
boss Sven Goran Eriksson’s raid on Serie A continues having already signed
Rolando Bianchi from Reggina this summer and allegedly tabled a £7m offer for
Juventus’ Giorgio Chiellini.It is believed that the Sky Blues have upped their
offer by around £1m to reach an agreement with the Viola with Bojinov receiving
around £1m per season for four years."I have to thank Eriksson who insisted on
signing me," the 21-year-old told Fiorentinanews.it. "This is a great chance for
me."I want to also thank the fans at Lecce, Fiorentina and Juventus, but after
everything that has happened in Italy I think it's best to go abroad."

-channel4.co.uk

Big day for rumoured signings with Elano and Corluka also heavily linked, but so far Bojinov appears the only confirmed one (although not in the English media but Fiorentina's site is covering it).

If, as Mr Banks suggested to me today, the new signings will be paraded signing the obligatory contract on the pitch before the Valencia game, it is shaping up to be a very long table indeed.