Bitter and Blue: September 2008

Monday, September 29, 2008

Wigan 2 City 1

One of the areas which we fell down on (particularly over the second half) last season was going to places where we went to what was classed 'on paper' as a lesser side, and came away with either a draw or defeat.

Despite a change in management since then, on the basis of yesterday (plus the Carling Cup defeat) we appear no nearer to solving this problem.

Although possessing a pacy and fluid looking attacking line-up, it was Wigan who outperformed us in the respect with Palacios and Valenica providing energetic support to the excellent front pairing of Heskey, and particularly Zaki, who gave Dunne and Richards a particularly unpleasant afternoon.

It is our defence that is causing concern for me, as although we have notched clean sheets, we do have a propensity to leak goals and the solid axis of Richards and Dunne is struggling to get back to the levels seen this time last year whilst Garrido continues to struggle. A plus point at the back was Zabaleta though, proving why Hughes rated him so highly and was prepared to let Corluka go.

Once we went 2-1 down, we struggled to really impose ourselves on the game, with key players being drawn out of position and unable to find the right ball when it mattered, against a side that were impressive, although it has to be said benefited from the best of the refereeing decisions.

Theatrcial fall aside, I am inclined to agree with Jack in believing it probably was a penalty - with the almost comical leap probably detracting from serious debate about the merits of the award, but if there is enough doubt present when forced to make a decision, the referee should not have made that decision.

It perhaps was a test yesterday, as looking at the results from the weekend, the likes of West Ham, Liverpool and Chelsea all had tricky looking fixtures, but came away with three points - something we are not doing at the moment and a worry further down the season - especially when we are coming off the back of midweek games.

Something for Mark Hughes to definitely ponder as we really start to get into the season now.

Reports

Wigan overcame Manchester City in a pulsating game at the JJB Stadium which saw yet another controversial penalty. >>bbc sport.

The winners were bound to be a cosmopolitan group of capable footballers, no matter which team had the better of it. There should no longer be much surprise that it is Wigan who take the points in a game of this sort. >>guardian.co.uk.

Overwhelming winners against Portsmouth a week ago and brought back to earth by Brighton in the Carling Cup, City were reminded that any side with top-four ambitions need to take on opponents as physical as Wigan and not come away empty-handed. >>independent.co.uk

At times here, Robinho resembled a little boy who had strayed into an international track and field meet. Whenever the lithe Brazilian tried to join in the races, he was almost run over by athletic Hondurans, Ecuadorians, Egyptians and Englishmen in blue and white stripes. Robinho did not need to be told he was playing Wigan Athletic. >>telegraph.co.uk

guardian minute by minute report

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Wigan open thread

An open thread for anyone who wants to comment about today's game at Wigan.

The days best City links 09/28/2008

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Wigan prediction

A tricky fixture awaits in store as we look to bounce back from the midweek Carling Cup exit, as we make the short journey to the JJB Stadium and attempt to secure our first Premier League victory over Wigan.

We are, in fact, their most favoured Premier League opponent, having won more times, gained more points and scored more goals against us than any other opponent since the arrival in the top flight.

It certainly won’t be an easy fixture, despite our recent goal fest in the league, as Wigan under Steve Bruce have performed well and he has assembled a useful side with the summer additions brought into the club.

The much-maligned Emile Heskey has played well of late, whilst the Egyptian, Zaki, has impressed in his brief time at the club, whilst Wilson Palacios is a strong presence from midfield.
Although, they have only one win under their belt, they have played well so far, and have been tight in defence, whilst they put 5 goals past Hull on their recent travels.

Expect the players rested in midweek to come back into the side, but one decision Mark Hughes may face is whether to stick with the fit-again Michael Johnson – if so, likely at the expense of Elano.

There have been times where a point would have been a good return from this fixture, but with raised expectations, three points should be what we are looking for, and I expect us to achieve that with a 2-1 win.

Friday, September 26, 2008

The days best City links 09/26/2008

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Brighton 2 City 2 (aet, Brighton win 5-3 on penalties)

Mark Hughes said his players lacked professionalism
after his Manchester City millionaires were humiliated by hard-up Brighton in
the Carling Cup.
City went home with some thinking to do after the League
One side came through on penalties after securing a dramatic 2-2 draw at the
Withdean Stadium.

"There is a lot of focus on us at the moment but I
don't know if I'm more embarrassed than angry. "We should have been professional
enough to have seen it through."

"We are disappointed because we had a strong enough
team out there to have won this game and I thought we looked very comfortable in
the second half," (but) we missed chances after taking the lead. Once it goes to
penalties it can go either away so we mustn't dwell on this result but you never
want to go out of any competition."

>>bbc sport

And once again we fall at the graveyard hurdle that is round 2 of this competition (see previous years at Chesterfield and Doncaster), and there really is no excuse for the defeat and Hughes’s comments above explain it as well as I (or anyone else) could do.

Despite the team being shorn of a handful of first-choice players, changes were not as a wholesale as I expected, and with Robinho and Wright-Phillips not present, this was not far off what would have been classed a full-strength side not too long ago.

Mitigation could be provided by the fact that some players who came into the side were lacking match sharpness (as already seen in early UEFA games this season), coupled with a change in formation, but really that is stretching things to suggest these as deciding factors.

Despite our recent impressive form, match reports don’t suggest complacency or a lack of respect in our approach, so Hughes’s assertion that ‘we should have been professional enough to have seen it through’ is therefore likely spot on – particularly so since we let a 1-0 lead slip so late in the game.

Although we have a heavy fixture list ahead, I don’t subscribe to the view this could be a blessing in disguise in terms of reducing the fixture congestion, given that we surely had a reasonable shot at winning the competition – with lifting a trophy very much on the agenda now.

The only plus point perhaps we can take from the game is that it does perhaps temper the wild enthusiasm that has been building the past couple of weeks, and provide a reality check that despite the progress made in recent times, we are still some way off where we need to be.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Robinho to elevate the current squad

Robinho – and the effect he has on all around him – is the reason for that. Hughes also told a story yesterday about the scene in the Manchester City dressing room before the Chelsea match which captured the excitement and self belief he has engendered. "He was doing tricks with the ball in the dressing-room and all the guys were applauding him. So, straightaway, he won them over," Hughes said. "Good Premier League players look at top players coming in to their club and view it as a challenge. Players are quickly looking to see if another player is as good as people say he is. 'Will he help us to win games?' The answer is he will do. And players are responding."

>>independent.co.uk

A lot has been written since the takeover regards the fact that the current squad will likely feel alienated or a sense of disatisfaction at the prospect of a raft of new arrivals set to take their place in the side.

An interestingly little story from Mark Hughes and perhaps does hopefully placate those fears and illustrate that the opposite is true, and that the current squad will elavate their own game with the likes of Robinho joining the squad, rather than simply giving up the fight.

More on the takeover

The takeover was officially confirmed yesterday, and the new ownership (or Chairman at least) filled the sports pages of the all the press yesterday, outlining their plans for the club (with a statement posted on the mcfc.co.uk), discussing in particular the Academy, transfer targets and Mark Hughes's role (describing him as an honest man, a leader').

As I posted previously, the statements we have seen recently have been noticeable for the reticence and more reserved tone than those which eminated in the immediate aftermath of the takeover announcement.

Particularly striking was their backing for Hughes and Garry Cook:

"Mark Hughes is as good as they get and we are backing him all the way," the new chairman, Khaldoon al Mubarak, said yesterday. "One thing I have made very clear to Mark is that any player he wants comes from him. I'm a fan, not an expert. It is Mark who runs the club and Mark who will make the football decisions. We are here to support and make financial decisions, but we are not here to teach Mark or [the executive chairman] Garry Cook what to do.
"They are the professionals, we trust them, we have confidence in them and we are going to support them. We are here to learn. There is a dynasty here in the making. But once owners start thinking they know better than the coach, it's a recipe for disaster."

Whilst no doubt they will have their own ideas and plans for the club - particularly for in terms of recouping their investment, it is pleasing to see that it does appear that the new ownership are a sensible lot in terms of their immediate expectations and also their backing for the current management (club and playing side), and a breath of fresh air following the nonesense that was by and large seen during Thaksin's reign.

The days best City links 09/24/2008

Brighton preview

Contrasting fortunes for both sides heading into this game, as whilst we head down to Brighton buoyant on the back of a 6-0 thrashing of Portsmouth, Brighton, on the other hand, come into the tie on the back of a 1-0 defeat to Walsall – who were reduced to nine men with an hour of the game remaining, something Micky Adams readily acknowledged:

"The disappointment of Saturday has to take care of itself.
There's no time to sulk. It's going to be a strong Man City side - even if you
look at their bench. It's a big ask for us but we've got a chance."

Given that next week we face the second leg against AC Omonia sandwiched between the games against Wigan and Liverpool, I think it is certain that Mark Hughes will seize the opportunity to give the night off to those players who have featured regularly so far.

Expect then the likes of Schmeichel, Glauber, Ben Haim, Gelson, Johnson, Etuhu, Sturridge and Evans to start, and whilst we have slipped up on more than one occasion in the past at this stage of the competition, with the big guns likely to be on the bench, we should be able to weather anything Brighton can throw at us.

The Carling Cup has had a renaissance of sorts in recent times, with some of the sides who used to treat the competition with little more than disdain, now seeming to take the competition more seriously.

This season we do have plenty on our plate – particularly if we secure our passage to the group stages in the UEFA Cup, but a victory here gives us a 3rd round tie against Derby, which is evidently winnable, we have the platform at least to make a good run at going deep this year.

Prediction. 3-1 to City. A comfortable nights work.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

The days best City links 09/23/2008

Wright-Phillips answers the questions

When Shaun Wright-Phillips re-signed for us, I raised certain concerns that I had regarding the move, raising the (valid) questions as to how motivated Wright-Phillips still was following his spell at Chelsea where he cut a marginal figure, and one who appeared to have lost his zest for the game.

I argued that if he still had that fire and passion inside of him, it would be a great signing for us, but if not, it would be potentially be a bad move given the lack of confidence shown by him at Stamford Bridge.

Largely overshadowed by the expensive, more glamorous signing of Robinho, Wright-Phillips has nevertheless been instrumental for us, from his two goals on debut at Sunderland to his goal and fantastic all round contribution yesterday in the victory over Portsmouth.

His play has encapsulated the verve and vibrancy that we have shown in recent games, and Wright-Phillips has played with the trademark smile on his face and amongst other impressive candidates, has arguably been our best player and a key component in the formation that Hughes has deployed, providing the pace and width on the right we so badly needed.

Just a handful of games into this second spell with us, for me, he has answered any questions that I had.

Monday, September 22, 2008

City 6 Portsmouth 0

Mark Hughes talked of this victory as having set a standard, and if this performance is the measure on which we will now be judged then the bar has been raised to unprecedented levels.

It was such an impressive performance, not just for the result but the manner in which we tore apart a side who on paper are a side withhave similar aspirations to ourselves, and a game that was difficult to call heading into kick-off - something that Hughes readily acknowledged himself.

Portsmouth were abject - particularly so in defence, but the movement that we showed in attack was so impressive. The space that was created, the vision and pace in which we moved with was evident the whole game.

Following the signing of Robinho, I did speculate that Elano may be the odd man out, but Hughes so far has played a very attacking looking line-up, which has accomodated him into the side.

Whether Hughes continues to adopt this formation remains to be seen (particularly when Petrov returns to fitness), but we are certainly looing impressive going forward and this week has been a huge positive in particular for Jo, who now seems to be finding his feet having returned from the Olympics after the season had begun.

Stephen Ireland has also been an integral feature of the side in recent times, and whilst he has been frustrating at times, maybe he is now finding a position that really brings out his qualities and hopefully he can become the player he has so often threatened, and his passing today was on par with any of the Brazilians.

There have been times - even under Sven last season, where we struggled to break down sides (mainly at home) who adopt a defensive, safety first outlook, but with the players we have at our disposal now, there is the quality there can unlock defences and pick sides apart.

With the takeover set to be completed tomorrow, there is a real degree of positivity around the club and there is a real expectation created as to what could be achieved - both long term and the more immediate future.

Reports

Swaggering Manchester City turned on the style with a devastating display of attacking football to crush Portsmouth at a buoyant Eastlands. >>bbc sport

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan picked the wrong day to inject realism into his £200m takeover of Manchester City. >>guardian.co.uk

MANCHESTER City's new owners were treated to a stunning performance from the Blues as Portsmouth were thrashed at Eastlands. >>MEN

There was a samba beat to City’s performance, with a trio of Brazilians – Elano, Jô and Robinho, looking every inch a £34.2 million player – impressing, but as if to underline the importance of investment in youth to the club’s new owners, it was Stephen Ireland and Shaun Wright-Phillips, two products of one of the best academies in the business, who stole the show. >>times online

The money arrives for sure tomorrow, when Manchester City is placed formally in Arab hands and the fans who have found a new use for tea towels can be sure they will not wake up to find it has all been a dream. But here was how their new world really might be. >>independent.co.uk

As a spectacle and as an indicator of something deep and long-lasting in football, this was a far more significant match than the foul-tempered stalemate at Stamford Bridge. >>telegraph.co.uk

The days best City links 09/22/2008

Takeover confirmed

Following the announcement on 1st September 2008, relating to the potential investment in Manchester City Football Club Ltd by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan and his group, the Club is delighted to confirm that the process of due diligence has now been concluded by all appropriate parties. As a result of the conclusion of negotiations and all related contracts, the purchase of the football club from UK Sports Investments Ltd (UKSIL) has been finalised and the formal change of ownership of the football club will take place on Tuesday 23rd September 2008 and a further statement will be issued in due course.

>>mcfc.co.uk

Since the stories that first eminated in the wake of the takeover, we have seen a real change in terms of the potential approach from the new owners.

Far more emphasis has now been placed on talk of the Academy, and building on the existing foundations that are in place as opposed to grandiose plans of wantonly throwing millions of pounds in the hope of assembling a galaxy of world stars.

Given the seismic changes that the club has undergone in recent weeks, and the potential possibilities now open to us, it is imperative that there is strong management in place, and reports do suggest that the new ownership have been impressed with Mark Hughes and have no plans to replace him.

This is a good move for me, as from the short period of time that Hughes has been in charge he has been impressive in how he is handling the role, in what is in all honesty a huge step up for him in terms of his time at Blackburn.

He of course lacks experience, but definitely displays strong leadership. He will be undoubtedly tested but does seem to have what it takes to succeed and is very much his own man so could be the perfect choice for what is a crucial position, and dare I say it, a better option than Sven would have been?

Sunday, September 21, 2008

The days best City links 09/21/2008

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Portsmouth prediction

Back to league action following the midweek victory in Cyprus, and with qualification to the UEFA group stages likely, the games are going to start coming thick and fast, testing the squad and Mark Hughes's management skills in the process.

Portsmouth were also involved in UEFA action, but have an advantage in that their fixture was played at home whilst we had a fair distance to travel back from so how the players recover will be crucial.

Team wise, Michael Johnson is still expected to be ruled out, along with Martin Petrov but I don't think we will see too many changes from Thursday night given that this is a crucial fixture for us.

Portsmouth stumbled out of the blocks this season, and were a little shot shy in the process, but go into this game looking for their third straight win with dangerman Jermaine Defoe bang in form. They will be difficult opponents and this will be a good test for us and a barometer as to how the side is beginning to shape up under Hughes.

Prediction wise it is a difficult one to and you could argue a case for any result tomorrow, but I'm going to go with the fact that as once again we should see a good atmosphere, this will tip the advantage in our favour for a 2-1 victory.

Friday, September 19, 2008

The days best City links 09/19/2008

Thursday, September 18, 2008

The days best City links 09/18/2008

Manchester City takeover nears completion as Abu Dhabi investors give backing to Mark Hughes - Premier League football - Telegraph
tags: City

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

AC Omonia preview

A big pair of games coming up for us in this competition as a win in this tie will see us qualify for the group stages, and realistically we should start as definite favourites, and having switched the initial home leg to Cyprus, I think we will fare far better at home in the second leg knowing what we have to do to progress.

Having scraped past FC Midtjylland, it is hoped that with almost ten games under our belt in all competitions this season we should be upto full speed now, so should be far better placed to avoid slipping up.

AC Omonia have a very good history, winning the Cypriot championship 19 times - dominating in the 1970's and 1980's, and qualified for this stage of the UEFA Cup by knocking out Greek side AEK Athens.

Martin Petrov is still ruled out for us, and although Michael Johnson has travelled, he is still doubtful. Mark Hughes has spoken of the need to rotate the squad this season but I don't see it here - with the Carling Cup tie at Brighton next week an ideal opportunity for the fringe and younger players.

Defensively, we will need to be strong as I expect, as the home side, Omonia will test us. Patience will be a key also, and we have to be careful not to be too reckless so it may be that Hughes does play a line-up with a slightly less attacking formation to it.

I don't see problems for us though, and with a good following expected, I'll take us to come away with a 2-0 victory.

Johnson pens new deal

Michael Johnson has signed a new five-year deal at Manchester City that will keep him at Eastlands until 2013.

The 20-year-old England Under-21 international midfielder has ended months of speculation that he may be set to leave the club.

>>bbc sport

No real shock here, as despite the summer speculation linking him with a move away from the club I doubt Johnson ever considered a move away from the club, and it does seem that whenever contract talks are not swiftly concluded it immediately means a player is set to depart.

All nonesense of course, and I would have expected an earlier announcement but for the recent takeover which no doubt took precedence with the top brass.

It is surprising to me that Johnson's star appears to have waned in the eyes of some City fans towards the end of last seasom, with the 'overrated' tag being applied no sooner than he was annointed as the new Colin Bell.

With a plethora of attacking players in our squad now, for me Johnson has a vital role to play as the bridge between the attacking players and the more defensive minded midfielders (one or two of Kompany, Hamman and Gelson)

The days best City links 09/17/2008

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Ronaldo no-go but plenty set to arrive

"We had shown a past interest in bringing the player to the football club in the right circumstances and spoke to him and his representatives," admitted a club spokesperson. "However, we have chosen not to pursue the matter."

>>guardian.co.uk

All this of course after Ronaldo had talked publicly about the offer we had made, declaring it the 'best project' he had received.

Everything that has been in the press regarding the 'Ronaldo to City' stories has eminated either from Ronaldo or his representatives, leading me to believe it is more Ronaldo touting for a last big pay day, perhaps why the club have sought to put a lid on the speculation.

I'm sure that prior to the takeover, Ronaldo was a player that was seriously considered by Thaksin as his 'blockbuster' signing, but now that the new owners have come in (along with Robinho), the quality we have and our standing have increased - perhaps why Ronaldo's interest has pricked up.

A pay as you play deal could be something to consider, as if he can get himself fit he could still be a force, but the risk involved is surely too high to gamble, and the additional problem you have is that there then becomes a further distraction to the club and players, particularly for the other Brazilian's in the squad.

Looking at Ronaldo's career, it does seem a shame that when history looks back on his achievements, it will be for the injuries (and subsequent weight problems as a result), rather than for the wonderful talent he possessed, in my view putting him on par with Zidane as players of that particular era.

Something else that was discussed on the Football Weekly podcast (and that Jack @ tldorc has also mentioned) was by Rafael Honigstein who declared that it was widely known within the world of football agents that a list of 10-15 players had been put together by the club with a view to making a series of signings. On the list included David Villa, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Klaus-Jan Huntelaar and Mario Gomes - with Huntelaar and Gomes receiving serious offers before the most recent deadline.

An interesting feature of all the 'lists' that are being touted around are that they are full of strikers and attacking midfielders, when perhaps most apparant (certainly from Saturday against Chelsea) is that most pressing is seemingly the need for a dominant midfielder and world-class defensive additions.

The days best City links 09/16/2008

Monday, September 15, 2008

The days best City links 09/15/2008

Sunday, September 14, 2008

City 1 Chelsea 3 - links to match reports, pictures and goals

In the end, it was a reminder for the Premier League's newest billionaires not to get too far ahead of themselves. >>guardian.co.uk

Eastlands was ready to party. Supporters were decked in Robinho shirts and arab head-dresses to mark the twin arrival at Manchester City of Britain's most expensive footballer and the wealth of the Abu Dhabi royal family. Then an icy blast of reality hit them. >>independent.co.uk

MANCHESTER City's new-found wealth could not prevent defeat at the hands of Chelsea despite a debut goal for Brazilian star Robinho. >>MEN

It will take a lot more than one brilliant Brazilian to overturn the Premier League hierarchy. Robinho may have made a thrilling debut in English football, opening the scoring with a deflected free-kick, but ultimately this game merely underlined that the team he spurned are still a marker of excellence for any incalculably rich owner. >>telegraph.co.uk

A necessary reminder that Chelsea are much better than us. Maybe five years after our takeover we'll be this good, but for the time being we are not serious contenders. >>the lonesome death of roy carroll

Despite a dream start for £32.5 million forward Robinho, who opened the scoring with a sensational free-kick, Chelsea gave Manchester City's new Arab owners a lesson in what a team with title ambitions really looks like to spoil the party atmosphere. >>telegraph.co.uk

Forget Ronaldinho and Messi, if Manchester City's new owners really want a player to take the Premier League by storm then Frank Lampard is their man. >>sunday mirror

Robinho marked his Manchester City debut with a goal - but Chelsea spoiled the party with an impressive win to stay top of the Premier League. >>bbc.co.uk

guardian.co.uk minute by minute report

times online minute by minute report

guardian.co.uk picture gallery

video of all four goals

City 1 Chelsea 3 - player ratings

Hart - Solid overall, with one or two shaky mometnts. Could not be faulted for the goals. 6

Zabaleta - Difficult debut. Overrun at times by Chelsea's attacking play. Positive going forward. 6

Ball - Like Zabaleta, struggled without much support. Will surely not feature long term. 6

Richards - Strong and solid after his injury, but dodged a penalty with a foul on Anelka. 7

Dunne - Strong in the air, but ill at ease at times against the pace and precision of Chelsea. 5

Kompany - The 'shield' in front of the defence. A strong player with leadership qualities. 7

Hamman - Without Johnson did not have many options to link with the attack. 6

Wright-Phillips - Started brightly and linked well with Robinho. Over-elaborate in the second half. 7

Ireland - Best player in the first half. Fell away late and lacked confidence in front of goal. 7

Robinho - Very good debut. Has the tricks but linked with the team well. Great free kick. 8

Jo - Link up play was impressive, is strong on the ball and has a good touch. Lack of goals could be a problem. 7

Subs:

Gelson - Replaced Hamman and offered more energy. 6

Sturridge - Qualities are obvious and will be a good impact player from the bench. 6

City 1 Chelsea 3

Whilst the gulf in finances may be in our favour, yesterday was an example that we still have some way to go to bridge the gulf in quality between ourselves and the upper echelon of the Premier League.

The day started so well, with a carnival atmosphere around and in the ground to herald the arrival of Robinho. The £32.5 million Brazilian made his debut, replacing Michael Johnson in the line-up and giving the line-up a very positive feel and the game kicked amidst a party-like atmosphere.

For the first quarter of an hour we took the game to Chelsea, with Robinho always looking to be involved and the visitors perhaps starting a little cautiously. It was on the quarter hour mark that we took the lead as, inevitably, Robinho struck a free-kick with the aid of a slight deflection beyond the stranded Cech.

The euphoria only lasted a few minutes though as Chelsea struck back from a set piece. A goalward header rebounding fortunately off Joe Cole straight into the path of Carvalho who fired passed the helpless Hart.

Although 1-1 at half-time, Chelsea's intentions were clear to see and they could have gone into the break ahead and they started the second half with equal purpose. They took the lead with a goal from Frank Lampard after some neat play in the build up before a smart finish allowed him to strike beyond Hart into the far corner.

A glorious opportunity to pull back to 2-2 was squandered when a counter attack caught Chelsea cold, but a poor pass from Wright-Phillips checked Ireland's run on goal and allowed Chelsea to block a shot which really should have put us level.

We would not get another opportunity in the game, as Anelka left Dunne static to latch onto Cole's through ball to poke past Hart and take the points, making Chelsea odds on favourites for the Premier League in the progress.

There was time late on for the inconsistent Mark Halsey to show John Terry a straight red for a professional foul, which was a poor decision given the proximity of the passage of play to goal and one which I imagine will be overturned.

Not quite a reality check then as some in the press have made it to be, but more an indication of how strong Chelsea can be this season, and with the quality available in our ranks we will be too strong for most sides in this league over the course of the season but talk of the top four may be premature.

Robinho impressed yesterday, and his quality was there for all to see. Lacking match sharpness, he was still able to have a big impact on the game. Always looking for the ball, he picked the right option in terms of passing and involving other players. He has an abundance of tricks, but did not use them needlessly, only when the situation demanded.

Linking well with Jo (as you'd imagine), he brings other players into the game well and struck up a good understanding with Shaun Wright-Phillips and Stephen Ireland - who in particular had a great first half, and it will be good to see his inter-play with Petrov once he returns from injury.

In some respects it was unfortunate that we came across Chelsea yesterday. The appointment of Scolari seems to finally have brought the attacking displays that Abramovich sought from both Mourinho and Grant, and yesterday's performance from them was one to savour.

Attacking with intent and purpose, they were clinical in their execution when it mattered and ultimately we had no answer to it. An obvious tactic that Scolari has brought is the licence given to full-backs Cole and Bosingwa - who play almost as auxilliary wingers with just a back two pairing of Carvalho and Terry, with Mikel stationed just in front of them as the defensive unit.

Time and time again, the space that out wide that Chelsea enjoyed was significant enough to keep us on the back foot and we really struggled to cope or provide enough support to the overworked pairing of Zabaleta and Ball.

The central trio of Cole, Lampard and Deco provided superb movement, marrying this with the simplicity of their passing game. Lampard at the heart of everything, with Deco - an absolute steal at just £8 million from Barcelona, oozing quality.

It was apparant that we missed Martin Petrov, who would have provided a further dimension on the left and offered something different to the more central attacking trio, and also Michael Johnson who if he had played alongside the impressive Kompany, would have provided a greater link between the defence and midfield than Hamman managed.

Elano, as predicted, was the odd man out, and did not appear to cut a happy figure on the bench as he was not even called upon. The attacking potency we now have is evident though, and Jo linked well with all three of the attacking trio, but a concern must be his goal return as he does not look to be a natural finished. It is still early days for him though, so time may yet tell.

Zabaleta's debut was solid enough, but he struggled against the Chelsea attacking threat, and was coming off the back of a long journey to make his debut alongside players he had not had any playing time with.

Despite the defeat yesterday, it is the positives that have to be taken from it of course and if the fixture list had thrown up different opponents yesterday, the outcome would in all likelihood have been a different one.

Expectations are of course now sky high, and rightly so, but overnight success is hard to achieve, and whilst a good season is on the cards for us, if Chelsea are to be the standard bearers of what we want to achieve, the evidence at present is that we have significant work still to do.

Friday, September 12, 2008

Chelsea preview

How irksome that we have had the distraction of international week and having to wait almost two weeks for our first game post-takeover and post-Robinho signing.

Now that England have silenced the near hysterical media criticism with a win over Croatia (cue near hysterical media praise), we can get back to more pressing matters this weekend as the Billionaires-derby is upon us with suddenly money-laden and 'new-Chelsea' Manchester City host previously money-laden and 'old Chelsea', erm, Chelsea.

The press in this country could not have scripted this even better and whatever the outcome they will be onto a winner, either heralding the rise of a new power in English football or giving us a swift reality check should we crash to defeat.

It will be a relief to actually get the game underway therefore and it does have the potential to be a fantastic match - the hope being that it isn't flat in the wake of most of the players on display being away on international duty over the past ten days.

Our South American contingent will have jetted back in on a private jet for the game and whilst Zabaleta will likely slot in for the departed Corluka in defence, the status of Robinho is less clear. Given he has not yet met his teammates it would seem likely that he would start from the bench, but with Petrov's absence, Mark Hughes has speculated that he may throw him into the fray from the start.

It would open up a mouthwatering prospect of an attacking looking formation, potentially featuring Jo, Robinho, Elano and Shaun Wright-Phillips, although I do feel that Elano will become the odd man out on more than one occasion this season.

Our opponents have been held up as the model we are trying to emulate, but I think that whilst we can challenge for a top four spot, we are some way off the top two currently. Chelsea are still clearly a powerful side, with the majority of their Premier League winning side still remaining.

It will be a big blow of course for them that Michael Essien will be missing (for some time of course) as there isn't a side who would not gladly welcome him into their ranks. However, they still have the likes of Lampard, Ballack, Deco and Mikel to call upon but Essien will be sorely missed.

Old boy Nicolas Anelka is still struggling to shake off his critics, but we all know exactly what he is capable of and should Didier Drogba be fit this would be a huge boost for them on Saturday.

Drogba for me is an absolute beast and one of the best strikers I have seen come up against us, and is capable of causing serious problems, but it is worth noting that Richard Dunne (at home at least) has fared decently against him, but we cannot give afford them any quarter.

I'd imagine Hughes will line up with both Hamman and Kompany to nullify the attacking threat of Deco, Lampard and Ballack, augmented by a further three in midfield - likely Wright-Phillips, Ireland and Johnson (if fit) and it wouldn't be a surprise to see the same side that started against Sunderland, meaning of course Robinho starts from the bench.

Micah Richards could be a late doubt though with his shoulder injury and it would be a huge blow if he is absent, especially with two new full-backs likely in the side.

A full house of course and with a late afternoon kick off (which I am a fan of) the atmosphere should be good. I just wonder if given the build up surrounding the game, it may fail to match the hype (particularly, as I mentioned previously, in the aftermath of the international games).

Confidence is high for us though and I'm going to tip us to ride this confidence and come away with a 1-0 victory.

The days best City links 09/12/2008

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

The days best City links 09/10/2008

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Sell out

All summer long, and particularly with the pursuit of Ronaldinho, Thaksin sought the kind of blockbuster, impact signing that would fill the missing few thousand seats and see the ‘Full House’ signs put back up.

Ironic then that the first game in the post-Thaksin era is now a sell out and potentially a record crowd for Eastlands, with the international break and our next opponents (Chelsea) adding to the hype surrounding the takeover and addition of Robinho (not to mention Shaun Wright-Phillips of course).

Far too early of course to be accused of having gained a number of new fans hitching themselves to the bandwagon, more likely there will be plenty coming back into the fold who were disillusioned with how things have gone on the pitch over the past few years, or those disaffected because of Thaksin’s association with the club.

It should make for a cracking atmosphere on Saturday, and once the inevitable England inquisitions have died down, expect the hype to be cranked up by the media.

The days best City links 09/09/2008

Monday, September 08, 2008

The days best City links 09/08/2008

Sunday, September 07, 2008

The days best City links 09/07/2008

Friday, September 05, 2008

On the air

You can catch me on the latest 'Week in football' podcast over at OleOle discussing the takeover and Robinho signing.

The days best City links 09/05/2008

Mark hughes ready for the challenge laid out by Manchester City's new owners - Football - Telegraph
tags: City
Manchester City: an accident waiting to happen - Times Online
tags: City
Football: Now Manchester City can be bigger than the Big Four, warns mark Hughes | Football | The Guardian
tags: City
Football: Mark Hughes insists City owners let him choose new signings | Football | The Guardian
tags: City
Plot thickens in ADUG takeover of Man City
tags: City
Manchester City's fantasy football will harm England game - Football - Telegraph
tags: City
Manchester City roll out red carpet as Mark Hughes prepares for royal welcome | Manchester City - Times Online
tags: City
Tom Fawthrop: Thailand's woes deepen | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk
Tom Fawthrop: The former Thai prime minister's past is catching up with him, as his home country descends into political chaos
tags: City
Hypocrisy Typifies The Reaction of Opposing Fans to City Takeover | EPL Talk
Color me sky blue and call me biased. On Monday, my concern about the takeover of Manchester City by Arab investors from Abu Dhabi had me concerned. Could
tags: City

Thursday, September 04, 2008

The days best City links 09/04/2008

Wednesday, September 03, 2008

Trying to make sense of it all

As the dust settles on September 1st 2008, we are perhaps now just coming to terms with the momentous changes that the club underwent in the space of less than 24 hours.

Thaksin gone, mega-rich owners in and then the 'blockbuster' signing promised all summer heralded a new dawn in every sense for City.

In the ensuing days, plenty has been written and speculated, but central to it all appears to be two issues - the financial muscle the club now has and that the whole fabric of the club has altered now the Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG) has gained control.

Ultimately, I don't think any of us will bemoan Thaksin's departure (whoever came in) - with the kindest words being said he did the decent thing in selling up. The whiff of scandal was always around which made the situation of him in charge an uncomfortable one, but once it appeared the charges were going to stick (not to mention the vast reserves of money were not available) his being in charge was a more unpalatable prospect as time grew on.

Thankfully, the new owners do not appear to have skeletons in the closet. But what they do have is cash, and pots of it. When your new owners have the financial capability to blow any other club in the world away it is a dizzying prospect indeed.

We have already seen evidence of their intentions, in stating their desire for success and also the bids slapped in for Berbatov, Gomes and Villa, and of course, the ultimate capture of Robinho for a new record of £32.5 million.

There has been plenty of outlandish comments and claims also appearing, and what it has done is changed the focus and outlook of the club. The Abramovich era at Chelsea has not met with universal approval with many of the 'old guard' complaining of the club having sold out and being unrecognisable from the club they once knew.

This is all true of course and the landscape inevitably has changed. Personally, and not just at City, I am uneasy in some ways that football clubs can just be snapped up on a whim by foreign billionaires and operated with such huge debts, but the reality is football has ceased from being a game to being a business some time ago, and now clubs are being run along the same lines as multi-national corporations (which they effectively now aware). The days of millionaires owning Premier League clubs is fast becoming a thing of the past, and to now be on a level playing field in terms of competing is a stunning position to be in.

We know this will led to changes as success is hunted at a relentless pace. As happy as Mark Hughes must be with recent events, the pressure levels on him have just been ratcheted up tenfold with Champions League surely having to be achieved by the 2009/10 season.

I hope though that there is a degree of patience and a realisation that we are still a way of Champions League status and there is not an insatiable demand for immediate success or to hell with the consequences.

Given that money is the driving force in football (and particularly for footballers), it is a heady prospect though as we all speculate on just who could be arriving at the club over the next 12 months. Henry, Fabregas, Torres, Ronaldo. They have all been mentioned by the new owners.

We know however from the recent experience of Real Madrid that simply throwing money at star names and then trying to fit them into a side does not always equate to success, and it will be important to see that a team is built as much as simply collecting superstars.

I don't doubt that success will ultimately be achieved as the new owners want something and they sure as hell are going all out for it. But could there be a price, and perhaps importantly, do we care?

The unlimited wealth of the new owners can now (theoretically at least) add any player at any cost, but could the knock on be astronomical increases in ticket prices, the freezing out of many fans to be replaced by a new wealthier breed?

Will the Academy players who have been nurtured so well at the club and developed into first team players be cast aside as the club stockpiles a bloated squad of costly players?

All possibilities it has to be said, and that City 'identity' so often spoken of could well become a thing of the past, but whilst the memory of 12 months ago is still fresh when we thought Thaksin heralded a new dawn, it really is hard to look at it in any way but positive with us now being on the cusp of a never before seen era for the club.

Ultimately football fans though want success. City fans more than most have been starved of it so given the opportunity to taste this success is something that will be grabbed with both hands - whatever the consequences.

Most will be still be getting our heads around just exactly what has happened this week, and trying to digest it all and contemplate what it will all mean. I popped down to the stadium (or Middle Eastlands?) at lunchtime yesterday and it was a hive of activity with plenty of queues at the ticket office and I don't doubt that the 'Full House' signs will be going up again soon enough as such a buzz and a lift has been created.

It is almost a pity that we have to now wait 10 days or so for the first game to come around, but what a build up there will be to it as we face off against Chelsea, the model I guess for what the new owners are looking to achieve.

There is no doubt though that this is a fantastic opportunity that has been presented, and one which I could never imagined the club benefiting from - and it puts the thoughts we had when Thaksin took over well into the shade as we now contemplate the very real prospect of ending the long and painful wait for a trophy.

Whatever happens, this new era is likely to be one hell of a ride, with so many positives to look forward to, and who knows how it will ultimately turn out.

But whilst we are on that ride, I guess we are going to just sit back and enjoy it whilst it lasts.

The days best City links 09/03/2008

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

The days best City links 09/02/2008

Sunderland 0 City 3

Lost in the midst of the madness of the past 24 hours was the fact that we picked up a great 3-0 victory away at Sunderland that saw us climb (albeit it this early stage) to third in the table - something I called pretty well my Observer preview.

MOTD2 highlights for me with this one, and from them it looked like Sunderland probably shaded the first half, but without creating any clear cut chances, yet thanks to Stephen Ireland we sneaked ahead on the stroke of half-time.

The second half was all about SWP though, who repaid a small slice of his (now pittance like) transfer fee with two smartly taken goals to seal the 3-0 win, and send the travelling fans into SWP-rapture.

What was interesting for me though was the line-up. Shorn of the injured Martin Petrov, Hughes decided on a 4-5-1 formation without Elano, opting for Hamman and Kompany in the holding roles, with a more advanced three of Johnson, Ireland and SWP, who lined in a central looking trio.

All three goals were as a result of players gaining and making space for themselves, and I'm not sure Sunderland quite knew how to deal with them. Chalk one up for Mark Hughes tactically and this formation is definitely one we'll see again throughout the season for sure.

A quick point regarding the refereeing - there were a number of poor decisions, which we mostly benefited from, and it was strange to see a referee so reluctant to give fouls. Richard Dunne definitely profited a couple of times from this, and it is all well and good for the administrators to bleat on about 'Respect' but if a referee turns in an inept performance, this is going to rile players and managers and little wonder we see some of the dissent that is shown.
Reports

They say you should never go back but there are exceptions to every rule and Shaun Wright-Phillips made the happiest of returns to Manchester City colours yesterday. >>guardian.co.uk

The delirious chanting from the Manchester City fans was all about Shaun Wright-Phillips. >>independent.co.uk

When attempting to drag his adoptive son out of the depression that blanketed him during his years of lucrative inactivity at Chelsea, Ian Wright would show Shaun Wright-Phillips videos of his electric displays in a Manchester City shirt. He can start building another collection. >>telegraph.co.uk

Never go back, they say, although make an exception for a detour via Sunderland. Life after Chelsea no longer seems such a daunting proposition for Shaun Wright-Phillips, whose second spell at Manchester City began with two goals and a resounding away victory for his team. >>times online

Monday, September 01, 2008

Deadline day - Robinho signing confirmed

So says Sky Sports anyway, and for a fee of £32.5 million. And the BBC now report it as well.

I cannot imagine any other signings will get announced by us on what City apart, has been a fairly lacklustre deadline day, and still no word on Berbatov.

With that I'm off to bed as I've been going at this non-stop since I got in from work (so who knows what Jack must be feeling like after his sterling efforts today) and I'm about to drop.

Hopefully when we all wake up tomorrow, there won't have been any last minute hitches and Robinho will shortly be paraded as a City player, which, with the signing of SWP as well should make the Chelsea game an interesting one in couple of weeks time.

It really will be just liking watching Brazil....

Deadline day - Robinho set to sign

Seemingly all but confirmed now, with Ramon Calderon stating:

"We have agreed to sell the player for human reasons, for footballing reasons and for an important quantity of money."

Marca are also now confirming it.

It is a lot of money - certainly more than Chelsea were willing to pay and is a real marker of our intentions, but an immediate question is where exactly will he fit into the line-up as it has created a log jam in the attacking forward role now.

It will be an important signing as it will be a real 'impact' signing for the new regime and will put us firmly on the map (the sort of signing Thaksin hoped Ronaldinho would be), and although the deadline will likely pass without any further signings, it bodes well for January and (more importantly) next summer when we could see some real business being conducted.

What it also will deal is increase the pressure on Mark Hughes to deliver Champions League football - perhaps not this season, but definitely next.

Deadline day - Berbatov no-go but Robinho a 'done deal'?

Sky Sports are running the story regarding the £32.5 million bid for Robinho, and are quoting AS as reporting it in Spain, and also stating it could be a done deal before the deadline - quoting a Spanish radio station as their source.

Reports though are suggesting that Berbatov is undergoing a medical at United, and I really think this one is almost dead in the water. Quite how this has progressed so far with United without (as far as we know) a fee being agreed or even United having premission to speak with the player is a mystery.

Perhaps Tottenham are being more coy than they should be over this?

Deadline day - rumours round-up

And if the Berbatov offer wasn't stunning enough, with just over 3 hours remaining until the deadline, we are still being linked with some high profile moves.

Sky Sports are confirming that we have tabled bids for David Villa and Mario Gomes (first reported by Marca I believe).

Setanta are also confirming we are trailing Benfica striker Ariza Makukula.

Perhaps most stunning of all though is the news that we have bid for long standing Chelsea target Robinho, slapping in a late bid for the Brazilian.

Of the Villa, Robinho and Gomes bids, I would put the Gomes one as most likely given that Villa has only recently signed a new deal at Valencia and by all accounts does not fancy a move to England, whilst we are surely too late with Robinho - who would I guess prefer a move to Chelsea.

Gomes is highly touted in the Bundesliga, but had a shocking Euro 2008 tournament, but we could certainly provide a bigger financial incentive for him to move than he would get anywhere in Germany.

Makukula I know nothing of, but haven't seen this verified anywhere else so I'd take this as a long shot.

The difficulty we have is that with the new ownership money not being available until today, it is likely we are starting very late in trying to get deals made.

I'm hopeful we may get one or two players in,

Deadline day - Dmitar Berbatov

If news of the takeover was hard enough to digest today, news this afternoon that we had lodged a bid for Dmitar Berbatov - which was subsequently accepted, came out of absolute nowhere and to say it was a surprise is an understatement to say the least.

It was a move that perhaps caught Mark Hughes by surprise also, with him saying:

"It's really about the boy making a decision. I'm as stunned and excited by this as the fans are."

£34 million is a huge fee, but perhaps a drop in the ocean given the new investment levels available and it is really laying a huge marker down for the new owners and potentially gives us a fantastic player at our disposal.

With the fee was being agreed early afternoon though there was a sense of anticipation that deal could get concluded early evening but the only news to filter through was that he was at United holding talks - something which I don't understand given that no fee has been agreed between the two sides.

He is a fantastic player (who took Dunne and Richards to school in the Carling Cup last year as a lone striker) who would clearly be an asset to the team from a playing perspective, augmenting an already potent looking attacking line-up.

Given though his history of angling for a move to United, is he likely to accept a move to us, or is he (and Tottenham?) hoping that our bid will flush out a higher one from United?

If they don't, he is then faced with the choice of moving to ourselves or going back to Tottenham tail between his legs and trying to rebuild the bridges that have been burnt since the summer.

BBC Sport are calling it a tug-of-war and suggest it will go right to the deadline. For me, the longer it has gone on though, the less likely it will be that we get our man.

Takeover confirmed

This caught me completely by surprise this morning as the first I heard was a phone call from my brother to say we had been sold to Arab investors.

It now turns out that talks have been underway for around three weeks for them to gain control of the club - despite Thaksin's previous approach (via Garry Cook) that it was only additional investment he was seeking, not a full takeover.

For whatever reason though, Thaksin has decided to divest himself of the club and given the way his tenure has panned out over the past 13 months or so, there won't be too many tears shed at his departure given his recent political and legal woes that have cast a huge shadow over the club and threatened the future progress.

It is a remarkably quick chain of events, but the club have confirmed a period of due dilligence will now be entered and and the new owners have been quick to outline their very lofty ambitions.

Although no price for the club has been mentioned, the Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG) - profiled on the guardian.co.uk, are believed to be an investment group specifically set up with the aim of purchasing the club. They are believed to be seriously rich with Abu Dhabi holding approximately 10% of the worlds oil reserves.

Initial reports suggest that they are not looking to make wholesale changes at the club, and believed to have given their backing to Mark Hughes over personnel matters.

At board level, the group will have one representative - Dr Sulaiman Al Fahim, who was profiled on telegraph.co.uk, where he was described as 'a one man publicity machine' and likened to 'Donald Trump'.

Some stories suggested that Thaksin would remain on the board, but a likely nominal title of Honorary President is a more likely option.

It's still quite early to digest the whole news, but the fact that the Thaksin regime is no longer is surely a positive for the club as a whole, and the new owners appear to tick the right boxes.

The danger of course is that the intentions of the new owners may not be known and having being bitten by Thaksin, there is a wariness about being takeover, but on face value it is an undoubted positive with the potential of a huge injection of investment being made available - and at the very least, the off field distractions that came with Thaksin hopefully a thing of the past.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Friday, September 26, 2008

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Monday, September 22, 2008

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Friday, September 19, 2008

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Monday, September 15, 2008

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Friday, September 12, 2008

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Monday, September 08, 2008

Sunday, September 07, 2008

Friday, September 05, 2008

Thursday, September 04, 2008

Wednesday, September 03, 2008

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Monday, September 01, 2008

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