Johnson to follow Ireland lead

MICHAEL JOHNSON is ready to leave his passport in the drawer and commit himself to a long, hot summer of hard work to be in tip-top shape for City's Barclays Premier League kick-off in August.

The Blues' talented 21-year-old midfielder, frustrated by pelvic and abdominal injuries since last September, will bid to put his lost season firmly behind him by swapping the beach for Carrington's training pitch.

Johnno is desperate to take up a meaningful role as the City revolution gathers momentum under Mark Hughes, and the manager has urged him to follow Stephen Ireland's highly-successful example of last summer.

Ireland's extra solo work before the tough pre-season sessions kicked in have underpinned a great season at home and in Europe that saw him narrowly miss out on the PFA Young Player of the Year award last weekend.

>>mcfc.co.uk

If ever there was a template to follow in terms of how to spend the off-season the Stephen Ireland's efforts at the end of the 2007/08 season are a superb example.

Johnson has been desperately unlucky with injuries over the past year, and the hope is that they were 'growing pains' and that he is now over the worst of the problems he had. Despite the talent (and numbers) that we possess in midfield, Johnson is a player we have desperately missed throughout the campaign and it is re-assuring that it appears as though any doubts over his long term are long gone.

Elano looking long term

"This is the end of my second season with City and if it were up to me I would be sat around a table discussing a contract extension right now," Elano told the official Manchester City magazine. "I would love to renew my contract at City and remain here for a long time. I love England and I enjoy living in Manchester. I am very happy here."

>>guardian.co.uk

There is no doubt that Elano's form of late has been excellent, and there does appear to have been a thawing of relations with Mark Hughes.

How much of Elano's positivity has been down to featuring regularly is not known though, and the reason for his opportunity of late is set to return this weekend.

Could be an interesting decision.

The days best City links 04/29/2009

• Eto'o talk cooled - Manchester City - Football - Sport - Manchester Evening News

  tags: City

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

The days best City links 04/28/2009

• Manchester City webchat - Manchester City - Football - Sport - Manchester Evening News

  tags: City

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Ireland misses out on award

Stephen Ireland has missed out on winning this season's PFA Young Player of the Year award.

Ashley Young of Aston Villa took the prize at the Sunday night's ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, beating off competition from Gabriel Agbonlahor, Jonny Evans, Aaron Lennon and Rafael da Silva as well as Stephen.

Peter Barnes remains the only City player to take the award, back in 1976, but Stephen can content himself with not just the nomination but magnificent season that has brought him 14 goals and widespread praise from players and pundits alike.

>>mcfc.co.uk

I'm still stunned that Ireland hasn't landed this award, and cannot see any justification for Ashley Young beating him to it.

I know as City fans we have the benefit of seeing Ireland at close quarters, but apart from a mid season spell of half a dozen games where he went slightly off the boil, he has been superb for us all season - and far more consistent over the whole season than Young, who for me has disappeared since Villa went off the boil after an excellent season until then.

It does seem a classic example of the problem of voting for these awards so early in the season, and a terrible snub for a player, who, in my mind should have been on the shortlist for the overall player of the year award.

The race for seventh

With back to back victories coupled with results elsewhere we have put ourselves very firmly back into the race for the seventh spot - and with it a place in next seasons Europa League.

My original post on this topic calculated 53 points as the necessary points total to secure this position, and a couple of games ago this looked on the low side but West Ham have stuttered of late after a good spell so I am inclined to still believe this number of points should be sufficient.

Fulham are now the team in possession with their 1-0 victory over Stoke, and they currently have 47 points - if we hadn't been disappointingly beaten by them a couple of weeks ago, we ourselves would be the side to beat.

As it stands, I feel we still need 3 wins from our final 4 games - which of course means a victory in at least one of our two remaining away games at United and Tottenham. After the win at Everton though, that particular monkey is at least off our back.

Current table:

7. Fulham P 34 Pts 47 GD +6
8. West Ham P 34 Pts 45 GD 0
9. Manchester City P 34 Pts 44 GD +8 10. Tottenham P 34 Pts 44 GD 0
11. Wigan P 32 Pts 41 GD -6

Everton 1 City 2

Finally the monkey is off our back.

An agonising wait for an away win (even longer in an away kit) is over, and the victory throws us right back into the race for a European spot next season.

In my preview, I wrote that I had a sneaking feeling that we would take the points from today's game - both through a combination of our improved play of late (particularly from our most creative talents) and the exertions that Everton have had this past week.

As Jack touched upon, the victory was an almost perfect example of how to win a Premier League away fixture, and despite conceding a late goal again when we have a lead, some of our recent defensive frailties were not in evidence today.

Robinho, so often maligned away from home came up with the goods today and turned in an excellent performance. It has been pleasing to see him speak so positively this week about the club and the future and with a Premier League season of experience behind him, just think of the impact he could have next season.

Reports:

[guardian.co.uk, mcfc.co.uk, MEN, telegraph.co.uk, timesonline]

Hughes and Richards in fall out

Mark Hughes's problems with disruptive players at Manchester City ­resurfaced ­ today when he was involved in a training-ground confrontation with Micah Richards, a player whose attitude and form are increasingly of concern to the club's management.

Richards, who was dropped for the game against West Bromwich Albion last Sunday, is alleged to have disobeyed Hughes when the players were called together for a meeting at the end of their final practice session before tomorrow's game at Everton. Rather than join the huddle, Richards started heading towards the changing rooms and, when he was called back, one witness reported to have heard him swearing.

>>guardian.co.uk

Reports this morning don't overly focus on the fact that the issue between the pair was subsequently resolved, nor whether there was anything earlier which sparked the confrontation.

It remains unclear whether Richards will feature later today at Everton (although Pablo Zabaleta's absence will likely see a recall), but this incident probably sums up what has been a largely frustrating season for Richards - one in which he saw a marked drop off in form, fail to reclaim his England place and now, lose his place in the City side.

Mark Hughes will no odubt be looking to add to certain areas of the squad this summer, and if we do see a slew of quality signings brought to the club, could we see what at one stage would have seemed ludicrous in that Richards becomes surplus to requirements?

Everton preview

In the context of our bid to finish in seventh place come the end of the season, this is realistically a game we have to win.

Our wretched run of form away from hasn't shown any signs of ending, yet an opportunity does present itself tomorrow at Goodison Park against an Everton side who went the full distance in their FA Cup semi-final win last weekend, and then had a difficult game at Chelsea in midweek - which to their credit they came away with a 0-0 draw from, to perhaps dispel suggestions that they would put the Premier League to one side ahead of the FA Cup final.

For ourselves last weekend, the victory over West Brom was expected, but the manner of the performance in getting the three points was pleasing given the disappointment and toll that the defeat to Hamburg the previous Thursday must have taken.

Whilst Everton are a very useful side, allowed to be built over a number of seasons and led very well by the well regarded David Moyes, we do have a chance of victory. So often away from home we have been lacklustre and without direction, but our two most creative talents - Robinho and Elano appear to be getting back to their best and I do feel a postive approach to the game could bring dividends.

Team wise, we will be without Shaun Wright-Phillips along with Craig Bellamy and Pablo Zabaleta so much will depend on our two Brazilians. There probably won't be many goals (or indeed chances) so we really cannot afford to be as profligate in front of goal as we have perhaps been.

Currently we sit in tenth place, four points off West Ham, and for those sides eyeing up seventh place the weekends fixtures are as follows:

West Ham, 45 points - Chelsea (h)
Fulham, 44 points - Stoke (h)
Tottenham, 44 points - Manchester United (a)
Manchester City, 41 points - Everton (a)
Wigan, 41 points - Blackburn (a)

Looking at the sides ahead of us in particular, if we can come away with a win tomorrow then we could really be back in the mix for a place in the Europa League next season - and I have a sneaking feeling that we are going to come away with all three points tomorrow.

Johnson returns

Michael Johnson played for an hour on his comeback after a seven-month layoff, but it was not enough to prevent City’s reserves from slipping to defeat at the Riverside.

>>mcfc.co.uk

Great to see Johnson return after such a long spell out. I don't think it is any coincidence that his excellent form over the first of last season prior to getting injured saw us so high in the league table, and his drive and ability to support the attack from a deeper role is something we have sorely missed over the course of this season.

Hughes looking to blood youngsters

"There are a number of players who are very much in my thoughts. It's about circumstances leading into games, and the expectations, and whether or not we get into the position in games where we can bring players on in a positive atmosphere and allow them to develop slowly in the correct manner.

"We have to look at how the squad is. We've probably lost Pablo for a number of games and the opportunities will present themselves. We still need to win Premier League games, that's important for us. But if the opportunity presents itself to blood a young player, we'll have a look at that.

"Sometimes when you have a game like West Brom, for instance, to throw a young kid on wouldn't be fair to him or the team, so it's about getting the timing right when you are introducing young players.

"You look to try and introduce them in front of a home crowd when maybe you are leading a game and are in a comfortable position. That's when you look to blood them."

>>mcfc.co.uk

It is always good to see young Academy players given their head in the first team, and there is no doubt a talented crop on the cusp of the senior side at the moment.

If we do haul ourselves back into the race for seventh spot and given some of the difficult fixtures we have, I do wonder quite how many opportunities there may be though.

Bellamy set to miss remainder of the season

CRAIG BELLAMY is almost certainly out for the rest of the season in a major blow to Mark Hughes' plans for a final push to snatch seventh place and a Europa League spot in the Premier League finale.

Striker Bellamy, who made an immediate impact after arriving from West Ham in the January transfer window, has missed the last three matches after a knee injury recurred in the 3-1 UEFA Cup first-leg defeat at Hamburg.

Manager Hughes is virtually resigned to writing his 29-year-old hit man out of the script until next season. He said: "Craig has got to have complete rest for two weeks then he comes back for strength work. Hopefully he might get the last couple of games, but the probability is that he won't."

>>mcfc.co.uk

Club to tour South Africa

Despite the greater financial rewards on offer in the Far East and the club's links to Abu Dhabi, the home of owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan, City have accepted an invitation to take part in a three-game tour of South Africa in July that will see them face local clubs Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs in Cape Town, Durban and Pretoria.

United have been regular visitors to South Africa in recent years, touring the country during the pre-season campaigns of both 2006 and 2008, but with the European champions committed to a four-game tour of the Far East this summer, City have been handed the opportunity to tap into the burgeoning football market in South Africa less than 12 months before the start of the 2010 World Cup.

>>telegraph.co.uk

Santa Cruz still looking for move

Unsettled Blackburn Rovers striker Roque Santa Cruz revealed to Radio Nanduti that he has been discussing his exit from the club over the course of recent weeks.

"I have already told [Blackburn], and they know that before the transfer window closes I would like to continue my career at a bigger, more ambitious team," revealed the 27-year-old.

>>goal.com

Whilst we will no doubt be linked with any number of strikers during the summer months, if Mark Hughes remains in charge, then I would still think it likely that he will be the number 1 target (especially if we have no European football as the carrot to dangle in front of other prospective targets).

After missing out on Santa Cruz in January, it has been clear that we do still lack a genuine goalscorer with presence in and around the box and should his injury problems clear up, Santa Cruz could very well likely be the answer.

City 4 West Brom 2

Unsurprisingly, there was much tipping of West Brom for an upset ahead of yesterday's game - given our exertions in the UEFA Cup and also no doubt our propensity for allowing those sides near the bottom a great shot at taking three points.

Despite wobbling enough to allow West Brom back into the game at 2-2 (with a sniff of a win) we had enough quality and firepower to ultimately go on and take the points, and coupled with results elsewhere (notably draws for West Ham and Fulham) allow a glimmer of hope once again in the race for seventh, which will bring Europa League qualification.

There is no doubt Thursday night took a lot out of us but it was a flying start that we got off to with Robinho firing impressively home from a sumptuous through ball from Stephen Ireland to put us 1-0 ahead, and when Nedum Onouha took advantage of a bodycheck on Scott Carson from Felipe Caicedo (although it is safe to say Caicedo was surely fouled in the build up anyway), Mark Hughes may have been tempted to mimic Rafa Benitez in declaring the game over.

Perhaps a combination of both mental and physical tiredness allowed West Brom back into the game, and there must have been thoughts of games such as Liverpool where we contrived to allow sides back into games when we should have killed them off.

Credit though to the side, although Olsson's needless trip on Elano so soon after getting back on level terms was a gift, but Elano fired home (once again) and you did sense that West Brom felt their opportunity had gone. It was not until the final minute until the game was killed off though, when Ireland selflessley teed up Daniel Sturridge for a fourth and all but condemn our opponents to the drop.

A good three points then and a vital win as it keeps the season very much alive as we still have designs on that seventh position. With 53 points still the target I believe we need we have very little margin for error with some difficult games still on the fixture list to come.

We may need a huge amount of help from those sides ahead of us for us to achieve it, but if we keep winning that is all we can do. Time to sort out the away form then.

West Brom open thread

Time constraints are such that I'm not able to get a preview up for this weekends game, but feel free to post up any comments or thoughts.

City 2 Hamburg 1 (Hamburg win 4-3 on aggregate)

A fantastic performance then. Full of the passion, purpose and vigour that has largely been missing for the most part this season. Given the criticism directed at the players and management over the past few weeks (much of it justified) they are due credit for their approach and performances in last nights defeat, which left many players literally dead on their feet at the final whistle.

It was though as frustrating an exit as we could have endured. After going 1-0 down early in the game, the tie could have been dead and buried yet Hamburg's goal appeared to spur us on even further - with the knowledge that three goals, not two would be required.

For every bit as impressive Hamburg's attacking play was in the first leg, so were we last night. Elano and Robinho, so often lambasted at every quarter were wonderful in attack and committed in their defensive duties, and once again combined superbly with Stephen Ireland - oh for a fit Shaun Wright-Phillips in addition to that trio.

As far as chances go, we had more than enough to should (not could) have won the game without the need for extra time. Elano's free kicks were inches away, Robinho was unlucky on his one on one, whilst Caicedo will probably have nightmares about that miss. You do wonder what the presence of a truly world class striker would have made to the scoreline.

The recriminations of the defeat can wait. We have the rest of the season to play out now, without the prospect of challenging for European football next season. But, for now, let's savour the performance of last night and hope that it can become a template for the standards we all want to see in each and every game.

The days best City links 04/16/2009

• Mark Hughes wants Manchester City fans to be 12th man - Telegraph

  tags: City

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Hamburg preview

The despair following the Fulham defeat has made may for an air of bullish optimism ahead of th crucial esecond leg at home to Hamburg.

Shaun Wright-Phillips is the latest to talk up our chances, saying:

"All I'll say is that it's not over until the fat lady sings. It's not finished 'til the whole tie is done.

"We're recognised as being very good at home, and if we play the way we usually do, we will make enough chances to win 2-0. It's a matter of taking those chances on the night. We have to put them on the back foot straight away.

"Anything is possible. If we go out there and play the way we know we can on Thursday, it will be difficult for Hamburg. Everyone is confident, we've spoken about it already and we have got the belief that we need."

If you look at Liverpool's sterling (if ultimately in vain) effort at Chelsea in the Champions League as evidence a tie can be turned around then we are certainly still in with a shout. Of course it will be difficult and we cannot afford to cede possession and territory to Hamburg in the manner we did in the first leg.

Hamburg did suffer defeat in the league last weekend (as did we of course), but they certainly looked a capable side and have the potential to cause us problems, and talk of tiredness needs to be put to one side as I imagine we will need to keep the tempo and pace of the game high throughout the whole ninety minutes.

Team wise things are looking a little rosier and Shaun Wright-Phillips (ankle), Vincent Kompany and Wayne Bridge (hamstrings) should overcome injury problems and I would be amazed if Robinho's exile from the side is extended further.

As I posted in the aftermath of the defeat in Germany, I don't see how we keep a clean sheet which will make our efforts that much harded to have to score three rather than just two to advance to the semi-finals.

Can we do it? Of course we can. We are very much odds against and it is vital that we pick up some momentum early and run with it. A full house backing the side and a 1-0 lead at half-time could make things very interesting indeed.

Would it even be a surprise if the tie went to extra time?

The days best City links 04/15/2009

• Football: Paul Doyle on the PFA Player of the Year nominees | Sport | guardian.co.uk

  tags: City

• All about the best team in the land and all the world Manchester City!!!: Only a young player of the year nomination?

  tags: City

• Manchester City's under-performing players must improve, or leave, says coach - Telegraph

  tags: City

• Hughes at risk of shaming Sheikh - Premier League, Football - The Independent

  tags: City

• Mark Hughes: Manchester City trophies may be two years away - Telegraph

  Mark Hughes has warned Manchester City's growing band of disgruntled supporters that the club could still be two years away from challenging for major honours.

  tags: City

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Benjani fee negotiation?

The Zimbabwe international was sold to City during the 2008 January transfer window for a figure quoted as £9 million, with £4 million of that to be paid up front and the remainder spread over the length of the player’s contract.

However, Portsmouth, who are fighting for their Premier League survival, are believed to be willing to take less than the full amount should City settle before the end of the season, according to a report in the Daily Mail.

The deal itself was problematic at the time, due to a knee condition that was revealed in Benjani’s medical.

>>telegraph.co.uk

UPDATE: Seemingly not though according to Portsmouth's official site:

Contrary to inaccurate newspaper reports today Portsmouth Football Club would like to make it clear that they are not in negotiations with Manchester City for an early settlement in connection with the transfer of Benjani Mwaruwari.

Both the terms of the deal and the transfer fee remain the same as in January 2008 when originally negotiated with Manchester City, who can confirm this.

Pompey announced at the time that Manchester City paid half the agreed £7.75m deal up front, with subsequent equal payments to follow after 25, 50 and 75 appearances.

Ireland nominated for young player of the year

STEPHEN IRELAND has been paid the ultimate compliment by his fellow professionals of being nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year Award.

His inclusion on a six-strong shortlist for the coveted prize is recognition of the gifted 22-year-old Blues midfielder's tremendous season both in the Barclays Premier League and the UEFA Cup campaign.

In-form Stevie's superb vision, tireless running and precision passing have been enhanced by 12 goals so far, including one in the first leg in Hamburg last Thursday night followed by another against Fulham on Sunday.

He faces tough competition from fellow nominees Aaron Lennon (Tottenham), Gaby Agbonlahor (Aston Villa), Ashley Young (Aston Villa), Jonny Evans (Manchester United) and Rafael (Manchester United).

>>mcfc.co.uk

Whilst there are some impressive performers on the shortlist, I would say the consistency of Ireland's play over the course of the whole season should see him as favourite for the award - so much so that he perhaps deserves inclusion for the overall award.

The days best City links 04/14/2009

• Mark Hughes feels the heat as Manchester City boss flies in | Football | The Guardian

  tags: City

• The Lonesome Death of Roy Carroll: Anything but that

  tags: City

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Rallying call

"We have a huge game now against Hamburg on Thursday in the UEFA Cup and it's very important to show the fans what we can do. We're hurting now, but we have to be positive and make a fresh start from today."

>>Nigel de Jong.

Whilst the feeling (in terms of turning the tie around) appeared to be positive following defeat in the first leg, the mood has changed somewhat following the Fulham defeat with much of the comment on forums and message boards fairly resigned to elimination from the UEFA Cup on Thursday.

Is there any hope of turning the tie around? It appears that the ownership are going to be in town for the game - with sections of the press trying to link the game to a 'last chance' for Hughes - and I don't doubt that an exit on Thursday will be quickly followed by unnamed quotes and comments from various 'sources'.

A quick look at odds around on UK Sports betting sites shows we are favourites to win the tie, but that we are not favoured to do enough to get the necessary scoreline to progress, and I'm not sure we will be appearing on too many soccer betting coupons this week.

Trying to take positives ahead of Thursday though, the fact we have to scoring it least two goals is perhaps the one thing in our favour. Having to score a minimum of two goals ensures we have to attack, there is no other option. Hamburg will also be wary, knowing that an early goal could unsettle them.

There will be a full house, I'm sure in good voice and backing the side (despite recent disappointments). The side will know that an early goal will be the best way of keeping the fans onside. With this in mind, I'd expect Hughes to feature an attacking side, featuring both Elano and Robinho as Hughes has no alternative but to go for broke.

It is potentially set up to be a landmark night on Thursday, and history shows that many managers have faced situations where they were on the brink before a game, or moment, turns their fortunes around.

Could Thursday be that one for Mark Hughes?

Injury news ahead of the Hamburg game

"Craig Bellamy is out on Thursday. He is getting scanned in London after the Easter weekend and, once that has taken place, we will have a better idea as to how long he will be out.

"We're hopeful that Shaun Wright-Phillips (ankle) will be ok. Wayne Bridge (hamstring) is a doubt, although he could be a possibility. We just have to see how the week goes.

"Vincent Kompany (hamstring)may be back, although it is touch and go because the game might just come a couple of days too early for him.

"It's difficult for us. We are fighting on two fronts in the Premier League and in Europe, but we are hopeful that we will be in better shape on Thursday."

>>Mark Hughes.

Is tiredness a factor?

"Tiredness was a significant factor, we were missing key senior players today and we needed some energy because of a lot was expended on Thursday. We made a few changes to protect some other players as well the next game coming up.

"I was reasonably satisfied with 1-0 at half-time, Fulham were quite prepared to get people behind the ball and make it difficult for us. Stevie's goal was a fantastic strike, and in the second half we looked to keep it solid.

"Every goal we conceded was a poor goal, and the second made it really difficult because the energy we had used up in midweek made chasing the game difficult. We just did not have enough left to affect the game and get up to the Fulham players, who were quite happy to keep possession and pick us off in the end. There were just too many of the team feeling the effects of a long season and a difficult week."

>>mcfc.co.uk

History shows that sides who have competed in the InterToto Cup or early UEFA qualifying stages have always struggled towards the end of the season, specifically that their season begins in earnest weeks earlier than the rest of the league - leading to tiredness towards the latter stages of the league season as the early start and extra games take their toll.

It is also worth noting that Aston Villa entered the UEFA Cup via the InterToto competition this season, and from March onwards (after a lengthy run in Europe) they have seen their season unravel with their squad struggling to cope with the demands of an extended season.

For all the criticism Hughes has received over the past week, mental and physical fatigue has surely been a factor in both defeats - with both Hamburg and Fulham looking fresher and livelier than ourselves.

However, despite the squad not being blessed with an abundance of quality in depth, there are plenty of capable players in the squad at a Premier League level. One of the strengths Hughes talked about (when referring to himself) was the increased fitness levels that he would bring.

A lengthy run in the UEFA Cup was always on the cards, yet throughout the season there has not really been evidence of players being rotated in order to maintain fitness and freshness levels required at the 'business end' of the season.

This season is in real danger of mirroring the 2007/08 campaign. If we exit from the UEFA Cup later this week, there will be no focus in either league or Europe for the remainder of the season - which could do little for Hughes's long term prospects.

Fulham press reaction

After seeing his side lose for the fifth time in six games, Manchester City manager was left in no doubt about the frustration among the club's followers after his decision to leave Robinho out of the side for the first time backfired in dramatic circumstances.

>>guardian.co.uk

As the team was booed off, the Tannoys attempted to whip up some enthusiasm for a quarter-final which will be played out in front of City’s owners.

“Bring your flags, bring your support, bring your banners,” the announcer said. On this evidence, they ought to bring their boots.

>>independent.co.uk

Manchester City manager Mark Hughes came under fire from his own disgruntled supporters as his team crashed 3-1 at home to Fulham in the Barclays Premier League.

Hughes took a gamble before kick-off by leaving his £34million Brazilian Robinho on the substitutes’ bench but saw it backfire as his side were outplayed by the London club.

>>dailymail.co.uk

MARK Hughes took the biggest gamble of City career – and came up bust.

As if a 3-1 humbling at the hands of Fulham wasn’t bad enough – the City manager left himself open to yet more criticism by opting to name Robinho on the bench.

Two goals from Clint Dempsey and another from ex Blue Dickson Etuhu ensured another miserable day for Hughes, who is still reeling from the midweek UEFA Cup defeat to Hamburg.

>>MEN

Robinho’s relegation to the substitutes’ bench and City’s dismal performance prompted chants of displeasure from sections of the home supporters, but with the club’s season now seemingly resting the outcome of Thursday’s Uefa Cup second-leg at home to Hamburg, who City trail 3-1, Hughes insisted that he had no option but to gamble on his team selection against Roy Hodgson’s team.

>>telegraph.co.uk

It was Fulham that did for Sven-Göran Eriksson. Mark Hughes can only hope that he does not suffer the same fate as his predecessor as Manchester City manager after Roy Hodgson masterminded another comeback here to pile the pressure on his embattled counterpart.

>>timesonline

City 1 Fulham 3

I think it is safe to say the race for seventh and European qualification via a league position is now gone.

A win today and we would have been right back in the mix, but todays defeat renders it inconceivable that we can now claw back a six point margin in our remaining fixtures, and you do wonder what what effect the loss will have on confidence within the side heading into Thursday's clash with Hamburg.

It was a much changed side that Mark Hughes put out today - most of it enforced, but with Robinho axed/rested (depending upon your standpoint) it meant a return for Martin Petrov following his long lay off through injury. Whilst Petrov's return was welcome it was perhaps too much to expect a seamless return to the side after such an absence.

Hughes spoke prior to the game of having a strong first eleven, but a significant drop off thereafter and I'm sure he feels his comments were vindicated by today's performance which featured a number of players who may not be amongst the first on the team sheet.

However, after going ahead - not against the run of the play, but hardly after dominating the opening stages - to lose control of what would have been a vital win is once again a disappointment. Especially so against a Fulham side who have struggled mightily away from home in recent times.

Tiredness (both mental and physical) can be cited and is justified to a degree, but the manner in which we conceded the goals was so frustrating and the defensive solidity that coincided with the arrival of Shay Given has dissipated. Going forward, apart from the tireless Stephen Ireland (backing up his own recent comments) we lacked the drive and creativity to close the game out and in some respects the ease in which Fulham came back to take all three points was ridiculously easy, having similar amounts of space and time in going forward that Hamburg enjoyed on Thursday.

It really is our last chance on Thursday now as what appeared to be a promising finish to the season could well be set for similar ignominy as we saw last season. There were plenty of empty seats at the final whistle, and for those that remained there was much dischord.

If we exit from the UEFA Cup this week, expect that dischord to increase.

Robinho left out

Amongst five other changes from Thursday night's defeat in Hamburg. An interesting forward line, with Etuhu, Bojinov and Petrov all starting.

Man City: Given, Richards, Onuoha, Dunne, Garrido, Etuhu, Zabaleta, Ireland, De Jong, Petrov, Bojinov. Subs: Hart, Robinho, Elano, Fernandes, Evans, Sturridge, McGivern.

Fulham preview and open thread

[telegraph.co.uk preview, guardian.co.uk preview, bbc sport preview]

Given West Ham's defeat at home to Tottenham today, a tricky decision lies ahead for Mark Hughes tomorrow in terms of team selection. A victory over Fulham - rivals of ours in the race for seventh position - would see us move back within 3 points of that all important UEFA Cup spot. 

However, we are beset by injuries at present with several players ruled out already and if there are any doubts tomorrow, Hughes must way up the value of their involvement against the importance of the UEFA Cup second leg at home to Hamburg on Thursday. 

Judging by Hughes's comments prior to the game, it does seem as though he is still aiming for seventh spot though and I'd back our home form of this season to carry us to another three points.

Youth team lose in semi's

City's youth team have been knocked out of the Dallas Cup on penalties after drawing their semi-final with Sao Paulo 0-0, but Academy Manager Jim Cassell is proud of the mark the lads have left on the tournament.

It was an entertaining affair at the Pizza Hut Park Stadium, with City trading blows with a strong and skillful Brazilian outfit, who eventually saw off the young Blues 4-2 in the penalty shoot-out.

>>mcfc.co.uk

The days best City links 04/11/2009

• Prem: Moyes on Jo transfer | Setanta

  tags: City

• Manchester City's losses trebled under Thaksin Shinawatra - Telegraph

  tags: City

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Inexperience

The biggest disappointment for Hughes was the manner in which his players could not take advantage of scoring so early. A more experienced side would have slowed down the game and quietened the crowd. It needed composure, a sense of authority. Yet by the time Mathijsen headed in a ninth-minute corner Given's goal was under siege.

Daniel Taylor makes a valid point here in his match report in The Guardian. It is easy to forget how inexperienced in terms of European competition our line up was last night, and having gone ahead so early in the game we then found ourselves under tremendous pressure before Hamburg finally got back on level terms.

Perhaps a more experienced and wiser side than ourselves would have been able to navigate through that period in the opening ten minutes. Taylor also makes reference to the crowd and it certainly sounded an intense atmosphere last night which may have affected the players. You do wonder if we could have displayed a greater degree of control immediately after going ahead if we could have been successful in closing out the game and putting ourselves in a very strong position indeed heading back to Eastlands.

As it is, despite the belief that is eminating from the camp today, we really have left ourselves a mountain to climb next week.

Injury news

Things are not looking good:

Craig Bellamy looks certain to miss the club's next two games after suffering a recurrence of a knee injury in the 3-1 defeat at Hamburg last night. Benjani Mwaruwari also looks likely to be sidelined for a spell as he ruptured his thigh muscle. Shaun Wright-Phillips (ankle) and Vincent Kompany (hamstring) are doubtful through injury but Nigel de Jong is available again after being ineligible for the Uefa Cup tie.

>>guardian.co.uk

Reaction to the Hamburg game

"The third goal obviously makes it difficult for us, but I have just said to the guys now that we have to think positive. We know we can score goals at home, but it was disappointing after scoring so early.

"Hamburg are a good side, they have had an outstanding season and we can see the reasons why. They were a threat at set-plays, and were a big & athletic side. At the end we had a lot of walking wounded, we didn't even finish with 11 men because it looks like Benji has re-ruptured his thigh muscle. We also had a few that were not at the peak of their powers because of injuries they already had.

"We just have to pick ourselves up, we have another game at the weekend that becomes really important for us, and then we will focus on the second leg. We do certainly do not think that the tie is over."

>>Mark Hughes.

HAMBURG gave City the elbow on the banks of the Elbe last night, but the fast flowing tie is still very much in the balance.

The in-form Germans came from behind to snatch a deserved advantage thanks to a disputed penalty and a late effort from substitute Paolo Guerrero but the Blues have a precious away goal in the vault for what will be a pulsating second meeting at a sold out Eastlands next Thursday.

>>MEN.

Such are the fine margins in European football that a decent result can become a rather poor one in an instant, and so it was in north Germany last night as a late goal from the shin of a Hamburg substitute left Manchester City with everything to do at Eastlands next week.

>>mail online.

The result flattered us. Hamburger were so comfortably the better side that for us still to be in the tie is a good result. Were it not for Shay Given's heroics, and some profligate HSV finishing, we would need much more than 2-0 at home next week. Winning by two clear goals is going to be tough; but it's not insurmountable.

>>tldorc.

It started off so well, our name was already being etched onto the Cup and then it all crumbles, the team, the result and our dreams.

>>we've got robinho.

It is the hope that hurts. For one minute, Manchester City could dream of European glory putting an end to 33 barren years. The remaining 89, though, left their hopes of doing so hanging by a thread.

A confident, composed and devastating comeback from Hamburg produced goals from Joris Mathijsen, Piotr Trachowski and Jose Guerrero to cancel out Stephen Ireland’s early opener and, had Shay Given not repaid a further chunk of his transfer fee, could easily have ended Mark Hughes’s side’s European dream on the banks of the North Sea.

>>telegraph.co.uk.

Hamburg 3 City 1

I wrote in the preview for the game that above all else an away goal would be crucial - and on the evidence of tonight Stephen Ireland's goal after just 30 seconds is our only glimmer of hope heading back to Eastlands for the second leg.

It was such a dream start to go in front so early, but before we could capitalise on this advantage Hamburg were back in the game and in truth it was no more than they deserved, with Shay Given making a number of saves before they got back on level terms.

From that moment on we were well and truly second best as Hamburg looked the brighter, livilier and more purposeful side. Our attacking fulcrum of Robinho, Bellamy and Sturridge - despite their movement - could not maintain possession which made it difficult to bring Ireland and Wright-Phillips into the game enough in key areas.

Counter this with the excellent front line from Hamburg, led superbly by Olic, who had a fantastic evening. Perhaps our long season finally caught up with us in some respects but we were second to the ball, and looked tired and leggy for the most part, chasing the game for the majority.

On the balance of play it wasn't a surprise that Hamburg added a second, and there can be no complaints regarding the award of the penalty, which was dispatched easily past Given. At 2-1 though, this would have left us with a slight advantage I believe but we could not hold out and Hamburg got what could be the vital goal to put daylight between the two sides and ensure the first leg finished 3-1.

Can we recover from tonight? Of course, as although a 2-0 victory sees us through I don't see that we will be able to post a clean sheet this time next week. It could be set up for a great night this time next week, but in the aftermath of tonight's defeat it does seem a long way away.

Hamburg open thread

Fill up the comments...

Hughes on Hamburg

"We won't be able to win the tie here but it is possible we could lose it – that's the key," said Hughes. "We don't want to be in a position in which the second leg is beyond us. We want to make sure we are in a decent position when we go back to Eastlands and hopefully have a great European night because there have not been that many over the years."

>>Mark Hughes.

Added to the injury worries we have, Hughes comments do seem to be a clear sign that it won't be the most adventurous line-up that will be fielded tonight - with the hope being that we can nick an all important away goal along the way.

It won't be easy of course, and the loss of Vincent Kompany could have a big bearing on the outcome of tonight's result.

Youth team through to the final

IM CASSELL'S FA Youth Cup holders made it three wins out of three in the prestigious Dallas Cup tournament to storm into Friday's semi-finals with a resounding 4-0 victory over spirited Canadians Toronto.

City danger men Robbie Mak and Alex Nimely claimed two goals each in a one-way second half after Toronto had created their best chances before the break only to find goalkeeper Joe Clegg in outstanding form.

The Boy Blues will now face either Sao Paulo or Eintracht Frankfurt in the last four after topping supergroup A with 11 goals and maximum points following earlier victories over AC Milan by 4-0 and Mexican side Tigres 3-2.

>>mcfc.co.uk

Hamburg preview

[BBC preview, MEN preview]

Mixed emotions appear to be the mood around the blogosphere heading into tomorrow's Quarter final first leg in Hamburg.

On the one hand we have put in some good performances away from home in Europe this season with plenty of parallels being drawn with our group stage game at Schalke where we came away with an impressive victory. However, counter that with some abject displays on our travels away from home in the league.

Recent years have seen us struggle to get past the Quarter-final stage of competitions (with some dismal exits along the way) but this year we do have real opportunity. Undoubtedly we are now surrounded by the elite sides in the UEFA Cup but we should class ourselves in that group and we really should believe that we can win the tournament.

Mark Hughes, whilst cautious, is certainly looking at progressing onwards:

'Hamburg are doing exceptionally well domestically and will be confident having won again at the weekend, so it`s a big test for us. We've really enjoyed the UEFA Cup run and we have every intention of keeping it going.

'We're looking to get a good result, and then bring it back home in front of a full house for a great European night in Manchester.

'The stakes are higher now we are at the quarter-final stage of the competition, there is a lot of focus on this game and everything becomes higher profile the nearer you get to the final.

'We met them in pre-season, but things are very different for both teams now. I have come up against Martin before and had a decent record against him in competitive games, hopefully that will continue.'

We have plenty of injury worries heading into the game of course. From BBC Sport:

Kompany has a hamstring injury which he picked up in the Premier League defeat by Arsenal last Saturday.Former Hamburg midfielder Nigel De Jong is also out as he is cup-tied. But left-winger Martin Petrov (knee) and midfielder Stephen Ireland (ankle) have both travelled to Germany after overcoming injury problems.

Hamburg will without a number of key players as Bastian Reinhardt, Thimothee Atouba, Romeo Castelen, Maxim Choupo-Moting, Guy Demel and Alex Silva are sidelined through injury. However, Paolo Guerrero (ankle) and Collin Benjamin (thigh) returned to training on Wednesday and could be involved.

The presence of Stephen Ireland will be key. He along, with the trio of Wright-Phillips, Robinho and Bellamy have looked good in European games and without the duo of Kompany and de Jong much will rely on them.

Hughes does have a big decision on his hands as it is inconceivable he will not replace with Kompany or de Jong with either Gelson, Zabaleta or even Hamman. It is likely then that one will line up alongside Elano and which ever option he selects, it isn't our strongest line up.

Jack mused on what would be a good result and I don't think there are many of us who wouldn't take a 1-1 draw at this stage. An away goal though is imperative, with 2-1 almost more preferable than 0-0 given the importance of an away goal - something particularly the case given our inability to register clean sheets in the competition.

I've always said the first leg will determine the outcome of this tie and my view on that hasn't altered. Can we do it? Of course we can, and I do feel we will go through from this tie.

It will likely take a win at Eastlands to ensure it though.

Club deny Mourinho link

Following the publication of an article in today’s Sun newspaper by Ian McGarry which states that Jose Mourinho has rejected a £12.5million offer to manage Manchester City Football Club, the Club would like to clarify the following. The article is completely without foundation and the Club is considering legal action to address the matter.

>>mcfc.co.uk

I hadn't actually caught this story this morning so wasn't aware of it until the denial was issued.

Given their track record (remember Robinho being so desperate to move to Chelsea in January), the fact that it was written by Ian McGarry and appeared in The Sun says everything about the validity of it.

Kompany ruled out

Manchester City midfielder Vincent Kompany is ruled out of the UEFA Cup match against his former club Hamburg on Thursday because of a hamstring injury.

Kompany suffered the setback in the defeat by Arsenal at the weekend and has remained at home for treatment.

The Belgium international's absence leaves manager Mark Hughes short of numbers in that department as another former Hamburg star, Nigel De Jong, is cup-tied.

>>yahoo sport.

A huge blow given that de Jong is unavailable, and in hindsight, makes the decision to field him at Arsenal on Saturday very much a bad one.

MEN live blogging Hamburg game

CITY take on Hamburg in the first leg of their UEFA Cup quarter-final on Thursday - and we'll be blogging it live here on www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk. Make sure you click here from 7.30pm on Thursday to catch:

:: Regular text updates on the action
:: All the latest snaps from the game as they come in
:: Polls updated in real time
:: Your comments on the game as it unfolds

>>MEN.

Pretty much all the major newspapers are covering games as live in some capacity these days, but it is the first time that I know of that the MEN are trying this out.

There are usually plenty of comments on any MEN story but I wonder given the game is live on TV how much attention it will attract during the match.

Should be interesting to see the response it gets.

Hughes to turn to Petrov?

"The plan was to give him 45 minutes," said Hughes. "He came through that and looked impressive. You forget what quality he can produce, and he looked in good nick.

He was blowing a bit, which is fairly obvious given how long he has been out. But he is an option for us."

>>MEN.

It would be a huge gamble to field Petrov on Thursday night given the length of time he has been out - not to mention limited time back - but given the importance the game holds, could Petrov be worth a gamble at some stage in Hamburg?

Youth team win again

JIM CASSELL'S City youngsters pulled off a stirring fightback from two goals down to beat Mexican side Tigres 3-2 in the prestigious Dallas Cup and leave the FA Youth Cup holders one point from qualifying for the next stage in Texas.

Goals from Alex Nimely, Greg Cunningham and Keiran Trippier turned the match around for the resolute Boy Blues after two defensive errors handed their opponents a 2-0 half-time lead just a day after beating AC Milan 4-0.

>>mcfc.co.uk - full report.

The days best City links 04/07/2009

• Mark Hughes approaches Hamburg without relish | Manchester City - Times Online

  tags: City

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Travel sickness

'Away from home you have to stick your chest out and say to the opposition 'come on what have you got'.

'But we just weren't able to ask enough questions and at the moment that is happening too many times away from home.'

>>Mark Hughes.

Hughes citied us being confident and fantastic to watch at home, and there is no doubting that this season our home form (and points return) is impressive, certainly the best outside the top four. However, at this level you expect your home form to be impressive.

What will help you take that extra step is the return on your travels, and this season ours has frankly been a disaster, with only Stoke and West Brom having a worse return.

Hughes is not incorrect when he says that we are lacking self-belief away from home and for me, the most frustrating aspect of the defeat to Arsenal on Saturday was the acceptance of the defeat.

It is now too late to rescue the miserable away form of this season (even if we were to win out), but whilst the calls for Hughes's head are resurfacing, it is not the results away from home, or even finishing in a worse league position than last season that will do for Hughes if he is sacked, as there has been plenty of opportunity this season when results (and league position) reached their nadir.

If Hughes is to be sacked, then it will be because the owners do not have the confidence that he can deliver what they expect the club to achieve, that they feel he is not the man who can take us to the next level and crack the top four and beyond.

Whilst there are definite positives and strides that the club has made under Hughes, there are enough concerns to suggest he may not though be the answer. With a pivotal fixture at Hamburg now on the horizon, talk of 'defining' and 'season shaping' games is back on the agenda.

I'd imagine that Mark Hughes knows this only too well.

'Final offer' for Sturridge?

CITY are still hopeful they will keep hold of promising striker Daniel Sturridge in the summer. The talented teenager made a brief substitute appearance against Arsenal on Saturday following injury and the Blues are ready to put together a 'take it or leave it' package thought to be in excess of £40,000 per week. Chelsea and Aston Villa are both awaiting the outcome of the youngster's last-ditch talks with the Blues hierarchy. Hughes has made it clear he would like Sturridge to stay but the 19-year-old is out of contract in the summer and free to talk to other clubs. City would receive compensation but it would be a fraction of his future worth.

>>MEN.

Once again it appears that we have reached a stalemate regarding an extension to Daniel Sturridge's current deal which is increasingly close to expiring.

I'm not sure that threatening talk of 'final' or 'take it or leave it' offers are really the best approach to take in this situation though as surely that will only serve to alienate a player who, at the very least, is considering a future away from the club.

It would be a terrible shame if he were to leave, given that he does possess a wonderful talent, and for all that has been written about our adding a galaxy of world stars to block home grown players, it will be ultimately be money and not footballing reasons that result in his departure.

I know we have had a good degree of success in re-signing our Academy players to contract extensions this season but are we witnessing the first indications of problems further on with the scenario with Sturridge?

On the face of it, £40,000 per week is a very generous offer for a teenage player, who, whilst showing undeniable talent on occasion, has only featured in a handful of matches so can he really justify him being paid on par (or thereabouts) with the likes of Dunne, Richards, Ireland or Onouha for example?

Yet, could it also be argued that if Robinho can earn in excess of £150,000 per week, Bridge in the £100,000 range and so on, is £40,000 a reasonable figure in comparison? I have always thought, and still do, that Sturridge will re-sign but have to admit to having some doubts at present.

I do think he probably wants to remain at the club, but if another club is willing to pay what he believes he is worth, and we don't/won't match it, then for all the best will in the world he will not be playing for us come next season.

Injury news

CITY manager Mark Hughes is sweating on the fitness of midfield play maker Stephen Ireland ahead of Thursday's UEFA Cup quarter-final first leg in Hamburg.

The 22-year-old is struggling with an ankle injury he first suffered in Aalborg when the Blues scraped through to the last eight.

Hughes said: "He went over on it again during virtually the last kick of a training match we had last Thursday.

"It was the outside rather than the inside but obviously it's irritated the old injury.

"He has a chance for Thursday but no more than that."

>>MEN.

Not the most promising news to start the week.

Arsenal 2 City 0

Another away game, another away game without a win.

Unfortunately, all too depressingly familiar both in terms of the return and the performance. From looking around the blogs and forums in the wake of the game, the knives for Mark Hughes also appear to be being sharpened once again.

What I find slightly worrying was the general feeling of acceptance about the defeat, the mentality that we stood no chance of victory at The Emirates so a defeat was no great surprise. Talk of Champions League qualification this season was always fanciful, but as the season has progressed has the distance between where we are at present and where we hope to be become any shorter?

The race for seventh is now surely gone. To meet my 53 point calculation, we would need 5 wins from our remaining 7 games - an unlikely feat given the polar opposites of our home and away form. Given that West Ham - the current side in possession - appear to have hit form at the right time as well.

Now the UEFA Cup takes on an added importance, and the Hamburg game this Thursday is set to be a real defining game for us. With that in mind, you do wonder why Kompany (particularly with de Jong ineligible in the UEFA Cup) and Bridge were risked when they were clearly carrying injuries heading into the game. The concern now is whether they (not to mention Stephen Ireland) will be fit for Thursday.

Talk of certain games being 'cup finals' is of course a well worn cliche, but for the sake of our season it is imperative that are able to come from Germany away with a positive result later this week.

Arsenal open thread

There won't be any review posted up until Monday, so feel free to post up any comments...

The days best City links 04/04/2009

• Sky Sports | Football News | Premier League | Manchester City | SWP foresees Euro spark

  tags: City

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Robinho repireve?

Mark Hughes, the Manchester City manager, may have to abandon his plans to drop Robinho from their game at Arsenal tomrrow after Stephen Ireland suffered an ankle injury in training and did not travel with the squad last night.

Ireland was due to replace Robinho on the left of a three-man attack but was hurt during City's final practice match before travelling to London for their overnight stop.

A protective cast was put on the ankle and City's medical staff will send him for an x-ray to assess whether there is ligament damage. As Ireland is almost certainly out of the match, that could mean a reprieve for Robinho as Hughes does not have any other left-sided attackers.

>>The Guardian.

Jo interview

"I find it strange because I had quite a good start and then for some reason – something that has never been explained to me – I was suddenly no longer playing. I was training well, like I normally do, but I didn't have happiness."

>>Jo.

Quite a nice piece in The Guardian in which Jo lifts the lid on one or two of the differences in the approach between Everton and ourselves.

Worth a read.

Hughes on the race for seventh

"Obviously certain things need to happen with teams in the Champions League positions winning trophies just to drop it down.

"We are probably a little bit too far away to get sixth position but certainly seventh is well within our grasp and we will be working to that end."

>>MEN.

As I've stated previously, 53 points is my calculation of what will be required to finish in seventh position.

In all likelihood we will need to put a decent winning streak (both home and away together) in order to achieve this. Perhaps it is just beyond us, but with a real focus in the league this should keep us sharp for the UEFA Cup challenges that lie ahead.

Arsenal preview

[arsenal.com preview, bbc sport preview]

The bookies make us very much second favourites for Saturday's trip to The Emirates, and even putting aside our miserable away form, Arsenal's resurgence of late backs this up in what is expected to be a very different game than when we met earlier in the season, where we arguably caught them at the ideal time.

Whilst we have some injury doubts (the most serious appearing Bellamy), Arsenal welcome back the trio of Fabregas, Adebayor and Walcott to their squad and have impressed in recent weeks with the addition of Arshavin as they have hurtled past Aston Villa to take possession of fourth place and it would now be a surprise if they relinquished their hold on a Champions League spot.

It is speculated that Hughes could be tempted to adopt a new look formation, with Robinho likely the fall guy as he seeks to become the latest away manager to irk Arsene Wenger by adopting a more cautious approach with perhaps Ireland operating in from the left with Wright-Phillips on the opposite side, aligned with a defensive trio of Zabaleta, de Jong and Kompany.

In our bid to finish in seventh place, it is essential that we marry up our home return with some points on the road but it is difficult to see us getting anything tomorrow. Should we fail, and results elsewhere go against us, the sole focus will very much switch to the UEFA Cup.

Game notes

• Arsenal are the only unbeaten side in 2009.
• We are winless at Arsenal (both Highbury and The Emirates) in 33 years.
• Our league run in after Saturday is as follows - Fulham (h), WBA (h), Everton (a), Blackburn (h), Manchester United (a), Tottenham (a) and Bolton (h).

The days best City links 04/03/2009

• Premier League: Is Manchester City's Robinho as effective away from Eastlands? | Sport | guardian.co.uk

  tags: City

• Manchester City FC - International round-up

  tags: City

• City will be 'new Arsenal' - Manchester City - Football - Sport - Manchester Evening News

  tags: City

• Sky Sports | Football News | Premier League | Manchester City | Cannavaro plans 'project'

  Fabio Cannavaro wants to end his career with a significant 'project', according to the defender's agent.

  tags: City

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Robinho 'certain' to be dropped

"On occasions we have played too openly," said Hughes. "We play a very expansive game at home and away from home we've tried to play in a similar way and paid the penalty for it. You need to be nice and solid when you play away and give yourself a platform."

>>Mark Hughes.

Widely speculated of course this week, but looking at what has come out the past couple of days it would be a huge surprise if Robinho lined up against Arsenal this Saturday. Expect the midfield to be a very compact one, with Ireland and Wright-Phillips the only real creative outlets with Caicedo as a physical presence in attack.

However, far from leaving him out due to form (the common perception), Hughes is very much focusing on the physical side, believing Robinho to be suffering (as all foreign players do when they first come into the Premier League) from the effects of a long and tiring season - in addition to the UEFA Cup and international demands.

"He's never knocked on the door and said, 'I'm tired', but there have been times when you look at him and there has maybe been a bit of flatness in his play," Hughes admitted. "It's understandable because it's his first season in one of the strongest and most physical leagues in the world. He's playing week in week out and he hasn't done that for a long time.

"He's come into a new league, a new team, a new club, and initially had a great impact but he's not used to playing every week. There's been a reaction to that and he has not been able to have the impact he had in the first half of the season. He has great qualities but we have to find a way of getting the best out of him because it's patently obvious we're not doing that right now."

It is a fair point that Hughes makes, and one that should at least be factored in when discussing his struggles (although interestingly, Hughes stated that his Opta and Prozone stats were up there with rest of the sides away from home).

If he indeed is left out on Saturday, it will be interesting to see Robinho's reaction (we all know how the press will report it anyway), and whether this will be to freshen him up for the important game at Hamburg, or if we put together a tight, compact performance, whether Hughes opts for more of the same in Germany next week.

Gelson looking to move

Gelson Fernandes has confirmed he is considering a move away from Manchester City at the end of the season.

The 22-year-old midfielder has made just three Premier League starts this term, with a further 11 league appearances from the bench, and he is frustrated at a lack of first-team opportunities under Mark Hughes.

"We will have to see at the end of the season," he told skysports.com."I'm not a regular in the City team and I'm really not happy about that, and also about my own form. "Monaco is not the only team interested. I like Man City but I need to think about my playing time as well so we will see at the end of the season."

>>skysports.com

He really has struggled this season after featuring heavily in his debut season with us. Injuries have not helped of course, and as a young player he does have plenty of upside but you do sense the players brought in this season in a similar role (Kompany and de Jong) will take some shifting from the line-up.

Coupled with the prospect of further (quality) additions in that area it does seem likely that opportunities will become even more limited for him.

Robinho injury concern

ROBINHO has given City an injury scare by limping out of Brazil's 3-0 win over Peru last night.

The Blues ace is now a serious doubt for Saturday's Emirates clash with Arsenal, especially as he now faces a long-haul journey back from Porto Alegre.

City are still awaiting reports on their man's condition, but Elano came through unscathed - and set up one of the goals in Brazil's cruise to victory.

>>MEN.

Perhaps this suggestion may be irrelevant after all.

The days best City links 04/02/2009

• Manchester City FC - Latest News Story

  Squad shuffle won't block kids

  tags: City

• Nedum Onuoha denies young players have it too easy - Telegraph

  tags: City

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Hughes to axe Robinho?

So suggests The Guardian:

Mark Hughes is weighing up whether he should leave out Robinho from Manchester City's game at Arsenal on Saturday. The City manager is sufficiently concerned about Robinho's form and attitude that he has raised the matter with the club's owners in Abu Dhabi and has been promised their backing whatever he decides to do with his most expensive player.

Hughes is now toying with the idea of tinkering with his usual 4-2-3-1 formation to implement a new 4-3-3 system that would see Stephen Ireland take the Brazilian's usual place on the left side of attack. Shaun Wright-Phillips would play on the right although Hughes's plans have been undermined by Craig Bellamy, the spearhead of his forward line, suffering a knee injury and being ruled out of Wales's game against Germany tonight. Bellamy is heading back to Manchester to be assessed by the club's medical staff.

A final decision will not be taken until Friday when Robinho and Elano return from Brazil's World Cup qualifier against Peru in Porto Alegre and Hughes can assess any injury news before his squad travel to London for their overnight stop. Hughes is aware that dropping Robinho would be a controversial move and could possibly damage his already fragile relationship with the club's £32.5m signing. However, he and his coaching staff have been discussing for some time whether Robinho deserves to keep his placeconsidering his poor away form throughout most of the season. Their conclusion was that he did not. Robinho, indeed, would have been dropped before now had Martin Petrov, the club's left-winger, not been injured.

I don't usually post so much of an excerpt but there is plenty in this one that I thought worthwhile. The question of Robihno's place in the side is not a new discussion, and has been a hot topic in recent times - both with fans and the media alike.

There is no doubting Robinho has struggled of late - not scoring in 2009 - and his displays away from Eastlands have been patchy at best. However, is Robinho not suffering partly because of his high profile and standing? As our away form has progressed from the disappointing to the awful, Robinho has found himself the fall guy, yet our struggles away from home are surely not the sole result of his lack of form but a collective struggle from the side as a whole. Still, the focus will always inevitably be on him to a far greater degree than any other member of the side.

A decision to drop him is not inconceivable though, and as Jack demonstrated we do have options both in terms of personnel and formation to field a side without him (especially with the imminent return of Martin Petrov). It would be a shame however, as you would really would be sacrificing a wonderful talent, a difference maker and one who is capable of winning games by himself. You also think playing away at Arsenal would be the type of game where he would be likely to excel in.

Now the international break is over, it is watch this space I guess.

Bellamy misses Wales games

Wales have confirmed that captain Craig Bellamy will miss Wednesday night's World Cup qualifier against Germany.

The Manchester City striker only recently returned to action after a knee injury and has been sent back to his club for further treatment on the problem.

A spokesman said: "Craig has difficulty playing two games in five days and, although we have tried to keep this quiet, he returned to his club today."

>>skysports.com

I would imagine (or hope at least) this to be a reaction to his recent injury, which is often the case when a player comes back from a spell out.

Too early to say whether he will be fit for this weekends game at Arsenal, but given the importance of the Hamburg fixture next week - especially with Valeri Bojinov unavailable, it would probably make sense to show a degree of caution.