This City Has Been Has Totally Fallen Out Of Love With The Game

Wednesday night at Eastlands was not the most exciting night of my footballing life, it was cold, wet, windy and the football on the pitch didn't exactly create excitement and hysteria in the watching fans.  The League Cup is suffering somewhat of a crisis, and in recent years it has morphed into the title that 'does a job' the one that 'you'll accept', it isn't really high up on anyones list of priorities until the select clubs get towards the business end of the competition.  Even defending holders Birmingham had little to no interest in the tournament, they have far bigger fish to fry and the distraction of the League Cup is an unwanted one.


City on the other hand have a squad capable of challenging for all major honours and I am sure that as the rounds progress stronger squads will be put out each time, amongst the mixture of quality, kids and the downright average was a defender who was signed for £10million not so long ago but now finds himself not just out of the picture but out of the whole art gallery!

Wayne Bridge though is making no effort to get his career back on track, one of many awful signings made by Mark Hughes, Bridge arrived in January 2009 and signed a 4 and a half year deal on a reported £90,000 a week.  It was clearly a great offer and at that time City were throwing money around like confetti.  He never sparkled however and struggled to hold down a place after the 2009-2010 season and barely featured last season, ultimately being loaned out to West Ham for the second half of the term.


All Summer there has been numerous options for the player to move on, and yet the 30 year old has remained.  There was speculation about a move to Newcastle as a replacement for the outgoing Jose Enrique, there was the possibility of moves to QPR and Stoke but none of these rumours seemed to be anything more than heresay.  To be quite honest I don't even know if he is good enough for the Premier League any more, his game has deteriorated hugely over the last 3 or 4 years and he did nothing against Birmingham on Wednesday night to demonstrate otherwise, he was pretty much entirely ineffective for the majority of the game.

He could have a future in football though if he wanted one, clearly he would still be more than adequate for a strong Championship team aiming for promotion, he could have made his move to West Ham permanent but again this didn't come off.  The inference coming from Eastlands is that the player has lost his motivation for the game pretty much entirely.  Spurs defender Benoit Assou-Ekotto in a very refreshing display of honesty, described football as a 'job' a couple of years ago, and fair play to him for being open about his thoughts, it would appear Bridge views the game in the same fashion, but without that honesty.

If he had been willing to be flexible he could have found a new club long ago, but it appears that he now has other priorities in his life.  Winston Bogarde famously remained professional and continued to draw a wage from Chelsea even after numerous attempts from the club to move him along, he stated that no other club would offer him what he was receiving at Stamford Bridge, so why should he move?  Clearly players like this aren't playing for the love they are playing to earn money, and I have no problem with that if the players in question were honest about their mind set.


Bridge is happily ensconsed in leafy Alderley Edge with some pop starlet, they supposedly live happily and other than a few hours training each day he has no other responsibilities.  He hasn't been named in the City 25 man squad for the Premier League so he knows that his Saturdays will be free for him to spend as he see's fit.  No football loving professional would be happy in this situation but for Bridge it seems perfect.  He could have moved on, he could be playing football week in and week out, but he would prefer to spend his time doing other things and still be paid for it.

The concept makes sense to me in many ways, why would you leave a highly paid job to do the same thing for less somewhere else, but this isn't a man who is short of money, he has earnt enough over his career to last him a life time, by this point it makes no difference whether he is earning his 90k a week at city or 20k a week at Leicester.  Bridge in my eyes can no longer claim to be a 'professional footballer', he may do what is expected of him so he can continue to be paid, but his desire and love for the game died long ago.

Manchester City Football wallpapers

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Man City celebrations..

Maybe i'm Insane, But I'd Really Like Us To Sign....

....Charles N'Zogbia.  I suppose right away I should point out that I am not expecting the French man to come in and replace David Silva or anything daft, but I think as a squad member he could be of massive assistance.

Essentially I feel that we are lacking some real direct pace in our squad currently, and I think that is something N'Zogbia can provide.  He is a direct runner, and has great delivery from wide areas, the natural width that he would provide would contrast to anything we already have.  I suppose there would be a clear comparison to SWP, but I can't help but feel that the Wigan winger would provide much more threat off the bench than Shauny ever would.

N'Zogbia is only 25, meaning he has a lot of his career ahead of him and clearly that is another positive.  His performances have been one of the biggest contributing factors to the survival of the Lancashire side this season, he has netted 10 goals which is not to be underestimated considering they came playing in a relatively weak side.

Clearly there are also some downsides to any potential deal, sometimes his attitude has appeared questionable and whether he could make the step up to a top 4 side is definitely up for debate, there is also a question mark over whether he would be happy only being a squad player as opposed to a regular starter.  

 The most important issue I suppose though would be competition, it is reported in the tabloids today that Liverpool are in pole position to sign the Frenchman for around £8million, they are joined by Sunderland who have also shown interest, as well as his former club Newcastle.

I am not suggesting this transfer is likely, or that there has been any speculation linking us to him, it is just a personal opinion, I can't help but feel that he would provide some decent options in our squad and offer some different things to what we already have.  I also think his experience and knowledge of the Premier League would be an asset, he wouldn't take particularly long to adapt and get used to his new club, something which couldn't be said about a player coming from abroad.  N'Zogbia for £8million?  It's a yes from me...

Can we focus on our weakest area for a while?

Do we really need another central defender?  Whilst fans of other clubs who don't watch very much Manchester City could 'hilariously' point out, yes we do, so Mancini can field 5 across the back to go with his 3 defensive midfield players.  Rubbish jibes aside, why are we continually linked with new centre backs when there is another gaping hole in our side?

Today sees reports from a couple of different media outlets linking us with Juventus and Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini..lets quickly run through members of our squad capable of playing in that position: Kompany, Lescott, Toure, Boyata, Boateng, Onuoha, Richards, Wabara and at a push Yaya Toure.  Even if a couple of those players were to move, whether it be on loan or permanently, we still have more than enough to get by.  When the Gary Cahill rumours went quiet, I for one was pretty pleased, I saw no reason for us to strengthen in that area, our defensive record is good, but that doesn't mean the entire backline is solid.

We started this season with Kolarov as first choice left back, with Jerome Boateng also (supposedly) comfortable playing there.  By the end of the season however, I think most City fans were happiest with right back Zabaleta playing on the left side of the defense.  The Serbian defender has had a difficult time this season, and it is strange to me how highly regarded he was before we bought him, supposedly we did battle with Real Madrid to secure his signature.  The 25 year old cost a lofty £16million and he arrived with high expectations, it hasn't quite yet panned out however.

I am not writing the defender off and saying he should be sold, but it is a clear weakness in our side and one that I think really should be addressed.  He arrived with a reputation for being an attacking fullback, and maybe if the offensive side of his game was more impressive we could justify his shaky defensive displays, but he isn't much better coming forward.  His distribution isn't the best, and he doesn't appear quick enough for the Premier League.  He was also lauded as being a set piece expert and also possessing a wicked shot, well he may have managed 3 goals (one of which was a superb free kick against Birmingham) but those pale into insignificance when you consider all the opportunities he has wasted taking on shots from 30 yards out when there have been other options available to him, his delivery from set pieces isn't much better either.

Perhaps surprisingly however I do think there is ability in the player, and I hope we do keep hold of him.  There were some signs of improvement over the closing months of the season and I think with more time in the squad he could develop his game and perhaps become more positionally aware, and possibly more aware of his defensive duties.  That isn't to say however that I think we should go into next season with him as first choice, I think he is good backup but he isn't good enough yet for a team chasing major honours.

Identifying replacements is not particularly straight forward, I think it is time that we had a full back who's main priority is to defend as opposed to attack.  Previously we have been closely linked to Leighton Baines and I think that deal may still come off, but I do have questions about the defensive side of his game, clearly he wouldn't come cheap either and that may put Mancini off somewhat.  Fabio Coentrao and Juan Vargas are other left full backs that we have been linked with but the fact they can both also be used as left wingers puts me off somewhat.

I am not writing this to propose a solution to the left back problem, and it would be better if I did, but one thing is for sure, whilst making moves for Sanchez, Eto'o, Chiellini or whoever else we will be linked too is fantastic, I still can't help but feel that we should be making the left back slot one of our main priorities.

It May Be a Refreshing Attitude, But Is He Good Enough?

Nedum Onuoha was the 'next big thing' for a long time, great things were expected of the young academy graduate, but he never really reached the level that many people expected him too.  His athleticism is there for all to see and the teenage sprint Champion certainly uses his speed as his best asset, but other parts of his game have let him down.

It seemed highly likely that his future at Eastlands was all but over after he was farmed out to Sunderland on loan last season, and it appeared probable that the move would be made permanent.  In recent time though suggestions of a transfer to Wearside have gone strangely quiet.  In fact moves to Bolton as part of a deal for Gary Cahill have been more likely, today though we see a refreshing show of determination from the player.  Too many footballers would rest on their laurels and just wait for a move, but City supporting Onuoha claims he is ready to fight for his place, is he good enough though?

I have never been entirely sure what Ned's best position is, his pace from right back is clearly a good asset, but his technical ability is somewhat lacking and his distribution has always let him down.  Not to say there aren't flashes of ability, the goal he scored for Sunderland against Chelsea was sublime.  At centreback his distribution is less important, but in this modern day players in all areas are expected to be comfortable on the ball, and that is never the impression that I get from the defender.

I suppose one defense of Onuoha could be his injury record, up until this season he has never managed a run of games in a settled team.  He has been permanently hampered by niggling injuries and clearly these will have impeded his development, I am not claiming he is up there with Paul Lake in the 'What Could Have Been' stakes, but I think he would definitely have been a better player than he is.

The other thing that should be addressed is how likely is he to get games, if we assume that Jerome Boateng will be shown the exit door after his recent outburst, we currently have Kompany, Lescott, Toure, Boyata, Richards and Wabara who are all capable of playing at the heart of the defense.  I suppose if you argue that we are best to loan out Wabara and Boyata for a season then there are still 4 players comfortable playing in the centre of the defence, does that leave any room for Onuoha?  Then imagine if we sign a new defender as has been widely reported, opportunities seem limited.

With the upcoming Financial Fair Play rules we need to be bringing in as much money as we can, and the sale of the speedy defender would probably bring us about £5million and that is money that could be extremely useful.  Another key issue it would be important to remember is his attitude towards Roberto Mancini, he said some pretty damning things when he first moved to Sunderland and we shouldn't forget that.

Obviously a lot of us would love to see him stay at the club, he is home grown, he loves the club and he shows passion, but does that make up for a slight lack of ability.  Onuoha is a top half of the table defender, but he isn't a top 4 defender.  I will hold my hands up and say I am impressed with this show of determination, but it doesn't get away from the fact that I just don't feel there is room for him at the club, nor do I feel he is good enough.

Rumour Mill - Have we beaten Arsenal to Ivorian speed merchant?

Today has been a bit of a crazy day for a City fan, most days are full of rumours but today they seem more certain than ever.  This morning were the claims that we had completed the signing of Luka Modric spreading across twitter, and that it was 'imminent'.  Personally I never bought into that one and it seems to have gone particularly quiet ever since it first 'broke', the other rumour however could be a lot more likely.

Granted the source of the story is hardly the most reputable, but it seems more likely than Modric.  It seems pretty clear that we have been monitoring the future of Ivory Coast winger/striker Gervinho over recent weeks, and it was apparent that we were competing with Arsenal, the players preferred destination.

This afternoon however come claims from French footballing website 'Foot Mercato' that the deal is as good as done.  They claim that we have flexed our financial muscle and absolutely blown the Gunners out of the water.  The figure quoted on the website is about £15.5million, which is pretty hefty, especially considering his contract runs out next Summer.  Early rumours had suggested that Arsenal had tabled around £8-9million so clearly if the reported figure is correct Lille would prefer to sell to us.

The player on the other hand would apparently take some more convincing, the French media reports suggest that City will offer him astronomical wages to make the proposition of Eastlands more attractive than the Emirates.  The other point to consider would be the presence of Yaya and Kolo Toure who are both international team mates with the forward.

The 24 year old is known for both his speed as well as his final product.  He is comfortable playing on the wing or through the middle and would definitely offer something that we don't currently have.  Maybe I give more credence to the story purely because I would like it to come off.  Clearly this is very much up in the air, and not from the most reputable source, but i'd just love it to happen!

To add further uncertainty to the whole debate, Ian McGarry has just tweeted that the player will complete a move to Arsenal over the weekend, back to the drawing board then I suppose, who to believe....

Is Jerome Boateng Becoming A Forgotten Man?

Last Summer was a really exciting transfer window for all Manchester City fans, the massive signings of players such as Silva and Toure suggested that a great season was on the way, and it certainly turned out to be that.  It is strange to now look back though and think that Jerome Boateng was one of the signings that I was most excited about.

There were murmurings about his arrival before the previous season had ended, and it seemed to be a dead cert that he would be a City player evetually.  The deal made sense in many ways, a young versatile, athletic defender who wasn't overly expensive, paying around £10million for the 22 year old seemed like good business.  Expectations raised even further when he went off to the World Cup, and playing in one of his unfavored positions, left back, he did really well.

I suppose in many ways his career highlight at City was that pre-season friendly against Valencia when he laid on a goal for Gareth Barry after a fantastic surging run down the right wing.  Things quickly went down hill, he injured his knee in a freak accident involving a drinks trolley, and when he finally returned to fitness his form was patchy to say the least.

Despite making 24 appearances in all competitions he has failed to impress, and due to injury and lack of form he has began to become the forgotten man.  Personally I am guilty of criticising Boateng, it is fair to say he has taken a long time to adjust to English football and he is still working on that, but there is clearly talent there.

Reports continue to circulate suggesting that he could be ready for a swift return to German, and Bayern Munich to be precise.  The stumbling block seems to be the price, with City holding out for around £17million to consider selling the player, a figure which would represent a fine bit of business, but I think that would be a massive mistake.

My defense of Boateng is pretty straight forward really, firstly he is only 22, and he is still learning his trade, at that age players need time to develop in their own country, let alone abroad.  The next crucial factor is that he has been forced to play out of position for the vast majority of his career at Eastlands, I will hold my hands up and say that I don't think he will ever be a world class full back, but when he has played at centre back on the odd occasion, I think he has looked a lot more composed.  Injuries have also had a massive effect on the player, there can't have been many points in the season where he has been fully fit, and he has never really had a long run of games in his favoured position. 

Essentially I think it is far too early to judge the player, he may be forgotten at the moment, but I think if we stick with him for another season and use him in his favoured position he could turn into a fine asset for this football club.

The Cesc Fabregas Conundrum...

A common criticism of Manchester City is that their approach to football is similar to a game of Football Manager, and at times if the press are to be believed it can certainly seem that way.  Reports today are continuing to circulate that Roberto Mancini is seriously a considering a move for nowty Catalan and Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas.

The 'story' is clearly based on absolutely nothing concrete and is essentially just hearsay.  The Mirror reckon that Arsenal are so desperate to keep their captain that they would reject the £30million that supposedly Barcelona value him at, somehow the writer of the piece then jumps from that to City offering £50million, a sum which clearly would be accepted by the hierarchy at the Emirates.

I would never question the players ability, he is a top midfielder and would be a fine long term replacement for Xavi at the Nou Camp, but even if there was a grain of truth to such a story, would I really want City to pay £50million for a player that in all honesty I cannot stand.  It would be foolish to suggest that there isn't a place for him in the City midfield, De Jong, Fabregas and Toure has a fine ring to it, but I just can't feel this move would be far to 'Football Manager' for me.

As I have said previously Fabregas is a player of the highest quality, but there is something about him I cannot stand, his behaviour on the pitch irritates me and whilst he has is not one of the worst offenders for moaning and mouthing off, his regularity of doing it still grates on me.  That coupled with the ridiculous price tag just turn it into a deal that I can't get overly excited about.  I suppose in this market where Andy Carroll is worth £35million, £50mill for Fabregas is probably fair but it doesn't mean we should be paying it.

Even without my whole personal problem with the Spaniard, I think the chances of him agreeing to such a move are about as tiny as that of Dimitar Berbatov still being a United player next season.  For whatever reason Fabregas loves Arsenal, and Arsenal loves him back, the Mirror article contradicts itself by pointing out that he has himself stated that he would only ever play for the Catalans or the North London club, but then in the same story they claim a move to City could be in the offing.

Really all signs point towards some more low rent journalism in a tabloid, but it got me thinking that even though he's a great footballer, I hope we don't spend that sort of money on him....

Rumour Mill - Double Swoop Being Lined Up?

As all City fans will be fully aware, the papers are full of utter nonsense (that isn't just limited to sport) and generally when it comes to transfers you can pretty much disregard anything they claim, especially when it's related to City.  One of the least reliable sources of transfer news is probably the Star, so why am I covering a story from that wonderful newspaper this afternoon?  The simple answer is because if their claims are true we will be onto a great signing.

The paper claim that Mancini is returning from Abu Dhabi after discussing Summer expenditure.  As has already been reported there won't be a huge influx of players during this window and money will be carefully monitored, the reports however suggest that the 2 players who will join the ranks will be Udinese winger Alexis Sanchez and Ajax defender Jan Vertonghen.  It is thought that it would cost the club £30million to secure Sanchez and a further £10million for the Belgian defender.

Sanchez has been a real star performer in Serie A this season and he has drawn plaudits from across Europe for a while.  City will face stiff competition for the players signature, and in all likelihood I think it will cost more than the £30million quoted, Udinese have already rejected a bid in that region from an unnamed club, there is also strong interest from Inter Milan who have made their desire for the player public knowledge so it could be a complicated deal.

He is in my opinion just the sort of player that we could do with, he is predominantly used on the wing and his excellent dribbling ability and electric pace would be a real asset.  Other than the soon to be departing SWP we don't really have a player who has the ability to beat a man using just speed and acceleration and at times I think it has been something we have desperately needed.  It is also worth noting that he is a goal scorer as well managing to notch up 12 goals in 27 appearances helping Udinese to a fine finish in Serie A.

The deal is probably less certain than the Star are making out, but it is clearly one that would be exciting, if we are only to bring in a couple of players this Summer I think a winger should definitely be one of the players we are looking at.

Roberto's second target according to the Star is defender Jan Vertonghen, someone again who has a bright future ahead of him.  The Ajax man has also been linked to Manchester United and Arsenal, but Mancini was present to watch him in person in the Dutch cup final recently, the paper also reports that the manager spoke to him personally after the game, supposedly this automatically means we are in pole position for his signature.

Whilst the potential signing of Sanchez makes perfect sense to me, the signing of Vertoghen I find slightly less understandable.  If Toure had been handed a longer ban, then we would be in need of another defender, but the Ivorian will be available again in September, and with a resurgent Joleon Lescott, and a brilliant Vincent Kompany I am not sure whether there is the need to spend £10million on another defender, especially with Dedryck Boyata looking a good prospect in need of games.

I don't mean to take anything away from the Belgian it just isn't a target that particularly appeals to me, a good player, but somewhat unnecessary in a transfer window where we are supposed to be curbing our spending.

Clearly there is also going to be a mass exodus this Summer as well, this £40million expenditure can be evened out by sales claim the Star.  The list of players heading for the exit door is long, Jo, Emmanuel Adebayor, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Craig Bellamy, Roque Santa-Cruz, Nedum Onuoha and Wayne Bridge will all be moved on, with the newspaper claiming these sales could bring in £40million to cover any expenses.  

That figure seems a bit high to me, but I think it would not be unreasonable to say we might be able to scrape together around £25million from the sale of all those.

To be fair to the Star they aren't claiming that either of the players are nailed on, and they aren't exactly new names in the frame.  The acquisition of Sanchez would really not surprise me, but Vertonghen, I may need some convincing.

A Story of Diet Pills and An Indecisive Striker....

There are two stories revolving around City today, firstly we have the six month 'ban' handed down to Kolo Toure, and secondly we go over the future of Carlos Tevez...again!

Toure was, as we all know, provisionally suspended from football in March for failing a drugs test.  At the time it was pretty clear that there was something strange about the whole situation, if you were going to go through the City squad and pick out players likely to fail a drug test, I think Kolo Toure would be a long way down that list.  I suppose we will never know why he felt the need to take diet pills, we are hardly talking Neville Southall or Wayne Rooney here, but for whatever reason he did.

I can't really defend the centre back, surely a professional sportsman would consult his employers medical staff before taking any substance whether the product claimed to be natural or not, but that is now in the past.  The length of ban to me seems entirely fair, especially with it being backdated, however that has not stopped many fans of that other Manchester team harping on about Plug Ferdinand.

The difference is huge, Ferdinand failed to attend a drug test, where as Toure mistakenly took a water tablet.  There is much conjecture about why Ferdinand missed his drug test, and whether it was a conscious decision or not but to me it seems to be a bigger crime to miss a test as opposed to simply testing positive for a totally legal substance which is in no way performance enhancing.  To me the more important comparison is with QPR goalkeeper Paddy Kenny, who received a nine month ban for taking an over the counter cough remedy...

The other interesting thing about this story is how bothered are we really?  Joleon Lescott has been a revelation in the second half of the season and he has formed a really good partnership with Vincent Kompany, I am hoping that when Toure does return he doesn't walk straight back into the first team.

In other City news, Carlos Tevez has maybe, supposedly, possibly rejected a move to Juventus.  There is really nothing else to the story, but that hasn't stopped the Daily Mail claim that this means he will almost certainly be playing at Eastlands next season.  Normally the Mail love to knock City and they generally publish any old tosh about players leaving so it is somewhat refreshing for them now to be suggesting that a player might stay.

The report suggests that Tevez was offered a huge £20million a year, they reckon that the relationship between the Argentine and the clubs Abu Dhabi based owners have encouraged him to stay.  Now, maybe I am sceptical, but firstly I don't believe that this is the end of the rumours about Tevez leaving, and sadly I don't believe that if he does stay, it will be down to anything related to his feelings for City.  The bottom line is that we paid near on £40million for the striker and there is no club other than Madrid or Chelsea that would be able to pay that sort of money, so why should we sell?

For the good of the football club, obviously I hope that the player remains but I can't help but feel there are more twists and turns in this story, so lets not assume its all over yet....

The Vultures Begin To Circle...

Prior to take over by the Abu Dhabi United Group the Summer transfer window was a time for City to shop for bargains, and where better to start than the relegated teams.  Things have slightly changed somewhat, we are now shopping in Waitrose as opposed to the Happy Shopper, but that doesn't mean there aren't some bargains to be found from those teams slipping out of the Premier League.


I thought it might be worth having a quick look over those relegated squads to see if there are any players lurking who could do a job at Eastlands.  Clearly any players that I do think are worth considering aren't being viewed as starters, just extra bodies in the squad to do a job.  


Lets kick off with West Ham:


When you look through the Hammers squad it becomes immediately obvious that their relegation is due to gross miss-management as opposed to any lack of quality, they have some really good players and should probably have finished a good 6 or 7 places off the bottom of the table.  Their prized asset is Scott Parker, someone we were desperate to sign at the same time as Bellers under Mark Hughes. In the end the deal never came off, and to be honest I don't feel we need him now.  Barry, Milner, De Jong, Toure, Vieira (should he stay for another year) all nicely fill that space in front of the defense and I am not sure a big money move for Parker would be overly useful.

Demba Ba, scored goals in a bad team.

There is however one player that I think would definitely be worth considering.  Demba Ba has played really well for West Ham this season, he has managed to score 7 goals in 12 games and that is playing for a team performing really badly.  City could do with another striker should the predicted exodus of forwards occur this Summer and I think Ba would welcome the chance to play for a top club.  His athleticism and aerial ability make him a real handful and I think he could be a real asset off the bench.


What of Blackpool?:


Lets be quite clear about this, Ian Holloway (as much as I can't bear him) did a pretty good job with this squad, I mean it is really average and I struggle to find more than one possibility.  Let's try to avoid the obvious for now however and consider Matt Gilks.  If Shay Given leaves as expected, City will be in real need of a decent back up goalkeeper and I think Gilks has shown signs this season that he could be really solid, the other positive is that I think he would accept the role of backup keeper at this point in his career, so it might be one worth considering.  

Wanted by many...i'm not sure why either.

Other than that it is pretty slim pickings,  David Vaughan has had a pretty solid season and I think he could find a place in the Premier League next time round should he chose to move on, but as we all know the star performer has been Charlie Adam.  The Scot has been the life blood of the Seasiders and he has actually looked a really good top flight footballer.  Whether I would want him at City I am not sure, he has been linked extensively to Spurs and Liverpool and rumours bounce about that the even the scum might move for the 25 year old this Summer.  I suppose he could offer a decent option as backup for Silva pulling the strings, but I can't help but feel there are similarities between Adam this year and Stevie Ireland's one great season.


The final team suffering relegation were Birmingham:


I have to admit, I am so glad to see the back of Brum, there is nothing to like about them in my eyes, McLeish annoys me, their fans grate on me, and they are so massively boring to watch.  Now that I look over their squad, I do find myself wondering how on earth they won the League Cup, there is really nothing there.  Ben Foster is a really good keeper and would theoretically be good cover for Joe Hart but there is no chance of him agreeing to be a back up keeper wherever he goes.  Their squad is very workmanlike and I suppose that is understandable considering their style of play, they are built on a solid defense, and they do have a couple of centre backs that City could possibly consider.

Johnson & Dann...not a glamorous pairing.

Roger Johnson and Scott Dann are probably better as a pair than they are individually, they seem to know each others game inside out and they are the rock that Birmingham tried to build their success upon.  Having said that I am really clutching at straws because I don't think either are good enough for City, but it wouldn't be right to just ignore the Midlands side!


Conclusions:


There is hardly a wealth of talent being relegated this Summer, but for me the person that could offer the most to City is Demba Ba.  Even if City keep Tevez, we will only have 3 forwards, the Argentine, Balotelli and Edin Dzeko, if John Guidetti does leave there could be space in the squad for another striker and I think Ba could provide a decent option.


Obviously this is on the assumption that Jo, Adebayor and Bellamy will leave, but they do say that to challenge for honours you need 4 strikers.  City won't be able to bring in a top player to sit on the bench and I suppose it would also remain to be seen whether Ba would fancy that prospect, but I think it might definitely be one worth pursuing this Summer.


Finally, I realise they didn't get relegated, but am I the only City fan that thinks we should offer Wigan some money for Charles N'Zogbia, I really think he could offer us something....

The Summer Spending Begins!

Over the past couple of weeks there have been numerous reports in the media about City moving for Celta Viga midfielder Denis Suarez.  Since the club was taken over by ADUG we have been linked with a different player every day, but it looks like there really could be something in this one.


Goal.com are reporting that the deal has been signed and sealed, and this is backed up by a message on the Celta website claiming:

"Celta Vigo and Manchester City have today completed the transfer of the rights of midfielder Denis Suarez, who will play for the English club next season....Celta would like to thank Denis Suarez for his efforts and dedication in the past few seasons with our junior team, and we wish him great success in his new undertaking in English football."

There has been no word from anyone at City as of yet, but it would appear that this one must be pretty much done if his current club is reporting it like this.  

Hardly a big name in world football, what do we know about the Spaniard?  Well he is 17, and was very highly regarded in his home country.  Whilst he has not appeared for Celta's first team he has been extremely successful at youth and reserve level, he has also been watched on numerous occasions by Barcelona, Real Madrid and Chelsea.  It is reported that the deal taking him to Eastlands has initially set the club back £850,000 but this could rise too £2.6million depending on performances and certain other clauses.

It could be considered somewhat of a coup that City have signed the player who has been courted by some of the biggest clubs in world football.  Lets not get ahead of ourselves however, I doubt we will be seeing Suarez in the first team any time soon, most likely he will play for the reserves for a while to find his feet, although there is suggestion from Goal that he will join the party traveling to America as part of the pre-season preparation.

If this signing is ratified over the next couple of days it is another clear message to the clubs ditractors that youth development is a vital part of Manchester City moving forward, and that our scouting network is unearthing quality players not just locally but around the world as well, and on a more selfish level, it feels great to beat Barcelona to a player!

The Invisible Man's Match Preview - Bolton (Away)

Well it's that time of the year again, the final weekend of another season.  Normally the last day for City is a pretty meaningless affair, this year however there is a lot on the minds of players and fans alike, a month ago if offered a 4th place finish and the first trophy for 35 years many of us would have been ecstatic, going into this final Sunday however, that result would be slightly underwhelming.

Roberto Mancini and his team just have to match whatever Arsenal do at Craven Cottage, the target however will be to win, rendering whatever Wenger and his side manage meaningless.  It is a shame therefore that this massive game comes at a ground where City haven't managed a win since 2004.

Trotters - City: Head To Head

Whilst wins at the Reebok have been thin on the ground, our overall form against Bolton isn't too awful, of the last 4 meetings home and away, we have won 3 and drawn 1.  The last 5 away games however have brought a meagre 2 points from a couple of draws and three defeats, lets hope for that first victory tomorrow.

What's Riding on it?

Clearly City have more to play for going into the final day.  The Trotters currently sit 10th and know that a win could move them as high as 8th if results go their way and that would be a good achievement for Owen Coyle and his squad.

The real awards though are with Mancini, securing 3rd place will avoid the very tricky Champions League qualification round and it would wrap up an extremely successful season.

Recent Form

City are currently enjoying a fine spell of results, they have won 6 of their last 7 matches in all competitions one of which secured the FA Cup.  The one defeat coming at Goodison Park in a game that I think most fans have written off from now until eternity.

The lifting of the FA Cup will have done an awful lot for the morale and belief in the City camp and at the time I thought it not unlikely that the side would win their final 2 games thus securing 3rd.  Even taking the cup success out of the equation our league form is pretty impressive, ignoring the blip at Everton things seem to be improving winning 5 of our last 7 outings.

Goals have been coming from different people as well, something which is particularly pleasing, I wonder what odds you could have got on the only City goals against West Ham being provided by Nigel De Jong and Pablo Zabaleta.

Bolton on the other hand are struggling, their season so far has been good but lately they have began to falter.  They have lost 4 successive games in the league, and lost 6 of their last 8 in total, at home however things are slightly better as they have managed to win 5 of their 6 at the Reebok, probably the most notable of which being against Arsenal.

With there being little to play for however their patchy form might hurt them against City who know that they need to win really.

Who Could Hurt Us?

 Daniel Sturridge - Since he moved on loan from Stamford Bridge the greedy toe-rag has managed 8 goals for Bolton, leaving him only 2 behind Johan Elmander who has played the whole season.  City fans know all about the threat that the striker carries, he possesses electric pace, great trickery and an excellent left foot.  He may also feel he has a point to prove, although that would be strange since the club did everything in their power to keep him.  His desire to spoil the City party will be strong and I expect him to be giving it his all, hopefully the traveling support can help him further question his decision to quit Eastlands for the Stamford Bridge dugout.

Who Can Hurt Them?

Carlos Tevez - The Argentine is in pretty good form after his superb double against Stoke on Tuesday night, he also looked to be approaching full fitness again after a somewhat rusty performance in the cup final.  He has a great scoring record against Bolton, he sunk them at Eastlands earlier this campaign and he tortured them at the Reebok last season scoring twice in a 3-3 thriller.  If certain rumours are to be believed about this being his final game for the club, I think he will do all he can to ensure victory for the club that have paid his huge wages for the past couple of years.  His understanding and interplay with Silva could be too much for Bolton to cope with and I firmly expect Tevez to get on the score sheet.

Prediction

What of the all important score line then, well to get straight to the point I am going to go for a 2-1 win for City, I think it will be incredibly tight and a pretty nervy affair but I expect Mancini and his team to come through with the required 3 points for a 3rd place finish.  Having said all that, I don't think Arsenal will get more than a point at Craven Cottage anyway so I think we will do it with points to spare.