Thursday's B*ll*x

[Chinners]

City rule out Sanchez, chase Napoli trio
Manchester City coach Attilio Lombardo claims that the club have given up on bringing Udinese winger Alexis Sanchez to the club, but are interested in Napoli trio Edinson Cavani, Marek Hamsik and Ezequiel Lavezzi.
Sanchez, 22, is tipped as one of the best young players in the game and has attracted the interest of Inter Milan and Juventus, who are in talks with Udinese over a summer move.
However, Manchester United and City have also been linked with a move for the Chilean, although Lombardo believes he would be best to stay in Italy.
"It's true we did track Sanchez, but I think this player is more suited to an Italian club right now," City coach Lombardo told Radio Crc.
City will, instead, turn their attentions to Napoli as they have a host of stars who could move to Eastlands in the near future.
"I hope there can be some negotiations between Napoli and Manchester City, especially as I'd see one of their three forwards would really suit City," Lombardo added. "The trio of Edinson Cavani, Marek Hamsik and Ezequiel Lavezzi would bring success to any club.
"Napoli have very strong players, but I doubt they'd release Hamsik and Cavani at the same time. Manchester City are tracking many players because this club wants to do well, to win and to become the most important side in Europe. Napoli have good players, so that is why we are looking at them."

Bayern Munich end pursuit of Man City fullback Boateng
Bayern Munich have dropped their pursuit of Manchester City defender Jerome Boateng.
The Daily Mail says Bayern have shelved their pursuit of Manchester City defender Boateng.
Bayern claim they were offering £7million for the Germany international and have been put off by a £17.5m asking price, although City insist Boateng was never for sale in the first place.
The 22-year-old joined City from Hamburg for £10.5m last summer, but his first season in the Premier League was disrupted by knee injuries.

AC Milan are chasing Drogba AND Adebayor
Didier Drogba and Emmanuel Adebayor are targets for AC Milan as they step up their search for a big-name striker.
MirrorFootball revealed on Tuesday that Chelsea could be set to offer Drogba, 33, a new two-year deal.
But Serie A champions Milan could be ready to test Chelsea and Drogba with a £10million move and will go for Manchester City outcast Adebayor if that bid fails. Drogba held off £50m signing Fernando Torres last season and it could be more likely that Nicolas Anelka is sold by the Blues this summer.

Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester City have been alerted to the news that Real Madrid may be willing to sell Gonzalo Higuain for just £15m. The Argentina international scored 13 goals in 25 appearances last season despite four months out with a back injury.

Celtic FC target Shay Given hints at Manchester City stay.
Celtic FC target Shay Given hints at Manchester City stay Manchester City goalkeeper Shay Given has intimated he will be at Eastlands next season.
The Republic of Ireland international’s future has been a constant source of speculation ever since he was usurped by Joe Hart last season as City’s No 1 between the sticks.
Celtic have been mooted as a possible destination for the 35-year-old.
Speaking ahead of his country’s Euro 2012 clash with Macedonia this weekend, he said: "I'm concentrating on Saturday then we'll see what happens after that.
"I've got two years left and the club haven't told me any different so we'll see what the deal is when I go back for pre-season."

Lescott excited by Champions League
Joleon Lescott sat watching the Champions League final on Saturday and swiftly came to a conclusion: if Manchester City draw Barcelona in next season's competition, someone else will get the job of marking Lionel Messi.
City have secured direct qualification into Europe's most prestigious club competition. And, because of their relatively lowly seeding, it could mean a meeting with Barca's team of stars, who shone so brightly at Wembley this weekend.
"We need to stay away from them," warned Lescott. "I went to the game and they were pretty good, probably the best team I have seen. If we have to play them in the group stages I will pass Messi onto Nigel de Jong or Vincent Kompany."
The fact Lescott can even talk in such terms is justification for his decision to quit Everton for City two seasons ago.
Former manager Mark Hughes raised a few eyebrows when he agreed to cough up ?£22million for the former Wolves star.
It did appear at the start of this season Lescott did not appeal to Roberto Mancini's tastes as his sporadic first-team appearances tended to be at left-back.
However, Kolo Toure's failed drugs test earned Lescott an unexpected opening and his partnership with Kompany proved to be one of the major reasons why City ended up fulfilling all their pre-season goals.
"It was a massive season for us," he said. "To get into the FA Cup semi-final, beat Manchester United and then win the final speaks for itself.
"At Everton we were not expected to win the league. At City we are and it is something we believe can be done.
"We can take confidence from what we have achieved so far. Opposition teams will have to be more fearful when they play us."

POZNAN BOLLOX
Poznań continues to host regular trade fairs and international events, including the United Nations Climate Change Conference. It is one of the planned host cities for the 2012 European Football Championship.

The climate of Poznań is continental humid with relatively cold winters and fairly hot summers. Snow is common in winter, when night-time temperatures are typically below zero. In summer temperatures may often reach 30 °C (86 °F). Annual rainfall is less than 500 mm, among the lowest in Poland. The rainiest month is July, mainly due to short but intense cloudbursts and thunderstorms. The number of hours of sunshine is among the highest in the country.

WAG OF THE DAY


OTHER BOLLOX
Chelsea have had a bid for Palermo playmaker Javier Pastore rejected by the Italian club, who want £44m for the in-demand Argentine. Daily Mail

Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov says he wants to stay at the club, despite being left out of the squad for the Champions League final and reported interest from Newcastle, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. Daily Mirror

AC Milan want to sign Chelsea forward Didier Drogba. If they are unsuccessful they will turn to Manchester City's Emmanuel Adebayor, who has been on loan at Real Madrid. Daily Mirror

Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas will be on Inter Milan's hit list if Wesley Sneijder leaves the Italian club for Manchester United. Metro

Liverpool have their sights set on a £13m deal for Sunderland's England midfielder Jordan Henderson. Daily Mail

Tottenham midfielder Wilson Palacios will discover in the next 48 hours if he can secure a £7m move to Italian side Napoli. Daily Mirror

However, Spurs have put a £15m price tag on Honduran international Palacios, who joined the White Hart Lane club for £12m from Wigan. Daily Mail

New West Ham manager Sam Allardyce wants to sign Blackburn's El-Hadji Diouf. The striker had been on loan at Rangers, who remain interested in him. Daily Mail

However, Allardyce faces a tough task if he is to hold on to Demba Ba because Everton have joined top-flight rivals Sunderland in the chase to land the Hammers striker. the Sun

Aston Villa winger Ashley Young, who has been linked to Liverpool and Manchester United, will put back any talks about his future until next week because he is focused on England's Euro 2012 qualifier against Switzerland, which is on Saturday. Metro

Fulham manager Mark Hughes has put in a £1m bid for Bournemouth forward Danny Ings. Daily Star

Striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic says he wants to stay at AC Milan, all but ruling out a summer switch to Manchester City. Talksport

Premier League newcomers QPR have been told they will have to pay £4m for Fulham's Andrew Johnson, with West Brom also keen on the ex-Birmingham forward. Daily Mail

Guus Hiddink has made the clearest indication yet that he is prepared to give up his job as Turkey boss to take the managerial helm at Chelsea. the Sun

Fulham boss Mark Hughes has been linked to Aston Villa but the Craven Cottage club believe he will reject any advances from the Midlands side. Villa are looking for a replacement for Gerard Houllier, who stood down on Wednesday after missing the final month of the season because of heart problems. the Guardian

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is set to try to sign taller players to stop his side letting in so many goals from set-pieces. the Guardian

Real Madrid keeper Iker Casillas says his club would also have beaten Manchester United in the Champions League final had they not been knocked out by eventual winners Barcelona in the semi-finals. Daily Star

The United States could benefit if the 2022 World Cup vote was reopened. If Qatar get stripped of the hosting role, the US could take over, allowing China to host the tournament in 2026. Daily Mirror

Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has been pictured in another team's shirt - that of the New York Mets baseball team. He and Gunners striker Robin van Persie enjoyed a trip to the United States to see former team-mate Thierry Henry in action for New York Red Bulls. Daily Mail

BOLLOX BOLLOX
It has emerged that at least one of the countries who voted in favour of the FA's proposal to postpone the election did so by mistake.
Vietnam voted 'yes' to postpone the election believing they were actually voting to proceed with the election and Blatter as the only candidate.

[Sideshow Bob]

Good to see the club playing hardball over Sanchez. I'm sure Udinese assumed we'd just bend over and agree to their ridiculous demands.

[craigmcfc]

Mmmmm Kelly Brook

[Chinners]

Why Manchester City can’t afford to stand still this summer
With a first major piece of silverware in 35 years, and their highest league finish since the 1976-77 season, can Manchester City be considered genuine title contenders? Obviously they have the financial muscle to compete in the transfer market, and with the lure of Champions League football, unbelievable salaries, and a very exciting project to embark on, Man City have the potential to become one of the most formidable footballing teams in Europe.
The problem with Man City, which has occurred time and time again, is the lack of continuity at the top, and according to recent reports the cracks have begun to show, with Roberto Mancini under intense pressure from chief executive Garry Cook, and director of football Brian Marwood, who are unwilling to fund another summer of spending – this of course having more implications than just affecting the squad for next season, but also jeopardising City’s future forays into the transfer market, with the new financial fair play rules set to come into full effect in 2014.
If Man City are to fulfil their massive potential they need to spend again over the summer, although this season has been hugely successful for Roberto Mancini’s men, there are still some areas that will need addressing if Man City are to mount a serious challenge for the Premier League crown. While City have one of the best defensive records this season and the most clean sheets in the league, thanks in no small part to the efforts of Joe Hart and Vincent Kompany, it is their defence which will need the most reinforcements.
Aleksandar Kolarov has struggled to acclimatise to life in the Premier League and the suspension of Kolo Toure will also be problematic for the Blues, even though he will be available for selection in September it is unrealistic to expect him to come straight into the squad given his lack of match fitness. As well as the future, and fitness of Jerome Boateng being unclear, and the inexperience of Dedryck Boyata, City would appear to have no cover for their centre half position, should Lescott or Kompany get injured or suspended.
City’s strongest area on the pitch is their midfield, and it is deep enough that it should be able to cope with the twin demands of Domestic and European competitions, and the fact that most of their midfield players are capable of covering most positions, they are more than equipped in that area. The forward role has been a problem area for City all season, and although they play with one striker, usually Carlos Tevez, they do not appear to be able to fill that gap when their influential skipper is injured, as he was for the 5 games following the Liverpool game, when they were left with only two senior, inconsistent strikers who managed one goal between them in this time.
Edin Dzeko seems to have struggled since January and although it is unfair to pass judgement on him until he has played a full season, he has only scored 4 goals in 19 appearances in all competitions, and what more can be said about the enigmatic Mario Balotelli? His performances seem to flicker between the incredible and the incredulous, with his wonder strike against Aston Villa in the FA Cup and his red mist moment against Dynamo Kyiv in the Europa League, but his goals to games ratio is not to be sniffed at with 10 goals in 26 appearances in all competitions. But the fear that still looms for all City fans is if Tevez does decide to leave in the summer, they are going to have to find another striker to cover his 23 goals a season.
Manchester City are now at a crossroads, either the hierarchy let Mancini get on with his job and back him in the transfer market, or watch the foundations of such a promising season crumble beneath their feet, and start the rebuilding process all over again which will leave them in a very undesirable position. City cannot afford to stand still over the summer, because they can rest assured that the teams around them will not.

Jerome Boateng's Price Tag Slowing City's Bid For Gary Cahill
Manchester City have found themselves linked in transfer rumours to virtually every big-name player on the market. Their deep pockets have made them a potential landing spot for everyone from Cesc Fabregas and Cristiano Ronaldo (both complete fabrications) to Ashley Young, Wesley Sneijder, and, most recently, Gary Cahill.
The Bolton defender has been linked to City for at least a week now, and many media outlets reported that the two sides were close to a deal, although it hasn't happened yet.
Now, we may know why: Jerome Boateng. The price tag that City placed on Boateng was high enough that his buyers have refused to pay, thereby denying City the funds they need to complete the deal for Cahill, according to a report from Mirror Football.
Bayern Munich, the club looking to take Boateng off of City's hands, was prepared to pay £7 million for the defender, but the Eastlands club are reportedly asking for £18 million for him.
For those of you keeping score at home, that's well more than twice Munich's offer for the 22-year-old defender, so they haven't paid yet.
Without that money, City are unable to drop the cash needed to land Cahill, who was headed to the club in return for cash and Nedum Onuoha.
While City certainly have the cash to get Cahill without dealing Boateng, it's clear from this jam that they're trying to be somewhat fiscally responsible this transfer period, making sure that they have the money from a different transfer before pulling the trigger on bringing a player in.
However, the delay could provide another team, like, say, Arsenal, who are also in the running to score Cahill, a fighting chance at landing the talented 25-year-old.
In the end, this could prove damaging to the team's hopes of bringing Cahill to Eastlands, while giving their competitors another shot at landing the defender. If the Blues lose out on Cahill, they can blame Jerome Boateng (you know, like they did for a good chunk of the season, when he bombed royally on their back line) and his inflated price tag, as it seems to be the only thing preventing City from landing their player of choice.

Palermo reveal Chelsea bid for Manchester City target Javier Pastore by Rob MacDonald.
Palermo reveal Chelsea bid for Manchester City target Javier Pastore Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini has confirmed that Chelsea have made a major offer for Javier Pastore.
The midfield star is also believed to be on the transfer radar of Manchester City.
Zamparini has revealed that the west London club have put in a bid that is well below the Italian’s valuation.
Zamparini said: "Chelsea was a club that we had a major offer from.
"But it did not reach the minimum figure that we set for a player of his quality.
"If someone wants to buy Pastore, the price is €50m (£44m).
"There are five or six clubs also interested, including Manchester City and big clubs from Spain and Italy but so far there has been nothing from them."

20 Tips for next season
Alex Tchuimeni-Nimely, commentators everywhere will be hoping I am wrong about this City striker as his name is impossible to pronounce. However the twenty year old is rated highly by the staff at Eastlands. Having progressed well in the reserves, with ten goals in all competitions Tchuimeni-Nimely was awarded a four year contract in April of 2010, and went on to make his first team debut the same season. Sadly this season the bright star was lost in and amongst all the pound signs, however with Manchester City having bigger aspirations than the League Cup now, next season may see the forward make a name for himself.
http://www.footballfancast.com/2011/06/ ... l-kakuta-3

Man City’s Hart cannot wait for Champions League test
Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart says this season has given him plenty of confidence and how he is chomping at the bit to take on the best.
The England number one was a key contributor as City broke a 35-year trophy drought by winning the FA Cup as well as finishing third on the Premier League table to stitch up an automatic Champions League group stage spot.
Now the ambitious Hart is looking forward to showing his wares on the European stage with a much-improved City outfit.
"What has happened at Manchester City has given me a lot of confidence," he said.
"We have achieved some fantastic things this season. We know what a tough task it will be to follow that.
"But the thing is, we could have achieved more, which just makes it more exciting for next season.
"I can't wait to find out how much the Champions League will improve me," he added.
"Getting it nailed on as well, rather than going into the qualifiers, is great.
"We can really prepare for it properly now.
"It will be a big test for us. It really is big boys' football."

Always nice to se a story develope on Caught Offside Bollox .... marverlous translation of the original storey ... bravo!

Manchester City Plan £61.4m Deal For Napoli Trio
Manchester City will pursue Napoli trio Edinson Cavani, Marek Hamsik and Ezequiel Lavezzi after losing out on Udinese’s Alexis Sanchez.
Sanchez was the subject of a £35million bid from Inter Milan last week and City coach Attilio Lombardo has confirmed the Blues will look elsewhere for future signings.
Manager Roberto Mancini will, instead, turn their attentions to Napoli as they have a host of stars who could move to Eastlands in the near future.
Edinson Cavani, 24, could be a possible replacement for Carlos Tevez who looks likely to leave Eastlands this summer. He will cost around £18.7million.
Mancini could also make a move for his team-mate Ezequiel Lavezzi. The Argentine international can play as striker or a wide man and is available for around £18.6million.
The Eastlands boss is also after more flair and creativity in his midfield and sees AC Milan target Marek Hamsik as the ideal player.
The 23-year-old will cost £24.1million but could form an exciting partnership with David Silva.
Lombardo is adamant the deal for Sanchez is finished – for now – but welcomes any attempts to sign the Napoli trio.
“It’s true we did track Sanchez, but I think this player is more suited to an Italian club right now,” Lombardo told Radio Crc.
“I hope there can be some negotiations between Napoli and Manchester City, especially as I’d see one of their three forwards would really suit City.
“The trio of Edinson Cavani, Marek Hamsik and Ezequiel Lavezzi would bring success to any club.
“Napoli have very strong players, but I doubt they’d release Hamsik and Cavani at the same time.
“Manchester City are tracking many players because this club wants to do well, to win and to become the most important side in Europe. Napoli have good players, so that is why we are looking at them.”

[Slim]

Fulham manager Mark Hughes has put in a £1m bid for Bournemouth forward Danny Ings. Daily Star

That's a hell of a trick.