Manchester title race: +3pt, +3gd
City linked with Arsenal winger, no problem between Mancini and Mario and former Blue calls title win his greatest day in football - despite being on the other team...
Theo Walcott is not expected to start for Arsenal against City in Sunday’s game but there’s a suggestion in today’s Daily Mirror that he could be playing for the other side when the fixture is played in 2013/14.
Journalist John Cross thinks that Walcott will be the subject of a two-way battle between Chelsea and City if he allows his contract to run out this summer.
“Arsene Wenger has given Theo Walcott a two-month ultimatum to sign a new deal - or risk being sold in January,” writes Cross.
"I haven't picked him, it's true, and it's quite a good question," said the Frenchman. "I still hope to sign him and the next two months will be vital because, after that, the longer this situation lasts the more difficult it is,” said Wenger.
Don’t forget that the only place to get confirmed transfer news is mcfc.co.uk!
Meanwhile, Roberto Mancini has dismissed reports that there is a problem between himself and Mario Balotelli, insisting his decision to leave the Italian out of the squad in Madrid was purely tactical.
“It was only a tactical choice, because I only needed two strikers on the bench. Three is too many,” said Mancini.
“We have four top players and usually we played with two and two on the bench, but also we have players who can play as a second striker like Yaya Toure or Samir Nasri or David Silva.
“Yes it is difficult to keep Mario happy. But he went in the stand in Madrid and maybe he can play on Sunday.”
On the ESPN website Ex-City midfielder Dietmar Hamann has stated his belief that the Blues shouldn’t be too downcast after their defeat in Madrid and have plenty to look forward to this season.
Finally, QPR defender and huge City fan Nedum Onuoha has called the 13 May 2012 his greatest day in football. The former Blues defender admits that the day couldn’t have worked out any better, with City winning the title and QPR staying up.
“The relief was just massive,” Nedum said.
“We had stayed up and City had won the title.
“It was such a surreal day for them to win the title; only 10 years ago they were playing away at Grimsby. I’ve seen the dark days and it is incredible to think they have become the best side in England.” Nedum Onuoha
ON THIS DAY
Looking back through the history books for the events, signings and memorable matches that happened on this day in City’s history.
Saturday 23rd September 1989
An unforgettable day at Maine Road as City take Manchester United apart in one of the biggest derby triumphs in decades.
David Oldfield and Trevor Morley each score within the space of a minute to put Mel Machin’s side 2-0 up and sending the 47,000 crowd wild.
Ian Bishop makes it 3-0 before the break with a diving header and though a spectacular Mark Hughes effort makes it 3-1 just after the break, further goals from Oldfield and Andy Hinchcliffe make it 5-1 with just over an hour gone.
There’s no more scoring, but plenty of time for the sell-out crowd to taunt the travelling Reds, many of whom are denied exit when attempting to leave with 30 minutes still to play.
Juventus Keen On January Deal For Manchester City Star Mario Balotelli
Juventus are keen on a deal to bring £25m-rated Man City striker Mario Balotelli back to Italy in January, it has emerged.
The Serie A Champions are desperate to sign a new striker after failing in bids for star forwards Robin van Persie, Luis Suarez, Fernando Llorente and Dimitar Berbatov over the summer.
Juve eventually ended up with the deadline day loan signing of Arsenal’s Nicklas Bendtner but the Dane arrived in Turin overweight an unfit and is already struggling to force his way into the first team.
It is believed the Italian giants still have money to spend on a top striker and will turn their attentions to Balotelli, valued at over £25m by City, in January.
The 22-year-old looked certain to leave Eastlands this summer, with boss Roberto Mancini claiming he would never play for the club again, after a rash red card in a defeat at Arsenal.
But after talks with the player, who enjoyed a fine Euro 2012 with Italy, Mancini relaxed his stance and has insisted that Balotelli has a big part to play at the Etihad.
Even so, the maverick striker has found himself behind Carlos Tevez, Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko in the pecking order at Eastlands and has agains fallen-foul of Mancini after being caught smoking.
It is thought that the City hierachy are prepared to sell Balotelli if Juve meet their asking price and the former Internazionale forward is believed to be open to a return to Italy.
Sportscunty Stirring B*ll*x
[spoiler]Manchester City's spending spree will go on, warns Mancini
Roberto Mancini has warned his Premier League title rivals there is no end in sight to Manchester City's spending frenzy.
And while he emphasised the title threat posed by Sunday's opponents Arsenal, he also warned they would have to follow suit if they want to win the Premier League.
'If we want to stay on top with all the other teams that spend a lot of money in the last 10 years we need to improve and buy top players,' said the City manager.
That is bad news for the clubs left in City's wake, who had hoped that Mancini's summer stand-off with football administrator Brian Marwood and the impending introduction of FIFA's Financial Fair Play Regulations might have put the skids under City's ambitions.
City have spent almost £500million on new players since Sheik Mansour bought the club four years ago and, far from resting on his laurels after ending City's 44-year wait to become top dogs again, Mancini is gearing himself up for another spree in January if that is what it takes to retain their crown.
'It's usually more difficult to stay on top,' he observed. 'It can happen that you can win the title because you play well or because you are lucky. We deserved to win last year but the second year is always more difficult.
'There were a lot of teams in the past spending money for big players, including Arsenal. This is normal.
'For us it was difficult. We needed to buy good players if we wanted to improve. We had the chance to take good players and we did this.
'All the managers talk about the money we have all the time. We have 11 players like all the others.'
The Italian still insisted that Arsenal's challenge should not be underestimated, in spite of losing several stars. 'They've lost Van Persie and Song but I think they have less pressure and can fight for the title because they have good players,' Mancini added.
'I like Podolski, I like Cazorla, I like Giroud. I think they did a good market [in the transfer window]. Arsenal are a fantastic club for me.
'They're one of the best in the world. They played very well at Liverpool away and this will be a difficult game for us. They are very strong counter-attacking.'
But Mancini's failure to add the Dutch striker to the other former Arsenal inmates who switched to the Etihad Stadium, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy, clearly still rankles.
'Van Persie for me is a top player,' said Mancini, who blamed Marwood for scuppering the bid for the Dutchman, who instead moved to Manchester United.
'He scores one or two goals every game during his career, and if you have Van Persie in your team you have more chance to win. This year they have brought in three or four players in good positions and maybe they can improve.'
Title-winning goal hero Sergio Aguero's recovery from the knee injury he picked up in the opening game of the season against Southampton means that Mancini is likely to opt for an all-Argentina strike partnership with Carlos Tevez, which has an astonishing 100 per cent success record in the nine games they have been paired together.
'I think they can play together but we have four strikers who can play together,' he added.
Nasri will miss the match against his old club after damaging a hamstring against Real Madrid on Tuesday, while Gareth Barry may be rested after playing only half his first match of the season in Spain since suffering a groin injury playing for England in May.[/spoiler]
Bollox
Wenger calls for fair play
Gunners boss hopes sponsorship deals don't get out of hand
Arsene Wenger has called on the Premier League's richest clubs to abide by financial fair play and not use huge sponsorship deals to sidestep the regulations put in place by UEFA.
While Arsenal have long-since looked to work within the confines of a sustainable business model clubs like Manchester City and Paris St Germain have been more lavish in their spending in recent years.
A naming-rights deal struck with Etihad Airways will net City close to £400million over a 10-year agreement, with the club securing almost unprecedented spending power in the process.
Wenger has urged football's authorities to keep an eye on the motives for such deals and is loath to see financial fair play become an ideal impossible to manage if outside companies pay over the odds in sponsorship.
"If the sponsorship deals are just a way of getting round financial fair play then it's not financial play," Wenger is quoted as saying in The Sun.
"It makes the system worse for me, as that would mean it makes a mockery of financial fair play.
"Originally, for financial fair play, sponsorship deals had to be at the level of the market price and I don't know whether they will work or not.
"But what City do off the pitch, we've spoken about many times.
"On the pitch, they are an advert for football that's always good to see."
Tottenham and Liverpool are leading the chase for Malaga striker Isco, but Arsenal, Manchester United and Juventus are also tracking the 20-year-old. Sunday Mirror
Arsenal have joined Manchester City and Chelsea in the race to sign Athletic Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente, 27, after the Spaniard stalled over agreeing a new deal. Metro
Manager Nigel Adkins has refused to give Kelvin Davis any assurances about his Southampton future after dropping the 35-year-old goalkeeper for Saturday's 4-1 win against Aston Villa. talkSPORT
Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert wants to bring out-of-favour Newcastle midfielder Dan Gosling, 22, to Villa Park for around £2m in the January transfer window. Sunday Mirror
Arsenal have been put on alert as 31-year-old Fulham and Norway defender Brede Hangeland's contract talks continue to stall. Metro
Real Madrid manager - and former Chelsea boss - Jose Mourinho says it is only a matter of time until he returns to manage in the Premier League. Metro
Liverpool's American owners will end the club's 10-year stadium saga by committing to develop Anfield as a refurbished 60,000-capacity venue.
Tottenham hope to appoint Franco Baldini, former number two to then England boss Fabio Capello, as director of football to work alongside Andre Villas-Boas. Sunday Telegraph
Striker Shane Long joined West Brom in August 2011 from Reading
Meanwhile, former France and Tottenham winger David Ginola, 45, has opened the door to a return to Spurs as manager. the Sun
Republic of Ireland striker Shane Long, 25, claims West Brom have shed their "little West Brom" image thanks to Steve Clarke's impact since taking over as manager. Birmingham Mail
However, Clarke defended his decision to drop West Brom's leading scorer Long after seeing his replacement, Romelu Lukaku, score the winner against Reading on Saturday. Birmingham Mail
Boss Darren Ferguson has vowed not to walk away from Peterborough United despite falling to the bottom of the Championship after losing to Wolves, their seventh successive defeat. skysports.com
Birmingham City manager Lee Clark has made a public apology after the humiliating 5-0 defeat at home to Barnsley.
Sunday Mercury
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