ROUND-UP
Dzeko one of the world's best (Thats obviously top bollox)
There’s a Bosnian-flavoured subplot to Saturday afternoon's meeting with the Potters.
That’s because Stoke City’s Asmir Begovic and Edin Dzeko will face off against one another at the Britannia Stadium.
The pair are great friends off the pitch but that relationship is set to be put to one side at 3pm tomorrow.
“We are friends for sure, and he is a great guy and an incredible player, but once kick-off comes on Saturday all we will both be thinking about is getting the win for our respective teams,” Begovic told the official Stoke City website.
“We have spoken about the game during our time together on international duty and we are both looking forward to it, just as we always do.
He added: “He scored against me last time at the Etihad Stadium, but he was due one in that game because I have made a few saves against him over the years. Hopefully I can keep him out again this weekend.”
One man hoping to postpone this Bosnian showdown is Alvaro Negredo.
City’s Etihad Player of the Month for August is in a rich vein of form and revealed on international duty that he is facing a similar battle for the starting berth for country as well as club, with the World Cup looming next summer.
“It is partly the luck of being in the right place at the right time,” he said after netting his eighth goal in 16 games for Spain. “To play in a side like Spain that plays such great football and creates chances also helps a lot.
“My job is to do my best, and with Spain we have a lot of strikers. Roberto Soldado has started scoring goals in the Premier League and David Villa has recovered all of his confidence, just like the two Fernandos (Torres and Llorente) who were not in the squad but are regulars.
“Brazil is a long way off, and the season is very long, but it is clear that goals give you confidence. The final decision belongs to the coach, and what we have to do now is keep working to ensure the team reaches the World Cup.”
Meanwhile, Vincent Kompany has not had as many kind words from his Belgian international teammates as Dzeko from Begovic.
In an interview with Everyday Football, Eden Hazard, Christian Benteke, Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne and Nacer Chadli had some choice words for their captain in a very funny Q and A.
Everton loanee Lukaku, in particular, had no hesitation in outing Vincent for his eating habits.
"Vince [Kompany] takes two plates," said.
"He takes a plate and puts another one next to it. That's Vincent."
Chelsea forward Hazard was next to stick the knife in – this time finding fault with Kompany’s time keeping.
"He always has an excuse!” Hazard declared.
"He had an interview, or his toe was bothering him. There's always something,"
GOLDEN BOLLOX 13-9-1972 with Gary James
On this day in 1972 – MCFC drew 2-2 at home to Valencia in City’s first UEFA Cup tie. The City scorers were Ian Mellor and Rodney Marsh.
Spanish striker Negredo in huge fight for starting place for club and country
The striker, nicknamed ‘The Beast of Vallecas’, is in line for his first start for the Blues at Stoke tomorrow, after bagging two goals from the substitutes’ bench in his last two appearances, and keeping up his good form for his national side.
Alvaro Negredo is aiming to win a Spanish shoot-out to clinch a place in the World Cup finals – and his first medal with Manchester City.
The striker, nicknamed ‘The Beast of Vallecas’, is in line for his first start for the Blues at Stoke tomorrow, after bagging two goals from the substitutes’ bench in his last two appearances, and keeping up his good form for his national side.
But he faces stiff competition for places for both club and country, and knows that scoring goals is the key to nailing down a place for both.
“It is partly the luck of being in the right place at the right time,” he said after netting his eighth goal in 16 games for Spain. “To play in a side like Spain that plays such great football and creates chances also helps a lot.
“My job is to do my best, and with Spain we have a lot of strikers. Roberto Soldado has started scoring goals in the Premier League and David Villa has recovered all of his confidence, just like the two Fernandos (Torres and Llorente) who were not in the squad but are regulars.
“Brazil is a long way off, and the season is very long, but it is clear that goals give you confidence. The final decision belongs to the coach, and what we have to do now is keep working to ensure the team reaches the World Cup.”
Negredo was named City’s player of the month for August, despite not yet starting a competitive match for the club – but that could be all about to change.
Manager Manuel Pellegrini has already made it plain that Edin Dzeko would begin the season as his first-choice striker, a position the Bosnian reinforced with some good displays and stunning goals in pre-season.
Dzeko is also off the mark, opening the scoring with a stunner at Cardiff, but he has since been disappointing. Negredo has twice come off the bench to give the Blues’ attack focus and punch, and has netted two goals with textbook headers.
He followed that with a simple conversion off clubmate Jesus Navas’s cross in Spain’s World Cup qualifier in Finland, and his immaculate pass – again as a substitute – opened up Chile to allow Pedro to set up Navas for an equaliser in the midweek friendly against the South Americans.
That goal means Negredo now has the third best goal-per-minute ratio of any player in Spain’s history, ahead of greats like Alfredo di Stefano, Raul, Emilio Butragueno, and Fernando Morientes.
Negredo has eight goals in 16 appearances, or 647 minutes, and only Thirties heroes Gaspar Rubio and Isidro Langara – both of whom only played a handful of games – can better that strike rate.
If his volley against Newcastle on the opening day had not been wrongly disallowed, Negredo would have a goal-a-game ratio for the Blues, and would be joint top scorer in the Premier League.
The case for starting the Spaniard is irresistible, especially as the Blues face a quick turnaround to face Viktoria Plzen in their Champions League opener on Tuesday night.
Dzeko played a full 90 minutes in both of Bosnia’s internationals in the past week, and the continental pace of the Czech champions may be more suited to his talents than the more robust Stoke defence.
Negredo’s aerial power would be a boon for City in both penalty areas, and he has already shown that he is no shrinking violet when it comes to the muscular stuff.
Against Sunderland in the Barclays Asia Trophy in July, he was given a rough-and-ready welcome by former United defender John O’Shea, whose crashing leap into Negredo’s back was very much a “Welcome to English football” moment.
Negredo was heavily deposited face down in the Hong Kong mud, but simply got up and carried on with his work.
Mark Hughes has tried to steer Stoke away from the reputation they earned under Tony Pulis, as a team which was first and foremost physical and direct. He has them playing some subtler football.
But they retain towering players like Ryan Shawcross, Robert Huth, Peter Crouch and Kenwyne Jones, and they will aim to pressurise City at set-pieces, especially given the Blues’ vulnerabilities in the opening games of the season.
City will be without skipper Vincent Kompany, who – despite his encouraging words – is also struggling to be fit for the Manchester derby.
With his understudy Martin Demichelis also ruled out with a knee ligament problem, City hoped that Micah Richards could get over the hamstring problem which has ruled him out so far this season. But he is unlikely to be fit in time and Pellegrini may be forced to soldier on with left-sided duo Joleon Lescott and Matija Nastasic.
The Blues do not only have problems in defence, with David Silva also a doubt after returning from Spain’s training camp with a slight hamstring problem.
He will be assessed today before a decision is made.
Sergio Aguero Targets European Success With Manchester City
Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero is hoping to see the club make more of an impact in the Champions League this season, the Express reports.
The club will kick off their latest campaign next week against Czech side Viktoria Plzen, but face a tough task after also being paired with current holders Bayern Munich and Russian giants CSKA Moscow.
This will be the club’s third season in a row in Europe’s top club competition, and this time they will looking to make it past the group stage for the first time having failed to do so under previous manager Roberto Mancini, which was one key factor in the Italian’s sacking at the end of last season and subsequent replacing with Manuel Pellegrini.
And it is this trophy in particular that the Argentine striker is targeting, saying; “The Champions League sometimes allows semi-surprises. Dortmund were finalists last year and Chelsea in 2012 – they were good teams and tactically well-organised but were certainly not considered the best at the beginning.
“We have Bayern again, but we also play CSKA and Viktoria. Get past the first stage and, with luck, you can get to the final.”
City were placed in the ‘group of death’ last season alongside Ajax, Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid, and their task this time around will be made all the more difficult by a dominant Bayern side looking to assert themselves under new coach Pep Guardiola, who has won the competition twice during his days as Barcelona manager
Time to Reconsider the Myths Surrounding Manchester City
Although Manchester City are often accused of “ruining football,” recent evidence suggests those complaints may be misplaced. Their commitment to affordable ticket pricing and youth football flies in the face of many of the usual criticisms sent their way.
It was revealed today by the BBC Sport Price of Football survey that City offer the cheapest season ticket in the Premier League. Priced at £299, the value gold season card offers fans an opportunity to buy a reduced price season ticket without the benefit of a specific seat being reserved for each match.
The club say they are determined to offer an affordable match-day experience, with plans to extend the stadium and increase the amount of cut-price tickets available to fans.
Peter Bradshaw, City’s Head of Infrastructure, told the BBC:
We are looking at the project in two phases - introduce 6,000 new seats in the South Stand as the first phase and then introduce another 6,000 seats in the North Stand as phase two. We are also keeping our options open that we may bring those together as one project.
The season tickets we are looking at, the extra seats in each end, will start at £299. That is where we are targeting, to introduce more affordable seats to more fans. That is the intention of this and to provide a stadium with an incredible atmosphere that people who want to watch Manchester City can afford to come and watch.
Although these tickets are limited at the moment, there is a clear strategy in place to keep prices down and attendances up, something that should be applauded in an era of growing costs for football fans.
City’s new training complex is also at an advanced stage of development. The £100 million venture is intended to kick-start the development of homegrown players, with self-sufficiency now high on the club’s list of priorities.
As well as being home to the first-team, it will also be a base for the youth academy, with a homogeneous playing style implemented across all levels of the club. There will be pitches designed solely for 8- to 21-year-olds, and classrooms for City’s academy players. Everyone from young children to the club's big stars will be catered for.
The 80-acre complex is being built to attract top players from around the world and increase the supply of young players produced by the club, with Micah Richards the only current first-team regular who has graduated from the club’s academy.
It’s a bold vision but with Ferran Soriano and Txiki Begiristain heavily involved in strategic planning and bringing in ideas from their days together at Barcelona, it’s not exactly surprising.
Rome wasn’t built in a day and the criticism City have received for not producing young players in recent years is unjustified. The takeover by Sheikh Mansour initially saw heavy investment into the first-team to help push the club in the direction of trophies, but they are now setting about revolutionising the club from the grassroots upwards.
Far from being a club looking to ruin football by ignoring young players and charging extortionate prices, City are trying to do things the right way. It will take time for them to see the fruits of their labour, but in the meantime they should be praised for the effort they’re putting in.
Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2013-14 season. Follow him on Twitter here @TypicalCity
Holistic: a Manchester City fans’ guide to the Begiristain/Pellegrini axis
If one word can sum up Manchester City’s 2013 summer transfer window it is ‘holistic’. This was the word used by the club to explain why Roberto Mancini had to be replaced at the end of the 12/13 campaign, and it is the word that defines the club’s new direction under the guidance of the Begiristain/Pellegrini axis.
In September 2012, fresh from their first league title in 44 years, City unveiled a new Chief Executive and Director of Football, in a reshuffle of the club’s management. Ferran Soriano and Txiki Begiristain also held these positions at FC Barcelona during their unparalleled period of success. It was this duo who appointed Pep Guardiola, and also helped increase the club’s revenue, as well as pushing the importance of the club’s superb youth facilities.
It is no wonder then, that City owner Sheikh Mansour looked to Soriano and Begiristain when putting in place a new continental style hierarchy to avoid the costly transfer mistakes of previous summers, and to try and make the club more sustainable in light of the new Financial Fair Play regulations. They chose to appoint Manuel Pellegrini to coach this new team, with the aim of creating an East Manchester Barca.
This summer has been the first time that the new management have really been allowed to shape the club from a footballing perspective. Begiristain, as Director of Football, is now charged with seeking out new recruits. Like with Franco Baldini at Tottenham, many believe that a Director of Football setup is a much more effective way of securing targets. In line with this, City completed all their major signings save Martin Demichelis many weeks before Monday’s chaotic deadline.
This is one major positive element to City’s dealings this summer. This factor is made more significant by the fact that all City’s playing recruits have been purchased from abroad. Allowing these players to train with their new coach and colleagues over pre-season is a far better way to acclimatise to the Premier League.
As for the players themselves, they are all at their peak years, making City’s squad one of the more mature in the league. Fernandinho and Alvaro Negredo are both 28, Jesus Navas is 27 and Stevan Jovetic is 23, whilst Martin Demichelis is 32. This shows how these players were signed for their ability, rather than their potential.
No doubt Soriano, Begiristain and Pellegrini hope that bringing in players at the peak of their careers and form means they will have a minimal settling in period, instead being able to deliver quality as soon as possible.
The main area fans were looking for the club to improve was the wing. Under Roberto Mancini, City’s play was often painfully narrow and slow. The acquisition of Jesus Navas should give the new look City side a new dimension when trying to break down stubborn opposition. The other key addition was a quality midfielder to partner Yaya Toure instead of the faithful, but alas ageing, Gareth Barry.
The jury is still out on Fernandinho, who is the second most costly player to have joined the Premier League this summer. City fans will hope he can form a classy and dynamic partnership with Yaya Toure in midfield. Meanwhile Jovietic and Negredo are essentially lower cost and less bombastic replacements for Tevez and Balotelli.
The recruits are rather more understated than City signings of previous windows. Their former club’s have a’best of the rest’ feel, with the new players having represented second tier European powers. This has no doubt reduced the fees that City might have been forced to pay should they have gone for some of Europe’s more glitzy deals.
Continuing with the holistic theme, City are now free of trouble makers, with Carlos Tevez leaving for Juventus. They have also finally got the wages of Roque Santa Cruz, Wayne Bridge, Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor off the books. This leaves City with a net wage reduction of roughly around £30m a year, which in the era of Financial Fair Play can be considered quite an achievement.
City’s summer dealings have streamlined the squad without any dream signings such as Falcao and Gareth Bale. However, this may prove to be a shrewd approach, as often the number of star players in the City dressing room, and the subsequent egos that go with those names, has caused Pellegrini’s predecessors problems.
The number of players who have formerly starred in La Liga is considerable, but these players should be familiar with the Chilean coach’s former work, which should give them a unity they have possibly lacked in recent years.
Ireland raring to go against City
Stephen Ireland wants to be thrown straight into the action for Stoke against former club Manchester City this weekend.
The midfielder joined the Potters on a season-long loan from Aston Villa on transfer deadline day last week.
The move reunited the 27-year-old with manager Mark Hughes, his former boss at the Etihad Stadium.
Ireland has not played in the Barclays Premier League since January but he has no doubt he is ready for action as City visit the Britannia Stadium on Saturday.
Ireland told £pottersmag: "I'm fit and raring to go.
"I don't want to be eased in and I don't want to have to take my time; I just want to get straight in there as fast as I can.
"I want to participate in whatever way I can, whether that be for the full 90 minutes or whether it be coming off the bench for the final five minutes.
"Whatever time I get I will give it everything I have. It's been a long time in the waiting for me so I want to get going and show everyone what I am capable of."
Ireland is pleased to being working under Hughes again having enjoyed the best spell of his career under the Welshman.
Ireland came through the City youth ranks and shone after bursting into the first team in 2005, but left for Villa five years later after falling out of favour under Hughes' successor Roberto Mancini.
Ireland said: "We had a great relationship when I was at City and I'm delighted to have the opportunity to work again with him and his staff, Mark Bowen and Eddie Niedzwiecki, because they did so much for my career first time around.
"They are the best coaching staff that I have ever had, and I always tell people that.
"They inspire me, they make me feel good and I am finding myself smiling again now, which hasn't been the case for a long time."
GOLDEN BOLLOX 13-9-2010
The world according to Roberto Mancini
'When you have suffered for a long time you have more passion - that's what Manchester City fans have'
After 42 years of not winning a title, the Manchester City manager believes that can all change this season 'This is going to be a good season for us. If the players follow me and trust me, if we all work really hard, we can change the history of this club,' said Manchester City's manager Roberto Mancini
The Nines Hotel in Portland, Oregon, is a converted department store where Clark Gable once sold ties before heading for Hollywood. It's an unusual place to meet an Italian football manager, but perhaps oddly fitting since Roberto Mancini - here for pre-season training with his Manchester City side - may be about to become a film star of sorts as well.
Blue Moon Rising is set to be released at cinemas in the north of England. It's the story of City's 2009-10 campaign, a dramatic season that began with a nine-figure spending spree by new owner Sheikh Mansour of Abu Dhabi - including the signing of Gareth Barry, Emmanuel Adebayor and Carlos Tevez - and ended with the club being placed fifth in the Premier League.
In December, halfway through filming, Mark Hughes was peremptorily replaced as manager by Mancini. Hughes hadn't been keen on the film project but the Italian grasped the opportunity with both hands. He even allowed cameras in the dressing room. It was a groundbreaking experiment, so much so that the movie could prove a hit with football fans everywhere.
A scene towards the end of the film shows the team downcast in the aftermath of a home defeat to Spurs that cost them a tilt at the Champions League this season. Mancini comes in, puts his arm around one player and pats another on the back. It seems like a scene from a more gentlemanly era - it's hard to imagine Fabio Capello showing so much compassion after England were battered 4-1 by Germany in the World Cup.
'It's different,' says Mancini, in faltering English. 'When you're the manager of a national team you only have the players occasionally. But when you have players every day, you have more empathy with them. I think Capello was unlucky because the officials disallowed a good goal against Germany. I think that goal could have changed the match and the World Cup. The England team is a good team now.'
Mancini is under no less pressure than his fellow Italian. He works for owners who got rid of his predecessor for failing to provide an adequate return on their £300 million-plus investment, and City's fans booed the draw against Spurs in this season's first match. How long does he give himself to win something?
'This season,' he replies without hesitation. 'For ten years there were only four clubs challenging for the title. This year there are five.'
It is 42 years since Manchester City won a title. Surely a Champions League place is the first objective?
'Yes, but it's not my mentality to play for fourth position.'
It might stop you from getting the sack.
'No,' he says, 'I don't think like this. I am very optimistic. This is going to be a good season for us. If the players follow me and trust me, if we all work really hard, we can change the history of this club.
'We are not worried about replacing Manchester United as the richest club in the world. We are building something for the future. This is normal, and other clubs have done it in the past, like United, like Chelsea. We want to be important and to win trophies. United are one of our rivals, but not the only one.'
How is he going to do it? Last season, Mancini's tactic was similar to Capello's notorious approach with the England squad: more training, less WAG-time. As we now know, this doesn't always work.
'If a team doesn't win anything for years then it must change something. We can train twice a day if needed.'
'Even if you buy a lot of players you can't win if you don't work. Every year we must improve. The aim this year is to win the Premier League'Mancini spent £125 million on new players over the summer, and the stars were told where to pass, when to move and where to run. And if they step out of line? Well, they might want to think twice about that.
In his playing days, Mancini threw one of the biggest tantrums in the history of European football. He was playing for Sampdoria against Inter Milan when he wasn't awarded a penalty he felt he deserved. He exploded in fury. Inter's goalie Gianluca Pagliuca said Mancini 'looked like he wanted to eat the referee'. He then walked off the pitch and refused to play, shouting, 'I've had it with referees and I've had it with football.'
His manager, Sven-Goran Eriksson, ordered him back onto the pitch - not unreasonably, since he was the captain - but Mancini managed to get sent off as quickly as possible, first clattering into England's Paul Ince, then resorting to abusing the referee until he received a red card. Mancini was banned from football for six weeks.
'I was young,' the 45-year-old says, shifting uncomfortably.
Under the circumstances, it was probably just as well he moved into management at 35. His first job was at Fiorentina, where he battled to stem their decline into bankruptcy while coaching them to a surprise victory in the Coppa Italia. He repeated the feat at struggling Lazio with a Coppa Italia win, a Uefa Cup semi-final and a lucrative place in the following season's Champions League. Inter Milan snapped him up in 2004. He went on to win three consecutive Serie A titles, and reached the Coppa Italia final a record four times in a row.
'I didn't have a lot of money to spend at Inter,' he says, 'but we became champions because we worked hard. I hope it will be the same at City. This is a big challenge for me, because it's a club that has not been used to winning. Even if you buy a lot of players you can't win if you don't work. Every year we must improve. The aim this year is to win the Premier League.'
Mancini gives his instructions in Italian as he feels his English isn't up to scratch.
'I'm sorry my English isn't very good,' he says. 'To try to improve I will be watching Coronation Street and EastEnders.'
His latest signings only accentuate a trend in English football. With Uefa set to restrict the number of foreigners allowed in the starting line-ups of domestic clubs, isn't Mancini shooting himself in the foot, and undermining our national team in the process?
'No, no,' he argues. 'We put English players in the team too, but it isn't easy because all the clubs that have English players don't want to sell. I like Jack Rodwell, but will Everton sell? Impossible! We have a good academy and if I can give young players a chance I will, because I was just 16 when I first played in Serie A.'
It sounds convincing, but Mancini admits that City's fans must come before England's. 'When you have suffered for a long time you have more passion. That is what the City fans have. And when a trophy arrives that will be a fantastic day, an important day.'
And if people criticise City for 'buying the title', as they did when Jose Mourinho won it for Chelsea thanks to the backing of billionaire owner Roman Abramovich? Roberto Mancini will settle for that.
'Times have changed. In the old days fans would have the same heroes for years. Now they have to be ready for the possibility that their heroes will change.'
Perhaps their new one has grey hair, green eyes and wears a Manchester City scarf with an Italian suit.
Arsenal, Man City & Dortmund target Iker Casillas hints at Real departure over baby plans
REAL MADRID shot stopper Iker Casillas has raised the spectre of a January departure from the Bernebeu because he's not sure where his baby may be born.
Casillas' future has been the subject of much speculation in recent months, and has been linked to a host of clubs including Arsenal, Manchester City and now Borussia Dortmund.
The 32-year-old lost his No.1 gloves to Diego Lopez during Jose Mourinho's reign and has struggled to regain his spot in the first team since Carlo Ancelotti took over.
Zinedine Zidane has been tasked with acting as a peacemaker to try and convince Casillas to stay at the Bernebeu.
And now it seems a move could be on the cards for Casillas in the New Year.
"I do not know if my son will be born in Madrid or outside Spain, not the day to talk about it," Casillas' girlfriend Sara Carbonero was quoted as saying in Marca.
Arsenal brought in Emiliano Viviano in the transfer window, but may look to add to their goalkeeping ranks in January.
Casillas broke into Real's first team ranks in the 1999/00 season
A CHARITABLE ACT TOO FAR BOLLOX
Man City fan vows to get Man Utd tattoo for charity
A Manchester City supporter has promised to get a Manchester United tattoo if he manages to raise £1,500 for charity.
Chris Worthington, of Macclesfield, is raising funds for the When You Wish Upon Star charity, which helped his seven-year-old daughter Poppy during her battle with a brain tumour.
If he reaches his target, Chris will gets a United badge tattooed on his forearm.
The 45-year-old told the Manchester Evening News: “I wanted to raise some money to thank them and this idea just popped into my head.
“I’m not in shape to run a marathon and I couldn’t think of anything more personally painful than a United tattoo on me for the rest of my life.”
He is promising the tattoo will be the size of a jam jar lid.
He added: “I have no other tattoos, so this is going to be quite a thing.
“I didn’t want it to be hidden away, so I’m committed to it being on my forearm so it is obvious.
“Some of my City-supporting friends have refused to pay, unless I reach my target, so it looks like I’ll be appealing to those devious United fans to help me.”
You can donate at justgiving.com/chris-worthington2.
City's Argentina kid interest confirmed
Manchester City have missed out on signing Argentina Under-20 sensation Bruno Zuculini after he agreed a new deal at Racing Club.
The 20-year-old defensive midfielder had been rumoured to be a City target as he entered the last year of his contract, but was persuaded to sign a new three-year deal with the Avallaneda club - nicknamed 'The Academy' for their ability to produce great players.
Zuculini made his debut for the South American club aged 16 and was part of the Argentina Under-20 side a year later, but really began to assert authority in midfield last season as the club's youngest ever captain.
City were interested in making a move for Zuculini, according to his agent Dario Decoud.
"The interest is there, but it's not the time to talk about it. The priority is to sign the contract," he told Clarin.
[spoiler]
[/spoiler]The Rafael Benitez Column: There's no need for pessimism – English kids are often better than foreign ones
There has been a lot of talking and worrying about the England national team in the last week and everyone has a million different reasons why things don't look so promising. Some people are even worrying about the young players watching TV and playing computer games instead. Well, I can tell you that young people watch television in Spain and Germany, too!
Finding top young players in England is not as difficult as everyone seems to think. They are passionate, strong and committed in a way that young players in many other countries are not. I see talent, quality and technique. A lot of young English players are better than foreign players. The challenge for England – who have not been winning things for a long time – is to find a way to develop that talent. That is what people should be worrying about.
England is not the first country to worry about its young players getting first-team football. It was the same in Spain when I was coming through as a young player for Real Madrid. I was playing for the third team and there was a rule that you had to have a minimum of four under-20s in your squad and two starting the game who had to play for at least 20 minutes. A lot of the teams had their older star players warming up from the start and after precisely 20 minutes they would come on to replace the young ones. My point is that rules and new quotas won't solve the problem. We need to develop players who are good enough to play. Whoever those players might be – Raul, Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney – they will always get their chance if they are good enough.
The FA are trying to change the system. They are doing good work, sending people around the world to learn new ideas. But one idea which helps the Spanish federation very much is the series of competitions it holds for regional youth teams – something we never see in England. When I was in the Real academy I would go up to play for the Madrid county against maybe Catalunia, Galicia or Andalucia and when the semi-finals and finals took place, the coach of the Spanish Under-16s team would be watching. The coaches of the regional teams would meet with the national coaches too – having forums, conversations, sharing ideas about the best way to play. I don't say this is the solution for England. I just say that this is one way, one idea.
The academy of Real had an incredible way of finding talent, too. The competitions we called the torneo social – "social tournament", you would say – allowed the club to watch maybe 2,000 players in one year. If you were good enough in those trial games you would be put into a team that was playing the next Saturday, each named after a Real player. Mine was called "Grosso" after Ramon Grosso, I remember. Real watched player after player after player. Nobody worried about foreign players coming in because everybody just wanted the best. The game now is global, so you can't say "no" to foreign players. You can't stop them. That's life now.
The foreign players don't have to be a problem if you are developing your players, as England can if they improve the coaching and develop a common methodology like Germany and Spain. It will take time. England don't have the same coaching culture so first it will be necessary to coach the coaches so that they can offer intelligent analysis and technical aspects to the players.
It is a mistake to think only about Barcelona when it comes to deciding what the common methodology should be. Under Johan Cruyff, Barcelona once played 3-4-3 in all their teams and then they developed to 4-3-3, but when Vincente del Bosque was technical director of the academy at Real he did not have only one system. As a coach at Real I was using zonal marking and pressing up the pitch but others were different. Our one common idea at Real was playing with the ball on the floor. We said: 'We play football because we are Real Madrid.'
By continuing the work they have started, England are as capable as any nation to develop a common mentality and culture, developing technical skills and creating a confidence in the philosophy among the players. I know the debate that the FA chairman has started included a target of winning the 2022 World Cup. But the problem with setting a goal is that you don't know what the other teams will be like in 2022. You can't control them. And I also think your target must be about more than winning the World Cup. Yes, if you have a good XI – three or four great players – you can win, maybe. But a lot of teams can win their league in one year because they have a good group of players and no injuries and then the next year they might finish 10th. You have to be consistent, getting closer and closer until you have a squad who can compete, year after year. It will take time but England can get there. I have seen enough of your country to say with confidence that there does not need to be so much pessimism.
Should we scrap the away goal rule?
There was an interesting few days for me at the Uefa headquarters in Nyon, since I last wrote, at the elite club coaches forum, where there were many ideas being talked about. There was statistical data to analyse what brings success in the Champions League, in which my Napoli team receive Borussia Dortmund next week. There has been a rise in goals scored from cutbacks from the goal line which shows the value of wide players. The percentage of teams who win ties after scoring first is very high, so teams are good in possession when they go ahead. And there has been a rise in goals scored in Europe. Maybe the defenders are earning less money! But the debate included the idea of changing the away goals rule for European games – perhaps to make it apply only if a tie is level after normal time of the two legs.
The argument is that there is no need for it, because teams are not so negative away. But we would need to think very hard before making that change. Changing the away goals rule would alter the whole complexion of the Champions League. New rules are good only if – like three points for a win all those years ago – they improve the game.
Life as a film star...
You have asked me how my life as a film star has been going! When I wrote my last column, I was about to be filmed in the Christmas comedy which my Napoli players are appearing in. My aim was to keep a low profile and I did that, thanks to Pepe Reina, who I can always rely on when I'm in a tight spot! When the cameras were rolling, I passed the ball to Pepe who said some words. And that was that! I think that's the start and finish of my film career!
Big-spending French side Monaco have been linked with a move for Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, 26, if they miss out on Marseille's Steve Mandanda. Daily Express
Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas is wanted by German side Borussia Dortmund after failing to dislodge Diego Lopez as Carlo Ancelotti's number one. However, Real assistant coach Zinedine Zidane is trying to convince the Spain international, 32, to stay at the Bernabeu. Daily Mirror
Hull City boss Steve Bruce still wants to sign West Bromwich Albion striker Shane Long, 26, despite a proposed move falling through on deadline day. DSSC
Tottenham look set to sign France Under-21 right-back Sebastien Corchia in January after the 22-year-old confirmed his intention to leave French side Sochaux. Metro
World-record signing Gareth Bale, 24, could make his Real Madrid debut at left-back as the Spanish side struggle with injuries for Saturday's league match at Villarreal. DSSC
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says he has yet to open negotiations with the Gunners over a new contract. The Frenchman, 63, admits his performance this season could determine whether he is offered a new deal. Metro
Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba, 20, claims he turned down interest from Arsenal and Chelsea in the recent transfer window because of his love for current club Juventus. Daily Express
Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas has told striker Emmanuel Adebayor to train with the reserves when he returns from compassionate leave after the death of his brother in his native Togo. Guardian
Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Gordon Taylor says he is still fit to lead the union despite allegations he has run up gambling debts. Daily Telegraph
Real Madrid fans must be patient with new £85m-signing Gareth Bale, says 39-year-old former Valencia player Gaizka Mendieta. talkSHIT
Everton boss Roberto Martinez has warned the English footballing authorities they must stop blaming foreigners for the national side's failures and instead overhaul their development system. Liverpool Daily Post
Mesut Ozil's father has slammed Real Madrid president Florentino Perez and accused the Spanish media of trying to destroy the image of the Germany playmaker, following his move to Arsenal. talkSHIT
Ozil's WAG - [spoiler]
[/spoiler]Chelsea's new signing, striker Samuel Eto'o, 32, reveals he once loathed manager Jose Mourinho. The Sun
Former Newcastle midfielder Robert Lee, 47, does not believe players want to join the club under the current regime. Daily Express
Former AC Milan, Chelsea and Ukraine striker Andriy Shevchenko, 36, was off target on his professional golf debut - finishing 12 over par in the opening round of his first Challenge Tour competition. DSS
WW's Wag Bonus
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[/spoiler] MORE BOLLOX LATER
