He’s Improved Everything” – Pellegrini Backs Man City’s Maligned Superstar
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has told Sky that he ‘trusts’ goalkeeper Joe Hart and praised the improvement shown by his stopper since being axed from the first team.
Pellegrini dropped Hart to the bench in favour of Costel Pantillimon after a string of mistakes, culminating in a defeat to Chelsea after Fernando Torres capitalised on a Hart error
The Manchester City ‘keeper spent seven games on the bench, but has since been recalled and held down his place following a string of faultless performances
Pellegrini was full of praise for his ‘keeper going into the rematch with Chelsea, saying, “He has improved a lot. It was important for him to have a rest. Now you can see good performances and that is very important for the team.
“He’s improved everything. He was not taking good decisions, maybe his stats were not 100%, so having a rest was very useful for him.
“I trust him because I see him working every day.
“In football it is very difficult to talk about the future. Football is about the present, especially for the players and more so for managers, so it is about performance and results.”
City could open a gap of six points between themselves and Chelsea in the race for the Premier League title should they beat their challengers at the Etihad Stadium tonight.
Hart was making just one save per goal conceded before being dropped from the side. Since his recall, he has made 2.14 saves per concession.
Man City's Fernandinho wants World Cup place
Fernandinho is hoping to use his form for Manchester City to win a place in the Brazil squad for this summer’s World Cup, Sky Sports has reported.
The midfielder has only five caps to his name thus far but with a number of Brazilians due to be involved on Monday evening as City play Chelsea, Fernandinho hopes to catch the eye of Selecao Coach Felipe Scolari.
“Getting to the World Cup is a big dream for me,” Fernandinho said. “It's a big game. You could say it's like a derby because everyone is talking about it.
“I am sure the Brazilian manager will be watching because there are a lot of players he needs to see. If I have a good performance, there is no doubt it will open the door for me. That's what I am hoping.”
Chelsea are likely to bring a quartet of Brazil internationals as part of their squad for the game at the Etihad Stadium - David Luiz, Ramires, Oscar and Willian - while Fernandinho is the only Brazil international in the City side.
City can return to the top of the Premier League table if they beat Jose Mourinho’s Blues after dropping to second with Arsenal’s Sunday win over Crystal Palace.
“If we could beat them it would be a very important result - but both teams will still have a lot of difficult games left,” Fernandinho added. “The Premier League is full of surprise results - but I hope we won't have any more.”
A win for Chelsea would see Mourinho’s team go level on points with City but remain third on goal difference, with the Gunners two points clear.
Gunners plot move for City striker
Arsenal are plotting a £16million summer move for Manchester City hitman Edin Dzeko, Sports Direct News understands.
The Bosnian has decided to wait until after this summer’s World Cup to decide on his future and is sure to ask Blues boss Manuel Pellegrini where he stands in the pecking order at the Etihad Stadium.
Any strikeforce acquisitions at City before next season will surely spell the end for Dzeko, who is already behind Sergio Aguero and Alvaro Negredo in the battle for a starting spot and faces new competition from fit-again Stevan Jovetic.
Arsenal are determined to bring in another forward to provide a high-quality alternative to Frenchman Olivier Giroud, and Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has monitored the 27-year-old’s progress in Manchester.
They are likely to face a battle with cash-rich French side Monaco and Bundesliga heavyweights Borussia Dortmund.
However, Arsenal will be encouraged by Dzeko’s desire to remain in England if he is sold.
Maureen's Fishing Bollox (try not to bite)
Mourinho: 'Impossible' to stop Man City without FFP
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho believes that without Financial Fair Play it will be impossible for anyone to compete with Manchester City, Sky Sports has reported.
Mourinho added that Chelsea, despite being owned by Roman Abramovich, are restricted in what they can do because they are adhering to the regulations. Without them, the Portuguese believes, City would be unstoppable.
“If they (football's authorities) want to make it impossible to compete with City, it's impossible,” Mourinho said.
“Chelsea are not competing outside what is important for us, the 'fair' Financial Fair Play. We are working, thinking and believing that Financial Fair Play is going to be in practice. So there are things that are impossible for us (to do).”
The two sides meet on Monday evening with City going into the game second in the table and Chelsea third, both trailing Arsenal by two points and five points respectively. The Gunners beat Crystal Palace on Sunday to return to the summit.
Mourinho added that when he first came to English football the financial landscape was different and Chelsea were criticised for their heavy spending.
“There was no Financial Fair Play. If your club was a rich one, your owner a rich one, there were no rules. It was an open situation,” the manager said.
“In my time we were accused of buying the title, no? Because our owner was Mr Abramovich, just arrived in the country. Maybe now people see City in a different way.
“Times change. Maybe 10 years ago a huge investment in the club was something that people hated and in this moment it's something people accept in a different way.
“Probably, if UEFA goes with Financial Fair Play until the last consequence and they explain really to the people what Financial Fair Play means, maybe in that moment people will realise that some teams are different to other teams. But it's something I don't think about at this moment.”
Jose Mourinho: You hate Chelsea - so why don't you hate Manchester City?
The Chelsea boss can't work out why the club were so unpopular after Abramovich's cash injection - yet the public 'accept' Man City
Jose Mourinho last night claimed Manchester City are escaping the public criticism his Chelsea had to face 10 years ago.
Mourinho transformed the Blues from big-money wannabes to the dominant force in the country off the back of Roman Abramovich’s unprecedented spending spree.
Chelsea inspired respect but little love from outsiders, with Mourinho accused of buying the title.
Over the past six years, City have splashed out a staggering £600million and as he prepared to try to derail Manuel Pellegrini’s juggernaut, insisting that finishing runners-up would be “fantastic”, Mourinho suggested double-standards were being applied.
Mourinho said: “I don’t know why they are so popular when we weren’t. I don’t know why.
“In my time we were accused of buying the title, no? Because our owner was Mr Abramovich, just arrived in the country. Maybe now people see City in a different way.
“I’m not sure if it’s because it’s taken them six years to get to this stage while we won straightaway.
“And I don’t care. I don’t envy the fact that they have this kind of protection, of whichever word. It’s the way it is.
“Teams with success, people tend not to like them, no?
“If they want to make it impossible for us to compete with them in the market, yes it’s impossible.
“Financially, no, we can’t compete. Back then it was a free world. There was no Financial Fair Play. If your club was a rich one, your owner a rich one, there were no rules. It was an open situation.
“But times change. Many things people considered wrong 50 years ago are something very normal now.
“Maybe 10 years ago a huge investment in the club was something people hated, but in this moment it’s something people accept in a different way.”
Accusations of double standards have come Mourinho’s way, too, after his “19th century” criticism of West Ham’s defensive approach to last week’s goalless draw.
Inter Milan’s performance in their Champions League semi-final second leg in Barcelona in 2010 was brought up but the Portuguese saw no reason for contrition, as he joked: “In the second game, when you start 3-1 up and play with 10 men, you put the airplane in front of the goal!”
Mourinho is attempting to take the pressure off his players ahead of tonight’s six-point shoot-out at The Etihad.
Asked if he might have to accept second to City, Mourinho replied: “Yes. But if we finish second it’s fantastic.
“If we finished second doing the formation work, it’s an acceleration of our process. It’s good.”
The Portuguese suggested City have a “complete” team in comparison to his own side, which requires “a bit more time, a little bit more players. Just a little bit”.
Mourinho, still without Fernando Torres and with new capture Mohamed Salah lacking match-sharpness after the Swiss winter break, is likely to revert to a midfield trio, with Ramires and Frank Lampard either side of January recruit Nemanja Matic.
But having gone out for a draw, in his side’s trips to Manchester United and Arsenal, Mourinho promised a different approach this evening.
Mourinho agreed City’s midfield power axis of Yaya Toure and Fernandinho have given Pellegrini’s side a platform for their goalscoring feats.
Toure, Edin Dzeko, Alvaro Negredo and hamstring victim absentee Sergio Aguero have all notched double-figure goal returns already, while only Edin Hazard has scored more than 10 for Mourinho’s Blues.
He added: “I don’t know if other teams have been scared of City, whether it’s not so much that they don’t attack them - and more that they can’t.
“Maybe they can’t. I want to attack them. I can tell you that. But after 10 minutes, people might say I’m not attacking. If I don’t, it’s because I can’t.”
[spoiler]
[/spoiler]Fenerbahce are putting together a last-minute package to sign Newcastle striker Papiss Cisse, 28, before the Turkish transfer window closes on Monday. DSSC
QPR have been offered the chance to sign former Arsenal striker Eduardo, 30, who is out of contract at Shakhtar Donetsk this summer. Sky's Talkshit
Napoli boss Rafa Benitez is considering another attempt to sign Sunderland midfielder Lee Cattermole, 25, in the summer after failing in a transfer deadline day bid. Metro
Crystal Palace midfielder Jonathan Williams, 20, is set to go out on loan after the arrival of Tom Ince, 22, from Blackpool. Daily Mirror
Chelsea midfielder Oriol Romeu, 22, who is at Valencia on loan, says he is unsure whether his long-term future lies at Stamford Bridge. London Evening Standard
Swansea manager Michael Laudrup's position is in doubt, with factions of the club's board believed to want him out. DSSC
Cardiff owner Vincent Tan says new manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is "much better" than his predecessor Malky Mackay. Daily Telegraph
Aston Villa owner Randy Lerner has not put the club up for sale, according to chief executive Paul Faulkner. Birmingham Mail
Stoke boss Mark Hughes says his former club Manchester United will be driven to improve by the fear of failure. Manchester United Evening News
However, United defender Chris Smalling says time is running out for his side to climb into the Premier League top four and secure Champions League football next season. Manchester United Evening News
Former England midfielder David Beckham, 38, ended up with egg in his hair after losing a game of Egg Russian Roulette on NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. NBC Sports
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