Thursday's Kop B*ll*x

[Chinners]

ROBERTO MANCINI will make a move for Fernando Torres and Co - if Liverpool finish outside the top four.
The Merseysiders face a cash crisis should they miss out on Champions League football next season. And Manchester City chief Mancini has the mega-money to bag the Kop's crown jewels. He said: "If they put Steven Gerrard, Javier Mascherano and Fernando Torres on the market, City will be interested. "We at City will do everything possible to prevent Liverpool from finishing fourth." Funds are already tight at Anfield and failure to make Europe's elite competition could force the club to sell their prized assets. There ]are worries striker Torres and talismanic skipper Gerrard may quit without the Champions League to play for. While midfielder Javier Mascherano had looked to leave last summer to join Barcelona. City would have to shell out more than £100million for Liverpool's biggest names. But that would not be a problem for the club's billionaire Arab owners. Mancini admits he needs to bolster his backline in the January window. He said: "In defence I have so many out injured that there will be some coming and the same in midfield. In attack we don't have problems." Mancini knows it will be easier to tempt the world's best stars to Eastlands if they qualify for the Champions League. And he admitted he would love to have Inter Milan full-back Maicon and Barcelona striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic in his ranks after working with them at the San Siro. Mancini told Italian website francorossi.com: "If City finish in the top four we will look for players of the highest level. "I would like to have Maicon. With Ibra there's always been a rapport of great loyalty. "He's world class. Which manager in the world wouldn't like Ibrahimovic?" He added: "City is the best club in the world for an ambitious manager. "There are very, very good players there but we must improve as it won't be easy to get to the top four."

STEPHEN IRELAND is out of Manchester City’s key Carling Cup semi-final first leg clash with neighbours United.
Ireland’s KO – with a hamstring injury – is the latest blow to hit new boss Roberto Mancini as he plots City’s progress through the FA Cup and the Carling double-header derby.
Mancini, who said last week his aim is success in both competitions, as well as a top-four finish and even the Premier League title, is already without injured defenders Joleon Lescott, Nedum Onouha and Wayne Bridge.Left-back Bridge could be back for the United clash next Wednesday. But at Middlesbrough on Saturday,
Mancini will also be without Kolo Toure and £25m striker Emmanuel Adebayor – who are both in Angola on African Nations Cup duty.
And it looks as though City must go to the Riverside minus their other big front man after Roque SantaCruz picked up a calf problem.
City have made a flying start under Mancini, beating Stoke and Wolves with a lightweight attack of Robinho, Carlos Tevez and Craig Bellamy.Though Santa Cruz is not ruled out of the semi-final next week, the Paraguayan remains a major doubt.
There is better news for winger Shaun Wright-Phillips, who has yet to play for Mancini.The England star is hopeful he can warm up for the United clash by playing some part at Middlesbrough after overcoming an ankle injury.The loss of Ireland – City’s Player of the Year last season – is a big blow as he has been the club’s most creative midfielder.
Before being injured at Wolves on Monday, the Irishman voiced his delight at returning to a freer role under Mancini.
He said: “I feel as though the chains were off against Stoke, when we switched from a 4-4-2 to 4-3-3 early on, enabling me to get on the ball and be more of an influence.“I am willing to play anywhere and do anything to help the team be successful, but I’ve never made any secret of the fact I am happier in a central role. I think that is where I play my best football.” Ireland seems sure to miss the next two league matches, at home to Blackburn and away at Everton, leaving Mancini to hope he will be fit for the Carling Cup second leg at Old Trafford on January 19.

Newly-appointed Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has made an inquiry for Bari’s £6m-rated defender Leonardo Bonucci. The Italian could make a double swoop to strengthen his defensive options in the transfer window. Younes Kaboul – rated at £8m by Portsmouth – is high on the Italian’s list. And he is ready to bid £6m for Bari centre-back Leonardo Bonucci, who played under the City boss at Inter Milan. Mancini oversaw the 22-year-old’s progress through the
San Siro club’s academy and gave him his senior debut in 2006.Bonucci has gone on to become one of Italy’s most accomplished defenders and helped unfancied Bari to boast Serie A’s second-best defensive record this season. Eastlands officials are understood to have made an initial approach for the 6ft 2ins player, who is jointly owned by his club’s league rivals Genoa


Mancini, who is also in for Inter Milan’s Ivan Cordoba, gave Bonucci his break in Inter’s youth team during his managerial reign at the San Siro. Mail

Younes Kaboul last night moved a step closer to joining Manchester City after Portsmouth invited Roberto Mancini to make them an offer.City boss Mancini has lined up £8million pounds rated Kaboul as his first signing and Portsmouth are ready to cash in on the former Tottenham defender to help get their transfer embargo lifted.Pompey executive director Mark Jacobs said: ìIt just depends on what happens, basically."If another club makes a silly offer for some of our players, which quite clearly they can, then there’s not that many people available in the January transfer window, as everyone knows. Daily Mirror

PHIL BROWN is hoping to land Manchester City flop Benjani at the second time of asking.
The Hull boss swooped for the Zimbabwe hitman, 31, last summer but now wants to get him on loan if City will agree to pay half his £50,000-a-week wages. Benjani has made only 21 City appearances since a £4million move from Portsmouth in February 2008. Sun

The Best and Worst Transfers of 2009: as voted for by the Mirror Football panel
David Anderson, Daily Mirror
Best: Shay Given (Newcastle to Manchester City): The Republic of Ireland goalkeeper has been one of City's most consistent performers and an absolute snip into the bargain at £8million.
Worst: Joleon Lescott (Everton to Manchester City): Manchester City should call in trading standards because they were well ripped off paying £24million for someone who is an above-average Premier League defender at best.

John Cross, Daily Mirror
Best: Andrey Arshavin (Zenit St Petersburg to Arsenal): The Russian showed Arsene Wenger that it is worth paying big money for quality and experience.
Worst: Pascal Chimbonda (Sunderland to Tottenham): Him returning to Spurs in January having sulked his way out was a nonsense. Sure enough, he left a few months later. This was a joke.

Oliver Holt, Daily Mirror's Chief Sports Writer
Best: Thomas Vermaelen to Arsenal
Worst: Alberto Aquilani to Liverpool

Martin Lipton, Daily Mirror's Chief Football Writer
Best: Andrey Arshavin (Zenit St Petersburg to Arsenal): An outstanding player who gets you off your feet.
Worst: Xabi Alonso (Liverpool to Real Madrid): Forget the money received - this one cost Liverpool their season.

David Maddock, Daily Mirror
Best: Michael Owen (Newcastle to Manchester United): Suddenly looking a bit of a bargain, isn't he?!
Worst: Joleon Lescott (Everton to Manchester City): He's good, but £24million?!

Brian McNally, Sunday Mirror
Best: Darren Bent (Tottenham to Sunderland): Harry Redknapp compared Bent unfavourably to his missus but the £10million striker has been a revelation for Sunderland, outscoring Redknapp's £15.7 million capture from Pompey, Jermain Defoe, in 2009.
Worst: Alberto Aquilani (Roma to Liverpool): The £20million Italian schemer was bought injured and has made no meaningful contribution so far. Mind you, his deal is equalled by Liverpool's signing of £2million Greek international centre-back Sotiros Kyrgiakos. He may only have been signed as cover but the deal showed the sort of journeyman that can now wear a Liverpool shirt.

Simon Mullock, Sunday Mirror
Best: Richard Dunne (Manchester City to Aston Villa): He is proving to be the rock on which Martin O’Neill can finally build a top four team.
Worst: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United to Real Madrid): Even a world-record fee can’t compensate for losing the best player in the world – especially if your owners don’t let you spend it.

James Nursey, Daily Mirror
Best: James Beattie (Sheffield United to Stoke): This £3.5million move was a shrewd piece of business. The striker may not be flavour of month now at the Britannia Stadium after his bust-up with Tony Pulis but his seven goals last term helped keep the Potters up.
Worst: Joleon Lescott (Everton to Manchester City): Hugely over-priced at £24million and the Goodison Park club must be laughing after cashing in on the centre-back.

Mike Walters, Daily Mirror
Best: Charlie Adam (Rangers to Blackpool): At £500,000, Tangerines boss Ian Holloway has pulled off a heist there.
Worst: Joleon Lescott (Everton to Manchester City): He's a decent player, but sorry - he ain't worth £24million.

TRANSFER BOLLOX
Zenit St Petersburg, Lokomotiv Moscow, Spartak Moscow and Sporting Lisbon are interested in buying Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko but Spurs want £13m for the out-of-favour Russian and will not consider letting him leave in a loan deal. Daily Mirror

Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford has put a £2m move to Newcastle on hold so he can help his side try to upset Manchester United in the FA Cup on Sunday. Daily Mirror

Middlesbrough boss Gordon Strachan is planning a £3m bid for Leeds striker Robert Snodgrass. (The Sun)

Everton manager David Moyes hopes to sign 17-year-old midfielder Maxime Lestienne from Belgian side Moucron. Daily Mail

Pompey boss Avram Grant has been told to sell at least £6m-worth of players in January to stop the club being declared bankrupt. Kaboul, David James Kevin-Prince Boateng, Nadir Belhadj and David Nugent could all be up for grabs.The Sun

Liverpool have held preliminary talks with Crystal Palace about signing highly-rated teenager Victor Moses. (Daily Star)

Aston Villa have joined Liverpool and Tottenham in the chase for West Ham midfielder Scott Parker, who could be available for around £8m. The Guardian

OTHER BOLLOX
Former Bolton midfielder Peter Reid, currently assistant boss at Stoke, is being lined up as Wanderers' next manager after Gary Megson was sacked on Wednesday.Daily Express

Reid could be installed on a caretaker basis until the end of the season.The Times

Bolton will turn to Darren Ferguson as their next manager if they fail to persuade Burnley boss Owen Coyle to replace Megson. (Daily Telegraph)

Mark Hughes, sacked as Manchester City boss before Christmas, is not interested in the vacant Bolton job and Coyle and former Wigan boss Paul Jewell have also ruledd out the possibility of taking charge at the Reebok Stadium. Daily Mail

Megson is understood to be a major contender for the vacant managerial post at Sheffield Wednesday. Full story: The Independent
Preston chairman Derek Shaw has admitted that Darren Ferguson is in the frame to succeed Alan Irvine, who was sacked earlier this week, as North End boss. Former Motherwell manager Jim Gannon is also believed to be on Shaw's shortlist. The Sun

Doncaster boss Sean O'Driscoll is another of Shaw's targets to be the next Preston manager. Full story: Daily Mail
Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has told Jose Mourinho to forget any ideas of a shock return to Stamford Bridge, after the former Blues manager revealed he plans to take charge of an English club next season. The Sun

December has been chaotic to say the least with seven games being played, the sacking of Hughes, hiring of Mancini and not to mention that City also reached their first Semi final since the dark ages. This accompanied by the Chelsea win have stood out as particular highs, whilst the hammering at Tottenham was a deafening blow to our Champions league ambitions. Pleasingly since Mancini has taken over the defence seems to have stopped leaking goals for fun without it really affecting our attacking prowess.

First Place: Carlos Tevez
The Argentinean has really turned on the style this month and answered any critics by bagging eight goals in the seven games played as well as maintaining his excellent work rate. He has shown his versatility and confidence by playing with three different striker partners upfront this month as well as leading the line on his own at times. He has scored a range of goals this month from his fantastic solo effort against Arsenal, free kick against Chelsea as well as crowning fine team moves such as the one against Stoke.

Second Place: Craig Bellamy
It’s been another good month for the Welsh striker with four assists, a goal and winning a penalty against Sunderland. He could have easily won it this month if luck had been on his side, firstly his dismissal against Bolton was laughable and he was very unlucky not to win another penalty against stoke. He has also shown a great level of maturity on the field this month with his consistent high level performance despite his displeasure of the sacking of Mark Hughes.

Third place: Shay Given
Shay maintains his place in our top three despite conceding ten goals in seven games this month, however it would of been a lot worse if he hadn’t been between the sticks. The last two games have particularly highlighted what a class keeper Shay is due to his ability to pull of world-class saves out of nowhere. With the defence showing some sort of structure and coherence in front of him under Mancini, clean sheets could become more of a regularity.

WAG OF THE DAY
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JAVIER Garrido could secure his immediate future at City by making his first start for nine months at Middlesbrough on Saturday.
The Spaniard was tagged "surplus to requirements" under Mark Hughes and was expected to leave during the January transfer window.But the arrival of Roberto Mancini has brought a clean slate for Garrido and winger Martin Petrov - and both have set about grasping it with a goal apiece in the Italian's first two games in charge.Now Garrido has impressed the new manager enough to be considered for the problem left- back spot as the Blues begin their FA Cup campaign with the third round tie at the Riverside Stadium.

Yesterday's news that Stevie Ireland is ruled out for a fortnight with a hamstring problem makes his return even more likely as it rules out Gareth Barry at left-back.Garrido played a couple of minutes as a late sub as Mancini kicked off his reign with a 2-0 win over Stoke on Saturday and then curled home a stunning free-kick as the Blues chalked up their first away win for four months on Monday.Those two cameo appearances were his first for City in nine months - and now he could make his first start since appearing in the 3-1 home defeat by Fulham in April.Mancini is wrestling with a defensive injury crisis which has deprived him of Joleon Lescott, Nedum Onuoha and Wayne Bridge, while Kolo Toure has now left to link up with Ivory Coast ahead of next month's African Cup of Nations.Sylvinho has looked vulnerable and Pablo Zabaleta uncertain when he plugged the gap at Wolves - and that could open the door for Garrido.

Mancini made it plain that everyone began from a level playing field after taking over and Petrov and Garrido have both benefited from that fresh approach - and from the player shortage due to injuries and international commitments.
"Garrido is a good player, and he was ready," said Mancini, talking of his decision to play him a sub at Wolves.
"I spoke to him before that match to tell him to stay ready to play.
"When he got on the pitch he scored a good goal, a goal which was most important."
Garrido is expected to learn this week, along with other fringe players, whether they have a long-term future under Mancini, the manager saying: "In the next day or two I will speak with him and the other players."

But Garrido, still only 24, is already refreshed by the change of regime and looking forward to the trip to Middlesbrough."Everyone is excited about the FA Cup," he said. "We are Man City and have to focus on every competition, so we are going to Middlesbrough to win."We have big players and need to do our best to go as far as possible."
And that could also secure Garrido's future until at least the end of the season.
The Spaniard admits he was initially shocked by the intensity of the English season at a time when most of Europe is taking a mid-winter break, but he says he prefers it that way.
"There are many games in January, which is different to Spain. Everywhere else stops for winter, but not here!" he said with a grin.
"It's great for footballers because there are many games and it's important for everyone to be ready. Nobody wants people injured but at the moment there are many injured players and that has opened the door for other players who don't get so many chances to play."Garrido also believes that Mancini's emphasis on organisation, especially from set- pieces, is already starting to pay dividends.

"Every Italian manager tries to organise the team to be solid in attack and defence and this team has started to learn that," he said.
The news on Ireland is another blow as he will miss next week's first leg against United, although City hope to have him fit for the return at Old Trafford on January 19.Shaun Wright-Phillips could return on Saturday after suffering a recurrence of an ankle injury but the Blues will again be without a big man up front with Emmanuel Adebayor heading for the African Cup of Nations with Togo and Roque Santa Cruz (calf) still missing.Middlesbrough also have their problems. Manager Gordon Strachan was today trying to get Birmingham striker Marcus Bent back on loan as he will be without Jeremie Aliadiere through injury and the suspended Leroy Lita.

FINAL BOLLOX
Former Wimbledon hardman Vinnie Jones has been offered $1m to team up with his old friend Paul Gascoigne in the next Celebrity Big Brother.The Sun

[Chinners]

My decade with Manchester City, by David McDonnell
It's appropriate the pantomime season is upon us, because the past decade at Manchester City has been nothing short of a farce at times, ranging from the sublime to the truly ridiculous.

Over the past 10 years City have gone through six managers, the most recent sacking of Mark Hughes - with the club sixth in the Premier League having suffered just two defeats - testimony to the ongoing instability that has hindered them for so long.

No other club specialises in tragi-comedy quite like City, and it remains to be seen whether the takeover by Sheikh Mansour, which overnight turned them into the world's richest club, will prove the catalyst that rouses the Blues from years of mediocrity.

Certainly, there can be no excuses if City fail to achieve the success that has eluded them for so long, now they have the financial muscle to compete on an equal footing with the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal.

Yet the demand for an immediate return on their investment in the club, as witnessed by the knee-jerk sacking of Hughes, suggests that the new regime at City have still to learn lessons from their predecessors about long-term vision and planning for the future.

The decade started in typically turbulent fashion. Having plummeted to the third tier of English football, City returned to the top-flight in 2000 but went straight back down again the following season under Joe Royle.

Enter Kevin Keegan, fresh from quitting as England boss in the Wembley toilets, to save City with his infectious personality and proven success at Premier League level with Newcastle.

Keegan's impact was immediate, as City won the old Divison One Championship in 2001–02, breaking club records for the number of points earned and goals scored in a season.

The highs under Keegan continued, a memorable 3-1 derby win over Manchester United at Maine Road in October 2002, City's first triumph over their local rivals for 13 years, paving the way for European qualification for the first time in 25 years.

The end of the 2002-03 season brought with it the end of an era, as City said farewell to Maine Road and moved across town to the City of Manchester Stadium at Eastlands, where the Blues took time to adapt to their new surroundings.

Keegan was a prickly customer to deal with at City, a man for whom punctuality had no meaning where the media were concerned. He once kept a group of us waiting for an hour-and-a-half, breezing into the room with a half-hearted apology, blaming an impromptu game of head tennis for his late arrival.

A 16th place finish in the Premier League in 2003-04 bore testimony to Keegan's unpredictable managerial style, and it was no surprise when the serial quitter walked out on the club in March 2005, after falling out of love with football once again.

Stuart Pearce, Keegan's first-team coach at City, was appointed in a caretaker capacity but was given the job on a permanent basis after impressing in the role, steering the club to an eighth place finish in 2005 and only missing out on a European place when Robbie Fowler missed a penalty on the last day of the season.

But City's unpredictability blighted Pearce's reign, just as it had Keegan's and their predecessors. City flirted with relegation in the 2005-6 season, eventually finishing in 15th spot after losing nine of their last 10 games.

The antithesis of Keegan, Pearce was a stickler for time-keeping, holding his weekly media briefings at 8am and starting them bang on time. He was a manager who commanded respect and, as such, earned it from those around him, be they players or journalists.

He was honest to a fault, never shirked a question and, as such, his subsequent dismissal was greeted with genuine dismay by the Manchester Press pack who had grown to like him and his easy manner.

Pearce was sacked at the end of the 2006-07 season after City had again sailed dangerously close to relegation. Enter the charmer. What Sven Goran Eriksson lacked in the ability to get the best out of City's players, he made up for with his abundant charm and courtesy.

On one occasion, I had a £10 bet with Eriksson over whether Stephen Ireland would score in City's next game. Eriksson said he would, I said he wouldn't. Ireland didn't find the net and, when I next saw Eriksson and reminded him of our wager, he duly dipped into his wallet to honour it.

Eriksson produced a wad of cash from his pocket but only had £20 notes on him, and I had no change. But he insisted I took the note, which I duly did (well, he was on £2million a year at City, so I'm pretty sure he could spare the cash).

But I never got the chance to pay him back the tenner he was owed, as Eriksson was sacked as City boss days later following their 8-1 humiliation at Middlesbrough on the last day of the 2007-08 season.

So the managerial merry go-round continued with the appointment of Mark Hughes in June 2008. While Eriksson was never going to be a long-term appointment, the arrival of Hughes - 44 at the time - looked to be the right man for City at the right time, with a chance to deliver the sustained success the club desired.

That belief was enhanced with the breathtaking Abu Dhabi takeover on transfer deadline day on September 1, which was capped with the £32.5million capture of Robinho from Real Madrid, a marquee signing and an emphatic statement of intent from City's determined new owners.

A flurry of late bids from City on deadline day for Dimitar Berbatov and Fernando Torres were ultimately unsuccessful, but the intentions of the new owners were clear - to turn City from a club mired in years of under-achivement into the biggest in the world.

That vision was always going to take time, and a 10th-placed finish in the 2008-09 season, with just two wins away all season, showed the extent of the work that lay ahead for the City hierarchy and their ambitious young boss Hughes.

Packing four or five transfer windows' worth of deals into one fell swoop, City spent in excess of £100m in the summer of 2009 on Gareth Barry, Roque Santa Cruz, Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Adebayor, Carlos Tevez and Joleon Lescott.

But with the huge investment came increased expectation, and the declarations of a long-term vision and faith in Hughes from City's owners proved entirely false, as the 46-year-old was unceremoniously dumped following a 4-3 win over Sunderland on December 19.

Under Hughes, City were in sixth place, had lost just twice in the Premier League all season and he had taken them to the last four of the Carling Cup, their first domestic semi-final for 28 years, where they would meet local rivals Manchester United. Yet that was not enough.

The manner of Hughes' sacking, rather than the act itself, appalled everyone in football and reeked of treachery. Hughes knew his fate before his final game against Sunderland, but his employers made him suffer the indignity of taking charge of the team, before firing him after the match.

The shameful episode did City no favours, with the world of football universal in its condemnation of their conduct, but Hughes left the post with his managerial reputation intact, and his successor Roberto Mancini carrying the burden of expectation.

City chief executive Garry Cook, affable guy that he is, has made himself a laughing stock in his 18 months in the job.

From responding to questions about the questionable human rights record of ex-Thai Prime Minister and former City chairman Thaksin Shinawatra by saying he was "a nice guy to play golf with" to introducing Blues legend Uwe Rosler into the "Manchester United hall of fame", Cook has made himself a figure of fun.

His and his cohorts' appalling handling of Hughes' sacking underlined the lessons City's new hierarchy, many of whom have little or no experience of the management of a football club, must still learn if they are to make a success of the club or merely spend obscene amounts of cash, spout a lot or rhetoric, yet get nowhere.

As the decade draws to a close, City have begun life under Mancini with two wins, but the acid test of his suitability to the role will come in the next two months, when the players have lost the natural initial drive to impress the new boss and a more rational assessment of the situation can be made.

After treading water for much of the decade, City have ended it as the world's richest club and one on whom the focus has been magnified, to the extent they are now just as newsworthy as their more illustrious neighbours, something which has certainly irked Sir Alex Ferguson, despite his protestations to the contrary.

Whether City can emulate United's success and become a major Premier League and European force remains to be seen. If, as they have done throughout the past decade, they are to continue chopping and changing managers on a whim, then they will forever be a hostage to ridicule and mediocrity.

If, however, they can learn from the model across the city at United, and at Arsenal, where sticking by a manager has been proven to produce long-term success, then they may just become a force to be reckoned with.

[Chinners]

Quality Festive B*ll*x now showing on the Official site

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