It's taken them just 18 months but they have already achieved a major shift in power in the Premier League. City have overtaken Chelsea as the most disliked team in the top flight, the club everyone loves to hate.
They have gone from being the lovable perennial losers to being a club which now has a flashy, arrogant, rude, nasty, snarling, moneybags attitude. Even Mark Hughes, a clever, young and ambitious manager, appears to have been caught up in the whole new City regime. Last week it was an ugly spat with Arsene Wenger (even though Wenger still should have shaken hands). On Saturday, it was claiming that he knew Frank Lampard was going to miss the penalty when he saw him walk up to take it.
Hughes effectively accused Lampard of bottling it. The same Frank Lampard who had not missed a penalty for three years and the same Frank Lampard who held his nerve for England against Croatia when everyone else had lost the plot. We all laughed at that "Welcome to Manchester" sign which so got up United's noses. But it wasn't just a bit of fun. It was a statement of intent. And they have achieved it. A few years ago, it was Chelsea. Jose Mourinho's arrogance, outrageous remarks and disrespecting the great and the good in the Premier League. I used to think it was all about money and jealousy. Certainly, Chelsea, with Roman Abramovich, and City's wealthy owners fit into that category. There's an element of that, of course. City are now a team who everyone loves to beat to shut up and show the big spenders a thing or two. But it's not just about that. And the proof is Carlo Ancelotti. Ancelotti is a likable, humorous and engaging character. Ancelotti is throwback to Claudio Ranieri. Chelsea do still have the Gael Kakuta affair hanging over them. But generally, they are trying to be sensible in the transfer market.
As the former Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein famously said, they no longer have the Russian tanks parked on the lawn firing out pound notes. Abramovich has tried to make the club a bit more sensible and has succeeded in replacing Mourinho with Luiz Felipe Scolari, Avram Grant and Guus Hiddink. More likable men even if they have had varying degrees of success.
None, however, have been as successful as Mourinho. But you know what? I reckon Abramovich and Chelsea are pretty happy that the club's reputation has been restored and they are no longer public enemy number one. Ancelotti, Saturday's defeat at City aside, is also proving nice guys don't always come last which is second in Chelsea's case. A couple of seasons ago, people would have revelled in Chelsea's defeat whereas now most neutrals don't particularly like City.
Chelsea are still sitting proudly on top of the Premier League, I think they'll win the title and will win back friends in the process. Yes, they have bad moments. The Champions League semi final last season. They acted appallingly and got hammered for it. Quite right too. That's what should happen. But it's no longer a way of life. With City, they seem to want to grab the headlines and if that means acting badly to do so then so be it.
Mark Hughes was not boss material says Demento
Sir Alex Ferguson has taken a swipe at Mark Hughes, his counterpart at Manchester City, by revealing that he did not believe “in a million years” that the Welshman was management material when he was a player with Manchester United. Ferguson, the United manager, has aimed a number of barbed comments at City since they were taken over by Sheikh Mansour in September last year. He has also been more than willing to put pressure on Hughes, regardless of his status as a United legend. Now Ferguson has spoken of his surprise that Hughes became a manager, although the Scot’s comments fell short of a direct attack, having been asked to predict which of his present players could become managers.
“It’s difficult to assess that because you don’t know what ambitions the players have,” Ferguson said. “Currently we’ve got [Ryan] Giggs, [Paul] Scholes and [Gary] Neville taking their coaching badges. That’s great and I encourage them to do that because it gives them a platform if they want to stay in the game. “It can be difficult to pinpoint who would make it as a manager. For instance, nobody here thought Mark Hughes would become a manager, never in a million years, and we all thought Bryan Robson was a certainty to be a top manager.”
City’s new-found riches have raised expectations in the blue half of Manchester that their club could finally be ready to challenge United for football’s biggest prizes. Ferguson, though, says that the Barclays Premier League champions are well prepared to repel any pretenders to their throne. “It’s difficult to say with so much money coming into the game,” Ferguson said, having been asked to pinpoint where the threat to United was likely to come from. “Manchester City have millions, Chelsea have money and you can’t count out anyone. “You don’t know where the next deluge of money’s going to come from. You just have to say, ‘Here’s another challenge.’ We won’t be afraid of it.”
KOLO TOURE and Emmanuel Adebayor have urged Manchester City to clinch a Wembley place next month without them.The players will be in Angola for the African Nations Cup when City face Manchester United over two legs in the Carling Cup, the club’s first semi-final in 28 years. Ironically, Togo striker Adebayor will face Toure, the Ivory Coast centre-back, on January 19, the day of the second leg at Old Trafford. “It’s incredibly bad timing,” Toure said. “This club has waited a long time to be in a semi-final and to not be a part of it is really difficult. “But we have the players to beat United and I believe in my heart we’re going to do it.” Adebayor added: “I’ve played in a Carling Cup final, but I was on the losing side, for Arsenal against Chelsea. “I would love to come back from Africa with an opportunity to be in another Wembley final – and get a winner’s medal this time.”
Robinho aiming for top spot with Manchester City• Brazilian believes City can catch Chelsea
Robinho has called on his Manchester City team-mates to mount a challenge for the Premier League title. The £32.5m British record signing has recovered from the ankle injury that kept him out of action for almost three months and was part of the City side that got their Premier League campaign back on track last weekend by beating leaders Chelsea. After a run of seven successive draws, it was the perfect time to find winning form again given that the packed Christmas campaign is fast approaching, as well as the Carling Cup semi-final with Manchester United.
With City only 11 points adrift of Chelsea with a game in hand, Robinho thinks his side can still have a say in the title race. "We were really happy to win on Saturday," said the Brazilian. "But the most important thing now is to keep winning. There are still a lot of games to go and we want to be top." After so long out, Robinho is looking forward to a festive programme that includes a Boxing Day encounter with Stoke and a trip to Wolves on 28 December. Robinho was used to a Christmas break in his time at Real Madrid, but he is relishing playing through the festive period."I am just happy to be playing," said the 25-year-old. "I feel excellent. I am strong, physically and mentally, and I want to play in every game. I like to play football anywhere, at any time."Robinho will hope to keep his place for Saturday's short trip to Bolton, where he could yet be joined by Craig Bellamy, despite this week's swine flu scare. It is expected both the Wales captain and Vladimir Weiss, who missed the Chelsea game after being sent home to avoid passing the virus on, will be available.
TRANSFER BOLLOX
Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure has ruled out a move to the Premier League, insisting he is happy at the Nou Camp.The Sun
Everton are expected to sign Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Landon Donovon on a three-month loan deal in January but face a battle to hold on to in-form striker Louis Saha. Daily Mail
Liverpool are targeting Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko in a suprise January move that could result in Reds forward Ryan Babel heading in the opposite direction. Daily Mail
Full-back Andrea Dossena may have played his last game for the Anfield club, with Roma ready to take the Italy international back to Serie A in January. The Times
Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce is interested in signing former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistlerooy.The Sun
Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill has warned Fenerbahce that striker John Carew is not for sale. (The Sun)
Fulham boss Roy Hodgson is keen on Rangers midfielder DaMarcus Beasley.Daily Mirror
Sunderland are tracking Belgium Under-21 goalkeeper Simon Mignolet. The Sun
Watford want to keep on-loan Arsenal midfielder Henri Lansbury for the rest of the season but they will ask the Gunners to pay half of his wages. The Sun
Doncaster midfielder Brian Stock is a £1.5m target for Reading manager Brendan Rodgers. (The Sun)
MAN CITY V BOLTON (HALF-TIME TEAM TALK)
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OTHER BOLLOX
Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar is ready to commit himself to another 12 months at Old Trafford if the 39-year-old Dutchman, who is under contract until the summer of 2010, is offered a new deal. The Sun
Portsmouth may have to sell their top players in the new year unless they can find £18m by the start of Janaury to service outstanding debts. The Sun
Paul Sturrock's future as Plymouth boss will be discussed at a board meeting on Thursday, with former England striker Paul Mariner, who is head coach at the club, set to replace the Scot. The Sun
Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson's future as director of football at Notts County may be decided on Thursday, with the League Two club on the brink of new ownership. Daily Mail
Eriksson is set to launch a takeover bid for Notts County after owners Munto Finance put the club up for sale. Daily Mirror
Former Portsmouth manager Tony Adams is set to become the new boss of Major League Soccer side New York Red Bulls and is keen to bring Barcelona striker and former Arsenal team-mate Thierry Henry with him. The Sun
WAG OF THE DAY
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MORE BOLLOX
Arsenal winger Theo Walcott has signed a lucrative new deal - as a children's author. The 20-year-old England international has been signed by a top publisher after he wrote two stories for fun about a hero schoolboy, who happens to be a soccer wonderkid. His tales are poised to go on sale in April. The Sun
Germany could gain a crucial advantage over their 2010 World Cup rivals after the new Adidas Jabulani ball, which will be used at the finals, was introduced into the Budesliga last weekend. The Sun
Oldham will charge just £2 for fans to watch Saturday's League One clash against Exeter.The Sun
Joe Hart set for permanent switch to Birmingham City
Birmingham City boss Alex McLeish wants to sign on-loan Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart on a permanent basis. McLeish has also stepped up his interest in his long-term target, Sporting Gijon midfielder, Michel. England international Hart, 22, is on a season-long loan at Birmingham. McLeish said: “Maybe we could come to some arrangement with Man City, if he continues to play to the level he’s playing at.”
McLeish is backing Hart to get into the England squad for the World Cup Finals and he added: “I think England like him and he has got every opportunity. He’s got a great chance. “He’s a massive presence, works really hard and he has tidied up his game on a couple of things. He looks a real prospect for England.” Meanwhile, Michel, who McLeish tried to sign in the summer, was watched by Birmingham in action against Tenerife last weekend. Birmingham agreed a fee of £2.5m for the 23-year-old only for the deal to collapse over the payments terms.
