Man City v Stoke goals:
http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/4290768/
USUAL SUSPECT'S BOLLOX
ALEX FERGUSON has entered the race to sign Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini.
New Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has already earmarked the £12m-rated centre back as one of his top priorities in the midst of his side's patchy form and injury crisis. But United have serious defensive problems of their own and watching makeshift centre halves Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick ship three goals at Fulham last weekend has forced Fergie to look for experience in the January transfer window. Chiellini has mentioned on more than one occasion that all is not well at Juventus and is ready to test himself in England. Manchester United may not be able to offer the Italian international, 25, as much as their rivals in terms of wages. But Ferguson knows the guarantee of regular Champions League football with one of the biggest clubs in the world will put his side right at the front of the queue for his signature.
Chiellini's agent Davide Lippi said: "It will be difficult for such an important player like Chiellini to leave Juventus but we will see what happens in January. "I have not heard anything from Mancini yet but I could not rule out a move to Manchester."
Ferguson and Mancini are also both looking at Palermo defender Simon Kjaer, 20, but the United boss would not mind losing out to his city rivals on this occasion due to the sheer experience that Chiellini offers. Apart from in 2006 when The Old Lady were relegated to Serie B, Chiellini has been playing regular top-flight football in Italy since 2004 as well as establishing himself as a first team player for the national side.
Wolves v Manchester City: Craig Bellamy gets the nod from new boss Roberto Mancini
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... l?ITO=1490
Manchester City will sacrifice new boss Roberto Mancini in the summer if they can capture Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger or Inter Milan’s Jose Mourinho.Roberto Mancini got his Manchester City career off to a winning start with a 2-0 victory over Stoke yesterday. But the sheikhs backing the club will stop at nothing to break into English football’s elite, as they proved in sacking Mark Hughes, and that means installing Wenger or Mourinho. Sunday Express Sport can reveal that City believe they can get Wenger. Their much-maligned chief executive Garry Cook, who is fighting for his job following a week of adverse publicity which has shocked owner Sheikh Mansour and chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak, insists that landing Wenger is not a pipedream. If Wenger says no, dialogue is continuing with Mourinho’s people in the knowledge that the former Chelsea manager is likely to leave Inter Milan in the summer, even if he wins a second successive Serie A title. But it’s the link with Wenger which is intriguing insiders at Eastlands. “Don’t rule it out because Wenger has his own issues at Arsenal and could shock everyone,” said one influential City source. Cook and football administrator Brian Marwood, both believed to have been instrumental in the sacking of Hughes and his backroom staff, have close ties with Wenger from their days with Nike. Wenger enjoyed a commercial tie-up with the sports manufacturers and knows former Arsenal player Marwood well.
Inter Milan defender Ivan Cordoba has issued a ''come and get me'' plea to Manchester City's new boss Roberto Mancini.
Cordoba, 33, has a wealth of experience in Serie A, playing over 300 games for the Italian giants.
Manchester City are facing a defensive crisis as Joleon Lescott is ruled out for two months with a knee injury.
Mancini is a big admirer of Cordoba, and the Columbian international admits he would love the chance to work under Mancini again.
Cordoba said: "If Roberto wants me at Manchester City then I would think about it.
"He is a great coach and varies the training all the time. I worked with him at Inter Milan and I believe he will have great success in the Premier League."
Mancini faces Robinho dilemma BLOG
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/philmcnulty/ ... ho_do.html
Arsenal have emerged as shock contenders to sign Manchester City striker Craig Bellamy.
The 30-year-old is unsettled at Manchester City following the sacking of manager Mark Hughes and was last night reported to have handed in a transfer request. The Welsh star was left on the bench by new boss Roberto Mancini for yesterday’s 2-0 win over Stoke in favour for Robinho. Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger needs to bolster his strike force after the loss of Robin van Persie for the season.
“Craig’s a warrior, just what Arsenal need,” said a coach* who has worked closely with Bellamy.
(*some matey that last spoke to him when he was at Norwich probably)
MANCHESTER CITY have agreed a £36million deal to sign Benfica's Angel Di Maria in January.
Although contract negotiations are not finalised, City are confident they will bring the in-form midfielder to Eastlands. The Argentina star has been identified by Mark Hughes as a long-term successor for Robinho. The Benfica playmaker, 21, has emerged as the inspiration behind the free-scoring Portuguese side's quest for the Europa League and their domestic title.
City are believed to have spoken to Benfica and the player's representatives in South America about doing a deal for as early as the next transfer window. They had hoped to land Di Maria for less than the quoted price but a clause in his contract, which runs until 2015, says he cannot leave for less than £36m. He has been brought to the attention of Premier League clubs after twice starring in victories over Everton in Europe. Chelsea have also been eyeing him this season but are not likely to meet the asking price. Di Maria's arrival would certainly spell the end of Robinho's time at City, although he will have to wait for the summer for a move to Barcelona. He was told there would be no January exit during talks with chairman Khaldoon al Mubarak during the club's trip to Abu Dhabi. Khaldoon believes his return to fitness will help the club's Champions League ambitions. But boss Mark Hughes remains indifferent to the Brazilian.
TRANSFER & GOSSIP BOLLOX
Portsmouth goalkeeper David James admits he is "flattered" by the interest of Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp and would be keen on a move to White Hart Lane to boost his England World Cup chances.Sunday Telegraph
Fernando Torres is ready to quit Liverpool if they fail to qualify for the Champions League this season. News of the World
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is considering splashing out on a new striker in the January transfer window, with Bordeaux's Marouane Chamakh top of his wanted list. Mail on Sunday
Manchester United striker Frederico Macheda, 18, is being linked with a loan move to Real Zaragoza. News of the World
Birmingham are ready to launch an £8 raid for Wigan's former Newcastle's winger Charles N'Zogbia.News of the World
Carlo Ancelotti will make a transfer window U-turn by offering a British record £45million for Bayern Munich's France winger Franck Ribery. People
Former Birmingham owners David Gold and David Sullivan will pull the plug on West Ham takeover talks on January 7. News of the World
Ambitious Stoke manager Tony Pulis could make a surprise three-pronged raid for Liverpool misfit Ryan Babel, Aston Villa's Emile Heskey and Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones News of the World
Sunderland have launched an attempt to hijack right-back Danny Simpson’s move from Manchester United to Newcastle. Daily Star Sunday
Tottenham's Scotland full-back Alan Hutton is a January target for Stoke and Fulham. News of the World
And Hutton's fellow out-of-favour Tottenham team-mate David Bentley is also attracting interest from Spanish side Atletico Madrid. News of the World
Bayern Munich striker Luca Toni, who has been linked with a move to West Ham, has set his sights on a return to Serie A with Roma this winter, although a deal has yet to be concluded. Gazzetta dello Sport
Jose Mourinho snubbed Manchester City's offer to become their coach because his dream is to step in when Sir Alex Ferguson finally retires at Manchester United. Mail on Sunday
Newcastle may sit top of the Championship but the club is being forced to implement a clutch of cost-cutting measures at St James' Park - including switching off the escalator inside the new Milburn Stand during the week. News of the World
WAG OF THE DAY
http://www.thespoiler.co.uk/index.php/2 ... -trezeguet
AND FINALLY
ROBERTO MANCINI will be given licence to get tough with Robinho and Emmanuel Adebayor if their attitudes do not improve.
The Italian built a reputation as a disciplinarian in Serie A as he became Inter's most successful manager in 30 years.
The former Fiorentina and Lazio coach was first sounded out to take over at Eastlands two weeks ago and in the time since he has witnessed shambolic displays by at least two of his star players during the defeat at Tottenham. That performance accelerated the departure of Mark Hughes. And while Hughes' downfall owed much to his failure to convince his star signings as well as the owners that he could lead the team into the Champions League, Mancini will be confident he can make every player buy into his philosophy.
"Mancini is very much his own man," said a source close to the ex-Italy international. When he played under Sven Goran Eriksson at Sampdoria and then at Lazio it was often said that he was the coach on the pitch.
"He is a tough cookie. He has no time for those who do not follow the party line. He will also not be worried about leading Manchester City after successfully managing 30 players at Italy's biggest club.
"There is no reason at all for him to be frightened and he won't be. There will be no tolerance of poor attitudes, no matter how big the player is. For him, what matters is only what is best for the club. If a player wants to travel in a different direction then the team will move on without him. He has dropped players in the past and will do so again if things are not going the way he wants."
Hughes will no doubt be reflecting that his failure to get a firm grip on the likes of Robinho especially, meant he never gained full control over the dressing room despite a coaching staff made up of close acquaintances, friends and compatriots from Wales, nicknamed 'the Taffia.' There was a feeling he stepped carefully around the superstar signings because they were not his own choices. Robinho should have been left out of the side many more times than just when he was injured. His performance in that defeat at Spurs gave the impression of a player waiting for an offer to leave town. It was also noted that Adebayor did more in that game than any other to convince sceptical Arsenal fans that Arsene Wenger was right to sell the Togo international. Robinho regularly flouted the club's rules, much to the annoyance of many of his team-mates. Earlier this month, he turned up two hours late to a party for foster children and had to be persuaded to make an appearance after the club sent a car to his home. In February, he ignored the dress code on a UEFA Cup trip to Copenhagen by discarding his tie and wearing trainers and jewellery with his club suit.
But Mancini's problems won't just start and end with the Brazilian. Craig Bellamy is posing the first issue for the former Leicester midfielder. He was deeply angered by Hughes' dismissal and is believed to be considering his future at City. He has been warned, though, that Mancini will not dwell on the Welshman's decision because anyone who has not been fully on-board in the past has been ruthlessly cast aside. "He will not be concerned about somebody like Bellamy. He will see this player as one who has had a succession of clubs and who occasionally has periods where he looks like a star," said the source. "Mancini is a European standard coach and he knows that if he travelled around Europe, coaches would not name Bellamy in their list of 100 top players. He will certainly not wait under a window for a player like this to come out and say that he loves his manager."
