Training Wednesday 20/1

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Quiet at carrington today as the etam from last night were only inside doing wahetever warm downs they do + massages etc.Already out though when I got there were the reserves + Mancini and Kidd who were deep in conversation. A photographer told me he expected Vieira out today but there was no sign.He is hoping to play v Scunthorpe and definitely wants to play in the 2nd leg.

After a short while the "bench" players from last night came out along with Bridge and the only 1 missing was Silvinho , maybe injured based on that "run" last night.

As ever Mancini did the same with this group that he has done each day moving around the field with the players moving around him but keeping the team shape he wants when we havent got the ball. The group were:
Cunningham,Nedum,Vidal,Trippier
Ireland,Tutte and i think Ibrahim
Petrov,Robinho and Benjani.

After a little while doing this they split into 2 groups with Mancini again working with the defensive unit mostly on shape and without a ball whilst the other group played a kind of passing/keep ball in a circle with the emphasis on strong driven passing to test the control and touch of the players. As might be expected some of the passes were seriously smashed and control was almost impossible but they seemed to be having fun. Robinho seemed to be in a decent frame of mind based on the pictures taken by the photographer.

Bridge was out there which is good news even though with a strapping on his knee.

[john68]

Was there any sign of the two bricklayers we have signed on loan in readiness for the defensive battle next week Doug? Or is that a secret?
Cheers mate.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Was there any sign of the two bricklayers we have signed on loan in readiness for the defensive battle next week Doug? Or is that a secret?
Cheers mate.

I think I saw Andy Morrison doing some special coaching with 2 big lads on the far pitch :)

[john68]

Was there any sign of the two bricklayers we have signed on loan in readiness for the defensive battle next week Doug? Or is that a secret?
Cheers mate.

I think I saw Andy Morrison doing some special coaching with 2 big lads on the far pitch :)

Maybe we are about to learn what that bloody fence at Carrington was built for Doug...Across the goalmouth on Wednesday...

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Ah I forgot there was a new face there today.I was reliably informed that Mancini's son was on the sidelines along with a couple of others.He was just watching and taking the odd picture.

[Alan D]

Ah I forgot there was a new face there today.I was reliably informed that Mancini's son was on the sidelines along with a couple of others.He was just watching and taking the odd picture.

Was it not Mancini's son who joined us on loan from Inter Milan a couple of seasons ago when Sven was in charge?

[Somerset Blue]

Ah I forgot there was a new face there today.I was reliably informed that Mancini's son was on the sidelines along with a couple of others.He was just watching and taking the odd picture.

Was it not Mancini's son who joined us on loan from Inter Milan a couple of seasons ago when Sven was in charge?

That rings a definite bell - about 17 at the time, or something like that. Remember because it was the first time I became aware of Mancini.

[ant london]

Ah I forgot there was a new face there today.I was reliably informed that Mancini's son was on the sidelines along with a couple of others.He was just watching and taking the odd picture.

Was it not Mancini's son who joined us on loan from Inter Milan a couple of seasons ago when Sven was in charge?

Yes it was, Filipo Mancini or something isn't it. He's still on Inter's books but is out on loan to some team I've never heard of in Italy.

His loan to City only turned out to last a few months in the end and then we shipped him back to Inter who, in turn, shipped him out to somewhere lower league and then onto his current place (I wiki'd this when Mancini joined!)