Roberto Mancini tried to spread peace ahead of tonight's hate-fuelled Carling Cup battle of Manchester by claiming Carlos Tevez and Gary Neville have kissed and made up.
Former team-mates Tevez and Neville clashed in the first leg of the semi-final at Eastlands, when the City striker goaded the United captain into giving him the finger from the touchline.
Tevez was angered by Neville's claim that Sir Alex Ferguson was right not to spend £25million on him last summer and responded by branding the United defender a "boot-licking moron".
The FA stepped in to warn both players about their future conduct and City boss Mancini took on the role of peacemaker by suggesting the feuding pair had settled their differences.
"I think they're good friends," said Mancini. "They played together for two years at United and after a game these things can sometimes happen."
Tevez scored both goals in City's 2-1 first-leg win and will be Public Enemny No.1 at Old Trafford tonight following his vitriolic verbal attack on United crowd favourite Neville.
But Mancini said his star striker has the mental toughness to handle the inevitable hostile reception he will receive when he emerges from the players' tunnel at Old Trafford.
"I don't think there is a problem with Carlos and other players," said Mancini. "Carlos will be fine. Everybody must stay calm and think only about the match.
"I hope Carlos will score again but it's impossible for one player to keep on scoring a goal or two goals in every game.
"I hope that some of our other players can score as well, but if Carlos can score, then that's fine by me."
Fat bearded cunt of bollox
Manchester City are all that is wrong with English football...but watching them have a go is so compelling
We hear so much about respect these days that football is in danger of turning into south central Los Angeles. Blue versus red; Crips against Bloods.
Manchester United play Manchester City again tonight at Old Trafford, so you can pretty much guarantee somebody will get dissed; probably Carlos Tevez, whose popularity at Old Trafford is right up there with Malcolm Glazer’s.
Lack of respect explains the feud between Tevez and Gary Neville, the Manchester United captain, apparently. According to Kia Joorabchian, adviser to Tevez, the angry gestures and description of Neville as an idiot and a creep were not even derogatory.
‘A professional footballer has to have respect for his companions and if you don’t have class, then you have to accept that they are entitled to say something back,’ Joorabchian said.
New money can¿t buy you love: Garry Cook (right) unveils new manager Roberto Mancini
Leaving aside exactly who is in a position to lecture on class in football these days - although it hasn’t stopped the most debt-laden Prime Minister in history sermonising on governance and balancing the books - Joorabchian would appear to have rather missed the point.
Modern Manchester City do not have class and they do not have respect; that is what is so appealing about them.
If City now have a purpose it is to tweak the nose of the established order, the Champions League clubs who have been allowed to dominate for too long.
City are here to tick off Arsenal supporters with their goal celebrations, to upset Sir Alex Ferguson with mischievous fly-posting, to annoy Chelsea by targeting their captain, not to mention taking Gareth Barry from beneath the noses of Liverpool without being able to offer European football or all that lovely history.
City’s job is to get on everybody’s wick, precisely because they do not have respect and refuse to apologise for their parvenu presence. Good for them. In the circumstances, however, to expect consideration in return is absurd.
Neville stands accused of rubbishing Tevez in his column for The Times of Malta, published on January 17, but he did not. Neville responded to a reader query in a short section called ‘Over to you’. ‘Was it a mistake to let Carlos Tevez leave Manchester United and do you think United should buy a striker in this transfer window?’ asked John Refalo of Attard.
Neville replied: ‘The manager over the years has made many decisions with regard to players coming and going, and he has almost always been proved correct. Over a period of 20 years he may have got one or two wrong, and I think he has admitted that himself, but he knows exactly what he’s doing and he understands when a player’s time is up. I can’t disagree with his decision on Tevez. He was a good player for us, but if the financial demands are too big then that’s just the way it goes. Other good players have left this club in the past; it’s not the first time it’s happened.’
He then went on to say he did not think Manchester United would sign anyone in January because the manager has never been a big fan of buying in the transfer window. And that was it.
Maybe Tevez, who, judging by his reaction, appears to be under the impression that
Neville said he was useless and United couldn’t wait to ditch him, should have a bigger beef with his club interpreter than his former team-mate.
Maybe that is Manchester City’s dirty secret. They mistranslate every headline containing Tevez’s name as ‘Steaming pillock Carlos Tevez can’t play football’, read it to him before kick-off, attribute it to the opposition captain and watch the goals fly in; after all, something must explain his change in fortune.
If it is respect Tevez craves he has made the wrong move. Nobody will respect Manchester City while Garry Cook, the chief executive, continues to trawl bars crowing that his club will soon be the biggest and best in the world. Peter Kenyon was mocked for suggesting this of Chelsea when they were league champions; Manchester City have not won a trophy of significance since 1976. Then there was the dismissal of Mark Hughes, the former manager, without even a full season to make the new money work: hardly the action of a club courting popularity.
Indeed, there is so much that is gauche and grasping about City - the widely broadcast bid for Kaka, the petulant outburst from Cook when it did not succeed - that it would be easy to dislike them, and many do.
To the detractors, City’s players are money-motivated, because they either left or spurned bigger teams, while the management is disdained for buying victory, as if it were the first to do so (and as if this is not precisely what the Football Association are attempting by employing Fabio Capello as England manager).
Yet these weaknesses are also City’s strengths. How are a club meant to break into the top four? Politely? Regretfully? What players are they meant to go for, if not the finest? And how are they meant to attract them, if not financially?
City had to blow Liverpool away financially for Barry, or what possible reason would he have to go there? If they need a centre half, why not start with the best, John Terry, and lower their sights to Joleon Lescott or Kolo Toure if that audacious move does not come off? And for a club wishing to announce their altered circumstances, has there ever been a more memorable message than the Tevez ‘Welcome to Manchester’ campaign?
The reason so many hate City is the reason others like them: they have made English football more interesting, with chippy players, brash pronouncements, rampant egos and vaulting ambition. They are everything that is wrong with English football, and everything that makes it compelling, rolled up in a ball of spit and directed at the biggest clubs.
They do not command respect because they do not afford any, although someone needs to translate that to Tevez before tonight, or he is going to spend a lot of the match very angry again. On second thoughts, maybe not.
Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand to miss derby over violent conduct charge
Rio Ferdinand is likely to miss Manchester United's Carling Cup semi-final against Manchester City at Old Trafford on Wednesday night because he is expected to plead guilty to a Football Association charge of violent conduct.
The guilty plea, for striking the face of Hull forward Craig Fagan during Manchester United's 4-0 victory on Saturday, will trigger an automatic three-match ban.
Ferdinand, who returned from a three-month back injury lay-off against Hull, is due to meet Graham Bean, the FA's former compliance officer who now advises United on disciplinary matters, at their Carrington training ground on Wednesday morning to discuss the charge. Ferdinand must respond by 6pm on Wednesday and it is understood that he will be urged to plead guilty.
United are, however, angry at what they perceive to be FA double standards. The club are bemused by the action against Ferdinand in the wake of the governing body's failure to charge Liverpool's Javier Mascherano for a similar incident involving Leeds forward Jermaine Beckford during a Carling Cup tie at Elland Road last September.
But with video evidence of Ferdinand's clash with Fagan, which was missed by referee Steve Bennett, the England defender is expected to reluctantly accept a three-game suspension, which would commence with the City game, rather than risk receiving a lengthier ban if any appeal is unsuccessful.
Sunderland defender Michael Turner and Middlesbrough forward Jérémie Aliadière have both been given extended suspensions by the FA in recent months on the basis of 'frivolous' appeals against charges of violent conduct.
By accepting the charge, Ferdinand will miss the game against City, Sunday's Premier League trip to Arsenal and visit of Portsmouth on Feb 6.
Should he deny the charge, however, he will be free to face City before learning his fate at a regulatory commission on Thursday.
United face City needing to overturn a 2-1 first-leg deficit, with Ferguson expecting Wayne Rooney to play a pivotal role for the home side. Rooney's four goals in the victory against Hull took him to 20 in all competitions this season.
Ferguson has claimed that United are aware of the external influences – notably noises emanating from Barcelona and Real Madrid – attempting to foment uncertainty over the Rooney's future amid growing speculation over his proposed new contract at Old Trafford.
Ferguson said: "I think we know where that [speculation] is coming from. In fact, we are sure where it's coming from. It's not his agent and it's not Wayne, so we'll deal with that.
"He wants to stay here. He has made that quite clear himself, but we already knew that he didn't want to leave here.
"He is in such great form and there aren't many players matching him at the moment. If he continues in this way he could get to 30 goals quite easily.
"He's got 20 now and the crucial part of the season is coming up, so he could easily get to more than 30."
While last Tuesday's first leg has been overshadowed by the verbal spat between City's Carlos Tévez and United's Gary Neville, both Ferguson and City manager Roberto Mancini have attempted to shift the focus back on to football ahead of tonight's game.
But with City chief executive Garry Cook claiming last week that the Eastlands club would ultimately be "bigger and better" than United, Ferguson suggests that his side's big-game experience is the perfect answer to those comments.
He said: "Sometimes people can get carried away. Only the future can decide that. But we have been in this situation so many times, coming into the second leg of a big semi-final needing a result.
"We've played some great teams over the years here – Barcelona and Juventus – in this sort of situation and we hope that experience helps us."
Mancini, who is set to name Emmanuel Adebayor, and possibly Kolo Touré, on the bench tonight, will become the first City manager since John Bond in 1981 to lead the club to a major final if his team avoid defeat at Old Trafford.
Despite the burden of expectancy, Mancini insisted his players are ready to break their cup hoodoo. He said: "After many years [without a trophy] we want to change the history.
"We want to get to the final and we have a good chance. We must keep our concentration. If you can stay calm, you'll play better."
Five things you won't find at Carling Cup Manchester derby on Wednesday night
1. Alex Ferguson uses the opportunity to blood his youth team players. Once questions were asked in parliament about the United manager's selection policies for League Cup matches. Now all that matters is beating City.
2. Emmanuel Adebayor comes off the bench to score and, after a restrained and dignified celebration, lifts his shirt to reveal a moving dedication to Gooners everywhere.
3. Gary Neville celebrates bagging the winner by running to the centre spot, dropping his shorts and mooning at Carlos Tevez. Though only because a career return of five goals in 385 United appearances suggests he is unlikely to score.
4. Roberto Mancini paces the technical area while modelling the new nylon City tracksuit, available from the club merchandise catalogue now.
5. In the event of a United victory, the Glazer brothers engage in a lap of honour, all the better to revel in the appreciation tumbling from the stands for their part in the perpetuation of the United success story.
Manchester City close to signing Marco Motta on loan from Roma
Roberto Mancini confirms interest in out-of-favour defender
Roberto Mancini, whose only signing as Manchester City manager has been Patrick Vieira from his old club Internazionale, is showing interest in Roma's Marco Motta.
Manchester City have opened formal talks with Roma about signing their out-of-favour defender Marco Motta on loan for the rest of the season. Motta is a 23-year-old right-back who has lost his place at the Stadio Olimpico since Claudio Ranieri replaced Luciano Spalletti as coach.
Negotiations are at advanced stage and Roberto Mancini, the City manager, confirmed to Italian journalists yesterday that he was keen to sign a player who used to captain the Italy Under-21 side as well as representing the full side in the last Olympics.
Motta's registration is jointly owned by his previous club, Udinese, which has complicated the talks, but both clubs have given their provisional approval for the player to leave Serie A and follow Patrick Vieira as Mancini's second signing since replacing Mark Hughes as manager.
Mancini would also like to arrange a loan deal that would see the former Arsenal player Mathieu Flamini return to English football from Milan, but City have not received any encouragement from Real Madrid after making an official approach for Fernando Gago. Madrid do not want to sell the Argentinian midfielder when they have only a 23-man squad and have told City they will have to bid around £18m to persuade them to change their mind
WAG OF THE DAY - Kerry McGregor
http://www.thespoiler.co.uk/index.php/2 ... y-mcgregor
TRANSFER BOLLOX
Tottenham are set to usurp West Ham's bid for Monaco's Icelandic forward Eidur Gudjohnsen after meeting him at Stansted Airport on Monday. Daily Mirror
Arsenal teenager Jack Wilshere's proposed loan move to Bolton is back on, despite the two clubs' managers falling out after their fiery match last week. Daily Mirror
Tottenham midfielder Jamie O'Hara will be Avram Grant's first loan signing following the Premier League's decision to lift Portsmouth's transfer embargo, although the south-coast club will only be able to acquire players on free or loan deals. Daily Mirror
David Bentley also looks set to leave Spurs, with West Ham interested in taking the midfielder, who scored in Tuesday's 2-0 victory over Fulham, on loan for the rest of the season. Daily Mirror
Wolves manager Mick McCarthy is set to make a third and final offer of £3.5m for Hull winger Stephen Hunt.Daily Mirror
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is set to renew his interest in Liverpool's out-of-favour Dutch forward Ryan Babel. Daily Mail
Fulham plan to pip Sunderland and Celtic to sign Egypt's attacking midfielder Mohamed Gedo, who plays for Al-Ittihad Al-Sakndary.
Daily Mail
The Cottagers are also trying to resurrect a loan deal for Roma striker Stefano Okaka. Stoke manager Tony Pulis is also monitoring developments concerning the 20-year-old, whose original switch to Fulham fell through because Roma were demanding a £250,000 loan fee. Daily Mirror
West Brom boss Roberto Di Matteo is preparing a £750,000 bid for Stoke defender Leon Cort. The Baggies will face competition from Newcastle, Middlesbrough and Ipswich for the 30-year-old.Daily Mirror
OTHER BOLLOX
Crystal Palace's Matt Lawrence has revealed the players found out the club is in administration via Twitter. Daily Mirror
Chelsea's Brazilian defender Juliano Beletti has told Twitter the club have blocked his move back home to Flamengo.Daily Mail
More Bollox later ...
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