Friday's B*ll*x
Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2011 7:42 amManchester City in hunt for Belgium youngster
Money-bags Manchester City are already planning their summer spending spree and are reportedly interested in Belgium U21 international Yassine El Ghanassy.
The 20-year-old prodigy is currently on the books at AA Gent in the Belgium league's top tier and can operate either upfront or as a winger on either flank.
The Belgium press are reporting that City scouts have already watched Ghanassy in action and have urged manager Roberto Mancini to thrash out a deal now so he can move when the transfer window opens in the summer.
Valued at £4.3m, Ghanassy has also turned the heads of La Liga's Villarreal and Anderlecht in his native Belgium, while an unnamed Italian side are also said to be interested.
It’s a pain in the grass for Balotelli
MARIO BALOTELLI suffered an allergic reaction to the GRASS as Manchester City were caught cold in freezing Ukraine.
The Italian bad boy had to be persuaded back on to the pitch for the second half after his face had swollen up.
He was given antihistamine jabs to try to solve the problem but was hauled off after 57 minutes of this Euro clash.
It was a bad night for City all round as Andriy Shevchenko inspired Dinamo Kiev.
Boss Roberto Mancini said: "He had an allergy and his face was swollen but I don't know why.
"He wanted to come out for the second half but had this problem 10 seconds before coming out.
"I came out one minute before the players and I didn't see Mario."
City sources revealed the Italian is allergic to certain types of grass and is sometimes given adrenalin to deal with the problem.
It is the latest twist to what has been an eventful first season for the former Inter Milan striker.
But Mancini insisted his team could still turn the Europa League tie around despite leaking goals to ex-Chelsea star Shevchenko and Oleh Gusev.
Mancini added: "We lost because we conceded two strange, stupid goals.
"Usually we don't concede goals like this, we are more professional.
"We didn't mark well for the first goal, the second goal the same.
"It's not a good result but we have a chance. It will be a different game at Eastlands."
Sven Goran Eriksson: I wish I'd joined Manchester City two years later...
Sven Goran Eriksson has revealed his regret at missing out on the riches that arrived at Manchester City just months after he was sacked as manager.
The former England coach - now boss at Championship side Leicester City - took over at Eastlands in the summer of 2007 but spent just one season in charge before being dismissed in June 2008 by Thai owner Thaksin Shinawatra - who sold out to the Abu Dhabi Group less than three months later
'I came to Manchester City two or three years too early,' said Eriksson. 'I should have come with the other owners, that would have been great.'
City gent: Sven Goran Eriksson acknowledges the Eastlands crowd during his brief spell in charge of Manchester City
Eriksson believes it will only be a matter of time before City's huge spending reaps the rewards coveted by billionaire owner Sheik Mansour.
He added: 'If they continue spending and buying like they have been, sooner or later they will win, and go on to win the Premier League and also a trophy in Europe. Maybe this year.'
However, the 63-year-old Swede insists it will still take more than just hard cash to turn Roberto Mancini's team into genuine powers at the top of the game.
'Money is not enough if you are thinking about short term,' he said. 'I don’t think you can buy a team and in one or two years make it the biggest team in the world. You need more time.
'Money is necessary. You will not win the Premier League or Champions League today without money. It is impossible unfortunately.'
In an interview on Yahoo Dugout, Eriksson, who has taken Leicester to the brink of the Championship play-off places in his first season at the Walkers Stadium, has also given his views on the much-debated prospect of a winter break in the English game - going as far as to suggest that the FA consider switching the domestic campaign from winter to summer.
'I sometimes agree with the people who say we should start the season in March and end in November,' said Eriksson. 'With the Premier League the pitches are good all year around. The main problem I see is for the youth teams, when they have to play on frozen pitches in January and February.
'We don’t play football when we should play football. We should play football in the summer but I understand it is maybe impossible. It is a tradition in this country for everyone to go to football on Boxing day.
'However. if you look at it practically we don’t play football when we the pitches are at their best, which is a little bit crazy.'
WAG OF THE DAY
OTHER BOLLOX
Aston Villa and England forward Ashley Young is holding out for a move to Manchester United in the summer. The 25-year-old, whose current deal expires at the end of next season, is reported to have told team-mates of his ambitions to join Sir Alex Ferguson's team. Daily Mail
Brazil striker Adriano, 29, who has had his contract with Roma terminated, has claimed his future is in his homeland despite being linked with Newcastle and Tottenham. Daily Mirror
Chelsea are lining up a move for Real Madrid and Brazilian superstar Kaka with a club source at Stamford Bridge saying: "There is a strong chance it will happen." Daily Telegraph
Juventus and Liverpool will lead the chase for Arsenal's 25-year-old defender Gael Clichy, if the French international decides not to renew his contract with the Gunners. talkSPORT
Arsenal are to seek permission to sign a goalkeeper on an emergency loan following injuries to Wojciech Szczesny, Lukasz Fabianski and Vito Mannone. Daily Mirror
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp fears injury-plagued defender Ledley King's days at the club could be numbered. talkSPORT
Mohamed bin Hammam, the Asian Football Confederation president, will decide within 10 days whether to challenge Sepp Blatter in Fifa's forthcoming presidential election. After 13 years of Blatter running football's international governing body, Bin Hammam of Qatar said: "People have to try change. Change is good." the Guardian
Newcastle boss Alan Pardew says nightlife distractions are why winger Hatem Ben Arfa is staying in France to recover from a broken leg. "Other than being in the city and getting used to the restaurants and God knows what else, there's no other benefit for us at the moment," Pardew said about the £6m signing from Marseille who suffered a double fracture in October. Daily Mail
more bollox later ....
Money-bags Manchester City are already planning their summer spending spree and are reportedly interested in Belgium U21 international Yassine El Ghanassy.
The 20-year-old prodigy is currently on the books at AA Gent in the Belgium league's top tier and can operate either upfront or as a winger on either flank.
The Belgium press are reporting that City scouts have already watched Ghanassy in action and have urged manager Roberto Mancini to thrash out a deal now so he can move when the transfer window opens in the summer.
Valued at £4.3m, Ghanassy has also turned the heads of La Liga's Villarreal and Anderlecht in his native Belgium, while an unnamed Italian side are also said to be interested.
It’s a pain in the grass for Balotelli
MARIO BALOTELLI suffered an allergic reaction to the GRASS as Manchester City were caught cold in freezing Ukraine.
The Italian bad boy had to be persuaded back on to the pitch for the second half after his face had swollen up.
He was given antihistamine jabs to try to solve the problem but was hauled off after 57 minutes of this Euro clash.
It was a bad night for City all round as Andriy Shevchenko inspired Dinamo Kiev.
Boss Roberto Mancini said: "He had an allergy and his face was swollen but I don't know why.
"He wanted to come out for the second half but had this problem 10 seconds before coming out.
"I came out one minute before the players and I didn't see Mario."
City sources revealed the Italian is allergic to certain types of grass and is sometimes given adrenalin to deal with the problem.
It is the latest twist to what has been an eventful first season for the former Inter Milan striker.
But Mancini insisted his team could still turn the Europa League tie around despite leaking goals to ex-Chelsea star Shevchenko and Oleh Gusev.
Mancini added: "We lost because we conceded two strange, stupid goals.
"Usually we don't concede goals like this, we are more professional.
"We didn't mark well for the first goal, the second goal the same.
"It's not a good result but we have a chance. It will be a different game at Eastlands."
Sven Goran Eriksson: I wish I'd joined Manchester City two years later...
Sven Goran Eriksson has revealed his regret at missing out on the riches that arrived at Manchester City just months after he was sacked as manager.
The former England coach - now boss at Championship side Leicester City - took over at Eastlands in the summer of 2007 but spent just one season in charge before being dismissed in June 2008 by Thai owner Thaksin Shinawatra - who sold out to the Abu Dhabi Group less than three months later
'I came to Manchester City two or three years too early,' said Eriksson. 'I should have come with the other owners, that would have been great.'
City gent: Sven Goran Eriksson acknowledges the Eastlands crowd during his brief spell in charge of Manchester City
Eriksson believes it will only be a matter of time before City's huge spending reaps the rewards coveted by billionaire owner Sheik Mansour.
He added: 'If they continue spending and buying like they have been, sooner or later they will win, and go on to win the Premier League and also a trophy in Europe. Maybe this year.'
However, the 63-year-old Swede insists it will still take more than just hard cash to turn Roberto Mancini's team into genuine powers at the top of the game.
'Money is not enough if you are thinking about short term,' he said. 'I don’t think you can buy a team and in one or two years make it the biggest team in the world. You need more time.
'Money is necessary. You will not win the Premier League or Champions League today without money. It is impossible unfortunately.'
In an interview on Yahoo Dugout, Eriksson, who has taken Leicester to the brink of the Championship play-off places in his first season at the Walkers Stadium, has also given his views on the much-debated prospect of a winter break in the English game - going as far as to suggest that the FA consider switching the domestic campaign from winter to summer.
'I sometimes agree with the people who say we should start the season in March and end in November,' said Eriksson. 'With the Premier League the pitches are good all year around. The main problem I see is for the youth teams, when they have to play on frozen pitches in January and February.
'We don’t play football when we should play football. We should play football in the summer but I understand it is maybe impossible. It is a tradition in this country for everyone to go to football on Boxing day.
'However. if you look at it practically we don’t play football when we the pitches are at their best, which is a little bit crazy.'
WAG OF THE DAY
OTHER BOLLOX
Aston Villa and England forward Ashley Young is holding out for a move to Manchester United in the summer. The 25-year-old, whose current deal expires at the end of next season, is reported to have told team-mates of his ambitions to join Sir Alex Ferguson's team. Daily Mail
Brazil striker Adriano, 29, who has had his contract with Roma terminated, has claimed his future is in his homeland despite being linked with Newcastle and Tottenham. Daily Mirror
Chelsea are lining up a move for Real Madrid and Brazilian superstar Kaka with a club source at Stamford Bridge saying: "There is a strong chance it will happen." Daily Telegraph
Juventus and Liverpool will lead the chase for Arsenal's 25-year-old defender Gael Clichy, if the French international decides not to renew his contract with the Gunners. talkSPORT
Arsenal are to seek permission to sign a goalkeeper on an emergency loan following injuries to Wojciech Szczesny, Lukasz Fabianski and Vito Mannone. Daily Mirror
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp fears injury-plagued defender Ledley King's days at the club could be numbered. talkSPORT
Mohamed bin Hammam, the Asian Football Confederation president, will decide within 10 days whether to challenge Sepp Blatter in Fifa's forthcoming presidential election. After 13 years of Blatter running football's international governing body, Bin Hammam of Qatar said: "People have to try change. Change is good." the Guardian
Newcastle boss Alan Pardew says nightlife distractions are why winger Hatem Ben Arfa is staying in France to recover from a broken leg. "Other than being in the city and getting used to the restaurants and God knows what else, there's no other benefit for us at the moment," Pardew said about the £6m signing from Marseille who suffered a double fracture in October. Daily Mail
more bollox later ....