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http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/foot ... 18961.html

Manchester City full-back Pablo Zabaleta has agreed a new three-year deal with the club.

The Argentine, currently on holiday after the Copa America, will sign the new contract when the club return from their pre-season tour of North America. Meanwhile, Craig Bellamy has impressed City officials by throwing himself into his pre-season work with the academy players, opening up the possibility that he could play his way back into favour.

Zabba's contract will be good news to everyone, maybe not the Bellers bit (if true). But if there's any basis of fact to it, I think it's extremely good news.

What about Craig Bellamy?

"We have three strikers and possibly another coming so it will be difficult to have a player who can only play once a month. I don't like this."

Its from an interview with Mancini by Ladyman of the Mail.

Wouldn't get your hopes up on Bellamy

Superb news about Zabba he deserves a new contract without a shadow of a doubt and i'm made up he has got it.He is such a fantastic example of a team player and you could never ask him to give anymore than he does, 100% commitment every time he wears the shirt and i hope he is with city for years to come.

As for Craig i think his faith at city was sealed a long time ago.If he had any hope of rectifying his city career he would not be at home with featuring with the eds at the moment.
This is only my take but..............
Craig is the kind of player who expects to play and will be out of sorts if he is not.Realistically he will not be getting a sniff of first team football, certainly not enough to keep him happy and trouble free.I think Mancini has been honest with him about this and knows he cant keep him happy with the amount of football he is willing to give and is also well aware the resulting problems are best avoided.

As far as i can see any player with a sniff of a bad tempremant is out the door under Mancio, although he does seem a tad fond of Mario regardless.That said im begining to feel Mario is a lot more down to earth than his on field aura would have you believe.

BobKowalski wrote:What about Craig Bellamy?

"We have three strikers and possibly another coming so it will be difficult to have a player who can only play once a month. I don't like this."

Its from an interview with Mancini by Ladyman of the Mail.

Wouldn't get your hopes up on Bellamy

Once a month is Mario isn't it?

The Zabba news is simply brilliant if true!
I'm sure the Bellers part is bollocks though, he has no future here.

Green & Blue wrote: That said im begining to feel Mario is a lot more down to earth than his on field aura would have you believe.

I don't buy the claims that Balotelli would be bad to team spirit. Yes, he is bit of a nutter but also seems up for a good laugh and a wind up merchant. Players love that shit, just like you and me love a good joker in work place. Somehow I can't see Balotelli busting knee caps with golf clubs if you know what I'm saying.

With Bellamy it's always about me, me, me. He wants to play but only when it suits him. And he wants to train but only when it suits him. That's fucking bullshit imo and while he did contribute heavily for a while, under no circumstances is he good enough to be even considered for preferential treatment like that. Hell, I have been bit on the fence with the treatment Tevez has been receiving for us and he is one of the top 5 attacking players in the world.

Niall Quinns Discopants wrote:

Green & Blue wrote: That said im begining to feel Mario is a lot more down to earth than his on field aura would have you believe.

I don't buy the claims that Balotelli would be bad to team spirit. Yes, he is bit of a nutter but also seems up for a good laugh and a wind up merchant. Players love that shit, just like you and me love a good joker in work place. Somehow I can't see Balotelli busting knee caps with golf clubs if you know what I'm saying.

With Bellamy it's always about me, me, me. He wants to play but only when it suits him. And he wants to train but only when it suits him. That's fucking bullshit imo and while he did contribute heavily for a while, under no circumstances is he good enough to be even considered for preferential treatment like that. Hell, I have been bit on the fence with the treatment Tevez has been receiving for us and he is one of the top 5 attacking players in the world.

But all the verified reports we've ever had about Bellamy at City have been how good he is in training & how good he is with young players etc. Why does he get shit for that?

All the shit & rumours started after Mancini lost his rag with him rather than the other way around. It's a two way thing briefing the press, from BOTH Mancini & Bellamy, not just Bellamy. If Mancini doesn't want him then fair enough, I think he was wrong & it could have cost us, but he's the manager & his decision goes. That doesn't mean that Bellamy has to be crucified in order to prove it. Imo Bellamy should be allowed to do what's neccessary to keep him as fit as possible. He was doing it perfectly well, then changed, lost effectiveness & got injured. If Mancinci sees that as a threat & they can't agree then he has to go but it's just wrong imo that a player I considered to be one of our best & most committed is being demonised as some kind of miscreant, when all he's done for City is his best.

Mancini didn't want Bellamy. The rest is bullshit.

More good news. Aguero has failed to turn up at training having earlier said he didn't want to play for Athletico Madrid again. Surely this will be settled in the coming week. I have slight concerns about taking a player who behaves like this but there again he's a fine young player.

I still think we need a midfielder with more pace and better technique than Barry. Hopefully Nasri will show with his body language in training and his refusal to sign a new contract that Arsenal are better off rid of him. Still Wenger must be terrified of losing both Fabregas and Nasri. It would be devastating for the Goners. We also need a good wide player. We've waited and we've seen with SWP: he's not good enough for where we want to be.

Oh and Cooke please don't even think of paying half Adebayor's wages so Twitcher can get a striker on the cheap.