Thursday's B*ll*x
Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 12:26 pmSorry for the delay, I could have sworn I'd done this early this morning .....
Carlos The Jackass can ruin our season - De Jong
Nigel De Jong has urged Manchester City to decide Carlos Tevez's fate before the striker's disloyalty and crass self-indulgence undermines their entire season.
City's players are fed up with Tevez's petulant antics - the latest of which saw the striker refuse to come off the bench as a sub in Tuesday's 2-0 Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich.
A three-player delegation went to City boss Roberto Mancini last season, demanding that Tevez be stripped of the captaincy for continually asking to leave and frequently bad-mouthing those at the club.
There is now anger on the same scale among the City squad over Tevez's refusal to play in Munich, with many players finally losing patience with their controversial team-mate.
Dutch midfielder De Jong, a straight-talking character, said the situation involving Tevez must be resolved before it turns into another saga that detracts from what the team is trying to achieve.
"Yes, you always have to address them quickly. You can't continue talking about the same things for weeks and weeks," said De Jong.
"Everyone knows what's happening at Manchester City, because it's Manchester City - especially when things like this happen - but we've just got to keep ourselves focused, keep the concentration in the group as well and with the staff.
"Everyone is proud of this Manchester City. I didn't see the whole situation [involving Tevez in Munich] and can't have a good judgement about it.
"It is what it is at the moment. There are a lot of emotions going on, there is a lot of pressure on the players and staff and these things sometimes happen.
"There are always some bust-ups and things like that in dressing-rooms. That happens at big teams. Every big team has it.
"It's not only us. Barcelona. Real Madrid. You have things happening behind the scenes. We just have to see what happens in the coming days."
Tevez's close friend and compatriot Pablo Zabaleta, who sat next to him on the bench in Munich and witnessed first-hand the striker's extraordinary conduct, painted a picture of a troubled soul.
Zabaleta contradicated Tevez's statement, released on Wednesday morning, in which the striker insisted he had not refused to play and that there had merely been a misunderstanding between himself and Mancini.
"Carlos just didn't want to play," said Zabaleta, who, despite his friendship with Tevez, said players had a duty to respect Mancini's decisions as their manager, even if they did not agree with them.
"All players have different characters and sometimes the decision is going to be very difficult for everybody because we have too many players and we need to accept that sometimes we are on the bench.
"I know Carlos. Everybody always wants to play, and maybe it's a difficult moment for him, but we need to be calm sometimes.
"We need to try to help Carlos. He has been a really important player for us in the last two years - maybe this season he has had more games on the bench.
"Sometimes that is difficult, and more so for strikers, who need to play, need to score, need to feel confidence.
"I was on the bench, but sometimes I was talking to somebody or watching the game, and you don't know everything. I don't know what happened."
The third member of City's Argentine contingent, striker Sergio Aguero, claimed not to know what had prompted Tevez's remarkable act of defiance but hinted, like Zabaleta, at a player in turmoil.
"Carlos is a great player, but obviously I am not inside his mind, to know his thoughts and opinions," said Aguero. "I am not in his head, but I think everything is OK.
"Carlos is not playing so much, but there are also other players who are not playing so often. They [Mancini and Tevez] are two grown men and maybe they will sort it out.
"That [refusing to play] is a decision each player makes. It was not to do with me - I was on the pitch playing.
"The decision is up to each player. It's Roberto who is in charge, he puts through his opinions and ideas and makes his decisions, and we just have to go with it."
De Rossi set to ***snub*** Manchester City for new Roma deal
Roberto Mancini has been dealt another blow from Europe, after Roma confirmed they’re confident Manchester City target Daniele De Rossi will sign a new contract with the club.
The Italian giants are deep in negotiations with the combative midfielder, and sporting director Walter Sabatini revealed he’s optimistic De Rossi will extend his current deal beyond its 2012 expiry date.
The 28-year-old was a prime target for Mancini over the summer, and the City boss admitted he would love to land the World Cup winner, sparking suggestion he would renew his interest in January.
But now it appears De Rossi is just days away from penning new terms on his Roma deal, said to be worth a whopping £4.7million-a-year.
‘De Rossi would be absolutely perfect (for Manchester City),’ said Mancini during the recent transfer window.
‘I rate him one of the best midfielders in the world.’
The former Inter Milan manager revealed he signed free agent Owen Hargreaves as an alternative to De Rossi in order to conform to Uefa’s financial fair play regulations.
FANS REACTION TO TEVEZ BOLLOX
[youtube]HJFCLj2FZuI[/youtube]
Man City's Carlos Tevez should be banned if he refused to play - Fifa boss
Carlos Tevez should be banned from football if it is proven that the Manchester City striker refused to play against Bayern Munich on Tuesday, says Fifa vice-president Jim Boyce.
"I think what happened was despicable," said Boyce, a former president of the Irish Football Association.
"I believe Fifa should have the power to ban the player from taking an active part in football."
City have suspended the Argentine for two weeks pending an investigation.
City boss Roberto Mancini said he felt Tevez could never play for the club again after claiming the Argentine had refused to come on as a substitute in the Champions League group match.
But the player, who has been unhappy with his lack of playing time in recent weeks, feels his row with Mancini was about warming up and not a refusal to play.
Boyce, who was speaking in a personal capacity, told Sky Sports: "If he has done what has been said, then I think his club would be better off without him."
"If Manchester City prove it, write to Fifa and state the exact circumstances that happened, I would have no problem with that whatsoever.
"If this player did what he has been accused of doing, then if Manchester City were to release him I don't think it would be right if he could go and earn a considerable amount of money somewhere else next week.
"I would have no problems if some sanctions were imposed by Fifa in that respect.
"People within the clubs and within the top level of Fifa have to consider that if Carlos Tevez does it, who's to stop someone else doing it the next week or the week after?"
[spoiler]
[/spoiler]
OTHER BOLLOX
Chelsea look set to beat Arsenal and Tottenham to the signature of Bolton and England defender Gary Cahill in the January transfer window. Metro
QPR co-owner Amit Bhatia has confirmed the club are interested in making former England midfielder David Beckham Loftus Road's next big signing in November.
Full story: Daily Mail
Manchester United and Arsenal summer transfer target, winger Michel Bastos, has signed a new contract with Ligue 1 side Lyon. talkSHIT
Free agent El Hadji Diouf is set to snub Premier League side Wigan to join billionaire-backed Russians Anzhi Machachkala. Daily Mirror
Liverpool and Serie A club Juventus look set to go head-to-head to sign Lyon and France defender Aly Cissokho. talkSPORT
Arsenal are keeping an eye on CSKA Moscow striker Wagner Love with a view to making a move for the Brazilian as soon as January. Footylatest.com
Lazio have identified QPR's Moroccan midfielder Adel Taarabt as their top January transfer target. Footy-online
Tottenham will have to battle it out with AC Milan and Rubin Kazan if they want to continue in their pursuit of Sevilla striker Alvaro Negredo . talkSHIT
Tottenham have been linked with a move for Udinese goalkeeper Zeljko Brkic, who is currently on loan at fellow Serie A side Siena. Footylatest.com
Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas could swoop for Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira. Inside Futbol
Liverpool are looking to make an offer for former Arsenal defensive midfielder Havard Nordtveit who currently plays for German Bundesliga outfit Borussia Monchengladbach. Footylatest.com
Blackburn Rovers face competition from Villarreal for £3m Celta Vigo left-back Roberto Lago. the Sun
Celtic striker Gary Hooper believes he can play for England and wants manager Fabio Capello to go to Scotland to see him play. the Sun
Liverpool midfielder Dirk Kuyt has warned Liverpool's rivals for a top-four finish that they will be even better once striker Luis Suarez truly settles into English football. Daily Mirror
Former Fulham striker Stefano Okaka is eyeing a return back to the Premier League. talkSHIT
London mayor Boris Johnson has urged Tottenham to build a new stadium in their traditional home in north London. Daily Mail
Norwegian midfielder Jone Samuelsen has become an internet hit after he scored a 60-yard headed goal in Odd Grenland's win over Tromso IL. Metro
B*ll*x update later on ....
Carlos The Jackass can ruin our season - De Jong
Nigel De Jong has urged Manchester City to decide Carlos Tevez's fate before the striker's disloyalty and crass self-indulgence undermines their entire season.
City's players are fed up with Tevez's petulant antics - the latest of which saw the striker refuse to come off the bench as a sub in Tuesday's 2-0 Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich.
A three-player delegation went to City boss Roberto Mancini last season, demanding that Tevez be stripped of the captaincy for continually asking to leave and frequently bad-mouthing those at the club.
There is now anger on the same scale among the City squad over Tevez's refusal to play in Munich, with many players finally losing patience with their controversial team-mate.
Dutch midfielder De Jong, a straight-talking character, said the situation involving Tevez must be resolved before it turns into another saga that detracts from what the team is trying to achieve.
"Yes, you always have to address them quickly. You can't continue talking about the same things for weeks and weeks," said De Jong.
"Everyone knows what's happening at Manchester City, because it's Manchester City - especially when things like this happen - but we've just got to keep ourselves focused, keep the concentration in the group as well and with the staff.
"Everyone is proud of this Manchester City. I didn't see the whole situation [involving Tevez in Munich] and can't have a good judgement about it.
"It is what it is at the moment. There are a lot of emotions going on, there is a lot of pressure on the players and staff and these things sometimes happen.
"There are always some bust-ups and things like that in dressing-rooms. That happens at big teams. Every big team has it.
"It's not only us. Barcelona. Real Madrid. You have things happening behind the scenes. We just have to see what happens in the coming days."
Tevez's close friend and compatriot Pablo Zabaleta, who sat next to him on the bench in Munich and witnessed first-hand the striker's extraordinary conduct, painted a picture of a troubled soul.
Zabaleta contradicated Tevez's statement, released on Wednesday morning, in which the striker insisted he had not refused to play and that there had merely been a misunderstanding between himself and Mancini.
"Carlos just didn't want to play," said Zabaleta, who, despite his friendship with Tevez, said players had a duty to respect Mancini's decisions as their manager, even if they did not agree with them.
"All players have different characters and sometimes the decision is going to be very difficult for everybody because we have too many players and we need to accept that sometimes we are on the bench.
"I know Carlos. Everybody always wants to play, and maybe it's a difficult moment for him, but we need to be calm sometimes.
"We need to try to help Carlos. He has been a really important player for us in the last two years - maybe this season he has had more games on the bench.
"Sometimes that is difficult, and more so for strikers, who need to play, need to score, need to feel confidence.
"I was on the bench, but sometimes I was talking to somebody or watching the game, and you don't know everything. I don't know what happened."
The third member of City's Argentine contingent, striker Sergio Aguero, claimed not to know what had prompted Tevez's remarkable act of defiance but hinted, like Zabaleta, at a player in turmoil.
"Carlos is a great player, but obviously I am not inside his mind, to know his thoughts and opinions," said Aguero. "I am not in his head, but I think everything is OK.
"Carlos is not playing so much, but there are also other players who are not playing so often. They [Mancini and Tevez] are two grown men and maybe they will sort it out.
"That [refusing to play] is a decision each player makes. It was not to do with me - I was on the pitch playing.
"The decision is up to each player. It's Roberto who is in charge, he puts through his opinions and ideas and makes his decisions, and we just have to go with it."
De Rossi set to ***snub*** Manchester City for new Roma deal
Roberto Mancini has been dealt another blow from Europe, after Roma confirmed they’re confident Manchester City target Daniele De Rossi will sign a new contract with the club.
The Italian giants are deep in negotiations with the combative midfielder, and sporting director Walter Sabatini revealed he’s optimistic De Rossi will extend his current deal beyond its 2012 expiry date.
The 28-year-old was a prime target for Mancini over the summer, and the City boss admitted he would love to land the World Cup winner, sparking suggestion he would renew his interest in January.
But now it appears De Rossi is just days away from penning new terms on his Roma deal, said to be worth a whopping £4.7million-a-year.
‘De Rossi would be absolutely perfect (for Manchester City),’ said Mancini during the recent transfer window.
‘I rate him one of the best midfielders in the world.’
The former Inter Milan manager revealed he signed free agent Owen Hargreaves as an alternative to De Rossi in order to conform to Uefa’s financial fair play regulations.
FANS REACTION TO TEVEZ BOLLOX
[youtube]HJFCLj2FZuI[/youtube]
Man City's Carlos Tevez should be banned if he refused to play - Fifa boss
Carlos Tevez should be banned from football if it is proven that the Manchester City striker refused to play against Bayern Munich on Tuesday, says Fifa vice-president Jim Boyce.
"I think what happened was despicable," said Boyce, a former president of the Irish Football Association.
"I believe Fifa should have the power to ban the player from taking an active part in football."
City have suspended the Argentine for two weeks pending an investigation.
City boss Roberto Mancini said he felt Tevez could never play for the club again after claiming the Argentine had refused to come on as a substitute in the Champions League group match.
But the player, who has been unhappy with his lack of playing time in recent weeks, feels his row with Mancini was about warming up and not a refusal to play.
Boyce, who was speaking in a personal capacity, told Sky Sports: "If he has done what has been said, then I think his club would be better off without him."
"If Manchester City prove it, write to Fifa and state the exact circumstances that happened, I would have no problem with that whatsoever.
"If this player did what he has been accused of doing, then if Manchester City were to release him I don't think it would be right if he could go and earn a considerable amount of money somewhere else next week.
"I would have no problems if some sanctions were imposed by Fifa in that respect.
"People within the clubs and within the top level of Fifa have to consider that if Carlos Tevez does it, who's to stop someone else doing it the next week or the week after?"
[spoiler]
[/spoiler]OTHER BOLLOX
Chelsea look set to beat Arsenal and Tottenham to the signature of Bolton and England defender Gary Cahill in the January transfer window. Metro
QPR co-owner Amit Bhatia has confirmed the club are interested in making former England midfielder David Beckham Loftus Road's next big signing in November.
Full story: Daily Mail
Manchester United and Arsenal summer transfer target, winger Michel Bastos, has signed a new contract with Ligue 1 side Lyon. talkSHIT
Free agent El Hadji Diouf is set to snub Premier League side Wigan to join billionaire-backed Russians Anzhi Machachkala. Daily Mirror
Liverpool and Serie A club Juventus look set to go head-to-head to sign Lyon and France defender Aly Cissokho. talkSPORT
Arsenal are keeping an eye on CSKA Moscow striker Wagner Love with a view to making a move for the Brazilian as soon as January. Footylatest.com
Lazio have identified QPR's Moroccan midfielder Adel Taarabt as their top January transfer target. Footy-online
Tottenham will have to battle it out with AC Milan and Rubin Kazan if they want to continue in their pursuit of Sevilla striker Alvaro Negredo . talkSHIT
Tottenham have been linked with a move for Udinese goalkeeper Zeljko Brkic, who is currently on loan at fellow Serie A side Siena. Footylatest.com
Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas could swoop for Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira. Inside Futbol
Liverpool are looking to make an offer for former Arsenal defensive midfielder Havard Nordtveit who currently plays for German Bundesliga outfit Borussia Monchengladbach. Footylatest.com
Blackburn Rovers face competition from Villarreal for £3m Celta Vigo left-back Roberto Lago. the Sun
Celtic striker Gary Hooper believes he can play for England and wants manager Fabio Capello to go to Scotland to see him play. the Sun
Liverpool midfielder Dirk Kuyt has warned Liverpool's rivals for a top-four finish that they will be even better once striker Luis Suarez truly settles into English football. Daily Mirror
Former Fulham striker Stefano Okaka is eyeing a return back to the Premier League. talkSHIT
London mayor Boris Johnson has urged Tottenham to build a new stadium in their traditional home in north London. Daily Mail
Norwegian midfielder Jone Samuelsen has become an internet hit after he scored a 60-yard headed goal in Odd Grenland's win over Tromso IL. Metro
B*ll*x update later on ....