Sunday's B*ll*x
Posted: Sun Oct 09, 2011 10:45 amRoberto Mancini backs 'good men' of Manchester City
Roberto Mancini insists that his squad of ‘good men’ will bring sustained success to Manchester City.
Mancini’s patience has been sorely tested by the controversy surrounding Carlos Tevez over the last couple of weeks.
The manager has not been allowed to comment publicly on Tevez during the club’s internal investigations into the striker’s alleged behaviour.
But Mancini is convinced that his squad has the talent and mental strength to ensure it does not become a distraction.
City’s thumping 4-0 win at Blackburn before the international break kept them level on points with neighbours United at the top of the Premier League.
Mancini wants the Blues to maintain their great league start when unbeaten Aston Villa – and Shay Given – come to the Etihad Stadium next Saturday.
And he is convinced that, whatever City’s fate in the league this season, he has the players to keep the trophies coming after last season’s FA Cup triumph.
”When you build a new team, it is important to have good players, and also to have good men," the manager said.
"With these good men, you can build a strong team for the future.
“This is very important. And when you have good men, you can still lose sometimes, but in the end you will reach your target. I have them here. I am sure of this.”
Tevez back at Manchester City... for the time being at least
Carlos Tevez returns to Manchester on Wednesday after suspension to be told of the outcome of the investigation into his alleged refusal to go on as a City substitute against Bayern Munich last month.
He will be have to maintain his fitness, but is unlikely to be welcomed back into the first team.
Kompany relishing challenge
City skipper sets sights on title this term
Vincent Kompany believes the emergence of Manchester City to challenge the established order in the Premier League can only be good for the game.
City are regarded as genuine title contenders this term having finished third behind champions Manchester United and only below Chelsea in second on goal difference.
Roberto Mancini's men also lifted the FA Cup last summer and have started the new campaign in fine form, to sit level on points with their fierce local rivals at the top of the table.
The vast sums invested in the club by owner Sheikh Mansour have caused consternation among supporters of many rival clubs, who feel City are attempting to buy their way to success.
But uncompromising defender Kompany is unconcerned by the sniping of their rivals, and feels the recent rise of City and the strides made by Tottenham makes the English top-flight a more entertaining competition.
Kompany said: "I think Tottenham and ourselves doing well in the past few years has been great. Had it just been the same four sides challenging each season, it would have damaged the game here.
"Now there are maybe six teams capable of winning the title and that can only be great for English football.
"We finished equal-second last season so there is only one spot to go for this year - and that's to win the title.
"It's a big challenge - but why not? There is pressure and expectation on us but that's what we want.
"I don't see what we achieved last season as anything other than the beginning. The club has changed on and off the pitch since the new owners arrived.
"But our fans deserve success as much as other great clubs. There should be no credit taken away from the players - it doesn't matter what other people think about us."
He's a young talented prospect from the continent with a venomous shot and skill in abundance, he's attracting the interest of several clubs from around the globe... so Manchester City are probably going to buy him.
Numerous sources are reporting interest from Manchester City in PSV Eindhoven starlet Zakaria Bakkali. Bakkali is described by all as “small and skillful” and now has the moniker of the “best young player in the World” thrust upon him. No pressure then for the 15-year-old. So how good is he really? The line between being the next Pele and the next Freddy Adu is finer than you’d think.
Bakkali was born in Morocco but like so many that have gone before him grew up in Europe and has chosen to play his international football at youth level for Belgium. He first came to the attention of English clubs in August of this year playing for PSV Eindhoven in the Nike Cup, hosted by Manchester United. PSV failed to make it out of their group but Bakkali was voted the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
The young Belgian was spotted three years ago while a part of the youth setup at Standard Liege and PSV moved quickly to bring him to the club. Manchester City’s recruitment could be just as swift with a move apparently not far off. PSV have stated they are keen to keep the player and when you consider the potential he offers it’s easy to understand why.
The small and skillful description is at least half right. In truth he matches up physically with those playing in his age group quite well, he had no problem looking Bobby Charlton in the eye when presented with the Nike Cup’s Most Valuable Player award. Playing as a number-9 Bakkali does however have a level of skill that makes him stand out from the crowd.
Bakkali possesses a venomous shot and can be seen in various PSV C1 videos beating goalkeepers from distance. The threat he offers outside the box forces defenders to close him down when he receives the ball. Watching Bakkali play you can see he relishes that pressure, often beating players with his close control and turn of pace, exploiting the space they leave behind.
There are areas for development but that is only natural for one so young. The movement off the ball and ability to bring those around him into play is there but still needs honing to make him a truly great player. The youth setup at PSV has been developed to do exactly that and Dutch football is often hailed as a great hotbed for exciting young talent.
Whether the talented young Belgian can handle the added pressure that a publicised move to Manchester City would bring remains to be seen. It is simply too early to tell if the mental strength required to succeed at the highest level is there. The natural talent most certainly is though.
If expectation can be tempered – something we seem to have little understanding of in this country – and Bakkali is given time to develop then the Etihad Stadium club could be on the verge of signing one of the Premier League’s brightest future stars.
MANCHESTER CITY'S SAMIR NASRI TO DRIVE £30M ROBIN VAN PERSIE DEAL
MANCHESTER CITY are hoping the thought of teaming up again with Samir Nasri will clinch a £30million move for striker Robin van Persie. The unsettled Dutch star was devastated when Nasri departed for City and would consider joining the Gunners’ exodus to The Etihad.
Gael Clichy and Kolo Toure are already firm City favourites and Nasri has enjoyed a superb start to life at his new club.
Van Persie, 28, who has put his Hertfordshire home on the market for £1.9m, would love to stay in the Premier League.
And that has alerted both City and neighbours Manchester United into plotting a January raid.
The striker – whose Arsenal contract has 18 months to run – is frustrated at the decline of the Gunners, whose boss Arsene Wenger has already thrown in the title towel with the new season just seven games old.
And he admits City are now well ahead of Arsenal in the annual battle for honours at home and abroad.
Van Persie said: “When I came to Arsenal we immediately beat Manchester City but in recent years much has happened in England.
“I don’t know what I will do but I think the Premier League is still the best in the world.
“It gives me everything.”
Adebayor given deal warning
Emmanuel Adebayor has been told he must take a big drop in wages if he wants to complete a permanent move to Tottenham.
Adebayor has made a scintillating start to his career at White Hart Lane since arriving on a season-long loan from Manchester City at the end of August.
Spurs boss Harry Redknapp has made no secret of his desire to sign the Togo international on a permanent basis but he warned that he must revise his pay demands in order for such a move to take place.
Manchester City are currently subsiding Adebayor's wages, reputed to be in the region of £170,000 a week, and the former Arsenal striker has already been told that he has no future at the Etihad Stadium by City manager Roberto Mancini.
Redknapp told the Sunday Mirror: "If Emmanuel maintains his current form I would love to keep him. But his wages are going to be a major stumbling block, that's for sure.
"I have no idea how much we're paying towards his wages at the moment as the chairman deals with those issues but I suspect they are massively subsidised by City.
"The only way we can realistically get a deal done is if Emmanuel is prepared to take a substantial pay cut and put his football before money."
Luli Fernandez
[spoiler]
[/spoiler]
OTHER BOLLOX
Arsenal and Liverpool are going head-to-head in a battle to sign Chelsea's Salomon Kalou in a cut-price deal when the January transfer window opens. Sunday Mirror
Chelsea will attempt to lure Tottenham pair Gareth Bale and Luka Modric in a £60m raid. Caughtoffside
David Beckham looks set to snub Spurs and QPR after Paris Saint-Germain officials let it slip that they are close to agreeing a deal with the former England captain. Metro
Paris St Germain are also at the centre of a tug-of-war with Spanish side Valencia for Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov. Sunday Express
Liverpool are interested in Celtic youngster Ki Sung-Yeung, who is said to be keen to leave Parkhead after the club's poor start to the campaign. Caughtoffside
Andrew Johnson has been told he can leave Fulham for about £2m if he fails to agree a new two-year deal at Craven Cottage. Sunday Mirror
Manchester United and Chelsea are paying close attention to Danish prodigy Nicolai Boilesen, who currently plays for Ajax. Footy Bunker
Arsenal could be ready to provide Per Mertesacker with a new centre-back partner, Schalke's Benedikt Höwedes. Footy Bunker
And the Gunners are also in the hunt for Valencia's exciting winger Pablo Hernandez. Inside Futbol
Wayne Rooney may be spared the worst over his latest England red card, according to the referee who sent him off in the 2-2 draw against Montenegro. Germany's Wolfgang Stark said: "Maybe it will help Rooney the way he acted by accepting my decision without any fuss." Mail on Sunday
Arsene Wenger will nominate his successor when he decides to quit as Arsenal manager. Sunday Mirror
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce is set to be the first Premier League manager sacked this season. Martin O'Neill is already believed to have been approached to take over at the Stadium of LIght. Sunday Express
Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck says the Blues are drawing up a blueprint to meet the strict Uefa rules on spending through cutting their dependence on owner Roman Abramovich. Mail on Sunday
Arsenal starlet Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has revealed he's about to move into his own house for the first time - but hopes his mum will keep doing his washing for him. Metro
more bollox later ..
Roberto Mancini insists that his squad of ‘good men’ will bring sustained success to Manchester City.
Mancini’s patience has been sorely tested by the controversy surrounding Carlos Tevez over the last couple of weeks.
The manager has not been allowed to comment publicly on Tevez during the club’s internal investigations into the striker’s alleged behaviour.
But Mancini is convinced that his squad has the talent and mental strength to ensure it does not become a distraction.
City’s thumping 4-0 win at Blackburn before the international break kept them level on points with neighbours United at the top of the Premier League.
Mancini wants the Blues to maintain their great league start when unbeaten Aston Villa – and Shay Given – come to the Etihad Stadium next Saturday.
And he is convinced that, whatever City’s fate in the league this season, he has the players to keep the trophies coming after last season’s FA Cup triumph.
”When you build a new team, it is important to have good players, and also to have good men," the manager said.
"With these good men, you can build a strong team for the future.
“This is very important. And when you have good men, you can still lose sometimes, but in the end you will reach your target. I have them here. I am sure of this.”
Tevez back at Manchester City... for the time being at least
Carlos Tevez returns to Manchester on Wednesday after suspension to be told of the outcome of the investigation into his alleged refusal to go on as a City substitute against Bayern Munich last month.
He will be have to maintain his fitness, but is unlikely to be welcomed back into the first team.
Kompany relishing challenge
City skipper sets sights on title this term
Vincent Kompany believes the emergence of Manchester City to challenge the established order in the Premier League can only be good for the game.
City are regarded as genuine title contenders this term having finished third behind champions Manchester United and only below Chelsea in second on goal difference.
Roberto Mancini's men also lifted the FA Cup last summer and have started the new campaign in fine form, to sit level on points with their fierce local rivals at the top of the table.
The vast sums invested in the club by owner Sheikh Mansour have caused consternation among supporters of many rival clubs, who feel City are attempting to buy their way to success.
But uncompromising defender Kompany is unconcerned by the sniping of their rivals, and feels the recent rise of City and the strides made by Tottenham makes the English top-flight a more entertaining competition.
Kompany said: "I think Tottenham and ourselves doing well in the past few years has been great. Had it just been the same four sides challenging each season, it would have damaged the game here.
"Now there are maybe six teams capable of winning the title and that can only be great for English football.
"We finished equal-second last season so there is only one spot to go for this year - and that's to win the title.
"It's a big challenge - but why not? There is pressure and expectation on us but that's what we want.
"I don't see what we achieved last season as anything other than the beginning. The club has changed on and off the pitch since the new owners arrived.
"But our fans deserve success as much as other great clubs. There should be no credit taken away from the players - it doesn't matter what other people think about us."
He's a young talented prospect from the continent with a venomous shot and skill in abundance, he's attracting the interest of several clubs from around the globe... so Manchester City are probably going to buy him.
Numerous sources are reporting interest from Manchester City in PSV Eindhoven starlet Zakaria Bakkali. Bakkali is described by all as “small and skillful” and now has the moniker of the “best young player in the World” thrust upon him. No pressure then for the 15-year-old. So how good is he really? The line between being the next Pele and the next Freddy Adu is finer than you’d think.
Bakkali was born in Morocco but like so many that have gone before him grew up in Europe and has chosen to play his international football at youth level for Belgium. He first came to the attention of English clubs in August of this year playing for PSV Eindhoven in the Nike Cup, hosted by Manchester United. PSV failed to make it out of their group but Bakkali was voted the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
The young Belgian was spotted three years ago while a part of the youth setup at Standard Liege and PSV moved quickly to bring him to the club. Manchester City’s recruitment could be just as swift with a move apparently not far off. PSV have stated they are keen to keep the player and when you consider the potential he offers it’s easy to understand why.
The small and skillful description is at least half right. In truth he matches up physically with those playing in his age group quite well, he had no problem looking Bobby Charlton in the eye when presented with the Nike Cup’s Most Valuable Player award. Playing as a number-9 Bakkali does however have a level of skill that makes him stand out from the crowd.
Bakkali possesses a venomous shot and can be seen in various PSV C1 videos beating goalkeepers from distance. The threat he offers outside the box forces defenders to close him down when he receives the ball. Watching Bakkali play you can see he relishes that pressure, often beating players with his close control and turn of pace, exploiting the space they leave behind.
There are areas for development but that is only natural for one so young. The movement off the ball and ability to bring those around him into play is there but still needs honing to make him a truly great player. The youth setup at PSV has been developed to do exactly that and Dutch football is often hailed as a great hotbed for exciting young talent.
Whether the talented young Belgian can handle the added pressure that a publicised move to Manchester City would bring remains to be seen. It is simply too early to tell if the mental strength required to succeed at the highest level is there. The natural talent most certainly is though.
If expectation can be tempered – something we seem to have little understanding of in this country – and Bakkali is given time to develop then the Etihad Stadium club could be on the verge of signing one of the Premier League’s brightest future stars.
MANCHESTER CITY'S SAMIR NASRI TO DRIVE £30M ROBIN VAN PERSIE DEAL
MANCHESTER CITY are hoping the thought of teaming up again with Samir Nasri will clinch a £30million move for striker Robin van Persie. The unsettled Dutch star was devastated when Nasri departed for City and would consider joining the Gunners’ exodus to The Etihad.
Gael Clichy and Kolo Toure are already firm City favourites and Nasri has enjoyed a superb start to life at his new club.
Van Persie, 28, who has put his Hertfordshire home on the market for £1.9m, would love to stay in the Premier League.
And that has alerted both City and neighbours Manchester United into plotting a January raid.
The striker – whose Arsenal contract has 18 months to run – is frustrated at the decline of the Gunners, whose boss Arsene Wenger has already thrown in the title towel with the new season just seven games old.
And he admits City are now well ahead of Arsenal in the annual battle for honours at home and abroad.
Van Persie said: “When I came to Arsenal we immediately beat Manchester City but in recent years much has happened in England.
“I don’t know what I will do but I think the Premier League is still the best in the world.
“It gives me everything.”
Adebayor given deal warning
Emmanuel Adebayor has been told he must take a big drop in wages if he wants to complete a permanent move to Tottenham.
Adebayor has made a scintillating start to his career at White Hart Lane since arriving on a season-long loan from Manchester City at the end of August.
Spurs boss Harry Redknapp has made no secret of his desire to sign the Togo international on a permanent basis but he warned that he must revise his pay demands in order for such a move to take place.
Manchester City are currently subsiding Adebayor's wages, reputed to be in the region of £170,000 a week, and the former Arsenal striker has already been told that he has no future at the Etihad Stadium by City manager Roberto Mancini.
Redknapp told the Sunday Mirror: "If Emmanuel maintains his current form I would love to keep him. But his wages are going to be a major stumbling block, that's for sure.
"I have no idea how much we're paying towards his wages at the moment as the chairman deals with those issues but I suspect they are massively subsidised by City.
"The only way we can realistically get a deal done is if Emmanuel is prepared to take a substantial pay cut and put his football before money."
Luli Fernandez
[spoiler]
[/spoiler]OTHER BOLLOX
Arsenal and Liverpool are going head-to-head in a battle to sign Chelsea's Salomon Kalou in a cut-price deal when the January transfer window opens. Sunday Mirror
Chelsea will attempt to lure Tottenham pair Gareth Bale and Luka Modric in a £60m raid. Caughtoffside
David Beckham looks set to snub Spurs and QPR after Paris Saint-Germain officials let it slip that they are close to agreeing a deal with the former England captain. Metro
Paris St Germain are also at the centre of a tug-of-war with Spanish side Valencia for Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov. Sunday Express
Liverpool are interested in Celtic youngster Ki Sung-Yeung, who is said to be keen to leave Parkhead after the club's poor start to the campaign. Caughtoffside
Andrew Johnson has been told he can leave Fulham for about £2m if he fails to agree a new two-year deal at Craven Cottage. Sunday Mirror
Manchester United and Chelsea are paying close attention to Danish prodigy Nicolai Boilesen, who currently plays for Ajax. Footy Bunker
Arsenal could be ready to provide Per Mertesacker with a new centre-back partner, Schalke's Benedikt Höwedes. Footy Bunker
And the Gunners are also in the hunt for Valencia's exciting winger Pablo Hernandez. Inside Futbol
Wayne Rooney may be spared the worst over his latest England red card, according to the referee who sent him off in the 2-2 draw against Montenegro. Germany's Wolfgang Stark said: "Maybe it will help Rooney the way he acted by accepting my decision without any fuss." Mail on Sunday
Arsene Wenger will nominate his successor when he decides to quit as Arsenal manager. Sunday Mirror
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce is set to be the first Premier League manager sacked this season. Martin O'Neill is already believed to have been approached to take over at the Stadium of LIght. Sunday Express
Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck says the Blues are drawing up a blueprint to meet the strict Uefa rules on spending through cutting their dependence on owner Roman Abramovich. Mail on Sunday
Arsenal starlet Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has revealed he's about to move into his own house for the first time - but hopes his mum will keep doing his washing for him. Metro
more bollox later ..