Kolo Touré tells Manchester City team-mates to keep their cool as Premier League title race hots up
Kolo Touré has warned his Manchester City team-mates they must keep their cool as the title battle with Manchester United intensifies over the final 11 games of the season.
Despite winning their last four league games, Manchester City remain just two points clear of United after Sir Alex Ferguson’s team emerged unbeaten from a testing fixture list including trips to Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham.
With the clubs due to meet in a potential title decider at the Etihad Stadium on April 30, Manchester United winger Ashley Young claimed following the 3-1 win at Spurs on Sunday that “any time City slip up and we can take advantage, we will”.
United’s greater experience of the demands of the title run-in has been highlighted as a major advantage in their favour, and Touré, a central figure in Arsenal’s ‘Invincible’ team who won the 2003-04 championship, says Mancini’s squad must be prepared for the nerves and tension of the closing stages of the campaign.
“Mentally, we just need to focus on our game and play every game like a final.” Touré said. “It’s going to get tougher and tougher because it will get more intense, but we just need to keep our heads cool.
“You definitely feel the pressure from the other teams and you want to deliver as well, but at the same time, you need to keep calm and play as well as you usually do.”
Newcastle conceded a 12-point lead to finish second to United in the 1995-96 campaign, but Ferguson’s team have also proved susceptible to a costly wobble, allowing Arsenal to overturn an 11-point deficit in March – albeit with two games in hand – to win the 1997-98 title.
City have led the table since early October and Touré admits that leading the race can be just as draining as chasing. “It’s always difficult when you’re in front because the other team just put pressure on you,” he said. “But at the same time, it’s great to be two points in front of United because that puts pressure on them as well.
“We are taking every game seriously. When you look at the game against Bolton on Saturday, we never gave them any chances. If we keep going like that, I think we will stay on the top of the league.”
City’s title push could be boosted by Carlos Tévez’s return to contention. The Argentine is due to play for the reserves against Bolton at Hyde on Tuesday night in his first public outing for the club since last September.
Whether Tévez will be in the frame to face former club United next month remains to be seen, but Young, the scorer of two goals in the win at Spurs, insists the champions will continue to assert the pressure on City.
“We’ll keep pegging them back.” Young said. “As Paul Scholes said the other day, we’ll have to win every game, but as long as we keep doing that, we’ll be OK.”
Arsenal and Man City Chase Ghana starlet Abdul-Rahman
Arsenal and Manchester City are competing to secure the services of Asante Kotoko defender Baba Abdul-Rahman .
The 18-year-old player will travel to London as he awaits documentation that enables him for trail with the Gunners.
Manchester City Mancini has sent his scouts to watch the player then they identified the youngster as worthy of a trial.
There has also been interest in the Ghana youth international from Italy, where a conveyor belt of young African talent has been directed in the past few years, but Serie A outfit Parma fell short of his asking price after also showing interest.
Italian Serie A outfit Parma also showed interest in signing the Ghana youth international stopper as they asked the player’s price.
Reserves set to face Tevez
WANDERERS Reserves could share centre stage with Carlos Tevez tonight when they take on Manchester City in the Manchester Senior Cup at Hyde.
City boss Roberto Mancini is considering giving Tevez his first public outing at Ewan Fields as he looks to get the Argentine striker fit for a Premier League return.
Tevez, who returned to Manchester a fortnight ago after a five-month dispute with City, played in a private reserve team game against Preston last week.
City have not confirmed whether the 28-year-old will feature tonight but Mancini is on record as saying he will continue to play him in the second team until he has proved his fitness.
“In these two weeks it is important he plays two or three games with the reserves,” the City boss said at the weekend. “For him it is like pre-season. At this moment he can’t play. Maybe in two weeks he could be ready.”
OTHER BOLLOX
Manchester United winger Nani is close to signing a new contract, which will keep him at the club until 2016. the Times
Borussia Dortmund's 23-year-old defender Mats Hummels has ruled out a possible move to Manchester United this summer. Metro
Belgium defender Jan Vertonghen, 24, who has been linked with Arsenal and Newcastle, says he has no intention of signing a new deal at Ajax and has reiterated his desire to join an English club. Sky Sports
Liverpool are watching Colombian striker Jackson Martinez but face competition from Porto for the 25-year-old, who plays for Mexican side Jaguares Chiapas. talkShite
Aston Villa are eyeing a move for Blackpool keeper Matt Gilks as they prepare to lose unsettled American keeper Brad Guzan, 27, who will be out of contract this summer. Daily Mirror
Chelsea target Jose Mourinho will demand £12m a year and to bring winger Cristiano Ronaldo with him from Real Madrid before returning to Stamford Bridge. Daily Express
Andre Villas-Boas is reported to have left the training ground in tears after his sacking, as the majority of the club's players did not say goodbye to him. Daily Mirror
Rafael Benitez has implied he would be interested in taking over at Stamford Bridge by talking up his relationship with former Liverpool striker Fernando Torres and admitting he harbours ambitions to return to management with a "top club". Metro
Former assistant boss Ray Wilkins says the Chelsea players should not be blamed for Villas-Boas's sacking - claiming they are a "delight to work with". talkShite
Owner Roman Abramovich told the players what he expected of them in a private meeting at the club's training ground only minutes after he had personally sacked Villas-Boas. the Independent
Caretaker manager Roberto di Matteo is struggling to impose himself with the Chelsea players because he is so unpopular in the dressing room. Daily Star
Former Sunderland manager Steve Bruce could be in line for a return to management with Turkish side Besiktas. Daily Mail
Blackburn manager Steve Kean believes goalkeeper Paul Robinson deserves an England recall. The 32-year-old retired from international duty after being ignored by former coach Fabio Capello. Lancashire Telegraph
A South Korean environmental group is appealing to Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-Sung, who wrote in his 2006 autobiography that he used to drink juice made from boiled frogs to build up his physique, to help it protect the amphibians from a surge in consumption. the Guardian
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