Tuesday's B*l**x (updated)
Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2014 8:45 amTHE BOLLOX
Just days to go in the January transfer window, and City rumours remain thin on the ground.
Manuel Pellegrini revealed in his press conference after the Watford game that signing players before the end of this month is not a priority, and today’s round-up doesn’t do anything to contradict him.
However, after raking through this morning’s media with a fine tooth comb, there are a few scraps to keep you going.
Let’s start with the Daily Express, who claim City will go up against three other Premier League clubs to try and secure the signature of Atletico Madrid winger, Arda Turan.
Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool are all said to be interested in luring the Turkish international to England, but City are reportedly ready to make their move come summer.
Writes Ben Jefferson: “Manchester City have joined Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United in the race for Atletico Madrid winger Arda Turan.
“The Turkish international signed a contract extension with the Spanish club earlier this season that saw his release clause increase from £20m to £33m.
“And while that figure has seen clubs reluctant to pursue a move for the 26-year-old, reports in Turkey suggest that City are ready to activate the clause in the summer.”
Probably best to show someone used to the weather of Turkey and Spain round Manchester in the summer, rather than January anyway…
Moving on, and Spurs are said to have joined City in the race for Italian youngster Domenico Berardi.
The striker has been turning heads across Europe with his performances at Sassuolo this season, and the Blues are said to be one of those hoping his eye lands on Manchester – that one's according to Caught Offside.
Reports Ron Carne: “The north London club are understood to be keen to land a new striker in the current winter window after allowing England international Jermaine Defoe to leave White Hart Lane to join Major League Soccer franchise Toronto FC this month.
“However, recently appointed Spurs head coach Tim Sherwood knows that he will face stiff competition from a number of other top-flight outfits in the race to lure the 19-year-old attacking starlet to the capital before the January transfer window slams shut for business for the season once again at the end of the month, with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City all also said to be keen on Berardi.
“The forward really came to light after finding the back of the net on a remarkable four occasions against Serie A giants AC Milan at the start of the year while turning out on loan for minnows Sassuolo, who own 50 per cent of the Italian, with champions Juventus owning the other half.”
Quite the queue for young Domenico, it would seem!
With our final story today, we welcome Liverpool back to the round-up. The Anfield outfit are City’s main challengers to land Benfica’s Andre Gomes – according to a report at website givemesport.com.
The Reds appear to be the keener of the two sides, and with the Portuguese side apparently keen to sell, the Blues might have to get a wriggle on if they’re to derail Brendan Rodgers.
The report reads: “The 20-year-old has been in fine form for the Portuguese side this season and has inspired the interest of Liverpool and Manchester City.
“However, it is Brendan Rodgers who has been more active in the race for his signature and reports in Portugal suggest that the player is much more likely to be playing at Anfield rather than the Etihad in the near future.
“Following interest from the Premier League rivals, Gomes has been pushing for a move away from the club and his agent has now struck a deal with them for his release.
“Keen to sell players to balance the books, Benfica believe a €15m bid will suffice having already sold Nemanja Matic to Chelsea for €25m in this window.”
Not one to get overly excited about, then. And that, literally, is that for today’s gossip. I did warn you it was slim pickings...
Forget burly physique, beard and tattoos... I'm a big softie at heart, says The Beast
Man City's powerful striker eager to pick up silverware in debut season
Alvaro Negredo reveals he admires Manuel Pellegrini for telling him to leave for Sevilla during his time at Real Madrid
Spain hitman kisses tattoos dedicated to family members after each goal
Eager to battle for his place in Vicente del Bosque's World Cup squad
Family man Negredo's father still works as a taxi driver
As one Spaniard was announcing his arrival in Manchester on Monday, another was reflecting on a spectacular start to his career here just a few hundred yards across the fields of Carrington.
Alvaro Negredo cost Manchester City significantly less than the £37million their neighbours have paid for Juan Mata, but it is hard to think of anyone who has had a greater impact on the Barclays Premier League this season than the man they call The Beast.
Negredo, 28, has been a vital cog in City’s goal machine, contributing 23 goals in 33 games to a team now dreaming of the Quadruple. It has earned him cult status with his new supporters and spread fear among opponents.
However, sitting in an office at the club’s training ground, talking eloquently through an interpreter about his achievements this season, his upbringing in the tough Vallecas neighbourhood of Madrid, his devotion to his two-year-old daughter Aitana and, of course, that nickname, there is nothing wild about Negredo. It soon becomes clear the image of the brooding Spaniard with dark beard and tattoos is misleading.
‘I’m just the opposite of a beast,’ he says. ‘I’m totally different. I’m very affectionate as a person and I like to spend time chilling out with my family.
‘If anything, my daughter has maybe taken this image of the beast to heart because she’s the wild one! It came about when I was at Almeria. It was more of dressing-room thing really. None of the fans knew me as that, but it became more public when I got here.
‘At first, I was called The Shark because I had a bit of a Mohican haircut and I used to celebrate goals by clasping my hands above my head.’
These days, each goal is followed by a kiss of the inside of his right wrist and then the left bicep.
Negredo’s wrist is tattooed with the letters CRJ, the initials of his elder brothers Cesar and Ruben and parents, Jose Maria and Juana. Those of his wife Clara and their daughter appear on his bicep.
The striker also has Aitana’s little footprint tattooed on the left foot that has despatched so many goals this season.
It’s clear that family means a great deal to Negredo. The sacrifices his father made working long hours as a taxi driver in Madrid to provide for his three boys have not been forgotten. Preferring to play football with his older brothers and their friends, Alvaro grew up idolising Gabriel Batistuta and Brazil’s Ronaldo. It was there, on the streets of Vallecas, that he learned to take the hard knocks.
‘My brother Cesar was a centre back. I used to really wind him up because I’d be trying all kinds of tricks on him, nutmegs and things like that, and he’d just kick me,’ says Negredo. ‘He’d knock me to the ground and not even offer a hand to help me up.
‘I speak to them every day. They are footballers themselves and are still making a living from football (Cesar at CD Covadonga and Ruben at CF Reus Deportiu). They’ve not had the fortune to get as far as I have but they’re really pleased for me.
‘We think that, secretly, the reason our dad worked so much is because it was bedlam at home with me and my brothers arguing so much. He’s still a taxi driver. I’ve tried to tell him to give it up but it’s impossible to prise him out of his taxi .
‘I know that my parents gave up a lot and throughout my life I’ve been marked by my childhood experiences. I’ve not forgotten where I came from.’
It says much about Negredo’s talent that on the two occasions Real Madrid let him leave, they inserted a buy-back clause into the deal.
On the second occasion, stuck behind Cristiano Ronaldo, Raul, Karim Benzema, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Gonzalo Higuain and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, coach Manuel Pellegrini not surprisingly advised him to accept a move to Sevilla. Negredo admired his honesty.
'My brother Cesar was a centre back. I used to really wind him up because I’d be trying all kinds of tricks on him, nutmegs and things like that, and he’d just kick me'
‘He didn’t make me go through the entire pre-season in the hope that I might be featuring,’ he recalls. ‘He doesn’t hide from talking to you face to face and that’s what a dressing room wants from a manager. He’s one of the reasons I’m here at City. It was never tough for me meeting up again.’
David Moyes made an unsuccessful £9million bid to sign Negredo for Everton last January. West Ham scouts also monitored his progress and there was talk of interest from Hull.
But when Pellegrini and City came knocking with the offer of a four-year deal worth £75,000 a week last summer, Negredo knew the time was right to join former Sevilla team-mate Jesus Navas and the rest of City’s Spanish-speaking contingent.
A deal worth £16.4m plus £4.2m in add-ons was agreed, and it quickly became clear from Negredo’s debut on the club’s tour of Hong Kong that Pellegrini had found a typical English No 9 in Spain. ‘Feed The Beast and he will score,’ has since become a popular twist on an old favourite at City.
Once again, however, the image does him a disservice. Negredo can operate as a traditional target man but he can offer so much more than an aerial threat in terms of his creativity, vision and movement.
'I think there is more to come. As an individual and a team we’re not going to settle for what we’ve achieved so far.'
It’s no surprise that he looks equally comfortable playing alongside Sergio Aguero or the bigger Edin Dzeko. ‘A lot of people maybe make the mistake of thinking I’m just a big strapping centre forward who is going to be barging into defenders and creating trouble physically,’ he says.
‘Yes, there is that side to me, but I think I have an extra plus where I do try to show that little bit of invention. I try to surprise people with a touch or something spectacular in a finish.’
It has helped Pellegrini’s rampant team rack up an astonishing 107 goals this season as they challenge on four fronts. Barcelona and Chelsea might pose substantial obstacles in two of those competitions, but City are through to the Capital One Cup final against Sunderland and lie menacingly in second place in the Premier League table.
Can they win all four? ‘It’s possible simply because we’re still involved in all four competitions,’ Negredo says.
‘To be totally honest it would be tough to imagine both myself and the team would be scoring quite as many goals as we have. But I think there is more to come. As an individual and a team we’re not going to settle for what we’ve achieved so far.’
Tomorrow night, City face a difficult trip to White Hart Lane, where Negredo is expected to come up against Roberto Soldado, one of his rivals for the No 9 shirt in Spain’s World Cup squad. Having missed out in 2010 before picking up a Euro 2012 winner’s medal, Negredo is determined to make it to Brazil.
He says: ‘Soldado and Fernando Torres come to mind as rivals in this country, as well as Michu who has been out injured, but there are lots of players in Spain fighting for it as well. It’s going to be a battle.’
And as everyone knows by now, The Beast loves a battle.
TRAINING GOAL VIDEO http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... gredo.html
City resist Liverpool interest
Manchester City will snub advances from Liverpool in versatile midfielder James Milner, Sports Direct News understands.
The 28-year-old has 18 months remaining on his contract at the Etihad Stadium and the Reds are believed to be keen on an initial loan move with a view to a permanent £10million switch in June.
However, despite Milner’s constant struggle to leapfrog the likes of wideman Jesus Navas, playmaker David Silva and midfield man Samir Nasri in the pecking order, City want to hold onto the player.
Sources also say the England international is happy to remain at the club this season, although talks about his future are sure to commence at the end of the season, when his deal will have only 12 months left to run.
Milner has impressed for the Blues this term and scored the winner in a memorable 3-2 win at Bayern Munich in the Champions League group stage, when his side had trailed 2-0 early on.
His lack of Premier League starts is unlikely to prevent him from going to the World Cup with England this summer, which rules out an urgent need to switch clubs.
City midfielder's quit threat
Manchester City have been handed a major boost by midfielder Yaya Toure’s admission that he could retire from international football after this summer’s World Cup.
The Ivory Coast star missed vital club matches during the African Cup of Nations in 2012 and 2013, and the Blues have been gearing up for another January absence when the tournament takes place next year.
However, the towering 30-year-old has revealed that he is contemplating the prospect of stopping his involvement with the national side, a move which could extend his career at the Etihad Stadium and save the club from dipping into next year’s January transfer market.
Toure said: “I will see what happens at the World Cup. It’s a very difficult decision and I want to do it at the right moment.
“I am thinking about it, but I haven’t decided when it will happen.
“I want to leave with a good name, in a good moment. The generation of players we have has always been regarded as something special, so we all want to give something good to remember.”
Sergio Aguero determined to fire Manchester City to quadruple
Sergio Aguero has warned Manchester City's title rivals that he will do everything he can to fire the club to silverware on all fronts this season.
Aguero, who recently returned from a spell on the sidelines, took his goal tally to 25 in 24 games this term on Saturday when he scored a hat-trick in City's 4-2 FA Cup comeback against Watford and is hoping that his goals will result in trophies.
"The important thing is the goals contribute to the team's victories and we win titles," Aguero told reporters. "I don't have any specific goals to reach but [I want as] many as possible.
"We weren't expecting to score four goals. We knew at half time we needed to improve and in the end we won and we have made it to the next round. We are happy with that."
City travel to White Hart Lane to face Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday unbeaten in their last 10 matches in all competitions and having scored 22 goals in their previous five games.
MANCHESTER CITY have joined Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United in the race for Atletico Madrid winger Arda Turan.
The Turkish international signed a contract extension with the Spanish club earlier this season that saw his release clause increase from £20m to £33m.
And while that figure has seen clubs reluctant to pursue a move for the 26-year-old, reports in Turkey suggest that City are ready to activate the clause in the summer.
That could see Liverpool, in particular, make a play for the former Galatasaray star before the end of the January window.
Manchester United made a play for Turan at the end of the last transfer window, even reportedly agreeing to pay the £20m that would have forced Atletico to let the player leave, only to see complications with paperwork scupper a move.
But despite David Moyes saying he is continuing to work on bringing in new faces at Old Trafford, the Red Devils seem unlikely to splash out again for Turan before the summer.
Arsenal also seem to have moved on from Turan as they focus on other targets such as Schalke's Julian Draxler.
Liverpool, however, remain firmly in the market for an attacking midfielder having seen Chelsea hijack their move for Basel's Mohamed Salah late last week.
And that could see the Reds step up their interest in Turan before the window closes on Friday
U21 REPORT: Manchester United 1-2 Manchester City
City went ahead inside 10 minutes through Greg Leigh’s header but were pegged back shortly after half-time when Jesse Lingard beat Ian Lawlor
Patrick Vieira praised his young City players for handling the ‘pressure’ of a Manchester derby to beat United in the Under-21s Premier League at the AJ Bell Stadium.
City went ahead inside 10 minutes through Greg Leigh’s header but were pegged back shortly after half-time when Jesse Lingard beat Ian Lawlor.
That left George Glendon to score the winner for City and delight Elite Development Squad coach Vieira.“We are delighted, especially to win against United,” he said.
“It was a really difficult game. The pressure was high and the boys wanted to do well so much.
“Sometimes you can get nervous. But they played really well as a team.
“We tried to play from the back. We didn’t play our best football tonight. “We conceded a goal in the second half but we came back and scored the second one.
“We are delighted with the win because in the end I think we deserved it.”
Both United and City had players on the fringes of their first-teams in their squads.
United coaching duo Warren Joyce and Nicky Butt picked Lingard, who was on the bench against Swansea after impressing on loan at Birmingham, and Will Keane, who has returned from his loan spell at Wigan.
Vieira was without Marcos Lopes after he started for the first-team against Watford on Saturday, but was able to call on Emyr Huws, who was in the squad for the FA Cup tie with Blackburn.
City started far better and went ahead after eight minutes when Leigh headed past Sam Johnstone.
Lingard equalised soon after the break when David Petrucci rolled him in and he coolly beat Lawlor.
But United struggled to create many clear chances after pulling level and when Devante Cole, watched by dad Andy, raced past Donald Love on the left flank, he cut the ball back for Glendon to score the winner from close range.
Vieira added: “It was strange because I felt like we conceded a goal when we were playing better.
“I was really pleased with the players because they kept their shape, kept their discipline and we kept playing from our goalkeeper. We showed a strong personality. What was important was for us to keep our concentration.
“It was really important to play our football and I was really pleased because the focus and the determination to win the game was there. This kind of game, with the pressure will help the boys develop. And seeing City beating United is always good!”
MCF.net THREAD: viewtopic.php?f=119&t=47645
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Manchester United and Chelsea may have to wait until the summer to sign Southampton's left-back Luke Shaw, 18, with time now running out in this transfer window. Independent
Southampton boss Mauricio Pochettino is not keen to let youngster Shaw leave St Mary's Stadium - "At this moment we have no interest in selling Luke Shaw, and not in the summer either." Sun
However, Chelsea plan to use the £37.1m they received from Manchester United for Juan Mata to help beat their rivals to the signing of the young full-back this week. London Evening Standard
West Ham have called off a deal to sign Spanish side Osasuna's 24-year-old Italian midfielder Raoul Loe after bringing in AC Milan midfielder Antonio Nocerino, 28, on loan. Daily Star
After the serious injury suffered by striker Radamel Falcao, 27, Monaco are considering bidding for one of either Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez, 25, or Southampton's 28-year-old forward Dani Osvaldo. Daily Express
Napoli are holding further talks to sign Tottenham's France international defensive midfielder Etienne Capoue after an offer was rejected a fortnight ago. Times
Chelsea's 21-year-old goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, on loan at Atletico Madrid in Spain, could be swapped by Blues boss Jose Mourinho for in-form 25-year-old Atletico striker Diego Costa. DSSC
Liverpool defender Daniel Agger, 29, could move to Italy to reunite with former Reds boss Rafael Benitez, if 29-year-old Swiss midfielder Gokhan Inler is keen to move in the opposite direction. Metro
Piotr Parzyszek, 20, is a target for West Ham, with the young striker enjoying a fine season for De Graafschap in the Dutch second division. Daily Express
Chelsea are scouting two Marseille midfielders as possible late January signings - 21-year-old Giannelli Imbula and team-mate Florian Thauvin, also 21. Inside Futbol
QPR boss Harry Redknapp is considering a move for West Ham full-back Jordan Spence, 23, who can also operate in central defence. GetWestLondon
Manchester United boss David Moyes has warned his squad that they are running out of time to be part of the club's future and says: "I'm going to get better players in. There will be more." Times
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger says authorities are not doing enough to help English clubs in Europe and has attacked a schedule which sees his team face four big matches in 12 days, including a Champions League encounter with Bayern Munich. Daily Mirror
Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard, 23, aims to reach the superstar levels of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi - "I can compete with Messi and Ronaldo in the near future, if I put in some more effort," he says. Guardian
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers will leave it to the last minute to assess whether Wales midfielder Joe Allen, 23, is fit enough to face Everton on Tuesday. Daily Mirror
Crystal Palace manager Tony Pulis has denied rumours he will leave the club after becoming frustrated with the Eagles' inability to attract players during January. Daily Star
Stoke boss Mark Hughes is looking forward to working with Cardiff's Peter Odemwingie, who is expected to move to the Britannia Stadium in a swap deal with Kenwyne Jones. "He's got a little pace which we need to add to our squad and he can play both wide and through the middle," Hughes says. Sentinel
England's World Cup referee Howard Webb, who did not take charge of a match in the FA Cup last weekend has again been overlooked in the midweek programme and will only be the fourth official in Manchester United's match against Cardiff. Sun
Juventus would seek to recruit Southampton's 28 year-old Argentinian striker Dani Osvaldo to replace Mirko Vucinic, if the 30 year-old Montenegro international moves to Inter Milan. Tuttosport
Italian side Lazio are keen to sign West Brom's 34 year-old former France international striker Nicolas Anelka, who spent a short loan period at Juventus last year. L'Equipe
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger could seek to enlist Lyon's France international attacking midfielder Yoann Gourcuff, 27, before the end of the winter transfer window. L'Equipe
Is the Manchester United number seven shirt now regarded as a poisoned chalice? After Antonio Valencia and Michael Owen failed to impress wearing it, new signing Juan Mata opted to wear number eight rather than the iconic shirt, worn by the likes of George Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo. Independent
GOLDEN BOLLOX 28-1-2009
Garry Cook's Manchester City future in doubt after failed boast
Chief executive guaranteed Carling Cup victory over United
Manchester City's owners in Abu Dhabi are starting to give serious consideration to the position of the chief executive, Garry Cook, at the end of the season after becoming increasingly perturbed about his leadership style and the frequency with which he has attracted bad publicity.
Cook has developed a reputation as one of the game's more derided figures after a series of personal embarrassments in which his fondness for speaking his mind has come back to haunt him. The latest came in the build-up to the second leg of the Carling Cup semi-final against Manchester United when he was filmed telling supporters in New York's Mad Hatter Saloon that City would get to Wembley "not if, but when, we beat United again".
Cook also proclaimed that City were on course to supersede United, Real Madrid and Barcelona as the "biggest and best club in the world". He later claimed that he thought it was a closed event, despite the presence of television cameras as he took the microphone. Sir Alex Ferguson is understood to have cited Cook's remarks to his players ahead of Wednesday's 3-1 win which took United into the final with a 4-3 aggregate victory.
The sense at Old Trafford is that Cook committed one of the oldest mistakes in the book and, after the match, the midfielder Darren Fletcher pointedly referred to United "doing their talking on the pitch". However, the concerns about Cook go back much further and are more elaborate than just his habit of talking himself into trouble. City have had a mixed record in the transfer market, overpaying for several players and missing out on several key targets, most notably the attempt to smash the world transfer record by persuading Kaká to sign for the club from Milan for £91m in January 2009. In one of Cook's more infamous outbursts, the former Nike marketing executive accused Milan of "bottling it".
More recently, Cook came under scrutiny when City sacked their manager, Mark Hughes, and it subsequently emerged that his successor, Roberto Mancini, had been approached three weeks earlier. Cook tried to pass off meeting the former Internazionale coach as "general football talks" but the episode reflected badly on the club when the Abu Dhabi United Group has been trying to project an image of being different and more noble than other football club owners. Cook later revealed that he had actually started to identify possible replacements for Hughes as long ago as last summer, despite having repeatedly insisted that the club would be patient with their manager.
The sacking demonstrated the ruthlessness of the club's owner, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, and the chairman, Khaldoon al-Mubarak, during a period of significant change at every level of the club. Cook was paid £1.5m last year and has admitted being brought to tears during parts of a 20-month tenure in which, in effect, he ousted Alistair Mackintosh from the job.
Cook was appointed by the previous owner, Thaksin Shinawatra, the deposed prime minister of Thailand who had been charged with corruption offences in his home country. In Cook's first major interview, he defended Thaksin's reputation, saying: "Is he a nice guy? Yes. Is he a great guy to play golf with? Yes. Has he got the finances to run a club? Yes. Whether he's guilty of something over there, I can't worry too much about. Morally, I feel comfortable in this environment."
He subsequently admitted after Thaksin's conviction that he felt "dreadful" about making those comments. "I have made some mistakes in my life," Cook said, "but I deeply regretted my failure to do proper research on Thaksin."
That particular episode was not under ADUG's watch, but Cook's propensity for saying the wrong thing has started to jar with his employers and also affect the way the supporters consider him. His public gaffes include welcoming former striker Uwe Rösler to the "Manchester United Hall of Fame" at a supporters' event, a mistake that led to him being booed. Cook later wrote an apology for the mistake.
Cook also vehemently denied reports that Robinho would leave the club in January but was proved wrong yesterday.
MCF THREAD: viewtopic.php?f=119&t=29965
GORDON Strachan's hopes of hanging on to Adam Johnson were fading last night after Middlesbrough’s prize asset asked to be allowed to speak to Manchester City.
Roberto Mancini leads the chasing pack for Johnson but may have to table a £9million bid for him before Monday’s
transfer deadline.
Winger Johnson scored twice in Boro’s Tuesday’s 4-1 win at Doncaster and is a target for Chelsea and Sunderland as well. Former England Under-21 international Johnson’s contract runs out this summer and although his suitors have each made a £5m offer for him – and finances at the Riverside are tight – that is not enough to tempt Boro to sell.
Gordon Strachan would let Johnson go for £9m but has told chairman Steve Gibson that any hopes of making an immediate return to the Premier League this season would be dashed without his top scorer.
However, any money coming in would fund a move for £4m-rated Celtic striker Scott McDonald. Strachan said: “There is no club who can turn down the right money for a player. But the perfect scenario would be if he stays.”
Sunderland make £1.5m move for Manchester City striker Benjani
Sunderland have made a cut-price move for Manchester City striker Benjani.
The Zimbabwe centre forward is due to hold talks today over a £1.5million move after looking poised to join West Ham earlier this week.
The 31-year-old was also wanted by Blackburn, Galatasaray and Birmingham.
Manchester City set to pay £70,000 a week for Robinho to play for someone else
Robinho celebrates scoring for Manchester City, but now he is likely to go back to Brazil on loan
Santos have asked Manchester City to pay about half of Robinho’s wages as they prepare to make him the highest-earning player in Brazil.
Fresh details of the complex deal emerged last night that reveal the strength of the forward’s desire to return to his former team, the lengths that the Brazilian club are going to to secure the signing and the scale of City’s financial muscle.
The forward is ready to take a pay cut of about £45,000 a week from the £150,000 that he secured when he became the most expensive player in this country after moving from Real Madrid 18 months ago. Santos are in talks with sponsors to help to fund about £35,000 of the remaining wage — three times more than their present top earner — with City expected to pick up the balance, about £70,000.
There will probably also be a loan fee payable from Santos to City.
Odilio Rodrigues Filho, the Santos vice-president, is set to arrive in Manchester today to put the final touches to the deal, including its length, which could be completed in the next 24 hours. He will join two Santos marketing directors, Armênio Neto and Eduardo Musa, who have held talks with their counterparts to thrash out contractual issues such as image rights.
Robinho, 26, has made it clear that he wants to move to boost his standing in Brazil before the World Cup finals. He has scored only four goals since the end of 2008.
“It is 90 per cent certain,” Robinho said. “I am bursting to get back to Santos. [The move] is well under way. The clubs are talking about the duration of my loan. Santos would like it to be for a year, but City will only allow me to leave for six months.”
City maintain that their record signing, who cost £34.2 million in September 2008, will not be moving permanently. They received an informal inquiry from Benfica. Santos’ problem is simply to find the money to re-sign the player, who spent three years at the club before he joined Real in 2005.
They have been in talks with local sponsors to raise more than 20 per cent of the player’s wages, following on from similar agreements that have enabled Ronaldo, Adriano and Roberto Carlos to return to Brazil. Ronaldo earns about £80,000 a week playing for Corinthians, some of which is paid by sponsors.
Luís Álvaro de Oliveira Ribeiro, the Santos president, has confirmed that City could be given first option on Paulo Henrique Ganso and Neymar, the playmaker and forward respectively, as part of the deal and said that the weather had been a significant factor in Robinho’s desire to return to Brazil.
“An underlying factor is that in England it is two degrees and in Santos it is 38 degrees [100F],” Ribeiro said. “For technical reasons, he wants to come back. The manager has a plan and Robinho wants to be more near to Brazil for the World Cup. He has accepted a considerable reduction in his salary. I confess that I once thought Robinho returning was just a fantasy, but I believe after I talked with him that it can happen.
“We will have news about Robinho by the end of the week. We have two representatives in England conversing with him and here in Brazil we are going to look for sponsorship.”
As a measure of the inequality that Robinho would bring if the proposed loan move goes through, the club’s present top players, Fabio Costa, the goalkeeper, and Leo, the defender, earn about £17,000 a week.
Emmanuel Adebayor, the City striker, was back in training yesterday after returning from Africa in the wake of the fatal attack on the Togo coach in the build-up to the Africa Cup of Nations this month. It will be left to Adebayor to decide whether to put himself forward for selection for tomorrow evening’s Carling Cup semi-final, second leg with Manchester United at Old Trafford and he has been offered counselling.
City officials are adamant that they have not made an offer for Fernando Gago, the Real Madrid midfield player, and have played down talk that Benjani Mwaruwari, the striker, could be allowed to leave this month
MCF THREAD: viewtopic.php?f=119&t=29795
Football fan charged with throwing coin at Craig Bellamy
A man has been charged with throwing a coin at footballer Craig Bellamy during the Manchester derby.
Adam Teese, 26, of Nelstrop Road North, Heaton Chapel, Greater Manchester, is accused of ''throwing a missile on to the pitch'' during the Carling Cup semi-final at Old Trafford, police said.
Another man has been charged for trying to enter the ground while drunk, police said.
Paul Rooney Nelson, 35, of Melton Road, Crumpsall, will appear at the same court two days later.Two other men who were arrested last night received fixed penalty notices for public order offences and a third man was fined for being drunk and disorderly, police said.
Six other men, arrested on suspicion of criminal damage, affray and conspiracy to commit violent disorder, were bailed pending further inquiries.
There was a massive police presence at the game after trouble flared during last week's first leg, with 29 people arrested in connection with the game, which City won 2-1.
Officers issued CCTV pictures of suspected football hooligans after the first match and appealed for calm ahead of the return leg, which United won 3-1, giving them a 4-3 aggregate victory.
Assistant Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said: "The vast majority of fans behaved very well and I would like to thank them for listening to the messages we have been giving, to help make the evening pass off peacefully."
MCF THREAD: viewtopic.php?f=119&t=29981
MORE BOLLOX SOON ...
Just days to go in the January transfer window, and City rumours remain thin on the ground.
Manuel Pellegrini revealed in his press conference after the Watford game that signing players before the end of this month is not a priority, and today’s round-up doesn’t do anything to contradict him.
However, after raking through this morning’s media with a fine tooth comb, there are a few scraps to keep you going.
Let’s start with the Daily Express, who claim City will go up against three other Premier League clubs to try and secure the signature of Atletico Madrid winger, Arda Turan.
Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool are all said to be interested in luring the Turkish international to England, but City are reportedly ready to make their move come summer.
Writes Ben Jefferson: “Manchester City have joined Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United in the race for Atletico Madrid winger Arda Turan.
“The Turkish international signed a contract extension with the Spanish club earlier this season that saw his release clause increase from £20m to £33m.
“And while that figure has seen clubs reluctant to pursue a move for the 26-year-old, reports in Turkey suggest that City are ready to activate the clause in the summer.”
Probably best to show someone used to the weather of Turkey and Spain round Manchester in the summer, rather than January anyway…
Moving on, and Spurs are said to have joined City in the race for Italian youngster Domenico Berardi.
The striker has been turning heads across Europe with his performances at Sassuolo this season, and the Blues are said to be one of those hoping his eye lands on Manchester – that one's according to Caught Offside.
Reports Ron Carne: “The north London club are understood to be keen to land a new striker in the current winter window after allowing England international Jermaine Defoe to leave White Hart Lane to join Major League Soccer franchise Toronto FC this month.
“However, recently appointed Spurs head coach Tim Sherwood knows that he will face stiff competition from a number of other top-flight outfits in the race to lure the 19-year-old attacking starlet to the capital before the January transfer window slams shut for business for the season once again at the end of the month, with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City all also said to be keen on Berardi.
“The forward really came to light after finding the back of the net on a remarkable four occasions against Serie A giants AC Milan at the start of the year while turning out on loan for minnows Sassuolo, who own 50 per cent of the Italian, with champions Juventus owning the other half.”
Quite the queue for young Domenico, it would seem!
With our final story today, we welcome Liverpool back to the round-up. The Anfield outfit are City’s main challengers to land Benfica’s Andre Gomes – according to a report at website givemesport.com.
The Reds appear to be the keener of the two sides, and with the Portuguese side apparently keen to sell, the Blues might have to get a wriggle on if they’re to derail Brendan Rodgers.
The report reads: “The 20-year-old has been in fine form for the Portuguese side this season and has inspired the interest of Liverpool and Manchester City.
“However, it is Brendan Rodgers who has been more active in the race for his signature and reports in Portugal suggest that the player is much more likely to be playing at Anfield rather than the Etihad in the near future.
“Following interest from the Premier League rivals, Gomes has been pushing for a move away from the club and his agent has now struck a deal with them for his release.
“Keen to sell players to balance the books, Benfica believe a €15m bid will suffice having already sold Nemanja Matic to Chelsea for €25m in this window.”
Not one to get overly excited about, then. And that, literally, is that for today’s gossip. I did warn you it was slim pickings...
Forget burly physique, beard and tattoos... I'm a big softie at heart, says The Beast
Man City's powerful striker eager to pick up silverware in debut season
Alvaro Negredo reveals he admires Manuel Pellegrini for telling him to leave for Sevilla during his time at Real Madrid
Spain hitman kisses tattoos dedicated to family members after each goal
Eager to battle for his place in Vicente del Bosque's World Cup squad
Family man Negredo's father still works as a taxi driver
As one Spaniard was announcing his arrival in Manchester on Monday, another was reflecting on a spectacular start to his career here just a few hundred yards across the fields of Carrington.
Alvaro Negredo cost Manchester City significantly less than the £37million their neighbours have paid for Juan Mata, but it is hard to think of anyone who has had a greater impact on the Barclays Premier League this season than the man they call The Beast.
Negredo, 28, has been a vital cog in City’s goal machine, contributing 23 goals in 33 games to a team now dreaming of the Quadruple. It has earned him cult status with his new supporters and spread fear among opponents.
However, sitting in an office at the club’s training ground, talking eloquently through an interpreter about his achievements this season, his upbringing in the tough Vallecas neighbourhood of Madrid, his devotion to his two-year-old daughter Aitana and, of course, that nickname, there is nothing wild about Negredo. It soon becomes clear the image of the brooding Spaniard with dark beard and tattoos is misleading.
‘I’m just the opposite of a beast,’ he says. ‘I’m totally different. I’m very affectionate as a person and I like to spend time chilling out with my family.
‘If anything, my daughter has maybe taken this image of the beast to heart because she’s the wild one! It came about when I was at Almeria. It was more of dressing-room thing really. None of the fans knew me as that, but it became more public when I got here.
‘At first, I was called The Shark because I had a bit of a Mohican haircut and I used to celebrate goals by clasping my hands above my head.’
These days, each goal is followed by a kiss of the inside of his right wrist and then the left bicep.
Negredo’s wrist is tattooed with the letters CRJ, the initials of his elder brothers Cesar and Ruben and parents, Jose Maria and Juana. Those of his wife Clara and their daughter appear on his bicep.
The striker also has Aitana’s little footprint tattooed on the left foot that has despatched so many goals this season.
It’s clear that family means a great deal to Negredo. The sacrifices his father made working long hours as a taxi driver in Madrid to provide for his three boys have not been forgotten. Preferring to play football with his older brothers and their friends, Alvaro grew up idolising Gabriel Batistuta and Brazil’s Ronaldo. It was there, on the streets of Vallecas, that he learned to take the hard knocks.
‘My brother Cesar was a centre back. I used to really wind him up because I’d be trying all kinds of tricks on him, nutmegs and things like that, and he’d just kick me,’ says Negredo. ‘He’d knock me to the ground and not even offer a hand to help me up.
‘I speak to them every day. They are footballers themselves and are still making a living from football (Cesar at CD Covadonga and Ruben at CF Reus Deportiu). They’ve not had the fortune to get as far as I have but they’re really pleased for me.
‘We think that, secretly, the reason our dad worked so much is because it was bedlam at home with me and my brothers arguing so much. He’s still a taxi driver. I’ve tried to tell him to give it up but it’s impossible to prise him out of his taxi .
‘I know that my parents gave up a lot and throughout my life I’ve been marked by my childhood experiences. I’ve not forgotten where I came from.’
It says much about Negredo’s talent that on the two occasions Real Madrid let him leave, they inserted a buy-back clause into the deal.
On the second occasion, stuck behind Cristiano Ronaldo, Raul, Karim Benzema, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Gonzalo Higuain and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, coach Manuel Pellegrini not surprisingly advised him to accept a move to Sevilla. Negredo admired his honesty.
'My brother Cesar was a centre back. I used to really wind him up because I’d be trying all kinds of tricks on him, nutmegs and things like that, and he’d just kick me'
‘He didn’t make me go through the entire pre-season in the hope that I might be featuring,’ he recalls. ‘He doesn’t hide from talking to you face to face and that’s what a dressing room wants from a manager. He’s one of the reasons I’m here at City. It was never tough for me meeting up again.’
David Moyes made an unsuccessful £9million bid to sign Negredo for Everton last January. West Ham scouts also monitored his progress and there was talk of interest from Hull.
But when Pellegrini and City came knocking with the offer of a four-year deal worth £75,000 a week last summer, Negredo knew the time was right to join former Sevilla team-mate Jesus Navas and the rest of City’s Spanish-speaking contingent.
A deal worth £16.4m plus £4.2m in add-ons was agreed, and it quickly became clear from Negredo’s debut on the club’s tour of Hong Kong that Pellegrini had found a typical English No 9 in Spain. ‘Feed The Beast and he will score,’ has since become a popular twist on an old favourite at City.
Once again, however, the image does him a disservice. Negredo can operate as a traditional target man but he can offer so much more than an aerial threat in terms of his creativity, vision and movement.
'I think there is more to come. As an individual and a team we’re not going to settle for what we’ve achieved so far.'
It’s no surprise that he looks equally comfortable playing alongside Sergio Aguero or the bigger Edin Dzeko. ‘A lot of people maybe make the mistake of thinking I’m just a big strapping centre forward who is going to be barging into defenders and creating trouble physically,’ he says.
‘Yes, there is that side to me, but I think I have an extra plus where I do try to show that little bit of invention. I try to surprise people with a touch or something spectacular in a finish.’
It has helped Pellegrini’s rampant team rack up an astonishing 107 goals this season as they challenge on four fronts. Barcelona and Chelsea might pose substantial obstacles in two of those competitions, but City are through to the Capital One Cup final against Sunderland and lie menacingly in second place in the Premier League table.
Can they win all four? ‘It’s possible simply because we’re still involved in all four competitions,’ Negredo says.
‘To be totally honest it would be tough to imagine both myself and the team would be scoring quite as many goals as we have. But I think there is more to come. As an individual and a team we’re not going to settle for what we’ve achieved so far.’
Tomorrow night, City face a difficult trip to White Hart Lane, where Negredo is expected to come up against Roberto Soldado, one of his rivals for the No 9 shirt in Spain’s World Cup squad. Having missed out in 2010 before picking up a Euro 2012 winner’s medal, Negredo is determined to make it to Brazil.
He says: ‘Soldado and Fernando Torres come to mind as rivals in this country, as well as Michu who has been out injured, but there are lots of players in Spain fighting for it as well. It’s going to be a battle.’
And as everyone knows by now, The Beast loves a battle.
TRAINING GOAL VIDEO http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... gredo.html
City resist Liverpool interest
Manchester City will snub advances from Liverpool in versatile midfielder James Milner, Sports Direct News understands.
The 28-year-old has 18 months remaining on his contract at the Etihad Stadium and the Reds are believed to be keen on an initial loan move with a view to a permanent £10million switch in June.
However, despite Milner’s constant struggle to leapfrog the likes of wideman Jesus Navas, playmaker David Silva and midfield man Samir Nasri in the pecking order, City want to hold onto the player.
Sources also say the England international is happy to remain at the club this season, although talks about his future are sure to commence at the end of the season, when his deal will have only 12 months left to run.
Milner has impressed for the Blues this term and scored the winner in a memorable 3-2 win at Bayern Munich in the Champions League group stage, when his side had trailed 2-0 early on.
His lack of Premier League starts is unlikely to prevent him from going to the World Cup with England this summer, which rules out an urgent need to switch clubs.
City midfielder's quit threat
Manchester City have been handed a major boost by midfielder Yaya Toure’s admission that he could retire from international football after this summer’s World Cup.
The Ivory Coast star missed vital club matches during the African Cup of Nations in 2012 and 2013, and the Blues have been gearing up for another January absence when the tournament takes place next year.
However, the towering 30-year-old has revealed that he is contemplating the prospect of stopping his involvement with the national side, a move which could extend his career at the Etihad Stadium and save the club from dipping into next year’s January transfer market.
Toure said: “I will see what happens at the World Cup. It’s a very difficult decision and I want to do it at the right moment.
“I am thinking about it, but I haven’t decided when it will happen.
“I want to leave with a good name, in a good moment. The generation of players we have has always been regarded as something special, so we all want to give something good to remember.”
Sergio Aguero determined to fire Manchester City to quadruple
Sergio Aguero has warned Manchester City's title rivals that he will do everything he can to fire the club to silverware on all fronts this season.
Aguero, who recently returned from a spell on the sidelines, took his goal tally to 25 in 24 games this term on Saturday when he scored a hat-trick in City's 4-2 FA Cup comeback against Watford and is hoping that his goals will result in trophies.
"The important thing is the goals contribute to the team's victories and we win titles," Aguero told reporters. "I don't have any specific goals to reach but [I want as] many as possible.
"We weren't expecting to score four goals. We knew at half time we needed to improve and in the end we won and we have made it to the next round. We are happy with that."
City travel to White Hart Lane to face Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday unbeaten in their last 10 matches in all competitions and having scored 22 goals in their previous five games.
MANCHESTER CITY have joined Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United in the race for Atletico Madrid winger Arda Turan.
The Turkish international signed a contract extension with the Spanish club earlier this season that saw his release clause increase from £20m to £33m.
And while that figure has seen clubs reluctant to pursue a move for the 26-year-old, reports in Turkey suggest that City are ready to activate the clause in the summer.
That could see Liverpool, in particular, make a play for the former Galatasaray star before the end of the January window.
Manchester United made a play for Turan at the end of the last transfer window, even reportedly agreeing to pay the £20m that would have forced Atletico to let the player leave, only to see complications with paperwork scupper a move.
But despite David Moyes saying he is continuing to work on bringing in new faces at Old Trafford, the Red Devils seem unlikely to splash out again for Turan before the summer.
Arsenal also seem to have moved on from Turan as they focus on other targets such as Schalke's Julian Draxler.
Liverpool, however, remain firmly in the market for an attacking midfielder having seen Chelsea hijack their move for Basel's Mohamed Salah late last week.
And that could see the Reds step up their interest in Turan before the window closes on Friday
U21 REPORT: Manchester United 1-2 Manchester City
City went ahead inside 10 minutes through Greg Leigh’s header but were pegged back shortly after half-time when Jesse Lingard beat Ian Lawlor
Patrick Vieira praised his young City players for handling the ‘pressure’ of a Manchester derby to beat United in the Under-21s Premier League at the AJ Bell Stadium.
City went ahead inside 10 minutes through Greg Leigh’s header but were pegged back shortly after half-time when Jesse Lingard beat Ian Lawlor.
That left George Glendon to score the winner for City and delight Elite Development Squad coach Vieira.“We are delighted, especially to win against United,” he said.
“It was a really difficult game. The pressure was high and the boys wanted to do well so much.
“Sometimes you can get nervous. But they played really well as a team.
“We tried to play from the back. We didn’t play our best football tonight. “We conceded a goal in the second half but we came back and scored the second one.
“We are delighted with the win because in the end I think we deserved it.”
Both United and City had players on the fringes of their first-teams in their squads.
United coaching duo Warren Joyce and Nicky Butt picked Lingard, who was on the bench against Swansea after impressing on loan at Birmingham, and Will Keane, who has returned from his loan spell at Wigan.
Vieira was without Marcos Lopes after he started for the first-team against Watford on Saturday, but was able to call on Emyr Huws, who was in the squad for the FA Cup tie with Blackburn.
City started far better and went ahead after eight minutes when Leigh headed past Sam Johnstone.
Lingard equalised soon after the break when David Petrucci rolled him in and he coolly beat Lawlor.
But United struggled to create many clear chances after pulling level and when Devante Cole, watched by dad Andy, raced past Donald Love on the left flank, he cut the ball back for Glendon to score the winner from close range.
Vieira added: “It was strange because I felt like we conceded a goal when we were playing better.
“I was really pleased with the players because they kept their shape, kept their discipline and we kept playing from our goalkeeper. We showed a strong personality. What was important was for us to keep our concentration.
“It was really important to play our football and I was really pleased because the focus and the determination to win the game was there. This kind of game, with the pressure will help the boys develop. And seeing City beating United is always good!”
MCF.net THREAD: viewtopic.php?f=119&t=47645
[spoiler]
[/spoiler]Manchester United and Chelsea may have to wait until the summer to sign Southampton's left-back Luke Shaw, 18, with time now running out in this transfer window. Independent
Southampton boss Mauricio Pochettino is not keen to let youngster Shaw leave St Mary's Stadium - "At this moment we have no interest in selling Luke Shaw, and not in the summer either." Sun
However, Chelsea plan to use the £37.1m they received from Manchester United for Juan Mata to help beat their rivals to the signing of the young full-back this week. London Evening Standard
West Ham have called off a deal to sign Spanish side Osasuna's 24-year-old Italian midfielder Raoul Loe after bringing in AC Milan midfielder Antonio Nocerino, 28, on loan. Daily Star
After the serious injury suffered by striker Radamel Falcao, 27, Monaco are considering bidding for one of either Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez, 25, or Southampton's 28-year-old forward Dani Osvaldo. Daily Express
Napoli are holding further talks to sign Tottenham's France international defensive midfielder Etienne Capoue after an offer was rejected a fortnight ago. Times
Chelsea's 21-year-old goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, on loan at Atletico Madrid in Spain, could be swapped by Blues boss Jose Mourinho for in-form 25-year-old Atletico striker Diego Costa. DSSC
Liverpool defender Daniel Agger, 29, could move to Italy to reunite with former Reds boss Rafael Benitez, if 29-year-old Swiss midfielder Gokhan Inler is keen to move in the opposite direction. Metro
Piotr Parzyszek, 20, is a target for West Ham, with the young striker enjoying a fine season for De Graafschap in the Dutch second division. Daily Express
Chelsea are scouting two Marseille midfielders as possible late January signings - 21-year-old Giannelli Imbula and team-mate Florian Thauvin, also 21. Inside Futbol
QPR boss Harry Redknapp is considering a move for West Ham full-back Jordan Spence, 23, who can also operate in central defence. GetWestLondon
Manchester United boss David Moyes has warned his squad that they are running out of time to be part of the club's future and says: "I'm going to get better players in. There will be more." Times
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger says authorities are not doing enough to help English clubs in Europe and has attacked a schedule which sees his team face four big matches in 12 days, including a Champions League encounter with Bayern Munich. Daily Mirror
Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard, 23, aims to reach the superstar levels of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi - "I can compete with Messi and Ronaldo in the near future, if I put in some more effort," he says. Guardian
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers will leave it to the last minute to assess whether Wales midfielder Joe Allen, 23, is fit enough to face Everton on Tuesday. Daily Mirror
Crystal Palace manager Tony Pulis has denied rumours he will leave the club after becoming frustrated with the Eagles' inability to attract players during January. Daily Star
Stoke boss Mark Hughes is looking forward to working with Cardiff's Peter Odemwingie, who is expected to move to the Britannia Stadium in a swap deal with Kenwyne Jones. "He's got a little pace which we need to add to our squad and he can play both wide and through the middle," Hughes says. Sentinel
England's World Cup referee Howard Webb, who did not take charge of a match in the FA Cup last weekend has again been overlooked in the midweek programme and will only be the fourth official in Manchester United's match against Cardiff. Sun
Juventus would seek to recruit Southampton's 28 year-old Argentinian striker Dani Osvaldo to replace Mirko Vucinic, if the 30 year-old Montenegro international moves to Inter Milan. Tuttosport
Italian side Lazio are keen to sign West Brom's 34 year-old former France international striker Nicolas Anelka, who spent a short loan period at Juventus last year. L'Equipe
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger could seek to enlist Lyon's France international attacking midfielder Yoann Gourcuff, 27, before the end of the winter transfer window. L'Equipe
Is the Manchester United number seven shirt now regarded as a poisoned chalice? After Antonio Valencia and Michael Owen failed to impress wearing it, new signing Juan Mata opted to wear number eight rather than the iconic shirt, worn by the likes of George Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo. Independent
GOLDEN BOLLOX 28-1-2009
Garry Cook's Manchester City future in doubt after failed boast
Chief executive guaranteed Carling Cup victory over United
Manchester City's owners in Abu Dhabi are starting to give serious consideration to the position of the chief executive, Garry Cook, at the end of the season after becoming increasingly perturbed about his leadership style and the frequency with which he has attracted bad publicity.
Cook has developed a reputation as one of the game's more derided figures after a series of personal embarrassments in which his fondness for speaking his mind has come back to haunt him. The latest came in the build-up to the second leg of the Carling Cup semi-final against Manchester United when he was filmed telling supporters in New York's Mad Hatter Saloon that City would get to Wembley "not if, but when, we beat United again".
Cook also proclaimed that City were on course to supersede United, Real Madrid and Barcelona as the "biggest and best club in the world". He later claimed that he thought it was a closed event, despite the presence of television cameras as he took the microphone. Sir Alex Ferguson is understood to have cited Cook's remarks to his players ahead of Wednesday's 3-1 win which took United into the final with a 4-3 aggregate victory.
The sense at Old Trafford is that Cook committed one of the oldest mistakes in the book and, after the match, the midfielder Darren Fletcher pointedly referred to United "doing their talking on the pitch". However, the concerns about Cook go back much further and are more elaborate than just his habit of talking himself into trouble. City have had a mixed record in the transfer market, overpaying for several players and missing out on several key targets, most notably the attempt to smash the world transfer record by persuading Kaká to sign for the club from Milan for £91m in January 2009. In one of Cook's more infamous outbursts, the former Nike marketing executive accused Milan of "bottling it".
More recently, Cook came under scrutiny when City sacked their manager, Mark Hughes, and it subsequently emerged that his successor, Roberto Mancini, had been approached three weeks earlier. Cook tried to pass off meeting the former Internazionale coach as "general football talks" but the episode reflected badly on the club when the Abu Dhabi United Group has been trying to project an image of being different and more noble than other football club owners. Cook later revealed that he had actually started to identify possible replacements for Hughes as long ago as last summer, despite having repeatedly insisted that the club would be patient with their manager.
The sacking demonstrated the ruthlessness of the club's owner, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, and the chairman, Khaldoon al-Mubarak, during a period of significant change at every level of the club. Cook was paid £1.5m last year and has admitted being brought to tears during parts of a 20-month tenure in which, in effect, he ousted Alistair Mackintosh from the job.
Cook was appointed by the previous owner, Thaksin Shinawatra, the deposed prime minister of Thailand who had been charged with corruption offences in his home country. In Cook's first major interview, he defended Thaksin's reputation, saying: "Is he a nice guy? Yes. Is he a great guy to play golf with? Yes. Has he got the finances to run a club? Yes. Whether he's guilty of something over there, I can't worry too much about. Morally, I feel comfortable in this environment."
He subsequently admitted after Thaksin's conviction that he felt "dreadful" about making those comments. "I have made some mistakes in my life," Cook said, "but I deeply regretted my failure to do proper research on Thaksin."
That particular episode was not under ADUG's watch, but Cook's propensity for saying the wrong thing has started to jar with his employers and also affect the way the supporters consider him. His public gaffes include welcoming former striker Uwe Rösler to the "Manchester United Hall of Fame" at a supporters' event, a mistake that led to him being booed. Cook later wrote an apology for the mistake.
Cook also vehemently denied reports that Robinho would leave the club in January but was proved wrong yesterday.
MCF THREAD: viewtopic.php?f=119&t=29965
GORDON Strachan's hopes of hanging on to Adam Johnson were fading last night after Middlesbrough’s prize asset asked to be allowed to speak to Manchester City.
Roberto Mancini leads the chasing pack for Johnson but may have to table a £9million bid for him before Monday’s
transfer deadline.
Winger Johnson scored twice in Boro’s Tuesday’s 4-1 win at Doncaster and is a target for Chelsea and Sunderland as well. Former England Under-21 international Johnson’s contract runs out this summer and although his suitors have each made a £5m offer for him – and finances at the Riverside are tight – that is not enough to tempt Boro to sell.
Gordon Strachan would let Johnson go for £9m but has told chairman Steve Gibson that any hopes of making an immediate return to the Premier League this season would be dashed without his top scorer.
However, any money coming in would fund a move for £4m-rated Celtic striker Scott McDonald. Strachan said: “There is no club who can turn down the right money for a player. But the perfect scenario would be if he stays.”
Sunderland make £1.5m move for Manchester City striker Benjani
Sunderland have made a cut-price move for Manchester City striker Benjani.
The Zimbabwe centre forward is due to hold talks today over a £1.5million move after looking poised to join West Ham earlier this week.
The 31-year-old was also wanted by Blackburn, Galatasaray and Birmingham.
Manchester City set to pay £70,000 a week for Robinho to play for someone else
Robinho celebrates scoring for Manchester City, but now he is likely to go back to Brazil on loan
Santos have asked Manchester City to pay about half of Robinho’s wages as they prepare to make him the highest-earning player in Brazil.
Fresh details of the complex deal emerged last night that reveal the strength of the forward’s desire to return to his former team, the lengths that the Brazilian club are going to to secure the signing and the scale of City’s financial muscle.
The forward is ready to take a pay cut of about £45,000 a week from the £150,000 that he secured when he became the most expensive player in this country after moving from Real Madrid 18 months ago. Santos are in talks with sponsors to help to fund about £35,000 of the remaining wage — three times more than their present top earner — with City expected to pick up the balance, about £70,000.
There will probably also be a loan fee payable from Santos to City.
Odilio Rodrigues Filho, the Santos vice-president, is set to arrive in Manchester today to put the final touches to the deal, including its length, which could be completed in the next 24 hours. He will join two Santos marketing directors, Armênio Neto and Eduardo Musa, who have held talks with their counterparts to thrash out contractual issues such as image rights.
Robinho, 26, has made it clear that he wants to move to boost his standing in Brazil before the World Cup finals. He has scored only four goals since the end of 2008.
“It is 90 per cent certain,” Robinho said. “I am bursting to get back to Santos. [The move] is well under way. The clubs are talking about the duration of my loan. Santos would like it to be for a year, but City will only allow me to leave for six months.”
City maintain that their record signing, who cost £34.2 million in September 2008, will not be moving permanently. They received an informal inquiry from Benfica. Santos’ problem is simply to find the money to re-sign the player, who spent three years at the club before he joined Real in 2005.
They have been in talks with local sponsors to raise more than 20 per cent of the player’s wages, following on from similar agreements that have enabled Ronaldo, Adriano and Roberto Carlos to return to Brazil. Ronaldo earns about £80,000 a week playing for Corinthians, some of which is paid by sponsors.
Luís Álvaro de Oliveira Ribeiro, the Santos president, has confirmed that City could be given first option on Paulo Henrique Ganso and Neymar, the playmaker and forward respectively, as part of the deal and said that the weather had been a significant factor in Robinho’s desire to return to Brazil.
“An underlying factor is that in England it is two degrees and in Santos it is 38 degrees [100F],” Ribeiro said. “For technical reasons, he wants to come back. The manager has a plan and Robinho wants to be more near to Brazil for the World Cup. He has accepted a considerable reduction in his salary. I confess that I once thought Robinho returning was just a fantasy, but I believe after I talked with him that it can happen.
“We will have news about Robinho by the end of the week. We have two representatives in England conversing with him and here in Brazil we are going to look for sponsorship.”
As a measure of the inequality that Robinho would bring if the proposed loan move goes through, the club’s present top players, Fabio Costa, the goalkeeper, and Leo, the defender, earn about £17,000 a week.
Emmanuel Adebayor, the City striker, was back in training yesterday after returning from Africa in the wake of the fatal attack on the Togo coach in the build-up to the Africa Cup of Nations this month. It will be left to Adebayor to decide whether to put himself forward for selection for tomorrow evening’s Carling Cup semi-final, second leg with Manchester United at Old Trafford and he has been offered counselling.
City officials are adamant that they have not made an offer for Fernando Gago, the Real Madrid midfield player, and have played down talk that Benjani Mwaruwari, the striker, could be allowed to leave this month
MCF THREAD: viewtopic.php?f=119&t=29795
Football fan charged with throwing coin at Craig Bellamy
A man has been charged with throwing a coin at footballer Craig Bellamy during the Manchester derby.
Adam Teese, 26, of Nelstrop Road North, Heaton Chapel, Greater Manchester, is accused of ''throwing a missile on to the pitch'' during the Carling Cup semi-final at Old Trafford, police said.
Another man has been charged for trying to enter the ground while drunk, police said.
Paul Rooney Nelson, 35, of Melton Road, Crumpsall, will appear at the same court two days later.Two other men who were arrested last night received fixed penalty notices for public order offences and a third man was fined for being drunk and disorderly, police said.
Six other men, arrested on suspicion of criminal damage, affray and conspiracy to commit violent disorder, were bailed pending further inquiries.
There was a massive police presence at the game after trouble flared during last week's first leg, with 29 people arrested in connection with the game, which City won 2-1.
Officers issued CCTV pictures of suspected football hooligans after the first match and appealed for calm ahead of the return leg, which United won 3-1, giving them a 4-3 aggregate victory.
Assistant Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said: "The vast majority of fans behaved very well and I would like to thank them for listening to the messages we have been giving, to help make the evening pass off peacefully."
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