Monday's B****x
Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2014 8:29 amTHE BOLLOX
Rise and shine Blues - It may be Monday morning, but that does mean it is less than a week until you can get another City fix.
The international break can feel like a bit of a drag by week two, but never fear, we’re on the home straight now.
One man that sounds keen to get going again is Frank Lampard, who is quoted extensively in the Daily Star revealing that life at City, and in Manchester, is pretty fantastic.
The midfielder explained that the move from Chelsea in the summer has exceeded all expectations so far, and he’s enjoying the challenge.
Lampard is quoted as saying: “I didn’t know what to expect and it’s all been a bit of a whirlwind. I wanted to prove that I wasn’t here just to tick over and show the manager I was worthwhile bringing in.
“I’ve really enjoyed all those challenges but I didn’t expect to enjoy them quite as much as I have.
“After being in London so long, I thought coming up to Manchester would be a shock to the system.
“But I never realised it would be a shock in a good way. I’m having a great time and in a good way. I’m having a great time and I find it very comfortable living here.”
He added: “It also helps if you can knock in a few goals and help the team win. We’ll just concentrate on getting the results we need and I’m confident we will do that.
“The lads proved that last season when they came through a sticky patch with the away form early in the campaign and ended up winning the title.”
Indeed. Let’s hope history can repeat itself, eh Frank?
If it is a sense of déjà vu come May, Sergio Aguero will be top of the list of reasons why.
It’s no secret the Argentine is in sensational form this term, but the Premier League have crunched the numbers and found he is on target to record the highest number of strikes in a single 38 game season ever.
Not bad, Sergio, not bad…
The report on PremierLeague.com reads: “The record for goals scored by a player for a 38-match season is 31, held jointly by Shearer (1995/96), Cristiano Ronaldo (2007/08) and Luis Suarez (2013/14) and Aguero's rate of 12 from the opening 11 matches puts the Argentinian ahead of schedule to beat it.
“When investigating this improvement in goalscoring and what differs in Aguero's approach this season compared with previous ones the striker is firing in more shots on goal than before.
“ This season Aguero has attempted 57 shots, more than five a match on average, when his average until the start of this campaign had been 3.5 per match. Of his shots this season, more than half have been on target, the tally of 30 by far the most by any player in the Barclays Premier League this season.”
Fantastic, stupendous, incredible, sublime, please pick your own synonym. In fact, we might have gone through most of the dictionary come the end of the season.
An increasingly relevant synonym for the International Break is Transfer Speculation Spectacular. Those column inches have got to be filled and with the January window set to be prised open in approximately six weeks’ time, the rumour mill has been cranked up to high voltage this week.
I was wondering how long it would take Newcastle starlet Rolando Aarons to be linked away from Tyneside after his start to the season – well wonder no more, for the Daily Star claim City and Liverpool are eyeing him up.
Jonathan Green reports: “Aarons signed his first full professional contract in April having joined Newcastle as a 15-year-old following his release by Bristol City.
“That deal runs out next summer, although there is an option for an extra year.
“Newcastle want to commit Aarons to a long-term deal but talks are yet to begin which has alerted City and Liverpool.
“The Kingston-born flyer scored the opening goal when the Toon Army knocked City out of the Capital One Cup and he also scored once and set-up two more goals in England under-20s 6-0 win over Romania in September.”
Elsewhere in those gossip columns, Atletico Madrid’s Koke is allegedly on the radar of multiple Premier League clubs – there can never be just one interested now, can there?
Anyway, apparently City and Chelsea have moved ahead of United and Liverpool in this particular race due to the £48m release clause, which reports claim City are willing to pay in January.
CaughtOffside’s Mark Brus writes: “Chelsea and Manchester City look set to be in direct competition for the signing of Atletico Madrid star Koke this January as they prepare to meet the 22-year-old’s £48m release clause.
“According to the Daily Express, the talented young Spanish international is a top target for both clubs this winter, and they look set to move ahead of Manchester United and Liverpool in the race for his signature.
“Neither of those clubs look willing to pay the amount required to activate Koke’s release clause, but Chelsea and City are prepared to spend big to sign this world class talent, who has shone for Atletico in recent seasons.”
Man City Agree £25m Striker Sale
Man City have reportedly agreed a deal with Valencia that will see loaned out forward Alvaro Negredo move to the Mestalla on a permanent basis according to the Daily Mirror.
By all accounts the temporary move including a contractual obligation that the La Liga side must fork out £25m for the 29 year old next summer.
Singapore businessman Peter Lim will fork out the sum for Negredo who enjoyed an up and down debut season at the Etihad Stadium.
Man City paid Sevilla £20m for Negredo in July 2013 and his tally of 23 goals in all competitions might have been far higher but for a 16 match goal drought the Spanish international suffered.
Valencia will hope that Negredo can re-capture the form that saw him rack up 102 La Liga goals before moving to the Premier League.
Manchester City are reportedly ready to pay the release clause of Atletico Madrid star Koke.
He’d set them back £48 million if they push to bring him into the Premier League.
Chelsea are also reportedly interested, with Manchester United having a past interest in the midfielder.
Reports suggest that Alvaro Negredo’s £25 million return to La Liga has been sealed.
The Spanish striker has been on loan at Valencia and there was speculation over whether he’s make the move permanent at the end of the season.
Several sources are suggesting Valencia have reached an agreement with Premier League champions Manchester City.
Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart is to be rested for the England game away in Scotland tomorrow.
England boss Roy Hodgson has already confirmed that the City number one has been sent back to Manchester after the 3-1 win against Slovenia over the weekend.
Ben Foster or former Celtic stopper Fraser Forster will come into the team.
Is Gael Clichy at the root of Eliaquim Mangala's settling issues?
Manuel Pellegrini says Eliaquim Mangala is already showing his worth, but doesn't expect to dip into the transfer market in January to solve the club's injury problems.
If there's one set of fans that knows not to judge too early then it's those of Manchester City. In years gone by, supporters would cling to the hope that the players they were watching weren't the terrible signing they appeared to be on first sight. These days, however, it's the other way around; they might start off shakily, but those criticising too soon could have egg on their face because the newbie is likely to turn out to be quite good.
Back in March 2014, Martin Demichelis was close to being chased out of Manchester by a pitchfork-wielding mob, following a series of mistakes that contributed to the Blues being eliminated from the Champions League and from the FA Cup. Come the final day of the season, the Argentine was a cult hero, gathering heroic cheers from the stands as he sprinted across the front of the South Stand with the Premier League trophy aloft. On top of that, his hair was fantastic.
This is why there are currently very few supporters who are willing to nail their colours to the mast with Eliaquim Mangala. He started brilliantly against Chelsea, but has struggled since then. A series of shaky performances, topped off with an own goal against Hull, has left impartial observers wondering why on earth the club shelled out a fee in the region of 32 million pounds... eight games into his City career.
The problems that Mangala have going against him come threefold: he's being judged instantly because of the high transfer fee that has been paid, the quality of his debut has left many expecting him to have settled in already, and he's copping a bulk of the flak for the current disastrous form of Gael Clichy. It's no coincidence that the new signing's shakiest games have gone while he's been paired with his fellow Frenchman in the left-back position.
Even West Ham manager Sam Allardyce commented on how they exploited City's weakness on that flank when the Hammers won at Upton Park a few weeks back. It's been such a clear flaw in the team that opposition bosses have picked up on it and are publically explaining they're attacking it.
Perhaps the real problem is the performances of the full-back rather than any of the centre-halves. When the fans remarked at how much Aleksandar Kolarov had improved to overtake Clichy in the pecking order, perhaps they had it the wrong way round. Maybe it's more how much the Frenchman has declined rather than how much the Serbian's improved.
It's looking less like a coincidence that in Demichelis's poor games he was also paired with the former Arsenal defender. It was as if it was only after the Argentine was able to work out how to play with Clichy that his own form started to climb to cult hero status.
In the case of the two own goals conceded this season, both the scorers have been let down by the same team-mate. In the latest incident -- at Queens Park Rangers -- Clichy was more concerned about not handballing the cross than actually blocking it.
There's also little coincidence that Clichy's best game in months came where he was afforded the hard work and protection of James Milner ahead of him and that City struggled against Manchester United when that protection was removed. Maybe that display, in which the Frenchman bagged the assist to the only goal of the game, is in fact the anomaly.
Gael Clichy's form at left-back for Manchester City has been poor this campaign.
When he first came into the City side, the fans understood that Clichy was nowhere near as lethal as his competitor for the left-back berth when it came to the attack. However, he was seen as far more secure; he was positionally aware, he was comfortable in possession of the ball under pressure, and he didn't dive in. That the supporters now see Kolarov as the better option both offensively and defensively must be a concern for the Frenchman, especially as he racks up the mistakes this season.
It's easy to point the finger at Mangala when the ball skims off his head and past Willy Caballero at Hull. It's even easier when he seems nervy on the ball or doesn't track a run that's gone straight past him and into the box at pace. However, that's partly because he's the one who's on the scene and has been trying to undo the car crash that has gone before him. Don't get me wrong, he's not settled into the team, but he's been nowhere near the liability he's been painted as.
In the same sense that Richard Dunne's own goal record at the Blues is a little misleading. Yes, he put the ball past his own goalkeeper, but on a number of occasions it was as he desperately tried to recover from somebody else's error a few seconds earlier and he accidently got the last touch to prod it home. Equally, though, some were beautiful own goals -- I'm thinking of Newcastle away in 2008, here.
The whole team (barring Sergio Aguero and, bizarrely after the last 18 months or so, Joe Hart) is suffering a crisis of confidence. As soon as that returns, there'll be a brand new Mangala on display. Whether or not the form of Clichy can be rescued is another matter -- first on the shopping list for Manuel Pellegrini in the next transfer window could be another left-back.
'I like him': Souness hails 'workaholic' £15m star who can leave for 65% discount.
Over the summer, Liverpool were regularly linked with a move for Manchester City star James Milner, a player who seems to be very popular amongst ex-Reds.
LFC continued to be linked with Milner right up to October, when Sky Sports claimed:
* Liverpool, Everton, and Arsenal remain 'interested' in Milner.
* Man City value him at £15m, but are willing to accept £5m (a 65% discount).
Analysing the England team ahead of Tuesday's clash with Scotland, Souness raved:
"I really like him [Milner]. He’d be one of the first on the team sheet for me — both at Man City and with England. He’s improved greatly in his time at City. Apart from being a workaholic, he’s now added quality to his game"
Fellow Scot Gary Gillespie is also a fan, and when asked last month about Liverpool's alleged interest in Milner, Gillespie enthused:
"He [Milner] is a manager's dream. He doesn't upset the apple cart, and you know what you're going to get. He doesn't really catch the eye, but he works his socks off, and doesn't get the rewards he deserves".
Milner's current contract expires next summer, which mens that he's free in January to sign a pre-contract agreement with another club, and if Liverpool were interested once, it's conceivable that Brendan Rodgers may go back in for him during the January transfer window.
Would that be a good idea, though?
Milner is the archetypal British player: full of running; endless stamina; good at tackling, tracking back etc, but short on genuine guile and skill. He is a steady, reliable payer, but his pedestrian brand of huff-and-puff football is definitely not going to take Liverpool to the next level. Milner's creative stats over the last 4 years:
* 2014-15: 1 goals/2 assists in 13 apps (so far)
* 2013-14: 2 goals/15 assists in 44 apps.
* 2012-13: 4 goals/7 assists in 35 apps.
* 2011-12: 3 goals/5 assists in 37 apps.
* 2010-11: 3 goals/8 assists in 42 apps
* TOTALS: 12 goals/35 assists in 158 apps
* Goal every 13 apps | Assist every 4.5 apps.
Wit the greatest respect, the likes of Milner, Allen, Lambert, and Lallana will not win the league for Liverpool. Teams composed of 80%+ Brits in the starting line-up very rarely win the top trophies, and the Reds have more than enough British players in the squad.
The proof is in the pudding: Just look at the club's results this season - the team is stacked with Brits, but Liverpool are currently languishing in 11th place in the league.
If Liverpool do sign Milner, though, Coutinho and Lallana will arguably be under most threat. The England midfielder can play left, right, or central, and he's no real threat to Sterling, Henderson, or Gerrard.
City set for summer tour Down Under
Reports in Australia suggest Manchester City have agreed to tour the country next summer, along with Roberto Mancini's Inter Milan.
Manchester City are to come up against former boss Roberto Mancini and his Inter Milan side in Australia next summer, according to reports from Down Under.
The Blues are also expected to face Real Madrid during the pre-season International Champions Cup tournament in Melbourne from July 18 to 24.
The Blues have been keeping quiet on expectations that they will head to Australia next summer, in order to play a friendly against sister club Melbourne City.
But the Aussie press claims the state government has stumped up 10million dollars to attract the three European clubs.
Frank Lampard 'enjoying' Manchester City loan stint
Frank Lampard has admitted that he never expected to "enjoy" the challenges of playing for Manchester City as much as he has during his six-month loan stint.
The midfielder, who left Chelsea following a 13-year spell in the summer, joined the Premier League champions after signing for newly-formed MLS franchise New York City FC.
"I didn't know what to expect and it's all been a bit of a whirlwind," the Daily Star quotes Lampard as saying. "I wanted to prove that I wasn't here just to tick over and show the manager I was worthwhile bringing in.
"I've really enjoyed all those challenges but I didn't expect to enjoy them quite as much as I have."
Lampard is expected to join New York City for pre-season training in January.
Gary Owen column: City can still retain Premier League title
Former Manchester City player Gary Owen gives his views on the season so far and why the Blues can still win the Premier League.
City are off the pace in the Premier League and I think there have been similarities with our defence of the title two years ago.
We have not reached the standards of last year and we’ve not hit the ground running.
I don’t think City, as a team, are functioning anywhere near as well as they did last season and it would be against all odds if we qualify for the Champions League knockout stage now.
Football is unfair and a manager is judged by his results. You can’t sack players but you can sack managers and with the spoils managers have at big clubs now at Chelsea, City, United and Liverpool, if you can’t get the success that mirrors the expenditure your position comes under pressure. They all come under pressure because with that big salary comes big responsibilities,
Manuel Pellegrini - as he was last year and as he is this year - is being scrutinised and he will be judged at the end of the season. In football these days you are judged quicker than you were in the past and Pellegrini is no exception.
City have had a mixed start and a number of players are under-performing, but it is unfair to pinpoint the biggest disappointment. There have been mistakes made by different people but I prefer to look at the positives and Sergio Aguero this season is kicking on again. He has been fantastic.
The team needs to pick up their performance because Chelsea are looking a very strong outfit, Chelsea have got that head start and it’s going to take a lot of hard work to overtake them.
But we’ve been in this situation before, when we came from behind United and Arsenal to win the Premier League.
The Bayern Munich game is coming up and my heart says we can beat them. We’ve done it in Munich and it’s a must-win game.
City could go out of the Champions League group stage yet again
You saw what Bayern did to Roma, beating them 7-1 - and Roma are no mugs. That is a fantastic result and this is a fantastic Bayern side. They are the team to beat, along with Real Madrid, in the Champions League.
We don’t play the same game in the Champions League, and quite rightly, Bayern will start as favourites. If we struggled against Roma and CSKA Moscow we will against them.
There have been some accusations City didn’t strengthen properly in the summer but I’m not so sure. We brought in Eliaquim Mangala, who’s a young player we chased long enough. Chelsea and United looked at him but he came to us. He had been training on his own at Porto, so he arrived at City not match fit and didn’t have a pre-season.
With Bacary Sagna, Pellegrini obviously felt we had strengthened enough at right-back.
The only thing that surprised me a bit is the departure of Alvaro Negredo and we now have just three strikers. Most teams who are challenging need four. I was surprised John Guidetti wasn’t given a chance.
The Dutch and Scottish leagues aren’t the same level as the Premier League but how do you know what a player can do if they are not given a chance? He scored God knows how many goals for Feyenoord and he has hit the ground running with Celtic. Someone with that goalscoring nous should be given a go.
Matija Nastasic hasn’t played since August and he seems to be the Financial Fair Play scapegoat who will be sacrificed because he isn’t a homegrown player. He’s not even played in the Capital One Cup.
He’s only 21, so he does have the potential. If it were up to me he would be sent out on loan because once you sell him you can’t get him back. It seems a strange one, though. Out of him and Dedryck Boyata, Nastasic is the better prospect.
World Cup: Former FA chief David Bernstein calls for boycott
The Football Association has been urged to lobby Uefa for a European boycott of the next World Cup - unless Fifa implements meaningful reform.
Former FA chairman David Bernstein told BBC Sport it was time for "drastic" action against the governing body.
He believes the tournament could not be taken seriously without Europe's major nations and that a boycott would be supported by the English public.
Meanwhile, Bernstein has resigned from Fifa's anti-discrimination taskforce.
He described it as "ineffectual" and wishes to end his ties with the organisation.
In an exclusive interview, the 71-year-old also said:
Bernstein was speaking after Thursday's report into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups was questioned by the man who conducted the investigation, Michael Garcia, just hours following its release.
It is the latest controversy to hit football's world governing body, which has been riddled with allegations of corruption in recent times.
Bernstein led the FA for three years from January 2011 - a month after Russia and Qatar were named hosts for 2018 and 2022 respectively, with England missing out on 2018 - and he wants Fifa to change its ways or face a challenge that it finds impossible to ignore.
"My job is to punish people who do bad things"
Appointed by President Bush, married to an FBI agent and barred from entering Russia - BBC News profiles American lawyer Michael Garcia, the man behind the Fifa corruption report.
"England on its own cannot influence this - one country can't do it," he said. "If we tried to do something like that we'd be laughed at.
"I think England within Uefa undoubtedly have the power to influence Fifa, but to do so they would have to consider withdrawing from the World Cup, the next World Cup, unless proper reform - including Mr Blatter not standing [for a fifth term] - is carried out at Fifa.
"If I was at the FA now, I would do everything I could to encourage other nations within Uefa - and there are some who would definitely be on side, others may be not - to take this line.
"At some stage you have to walk the talk, stop talking and do something."
When asked again if we was calling for the FA to unite with Uefa to boycott Fifa and the World Cup, Bernstein replied: "Unless it could achieve the reforms that would bring Fifa back into the respectable world community, yes I would.
"It sounds drastic but frankly this has gone on for years now, it's not improving, it's going from bad to worse to worse.
"There are 54 countries within Uefa. There's Germany, Spain, Italy, France and Holland - all powerful. You can't hold a serious World Cup without them. They have the power to influence if they have the will.
Similar views have been expressed by German Football League president Reinhard Rauball, who suggested Uefa could leave Fifa if Garcia's findings are not published in full.
England's World Cup bid was criticised in the Fifa report with the FA accused of flouting bidding rules, while Qatar was cleared of corruption allegations.
Bernstein accused world football's governing body of trying to deflect attention from its own failings.
"I don't think much to these accusations. I don't think we should get away from the real issue, the real issue is Fifa governance and trying to achieve real change. But it won't happen easily."
Bernstein acknowledges Fifa's power but is adamant the governing body can be pressured into change if the World Cup is targeted.
"Fifa is sort of a totalitarian set-up," he said. "Bits of it remind me of the old Soviet empire. People don't speak out and if they do they get quashed.
"The [Garcia] investigation is possibly flawed but when the investigator complains that his own report is being misinterpreted, it's beyond ridicule."
Bernstein backs the authorities ("Swiss government, Swiss tax authorities, FBI, Brussels, the European community") and sponsors to hold Fifa to account, but thinks Uefa poses the greatest threat.
Much of his anger stems from the decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, where blistering summer temperatures means the event could be switched to winter.
"The choosing of Qatar was clearly one of the most ludicrous decisions in the history of sport," the former Manchester City chairman said.
"You might as well have chosen Iceland in the winter. It was like an Alice in Wonderland sort of decision.
"The attempt to change the timing is also absolutely wrong. It's like a false prospectus; you put a bid in on one basis and then when you've won you change to another.
"There's also a background of political, social and employment issues that keep emerging and I think there's a danger that Fifa and football might be embarrassed by what emerges in the coming years," he added.
"It's certainly not sour grapes. England didn't lose to Qatar, we lost to Russia. Qatar is clearly a totally unsuitable place to hold a World Cup."
Bernstein described Blatter as "formidable, very shrewd, very smart" and conceded it would "not be easy" to bring his reign to an end.
He went on to reveal he had quit Fifa's anti-discrimination taskforce, which was introduced in 2013 with Jeffrey Webb at the helm.
"I've resigned for two reasons: firstly, the body has been pretty ineffectual. I've been on it for more than a year and we only had one meeting; secondly because frankly I don't wish to be personally associated with Fifa any further.
"Fifa sets up these things - and we've seen it with their regulation - that look good in theory but don't seem to do very much in practice."
The FIFA Corruption Report THREAD: viewtopic.php?f=119&t=49276
Former Barcelona president Joan Laporta, who is eligible for re-election in 2016, has suggested the possibility of recruiting Real Madrid's 29-year-old forward Cristiano Ronaldo. (Le Figaro )
Tottenham scouts flew to Argentina last week to watch Colombian River Plate striker Teo Gutierrez, 29. (Daily Mirror)
Southampton manager Ronald Koeman wants to sign Netherlands defender Bruno Martins Indi, 22, from Porto in January. (Sun)
Chelsea lead the race for Borussia Dortmund winger Marco Reus, 25, and could offer forward Andre Schurrle, 24, in exchange to beat Liverpool and Arsenal to the deal. (Daily Express)
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, 34, will switch Merseyside for the San Siro by joining Inter Milan in the January transfer window. (Daily Mirror)
Juventus striker Carlos Tevez, 30, says he would have considered going back to West Ham only if he had 20 more playing years. (Tuttosport)
Barcelona are keeping a close watch on Marseille coach Marcelo Bielsa as the current manager of the Catalan club, Luis Enrique, has failed to live up to expectations. (Le Figaro)
Juventus will go all-out during the January transfer window to recruit Barcelona's 31-year-old Brazil defender Dani Alves. (AS.com)
Brazilian forward Ronaldinho, 34, could leave Mexican club Queretaro to join LA Galaxy as a replacement for United States midfielder Landon Donovan, 32. (L'Equipe - in French)
Manchester United winger Angel Di Maria, 26, is eyeing a move away from Old Trafford, with former suitors Paris St-Germain uppermost in his thoughts. (Daily Star)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger insists forward Lukas Podolski, 29, is not for sale in January. (Goal.com)
Former Newcastle defender Olivier Bernard says he is "absolutely sure" that fellow Frenchman Yohan Cabaye, 28, will return to the Premier League from Paris St-Germain in January. (Newcastle Chronicle)
Republic of Ireland assistant manager Roy Keane has accused Everton boss Roberto Martinez of putting pressure on his Irish players to miss international matches. (DSSC)
Gareth Bale's agent admitted Manchester United offered more money for the Welshman than Real Madrid, but the 25-year-old forward had his heart set on Spain. (InsideFutbol.com)
Brazil legend Pele, 74, has been discharged from a hospital in Sao Paulo after undergoing surgery to remove a kidney stone. (Marca)
Manchester United striker Radamel Falcao is undergoing an intensive fitness programme at the club's Carrington training ground during the international break so that he can finally get himself into peak condition. (Daily Telegraph)
Meanwhile, Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo, 24, has revealed he went on strike to force his £16m move from Sporting Lisbon in the summer. (Sun)
England striker Wayne Rooney is desperate for a win over Scotland on Tuesday so he can wind up former Manchester United managers David Moyes and Sir Alex Ferguson. (Daily Record)
Arsenal and France defender Mathieu Debuchy, 29, is close to a return to action after being sidelined with an ankle injury in September. (Daily Mirror)
Cardiff City are to consider letting midfielder Ravel Morrison, 21, leave the club after manager Russell Slade admitted the move to Wales has not quite worked for the England Under-21 international, who is on loan from West Ham. (Western Mail)
Uefa officials forced Slovenia to take a bus to Wembley for their international with England - even though they were staying at a hotel just 50 metres from the stadium entrance. (DSSC)
Footballers past and present were tweeting their support for former Fulham, Hull and Wigan midfielder Jimmy Bullard as he made his debut in reality show I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!
Manchester United Daley Blind shared his frustration on Instagram at being injured during Netherlands' 6-0 win against Latvia.
More people watched the BBC quiz show Pointless than tuned in to England's Euro 2016 qualifier on ITV against Slovenia on Saturday. (Daily Mail)
Turkish club Genclerbirligi have banned players from growing beards, with anyone flouting the facial hair rule liable for a £7,000 fine. (Guardian)
To celebrate the arrival of David Moyes, Real Sociedad is raffling the scarf the former Manchester United manager wore during his official presentation at the side's Anoeta stadium.
MORE BOLLOX SHORTLY
Rise and shine Blues - It may be Monday morning, but that does mean it is less than a week until you can get another City fix.
The international break can feel like a bit of a drag by week two, but never fear, we’re on the home straight now.
One man that sounds keen to get going again is Frank Lampard, who is quoted extensively in the Daily Star revealing that life at City, and in Manchester, is pretty fantastic.
The midfielder explained that the move from Chelsea in the summer has exceeded all expectations so far, and he’s enjoying the challenge.
Lampard is quoted as saying: “I didn’t know what to expect and it’s all been a bit of a whirlwind. I wanted to prove that I wasn’t here just to tick over and show the manager I was worthwhile bringing in.
“I’ve really enjoyed all those challenges but I didn’t expect to enjoy them quite as much as I have.
“After being in London so long, I thought coming up to Manchester would be a shock to the system.
“But I never realised it would be a shock in a good way. I’m having a great time and in a good way. I’m having a great time and I find it very comfortable living here.”
He added: “It also helps if you can knock in a few goals and help the team win. We’ll just concentrate on getting the results we need and I’m confident we will do that.
“The lads proved that last season when they came through a sticky patch with the away form early in the campaign and ended up winning the title.”
Indeed. Let’s hope history can repeat itself, eh Frank?
If it is a sense of déjà vu come May, Sergio Aguero will be top of the list of reasons why.
It’s no secret the Argentine is in sensational form this term, but the Premier League have crunched the numbers and found he is on target to record the highest number of strikes in a single 38 game season ever.
Not bad, Sergio, not bad…
The report on PremierLeague.com reads: “The record for goals scored by a player for a 38-match season is 31, held jointly by Shearer (1995/96), Cristiano Ronaldo (2007/08) and Luis Suarez (2013/14) and Aguero's rate of 12 from the opening 11 matches puts the Argentinian ahead of schedule to beat it.
“When investigating this improvement in goalscoring and what differs in Aguero's approach this season compared with previous ones the striker is firing in more shots on goal than before.
“ This season Aguero has attempted 57 shots, more than five a match on average, when his average until the start of this campaign had been 3.5 per match. Of his shots this season, more than half have been on target, the tally of 30 by far the most by any player in the Barclays Premier League this season.”
Fantastic, stupendous, incredible, sublime, please pick your own synonym. In fact, we might have gone through most of the dictionary come the end of the season.
An increasingly relevant synonym for the International Break is Transfer Speculation Spectacular. Those column inches have got to be filled and with the January window set to be prised open in approximately six weeks’ time, the rumour mill has been cranked up to high voltage this week.
I was wondering how long it would take Newcastle starlet Rolando Aarons to be linked away from Tyneside after his start to the season – well wonder no more, for the Daily Star claim City and Liverpool are eyeing him up.
Jonathan Green reports: “Aarons signed his first full professional contract in April having joined Newcastle as a 15-year-old following his release by Bristol City.
“That deal runs out next summer, although there is an option for an extra year.
“Newcastle want to commit Aarons to a long-term deal but talks are yet to begin which has alerted City and Liverpool.
“The Kingston-born flyer scored the opening goal when the Toon Army knocked City out of the Capital One Cup and he also scored once and set-up two more goals in England under-20s 6-0 win over Romania in September.”
Elsewhere in those gossip columns, Atletico Madrid’s Koke is allegedly on the radar of multiple Premier League clubs – there can never be just one interested now, can there?
Anyway, apparently City and Chelsea have moved ahead of United and Liverpool in this particular race due to the £48m release clause, which reports claim City are willing to pay in January.
CaughtOffside’s Mark Brus writes: “Chelsea and Manchester City look set to be in direct competition for the signing of Atletico Madrid star Koke this January as they prepare to meet the 22-year-old’s £48m release clause.
“According to the Daily Express, the talented young Spanish international is a top target for both clubs this winter, and they look set to move ahead of Manchester United and Liverpool in the race for his signature.
“Neither of those clubs look willing to pay the amount required to activate Koke’s release clause, but Chelsea and City are prepared to spend big to sign this world class talent, who has shone for Atletico in recent seasons.”
Man City Agree £25m Striker Sale
Man City have reportedly agreed a deal with Valencia that will see loaned out forward Alvaro Negredo move to the Mestalla on a permanent basis according to the Daily Mirror.
By all accounts the temporary move including a contractual obligation that the La Liga side must fork out £25m for the 29 year old next summer.
Singapore businessman Peter Lim will fork out the sum for Negredo who enjoyed an up and down debut season at the Etihad Stadium.
Man City paid Sevilla £20m for Negredo in July 2013 and his tally of 23 goals in all competitions might have been far higher but for a 16 match goal drought the Spanish international suffered.
Valencia will hope that Negredo can re-capture the form that saw him rack up 102 La Liga goals before moving to the Premier League.
Manchester City are reportedly ready to pay the release clause of Atletico Madrid star Koke.
He’d set them back £48 million if they push to bring him into the Premier League.
Chelsea are also reportedly interested, with Manchester United having a past interest in the midfielder.
Reports suggest that Alvaro Negredo’s £25 million return to La Liga has been sealed.
The Spanish striker has been on loan at Valencia and there was speculation over whether he’s make the move permanent at the end of the season.
Several sources are suggesting Valencia have reached an agreement with Premier League champions Manchester City.
Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart is to be rested for the England game away in Scotland tomorrow.
England boss Roy Hodgson has already confirmed that the City number one has been sent back to Manchester after the 3-1 win against Slovenia over the weekend.
Ben Foster or former Celtic stopper Fraser Forster will come into the team.
Is Gael Clichy at the root of Eliaquim Mangala's settling issues?
Manuel Pellegrini says Eliaquim Mangala is already showing his worth, but doesn't expect to dip into the transfer market in January to solve the club's injury problems.
If there's one set of fans that knows not to judge too early then it's those of Manchester City. In years gone by, supporters would cling to the hope that the players they were watching weren't the terrible signing they appeared to be on first sight. These days, however, it's the other way around; they might start off shakily, but those criticising too soon could have egg on their face because the newbie is likely to turn out to be quite good.
Back in March 2014, Martin Demichelis was close to being chased out of Manchester by a pitchfork-wielding mob, following a series of mistakes that contributed to the Blues being eliminated from the Champions League and from the FA Cup. Come the final day of the season, the Argentine was a cult hero, gathering heroic cheers from the stands as he sprinted across the front of the South Stand with the Premier League trophy aloft. On top of that, his hair was fantastic.
This is why there are currently very few supporters who are willing to nail their colours to the mast with Eliaquim Mangala. He started brilliantly against Chelsea, but has struggled since then. A series of shaky performances, topped off with an own goal against Hull, has left impartial observers wondering why on earth the club shelled out a fee in the region of 32 million pounds... eight games into his City career.
The problems that Mangala have going against him come threefold: he's being judged instantly because of the high transfer fee that has been paid, the quality of his debut has left many expecting him to have settled in already, and he's copping a bulk of the flak for the current disastrous form of Gael Clichy. It's no coincidence that the new signing's shakiest games have gone while he's been paired with his fellow Frenchman in the left-back position.
Even West Ham manager Sam Allardyce commented on how they exploited City's weakness on that flank when the Hammers won at Upton Park a few weeks back. It's been such a clear flaw in the team that opposition bosses have picked up on it and are publically explaining they're attacking it.
Perhaps the real problem is the performances of the full-back rather than any of the centre-halves. When the fans remarked at how much Aleksandar Kolarov had improved to overtake Clichy in the pecking order, perhaps they had it the wrong way round. Maybe it's more how much the Frenchman has declined rather than how much the Serbian's improved.
It's looking less like a coincidence that in Demichelis's poor games he was also paired with the former Arsenal defender. It was as if it was only after the Argentine was able to work out how to play with Clichy that his own form started to climb to cult hero status.
In the case of the two own goals conceded this season, both the scorers have been let down by the same team-mate. In the latest incident -- at Queens Park Rangers -- Clichy was more concerned about not handballing the cross than actually blocking it.
There's also little coincidence that Clichy's best game in months came where he was afforded the hard work and protection of James Milner ahead of him and that City struggled against Manchester United when that protection was removed. Maybe that display, in which the Frenchman bagged the assist to the only goal of the game, is in fact the anomaly.
Gael Clichy's form at left-back for Manchester City has been poor this campaign.
When he first came into the City side, the fans understood that Clichy was nowhere near as lethal as his competitor for the left-back berth when it came to the attack. However, he was seen as far more secure; he was positionally aware, he was comfortable in possession of the ball under pressure, and he didn't dive in. That the supporters now see Kolarov as the better option both offensively and defensively must be a concern for the Frenchman, especially as he racks up the mistakes this season.
It's easy to point the finger at Mangala when the ball skims off his head and past Willy Caballero at Hull. It's even easier when he seems nervy on the ball or doesn't track a run that's gone straight past him and into the box at pace. However, that's partly because he's the one who's on the scene and has been trying to undo the car crash that has gone before him. Don't get me wrong, he's not settled into the team, but he's been nowhere near the liability he's been painted as.
In the same sense that Richard Dunne's own goal record at the Blues is a little misleading. Yes, he put the ball past his own goalkeeper, but on a number of occasions it was as he desperately tried to recover from somebody else's error a few seconds earlier and he accidently got the last touch to prod it home. Equally, though, some were beautiful own goals -- I'm thinking of Newcastle away in 2008, here.
The whole team (barring Sergio Aguero and, bizarrely after the last 18 months or so, Joe Hart) is suffering a crisis of confidence. As soon as that returns, there'll be a brand new Mangala on display. Whether or not the form of Clichy can be rescued is another matter -- first on the shopping list for Manuel Pellegrini in the next transfer window could be another left-back.
'I like him': Souness hails 'workaholic' £15m star who can leave for 65% discount.
Over the summer, Liverpool were regularly linked with a move for Manchester City star James Milner, a player who seems to be very popular amongst ex-Reds.
LFC continued to be linked with Milner right up to October, when Sky Sports claimed:
* Liverpool, Everton, and Arsenal remain 'interested' in Milner.
* Man City value him at £15m, but are willing to accept £5m (a 65% discount).
Analysing the England team ahead of Tuesday's clash with Scotland, Souness raved:
"I really like him [Milner]. He’d be one of the first on the team sheet for me — both at Man City and with England. He’s improved greatly in his time at City. Apart from being a workaholic, he’s now added quality to his game"
Fellow Scot Gary Gillespie is also a fan, and when asked last month about Liverpool's alleged interest in Milner, Gillespie enthused:
"He [Milner] is a manager's dream. He doesn't upset the apple cart, and you know what you're going to get. He doesn't really catch the eye, but he works his socks off, and doesn't get the rewards he deserves".
Milner's current contract expires next summer, which mens that he's free in January to sign a pre-contract agreement with another club, and if Liverpool were interested once, it's conceivable that Brendan Rodgers may go back in for him during the January transfer window.
Would that be a good idea, though?
Milner is the archetypal British player: full of running; endless stamina; good at tackling, tracking back etc, but short on genuine guile and skill. He is a steady, reliable payer, but his pedestrian brand of huff-and-puff football is definitely not going to take Liverpool to the next level. Milner's creative stats over the last 4 years:
* 2014-15: 1 goals/2 assists in 13 apps (so far)
* 2013-14: 2 goals/15 assists in 44 apps.
* 2012-13: 4 goals/7 assists in 35 apps.
* 2011-12: 3 goals/5 assists in 37 apps.
* 2010-11: 3 goals/8 assists in 42 apps
* TOTALS: 12 goals/35 assists in 158 apps
* Goal every 13 apps | Assist every 4.5 apps.
Wit the greatest respect, the likes of Milner, Allen, Lambert, and Lallana will not win the league for Liverpool. Teams composed of 80%+ Brits in the starting line-up very rarely win the top trophies, and the Reds have more than enough British players in the squad.
The proof is in the pudding: Just look at the club's results this season - the team is stacked with Brits, but Liverpool are currently languishing in 11th place in the league.
If Liverpool do sign Milner, though, Coutinho and Lallana will arguably be under most threat. The England midfielder can play left, right, or central, and he's no real threat to Sterling, Henderson, or Gerrard.
City set for summer tour Down Under
Reports in Australia suggest Manchester City have agreed to tour the country next summer, along with Roberto Mancini's Inter Milan.
Manchester City are to come up against former boss Roberto Mancini and his Inter Milan side in Australia next summer, according to reports from Down Under.
The Blues are also expected to face Real Madrid during the pre-season International Champions Cup tournament in Melbourne from July 18 to 24.
The Blues have been keeping quiet on expectations that they will head to Australia next summer, in order to play a friendly against sister club Melbourne City.
But the Aussie press claims the state government has stumped up 10million dollars to attract the three European clubs.
Frank Lampard 'enjoying' Manchester City loan stint
Frank Lampard has admitted that he never expected to "enjoy" the challenges of playing for Manchester City as much as he has during his six-month loan stint.
The midfielder, who left Chelsea following a 13-year spell in the summer, joined the Premier League champions after signing for newly-formed MLS franchise New York City FC.
"I didn't know what to expect and it's all been a bit of a whirlwind," the Daily Star quotes Lampard as saying. "I wanted to prove that I wasn't here just to tick over and show the manager I was worthwhile bringing in.
"I've really enjoyed all those challenges but I didn't expect to enjoy them quite as much as I have."
Lampard is expected to join New York City for pre-season training in January.
Gary Owen column: City can still retain Premier League title
Former Manchester City player Gary Owen gives his views on the season so far and why the Blues can still win the Premier League.
City are off the pace in the Premier League and I think there have been similarities with our defence of the title two years ago.
We have not reached the standards of last year and we’ve not hit the ground running.
I don’t think City, as a team, are functioning anywhere near as well as they did last season and it would be against all odds if we qualify for the Champions League knockout stage now.
Football is unfair and a manager is judged by his results. You can’t sack players but you can sack managers and with the spoils managers have at big clubs now at Chelsea, City, United and Liverpool, if you can’t get the success that mirrors the expenditure your position comes under pressure. They all come under pressure because with that big salary comes big responsibilities,
Manuel Pellegrini - as he was last year and as he is this year - is being scrutinised and he will be judged at the end of the season. In football these days you are judged quicker than you were in the past and Pellegrini is no exception.
City have had a mixed start and a number of players are under-performing, but it is unfair to pinpoint the biggest disappointment. There have been mistakes made by different people but I prefer to look at the positives and Sergio Aguero this season is kicking on again. He has been fantastic.
The team needs to pick up their performance because Chelsea are looking a very strong outfit, Chelsea have got that head start and it’s going to take a lot of hard work to overtake them.
But we’ve been in this situation before, when we came from behind United and Arsenal to win the Premier League.
The Bayern Munich game is coming up and my heart says we can beat them. We’ve done it in Munich and it’s a must-win game.
City could go out of the Champions League group stage yet again
You saw what Bayern did to Roma, beating them 7-1 - and Roma are no mugs. That is a fantastic result and this is a fantastic Bayern side. They are the team to beat, along with Real Madrid, in the Champions League.
We don’t play the same game in the Champions League, and quite rightly, Bayern will start as favourites. If we struggled against Roma and CSKA Moscow we will against them.
There have been some accusations City didn’t strengthen properly in the summer but I’m not so sure. We brought in Eliaquim Mangala, who’s a young player we chased long enough. Chelsea and United looked at him but he came to us. He had been training on his own at Porto, so he arrived at City not match fit and didn’t have a pre-season.
With Bacary Sagna, Pellegrini obviously felt we had strengthened enough at right-back.
The only thing that surprised me a bit is the departure of Alvaro Negredo and we now have just three strikers. Most teams who are challenging need four. I was surprised John Guidetti wasn’t given a chance.
The Dutch and Scottish leagues aren’t the same level as the Premier League but how do you know what a player can do if they are not given a chance? He scored God knows how many goals for Feyenoord and he has hit the ground running with Celtic. Someone with that goalscoring nous should be given a go.
Matija Nastasic hasn’t played since August and he seems to be the Financial Fair Play scapegoat who will be sacrificed because he isn’t a homegrown player. He’s not even played in the Capital One Cup.
He’s only 21, so he does have the potential. If it were up to me he would be sent out on loan because once you sell him you can’t get him back. It seems a strange one, though. Out of him and Dedryck Boyata, Nastasic is the better prospect.
World Cup: Former FA chief David Bernstein calls for boycott
The Football Association has been urged to lobby Uefa for a European boycott of the next World Cup - unless Fifa implements meaningful reform.
Former FA chairman David Bernstein told BBC Sport it was time for "drastic" action against the governing body.
He believes the tournament could not be taken seriously without Europe's major nations and that a boycott would be supported by the English public.
Meanwhile, Bernstein has resigned from Fifa's anti-discrimination taskforce.
He described it as "ineffectual" and wishes to end his ties with the organisation.
In an exclusive interview, the 71-year-old also said:
Bernstein was speaking after Thursday's report into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups was questioned by the man who conducted the investigation, Michael Garcia, just hours following its release.
It is the latest controversy to hit football's world governing body, which has been riddled with allegations of corruption in recent times.
Bernstein led the FA for three years from January 2011 - a month after Russia and Qatar were named hosts for 2018 and 2022 respectively, with England missing out on 2018 - and he wants Fifa to change its ways or face a challenge that it finds impossible to ignore.
"My job is to punish people who do bad things"
Appointed by President Bush, married to an FBI agent and barred from entering Russia - BBC News profiles American lawyer Michael Garcia, the man behind the Fifa corruption report.
"England on its own cannot influence this - one country can't do it," he said. "If we tried to do something like that we'd be laughed at.
"I think England within Uefa undoubtedly have the power to influence Fifa, but to do so they would have to consider withdrawing from the World Cup, the next World Cup, unless proper reform - including Mr Blatter not standing [for a fifth term] - is carried out at Fifa.
"If I was at the FA now, I would do everything I could to encourage other nations within Uefa - and there are some who would definitely be on side, others may be not - to take this line.
"At some stage you have to walk the talk, stop talking and do something."
When asked again if we was calling for the FA to unite with Uefa to boycott Fifa and the World Cup, Bernstein replied: "Unless it could achieve the reforms that would bring Fifa back into the respectable world community, yes I would.
"It sounds drastic but frankly this has gone on for years now, it's not improving, it's going from bad to worse to worse.
"There are 54 countries within Uefa. There's Germany, Spain, Italy, France and Holland - all powerful. You can't hold a serious World Cup without them. They have the power to influence if they have the will.
Similar views have been expressed by German Football League president Reinhard Rauball, who suggested Uefa could leave Fifa if Garcia's findings are not published in full.
England's World Cup bid was criticised in the Fifa report with the FA accused of flouting bidding rules, while Qatar was cleared of corruption allegations.
Bernstein accused world football's governing body of trying to deflect attention from its own failings.
"I don't think much to these accusations. I don't think we should get away from the real issue, the real issue is Fifa governance and trying to achieve real change. But it won't happen easily."
Bernstein acknowledges Fifa's power but is adamant the governing body can be pressured into change if the World Cup is targeted.
"Fifa is sort of a totalitarian set-up," he said. "Bits of it remind me of the old Soviet empire. People don't speak out and if they do they get quashed.
"The [Garcia] investigation is possibly flawed but when the investigator complains that his own report is being misinterpreted, it's beyond ridicule."
Bernstein backs the authorities ("Swiss government, Swiss tax authorities, FBI, Brussels, the European community") and sponsors to hold Fifa to account, but thinks Uefa poses the greatest threat.
Much of his anger stems from the decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, where blistering summer temperatures means the event could be switched to winter.
"The choosing of Qatar was clearly one of the most ludicrous decisions in the history of sport," the former Manchester City chairman said.
"You might as well have chosen Iceland in the winter. It was like an Alice in Wonderland sort of decision.
"The attempt to change the timing is also absolutely wrong. It's like a false prospectus; you put a bid in on one basis and then when you've won you change to another.
"There's also a background of political, social and employment issues that keep emerging and I think there's a danger that Fifa and football might be embarrassed by what emerges in the coming years," he added.
"It's certainly not sour grapes. England didn't lose to Qatar, we lost to Russia. Qatar is clearly a totally unsuitable place to hold a World Cup."
Bernstein described Blatter as "formidable, very shrewd, very smart" and conceded it would "not be easy" to bring his reign to an end.
He went on to reveal he had quit Fifa's anti-discrimination taskforce, which was introduced in 2013 with Jeffrey Webb at the helm.
"I've resigned for two reasons: firstly, the body has been pretty ineffectual. I've been on it for more than a year and we only had one meeting; secondly because frankly I don't wish to be personally associated with Fifa any further.
"Fifa sets up these things - and we've seen it with their regulation - that look good in theory but don't seem to do very much in practice."
The FIFA Corruption Report THREAD: viewtopic.php?f=119&t=49276
Former Barcelona president Joan Laporta, who is eligible for re-election in 2016, has suggested the possibility of recruiting Real Madrid's 29-year-old forward Cristiano Ronaldo. (Le Figaro )
Tottenham scouts flew to Argentina last week to watch Colombian River Plate striker Teo Gutierrez, 29. (Daily Mirror)
Southampton manager Ronald Koeman wants to sign Netherlands defender Bruno Martins Indi, 22, from Porto in January. (Sun)
Chelsea lead the race for Borussia Dortmund winger Marco Reus, 25, and could offer forward Andre Schurrle, 24, in exchange to beat Liverpool and Arsenal to the deal. (Daily Express)
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, 34, will switch Merseyside for the San Siro by joining Inter Milan in the January transfer window. (Daily Mirror)
Juventus striker Carlos Tevez, 30, says he would have considered going back to West Ham only if he had 20 more playing years. (Tuttosport)
Barcelona are keeping a close watch on Marseille coach Marcelo Bielsa as the current manager of the Catalan club, Luis Enrique, has failed to live up to expectations. (Le Figaro)
Juventus will go all-out during the January transfer window to recruit Barcelona's 31-year-old Brazil defender Dani Alves. (AS.com)
Brazilian forward Ronaldinho, 34, could leave Mexican club Queretaro to join LA Galaxy as a replacement for United States midfielder Landon Donovan, 32. (L'Equipe - in French)
Manchester United winger Angel Di Maria, 26, is eyeing a move away from Old Trafford, with former suitors Paris St-Germain uppermost in his thoughts. (Daily Star)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger insists forward Lukas Podolski, 29, is not for sale in January. (Goal.com)
Former Newcastle defender Olivier Bernard says he is "absolutely sure" that fellow Frenchman Yohan Cabaye, 28, will return to the Premier League from Paris St-Germain in January. (Newcastle Chronicle)
Republic of Ireland assistant manager Roy Keane has accused Everton boss Roberto Martinez of putting pressure on his Irish players to miss international matches. (DSSC)
Gareth Bale's agent admitted Manchester United offered more money for the Welshman than Real Madrid, but the 25-year-old forward had his heart set on Spain. (InsideFutbol.com)
Brazil legend Pele, 74, has been discharged from a hospital in Sao Paulo after undergoing surgery to remove a kidney stone. (Marca)
Manchester United striker Radamel Falcao is undergoing an intensive fitness programme at the club's Carrington training ground during the international break so that he can finally get himself into peak condition. (Daily Telegraph)
Meanwhile, Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo, 24, has revealed he went on strike to force his £16m move from Sporting Lisbon in the summer. (Sun)
England striker Wayne Rooney is desperate for a win over Scotland on Tuesday so he can wind up former Manchester United managers David Moyes and Sir Alex Ferguson. (Daily Record)
Arsenal and France defender Mathieu Debuchy, 29, is close to a return to action after being sidelined with an ankle injury in September. (Daily Mirror)
Cardiff City are to consider letting midfielder Ravel Morrison, 21, leave the club after manager Russell Slade admitted the move to Wales has not quite worked for the England Under-21 international, who is on loan from West Ham. (Western Mail)
Uefa officials forced Slovenia to take a bus to Wembley for their international with England - even though they were staying at a hotel just 50 metres from the stadium entrance. (DSSC)
Footballers past and present were tweeting their support for former Fulham, Hull and Wigan midfielder Jimmy Bullard as he made his debut in reality show I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!
Manchester United Daley Blind shared his frustration on Instagram at being injured during Netherlands' 6-0 win against Latvia.
More people watched the BBC quiz show Pointless than tuned in to England's Euro 2016 qualifier on ITV against Slovenia on Saturday. (Daily Mail)
Turkish club Genclerbirligi have banned players from growing beards, with anyone flouting the facial hair rule liable for a £7,000 fine. (Guardian)
To celebrate the arrival of David Moyes, Real Sociedad is raffling the scarf the former Manchester United manager wore during his official presentation at the side's Anoeta stadium.
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