© MCF.net members should always try to use Mr Nools daily 'word bollox' in one of their posts that day
FANFARONADE
fanfarəˈneɪd,ˌfanfarəˈnɑːd
noun
1.arrogant or boastful talk.
2. a fanfare.
"Since our only league defeat, social media has been awash with deluded fanfaronades from Liverpool supporters, oblivious of the fact that they are still 15 points behind us."
Manchester City want Aymeric Laporte and are considering meeting Athletic Bilbao star’s £60million release clause
French centre-back being lined up by Pep Guardiola for stunning move to the Etihad this month
MANCHESTER CITY are considering a move for Athletic Bilbao's defensive rock Aymeric Laporte.
Etihad boss Pep Guardiola is a longtime fan of the French centre-back, and targeted him last summer.
And reports in Spain claim City are willing to meet Bilbao's £60million release clause for Laporte, who is under contract until 2020.
Chelsea, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain have also been credited with interests in the 23-year-old, who has been labelled one of Europe's most exciting youngsters.
Laporte has gone against Bilbao's transfer policy by becoming only the second non-Basque player to join them.
Born in Agen, southwestern France, he moved to Bilbao in 2010 and made his senior debut two years later.
Laporte has impressed for Bilbao once again this season, making 27 appearances and scoring one goal.
And he would be eligible to join City's Champions League quest, not having played in Europe with the San Mames club this season.
Shakhtar Donetsk and Brazil midfielder Fred agrees to join Manchester City after Manchester United interest
Manchester City are close to signing Fred after the Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder reportedly agreed to join the Premier League leaders. Since leaving Brazil to sign for Shakhtar in 2013, Fred has developed into a key player for the Ukrainian side, playing almost 150 games for the club and helping them to five trophies. His performances have attracted interest from a number of European clubs, with Manchester United expressing interest in bringing him to Old Trafford earlier in the month. Pep Guardiola is a known admirer of the 24-year-old, however, and will win the race to secure his signature in a deal worth £35million, according to Arab News. It is claimed the move is now a matter of when rather than if. City are still fighting in four competitions and Guardiola wants Fred to move to the Etihad before the end of the January window, but Shakhtar are reluctant to lose one of their star players midway through the season. Pep Guardiola is keen to bolster his options during the remainder of the January window. Winning 21 of their 24 league games so far this term, City have stormed 12 points clear in the title race and will hope to reach the final of the EFL Cup with victory over Bristol City this evening.
RANDOM ARCHIVE BOLLOX
Bit of an oversight
by Blue Man Dan. » Sun Feb 26, 2006 4:57 pmMark Garrett wrote:blue man dan wrote:
barton shouldnt be making our team , never mind the fucking national team.
today was the barton of old AGAIN, passing to biggest gap he can find and never finding a blue shirt + stupid fucking challenges. im glad we wont see him for 3 games. give is a chance to show that we cwont be missing hiim.
Possibly only 1 game.
1 red card = 1 game
10th yellow = 2 game
2+1 =3
Man City get Vincent Kompany injury boost as they prepare for Bristol City crunch
Latest problem has left Manchester City skipper 'frustrated and upset' but he is expected to be in the squad at Ashton Gate
Vincent Kompany is pencilled in for a Manchester City return tonight as the Blues seek to secure a trip to Wembley.
The Blues travel to Bristol City with a slender 2-1 lead from the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final - and Kompany is expected to be in the squad for the first time in a month.
Kompany returned to training last week but City boss Pep Guardiola did not risk him in the 3-1 win over Newcastle at the weekend.
But John Stones, who could partner Kompany in defence, says that the Belgian has remained an important presence in the squad even when he has been fighting for fitness this season.
“It’ll be good to have Vinny back fit,” said the England man. “He’s been training a few days now and he’s another vital player for us in the squad and to take us forward.
“It’s been difficult for him with his injuries, he’s been frustrated and upset because every player wants to play.
Man City may bring Fred transfer bid forward amid concerns about Fabian Delph
“He’s dealt with that himself and always been there for the team which shows what type of character he is - and the team really, because every player who’s been injured has always been there for the squad.”
City head to Ashton Gate with a strong squad, with Fernandinho, Kyle Walker and Sergio Aguero set to add to the team that beat the Robins in the first leg, while David Silva's availability is unclear.
Danilo is tipped to replace Aleks Zinchenko at left back after the Ukraine international had his first Premier League start at the weekend.
John Stones: First defeat took some pressure off Man City
Manchester City may have had some of the pressure lifted from them by no longer trying to go through the season unbeaten, according to defender John Stones.
City were beaten for the first time at Liverpool the weeked before last, ending some pundits' claims that they were capable of emulating Arsenal's "Invincibles," who remained unbeaten all season.
Pep Guardiola had insisted that they wouldn't repeat Arsenal's record and Stones says they gave it a good run but have always been more focused on winning silverware.
"We obviously wanted that and I'm sure every team does but it's such a difficult thing to do," he said. "The four competitions we're still in, the amount of games compared to some other teams, you know it takes a toll, no matter how much you rotate the squad.
"I think sometimes you've got to hold your hands up and say "we gave it our best shot " which we did. We didn't change our way of playing or anything like that. It happened on that day and I think we've just got to move forward now.
"For me personally it wasn't an added pressure. I think you kind of want to make it happen, it's not so much a pressure, but on the other hand you could say it's a bit of pressure that's been released from us.
"Some people might've been thinking it: could we go unbeaten and when is it going to happen? That could've been going through people's heads. From what I know it wasn't, it's one of those things where we've got to take it, re-evaluate, look at the game, look at positives, negatives, everything about it and go about business like we have been.
"Even in that game at Liverpool, we didn't stop fighting until the 94th minute, we nearly scored at that point. A lot of positives to take from it."
City's defence hasn't been as solid since the turn of the year -- failing to keep a clean sheet and conceding seven times in five games.
But they still have the third best defensive record in the Premier League with Stones striking up an effective central defensive partnership with Nicolas Otamendi.
His Argentine teammate has been rewarded with a two-year contract extension and Stones says it's fully deserved.
"He's another player that's been unbelievable this season," the England international said. "I think that the manager summed him up in a press conference a few weeks back.
"He's another vital player for us and he's loved in the dressing room. Nico's always going to give you 110 percent every week and he's just been top to play with.
"It's been great to play with until I got injured and then coming back I want to get that partnership going again. I'm thrilled to bits that he's signed a new deal as well."
City have been without captain Vincent Kompany for much of the season through injury but Stones says he still has a large part to play this season as they challenge for four trophies.
"He's been training a few days now and he's another vital player for us in the squad and to take us forward," he added. "It's been difficult for him with his injuries, he's been frustrated and upset because every player wants to play.
"He's dealt with that himself and always been there for the team which shows what type of character he is and the team really because every player who's been injured has always been there for the squad."
GOLDEN BOLLOX - Saturday 23rd January 1926
City record their biggest victory ever at Old Trafford with a 6-1 win over Manchester United.
Two goals each from Frank Roberts and Billy Austin, plus strikes from Hicks and Tommy Johnson, secure a mammoth win that is unlikely to ever be repeated.
City follow this up with a 5-1 home defeat to Huddersfield Town on their way to eventual relegation from the top flight.
Of course, that famous 6-1 scoreline was to be repeated 85 years later in the Blues' Premier League title winning year!
Pep Guardiola's big mistake
He should have done more to keep Jadon Sancho
Pep Guardiola is a mightily impressive man. It’s not often you can find a reason to point the finger at the Manchester City manager, whose average win percentage over the past eleven years is 72.1 per cent. This is the guy who dumped Ronaldinho in his prime at Barcelona… luckily, it was to make way for a certain Lionel Messi. He knew what he was doing. Pep is brave, an innovative risk-taker – there is no chink in his armour. Puzzling, then, that he claims he couldn’t have done more to keep 17-year-old Jadon Sancho, who is now flourishing in Borussia Dortmund’s first team.
There is a sense that Pep’s hands were tied back in July 2017 when the player rejected a £30,000-a-week offer from City to join the Bundesliga club. Sancho had stopped turning up for training in a bid to force a transfer to Germany after Guardiola admitted he would have more chance of playing first-team football if he moved on. As it turns out, his chances have been limited.
That is, until this past week, which has seen Sancho put in two remarkable 90-minute displays against both Wolfsburg and Hertha Berlin, proving that he is very capable at the level despite his young age. His highlights reel from the Wolfsburg game plays back like an end-of-season compilation. Sancho can be seen drifting past opposition players at ease, playing pinpoint passes and creating chance after chance. He was a constant threat and very much lived up to the hype.
On one hand it would have been unrealistic for Pep to promise Sancho first-team football, but for a player he fast-tracked into the senior set-up just two months before, you’d think he may have been able to convince him of his future in sky blue. Seventeen-year-old Phil Foden, for example, has played the exact same number of first-team games for City as Sancho has for Dortmund this season. With City competing in four competitions, there surely would have been opportunities.
At just 17, Sancho’s move was admirable, but it’s not as if he was in desperate need of minutes at the top level. A full season under the guidance of Guardiola with first-team exposure would have been arguably just as rewarding as his move to Dortmund – but it was down to the manager to reassure him of that. Could Pep have done more to keep one of England’s most-promising young players? It seems so.
Instead, by all accounts, City just threw some money his way by trying to make him the club’s highest-paid academy player – but it wasn’t about the money. Manchester United know this narrative all too well after they let Paul Pogba leave for Juventus back in 2012 only to re-sign him for £89 million just four years later.
What jarred most about Sancho’s departure is that he is the perfect Pep player in the making: a small, jinxing forward, versatile enough to play on either wing with either foot. He’s direct, confident and keeps the ball like a playground bully – a mini Lionel Messi.
When Pep packs it in, he’ll be remembered as a revolutionary who flipped the idea of what a manager is on its head. He’ll be revered for all of his successes, unbeaten runs and the teams he transformed. He’ll be remembered as the greatest manager of all time. Either that, or as the guy who once let England’s brightest prospect slip through his fingers.
RANDOM ARCHIVE BOLLOX
by Nick » Tue May 15, 2007 6:09 pm
What??
I also said that the entire english backroom would not have heard of him. Most chairman/ backers dont have a clue. Do you think Glazer has heard of Van Gaal?
WAG OF THE DAY
OTHER BOLLOX
Borussia Dortmund are demanding Arsenal's France striker Olivier Giroud, 31, in part exchange for Gabon forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, 28, or they will put the deal off until the summer. (Mirror)
Chelsea are considering breaking their policy of not paying transfer fees for outfield players aged over 30, to sign Bosnia striker Edin Dzeko, 31, from Roma.
Antonio Conte's side could complete a double deal for Dzeko and Roma's Italy left-back Emerson Palmieri, 23, for £44m. (Telegraph)
Alternatively, Chelsea could pay £50m for the pair. (Mirror)
Roma could make a move for Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge, 28, if Dzeko leaves for Chelsea. (Star)
Crystal Palace have opened talks with Inter Milan over an £8.5m deal for Italy forward Eder, 31. (Mail)
Newcastle are set to secure the loan signing of Chelsea's Brazilian winger Kenedy, 21, in the next 24 hours. (Mail)
Real Madrid are lining up a summer move for Liverpool's Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah, 25, according to the president of the Egyptian FA. (Liverpool Echo)
Newcastle are working on a deal to bring Atletico Madrid's French striker Kevin Gameiro, 30, to St James' Park. (Express)
England and West Ham striker Andy Carroll, 29, is out for three months after having surgery on his broken foot. (Telegraph)
The Hammers also face being without attacking midfielder Manuel Lanzini, 24, for six weeks because of a hamstring injury. (Times)
West Ham remain keen to sign Lyon's French midfielder Clement Grenier, 27. (RMC via Inside Futbol)
Brazil winger Lucas Moura, 25, a target for Tottenham, says he is "not happy" at Paris St-Germain. (L'Equipe)
Arsenal initially wanted PSG's Lucas Moura on loan but are now in talks over a permanent deal for him as they compete with rivals Tottenham for the player. (Express)
Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe says the return of English winger Junior Stanislas, 28, and Norway striker Joshua King, 26, from injury is like having two new signings. (Bournemouth Echo)
Uefa could bring in rules which will act as a form of "luxury tax" to stop the world's richest clubs signing all the best players. (Telegraph)
Former England and Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard, 39, is in talks to become the next Oxford United manager. (Sun)
The Football Association is allowing Peter Beardsley to study for his Uefa A licence, despite him being on a period of leave as Newcastle Under-23s coach while the club investigate allegations of racism and bullying made against him. (Times)
Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis has been spotted in Dortmund as he attempts to finalise a deal for Borussia Dortmund and Gabon forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, 28. (Express)
Roma's sporting director Monchi has refused to rule out the prospect of Chelsea signing both Bosnia striker Edin Dzeko, 31, and 23-year-old Brazilian defender Emerson Palmieri. (Metro)
Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez has told the club he will not discuss extending his contract until after the January transfer window. (Telegraph)
Chelsea could still sign Peter Crouch, despite new Stoke City boss Paul Lambert insisting his 36-year-old English striker is not for sale. (Independent)
Burnley's English forward Ashley Barnes, 28, is now a target for Chelsea boss Antonio Conte. (Sky Sports)
Manchester United will be concerned after Athletic Bilbao's 23-year-old goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga rejected the chance to join Real Madrid, meaning the Spanish giants could try to tempt David de Gea, 27, away from Old Trafford. (Mirror)
GOLDEN BOLLOX 23-1-2013
It's City vs United! Stoke keeper Asmir Begovic is wanted by BOTH Manchester clubs
Bosnian would be asked to push Joe Hart at the champions but if he goes to Old Trafford instead he'd have the chance to replace David De Gea
Manchester City are set to battle it out with title rivals Manchester United for Stoke keeper Asmir Begovic.
City manager Roberto Mancini wants the Bosnian to switch to Eastlands and keep first-choice Joe Hart on his toes.
And that has put him on course for a fight with neighbour Alex Ferguson, who believes Begovic is the right man to take over from under-fire David de Gea.
Stoke boss Tony Pulis paid Portsmouth £3million for the 25-year-old keeper’s services in 2010.
But Begovic nearly quit the Britannia for Chelsea, before eventually establishing himself as the club’s first choice.
Hamburg join Man City in hunt for UAE star Abdulrahman
Hamburg deal-maker Frank Arnesen admits the German club are monitoring UAE's highly-rated playmaker Omar Abdulrahman, but stopped short of saying whether they would launch a bid for his services.
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Abdulrahman, 21, is the hottest property in Middle Eastern football right now after playing a starring role in the UAE's recent Gulf Cup triumph in Bahrain.
Scorer of a virtuoso effort in the final as the UAE beat Iraq 2-1 to clinch a second regional title after their maiden success in 2007, Abdulrahman was later named Player of the Tournament.
The accolade was just reward for the Al Ain midfielder, whose stock has been on the rise since catching the eye with a number of impressive display's for UAE's Under-23 side at last summer's London Olympics.
Abdulrahman turned down a summer move to Manchester City after impressing during a two-week trial with the English Premier League champions, but it appears only a matter of time before the prodigiously talented midfielder moves to Europe.
Aside from City, who continue to monitor his progress, Sport360° understands that Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon are also keeping tabs on the frizzy-haired star, as are Hamburg.
Speaking exclusively to Sport360°, Hamburg's sporting director, Arnesen, spoke glowingly of Abdulrahman and believes the Yemeni-born youngster has all the attributes to become one of the game's brightest talents in the coming years.
“We have seen Omar Abdulrahman play numerous times, and he is one of the best players in that age category in the Gulf region," said Arnesen.
"He is a good dribbler with fine technique, good ball control with good forward vision and passing. If he keeps his feet on the ground and keeps working at his game, he has a bright future ahead of him.”
Arnesen's praise of Abdulrahman will lead to speculation of a bid in the future, with the Dane acknowledging on his recent visit to the UAE that Humburg must be "creative" in the transfer market as they can no longer compete with Europe's big spenders.
The German club have instead focused on signing young, up-and-coming talent with the likes of 23-year-old Croatian midfielder, Milan Badelj, and South Korean striker Son Heung-Min, 20, fruits of that policy in recent times.
Hamburg were one of three German clubs in the UAE earlier this month as they stepped up their preparations for the resumption of the domestic season which kicked off last weekend following the winter break.
The Bundesliga, assisted by Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing, also brought Borussia Moenchengladbach to the region as they continue in their attempts to expand their ever-growing brand across Asia.
And what better way to do that than have one of their clubs sign the poster boy of Gulf football.
Aguero: City can still win the title
Sergio Aguero is confident Manchester City can overhaul a considerable points deficit on Manchester United to retain the Premier League title.
City overturned United's eight-point advantage last season with just six games remaining and Aguero, who has recovered quickly from a hamstring injury to give manager Roberto Mancini a boost, believes it is possible again.
Roberto Mancini's side cut United's lead at the top of the league to just five points at the weekend, leading Aguero to declare that City are back in the hunt.
"We won the title off them last season and now we're in the fight again," Aguero said. "We can regain the leadership of the Premier League from them.
"City have everything to continue to grow and the best is yet to come.
"I feel the ambition of my team-mates in the dressing room, in training and in the matches. I hope that the title we won last season was just the first step."
SNUB COUNT - 241
Best of enemies: United captain Vidic has helped City's Nastasic settle at bitter Manchester rivals
They might stand on opposite sides of Manchester and be competing for the Premier League title, but Matija Nastasic has revealed that Serbian compatriot Nemanja Vidic is helping him to settle in England.
Nastasic has arguably been the most impressive of the five players signed by Manchester City on deadline day last summer after the champions gave Fiorentina £12million and Stefan Savic in exchange for the young centre-back.
Despite the fierce rivalry with Manchester United, 19-year-old Nastasic turned to Vidic for advice when he moved to this country and has become good friends with the Old Trafford skipper.
‘Of course I spoke with him when I arrived to ask advice and he has been great with me,’ said Nastasic. ‘I still speak with him. For me he is a great friend and a great person.
‘He gave me general advice, not just about football but about lifestyle and young players adapting to English football.
‘I spoke with Stefan as well because he took my place at Fiorentina. I knew that he had a little bit of difficulty here. But the first two games gave me confidence to play because I noticed that I could cope with the Premier League.’
Roberto Mancini surprised many people by giving Nastasic his debut in the Champions League tie away to Real Madrid in September but he has since become a regular alongside Vincent Kompany, breaking up the City captain’s successful partnership with Joleon Lescott.
‘I feel very proud about that because Joleon is a great player and so is Kolo Toure,’ added Nastasic. ‘I expected a transition of six months, possibly a year, because I thought I would have to learn a different way of playing, to learn to expect different challenges when I play.
‘So I’m very happy at the moment that I have played so much in so little time. In a way that has surprised me but this for me is perfect.’
City first-team coach David Platt believes Nastasic’s progress has justified the chance they took on him last summer.
Platt said: ‘Robbie knew about him for a long time, he knew about him in Florence as well. He got good reviews about him.
‘I think other clubs were looking at him but with a 19-year-old you either take the plunge or you don’t – and we took the plunge.
‘Matija has done very, very well. He's only young, he's come out of Serie A and it's a different style of football, but he's come in and settled down very well. But it's not just those two, if you look at the two full backs they are exceptional.
‘Am I surprised? No, because we watched him. We knew he had ability and he has played for the Serbian national side so it's not a surprise, but equally we all know the Premier League is cut and thrust.’
Bayern Munich are lining up a £40m bid for Liverpool striker Luis Suarez, 25. Metro
Manchester United are also keen on QPR's Brazilian goalkeeper Julio Cesar, but they could face competition from Arsenal for the 33-year-old's signature. Sun
Manchester United striker Federico Macheda, 21, is on the verge of signing for Spanish second division side Elche on loan for the rest of the season. Daily Express
Brazilian midfielder Philippe Coutinho, 21, has told Liverpool he wants to stay at Inter Milan. talkSHIT
However, Liverpool still hope to agree the transfer of Coutinho on Wednesday despite the midfielder's claim that he wants to fight for his place in Italy. Guardian
Sandro's season-ending injury has forced Tottenham into a January move for Schalke's Lewis Holtby, 22, who signed a pre-contract agreement to move to White Hart Lane in July. Metro
CSKA Moscow are interested in signing Chelsea winger Marko Marin, 23, on a loan deal. Daily Mirror
Sunderland face a battle to sign forward Mauro Zarate, 25, after his agent said the player is happy to stay and fight for his place at Lazio. talkSHIT
Wigan manager Roberto Martinez is investigating a loan move for former Celtic winger Aiden McGeady, 26. DSSC
Mohamed Diame, 25, is threatening to report West Ham to Fifa over fears the club are trying to renege on his £3.5m release clause. DSSC
Chelsea are going to hold talks with Belgium international keeper Thibaut Courtois over his long-term future at Stamford Bridge. The 20-year-old is currently on his second season-long loan at Atletico Madrid and has attracted interest from Barcelona. London's Evening Standard
New Southampton manager Mauricio Pochettino says he will bring in players from La Liga to ensure that his "ambitious project" has every chance of success. Sky Sports
Former Barcelona midfielder Joan Verdu, 29, could be Pochettino's first signing at St Mary's. Verdu played under Pochettino at Espanyol and is out of contract at the end of the season. Sun
