Ade to Juventus?! Direct Quotes?!

[BobKowalski]

Pretty much. It is all adding to the general hysteria and if its not Ade its Robbie or Ireland or its pre season and is it a shambles or not or is it on track with what was planned from the off (Mancini flying back to Italy apart) or its the status of transfers or what the fuck is really going on because City are so damn tight lipped no one has a clue really. All we see is us losing pre season games and reading wild, and invariably negative, speculation concerning all things City.

And its getting to us and it shows. Even when City use an official outlet to refute one story we still look for the negative or jump to the conclusion all the other stories may be true because they haven't been refuted and yet more drama ensues.

And yet the season hasn't even kicked off and we have signed 4 quality players so...what and why are we so jumpy?

Because there are obviously problems & people are pretending there aren't any rather than dealing with them.

So what are these problems? Mancini attending his father yes thats a problem. Unavoidable yes but a potential problem nonetheless. Jetting all over to play friendlies? Not ideal but we are playing with the big boys these days and thats what the big boys do so we have to adapt and work with it. Players coming back in dribs and drabs. Again we knew that from the off and now its only a handful of players who are behind and again as we knew this would happen we should have planned accordingly. Which I suspect we did unless people really think it came as a huge shock to the management team. Losing our pre season games? Haven't seen any so can't comment but everyone seems to think we have been universally awful and every other team has been tearing up trees and impressing the shit out of everyone so I'll bow to everyone's superior judgement on this. Signing or attempting to sign world class players? Four done. Two or three dragging on. Well life's a bitch sometimes and not everyone wants to play nice in negotiations. We are doing more business than any other club on the planet so I don't expect everything to go smoothly. Just ask Barca and Fabregas.

Yes its going to be tough getting everyone fit and gelled for the opening game of the season especially with the dumb international friendly but thats the same for everyone. Our 'problem' is getting our new world class additions up and ready within the team. No one else has that problem because no one else has signed anyone so its 'carry on as you were Claude' albeit it hasn't stopped every manager moaning about the scheduled international. Mancini commented briefly and he was 'getting his excuses in early' apparently.

Maybe we should just step back and look at things a bit more coolly rather than seizing on every misstep or press speculation and running with it.<br>

I'll ask you a question. Taking into account pre season, fitness blah blah, do you think that there are any signs whatsoever that the squad we've been watching so far, has anywhere near the ability to challenge for the Premier League?

Yes.

[ant london]

Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City. Sat 14th August 2010 Ko 12.45.

No idea who plays in attack, no idea who plays in defence, no idea who plays in midfield.

No idea who wants to play for us or wants to leave or who else will be signed or available or how they'll fit together.

Lets hope Tevez Silva & DeJong are in fucking mint shape.

I know.....increasingly it looks and feels like a fucking shambles

I have no doubt whatsoever that the incoming players are pretty much done and that there is not far to go in terms of "assembling the squad" BUT fucking hell it cannot be a good thing to have lots of players training and playing together with no bloody idea whether they will be starting the season all together

Just because the press or us don't know doesn't mean that the club and players are also in the dark!

Mate I can't actually decipher whether you are agreeing or disagreeing with me here

But what you say is precisely my point

I don't think the players/staff are in the dark....and in lots of cases it shows.

[paulh]

sad if true we didnt see the real him with on and off field problems. but if it is true why on earth have we not signed the replacement(s) were are so near the completed squad couldnt we just throw the 45m at dzeko but insist on declosed fee? just to get players bedded in and hopefully take us to the next level.

[Ted Hughes]

Pretty much. It is all adding to the general hysteria and if its not Ade its Robbie or Ireland or its pre season and is it a shambles or not or is it on track with what was planned from the off (Mancini flying back to Italy apart) or its the status of transfers or what the fuck is really going on because City are so damn tight lipped no one has a clue really. All we see is us losing pre season games and reading wild, and invariably negative, speculation concerning all things City.

And its getting to us and it shows. Even when City use an official outlet to refute one story we still look for the negative or jump to the conclusion all the other stories may be true because they haven't been refuted and yet more drama ensues.

And yet the season hasn't even kicked off and we have signed 4 quality players so...what and why are we so jumpy?

Because there are obviously problems & people are pretending there aren't any rather than dealing with them.

So what are these problems? Mancini attending his father yes thats a problem. Unavoidable yes but a potential problem nonetheless. Jetting all over to play friendlies? Not ideal but we are playing with the big boys these days and thats what the big boys do so we have to adapt and work with it. Players coming back in dribs and drabs. Again we knew that from the off and now its only a handful of players who are behind and again as we knew this would happen we should have planned accordingly. Which I suspect we did unless people really think it came as a huge shock to the management team. Losing our pre season games? Haven't seen any so can't comment but everyone seems to think we have been universally awful and every other team has been tearing up trees and impressing the shit out of everyone so I'll bow to everyone's superior judgement on this. Signing or attempting to sign world class players? Four done. Two or three dragging on. Well life's a bitch sometimes and not everyone wants to play nice in negotiations. We are doing more business than any other club on the planet so I don't expect everything to go smoothly. Just ask Barca and Fabregas.

Yes its going to be tough getting everyone fit and gelled for the opening game of the season especially with the dumb international friendly but thats the same for everyone. Our 'problem' is getting our new world class additions up and ready within the team. No one else has that problem because no one else has signed anyone so its 'carry on as you were Claude' albeit it hasn't stopped every manager moaning about the scheduled international. Mancini commented briefly and he was 'getting his excuses in early' apparently.

Maybe we should just step back and look at things a bit more coolly rather than seizing on every misstep or press speculation and running with it.<br>

I'll ask you a question. Taking into account pre season, fitness blah blah, do you think that there are any signs whatsoever that the squad we've been watching so far, has anywhere near the ability to challenge for the Premier League?

Yes.

Don't believe you.

[Blue Toy]

Tomorrow's Mail carrying the story:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... entus.html?


Pick of the article for me is the following line:

Adebayor had an indifferent first season at Eastlands, scoring [highlight]just 14 goals in 31 appearances[/highlight].

Just the 45%. Fucking pathetic journalism.

[paulh]

the mail is pathetic. not a bad ratio if you ask me and considering his ban and the togo incident - an excellent ratio.

[Ted Hughes]

Tomorrow's Mail carrying the story:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... entus.html?


Pick of the article for me is the following line:

Adebayor had an indifferent first season at Eastlands, scoring [highlight]just 14 goals in 31 appearances[/highlight].

Just the 45%. Fucking pathetic journalism.

If not for all the nonsense he would have got 20 goals last season. If his head goes though he'll be no use to us.

[Blue Toy]

the mail is pathetic. not a bad ratio if you ask me and considering his ban and the togo incident - an excellent ratio.

EXACTLY! Almost 1 in 2 which is excellent for any striker.

[Beefymcfc]

Tomorrow's Mail carrying the story:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... entus.html?


Pick of the article for me is the following line:

Adebayor had an indifferent first season at Eastlands, scoring [highlight]just 14 goals in 31 appearances[/highlight].

Just the 45%. Fucking pathetic journalism.

If not for all the nonsense he would have got 20 goals last season. If his head goes though he'll be no use to us.

Where's his head gonna go Ted?

[brite blu sky]

the same team as we fielded towards the end of the season last year is quite capable of beating any of the top teams. So even if we start the season with Given, Micah, Kolo, Kompany, Bridge, DeJong, Barry, AJ, Bellemy, Tevez , Ade they still would do well and are capable of winning any game. The fact that we have strengthened that team by the looks of it so far quite well doesn't make me in the least concerned. The fact that we haven't had chance to see them all together is a bit of a concern but out of our control.
i cant believe there is so much flapping about some poor pre-season performances.
As for the press, ask yourselves this. At what point during this season are you going to start ignoring them baiting City?

[Ted Hughes]

Tomorrow's Mail carrying the story:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... entus.html?


Pick of the article for me is the following line:

Adebayor had an indifferent first season at Eastlands, scoring [highlight]just 14 goals in 31 appearances[/highlight].

Just the 45%. Fucking pathetic journalism.

If not for all the nonsense he would have got 20 goals last season. If his head goes though he'll be no use to us.

Where's his head gonna go Ted?

Potentially up his arse if his last season at the Gooners is anything to go by!

[BobKowalski]

So what are these problems? Mancini attending his father yes thats a problem. Unavoidable yes but a potential problem nonetheless. Jetting all over to play friendlies? Not ideal but we are playing with the big boys these days and thats what the big boys do so we have to adapt and work with it. Players coming back in dribs and drabs. Again we knew that from the off and now its only a handful of players who are behind and again as we knew this would happen we should have planned accordingly. Which I suspect we did unless people really think it came as a huge shock to the management team. Losing our pre season games? Haven't seen any so can't comment but everyone seems to think we have been universally awful and every other team has been tearing up trees and impressing the shit out of everyone so I'll bow to everyone's superior judgement on this. Signing or attempting to sign world class players? Four done. Two or three dragging on. Well life's a bitch sometimes and not everyone wants to play nice in negotiations. We are doing more business than any other club on the planet so I don't expect everything to go smoothly. Just ask Barca and Fabregas.

Yes its going to be tough getting everyone fit and gelled for the opening game of the season especially with the dumb international friendly but thats the same for everyone. Our 'problem' is getting our new world class additions up and ready within the team. No one else has that problem because no one else has signed anyone so its 'carry on as you were Claude' albeit it hasn't stopped every manager moaning about the scheduled international. Mancini commented briefly and he was 'getting his excuses in early' apparently.

Maybe we should just step back and look at things a bit more coolly rather than seizing on every misstep or press speculation and running with it.<br>

I'll ask you a question. Taking into account pre season, fitness blah blah, do you think that there are any signs whatsoever that the squad we've been watching so far, has anywhere near the ability to challenge for the Premier League?

Yes.

Don't believe you.

Well I did have my fingers crossed

But last year with the squad I thought we had a great chance of top 4 and we ended up 5th with a change in manager and bus shootings and god knows what else along the way so I figure this year with some world class additions to the squad, no change in manager and no bus shootings we can be in the mix for the title although I think 3rd is where we will end up.

I also think City are a much smoother outfit this time around and everyone seems to be pulling in the same direction so yes I am confident although I think we will get off to a slow start as players find their feet especially the late arrivals who are new to the PL.

[Ted Hughes]

So what are these problems? Mancini attending his father yes thats a problem. Unavoidable yes but a potential problem nonetheless. Jetting all over to play friendlies? Not ideal but we are playing with the big boys these days and thats what the big boys do so we have to adapt and work with it. Players coming back in dribs and drabs. Again we knew that from the off and now its only a handful of players who are behind and again as we knew this would happen we should have planned accordingly. Which I suspect we did unless people really think it came as a huge shock to the management team. Losing our pre season games? Haven't seen any so can't comment but everyone seems to think we have been universally awful and every other team has been tearing up trees and impressing the shit out of everyone so I'll bow to everyone's superior judgement on this. Signing or attempting to sign world class players? Four done. Two or three dragging on. Well life's a bitch sometimes and not everyone wants to play nice in negotiations. We are doing more business than any other club on the planet so I don't expect everything to go smoothly. Just ask Barca and Fabregas.

Yes its going to be tough getting everyone fit and gelled for the opening game of the season especially with the dumb international friendly but thats the same for everyone. Our 'problem' is getting our new world class additions up and ready within the team. No one else has that problem because no one else has signed anyone so its 'carry on as you were Claude' albeit it hasn't stopped every manager moaning about the scheduled international. Mancini commented briefly and he was 'getting his excuses in early' apparently.

Maybe we should just step back and look at things a bit more coolly rather than seizing on every misstep or press speculation and running with it.<br>

I'll ask you a question. Taking into account pre season, fitness blah blah, do you think that there are any signs whatsoever that the squad we've been watching so far, has anywhere near the ability to challenge for the Premier League?

Yes.

Don't believe you.

Well I did have my fingers crossed

But last year with the squad I thought we had a great chance of top 4 and we ended up 5th with a change in manager and bus shootings and god knows what else along the way so I figure this year with some world class additions to the squad, no change in manager and no bus shootings we can be in the mix for the title although I think 3rd is where we will end up.

I also think City are a much smoother outfit this time around and everyone seems to be pulling in the same direction so yes I am confident although I think we will get off to a slow start as players find their feet especially the late arrivals who are new to the PL.

It's because I'm optimistic that I'm pissed off about the way we've treated pre season. We could have worked the players into a tight unit for the new boys to come into instead of doing an impression of Sven's England freindlies. Now, unless we really click this week, we could be in trouble at the start. The press will be right on Mancini's case if that happens. I'm still hopeful Tevez & Silva will give us back the spark & we can get on track but we've really made life difficult for ourselves imo.

[BobKowalski]

It's because I'm optimistic that I'm pissed off about the way we've treated pre season. We could have worked the players into a tight unit for the new boys to come into instead of doing an impression of Sven's England freindlies. Now, unless we really click this week, we could be in trouble at the start. The press will be right on Mancini's case if that happens. I'm still hopeful Tevez & Silva will give us back the spark & we can get on track but we've really made life difficult for ourselves imo.

The Sven comparison struck me as well. The practice of wholesale changes and giving everyone game time at the expense of any coherent team pattern or continuity is very similar to Sven with England and it is obviously a deliberate decision. Against Dortmund at 1-1 at HT to bring on a rusty RSC for Ade is not the action of a management team looking to win the match but it does make sense if you are trying to get as many people up to speed as possibe so that you have options come the opening match. Whether this is the right approach or not is open to debate but I don't see the point in people moaning that we lost another pre season friendly when winning was clearly not the priority.

And whilst Sven devalued the point of friendlies from a fan or a media point of view judging by the performances of his two successors it does make you wonder if he had a point.

[Ted Hughes]

It's because I'm optimistic that I'm pissed off about the way we've treated pre season. We could have worked the players into a tight unit for the new boys to come into instead of doing an impression of Sven's England freindlies. Now, unless we really click this week, we could be in trouble at the start. The press will be right on Mancini's case if that happens. I'm still hopeful Tevez & Silva will give us back the spark & we can get on track but we've really made life difficult for ourselves imo.

The Sven comparison struck me as well. The practice of wholesale changes and giving everyone game time at the expense of any coherent team pattern or continuity is very similar to Sven with England and it is obviously a deliberate decision. Against Dortmund at 1-1 at HT to bring on a rusty RSC for Ade is not the action of a management team looking to win the match but it does make sense if you are trying to get as many people up to speed as possibe so that you have options come the opening match. Whether this is the right approach or not is open to debate but I don't see the point in people moaning that we lost another pre season friendly when winning was clearly not the priority.

And whilst Sven devalued the point of friendlies from a fan or a media point of view judging by the performances of his two successors it does make you wonder if he had a point.

I don't care at all about the results, just the performances & the best I saw was the 1st half of the 1st game. Imo it would have made more sense to play one 11 for 70 mins in one game & another in the next, in formations that we're going to use, rather than changing everything at half time & then even more changes. It wouldn't be so crucial if they'd been together for years but they had 2 managers last season & have a load of new players to fit in. The players look confused & anxious. I bet they're glad to be home.

[Beefymcfc]

For all those who were getting a little precious:

City: No way Juve - Adebayor is staying

Emmanuel Adebayor is staying at Manchester City – regardless of any bid by Juventus to lure him away.

Officials at Eastlands insist the striker is going nowhere after reports emerged linking him with a shock switch to Turin.

One Italian newspaper even quoted Adebayor as saying that he wanted a move to Juve, but City last night cast major doubts over the accuracy of that interview.

Roberto Mancini sees the 26-year-old as a key part of his set-up in the push for domestic and Europa League glory this coming season.

And even though the City boss is looking to trim his squad ahead of the new season, he is adamant that Adebayor is not on his clear-out list.

Indeed, the striker was handed the No 9 shirt last week when Mancini announced his squad list last week.

And the Blues have pointed to that as evidence of

Adebayor’s value to their cause. The issue did appear to have been clouded by a report from Italy, in which the striker was quoted as saying that his time at Eastlands was up.

“I am sorry to leave the Premier League, but in Europe there are other top leagues,” he reportedly said.

“Juventus are a great club in which I would like to play. Until some time ago, I would not have accepted a transfer to other clubs.

“I wanted to wear the City shirt and have a better season compared to last year, but I know there will not be many chances for me and so I am considering the many offers I have received.”

Adebayor, though, is understood to have told City that he never made those comments.

He did, however, give an interview last week, during the club’s tour of the States, in which he stated that he wanted to produce the best season of his career for the Eastlands faithful over the next nine months.

“I’m hoping to be available all this season and see what I can achieve for this club,” he said during that interview.

“We have some amazing players – Yaya Toure, Carlos Tevez, Patrick Vieira and Kolo Toure. We all came here to make our own history.

“It’s a dream for any player to come to a club and become a legend during your time there and, of course, that’s what we are all striving to achieve. We want to leave a legacy at City.”

While the Blues are pressing ahead with the increasingly complicated negotiations to sign teenage striker Mario Balotelli from Inter Milan, that has not opened the door for Adebayor to go.

City are having to play a waiting game in their bid for Balotelli as they continue to try to agree a fee with Inter and personal terms with the 19-year-old – but believe they will still get their man.

However, discussions with Inter and Balotelli’s agent Mino Raiola are now set to drag on into next week.

[King Kev]

Can't really blame people for being 'precious' when they read quotes from one of our players saying he wants to leave because there is too much competition for places.

I'm glad it's not true and hope that whoever reported the story gets sued.

[Beefymcfc]

Can't really blame people for being 'precious' when they read quotes from one of our players saying he wants to leave because there is too much competition for places.

I'm glad it's not true and hope that whoever reported the story gets sued.

But that's it isn't it mate, a quote comes out from some dodgy source and some take it as fact. I understand people's concerns but some of the comments on here have really shown how some City fans have gone beyond the point of rational thinking, or as they say, 'Precious'.

[avoidconfusion]

Okay so he didn't make these comments? Surely our legal team should do something about this then?

[Ted Hughes]

Can't really blame people for being 'precious' when they read quotes from one of our players saying he wants to leave because there is too much competition for places.

I'm glad it's not true and hope that whoever reported the story gets sued.

But that's it isn't it mate, a quote comes out from some dodgy source and some take it as fact. I understand people's concerns but some of the comments on here have really shown how some City fans have gone beyond the point of rational thinking, or as they say, 'Precious'.

A quote is a quote. If he said it. it's very bad news & a serious problem whether we want to keep him or not. If he didn't say it, we should make sure the world knows about it because they're reporting it as fact in the media & it's been mentioned on 'Talksport' right now as 'Man City striker Adebayor wants to move to Juventus'.

More ammo for people to stick the knife in. City are implying he didn't say it, they should be shouting it from the rooftops.