Patrick Vieira tells Manchester City fans to trust Roberto Mancini over Carlos Tevez
The former midfielder, who now works in an executive role in youth development, says the manager is the ideal person to handle the ongoing transfer saga surrounding the Argentine
Former Manchester City midfielder Patrick Vieira has urged fans of the club to trust manager Roberto Mancini, particularly as the transfer speculation surrounding striker Carlos Tevez continues.
Vieira, who is now in an executive role in youth development at the club, has spoken of his complete faith in Mancini, and that he sees him as the ideal man to weather the transfer storm that continues to swirl around Tevez.
Vieira told The Daily Mirror: “What I respect most about Mancini is that he isn’t afraid to make the big decisions.
“Remember last summer when he allowed Craig Bellamy to join Cardiff – even though he knew this was a player the fans loved.
“This time he is having to manage a difficult situation with Carlos Tevez.
“But having to take these big decisions will not worry him.
“Whether he makes the right choice or the wrong choice, Mancini is someone who is brave to make a decision and move on.
“He always looks at the big picture.
“Whether Carlos stays or leaves, the only thing Mancini will be thinking about is what is right for the team so that he can win more silverware.
“It takes time for fans to trust a manager, but winning the FA Cup and finishing third will make the fans believe in Roberto.
“He will not worry one bit about what other people think.
“He can be ruthless with players – but great managers like [Sir Alex] Ferguson, [Arsene] Wenger and [Jose] Mourinho all have that gift.”
Vieira has also said that while expectations will grow around Manchester City, Mancini will be able to handle the pressure.
He added: “There were a lot of things said about the manager last season, about what would happen to him if he wasn’t successful.
“If anything, the pressure will be even more this season because the expectations will grow.
“But I don’t think pressure is something that Mancini worries about because he has worked under pressure all his life.
“No-one will put Roberto under more pressure than he does himself.
“He doesn’t just want to win, he expects to win. That is his mentality.
“He was happy to win the FA Cup for City, but he will want that to be the start.
“Mancini didn’t come to England just to win the Cup. He came here to win the league.
“He wants to win the Champions League for Manchester City.
“If he didn’t believe that the club was in a position to let him achieve his ambitions then he wouldn’t have come here.
“Being faced by Ferguson and Wenger won’t worry him.
“Sure, those men are managers he respects, but he has a belief that he can beat them.”
City can be as good as Barca - Toure
Yaya Toure believes Manchester City will prove they are worthy of a place in the European elite this season.
Toure joined City from Champions League winners Barcelona last summer and, after a promising first season that saw Roberto Mancini's side finish fourth in the Premier League, the midfielder now expects to see the Eastlands club operating at a similar level to the Spanish giants.
''Last season I was asked to compare City to my former club Barcelona. I responded by saying that I thought City could be as good as Barca one day,'' he told the Daily Star Sunday.
''When I said City could be as good, I truly believed it and I still do. We have a way to go to match those teams but it is our aim. With the ambition that the club has shown in the last few seasons and the way we are improving as a group, I think other clubs are now starting to take notice of the new Manchester City.
''We have shown we can match and beat the best in the Premier League and the next step is to do that in Europe too.''
Sunderland swoop for Manchester City star Adam Johnson
SUNDERLAND boss Steve Bruce wants to bring Manchester City winger Adam Johnson back to his home town.
Hotline understands the Black Cats boss has been in touch with City about the England winger, 24, regarding a loan deal and was encouraged by their response.
City manager Roberto Mancini has admitted he is on the look-out for a wide player and a central midfielder, leaving fans wondering about Johnson’s future.
Bruce was keen on Johnson in his Middlesbrough days but he could not compete with City when they signed him for an undisclosed fee in January last year.
Ironically, Johnson – who found the target in yesterday’s 3-0 friendly defeat of an Airtricity XI in Dublin – scored his first City goal with a last-gasp equaliser at the Stadium of Light.
Although Johnson was born on Wearside as part of a Sunderland- supporting family, he was a Newcastle fan as a boy and actually joined them before being released.
Bruce has signed NINE players in the close season but he is still looking for a left winger and a striker.
And as revealed in Hotline last month, he is keeping an eye on Craig Bellamy’s situation at Manchester City.
Summerbee: I hope Man City give Bellamy another chance
Former Manchester City midfielder Nicky Summerbee has told talkSHIT that he hopes the club give Craig Bellamy another chance to play first-team football at the Etihad Stadium.
The Welsh forward spent all of last season on-loan at Cardiff City in the Championship but Summerbee, who made 119 league appearances for the Citizens, feels he can still offer something to Roberto Mancini’s team.
He told the All Sports Show: “I like Bellamy’s arrogance or whatever you want to call it. He winds other teams up, he winds the crowd up, he’s a wonderful player and if [Manchester City are] looking for wingers then there’s one there.
“I hope they do give him another chance but I do imagine there will be a lot [of players] going out the back door getting loaned out. There are just too many players [at the club].”
Meanwhile Summerbee, who himself plied his trade in midfield, has hailed the impact of Spaniard David Silva and insists there is more to come from the 25-year-old.
He added: “He’s a wonderful player Silva, he’s fantastic. I’ll make a statement now, I think he’s better than [Luka] Modric and Modric is a wonderful player, [Silva] is going to get better and better.”
Aguero makes City serious title contenders, admits Chelsea boss Villas-Boas
Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas accepts Manchester City will be real contenders for the Barclays Premier League title this season after splashing out to land Sergio Aguero.
The Argentina striker joined City from Atletico Madrid on Thursday in a deal reported to be worth around £35million to add to a squad already bursting with world-class talent.
And Villas-Boas believes Roberto Mancini's side, who finished third last term, will be a serious threat this campaign.
'I think it's pretty clear that they are building a squad to fight for the title,' the 33-year-old said ahead of Chelsea's clash with Aston Villa in the final of the Barclays Asia Trophy on Saturday night.
'It's for Mancini to say what his objectives are but my personal perspective is that they are making good signings and that they can threaten for the league.'
The former Porto coach feels the 2011-12 title race could be the closest yet.
'I think Man United as the title holders will be a reference for everybody but you can see the amount of activity Manchester City have had in the market. It's pretty clear they have a title objective as well,' he said.
'Liverpool did more or less the same, Tottenham want to get back into the top four so they'll be challenging and Arsenal are always a threat - we haven't seen the last of them in the transfer market - so everybody is strengthening and as long as everybody feels happy with what they have, everybody competes in a different way.'
In contrast to City, perennial big-spenders Chelsea have - so far - been unusually quiet this summer despite seeing most of their rivals invest heavily in new players.
The Blues have yet to make significant moves despite being heavily linked with moves for Tottenham's Luka Modric and Javier Pastore from Palermo, instead focusing on bringing in younger players like Oriol Romeu and Thibaut Courtois.
'It all boils down to the evaluation period, there's still plenty of time for those decisions,' added Villas-Boas.
'The players that we have shown interest in are young and looking to the future of the club, you might see similar moves in the future from us. It is one of the oldest squads in the Premier League, we respect them and we are happy enough with the quality that we have to challenge for the title but we are also looking into the future.
Pragmatic: Villas-Boas says City have taken a step nearer to the title in buying Sergio Aguero
'We are so comfortable at the moment with what we are getting because of the young players we have. Things for the future are brighter for us in that respect.'
MOURINHO: NO ADEBAYOR MOVE TALKS
Jose Mourinho insists Real Madrid are not in talks to sign Emmanuel Adebayor, despite the Manchester City striker watching the pre-season victory over Leicester.
Adebayor, who spent the second half of last season on loan at the Spanish giants, was in the stands at the King Power Stadium as Mourinho's men maintained their 100 per cent record this summer with a 2-1 triumph over the npower Championship club.
Adebayor's future at City is in doubt following the arrival of Sergio Aguero but Mourinho played down the 27-year-old's presence.
Asked if he was looking to seal a permanent deal for Adebayor, Mourinho said: "No. He is here because he is our friend and he belongs to us. He is one of us.
"It doesn't matter if he is playing at Real Madrid or Manchester City or another club, he is one of us.
"He was with us for six months and went to the heart of everybody. He is a great lad and everybody loves him.
"When he called us asking permission to come here today, there was not one second of thought.
"He was with us in the dressing room and he is always welcome."
Mourinho added: "If he comes he comes, if he doesn't it doesn't matter. We will all know by August 31st who is in and who is out and where they are playing.
"But today he came as a friend and he is always welcome."
Mourinho was also clear about the future of Karim Benzema, who was linked with Arsenal in several of Saturday morning's newspapers.
He added: "There is no speculation. He is not for sale, no chance."
OTHER BOLLOX
Manchester United have told Inter Milan midfielder Wesley Sneijder to lower his wage demands or forget about moving to Old Trafford. Manager Sir Alex Ferguson is keen to land the £35m-rated Dutch star but his personal demands have put the Premier League champions off. Sunday Mirror
Cesc Fabregas is planning to release a recorded goodbye message to Arsenal fans as soon as his protracted move to Barcelona goes through. Fabregas has agreed a £3m-a-year deal in principal with Barca, who have raised their offer for the midfielder to £34m. The People
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich will increase the club's offer to Tottenham for midfielder Luka Modric to around £40m after Paris Saint-Germain thwarted their efforts to sign Argentine midfielder Javier Pastore. Metro
Manager Harry Redknapp has revealed that Tottenham are ready to take on north London Premier League rivals Arsenal in the race to sign Valencia's Spain under-21 winger Juan Mata. (Agence France-Presse)
Spurs are also plotting a swap deal for Fulham striker Bobby Zamora, 30, with Peter Crouch going in the opposite direction. The People
And Tottenham are also lining up a £10m bid for Lyon's 21-year-old Bosnian midfield star Miralem Pjanic. Sunday Mirror
Liverpool are plotting a £15m move for two defenders - Newcastle United's Jose Enrique and Birmingham's Scott Dann. Fanatix.com
Bolton are looking to sign Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge, on a season-long loan deal. The 21-year-old scored eight goals in 12 games while on a six-month loan to the Trotters last season. Sunday Mirror
West Ham and England midfielder Scott Parker will discover where his future lies next week, with Tottenham and Chelsea still keen to make an approach for the player. Footie Online
Monaco's 26-year-old South Korean striker Park Chu-Young looks to be heading to the Premier League to play for Liverpool. Inside Futbol
Stoke City have joined the chase for highly-rated Motherwell winger Jamie Murphy, 21. Sunday Mirror
The Football's Association's director of football Sir Trevor Brooking believes England will qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil after they were drawn with Poland, Ukraine, Moldova, Montenegro and San Marino in their qualifying group. The Observer
Retired Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes has confessed that manager Sir Alex Ferguson would have been right to kick him out of the club a decade ago when he refused to play in a League Cup tie at Arsenal in November 2001. Sunday Mirror
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