Manchester City are planning to transform the Etihad stadium into a venue to rival Old Trafford as they look at the next phase of planning for their Eastlands site.
The club has conducted feasibility studies on various ways of expanding the ground, with the most ambitious plan to lift off the roof and add a whole new tier. That would give the Etihad stadium a capacity in excess of 70,000 and hugely increase the potential match-day income.
The club are trying to compete with their neighbours on every level. The first priority has been to build a team capable of matching them on the pitch but the club are also trying to drive their commercial and match-day revenues.
The Etihad Stadium’s capacity is currently 47,805 and with Old Trafford holding 76,000, the Emirates 60,000 and Liverpool and Tottenham looking for new stadiums, City do not want to be left behind. United themselves have discussed an expansion which could take them to 95,000 seats.
The first priority for City is the completion of the academy project next to the stadium. They have a planning permission hearing at the end of December and, subject to that being granted, they will begin work on the wide-ranging campus, which is expected to take three years to build.
In[/scroll] the meantime City will be looking at how they can develop the stadium. The club hierarchy want to ensure that any expansion fits with demands for seats. The average attendance of 45,949 last season was nearly 2,000 under capacity but City are hoping that consistent success will lead to an upsurge in demand. They also want to make sure they have the corporate facilities which are such a money-spinner for Arsenal and United, especially in Champions League fixtures.
Results of the feasibility studies have shown that they could easily install a further 2,000 seats without too much difficulty or, if they did not feel they could justify a new tier, lift one of the ends to add 8,000 more seats.
City’s plans to expand are another reminder of their current financial clout, but United manager Sir Alex Ferguson insists he is not envious. “We have a good training ground, we have a good youth set up, we don’t need to touch that. We do well in terms of scouting. There’s not really a lot we can do with money.” Ahead of a Manchester derby which is likely to be as keenly contested as any in recent years, Ferguson also claimed that he had “never sought confrontation”. The Scot is famous for his fierce temper, but insisted: “I have never in my life ever sought confrontation with anyone, ever. In this game, you can bet your life it will come your way so you don’t need to look for it. You deal with it then but that’s not confronting anyone.”
Balotelli escapes fireworks blaze
Mario Balotelli could start Sunday afternoon’s Manchester derby despite a firework causing a fire in his house on Friday night.
The blaze was apparently caused by the Italian and his friends letting off fireworks out of the bathroom window.
Balotelli trained yesterday and was due to spend last night at City’s team hotel. Manager Roberto Mancini is unlikely to have been amused by his striker’s latest escapade but is still thought to be considering starting the 21 year-old.
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini compares Yaya Touré to Ruud Gullit but player keeps grounded
Roberto Mancini is contemplating the question, scrolling through his memory trying to come up with someone he’s played with or against who matches the particular talents of Yaya Touré. Not an easy one but he alights on the solution: “Ruud Gullit”.
Mancini is contemplating the question, trying to come up with someone he’s played with or against who matches the talents of Yaya Touré. Not an easy one but he alights on the solution: “Ruud Gullit.”
Mancini played alongside Gullit at Sampdoria and against him at AC Milan in the early Nineties. He sees in Touré some of what he saw in Gullit: a synthesis of physical prowess, technical excellence and tactical versatility.
Gullit played as a striker for Holland and Milan but was equally comfortable in midfield and played as a sweeper at Chelsea; Touré was a holding midfielder at Barcelona, is comfortable at centre-back and has flourished as a second striker at Manchester City. “When you are a top player you can play in every position and for me Yaya is one of the best players in Europe,” Mancini said.
While the City manager has been criticised for the conservatism of his tactics, he has brought out the extrovert in Touré.
Gullit’s ability to keep the ball under control at high speed, combined with his strength, made dispossessing him almost impossible and there are few more exhilarating sights at Eastlands than when Touré begins loping towards an opposition defence. Touré scored 10 goals in his first season with City, four more than he had scored in three seasons with Barcelona.
He would have won Eastlands immortality by scoring the winner in the FA Cup final had he not already earned it with the winner against Manchester United in the semi-final.
“The fans were very happy because 35 years is a very long time to wait,” Touré said. “When I signed for this club I was told it was a story waiting to be written. The fans are happy, and the players are, too, we want to do something else that’s amazing.
“The players all want to be part of the story at a big club, and this club can become a great club.” Touré was speaking at City’s Carrington training ground, while a short drive into the city Carlos Tévez prepared to hear the charges against him.
Where City were previously dependent on Tévez, Touré, David Silva, Sergio Agüero and Samir Nasri have brought a far greater balance to the team dynamic. Not that Touré is comfortable playing the hero: he is softly spoken and laughs with embarrassment when praised.
Take the comparison with Gullit. “Gullit was such a fantastic player, he was one of the best of his time,” he said.
“Gullit, Rijkaard and Van Basten were unbelievable for Milan. I’m very happy to hear people talking about me in that way but the most important thing for me is to try to improve every week.”
OK, what about being called one of the best players in Europe by Mancini? “I think the boss is a very good guy. But I have to continue to work hard. There are players here better than me like Silva and Mario [Balotelli]. They are fantastic. The most important thing for me is if the team is winning.”
This is of course formulaic stuff but the modesty behind the clichés is genuine. The combination of a tough upbringing, a close family and strong faith (he attends a mosque in Stretford) has helped shape his character.
“We were normal children in Africa, playing football in the streets. I was 10 years old before I got my first pair of boots because they are expensive and when there are seven in your family and you say you want a pair, your father tells you to think about the rest of your family.”
Having joined the ASEC academy – brother Kolo, Didier Zokora, Emmanuel Eboué, Salomon Kalou and Gervinho are all graduates – he soon got a transfer to Europe, with Belgian side Beveren. Arsène Wenger tried to bring him to Arsenal but could not resolve work permit issues. He then went to Metalurh Donetsk in Ukraine, Olympiakos and then French club Monaco before joining Barcelona in 2007.
In 2002 the Ivory Coast broke out into civil war and, despite various ceasefires, the situation remained unstable until fighting erupted after the presidential elections last year. The achievements of the expatriate footballers was a source of pride to Ivorians and Touré, whose family are from the largely Muslim north, is determined to follow Didier Drogba’s example and give something back.
“It is difficult you know, because when you’re here all you see is the TV,” he said. “You hear about people dying who you know and who you have lived with for a long time. When you go back home you see it’s not like it was, it is hard sometimes.
“My country needs help and I think we can give some things to the children and help them play football. Now when you go there you can see in people’s faces that life is more difficult than before. What we try and do now is go back two or three times a year and do things for people.”
Touré will do much of that work, in partnership with Puma, when he travels to the Cup of African Nations in January.
He will be much missed by City, that is for sure. Mancini will have to make the most of his 'Gullit’ in the meantime. Another winner against United this afternoon would be a good start.
Fire starter! Balotelli house up in smoke after fireworks are set off in his bathroom
Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli was forced to escape an early morning blaze at his £3million rented house on the eve of the top-of-the-table derby clash at Old Trafford.
Fire crews and police rushed to Balotelli’s five-bedroomed home in a select area of Cheshire after a blaze started when fireworks were let off in the bathroom at 1am on Saturday morning.
The latest incident to involve the controversial 21-year-old Italian will infuriate his City manager, Roberto Mancini, as he prepares the Premier League leaders for their crucial showdown with neighbours United.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... derby.html
Spurs willing to offer Tevez escape route
Harry Redknapp will offer Carlos Tevez a Premier League lifeline.
The Argentina striker’s days at City are numbered after a fall-out with boss Roberto Mancini.
But Redknapp is not bothered about Tevez’s baggage and would have no hesitation taking him to White Hart Lane in January.
He said: “I would take him if he were available for sure. If Manchester City want to let me have him on loan and subsidise it, I’ll take him tomorrow.
“Say what you like he’s a world-class player and the one criticism you can’t level at him is he doesn’t work his socks off when he plays.
“He’s a handful and I’m only interested what he does when he plays. World-class players are in very short supply.”
[spoiler]
[/spoiler]OTHER BOLLOX
Manchester United have had a £2.5m bid for Real Betis winger Alvaro Vadillo turned down. Times
Marouane Chamakh's agent insists the Moroccan striker will not be leaving Arsenal in January, despite being linked with a number of clubs. Metro
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is looking to bring in Werder Bremen winger Marko Marin and Athletic Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente as he tries to freshen up his attacking options in January. Caught offside
Italian veteran Alessandro Del Piero, 36, is being linked with Fulham and QPR as Juventus say their captain can leave the club at the end of the season. Metro
England manager Fabio Capello will be offered £30m to restructure football in Qatar in a deal that could begin as early as January. Sunday Mirror
David Beckham is set to be part of Stuart Pearce's GB Olympic team with former Manchester United team-mate Ryan Giggs expected to follow suit.
Juan Mata insists it is premature to compare him to Chelsea great Gianfranco Zola, even though the Spanish winger has made a superb start to the season at Stamford Bridge. Mail on Sunday
Scotland coach Craig Levein is hoping to persuade Tottenham Hotspur defender Steven Caulker, who has a Scottish grandmother and is on loan with Swansea City, to switch from England. (Mail on Sunday)
Rangers fans are planning a 5 November protest outside the BBC offices in Glasgow before their home game against Dundee United because of a television documentary probing the background of the Scottish champions' owner, Craig Whyte. (Sunday Mail)
St Johnstone midfielder Jody Morris insists he is not ready to retire from playing even if he is offered the manager's job full-time at McDiarmid Park after Derek McInnes's exit to Bristol City. (Sunday Mail)
While caretaker manager Alec Cleland wants to be considered for the St Johnstone job on a permanent basis, assistant Jody Morris insists he has not thought about his future. (Mail on Sunday)
Queens Park Rangers manager Neil Warnock says he has been given a new lease of life at the club following the arrival of Tony Fernandes and believes the club's owner saved him from the sack. Sunday Mirror
Anton Ferdinand is looking to start a prayer group at QPR. The defender wants to get his team-mates praying before games like they did at his former club Sunderland. Metro
