OFFICIAL Club B*ll*x by Tim Oscroft
Such is the influence of David Silva that even a 21-minute cameo appearance earns him even more praise and column inches.
That said, the Observer's Barnay Ronay could well have decided he was going to focus on the mercurial midfield maestro before he found out he was on the bench yesterday. As it turned out, more artistry from the little fella within minutes of his arrival helped the writer's cause, making for interesting observations on City-minus-Silva.
"There is an upright, strutting authority about the Spaniard these days and it was his first touch that played in Richards for the penalty that gave City their third goal. Ben Arfa's challenge was bewilderingly clumsy, but, by now, normal service had been resumed and, with Silva in a central role, City suddenly had a creative director.
"Silva's attacking brio is almost impossible to replace on recent form (and Nasri had a peripheral afternoon), but City continue to rumble forward, even in his absence."
Dennis Tueart is a worthwhile source for views on the Blue revolution, having served City so well on the pitch and in the boardroom. While he will undoubtedly love Silva's wizardry - who doesn't? - he likes the English heart that beats within this side, something that comes to us via the Sunday Mirror and Tribalfootball.
"But we’ve got Englishmen like Joe Hart, James Milner, Micah Richards and Gareth Barry. They know what it takes — what it means — for English fans to win the English title.
“The great Man United teams had that kind of a core — the Nevilles, Butt, Scholes, Beckham — and Barcelona have a core of Catalans. The great City team I played for had (Colin) Bell, (Dave) Watson, (Peter) Barnes, (Joe) Royle and me.”
But Saturday's win was marred by bad news emerging over the PA as the teams headed off for an extra-strong mint at half time. Yes, the chips were down - quite literally, as metro.co.uk were quick to pick up on.
"Manchester City fans don't have a great deal to be annoyed about on the pitch at the moment, although there is one thing off it - the club's catering department elicited boos from the stands when they announced there would be no chips in the game against Newcastle.
"The unusual announcement is thought to have come about due to a mix-up with the backroom staff's ordering process at the club. Although some quick-witted fans were quick to make light of the circumstances on Twitter.
"One fan wrote: 'No chips at the Man City game ..... Apparently they were in the kitchen but refused to warm up! Another added: 'What do you get the club that has everything? A deep-fat fryer.'"
Boom, and indeed, boom.
Rivals in fear if Manchester City star Tevez 'gets away with it'
Leading Champions League clubs have urged FIFA to take a tough stance against Carlos Tevez if his self-imposed exile from Manchester City leads to the end of his contract.
One club executive said: ‘If Tevez does get away with having his contract cancelled and then gets himself a lucrative deal elsewhere, what’s to stop others doing the same thing? We are all watching this situation very closely.’
Chelsea are still pursuing Adrian Mutu for £15 million compensation seven years after sacking him for a failed drug test.
The Romanian striker has gone on to play for Juventus, Fiorentina and Cesena.
City are still paying Tevez £200,000 a week and a source close to the club said: ‘Nothing can be done about that. But there will obviously be a disciplinary procedure which will come into force if and when he returns.’
Tevez is expected to fly back from Argentina 'in the next few days' according to a source close to the Manchester City forward. Observer
Manchester City target Napoli's THREE biggest stars
Marek Hamsik
MANCHESTER CITY fly to Italy tomorrow with the club’s chief scout claiming boss Roberto Mancini wants to sign Napoli’s THREE biggest stars.
Carlo Cancellieri broke the cardinal rule of secretive Premier League talent-spotters by openly admitting City’s interest in attacking trio Marek Hamsik, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Edinson Cavani.
And it is bound to spice up Tuesday night’s Champions League clash between the sides, with Napoli fearful that their main danger men could be unsettled by the talk.
Ezequiel Lavezzi
City have made it clear to Cavani’s agents Mancini values the 24-year-old Uruguayan striker highly. In a radio interview, Cancellieri said: ”I confirm the interest of Manchester City in Hamsik, Lavezzi and Cavani, and I think that this should only please Napoli fans.
“Napoli are a growing team who do not want to sell their best players. The strength of Napoli is the very soul and compactness of the group.
“Cavani, in particular, has always been my ‘bullet’ – a player I like a lot.”
“Other than Ibrahimovic, Cavani is the most incisive attacker in Serie A and his agent knows well Manchester City’s appreciation for his client.”
Edinson Cavani
Cavani scored Napoli’s goal in the 1-1 Champions League draw at the Etihad in September, four days before scoring a hat-trick against AC Milan.
He signed a five-year contract when he joined from Palermo in June 2010, but with Europe’s top clubs taking interest Napoli re-negotiated the striker’s contract in May, extending his deal to 2016
Man City to Make Surprise Move for Man United Youngster as Roberto Mancini Plans for the Future
City are the latest club to express an interest in signing Man United youngster Paul Pogba who will be out of contract in the summer and is free to discuss terms with prospective suitors in January.
The 18 year old Frenchman is unhappy at the lack of first team opportunities at Old Trafford and this has led to the former Le Havre man stalling on signing a new contract. Though Sir Alex Ferguson is reportedly keen to keep the youngster but seems unwilling to trust Pogba with a spot in his first team plans and the rangy midfielder is yet to experience a single minute of Premier League action.
In recent weeks Pogba has been heavily linked with interest from Arsenal and Hamburg and now Roberto Mancini is said to be monitoring developments. The Italian is keen to bring in more youthful additions to help build for the long term and to this end snapped up the likes of Stefan Savic and Mario Balotelli over the past 18 months.
Ferguson will be loathed to lose Pogba, especially to his local rivals, but he may be powerless to prevent such a move occurring.
Man United signed the French Under 19 international in contentious circumstances with Le Havre accusing the Premier League side of ‘tapping-up’ but in the end accepted an unspecified sum for the starlet from the Paris suburbs.
Pogba has been likened to a young Patrick Vieira, a player who of course ended his illustrious career at Man City and Mancini may well feel that he could do with a young midfield battler as part of his long term plans.
Though Pogba’s contract runs out in the summer there would still be a fee to pay for his services and that fee would be set by a tribunal.
Mancini insists Man City fans will be safe in Naples
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini is confident their away fans will be safe on their trip to Naples.
Napoli’s ultras have a notorious reputation in a country that is still plagued by football-related violence.
And City have warned fans travelling to the crucial Champions League tie that they should not wear club colours and avoid no-go areas in the city-centre.
But Mancini said: “Naples is like any other city – there are good people and there are bad people. The good thing is that Napoli play in the same colours that we do, so there shouldn’t be any problem for blue scarves.”
Man City no match for Arsenal's 'Invincibles'
Mancini plays down talk of comparisons
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini insists his Premier League leaders will not go through the entire season undefeated despite their 3-1 victory over previously unbeaten Newcastle at Eastlands.
Mancini’s team are the only remaining undefeated side in the top-flight and their impressive run of 11 wins and one draw from the opening 12 games is a Premier League record.
The commanding start has prompted many observers to debate whether City can match the great Arsenal ‘Invincibles’ side of 2003-04 that went through the whole 38-game league campaign without a single defeat.
However, the cautious Italian manager will not entertain such talk. “I hope we continue like this,” he said.
“But I think in the 26 games we have left, we will reach a time when we lose a game, I’m sure of it.
“I’m happy for the players, we’ve been playing well because of them and, at the moment, we have improved a lot.
“As players, as a team, we are very strong now but the season is long and there will be difficult moments ahead. For this reason, it’s important we know we can score goals and win games in a row.”
Mancini, who now turns his attention to Tuesday’s vital Champions League group game in his homeland against Napoli, also picked out fellow Italian Mario Balotelli for special praise.
The controversial forward scored the opening goal with a nonchalant penalty before Micah Richards and Sergio Aguero, again from the spot, put City 3-0 ahead. Dan Gosling scored a last-minute consolation for Alan Pardew’s side.
“It was fabulous!” said Mancini of the Balotelli penalty. “It’s impossible that Mario will ever miss a penalty. Don’t ask me why!
“Mario is a very important player because he’s a great player, like all the players at Manchester City.
“He’s become better and better and I’m trying to help him. But he deserves all the praise because he’s doing all the work, I’m not doing it.
“I’m just trying to help him not waste his talent and become the player he can become.”
Mancini would not be drawn on whether Balotelli can expect to start in the hostile atmosphere in Naples, although the manager is not underestimating the importance of the game.
“I don’t know whether he will start,” Mancini said. “There are three days and now it is important we recover our strength. It is possible.
“My feeling is good about the Napoli game because I think our team has improved a lot in the Champions League. But I know what we will find in Naples and Napoli this season are playing very, very well at home.
“If we want to win in Naples we will have to play better than this.”
Newcastle manager Pardew believed his team could have gained more from their visit to Eastlands, although he was pleased with the performance of Hatem Ben Arfa, the Frenchman who broke his leg in a horrific collision with City’s Nigel de Jong in the corresponding fixture last season.
“I was impressed with him,” said Pardew. “The ideas some of the City players present you with, their flair, makes it very difficult for your defenders and I thought Hatem was at that level.
“He created one or two things, burst away from players, kept possession. To think it is only a year ago that he had that terrible injury, it was a really good performance, he should be proud of that.
“City are the best side we have played by some distance, they are very powerful. We’re a good side and how we are going to evolve, how we are going to deal with the disappointment of this, is still unknown.”
OTHER BOLLOX
Chelsea will launch a £20m January bid to land Newcastle midfield enforcer Cheick Tiote. Sunday Mirror
David and Victoria Beckham are planning to move their family to Paris as he prepares to sign for PSG. Sunday Mirror
Liverpool are leading the hunt for Blackburn's defender Chris Samba, who has switched agents after failing to secure a move away from Ewood Park last summer. Sunday People
The Reds have also joined a number of clubs watching Holland's 21-year-old midfielder Kevin Strootman. Sunday Express
Borussia Dortmund's 19-year-old attacking midfielder Mario Goetze is being urged to come to a decision on his future, with Arsenal eager to make him commit to a date for signing as Manchester United are also rumoured to be interested. Metro
Eric Abidal's agent has put Arsenal and Manchester United on alert by revealing the defender is unlikely to sign a new contract with Barcelona. Metro
Blackburn are looking at a possible January loan deal for Hoffenheim's American right-back Daniel Williams. Sunday People
Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Patrick Herrmann is at the centre of a three-way transfer tussle between Arsenal, Juventus and Napoli. InsideFutbol
Wigan owner Dave Whelan says he will soon call it quits and hand over the club reins to his grandson. Sunday Express
Sportswear giant Nike are hot favourites to sign a £10m-a-year deal with owner Mike Ashley to sponsor Newcastle United's ground. Sunday People
The first cracks in Andre Villas-Boas's relationship with Chelsea have appeared following a frosty conversation with owner Roman Abramovich. Sunday Express
Gareth Southgate has emerged as a shock candidate to be the next England manager. Sunday Mirror
Blackburn manager Steve Kean is on the verge of a "decent rise" in pay to £1.5m a year, even though his team are rooted in the Premier League relegation zone. Mail on Sunday
Everton defender Leighton Baines has hailed Marouane Fellaini's decision to pledge his future to the club as "massively important". talkSHIT
Rio Ferdinand will wait until next summer before opening contract talks with Manchester United as he ponders his future.Sunday Mirror
Liverpool striker Andy Carroll is set for a 12-month boot camp where his diet and drinking will be closely monitored. Carroll is even prepared to ditch his trademark ponytail as the club bosses plan a new image for him. Sunday People
Liverpool bosses appear to have doubts about the intelligence of their club's own supporters after issuing an official reminder to them to take the right tickets to the match at Chelsea. Metro
Sven-Goran Eriksson says his biggest regret as England manager was not hiring a mental coach at the 2006 World Cup to work with players on taking penalties. Sunday Express
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