Anyone see the story on Kolo? From BM

[Nigels Tackle]

trouble down at mill story in week we've got a massive game. unusual that...

[zuricity]

Savic is no worse than Toure. I'm not saying he's better, but he's definitely no worse! Toure is too slow for Norwich strikers, so what hope do we have against the top teams with him playing.

I could care less if we sold Kolo in January. He was a player we bought to help us up one step on the ladder and that's it. I'm more bothered about what effect it has on Yaya.

Maybe Savic could sell a story joking about how Toure played in Munchen??

I agree with you here, however I would add that I think that if Kolo did really make that statement about Savic, then it's a cheap shot.

It really has no place in a discussion outside of the dressing room with the squad and staff.

Also I don't think it will have too much of an effect on Yaya, his older brother has been the reason behind them not playing together.
Even if it did have an affect on him, hey, like Tevez, no one player is bigger than the team.

As is often the case, when key members of a team are missing through injury and suspension, or holidays ( like Tevez and soon the Toure bros in the ACN), others rise to the occasion or take the opportunity to prove how good they are.

[Seanyod]

Think everyone needs to go a bit easy on kolo. People say all sorts of crazy things when on a comedown from class A's ;)

[Piccsnumberoneblue]

All looks a bit of a whinge. He is on biggish money and is really just back up now.
We'll manage without him if necessary.

[Mikhail Chigorin]

trouble down at mill story in week we've got a massive game. unusual that...

Nicely put; I was just thinking the same myself.

[PeterParker]

This mather with Kolo must be resolved very good by our staff because of this two reasons:

1) He is still a very influential lad in the dressing room. As we all saw, with Arse he was captain, although Nige was on the pitch and before that, he was our captain almost half a year.

2) If we decide to sell him, fine him or have another stupid conflict with him, we could have then problems with Yaya. If i were him and saw that my brother was in a conflict with the club and the club started to do a "Tevez" with him, i would be unhappy.


Imho, the club wants to convince Kolo to skip the African Cup of Nations, because we need him in january. Someway i understand him no wanting to retire from the national team, but ffs, this competition will be held in Gabon. If you saw the game that Gabon had with Brazil a month ago, and saw the pitch you would be shocked.

[twosips]

It doesn't matter how bad the pitches are in Gabon...if he wants to play for his country we should respect that regardless. Can't be one rule for one, and one for another.

Anyway - Kolo's still out of order massively. Shocking behaviour - slagging off a fellow pro and teammate is incredibly unprofessional.

[Beefymcfc]

Has Kolo took on Kia or has someone tapped his phone?

[Beefymcfc]

Mancini's just been on SSN and said that Kolo came to him and said that a paper had come out with things that he didn't say and that he is happy here.

So, all you haters, time to apologise me thinks!

[Blue Blood]

Mancini's just been on SSN and said that Kolo came to him and said that a paper had come out with things that he didn't say and that he is happy here.

So, all you haters, time to apologise me thinks!

Seemed out of character for Kolo, always thought he was a good pro, as does Wenger and others who have worked with him.

Never trust the papers!

[Beefymcfc]

Come on boys, say you're sorry and you will be redeemed ;-)

[Mase]

Come on boys, say you're sorry and you will be redeemed ;-)

I still stand by the FACT he's a shite player :)

[dick dastardley]

Am i the only cunt blessed with mole-vision??...can you people actually read what the fuck is written?...what is he supposed to have said?

Dan Taylor in The Guardian.

-

Manchester City's problems with players talking themselves into trouble have resurfaced in the form of an outspoken attack from Kolo Touré in which he claims African players are the "victims of discrimination" in English football and alleges he has lost his place in Roberto Mancini's team because the club have a grudge against him for missing key matches to play for Ivory Coast.

Touré, removed as City's captain at the start of last season, also provides a withering assessment of Stefan Savic, the 20-year-old who was signed from Partizan Belgrade for £6m in the summer to provide extra competition for the centre-half places. "When you look at the performance of Savic [on his league debut] against QPR – excuse me, I'm relaxed."

However, it is when the former Arsenal captain talks about playing in next month's Africa Cup of Nations that his interview in the monthly French magazine So Foot takes a more sinister twist. Touré alleges it is held against African players who miss league fixtures because they are representing their country, stating that "it's going to get more and more difficult for us, the Africans".

"To compete in the ANC, it's catastrophic these days," he says. "Coaches no longer want to sign players because of it. I am convinced that, if I am not playing [for City], it's not only for football reasons. If it was only about the game, I'd be playing every week. I am the victim of that, and it has to be said."

Reflecting on the last tournament, Touré went on to speak of his belief that City had never forgiven him for missing almost a month of the season and not coming back as quickly as they wanted. "When I was in Angola for the ANC in 2010, the club hired a plane so that I could get back as soon as possible for a match against Manchester United [the Carling Cup semi-final second leg]. I couldn't get back in time and we lost. I believe that the club have not got past that, and I'm paying for it now."

The next tournament takes place in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon from 21 January to 12 February and Touré argues that clubs are against losing their players to it. His verdict is that "African players are the victims of discrimination".

When it comes to losing his place, a counter-argument could be made that Touré has not helped himself by testing positive for a banned substance, leading to the six-month ban that took him out of consideration until September. Joleon Lescott has become Vincent Kompany's regular centre-half partner and there is a strong sense behind the scenes that Touré's unusually outspoken comments lately reveal a player who is open to the idea of moving in the January transfer window.

Touré, never previously known as a dressing-room agitator, has talked of wanting to join Paris St-Germain and is known to have been angered by City's decision to take their own disciplinary action against him for the failed drugs test, with a six-week fine imposed. The 5-1 victory against Norwich City on Saturday was his first full game in the league this season and, though there have been four more starts in cup competitions, he has featured less than any of Mancini's three other central defenders.

Touré, however, seems distinctly unimpressed by the early impression left by Savic. "I know my qualities, I've got nothing to prove here in England, they know me here. Football's like that. It goes one way, then the other. The clubs at this level always have big squads. Look, I was the captain here. So was [Carlos] Tevez [who could join Milan in January after a complete breakdown in relations with Mancini] and he is no longer. Who would have thought that would happen?"

Mancini will be asked about Touré's comments when he holds a press conference on Tuesday to preview the crucial Champions League tie against Bayern Munich. In the meantime City's manager has learned that Aleksandar Kolarov will be out for a minimum of three weeks, but possibly twice that length, because of the groin injury the left-back suffered in the Carling Cup quarter-final at Arsenal last week. If City's worst fears are confirmed, Kolarov could miss as many as 10 matches.

if i was a manager i would have to think twice about bringing in african players because of the ANC.

[Ted Hughes]

All looks a bit of a whinge. He is on biggish money and is really just back up now.
We'll manage without him if necessary.

No doubt he opened his fat gob before getting his current run in the team. Bob will let him off though.

[lets all have a disco]

Biggish money!!!!

Yeah 90-100k a week is fucking peanuts.

[Dunnylad]

Although I note Mancini said he's a City player now, has no problems with him, but will discuss in Summer as it seems highly likely he's definitely off as he wants regular first team football

[Goataldo]

If this bilge is true, he wants flaying with his own sports bra. What is it with footballers and their incessantly flapping cake holes? And as for comparing himself with Tevez - how to lose friends and alienate people, or fookin what!

[feedthegreek]

full interview here with roberto.
http://www.mcfc.co.uk/

[Dameerto]

So if the direct quotes are not from Kolo, I presume he will be suing for libel? Or at least pursuing a full retraction and apology.

[Beefymcfc]

If this bilge is true, he wants flaying with his own sports bra. What is it with footballers and their incessantly flapping cake holes? And as for comparing himself with Tevez - how to lose friends and alienate people, or fookin what!

I think you need to read back a little mate, may find that you will need to change your view.