Manchester City's recent 1-0 defeat to Arsenal would have left a bitter taste in manager Roberto Mancini's mouth - but an eight-year-old girl sweetened the Italian's mood by sending him some of his favourite sweets, Fruit Pastilles.
Megan Kinghorn felt the City boss needed cheering up after his team suffered a poor run of form, which saw them fall behind their rivals Manchester United in the hunt for the Premier League title.
The young fan had seen Mancini chewing on the sweets in the dugout during a Man City game and decided to try and lighten his mood by sending him packet of the famous Rowntree treat.
She said: 'I sent them because I am a big City fan and I love Roberto and I wanted to send him something to cheer him up because he has a really tough job.'
Megan's mother Kirsty, 39, added: 'We had a running joke in the house that whenever City were on the telly Mancini and his assistant Brian Kidd always seemed to be eating sweets.
'During one match we spotted what looked like a packet of Fruit Pastilles.
'Megan said she was going to buy some with her pocket money and sent them to him. We went to Asda, got a four-pack and she
You could forgive Mancini for disregarding the gift and letter - given he is currently fighting for the league, and his job.
But the 47-year-old didn't ignore Megan and even wrote a reply letter.
It said: 'Dear Megan, How surprised and happy I was to receive some Fruit Pastilles from you the other week. I am afraid Brian and I have eaten them all!!
'You also took the trouble to write me a beautiful letter which I have pinned up on my office noticeboard.
'I am sending you a picture of me which I hope you like and also a picture of the team. I am glad we have great supporters like you. I hope you enjoy the rest of the season.'
Megan's mother said the reply was 'lovely' considering how busy the Citizens boss is.
Now, if only someone knew what to send Mario Balotelli in order to brighten his mood..
Fifa has told the Football Association it can change its rules on retrospective punishment to avoid situations like the one involving Mario Balotelli at Arsenal. The City striker escaped further sanction for his tackle on Arsenal's Alex Song because referee Martin Atkinson - who did not punish the Italian at the time - said in his report he had seen the incident. Daily Mirror
Sergio Aguero commits future to Manchester City
Manchester City's top scorer Sergio Aguero has reiterated his commitment to the club following fresh speculation over his future.
The Argentinian spoke only recently about his love for life at the Etihad Stadium but rumours linking him with Spanish giants Real Madrid still resurfaced.
The 23 year-old, who has scored 26 goals since his club record £38 million move from Atletico Madrid to City last summer, insists he will not be leaving and reports to the contrary are merely attempts to unsettle him.
When asked if there was any truth in the rumours, Aguero said: "No no, all of that, no.
"The truth is that I am happy here, happy with my fellow players and the rest of the staff.
"The only thing I have to do is enjoy playing football.
"I hardly ever do interviews. Sometimes I have to get in touch to deny or correct the claims but I can't dispel every claim that is written about me.
"I repeat that I am very happy here and they invent things to try to compromise me."
Aguero struck twice as City returned to form and cut Manchester United's lead at the top of the Premier League to five points with a 4-0 defeat of West Brom on Wednesday.
Manager Roberto Mancini felt his performance underlined just how damaging his recent two-game absence was.
Aguero was missing as the team were held to costly draws by Stoke and Sunderland because of a foot injury that was exacerbated by a treatment spray.
Mancini said: "I have always said he is our best striker and I was really upset to lose him for two games. That was like United losing (Wayne) Rooney."
Aguero also set up another on Wednesday for countryman Carlos Tevez, who scored for the first time in 11 months while making his first start since September.
The pair had started together for City only once before and have rarely been paired for their national team, but Aguero feels the partnership has promise.
He said: "Yes, obviously Carlos is a great player, like Edin (Dzeko) and Mario (Balotelli), and fortunately we know each other from (playing with) Argentina.
"He knows how I move and play and I know his game so we hope to be able to keep getting to know each other better and I'm happy for his first game."
David Sadler column: Manchester United can shrug off Mancini mind games
The backbone of Manchester United’s management team and squad are too long in the tooth to fall for Roberto Mancini’s attempts to rattle the Reds psychologically.
It was a decent effort by the Italian to suggest that City couldn’t win the Premier League title.
The Blues boss said United’s spirit was too good to squander a five point lead.
He could well have said that last weekend when it was an eight-point gap and look what happened so I don’t blame Mancini for chancing a dip into the mind games.
But I don’t think anybody at Old Trafford will be fooled by that.
The evidence is there that United have fallen for it once and that wasn’t really his doing – it was the history books that tripped the Reds up at Wigan.
But having stumbled mentally once, I don’t suspect United will do it again with the prize so close.
I hate it when you play a side you’ve had the Indian sign over and all the stats are trotted out.
No matter how much you try and ignore them you know the drill, you know what’s gone on previously and you also know that United’s 100 per cent winning streak against Wigan cannot go on forever.
There is no doubt in my own mind that probably despite the best efforts of United’s backroom staff, the Reds went out complacent at Wigan.
An eight-point lead and playing a side who’d never taken a point off them, it was human nature that it plays a part.
United just never got started and once that sets in then it is extremely difficult to raise yourselves again.
We could have no complaints about the result. In fact I thought we could have lost by two or three and that could have been even more damaging mentally.
Mancini might be publicly claiming City have no chance to win the league trophy this season but privately I bet he’ll be telling his players that the rot has set in at United, that it’s getting to them and they’re vulnerable again.
If I was him that’s what I’d be doing.
But it is up to the Reds now to show that spirit the Blues manager claims is the winning ace up the champions’ sleeve.
Wigan was a timely wake up.
Now they have to show they can respond and it is not only the players that will have to show their mettle it is the Old Trafford fans as well.
With two back-to-back home matches against Aston Villa this Sunday and Everton a week on Saturday the platform is there.
But both the team and the support will have to show considerable patience.
We have all seen it so often in the past when an opponent comes and parks the bus in front of goal.
You can count on one hand the number who’ve taken on the Reds in Manchester. I don’t expect to be adding Villa to that number on Sunday.
It is curious at Old Trafford – sometimes the fans are edgy and those nerves transfer to the pitch, sometimes the frustration leaks onto the field as well. Yet sometimes they can also be up and alive from the kick off and that inspires the players.
It has to be the latter on Sunday if we are to bounce back from Wigan.
I accept that Paul Scholes was missed at Wigan and has been influential since he returned but I think the weight of responsibility in the run-in falls on the shoulders of Wayne Rooney.
United are not a one man team but, certainly, when the striker plays well the Reds play well.
He made no impact whatsoever at Wigan so we have to see a response from him. If that was just a blip then he can fire United to the title. MuEN
OTHER BOLLOX
Manchester United have made Lille playmaker Eden Hazard their top summer target. The 21-year-old is also wanted by Manchester City and Arsenal. Metro
Arsenal are likely to bid for Ajax pair Jan Vertonghen, 24, and Christian Eriksen, 20, after Arsene Wenger was assured by the club's board that funds will be made available to him for a significant bid. Caught Offside
The Gunners are also thought to be interested in 26-year-old Valencia defender Adil Rami, who is allegedly wanted by AC Milan. Inside Futbol
West Bromwich Albion are expected to sell Peter Odemwingie, 30, in order to fund a bid for Fulham striker Andy Johnson, 31. Daily Mirror
Odemwingie joined West Brom for an undisclosed fee from Lokomotiv Moscow in 2010
Fenerbahce are thought to have made a £10m bid for Milos Krasic, 27, of Juventus, a long-term target for Spurs and Chelsea. the Sun
Fulham boss Martin Jol has reportedly been given permission to begin a move for Trabzonspor forward Burak Yilmaz, 26. Metro
Wolfsburg are lining up a £8m move for QPR playmaker Adel Taarabt, 22. the Sun
Peterborough United manager Darren Ferguson has slapped a £2m price tag on striker Paul Taylor. The 24-year-old has refused to sign a new contract with the Championship outfit. Daily Star
Gael Givet is to demand he is given a summer exit from Blackburn Rovers after the defender was frozen out by manager Steve Kean. The 30-year-old last featured in the 7-1 defeat by Arsenal on 4 February. Daily Mail
Aston Villa's Stephen Ireland, who is set to face Manchester United in the Premier League at Old Trafford on Sunday, has revealed he is a fan of the club, and that Eric Cantona was his boyhood hero. Birmingham Mail
Newcastle's Danny Simpson, who failed to agree a new contract in January, insists he wants to stay with the Magpies. Newcastle Chronicle
Former Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager Louis van Gaal, 60, is interested in the vacant director of football post at Liverpool. The Times
Bolton boss Owen Coyle believes the club have enough quality in their forward line to escape relegation this term. Bolton News
Taxpayers could face costs in excess of £1m after Port Vale's creditors revealed their intention to recoup three pence for every £1 they are owed. Stoke Sentinel
Former Manchester United winger Mickey Thomas insists Sir Alex Ferguson's team will retain their Premier League title this season. talkSHIT
Ex-Wolves goalkeeper Matt Murray says the club's board are to blame for their Premier League plight, not current manager Terry Connor. talkSHIT
Average fan's matchday bill now £112 - survey B*ll*x
Fleeced football supporters are being squeezed harder than a beer gut in a replica shirt, a new survey reveals.
According to consumer research, the diehard fan's average matchday bill has reached £112.87 - up 11.7 per cent since last year and a frightening 45 per cent increase since 2006.
Experts at Virgin Money have calculated football's contribution to propping up the economy based on the cost of seven key indicators: ticket prices, replica shirts, match programmes, a gallon of petrol, rail fares, a pint of lager and a bacon roll.
And the figures read like a ransom note.
Across the four divisions, from the Premier League summit at Old Trafford to the League Two basement at Edgar Street in Hereford, the average price of a match ticket has gone through the £25 barrier for the first time, up from £24.86 12 months ago to £25.09.
Inflation is running at around 3.5 per cent, but nobody seems to have told replica shirt manufacturers, whose average £29.81 bill for a shirt like your heroes represents a 15 per cent hike on the 2010-11 season.
Scott Mowbray, spokesman for Virgin Money, said: "When prices are rising generally in the economy, they are going to rise in football as well. "
However, while inflation has fallen below 3.5 per cent across the economy as a whole, for football fans it is running over three times higher than that.
Mowbray added: "This is another squeeze on people's pockets, and while some clubs are taking steps to help their fans, others need to think carefully about what they can do to help."
But don't worry, folks - even at £112.87, a day out at the football is still a snip compared with £50million Chelsea paid for Fernando Torres.SEASON TICKETS IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE & CHAMPIONSHIP
Club Cheapest Most expensive Average
Arsenal £985 £1,955 £1,470
Tottenham £690 £1,800 £1,245
Chelsea £750 £1,250 £1,000
QPR £549 £999 £774
Liverpool £725 £790 £757.50
Man Utd £532 £950 £741
Fulham £379 £939 £659
Wolves £522 £630 £576
Man City £445 £635 £540
Newcastle £365 £673 £519
Norwich £469.50 £530.50 £500
Stoke £399 £599 £499
Sunderland £445 £545 £495
Everton £399 £543 £471
Aston Villa £360 £580 £470
West Brom £399 £499 £449
Swansea £408 £469 £438.50
Bolton £319 £450 £384.50
Wigan £295 £345 £320
Blackburn £225 £390 £307.50
Leeds £612 £750 £681
West Ham £525 £750 £638
Ipswich £493 £745 £619
Southampton £540 £595 £568
Birmingham £416 £670 £543
Crystal Palace £418 £594 £506
Middlesbrough £420 £590 £505
Leicester £379 £619 £499
Portsmouth £499 £499 £499
Brighton £395 £595 £495
Nottm Forest £397 £548 £473
Doncaster £440 £500 £470
Watford £395 £520 £458
Derby £350 £560 £455
Millwall £400 £499 £450
Cardiff £345 £545 £445
Reading £395 £445 £420
Hull £390 £440 £415
Blackpool £384 £433.88 £409
Peterborough £325 £450 £388
Burnley £345 £426 £386
Bristol City £295 £475 £385
Barnsley £330 £400 £365
Coventry £315 £394 £355
more bollox soon ....
