Here at B*ll*x Towers we can reveal the likely reason for Mario not getting into yesterday's squad ...
I won't pay up! Balotelli taking Man City to tribunal over £340,000 fine
Bad boy striker doesn't think he deserves punishment for a series of breaches of discipline.
Mario Balotelli is taking Manchester City to a Premier League tribunal to overturn a £340,000 club fineThe controversial Italian striker will appear before an independent two-man panel in London on Wednesday after being docked two weeks’ wages by the champions.
TB understands that City handed down the fine after deciding that Balotelli was guilty of a series of breaches of discipline.
But the 22-year-old believes that the punishment is unjust.
After failing with an appeal to the club’s hierarchy, he instructed his agent to pursue City through a tribunal.
If Balotelli loses his appeal, he faces paying the five-figure costs of the hearing, as well as the fine.
The £170,000-a-week forward clearly sees that as a gamble worth taking.
But he also risks alienating himself even further from the club.
City’s Abu Dhabi-based owners are worried that Balotelli is giving the Blues a bad image with his constant indiscretions – on and off the field.
Manager Roberto Mancini is also beginning to waver in his support for a player described as “unmanageable” by Jose Mourinho while at Inter Milan.
Balotelli was left out of the City squad for yesterday’s trip north to Newcastle.
Mancini made clear his anger, amid claims that the player’s training had not been up to standard in the past few days.
Questioned on why Balotelli didn’t travel to the north east, Mancini replied: “Mario is not in good form at the moment.
“It is better for him to train well.
“His form is not good enough to play.”
Privately, the City boss now wonders whether Balotelli will ever fulfil his potential.
He has used Balotelli sparingly this season and substituted him after 55 minutes of last week’s Manchester derby defeat to United.
Balotelli is now one of the highest-profile players in football.
But that will not save him from being sold if City can recoup their £24million investment.
Sergio Aggro: Man City line up David Villa to replace unsettled Aguero
Sergio Aguero could be on his way out of the Etihad – with Barcelona star David Villa already being lined up as a mega-money replacement, writes the Sunday People.
Striker Aguero was a £38million signing from Atletico Madrid just 18 months ago.
And he will remain forever in the hearts of all Blue Moonies after his sensational late winner against QPR on the final day of last season that snatched the Premier League title from Manchester United’s hands.
Sources close to the Argentinian striker claim his spirits are low and he has become unsettled at the club this season after their Champions League exit and amid dressing room unrest.
It is understood that City sporting director Txiki Begiristain and chief executive Ferran Soriano – with their strong Barca links – have identified Villa as a potential transfer target.
The Spaniard – a World Cup and European Championship winner – is said to be assessing his future at the Nou Camp following manager Pep Guardiola’s departure in the summer.
Aguero – who scored the opener in City’s 3-1 win at Newcastle yesterday – was upset at City boss Roberto Mancini for publicly criticising his strike-force over their lack of goals this season.
Mancini has made no secret of the fact he wants a proven new frontman after failing to land Robin van Persie, who joined arch-rivals United for £24m from Arsenal.
RVP then rubbed City’s noses in it with the late winner in Sunday’s 3-2 derby victory at the Etihad.
Mancini’s pop at his strikers – and midfielder Sami Nasri for his role in van Persie’s goal last week – did not impress Aguero.
He has been eyed by both Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona – and City would expect to recoup his massive transfer fee if he moved on.
Villa, 31, was out for eight months last season and missed Spain’s win at Euro 2012 after breaking a tibia in a Club World Cup match in Japan.
He is fit again and playing, but it is understood he would be open to a big move to England at this stage of his career and that has alerted Begiristain, who is ideally placed to negotiate with his old club.
Begiristain is former director of football at Barcelona and Soriano was financial vice-president and general manager there for five years until 2008. But as the powerful pair go looking for new faces, they have sparked more turmoil behind the scenes by stalling on new contract deals for FOUR of the City’s current stars.
Yaya Toure, Carlos Tevez, Gareth Barry and James Milner have just 18 months left on their deals but so far there have been no moves to open negotiations.
That has left some players believing Mancini’s own position is far from clear cut and that club chairman Khaldoon al Mubarak and his senior management team are waiting to see how the second half of the season unfolds before entering into talks with players.
Barry, 32 in February, is most at risk, along with Tevez, who is unlikely to be offered – or want – a new deal.
City would be reluctant to give England midfielder Barry a long-term contract as he will be over 33 when his present agreement runs out.
Milner, 27 next month, is looking for a four-year deal while Toure – 30 at the end of the season – has publicly stated he wants to finish his career at City.
So far none of the quartet have opened talks – adding more weight to the belief that Mancini could be out in the summer if he does not retain the Premier League trophy that Aguero won for him.
City want to clean up with Bruma
MANCHESTER CITY have stepped up their chase for Portuguese prodigy Bruma.
Roberto Mancini tried to sign the Sporting Lisbon winger, 18, in August, but refused the £24million price.
City are still keen and will bid again. Sun
Mancini and the boys from Barcelona at loggerheads over the way forward
Tension is already growing between Roberto Mancini and Manchester City's new executives from Barcelona over their vision for the club.
Chief executive Ferran Soriano and sporting director Txiki Begiristain, who held similar posts at the Nou Camp before moving to England this season, have prioritised building up City's academy to try to emulate Barcelona's famous La Masia.
It was there that Lionel Messi was recruited as a 13-year-old and developed into the best player in the world.
But Mancini is fuming because he feels the benefits will not be seen during his five-year contract. He believes signing players in their early teens is a wasted investment because the quality of City's junior coaching is inferior to that of Barcelona.
He fears the financial outlay on the academy will stop him signing up Europe's best teenagers who he can push into the first team within two seasons.
The difference in strategy is causing friction, with Mancini aware Begiristain wants all City teams eventually to play the tiki-taka style favoured by Barcelona. Mancini prefers to play a 4-2-3-1 and is sticking to his guns.
City's financial results last week showed a annual loss of £97million and, while that is a big improvement on the previous year, the club know they have to fit in with UEFA financial fairplay regulations.
The stand-off is unlikely to lead to a major bust-up in January and Mancini respects Begiristain's ability to recruit firstteam players more highly than his predecessor, Brian Marwood, who oversaw the signings of Javi Garcia, Scott Sinclair and Jack Rodwell in the last window.
But their relationship is a ticking timebomb, with Mancini believing the £37m contract he signed in the summer would lead to greater control.
However, the Abu Dhabi owners have not brought in Soriano and Begiristain to be dictated to by the manager.
As a sop to Mancini, he is likely to get the topclass midfielder he has asked for in the new year.
Italy's Daniele de Rossi and Corinthians' Paulinho, in action today against Chelsea in the Club World Cup final, are under consideration, with Yaya Toure missing much of January playing for Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Other buys will have to be self-financed by sales of squad players such as Joleon Lescott, Sinclair or Edin Dzeko.
Mancini has made it clear he is unhappy with some of Begiristain's plans and has shown less interest in City's elite development squad, who are bottom of their Barclays Under-21 Premier League group. DSSC
SAMIR NASRI HITS THE WALL AT MANCHESTER CITY WITH ROBERTO MANCINI BUST-UP
SAMIR NASRI is facing a battle to save his Manchester City career following a bust-up with boss Roberto Mancini.
Nasri was involved in a heated exchange with Mancini in the wake of their side’s crushing derby defeat to Manchester United last weekend.
The pair fell-out after Mancini blamed Nasri for Robin Van Persie’s winning goal that saw United triumph 3-2 and charge six points clear at the top of the table.
The Italian was fuming with the Frenchman after he took his place in the wall but dangled out his leg to deflect Van Persie’s free-kick past Joe Hart.
Nasri has missed some training sessions this week after claiming he was ill however he started at Newcastle yesterday lunchtime.
But Starsport understands Mancini is growing tired of Nasri’s lack of influence and could decide to sell him next summer, provided he is still in charge.
He has told the French flop he wants to see a significant improvement between now and the end of the season.
Nasri has been a huge let-down since joining the champions from Arsenal in August 2011 in a £26m deal.
Mancini last night claimed Nasri had missed training with a ‘headache’ and appeared less than impressed with him.
He said: “Someone asked how many people were in the wall? Three? I said, no, two-and-a-half because Samir turned when he shot.
“It was a mistake. It is finished. It’s important that next time it will be different. I think Samir knows this.”
Which leads us on nicely to the current rumour on http://www.goonertalk.com
Ex-Arsenal midfielder asked Wenger to ‘take him back’
Former Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri looked into the possibility of re-joining his former club, it has emerged.
Nasri, who famously admitted that he will always be an Arsenal fan, has kept in close contact with his ‘second father’ and Gunners’ boss Arsene Wenger since joining Manchester City in a £24 million deal last summer.
French tactician Wenger keeps in touch with many of his former players, especially fellow compatriots such as Nasri with whom he had built up a close relationship with during the Frenchman’s three years in North London.
25-year-old Nasri justified his reasons for leaving Arsenal last season as City went on to win the Barclays Premier League title, although the ex-Marseille midfielder hasn’t been involved as much as he would have liked so far this campaign due to injury problems.
Homesick?
Creative midfielder Nasri flourished under the guidance of Wenger and bagged fifteen goals and five assists in his final full season at the club and still misses many of his former team-mates, along with his old Hampstead-based mansion.
His relationship with City boss Roberto Mancini is also reportedly ‘strained’ after the Italian criticised Nasri for ducking out of the way of Robin van Persie’s free-kick winner in the Manchester derby last Sunday.
A return to Arsenal is highly unlikely because of Nasri’s £180,000-a-week wage demands, City’s reluctance to strengthen a ‘rival’, added to the fact that many Arsenal supporters still feel resentment over the circumstances in which he left the club.
Now Kolarov is caught in race storm
Police probe Manchester City's Serbian defender after apparent row with fan brandishing an Albanian flag
Manchester City's Aleksandar Kolarov will be investigated by police this week about alleged racist remarks made to an Albanian fan during his side's victory against Newcastle yesterday.
Kolarov, who was a substitute, was believed to have become embroiled in a verbal row with at least one supporter who was waving an Albanian flag as he warmed up on the sidelines during the game at St James' Park. Northumbria Police confirmed they have received a complaint from a supporter alleging that racist language was used by the 27-year-old Serbian player. There is a history of tension between Serbia and Albania, particularly over the disputed Kosovo region.
"Northumbria Police has received a report of racist language having been used at the St James' Park stadium during the Newcastle United-Manchester City match today," said a police statement. "Northumbria Police take such allegations extremely seriously and inquiries are ongoing into the incident."
The probe into Kolarov follows the recent row involving the Serbia and England Under-21 teams which resulted in Uefa punishments for racial abuse that have this week been criticised as too lenient.
Neither Manchester City nor Newcastle would comment on yesterday's incident, although it is understood that Kolarov will be questioned by police this week. He went on to replace Samir Nasri and was later substituted himself.
MCF.net THREAD: viewtopic.php?f=119&t=44749
Manchester City are also likely to face an FA investigation after a smoke canister was thrown from their supporters into the Newcastle end after Sergio Aguero opened the scoring yesterday. The canister landed in the Newcastle family enclosure but nobody was hurt.
Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand was struck in the face by a coin thrown by a Manchester City supporter during last week's derby at the Etihad Stadium.
MANCHESTER TITLE RACE BOLLOX
PTS +6 GD +1
[spoiler]
LEGENDS LOUNGE UPDATE
viewtopic.php?f=119&t=44570&p=484450#p484450[/spoiler]
YESTERDAYS GOALS V NEWCASTLE
http://www.3news.co.nz/VIDEO-all-goals- ... fault.aspx
O'Neill tells Rooney it could have been City
MARTIN O'NEILL attempted to diffuse a potential row with Wayne Rooney ahead of a yesterday's meeting with Manchester United, which they lost 3-1, since Sunderland supporters celebrated Manchester City's Premier League title triumph in May.
Rooney was hurting at the Stadium of Light seven months ago when United thought they had secured the trophy only for two late goals at the Etihad Stadium to claim the crown for the blue half of Manchester.
While Sir Alex Ferguson's deflated players trudged around the Wearside turf, applauding the travelling supporters who had hoped to see a title party, many Sunderland fans taunted their United counterparts by adopting City's Poznan celebration.
Rooney had been speaking of that in the build up to Sunderland's visit to Old Trafford and has outlined a desire to claim revenge when the two clubs come together this afternoon.
"We heard the Sunderland fans cheering, it was sad to see that because they should be supporting their own team really," said Rooney, who claimed not to know the City scoreline until the fans started to react.
"They didn't have the best of seasons so for them to be cheering like that was sad. It was something myself and a lot of player won't forget."
Rooney also went on to suggest that the Sunderland date was one of the first he looked for when the fixtures were announced in the summer.
But O'Neill thinks Manchester United's players should not take the matter personally, claiming it would have been similar had the outcome been the other way around. Either way he would not have expected yesterday afternoon's match to be easy for his team.
"I understand that (frustration), of course, when you have just lost the championship and you see the opposition fans reacting in that way," said the Sunderland manager.
"I have to say had it been in reverse and it was Manchester City who had lost out I think Sunderland fans would have been cheering on Manchester United, I genuinely believe that.
"But on the day it was hurtful to lose the title. Of course it is something you would pay attention to, but I am never sure in the case of Manchester United you can play with any stronger view or feeling. That is why they win championships. They are always strong."
Chelsea are considering a £12m move for Real Madrid's Fabio Coentrao if Ashley Cole leaves the European champions. Coentrao, 24, was previously wanted by Chelsea during Andre Villas-Boas's spell as manager. Daily Star Sunday
Arsene Wenger has hinted Arsenal may bid for AC Milan forward Stephan El Shaarawy in January. El Shaarawy, 20, has scored 13 league goals in Serie A this season. Metro.
Arsenal are also preparing to watch Ghana's £8m-rated midfielder Afriyie Acquah, 20, at the African Cup of Nations. Sun
Blackpool boss Michael Appleton has confirmed there have been talks with other clubs regarding 20-year-old Tom Ince. Ince, who left Liverpool in 2011, has scored 13 Championship goals this season and attracted attention from his former club, as well as Manchester United. Sky Sports
Former Wigan defender Andreas Granqvist, 27, admits he would be keen on a move to Anfield. The Genoa centre-back has reportedly been identified as a target for Brendan Rodgers's side. DSSC
Jack Wilshere is close to signing a new contract with Arsenal. The 20-year-old midfielder says he is talking to the club and will probably commit his future to the north London side in the next couple of weeks. Sky Sports
West Ham are set to offer Mohamed Diame twice his current salary in an attempt to keep hold of the Arsenal target this January. The Senegal international, 25, has a release clause of £3.7m, but West Ham officials are confident of tying Diame down with a £60,000-a-week deal, in which they would also remove the clause. Goal.com
Alex Ferguson backs Everton boss David Moyes, 49, to take over when his reign comes to an end at Old Trafford. Ferguson, who will be 71 at the end of the month, is thought to prefer fellow Scot Moyes - and Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho - ahead of former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola. Sunday Express
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is wanted by Real Madrid to replace Jose Mourinho if the Portuguese manager leaves at the end of the season. Daily Express
West Ham are hoping to sign up to four players in January, with strikers Martin Harnik and Marouane Chamakh high up on their list. Harnik is a 25-year-old Austrian, who plays for Stuttgart, while Morocco international Chamakh, 28, is likely to join on loan from Arsenal. Sunday Telegraph
Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone, 42, has been added to the list of candidates Chelsea will turn to if former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola snubs the chance to take over from caretaker chief Rafa Benitez at Stamford Bridge. Sunday Mirror
Liverpool are on the trail of Galatasaray's Burak Yilmaz. The 27-year-old striker has scored six Champions League goals and 11 in the Turkish league this season. Sun
Germany manager Joachim Low has distanced himself from the Real Madrid job, despite increasing speculation over Jose Mourinho's future. Marca
Liverpool youngster Raheem Sterling, 18, is happy at Anfield despite reported interest from Manchester United and Arsenal. Sterling, who made his England debut against Sweden in November, is yet to sign a contact with the Reds. talkSHIT
Lionel Messi, 25, is ready to sign for life at Barcelona with a deal that would give him the highest club wages of any footballer in Europe's top leagues. The deal is expected to be structured so that it increases yearly, rising to £12.5m per year net before bonuses. DSSC
Though the Ballon d'Or is yet to be decided, Lionel Messi has already beaten Cristiano Ronaldo and Andres Iniesta to one prize - the World Soccer Player of the Year award. The Barcelona star polled over 47% of the vote, with Ronaldo and Iniesta second and third respectively. World Soccer
Former Liverpool midfielder Ray Houghton believes Raheem Sterling needs to repay the faith shown in him by the club as his contract situation continues to go unresolved. talkSHIT
Newcastle striker Demba Ba, 27, will tell potential January suitors Liverpool and Arsenal he wants £90,000 a week, and has told the Magpies he won't sign a new contract for anything less. Sunday Mirror
QPR boss Harry Redknapp is also keen to sign Demba Ba, who has a £7m release clause. Redknapp is also looking at Argentine Milton Caraglio, who plays for Chilean club Rangers. Sunday Telegraph
Dutch side VVV Venlo are attracting interest online after their snow-shovelling goal celebration in their 3-1 home win against Vitesse Arnhem. The move was in tribute to the home supporters, a number of whom helped clear the pitch of snow before the match in order to a avoid postponement. Metro
[youtube]GcQjYJ6Mrfk[/youtube]
GOLDEN BOLLOX FROM THE PAST
Wed Sep 16, 2009
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has reopened his feud with Manchester City boss Mark Hughes following Emmanuel Adebayor's alleged stamp on Robin van Persie on Saturday. Wenger, who used to accuse Hughes' Blackburn side of being too physical, said: "You ask 100 people, 99 will say it is very bad and the hundredth will be Mark Hughes."
The Sun http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sp ... ughes.html
City are in talks with their legal team in a bid to save Adebayor from a potential four-match suspension following Football Association charges of violent conduct and improper conduct as a result of his actions against the Gunners.Daily Telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/footba ... y-ban.html
Althou the MuEN thinks otherwise . . .
City set to accept Adebayor ban http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/ ... ebayor_ban
Bored of the Ade controversy Liverpools co owner goes back to basics . . .
Hicks - City must curb spending http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528, ... 22,00.html
Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor appeared to recreate his controversial celebration from Saturday's 4-2 win over his old club Arsenal after scoring in training on Tuesday. The Togo striker, who has been charged with improper conduct for running down the pitch to celebrate in front of Gunners fans, smiled as he ran and slid to his knees in front of his team-mates. (Various)
