MERRY CHRISTMAS READERS ...
Official Calendar Bollox
http://www.mcfc.co.uk/advent-calendar.html
O'Neill: Footballers have it made
Sunderland boss Martin O'Neill has admitted every day is like Christmas Day for a professional footballer.
The Black Cats, like clubs around the country, will forego part of the festivities as they prepare for their Boxing Day clash with Barclays Premier League champions Manchester City. However, 60-year-old O'Neill insists that is a small price to pay for the life modern-day players lead.
"It's the most phenomenal life you could get, particularly if you have a couple of years where you can be successful. I was lucky enough to be involved in a Nottingham Forest team which ruled Europe for a couple of years, so that was really fantastic," he said.
"But any professional player has got to really enjoy it. You are being paid to keep yourself healthy and fit and if you don't have any major serious injuries, which are obviously more than a bit of a setback and terrible to endure, then it's a great career."
O'Neill added with a smile: "Any of those players who fancy going into management, I give them one piece of advice: forget about it."
The Ulsterman was in positive mood as he drew up his blueprint for a game which last season presented him with one of his most memorable days in the job to date.
It was New Year's Day when Roberto Mancini's all-stars arrived on Wearside, but left empty-handed after substitute Ji Dong-won's injury-time strike condemned them to a 1-0 defeat for the second successive season.
The win was all the more remarkable as keeper Simon Mignolet, who was planning to watch the game from the stands with his parents, was drafted into the starting line-up after Keiren Westwood was taken ill, while midfielders Craig Gardner and Jack Colback were pressed into service as emergency full-backs amid an injury crisis.
O'Neill said: "It was a terrific win. There was a lot of character shown that day. I know these are over-used words in the game, but that was very important for us because Manchester City at any given stage in that match or in any game, can rip you apart.
"We conjured it from somewhere. Ji's goal was greeted with an enormous roar, which I shan't forget, and for us to win on the opening day of the calendar year gave us a big boost."
Manchester City can still overhaul Manchester United: Barry
Roberto Mancini's team have responded to their 3-2 defeat in the Manchester derby earlier this month with consecutive victories.
Sunderland: Gareth Barry is confident Manchester City will be able to chase down Manchester United at the top of the table as the champions prepare to face Sunderland on Wednesday.
Roberto Mancini's team have responded to their 3-2 defeat in the Manchester derby earlier this month with consecutive victories.
That loss to their bitter rivals increased United's lead to six points but second placed City managed to reduce the deficit to four over the weekend.
Barry scored in stoppage-time to secure a 1-0 win over a stubborn Reading side on Saturday before United dropped two points with a 1-1 draw at Swansea on Sunday.
England midfielder Barry, 31, acknowledges that United's home games against Newcastle and West Bromwich Albion over the Christmas period are easier than City's trips to Sunderland and Norwich.
But City overturned United's eight-point lead in the final six games of last season to win the Premier League title and Barry is adamant Mancini's side have a similar determination this time around.
"When there's a little gap it's important that you don't slip any further behind," Barry said.
"If we can keep chipping away hopefully we can be there at the end of the season.
"It's going to be a big Christmas and looking at the fixtures, they didn't fall that kindly for us, with two away games with the distances we've got to travel.
"They're tough games but we showed a great performance at Newcastle and we've got to do the same over Christmas."
City captain Vincent Kompany was on the bench for the win over Reading after a groin problem and he may be fit enough to return to the starting line-up at the Stadium of Light.
Italian striker Mario Balotelli could return from illness, while Mancini will be hopeful that left-backs Gael Clichy and Aleksander Kolarov can overcome minor injury problems.
But Samir Nasri, Micah Richards and Jack Rodwell are all ruled out until the new year.
Although United have the advantage at present, City's recent defeat to Alex Ferguson's side was their only loss in the Premier League this season and Ivory Coast defender Kolo Toure believes the champions have already demonstrated they have what it takes to retain their title.
"It's giving us encouragement because we haven't played to our best yet," Toure said.
"We are the champions, every team knows we are champions. They play 200 percent and that makes it really hard for us.
"We just keep fighting, keep pushing and we can still be better."
Sunderland winger Adam Johnson is a doubt to face his old club as City go in search of their first victory at the Stadium of Light for almost four-and-a-half years.
City inflicted a 3-0 defeat on Martin O'Neill's side in October, but they have taken just one point from their last three trips to Wearside, and their most recent victory was in August 2008.
Johnson is showing signs of recapturing his best form after struggling to impress since a £10 million move four months ago.
The England international was forced off with a thigh problem during the second-half of the 1-0 victory at Southampton that pushed Sunderland four points clear of the relegation zone, and O'Neill is keeping his fingers crossed the midfielder recovers in time.
"I'm hoping it's not too serious, but the way he limped off, it didn't look all that inviting," O'Neill said.
Manchester City defender Nastasic relishing busy festive schedule
The former Fiorentina defender has no complaints over the lack of a winter break in English football and is keen to continue impressing the club's fans with his performances
Manchester City centre-back Matija Nastasic is relishing the busy festive program in English football and insists he isn't fazed by two away trips in the space of five days.
The Premier League champions face Martin O'Neill's Sunderland on Boxing Day before Saturday's meeting with Norwich at Carrow Road as they look to keep up the pressure on rivals Manchester United at the top of the table.
And Nastasic, who has been a mainstay at the heart of Roberto Mancini's defence during the 2012-13 campaign, is adamant that the extended run of fixtures is not an inconvenience.
"To me it is not a problem," he said, as quoted by the Independent. "I am always happy when I am playing, so this time of the season makes me happiest of all!
"My father and mother are here, so I won't miss my family. I don't look at the two long away trips as a problem at all.
"Now we concentrate on the Sunderland game, and then we focus on Norwich - it's not a headache.
"The league in Italy stops, and we have a break, but playing here is no problem for me. I am looking forward to the next couple of games."
The gap between the Manchester rivals was reduced to four points as United were held by Swansea on Sunday following City's narrow victory over Reading a day earlier and Nastasic believes his side were good value for the 1-0 win over the Royals.
"We knew the game would be difficult because it was obvious they would just come and defend, but we deserved the goal in the last minute," the Serbia international added.
"Reading played 11 men behind the ball, in a small area which always makes it very difficult to attack - but that was their game plan.
"We are a very strong team, self-motivated and full of confidence at the moment. What is important is that we keep the same attitude, if we want to win the Premier League.
"We won the game, and that is the important thing."
Nastasic has emerged as a key member of Mancini's back four with Vincent Kompany's recent injury woes and the former Fiorentina star is determined to remain a fans' favourite by keeping up his impressive performances on the pitch.
"It makes me happy if the fans think highly of me, and I just want to keep playing the way I am - that is the objective for the whole team, not just me."
Manchester City fans have not seen the best of me, says Javi Garcia
The Spain midfielder has admitted that the hamstring injury that ruled him out for a month has made his adaptation to the Premier League difficult after his move from Benfica
Manchester City midfielder Javi Garcia says the club's supporters have not yet seen him at his best due to the injury that hampered his adaptation to the Premier League.
The Spain international was sidelined by a hamstring problem in October but has returned to start the defending champions' last two matches against Newcastle and Reading.
After finding the target earlier in the season against Stoke, Garcia scored again against the Magpies and admitted that it was an emotional moment for him after a difficult start to life in the English top flight.
"I think the games against Stoke and Newcastle have been my best for City so far and I enjoyed the win at St James' Park," he told the club's official website.
"I have not shown my best form so far because I was out with an injury for a month and it takes time to adapt to the Premier League. The set-back came at a bad time for me and it's been hard to get going.
"It was an emotional moment scoring at Newcastle because it had been a frustrating period for me in the weeks leading up to the game.
"I had been out of the team and needed to get back to full fitness and I wasn't happy because I desperately want my season to get going to show my true form, but it hasn't been easy
"Now I feel great and I needed the goal and performance at Newcastle. I can give the team a lot more and I hope to get the opportunity to show what I can do in the coming weeks.
"I want to get some momentum and playing over the Christmas period where the games come thick and fast could be the perfect opportunity to do that."
City needed a controversial late goal to see off struggling Reading on Saturday but Garcia believes they will collect plenty of points if they can perform as they did against Newcastle on a regular basis.
"If we play as well as that, we are going to be very difficult to stop and, if we continue to have that attitude, we'll be very hard to beat," he added.
GOLDEN BOLLOX
Looking back through the history books for the events, signings and memorable matches that happened on this day in City’s history.
Wednesday 25th December 1957
City lose 2-1 to Burnley in what will prove to be the last game played on Christmas Day. Paddy Fagan scores the Blues’ only goal at Turf Moor, but a day later City beat the Clarets 4-1 at Maine Road to exact almost instant payback.
Johnson To Miss His Glamour Fixture
Adam Johnson is a doubt for the Boxing Day game against Manchester City.
The winger was substituted with quarter-of-an-hour remaining in Saturday’s victory over Southampton, still struggling with the effects of a dead leg sustained in the win over Reading.
And the club are monitoring him to see whether he will be fit enough to play against his former club at the Stadium of Light on Wednesday.
Martin O’Neill: “Adam came off at the weekend feeling pretty sore again.
“He thought he would be able to get through it going into the Southampton game, but that proved not to be the case.
“So we’ll see how it goes.
“But we’ve still got a bit of time yet, and the same goes for one or two players carrying the usual niggles.
“Beating Southampton was important on a number of levels.
“It was a win, a win away from home, a win against the side around us, and it builds confidence.
“The games will come thick and fast for us now, but the players are now looking forward to them after getting that big, big win.
“Confidence is high, which it will need to be against Man City, and the players are looking forward to these games.
“Man City are the champions, and they’re still chasing the championship this season, so they’ll be on a mission I’m sure.
“They’ve got so many good players it doesn’t matter what team they select it will be a terrific one.
“But we’ll have a big Boxing Day crowd in, and we want to go out there and give themselves something to enjoy.”
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[/spoiler] And now at this moment in the festivities, please remember the times of hardship and think of others less fortunate than yourselves ....
Queens Park Rangers manager Harry Redknapp fears transfer target Nicolas Anelka, 33, could be out of the London club's price range. Redknapp wants to sign the Shanghai Shenhua forward in January.
Could QPR's Adel Taarabt be on his way out of Loftus Road? talkSHIT
Meanwhile, QPR attacking midfielder Adel Taarabt has revealed his agent is in talks with AC Milan over a possible January move, although he admits he would only be going there to engineer a transfer to either Barcelona or Real Madrid. Metro
Fulham boss Martin Jol has moved to reinforce his defence by agreeing a cut-price £800,000 deal for Standard Liege's Turkey keeper Sinan Bolat, 24. Het Nieuwsblad
Southampton boss Nigel Adkins is lining up a January move for Brighton winger Will Buckley, 24. Daily Mirror
On-loan Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku, 19, says he wants to stay at West Bromwich Albion until at least the end of the season. Daily Express
Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert wants to sign Welsh striker Steve Morison, 29, from his former club Norwich. Daily Mirror
Brazilian midfielder Denilson, 24, has said he does not know what his future holds at Arsenal once his loan deal with Sao Paulo expires at the end of the season. Globo Esporte
Tottenham will offer American goalkeeper Brad Friedel, 41, a new contract to stop him returning to Blackburn Rovers. Daily Mirror
Veteran striker Kevin Phillips, 39, has told his Blackpool team-mate Tom Ince, 20, to wait before making a transfer back to the Premier League as he must not risk missing out on playing regular first-team football. The England Under-21 international winger has been linked with a £4m return to Liverpool. Blackpool Gazette
Celtic will battle with Premier League duo West Ham United and Norwich City to sign Kilmarnock's 22-year-old midfielder Liam Kelly. DSSC
Theo Walcott could leave Arsenal for free in the summer when his contract expires
Jack Wilshere has revealed he is pestering team-mate Theo Walcott to end speculation surrounding his Arsenal future and commit to the club by signing a new contract. Metro
Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas says his Aston Villa counterpart Paul Lambert has been courageous to drop striker Darren Bent, 28, in the face of criticism from some supporters. talkSHIT
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has banned full-contact training at West Ham over Christmas to try to avoid any more injuries at the club. DSSC
Reading's Russian striker Pavel Pogrebnyak, 29, looks set for talks with the club's owners to discuss his future. Daily Star
What do you buy the kids of Hollywood A-listers who have everything? Liverpool kits of course! Well at least that's what silver-screen royalty Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt did for their brood of six children, when they recently raided the Reds club shop for shirts, mugs, tracksuits and caps. Metro
Christmas Bingo Bollox - In Memorium
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viewtopic.php?f=123&t=40402[/spoiler]MORE LATER ....
