Manchester City move their advertising boards to help them beat Stoke
Manchester City have been accused of using underhand tactics to help them beat Stoke City – after being caught moving the advertising boards to stop the Potters from using their iconic long-throws.
Tony Pulis’ side are well known for their set-piece mastery, which has extended to the dangerous use of throw-ins in recent years, with innovations such as towels sewn into shirts helping them lob the ball right into the opposition six yard box.
But keen to avoid Stoke’s aerial bombardment, City came up with an invention of their own, after moving the advertising boards right to the edge of the pitch ahead of today’s match, in order to make it difficult for Stoke players to get the run up needed to propel the football.
It’s a cheeky ploy, but one they didn’t get away with, after one cheeky fan caught the City ground staff moving the boards on camera.The move earned City some bad reviews on Twitter, but after beating Stoke 3-0, they won’t care.
Corinthians deny Manchester City have made an approach for Paulinho
Corinthians' director of football insists that no bids have been made for their star midfielder Paulinho.
The 24-year-old, who is valued at around £20million, was part of the side that beat Chelsea in the Club World Cup final in Japan.
He has been linked with Premier League champions Manchester City and French giants Paris Saint-Germain in recent weeks and could be a potential target in the January transfer window.
City boss Roberto Mancini is keen to reinforce his squad with key midfielder Yaya Toure set to go to the Africa Cup of Nations later this month.
However, Corinthians club president Mario Gobbi told Estadao newspaper that 'nobody' would be leaving the Sao Paulo-based club.
And Gobbi's words have been backed up by director of football Roberto de Andrade, who said: "Talk about him (Paulinho) is just speculation.
"No offer has come in for any of our players and we don't want to sell anybody."
Sky Sports viewers vote Sergio Aguero's last minute goal for Manchester City to clinch the Premier League trophy as the moment of 2012!
Aguero's goal claimed top spot with a massive 42% of the votes with Didier Drogba's penalty coming in second with 27% of the votes. Surprisingly Super Saturday when Jessica Ennis, Mo Farah and Greg Rutherford delivered three gold's in 45 minutes limped home in third place with 9% of the votes while Tour de France glory for Bradley Wiggins clinched him fourth spot with 8%.
SPORTING MOMENT OF 2012
1 - Sergio Aguero's - 42%
2 - Didier Drogba - 27%
3 - Super Saturday - 9%
4 - Bradley Wiggins - 8%
5 - Andy Murray - 7%
6 - Martin Kaymer's - 5%
7- Jonnie Peacock - 1%
8 - Alastair Cook - 1%
We have also been running plenty of other Polls on Sky Sports News including Rugby League try of the year - won by Sam Tomkins; Rugby Union try of the year won by Johnny May; Golf shot of the year - Justin Rose and cricket catch of the year won by Rangana Herath. And while Sergio Aguero's goal may have been your moment of 2012 it was not your goal of 2012:
GOAL OF THE YEAR
L Suarez - 32%
P Crouch - 17%
P Cisse - 17%
S Aguero - 16%
C Jerome - 6%
R van persie - 6%
J Dong-won - 2%
A Weimann - 2%
A Pilkington - 1%
J Walters 1%.
[spoiler]
[/spoiler]MANCHESTER TITLE RACE
PTS +7 GD +4
SNUB COUNT 2
GOLDEN BOLLOX 2-1-2010
E.ON Great Saves No.1: Bert Trautmann
FA Cup final, May 5, 1956
Goals from Joe Hayes, Bobby Johnstone and Jack Dyson saw Manchester City get their hands on the famous trophy for a third time. But it was the remarkable heroics of former Prisoner of War Bert Trautmann for which this FA Cup final will forever be remembered
Manchester City
Joe Hayes (3)
Bobby Johnstone (62)
Jack Dyson (64)
Birmingham
Noel Kinsey (15)
Wembley, Referee: Alf Bond, Fulham, Att: 100,000
Manchester City were leading 3-1 with 73 minutes on the clock, when Birmingham forward Peter Murphy outpaced his marker and looked certain to set up a grandstand finale. But Bert Trautmann had other ideas, as the City stopper came tearing out of his goal and dived bravely at the feet of Murphy to win the ball. Trautmann suffered a sickening blow to the neck from the right knee of Murphy in the process, knocking him unconscious. Several minutes of treatment ensued before Trautmann unsteadily returned to his feet and insisted on playing out the remainder of the match. Trautmann, clearly suffering from the clash, then proceeded to thwart Birmingham on a number of occasions, with his crowning glory a typically brave dive at the feet of Murphy which ensured the match remained 3-1. The stop was made all the more impressive when, three days later, Trautmann discovered he had played out the game with a broken neck.
Key Figures
Bert Trautmann
After serving as a German paratrooper during the Second World War, Trautmann was captured by the British and sent to a Prisoner of War camp at Ashton in Makerfield, near Wigan. It was there Trautmann honed his football skills in camp matches, first as an outfield player, before an injury saw him try his hand at goalkeeping. Trautmann proved a natural between the sticks and joined local team St Helens once the war ended, where he impressed so much that First Division Manchester City handed him a contract in 1949. Despite fierce opposition to the signing of an ex-POW, Trautmann soon became a fans' favourite and his heroics in the FA Cup final cemented his status as a City legend.
Peter Murphy
The forward had netted five times in Birmingham's run to the final, but could find no way past an inspired Trautmann at Wembley. Bearing down on goal with 17 minutes left, Murphy seemed certain to drag his team back into the match but didn't bargain on Trautmann diving head-first at his feet to prevent him from pulling the trigger. Despite Trautmann suffering immense pain for the remainder of the game, Murphy was again thwarted late on by the incredibly brave City stopper.
Did You Know...?
When Trautmann joined Manchester City in October 1949, more than 20,000 people attended a demonstration to express anger over the club’s decision to sign the former AXIS paratrooper. Fifteen years later Trautmann was handed a testimonial by City, where a crowd in excess of 47,000 paid tribute to him.
Trautmann was the first German to play in an FA Cup final when he appeared for Manchester City against Newcastle in 1955. A year later he became the first German to win the competition and, in 1956, was also the first goalkeeper – and foreigner - to win the Football Writers' Footballer of the Year award. In 2004 he was appointed an honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for promoting Anglo-German understanding through football.
What Happened Next
A few months after the final, tragedy struck for Trautmann when his first-born son John was killed in a car crash at the age of five. Trautmann was also forced to spend a lengthy period out of the game due to his neck injury, missing most of the 1956-57 season. He eventually managed to regain full fitness, however, and remained at Maine Road until 1964 - making 545 appearances for the club over 15 years.
Cup king Roberto Mancini is targeting Wembley glory to add to his 10 Coppa Italias.
Mancini virtually owns Italy’s equivalent of the FA Cup, having won it six times as player with Sampdoria and Lazio between 1985 – when Graeme Souness was his team-mate - and 2000. He maintained his Midas touch as a manager and lifted it again with Fiorentina in 2001 and Lazio in 2004. His success with Lazio was the first of three consecutive triumphs as he went on to win it again in 2005 and 2006 with Inter Milan.
The Manchester City boss knows all about the tradition and history of the FA Cup and is desperate to get his hands on the famous old trophy. “I won the Coppa Italia six times as a player and four times as a manager with three different clubs and it would be great to think I could do that at City too,” said the Italian. “In Italy the cup is perhaps not taken so seriously until teams reach the semi final stages, but here it is different. “We are excited by the FA Cup. I know that in England it is a very important competition.” Mancini refuses to downgrade today’s third-round tie at Middlesbrough to concentrate on Wednesday’s huge Carling Cup semi against Manchester United.“We want to do well and to do that we must win at Middlesbrough,” he said.“I have told the players that they should not be thinking about the semi final either.“We must have full attention on the FA Cup and then prepare for the next game as soon as the final whistle goes.”
GORDON STRACHAN reckons taking on Manchester City today will be like using a water pistol in a machine-gun battle.
The Scot's Middlesbrough strugglers are down to the bare bones and have just one fit striker - Marcus Bent - to take on Roberto Mancini's City slickers. Things are so bad they have had to draft 16-year-old Luke Williams into the squad.
Boro are struggling badly all over the park and taking on the super-rich Eastlands outfit is not what former Manchester United star Strachan needs right now. The Boro boss reckons the massive investment in the blue half of Manchester has been good for football. He said: "Certain clubs have had money for ages while the other clubs have had to operate beneath them with lesser players. "But now Man City and Chelsea have the money, they are able to buy players and compete. "You have to deal with it. It's like when I came up against Manchester United and it was 'Me versus Alex Ferguson'. It's a bit unfair that, like earlier in the season it was Tony Mowbray versus Arsene Wenger. "It's like he has a machine gun and you have a water pistol. Deal with it, it can happen." Strachan, who is hoping to make Celtic's Barry Robson his first signing of the transfer window next week, fears City could hit Boro where it hurts. He added: "They are flying. I came back from the Barnsley game the other weekend thinking we had done well but still got beat but then you watch the telly and think, 'Yeah, this will be interesting'. "Then you turn it off after an hour because you know how they are going to play. "They have fantastic wide players, midfield is solid, I don't know how much it cost to put their defence together. And you ask, 'Where are the weaknesses?' "Well then you have a problem. You just have to get the best out of your players and see what happens on the day. "You have to try and put the best performance on so it sets you up well for the second half of the season and the new year. I am looking to rectify what has been a bad year for Middlesbrough and we must make 2010 a good year."
Mancini admits he has been blown away by Carlos Tevez during his first two weeks at City. The Argentine has scored three in two matches for the new boss to make it eight goals in December. Mancini said: "I do not like to pick out individuals because we have been collectively very good in the two games we have won against Stoke and Wolves - but Carlos Tevez has been outstanding. "He is a world-class striker who has shown that he is in top form. "He is playing with a smile on his face and eight goals in the month of December is an incredible effort. "Confidence is a great thing with players and especially when it comes to goalscoring." Mancini was a top international striker himself, so has particularly enjoyed working with Tevez. He added "Carlos' team ethic is fantastic and he has a good understanding with the players around him. "His movement and pace worries defenders and he is clever too. "He has scored 12 times already for the City since he came to the club and that is an impressive ratio."
TWEETS OF THE DAY BOLLOX
Arsenal are set to end their interest in Crystal Palace's Wilfried Zaha, 20, because 23-year-old Theo Walcott is on the verge of signing a new contract. talkSHIT
Newcastle boss Alan Pardew is lining up a £3m move for West Brom striker Peter Odemwingie, 31, as a replacement for Demba Ba, 27, who is eyeing a move to Chelsea. Sun
Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas is still interested in Shakhtar Donetsk's attacking midfielder Willian, 24. The Spurs boss also likes Willian's fellow Brazilian Leandro Damiao - the 23-year-old striker plays for Internacional. Both players were linked with moves to White Hart Lane last summer. Goal.com
Liverpool are close to finalising a deal that will bring Daniel Sturridge, 23, to Anfield from Chelsea for a fee of around £12m. Daily Mirror
QPR manager Harry Redknapp has admitted he would like to see Joe Cole, 31, at Loftus Road if the right deal could be struck with Liverpool for the former West Ham and Chelsea midfielder's services. Metro
Newcastle will move for West Ham striker Modibo Maiga, 25, if a proposed deal for Marseille's 25-year-old Loic Remy fails to go through. DSSC
Charlton midfielder Bradley Pritchard, 27, is being assessed by Aston Villa, Fulham and Reading. Sky Sports
Reading are in talks to sign attacking midfielder Tomas Rogic, 20, from Aussie club Central Coast Mariners. Sun
Chelsea are ready to hand German midfielder Marko Marin, 23, to Bayer Leverkusen as a 'sweetener' before bidding for their winger Andre Schurrle, 22, in the summer. Daily Mirror
Southampton manager Nigel Adkins is determined to keep hold of 17-year-old full-back Luke Shaw, who has attracted interest from Arsenal. ESPN
Plymouth Argyle's attacking midfielder Luke Young, 19, is being monitored by a number of Premier League clubs, including Arsenal and West Brom. Sky Sports
Southampton have rejected an offer from West Ham for 30-year-old striker Rickie Lambert, who has scored eight goals in 19 appearances for the south coast club this season. Daily Mirror
Alex Ferguson, 71, has hinted that his 26-year tenure in charge of Manchester United is far from over. Manchester Evening News
Alex Ferguson has hinted that he has no intention of retiring any time soon
Everton boss David Moyes has revealed that the club's financial plight means he can hope for nothing more than a 'couple of loan deals' in this month's transfer window.DSSC
QPR boss Harry Redknapp says Chelsea are making a big mistake in not renewing Frank Lampard's contract which comes to an end this summer. Daily Express
Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini says he is happy to stay at the club for the remaining three-and-a-half years of his contract. Liverpool Echo
Wolves manager Stale Solbakken has admitted that his side are in a crisis following their loss away to Crystal Palace on New Year's Day, a third consecutive defeat that saw the Molineux club slip to 18th in the Championship. Birmingham Mail
The 2012 Premier League broken down in bollox
The year of 2012 was a remarkable one for sport and football had more than its fair share of drama, especially in the Premier League. From Papiss Cisse's goal of the season against Chelsea to Sergio Aguero's stoppage-time strike that secured Manchester City the Premier League title in the most dramatic of circumstances, it was quite a year.
Team
Manchester United scored the most goals with 90 and they also had the highest number of goals from the spot with nine. Manchester City were second with 78 and the Premier League champions had eight penalties.
Liverpool hit the woodwork 26 times, with Everton, Manchester United and Fulham on 24 while Robin van Persie's 14 times was the most by an individual player.
Most headed goals
•Manchester United - 18
•Chelsea - 13
•West Brom - 13
•Everton - 13
•Stoke - 13
Tottenham Hotspur, with 14, scored the most goals from outside of the box with Manchester City and Newcastle in second on 12.
Queens Park Rangers collected nine red cards, the highest, while Newcastle topped the yellow card rankings with 73.
Manchester City had the most shots at goal with 541, while Liverpool were second with 518 attempts.
Manchester United scored the most own goals with six, and QPR found their own net on five occasions.
Manchester United made the most passes with 22,053 - almost double Stoke's total of 11,885.
Defence
Manchester City defender Pablo Zabaleta, 27, and Sunderland winger James McClean, 23, both won the most tackles with 86 each.
Most offsides
•Nikica Jelavic (Everton) - 48
•Robin van Persie (Arsenal & Man Utd) - 47
•Grant Holt (Norwich) - 39
•Papiss Cisse (Newcastle) - 35
•Luis Suarez (Liverpool) - 32
Sunderland goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, 24, made the most saves with 140 with North East rival and Newcastle's Tim Krul, 24, in second with 123.
Swansea midfielder Angel Rangel, 30, made the most interceptions with 104 - just five more than second-placed Sandro, the 23-year-old Tottenham midfielder.
Attack
Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes, 38, was the most accurate passer with 92.81% of his passes reaching the desired target with Swansea's Leon Britton, 30, coming just behind with 92.6%.
Goals as a substitute
•Edin Dzeko (Man City) - 7
•Javier Hernandez (Man Utd) - 5
•Victor Anichebe (Everton) - 5
•Cameron Jerome (Stoke) - 4
•Jamie Mackie (QPR) - 3
Reading striker Pavel Pogrebnyak, 29, had the best shot conversion rate with 37.5% with Manchester United leading the team rankings with 19.07% with West Brom frontman Romelu Lukaku the most accurate with 71.88% on target.
Liverpool striker Luis Suarez, 25, attempted a 2012 high of 272 dribbles but completed just 100 while Newcastle midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa, 25. attempted 193 and completed the most with 100.
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney, 27, scored eight braces in 2012 - four more than anybody else.
Wigan winger Jean Beausejour, 28, attempted the most crosses with 217 with West Ham's Matt Jarvis second with 212.
Manchester City's David Silva, 26, created the most chances with 108 and Chelsea's Juan Mata, 24, was second with 94.
Most goals
•Robin van Persie (Arsenal & Man Utd) - 27
•Wayne Rooney (Man Utd) - 21
•Luis Suarez (Liverpool) - 19
•Sergio Aguero (Man City) - 17
•Papiss Cisse (Newcastle) - 16
Other
Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard, 33, made the most appearances in 2012 with 41 with Sunderland winger McClean and Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart, 25, second on 40.
Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini, 25, committed the most fouls with 96 with Norwich striker Grant Holt, 31, second on 87.
Everton winger Steven Pienaar, 30, was fouled 91 times, which was the highest, and Newcastle's Jonas Gutierrez, 29, was in second on 80.
Wigan striker Franco Di Santo, 23, was the most substituted player with Roberto Martinez hauling him off 24 times. Stoke's Matthew Etherington, 31, was second on 20 while Norwich's Grant Holt and Manchester City duo Carlos Tevez, 28. and Sergio Aguero, 24, were taken off 17 times.
GOLDEN BOLLOX 2-1-2011
Man City want Chelsea youth chief Arnesen
Manchester City want to keep Chelsea’s departing director of football Frank Arnesen in England – raising doubts about Brian Marwood’s long-term future at Eastlands.
Arnesen, 54, will leave Stamford Bridge at the end of the season and was being lined up to become Ajax’s new head of recruitment.
But sources in Denmark claim that he is now listening to an “interesting” offer from City. Arnesen would not contemplate anything other than a senior role.
Marwood oversees player recruitment at City, alongside chief executive Garry Cook. But the pair were criticised by Carlos Tevez when he put in a transfer request before deciding he wanted to stay at the club.
Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak rang Edin Dzeko's representatives on New Year's eve to try and save the Wolfsburg striker's £30m move to Eastlands by offering him an improved £150,000 a week, still short of the £180,000 the player is demanding.Mail on Sunday
