CRAIG'S BONUS
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[/spoiler]John Guidetti rubbishes exit talk as he plots route to first team
City striker John Guidetti has rubbished rumours he is off to PSV Eindhoven as he bids to force his way into Roberto Mancini’s first team plans.
City striker John Guidetti has rubbished rumours he is off to PSV Eindhoven as he bids to force his way into Roberto Mancini’s first team plans.
The Swedish forward is returning to full fitness with the Blues’ EDS side after shaking off a debilitating virus that kept him out of action for nine months.
He is big news in the Netherlands because of his stunning loan spell with Feyenoord last season where he plundered 20 goals in 23 appearances – and he has been linked with a swap deal that would see PSV defender Jetro Willems come to City.
But 20-year-old Guidetti said: “I will never, ever play for PSV. In the Netherlands, Feyenoord are the only club I would want to play for. Everyone knows that.”
Guidetti was signed by City as a 16-year-old in April 2008 and has yet to make a senior appearance for the Premier League champions – but spaces could open up in the City strike-force this summer.
The Blues are already effectively a man down up front after Mario Balotelli joined AC Milan on transfer deadline day.
That leaves Sergio Aguero, Carlos Tevez and Edin Dzeko as the senior forwards but there are serious question marks over the latter’s future at the Etihad Stadium.
The big Bosnian is Mancini’s third choice and has hinted he would like to return to the Bundesliga, with Borussia Dortmund in the frame for his signature.
City will almost certainly buy a new striker this summer with Napoli’s Edinson Cavani, Atletico Madrid goal machine Radamel Falcao and
Liverpool’s Luis Suarez all potential targets.
But if Guidetti returns to full fitness and top form he could fulfil a useful role in a new-look City strike quartet in the 2013-14 campaign.
Mancini has repeatedly suggested that a lack of goals has cost City the title this season. In the Premier League Dzeko has 12 while Aguero and Tevez both have 10.
Why Edinson Cavani Would Be the Ideal Summer Buy
Why is divorce so expensive? Because it's worth it.
That old joke neatly expresses why, after a tepid summer transfer window last August, Manchester City should swing its financial hammer with direct purpose when the season is over and the window opens again.
It was noble, really, the way City resisted the urge to empty its money clip last summer. Instead of breaking out the big notes, City gave Javi Garcia, Matija Nastasic, Jack Rodwell and (gulp) Scott Sinclair comparative piles of change.
It seemed like the Sky Blues wanted to run counter to the notion that they had bought the Premier League title they just won. "If we do it again after acquiring 'fit' guys and supporting players," they seemed to be saying, "maybe we will stop being the 'best team that money can buy.'"
Ironically, by letting Manchester United wrest Robin van Persie from its grip, City did just that. Now they're the second-best team that money can buy, and United is in the process of taking its trophy back.
So the well-intended experiment in team building by sum-of-the-parts guys is reaching its end, not tragically, but certainly not gloriously either.
Pardon the crass directness of my argument, but City should pay Napoli whatever they ask for Edinson Cavani if Napoli will sell him to them.
Cavani is leading Serie A in goals this season; not coincidentally, Napoli has an inside track on another Champions League berth for next season.
Obviously, no one expects Napoli to give an in-form 26-year-old striking sensation away.
For whatever reason, Napoli's management has decided to underline that point anyway. Per Sky Sports, Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis is setting the financial bar awfully close to the cirrus clouds.
"I put a really high cost on it, because I do not want to see it (Cavani leave). And I put it (the cost) with the agreement of players," De Laurentiis remarked.
He's not the only one. Cavani hasn't exactly been shy about his value, either.
Earlier this season, per the Mirror, Cavani let it be known that like so many of the best things in life, he is not coming cheaply.
Referring to his reported £54 million price tag, Cavani cavalierly said, “If a club has a clear project and they want to focus on me, they can’t be frightened in front of this figure."
It's only money after all, Cavani seemed to say.
He's absolutely right.
Besides, if you were in the market for a first-class striker, what would you want him to say?
"No, no, I'm not worth that, that's too much money, I'll never deliver on that contract!"
Get serious.
In the final analysis, Manchester City is en route to losing the Premier League title this season because the Sky Blues didn't score enough goals.
As of this writing, Edin Dzeko leads the team in goals; he doesn't even play regularly.
Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero, who do play regularly, have as many goals as Adam Le Fondre and Arouna Kone.
Not nearly good enough.
City could bring all three of their spotty strikers back next season and hope one or more of them finds his lost quality around the goal mouth.
They could rein in the purse strings or spend immodestly but also imprudently again on duller stars.
But City's mind-blowing resources would be best spent on the best.
They should pay whatever it takes to bring Cavani to the Etihad. BleacherBollox
Manchester City deny Vincent Kompany was racially abused in interview after derby victory over United
Manchester City have dismissed claims that captain Vincent Kompany was racially abused during a post-match interview with Sky Sports following Monday's victory at Manchester United.
Greater Manchester Police are to review footage of the interview amid claims that the Belgian was subjected to a racist insult, but have admitted that that they have received no complaints and that their investigation is a result of the Manchester Evening News making them aware of the allegations which emanated on Twitter.
Senior figures at City have reviewed the Sky footage and concluded no racist abuse was aired.
Milner refuses to give up on Manchester City's title tilt after derby success
The midfielder scored the opener in Monday's success at Old Trafford, and believes his side can still win the Premier League despite Manchester United's 12-point lead at the top
James Milner has promised Manchester City will maintain the pressure on Premier League leaders Manchester United in the hope of another stumble from their rivals.
City cut their neighbours' lead at the top of the table to 12 points following success in Monday's Manchester derby at Old Trafford, with Milner opening the scoring.
And, despite having just seven games to play to further dent United's seemingly inevitable title success, the midfielder is holding hope of a lasting negative effect from the derby loss to the Red Devils.
"We know it's very unlikely," Milner told The Times. "United have plenty of experience at closing out titles and they probably haven’t had too many gaps as big as this before.
"They'll still be confident but we did all we could do in the derby - and hopefully we've put a bit of doubt in there. It could be a bit of a stumble and if this rocks them then great. Mathematically it's not over. It’s still possible.
"Whether it's over or not, though, our objective doesn’t change and that’s to win every game between now and the end of the season. If we do that then we’ll win the FA Cup and finish runners-up it will not have been a bad season at all."
Carlos Tevez integral to Man City's derby win, says Robbie Savage
In his regular BBC Sport column on football tactics, Robbie Savage takes a closer look at Manchester City's derby win over neighbours and Premier League leaders Manchester United.
“Carlos Tevez was the best player on the pitch and the difference between the two teams”
I thought City deserved their win. They had more energy, especially in the midfield areas, saw more of the ball and did more with it, especially in the first half.
What City did really well was press United back and force them into mistakes - United gave the ball away a lot.
City's front-four players played a big part in that, covering a lot of ground and working hard defensively as well as when they had possession.
But the key to everything the champions did in attack at Old Trafford was Carlos Tevez, who was the best player on the pitch and the difference between the two teams.
LONE STRIKER TEVEZ LEADS THE LINE
City's line-up, with only one recognised striker in a 4-2-3-1 formation, did not look that attacking at first, but Tevez helped them take control of the game with his play in United's half.
Tevez led City's attack on his own but he was supported by the players behind him
He kept dropping deep to collect the ball and, every time it went into him, he held it up.
His first touch was fantastic and he brought the three players immediately behind him - James Milner, Samir Nasri and David Silva - into the game, and in dangerous positions in the United half too - often in their area.
That trio were industrious and effective, particularly Milner, who seems to be something of an unsung hero for City.
His play down the right when he linked up with Pablo Zabaleta was again superb.
The front-four players of Tevez, Milner, Nasri and Silva took the game to United, and Sergio Aguero continued that when he came on for Nasri and replaced Tevez as City's most advanced forward player, seeing plenty of the ball in and around the United box before he scored City's winner.
UNITED TOO SLOPPY IN POSSESSION
Roberto Mancini got his tactics right but I was surprised by the way Sir Alex Ferguson's side were set up.
For long spells, especially in the first half, United played like they were the away team, which I found very strange.
They relied on the counter-attack for most of the game, but they did not make the most of the situations when they were breaking forward, and their end product was poor.
But what was more worrying for United was the number of times they gave the ball away when they were not trying to catch City out. City's first goal came from a silly mistake by Ryan Giggs, who tried a flick at the wrong time, but he was not the only United player to be sloppy in possession.
Their passing accuracy against City was 75.90%, compared to 85.55% for the season.
What they needed on Monday night was a player who could hold the ball up and bring others into play like Tevez did.
Instead, they had a lone striker in Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney in the hole behind him.
That only succeeded in condensing the play, which suited City. Yaya Toure and Gareth Barry sat on Rooney while Van Persie was up against Vincent Kompany and Matija Nastasic - and got very little out of them.
UNITED STILL CHAMPIONS IN WAITING
If City had played with the same intensity as they did on Monday in the majority of their league games this season, then the title race would have gone to the wire again.
Mancini won the battle on Monday night, but the title still looks to be heading to Old Trafford
But, over the course of the campaign, they have not scored enough goals and have not been as fluent going forward.
This performance will have shown Mancini that his team are not far away from being title winners again - they have just gone to the outstanding team in the Premier League and won.
But City still need to make improvements, and I am not just talking about signing the players they should have brought in last summer.
Often they have been too narrow in games when they have tried to pass their way through teams down the middle of the pitch.
I would like to see Mancini have a Plan B next season, and maybe sign a couple of wingers to allow him to change games in that way if he needs to.
Why sacking Roberto Mancini would be a bad move for City
Yes, there are managers who you feel would be capable of stepping into Roberto Mancini's shoes, if Manchester City's owners decide that he isn't taking the club to the place they want to occupy. Frank de Boer, for example: so very impressive when he held court in the depths of Ajax's stadium before City played and lost there last October, expressing his pride in the fact that Mancini's four strikers "cost more than the annual turnover here", yet recognising there was nothing immoral about Abu Dhabi spending. "They do nothing illegal. We have no money like that so we have to be inventive and creative and we try to use our academy to develop young players and that's how we survive."
What an extremely snug fit that is with the messianic desire of City's new Catalan and Basque executives, Ferran Soriano and Txiki Begiristain, to build organically through youth. The 42-year-old De Boer's four years at Barcelona might equally play in his favour, as would those of Swansea City's Michael Laudrup, another whose cloth looks cut for City.
Removing Mancini now would be a mistake, though, even if City's season is effectively finished by the conclusion of Sunday's FA Cup semi-final with Chelsea. While Monday's 2-1 win at Old Trafford reveals City and United to be clubs not poles apart, the removal of the manager who has delivered them a title, an FA Cup and, most likely, a runner-up position in the year Manchester United took winning to a new level in the modern era, would reveal City to be a club whose manager has no time or space to breathe, err, take stock or experiment. Neither would it persuade the elite players the club will seek to buy this summer that they are being attracted to a stable club.
Everyone wants to win immediately, of course – and the lazy argument runs that millions upon millions buy that instantaneously. But as Gary Neville puts it, "ultimately, in the Premier League era, what is eroded is patience. Everything has to be instant – and that's the same in life. We want to know the news yesterday, we don't want to know it today. We can't even wait for a newspaper to come out any more." Neville proffered this observation as he pondered why more members of the strong City youth sides of recent years had not made it to the first team.
When I put the question to a former City colleague of Mancini's, who has no reason to go in to bat for him, he observed how difficult it is these days for a Manchester City manager to feel the security to try a young player. If Mancini is sacked for failing to retain City's first title in 40 years, what confidence can any successor have in inculcating the Manchester United faith in youth? A successor will be riding a new rollercoaster and City will be starting another dippy revolution, at a time when Uefa's financial fair play regime makes buying a new squad no longer conceivable.
The case for Mancini would be weaker had he no commitment to youth. The problem for him, as for those Chelsea managers who have presided over accelerated growth, has been the question of how his young players can actually improve the team at his disposal. There have been questionable decisions, not least the one to cast aside the warning – put to Mancini in the summer of 2011 – that Jack Rodwell's injury problems might make him a risky buy. But Karim Rekic, Denis Suarez and John Guidetti are players who have genuinely interested him. There is a tight compact between Soriano and Begiristain, who are low-key to the point of invisibility where the media are concerned and want it that way. It is difficult to ascertain whether Mancini's relationship with Soriano and Begiristain is as harmonious as he says it is, though the noises seem right. Mancini is not hugely popular within his club but his willingness to accept Mario Balotelli's departure, with no replacement, suggests he is acceding to his place in the new hierarchy. If so, it is another reason to stick.
Less comfortable is Mancini's relationship with his players – his proclivity for criticising his team in public is something he must put away in a hurry. Talk has turned to this when some of City's players have encountered Manchester United colleagues outside of club football in the last year. It would be pushing it to say that the Old Trafford fraternity are all fond of their manager – players rarely are – but they will all declare that Ferguson does not hang them out to dry in public, even when they know they might deserve it. Joe Hart did not give anything of himself in a fairly wretched interview session last Thursday, during which questions on the subject of Mancini were declared off limits, and it might have been the company of newspaper journalists that makes him seem so deeply miserable, rather than life at this club. But Mancini's relationship with the goalkeeper is in particular need of repair.
"We dropped points at poor times," James Milner reflected. "[The title race] should be closer but that's our own fault, along with United being clinical." The point being that City, a side not so far off, can progress through evolution, not revolution. Independent
5 things City must do to reclaim the title...
1. Buy players who can inject pace into proceedings
Even on Monday at Old Trafford they lacked the ability to threaten in wide areas. City rarely cross the ball, with the wider midfielders always cutting inside. As Gary Neville argued in The Independent on Monday, this makes them predictable.
2. Encourage loyalty
There is a feeling in the squad that Roberto Mancini's recent public censure of captain Vincent Kompany, who has worked so tirelessly for his manager as much as for the club, is unwelcome.
3. Create more options
The fall-back position is generally the use of a three-man defence, with Pablo Zabaleta and Gaël Clichy attacking down the flanks. Neither are match winners. Maicon has the talent to change games but no longer the fitness.
4. Buy early this summer
City do need strengthening with three new players, if they offload others. Avoid the mistakes of last summer when they missed out on Eden Hazard, Javi Martinez, Dan-iele de Rossi and Robin van Persie.
5. Inject some width
Mancini sold Adam Johnson to Sunderland as he was not using him but City were shorn of their one strong wide player, replacing him with the anonymous Scott Sinclair. Another area where there is a deficit compared to United.
Manchester City plan £10m Sam Byram bid?
Manchester City are reportedly planning to launch a bid of around £10m for Leeds United teenager Sam Byram.
The fee will be worth around £6m upfront with add-ons taking the deal up to the £10m mark, according to the Daily Mail.
It is thought that the champions would be willing to allow the 19-year-old to go back to Elland Road on loan to continue his development with the Championship side.
Mancini was said to have been impressed with the youngster when Leeds visited City in the FA Cup in February.
Platt warning to Reds: City here to stay
Manchester City assistant boss David Platt has warned Manchester United the Blues will not go away.
City may have conceded defeat to United in their Barclays Premier League title defence but their hard-earned 2-1 win in the derby at Old Trafford not only restored pride but made a psychological point.
The aim now for City is to secure second place and regroup sufficiently over the summer to launch a stronger challenge next season.
With the FA Cup still to play for this term, City clearly remain in good shape and Platt feels they will be even better next time around.
The former England international, Roberto Mancini's first-team coach at the Etihad Stadium, said: "The potential is being realised.
"It is a very good team, it is a very good football club. It is not going away.
"That is the main message, not just to come out of last night but forever.
"Regardless of what happens in the league this season, we aren't going away.
"We will be there next year and long may that continue. We will keep getting stronger and stronger."
The manner of City's performance in securing back-to-back wins at Old Trafford for the first time since 1972 prompted many to wonder how they had allowed United to go into the game 15 points clear.
City gave a committed performance and stifled United's attacking threat.
They claimed the lead early in the second half with a deflected strike from the impressive James Milner after Gareth Barry had robbed Ryan Giggs and fed inside to Samir Nasri.
United produced a quick response as Phil Jones forced an equaliser off Vincent Kompany from a wicked Robin van Persie free-kick but Sergio Aguero settled the contest with a sublime individual strike.
Platt told City TV: "More than a fantastic result it was a terrific performance.
"You are never going to dominate a game for 90 minutes against Manchester United but we restricted them to very few opportunities.
"The opportunities they did have were on the counter-attack, which you expect from a team like them, but we took the game to them, we had territorial advantage, we created opportunities.
"We were composed throughout, which was a good thing.
"But not only that, we showed character as well. Having conceded the goal to go 1-1 we showed the character to continue to go and finished it off with a great goal from Sergio."
Platt accepts the result will probably only delay United's crowning as champions but he felt it was important to have given the supporters bragging rights for the time being.
He said: "It is not mathematically impossible but I think there are insufficient games.
"But to come here and perform in the manner we have done - Robbie (Mancini) has dedicated it to the supporters, which is nice. It's their night.
"It's 12 points and when they wake up in the cold light of day, it's still a massive mountain to climb.
"I don't think Manchester United will fail to get over the line but at least they (City fans) have got the pride."
Despite the league situation, Milner has promised City will fight until the end regardless of whether the title is out of reach or not.
With the FA Cup still in the club's sights for a second time in three years, City do not want to ease up in their run-in.
Milner said: "Maybe the title is a bit out of reach now, but that changes nothing to us - whether it is or it isn't. It is still mathematically possible.
"All our concentration is on winning every game from now until the end of the season. Hopefully that will get us at least one trophy."
Aguero's brilliant goal, after coming off the bench, evoked memories of his famous title-winning strike against QPR on the final day of last season.
It was a reminder of City's champion quality and Milner said: "He is not bad, is he?
"He is so sharp around the box. His composure and his finish at the end was superb. It gave us a deserved win."
City's attention will now turn to their FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea at Wembley on Sunday.
"It is a good springboard to go into the semi-final," added Platt.
City have a fitness concern over playmaker David Silva, who was forced off in the closing minutes with a hamstring injury and is rated doubtful for the weekend.
Tevez is sow sorry as Manchester City star goes from plotting derby win over United to potting plants for court order
Carlos Tevez swapped the pitch for a pitchfork on Tuesday as the Manchester City forward was forced to show off his gardening skills.
Hours after helping the Blues plot a 2-1 derby win over United at Old Trafford, the Argentine was busy getting his hands dirty potting plants for a court order.
Tevez reported for duty at a garden centre after being sentenced to 250 hours community service for flouting a driving ban.
The 29-year-old arrived for work in flip-flops and jogging bottoms in his chauffeur-driven Porsche.
He was put on flower-potting duties, but did not appear to take things too seriously.
An onlooker at Macclesfield Community Garden Centre, Cheshire - which trains people with learning disabilities - told the Sun: 'He was laughing and smiling.
'It looked like it was all a bit of a joke. He was there for two hours, though they didn't make him wear his high-vis jacket.'
On Monday Tevez wore a bright orange bib as he started his 250 hours' service cleaning on an industrial estate.
Balotelli banned for three matches
Maverick forward Mario Balotelli was given a three-match ban yesterday for insulting the fourth official at the end of Milan’s 2-2 draw at Fiorentina at the weekend.
Balotelli was due to face an automatic one-match suspension for accumulating four yellow cards when he was needlessly booked for failing to retreat at a free-kick.
But Serie A’s disciplinary commissioner said in a statement he had added another two matches after Balotelli’s angry altercation with the match official at the end of the game. It was not clear what had upset “Super Mario”.
It was awful timing by Balotelli as third-placed Milan’s next two games are against second-placed Napoli and leaders Juventus as they try to wrap up the third and final Champions League spot.
Balotelli had previously managed to stay out of trouble since his move from Manchester City in January.
But his problems began on Saturday as the team travelled by high-speed train to the game in Florence and he was caught smoking in the toilet by a ticket collector.
Milan officials were told and Balotelli was fined.
So far, his misdemeanours have paled in comparison to his antics at Manchester City which in-cluded rash tackles and an incident where he set fire to his house after letting off fireworks in his bathroom.
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[/spoiler]Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho has agreed to go back to Chelsea this summer and has put Zenit St Petersburg striker Hulk, 26, at the top of his transfer shopping list. Daily Star
Ajax midfielder Christian Eriksen, who has been linked with Liverpool and Manchester United, has stated that a reported £17m price tag is a matter for clubs interested in him. The Denmark international, 21, has a year left on his contract in Amsterdam. Inside Futbol
Arsenal and Liverpool could move for Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas, 31, in the summer. Metro
Swansea hope that the prospect of Europa League football might tempt Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku to join them on loan next season. The Belgium international, 19, has scored 13 Premier League goals during his loan spell at West Brom this season. Daily Mirror
Newcastle and Aston Villa are both interested in meeting Loic Remy's release clause if QPR are relegated to the Championship. The French striker, 26, who has also been linked with Tottenham, has scored five goals in seven starts since arriving at Loftus Road from Marseille in January. Metro
Lille defender Aurelien Chedjou is set to reject interest from Newcastle, Arsenal and Liverpool to join Valencia. The Cameroon centre-back, 27, has indicated he wants to leave the reigning French champions. talkSHIT
Stoke, Aston Villa, QPR and Hull are all interested in Phil Neville, 36, who has announced he will leave Everton this summer. DSSC
Arsenal have been quoted £15m for Asmir Begovic, 25, after opening preliminary talks over their interest in the Stoke goalkeeper. DSSC
Sunderland midfielder Craig Gardner, 26, has dismissed suggestions from new manager Paolo Di Canio that the Black Cats lack fitness. Daily Mirror
Aston Villa have told striker Christian Benteke he will have to wait until they have guaranteed their Premier League status before they will open contract talks with the Belgian, 22, who has scored 19 goals since joining from Genk in August. Daily Telegraph
Chelsea interim boss Rafael Benitez says he wants a return to Liverpool, where he spent six years, in the future. Daily Express
Former Chelsea boss Roberto di Matteo is set to snub interest from Leeds and wait for a bigger job offer. Daily Star
Russian forward Andrey Arshavin, 31, could retire from football when his Arsenal contract expires at the end of the season. DSSC
Arshavin can be revealed as the Premier League's richest sub. He has pocketed £7,800 per minute played this season. Sun
West Brom boss Steve Clarke says the club must splash the cash if they are to continue climbing up the table. Sun
Reading captain Jobi McAnuff says the biggest lesson the club have learned this season in the Premier League is the way in which games are decided by the smallest of margins. Reading Post
Former Newcastle forward David Ginola wants his old club to give their fans something to cheer about by winning the Europa League this season. London's Evening Standard
The German Football League is considering moving off-season from the summer to the winter in order to make best use of the weather. Die Welt
Liverpool midfielder Jonjo Shelvey, 21, made light of being likened to a Harry Potter character by West Ham fans in Sunday's goalless draw at Anfield. 606 newsletter
more bollox later
