Manchester City close to completing £3.5m deal for Martín Demichelis
• Defender to join City once Atlético Madrid find a replacement
• Argentinian worked with Pellegrini at two previous clubs
Manchester City hope to complete the €4.1m (£3.5m) signing of the former Bayern Munich defender Martín Demichelis from Atlético Madrid once the Spanish club have secured a replacement for the Argentina defender.
Manuel Pellegrini has turned to the 32-year-old, with whom he worked at Málaga and River Plate, only a month after Demichelis joined Atlético on a free transfer.
Atlético are prepared to cash in immediately and a figure is believed to have been agreed in principle, although the deal is unlikely to be agreed until the Spaniards sign another defender.
City's defence has been disrupted by injuries to Vincent Kompany, Matija Nastasic and Micah Richards since the start of the season. Kompany is targeting a return from a groin problem for the Manchester derby on 22 September.
Man City 'ready to pay £38.5m Mangala clause'
Manchester City are preparing a £38.5 million offer for FC Porto defender Eliaquim Mangala.
According to reports on Thursday, City are ready to meet the buy-out clause of Mangala's contract with Porto.
Following injury to the first-choice centre-back pairing of Vincent Kompany and Matija Nastasic, the Manchester side have resolved to strengthen their defence.
Javi Garcia, ordinarily deployed as a defensive midfielder, featured alongside Joleon Lescott at the back against promoted Cardiff City on Sunday, but the Portuguese was unconvincing.
Mangala, 22, arrived in Porto for a fee of £5m from Belgian side Standard Liege in 2011 and the player has since gone on to pick up three caps for France.
There are still likely to be complications surrounding any deal with City however.
In what is a World Cup year, Mangala is understood to be concerned about making any move that could see his playing time diminished – especially when Kompany and Nastasic both return from injury.
Manager Manuel Pellegrini has also been linked with a move for his former charge at Malaga, defender Martin Demichelis.
The Argentine is understood to be available for a fee of £3.5m and, at 32, would perhaps better suit the back-up role that is seemingly required at the Etihad Stadium.
Champions League 2013 draw: Manchester City hope fresh face will bring a change of fortune
Manchester City would be well advised to head to Uefa headquarters on Thursday armed with a prayer book, crucifix and season’s supply of garlic in an effort to finally avoid another demonic Champions League draw.
City still find themselves several coefficients short of a full seeding in Europe, stuck precariously in the dreaded ‘Pot Three’ and aware no matter how much they assess the variables, the tag line group of death will take some evading.
Alongside Borussia Dortmund, City are the third-tier seeds everyone else will most seek to swerve, but they are helpless when it comes to dodging more fancied sides.
Even the lowest ranked clubs in ‘Pot Four’ include Napoli – last year’s Italian league runners-up now managed by former Liverpool and Chelsea coach Rafa Benítez – creating a prospect of at least one group containing four teams all of which carry aspirations and capabilities to reach the latter stages.
City will feel the time has finally come to inflict some damage in Europe that is not entirely self-inflicted. Roberto Mancini’s failure to escape the group stages of the competition was a contributory factor in his City departure last summer, although in his defence the group winners (Bayern Munich in 2012, Dortmund in 2013) were beaten finalists both years.
For all their tough draws, it has still been a meek effort by City in the competition thus far, their most memorable recent European excursion memorable only for Carlos Tevez refusing to leave the substitutes’ bench in Munich two years ago.
New manager Manuel Pellegrini is not so much charged with enhancing City’s reputation in the competition as actually forging one with which to start working.
City are not alone, however, in hoping a fresh face in the dug-out will bring a change of fortune.
Although the qualifying clubs, by and large, remain the same and the montage of participating coaches has a certain familiarity, this year’s competition is peculiar for the sheer scale of managerial continental shifts since Jupp Heynckes’s parting gift to Munich at Wembley last May.
As well as notable novices in the competition, the old guard are in the process of re-establishing themselves at new venues – former winners Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti and Benítez trying to sprinkle magic seeds in a fresh environment. In fact, of the eight top seeds, only two – Arsenal and Benfica – did not change managers this summer.
It gives the competition an air of uncertainty it has lacked in recent years, the intangibles multiplied as we establish if Ancelotti can create elusive stability in Madrid, Guardiola prove as effective beyond the Nou Camp and Mourinho match Roberto Di Matteo’s Chelsea feat.
Barcelona, of course, appointed Gerardo Martino – a Champions League novice – while Porto turned to Paulo Fonseca following the departure of one-time Everton target Vítor Pereira.
And then there is Manchester United. As in the Premier League, they are no longer relying on the man whose purposeful stride along the Old Trafford touchline on a European night has been as as synonymous with the competition as the anthem as the teams make their entrance.
David Moyes has already been reminded of his rookie status by Mourinho, but if the domestic leap was intimidating, making his face fit in Europe offers a greater challenge.
The top seeded English clubs will be hoping to avoid Paris St-Germain from Pot Two, Dortmund from Pot Three and Napoli from Pot Four. One wonders if the gods of circumstance have already decreed Benítez should endure a reunion with Chelsea, Mourinho and the Stamford Bridge unwelcome committee.
City would consider either Porto or Benfica a welcome relief from the other grandees of the first tier. Indeed, even those who avoid the Portuguese club will be praying they make at least one trip to the country over the course of this season. This season’s final, on May 24, will be held in Benfica’s Stadium of Light.
Pot 1: Bayern Munich (holders), Barcelona, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Arsenal, FC Porto, Benfica
Pot 2: Atletico Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, AC Milan, Schalke 04, Marseille, CSKA Moscow, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus
Pot 3: Zenit St Petersburg, Manchester City, Ajax, Borussia Dortmund, FC Basel, Olympiakos, Galatasaray, Bayer Leverkusen
Pot 4: FC Copenhagen, Napoli, Anderlecht, Celtic, Steaua Bucharest, Viktoria Plzen, Real Sociedad, Austria Vienna
How it works
Seedings are based on Uefa’s coefficient system, based on results in European competition over the past five years. One team from each of the four pots is drawn into each of the eight groups.
Teams from the same country cannot be drawn together at the group stage. The top two teams from each group go through.
When Today at 4:45pm.
Where Monaco.
TV Live on Sky Sports News.
Liverpool to Make Offer for £7.5m Rated Man City Defender Joleon Lescott
Anfield side prepare move for experienced Etihad Stadium centre-back.
Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers will look to strengthen his defensive options by looking to lure Man City centre-back Joleon Lescott to Anfield according to Sports Direct News.
The experienced former Everton man is likely to see limited action at the Etihad Stadium under new boss Manuel Pellegrini though the 31 year old has started both Man City’s opening Premier League fixtures he has only done so because young Serbian Matija Nastastic has been ruled out with an ankle injury and with experienced Argentine Martin Demichelis said to be on his way to the Premier League side it would appear to spell the end of the England international’s chances.
Rodgers has seen both Kolo Toure and Sebastian Coates suffer injuries and appears reticent to use Martin Skrtel, who was frozen out of first team action for much of the second half of the 2012/13 campaign, and this source believes £7.5m would be enough to bring in the Birmingham born defender.
Lescott may feel his chances of securing regular football would be more easily achieved back in Merseyside and clearly with a World Cup on the horizon a move to play as regularly as possible is key.
Though a move for Lescott certainly doesn’t adhere to Liverpool’s youthful transfer policy this may be a move that Rodgers pushes for as he looks to secure that all important top four finish.
Joe Hart is a class act despite recent mistakes, insists Gordon Banks
World Cup legend Gordon Banks is convinced England are in safe hands with under-pressure Joe Hart between the posts.
The Manchester City goalkeeper has come under increasing criticism after an error which led to a goal in the 3-2 Wembley win against Scotland earlier this month was followed by costly mistakes in Sunday’s 3-2 Premier League defeat to Cardiff City.
But Banks is convinced the 26-year-old is the best English goalkeeper of his generation and is not worried about his dip in form.
England coach Roy Hodgson has also expressed his faith in the City star ahead of the forthcoming World Cup qualifiers against Moldova and Ukraine and Banks said: ‘Joe is one of the best goalkeepers in today’s game.
‘Don’t forget he has done very well for club and country for the past few years.
‘He has made a few mistakes just recently but we have all gone through phases like that.
‘The important thing is to be fully focused on the next save and have confidence in your ability. I am sure Joe will be just fine.’
Banks starred as Sir Alf Ramsey’s Lions won the 1966 World Cup but is best remembered for his amazing save from Pele’s point-blank downward header in Mexico four years later.
The 74-year-old former Stoke and Leicester star said: ‘It wasn’t until I saw it again at a recent dinner that I realised how close to goal he actually was.’
'We got £400,000 from City for a player we never actually signed'
PHIL Gartside has revealed the truth behind Didi Hamann’s infamous short stay as a Bolton Wanderers player.
Speaking on Talksport, the Whites chairman admitted for the first time that paperwork on the German international’s move from Liverpool had not actually been completed before he was sold on less than 24 hours later to Manchester City for £400,000.
Hamann was in the studio as Gartside recalled a deal often jokingly referred to by Sam Allardyce as “the best he has ever done.”
“The full story never actually came out,” Gartside said.
“What happened was Didi signed for us on a free transfer from Liverpool, came in, signed the papers, and then, for whatever reason, decided it wasn’t for you and that you wanted to reconsider.
“We said to you ‘I’m sorry about that, but you’ve signed’ but what you never realised was that we never actually countersigned the papers and just put them in the draw.
“The next thing we know, you came along and told us you’d got this opportunity to go to Manchester City – so we actually sold you without actually signing you, did you know that?
“We got £400,000 from Manchester City for a player we never actually signed. And that’s the truth.”
Gartside picked out relegation from the Premier League as the lowest point of his near 14-year reign as chairman, with qualifying for Europe under Sam Allardyce in 2005 the highlight.
And he also outlined some of the financial difficulties faced by the club since they dropped out of the top flight and failed to return at the first time of asking.
“Getting relegated from the Premier League, on day one you lose about £30million of revenue,” he explained. “That’s a fact of life and you lose the advantage of the TV money. The problem you have got is that having been in there for 11 years, you build up to a wage structure. You have got to compete, you can’t try not to, and so you build a structure that is Premier League and you can’t dismantle that on day one.
“You can build in some contingencies but we went from a £50m wage bill to a £25m wage bill in one hit when we got relegated. But £25m in today’s Financial Fair Play climate is not low enough.
“Our turnover, excluding TV money, is relatively modest compared to some of the bigger clubs. We haven’t got the massive fan base, so it’s very difficult.”
Pellegrini did not escape Old Trafford unscathed
The City boss was the subject of missile outside of the stadium
Manuel Pellegrini had objects thrown at him as he exited his car upon his arrival to Old Trafford on Monday night. The Manchester City manager was attending the match to scout Manchester United ahead of their Premier League derby on September 22nd but could not make it into the stadium without first facing the United fans.
According to The Guardian, upon being recognized while getting out of his car at Old Trafford, Pellegrini was forced to find cover as missiles were thrown at him, causing Old Trafford security officials to step in and assist the Chilean. Pellegrini did not want to take the issue any further after it was resolved but did reveal that he was thankful for the good treatment by the Old Trafford stewards.
City have split their first two matches of the season, winning 4-0 in a dominant performance against Newcastle in their opening match before losing 3-2 in the most surprising result of the season to newly promoted Cardiff City. The club is currently facing an injury crisis in the back four as Vincent Kompany, Matija Nastasic, and Micah Richards are all out injured, leaving Joleon Lescott as City’s only experienced center back.
City were forced to start defensive midfielder Javia Garcia at center back in the Cardiff match, a move that may have contributed to the side giving up three goals with two coming on set pieces.
MCF.net THREAD: viewtopic.php?f=119&t=46567
Manchester City have renewed their partnership with global beer brand Heineken.
The Dutch brewery will continue to serve as City's official UK beer partner on match days and during summer concerts until the end of the 2017/18 season.
As part of the four-year deal, which is exclusive to the UK and City's Etihad Stadium, the group's brands such as Foster's, Heineken and Strongbow will be served in the ground's concourse bars and hospitality facilities.
The new agreement builds on an existing 18-year relationship between the two parties which began at City's former stadium Maine Road and continued when the Blues moved to the Etihad Stadium in 2003.
City's chief commercial and operating officer Tom Glick said: "Heineken and its stable of brands have been a key part of our fans' match-day experience for more than 18 years.
"We're extremely proud of this relationship that has spanned nearly two decades and look forward to working together to continually improve the Etihad Stadium's beverage offering."
Heineken UK's on-trade managing director Lawson Mountstevens added: "We are delighted to extend our partnership with one of the most ambitious clubs in world football.
"Teaming up with Manchester City presents a unique opportunity to showcase our unrivalled portfolio of cider and beer brands to over 47,000 spectators, while trialling and developing new product and dispense innovation throughout the Etihad Stadium's state-of-the-art bars and hospitality facilities."
[spoiler]
[/spoiler]Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has launched a shock bid to bring Chelsea striker Demba Ba, 28, back to the club he left seven months ago. Daily Mirror
Manchester United could return with a third bid for Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas in January if the Spain international, 26, is not getting regular football. Sun
The Old Trafford club have raised their joint offer for Everton's Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini to £38m. Daily Mirror
Everton are confident of keeping Baines beyond the transfer deadline despite the England left-back, 28, making it clear he wants to join United. Daily Telegraph
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho hopes to compensate for missing out on Wayne Rooney by signing Anzhi Makhachkala's Samuel Eto'o, 32, and FC Porto's Christian Atsu, 21. Daily Express
Cameroon striker Eto'o will be unveiled as a Chelsea player on Thursday. Mundo Deportivo
Sunderland face a battle with Rennes to land Senegal defender Cheikh M'Bengue, 25. TalkSHIT
West Ham could miss out on transfer target Oscar Cardozo, 30, with Barcelona interested in the Benfica striker. TalkSHIT
Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas wants to sign Manchester United's Javier Hernandez, 25, but will have to pay £15m to get the Mexico striker. Daily Mirror
Arsenal are ready to move for St Etienne midfielder Josuha Guilavogui, 22, if they miss out on Newcastle's Yohan Cabaye, 27. DSSC
West Brom are considering a loan move for Stoke goalkeeper Jack Butland, 20, after Ben Foster, 30, was ruled out for three months with a foot injury. Sun
Stoke are waiting to hear if Germany striker Aaron Hunt, 26, wants to move to the Britannia Stadium after agreeing a fee with Werder Bremen. Stoke Sentinel
Paris St-Germain may be interested in signing 32-year-old Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas, who has been sidelined by coach Carlo Ancelotti since he took over at the Bernabeu. Sport24.com (in French)
Mesut Ozil, 24, has ended speculation about his future by confirming he intends to stay at Real Madrid. The German international was said to be considering a move away from La Liga because of the imminent arrival of Gareth Bale, 24. Kicker
Lazio are attempting to sign Turkish striker Burak Yilmaz, 28, from Galatasaray. Tuttosport
Bundesliga side Schalke are close to signing midfielder Dennis Aogo, 26, from Hamburger SV on a one-year loan with an option to buy him. Bild
Ivory Coast forward Gervinho, 26, admits he was happy to leave Arsenal and says he is determined to get his career back on track at new club Roma. TalkSHIT
Borussia Dortmund fans have launched a campaign to 'free' Shinji Kagawa, 24, from Manchester United and bring him back to Germany. Daily Express
Napoli's owner says he is planning to sue the mayor of Capri after striker Gonzalo Higuain, 25, injured his face climbing on rocks on the island. Metro
GOLDEN BOLLOX 29-8-2010
Manchester City's David Platt says he has got the 'taste' for coaching again
English football is supposed to be in the grip of a coaching crisis. After the World Cup failure there was much spoken and written about the deficiencies of English coaching and the lack of credible coaches bringing future talent through.
It is certainly true that, compared to Germany and Spain, there are too few English men and women coaching future footballers. At the very elite level, though, the English coach – if not manager – is doing rather well.
Mike Phelan takes much of the day-to-day training-ground responsibility at Manchester United, Ray Wilkins assists Carlo Ancelotti at Chelsea, Sammy Lee worked with Rafael Benítez at Liverpool and is now helping Roy Hodgson while Pat Rice, who is Northern Irish, works closely with Arsène Wenger.
The human cost of businesses entering administration is highThen there is Manchester City. Roberto Mancini inherited the excellent Brian Kidd when he arrived but realised he needed more support on the training field.
With City's wealth he could have gone for pretty much any coach in world football. It is telling that Mancini went English, tempting David Platt back to the training field after a six-year hiatus.
"People definitely underestimate English coaches," says Platt, fresh from a morning session with the most expensively-assembled team in England. "You don't realise the work that is going on behind the scenes at clubs. People see that there are no English managers at the top and immediately assume there are no English coaches.
"That's not true: there are plenty of coaches at our best clubs doing some excellent work. There is a mystique or charisma about foreign managers but I don't see that we are any further behind on technical or tactical issues."
What with the signing of six players in multimillion-pound deals, the arrival of Platt at Eastlands might have gone under the radar yet for Mancini it was the first deal he got done as he started to execute his ambitious plans for the new season.
"I have known Robbie for a long time," Platt said. "I had dinner with him a few times since he joined City in December but then in May he called me and asked to join.
"I first came across Robbie when I'd just moved to Bari in 1991. There was a sniff of me going to Sampdoria, probably at his behest. Even when he was playing – at 25 or 26 – he was doing all the jobs at Sampdoria, coaching, speaking to the president, looking at the transfers. "Six months into my contract at Bari I get a phone call from him. He said come and play for us and I got a call every week from him pestering me to join him. Then Luca Vialli calls trying to get me to move to Juventus so I ended up going there.
"It was a difficult year at Juventus and they wanted to sell me back to England. I wanted to go to Sampdoria, though, and it was probably Robbie that convinced their president to go and get me. We roomed together at Sampdoria and stayed in touch for the next 16 years. "The one thing that came over, even when he was a player was how much of a winner he was. If you had those similar traits, that desire to win, you were always going to get on with Roberto Mancini."
The partnership has been renewed but Platt conceded it took some adjusting to taking on the role of an assistant.
"It's interesting for me having to take that step back as a No 2 rather than a No 1," he said. "I'm used to being the one that makes decisions. But we have a very good rapport. He does not always insist he is right."
Platt always saw himself becoming a coach. He played under Dario Gradi at Crewe, Graham Taylor at Aston Villa, Bobby Robson with England, Giovanni Trapattoni at Juventus, Sven-Goran Eriksson at Sampdoria and Arsène Wenger at Arsenal and he says he "took something from all of them" but that it was Terry Venables' time as England coach that had the biggest influence on him.
"It was 1994 when Venables came in with England, so I was 28. At that age you think you know it all. He came out with things on the training pitch which made you think 'how stupid am I not to have thought of that?'.
"It was easy, simple things that he pieced together. He was exceptional as a coach. I had two years with him and he'd mesmerise you on a football pitch."
By his own admission, Platt did not always find management as straightforward. After a short spell as coach of Sampdoria he managed Nottingham Forest where he says he "made some big mistakes" and, after taking charge of the England Under 21s between 2001 and 2004, he took a year out and began to ask himself whether the "snakes and ladders board" was for him.
He turned down a good job with a lower league club two years ago and realised that if he was to come back into the game at the level he wanted, it would have to be as a coach.
"When Robbie came along with this offer it just ticked all the boxes," he said. "I even live just 20 minutes from the training ground."
Platt speaks with great enthusiasm of the "project" at City and he has been impressed with the quality of City's acquisitions. Mario Balotelli has "an explosion of natural talent", David Silva has "unbelievable ability" while Yaya Touré "gives you a sense of security when he's on the ball".
He thinks the arrivals have pushed the players already at the club to an even higher level, singling out Vincent Kompany as "magnificent" in the opening games of the season. Now it is up to the coaching staff to instil the "ruthless" mentality in the players that Mancini wants to become second nature.
Platt's enthusiasm for the challenge is clear. "I get a high when I've had a good day on the training pitch, when I've put something on for the players that has produced a good session.
"With the older players it's about directing and guiding. The young players you can teach. All of a sudden I've got the taste for it again." Telegraph
[spoiler]
[/spoiler]Manchester City star Patrick Vieira insists he's Mario Balotelli's minder
When he arrived at Arsenal at the tender age of 20, Patrick Vieira settled quickly into English football with the help of old salts Tony Adams, Lee Dixon and Dennis Bergkamp.
Now, 14 years later, it is an important part of his job with Manchester City to teach younger colleagues, most notably the talented but temperamental Mario Balotelli, ‘right from wrong’.
Vieira may not have cost City a transfer fee but nobody in Roberto Mancini’s £300million squad has a better knowledge of what it takes to win.
Under Arsene Wenger, he won the Double twice at Arsenal and was a member of the famous Invincibles side that went through the 2003-04 season unbeaten. He also has three Serie A titles with Inter Milan and a World Cup winners’ medal with France in his collection.
Crucially for City, he formed a close relationship at the San Siro with 20-year-old Balotelli and nobody is better suited to steering him in the right direction.
The £24m striker is more famous for his fights than his football so far; missing the Champions League Final after an argument with Jose Mourinho, insulting Italy legend Francesco Totti with the words ‘You’re finished, Grandad’, wearing the shirt of Inter’s hated rivals AC Milan on TV and even accusing his biological parents of being ‘glory-hunters’.
So Vieira has taken it upon himself to calm Balotelli down as City aim to continue their unbeaten start to the season at Sunderland, although the youngster may have to wait for his Premier League debut because of a knee injury.
Vieira recalled: ‘I had people to look up to at Arsenal as a young player. I couldn’t believe how determined the famous back four (Dixon, Adams, Steve Bould and Nigel Winterburn) were every single day. They trained the same way they played on a Saturday.
Minder: Patrick Vieira in action for City against Timisoara in the Europa League
'I was a good listener then, and I learned. Now the players at City might ask me questions and want to learn. Those who think they know everything right away will find it is not the case.
‘Micah Richards wants to learn and I believe he is good enough to play for England.
Balotelli is not a bad guy either. He just has to keep his head down and work harder than he did at Inter if he wants to improve and be one of the best.
‘Many players have talent but there is a big difference between having a good season and making a career for 15 years. You have to keep your head for that.’
Balotelli is the most explosive of the five summer signings made by Mancini,
who knew him at Inter. Vieira believes if the striker can get his head right, Premier League defenders will not know what has hit them.
‘Balotelli is a good striker. If he has 10 shots, he will hit the target nine times and score seven,’ said Vieira.
‘He is young and made mistakes, but he will learn. In Italy, not enough people told him if he had done something wrong. I will tell him if he has done the right thing or the wrong thing. We have played together for a few years and know each other well.
‘He is a lovely lad. I will do my best to help him because this club need his talent. Coming to England will make him grow up. He will find out as he gets older there is a line not to cross.’
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