Manchester City Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours

jaykay74

"worlds number one striker Amr Zaki"

Xavi6

Well actually he is according to FIFA's stats index.

jaykay74

Xavi6 wrote: »

Well actually he is according to FIFA's stats index.

Indeed, who am I to argue with FIFA's stats index.

I can only think its based on Africa Cup Of Nations record as he hasn't played a club match of any world significance as far as I can see or played at the World Cup. Wonder what they based it on

Charlie

Xavi6 wrote: »

Hmmmmm not sure what to make of this. The purple patch could end very soon.

As class as I think Zaki is, Benjani had a very similar start, and look what he is doing now. I think Man City would be a bad move for Zaki. This summer I reckon City will be hovering up players ala Chelsea in '04, and look how many promising players got lost in the shuffle with that.

City have bigger fish to fry imo.

Xavi6

charlie mchugh wrote: »

As class as I think Zaki is, Benjani had a very similar start, and look what he is doing now. I think Man City would be a bad move for Zaki. This summer I reckon City will be hovering up players ala Chelsea in '04, and look how many promising players got lost in the shuffle with that.

City have bigger fish to fry imo.

He's been injured since last season. There's a place there for him when he gets fit, which will be in the next couple of weeks.

Charlie

Xavi6 wrote: »

He's been injured since last season. There's a place there for him when he gets fit, which will be in the next couple of weeks.

I was under the impression he was fit. But do you honestly expect him to be playing regularly. Will any game time he gets quickly vanish once Jan. arrives and the checkbook is in action again?

Will the game be on during the wee hours for you?

Xavi6

charlie mchugh wrote: »

I was under the impression he was fit. But do you honestly expect him to be playing regularly. Will any game time he gets quickly vanish once Jan. arrives and the checkbook is in action again?

No idea about Jan but we could do with him as an option right now, either to replace Jo and go up alongside them. The two could work as a partnership.

Will the game be on during the wee hours for you?

Yeah 3am kick off. I'm thinkin about pulling an all nighter but it'll feck me up for the week. Chances are I'll miss it. First game I'll have not seen so far.

brayblue24

Slightly off topic this but if I can't get help here.....

I don't think I can make it to a boozer for tonight's match. I saw the Liverpool match recently on a site recommended from here. Any helpful soul there to point me towards a site to view the Toon game?

Xavi6

www.rojadirecta.com

Check that an hour or so before kick off and it will list all the available streams - those that require software and those that don't.

Charlie

brayblue24 wrote: »

Slightly off topic this but if I can't get help here.....

I don't think I can make it to a boozer for tonight's match. I saw the Liverpool match recently on a site recommended from here. Any helpful soul there to point me towards a site to view the Toon game?

PM'd.

brayblue24

Many thanks both. Problem solved (I hope)

bigstar

cant really see benjani getting much of a look in 19m for jo and 32m for robinho. plus apart from scoring against united he didnt really do much last year, not that anyone else did either. just hope robihno starts playing well soon i.e. passing the ball.

Xavi6

bigstar wrote: »

cant really see benjani getting much of a look in 19m for jo and 32m for robinho. plus apart from scoring against united he didnt really do much last year, not that anyone else did either. just hope robihno starts playing well soon i.e. passing the ball.

All well and good if Robinho and Jo are fit and firing on all cylinders but if they aren't we need more than just two teenagers to be able to come in for them. Benjani is a good squad player and we're gonna need a squad this year to achieve anything.

Boggles

Don't expect to see Benjani at the club in Janurary, unless he comes back soon and hits top form and forms a partnership with Jo.

The lad is 30 and was never a prolific striker, I think Harry did a great bit of business with him, using the funds to buy Defoe. City lack that 20+ goal striker, something that will need to be addressed in Janurary, keeping Benjani will limit Sturridges appearances and stunt his development.

City are in transition, it is the perfect time to blood the youth as the level of expectation next season will be much higher.

bigstar

Xavi6 wrote: »

All well and good if Robinho and Jo are fit and firing on all cylinders but if they aren't we need more than just two teenagers to be able to come in for them. Benjani is a good squad player and we're gonna need a squad this year to achieve anything.

to be honest id like to see evans get a start he looks impressive when he comes on and hughes seems to prefer him to sturridge. especially with the brazilians failing to light up the pitch evans should get a nod. ireland was class again last night, you just want him to get the ball all the time, but apart from that, we were awful again, theres no urgency when we get the ball, 66% possession 20 shots but poor around the box. i hope things get better soon

Boggles

Not that anyone probably cares on this thread but Citys ex owner got 2 years.

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_4365089,00.html

Charlie

Boggles wrote: »

Not that anyone probably cares on this thread but Citys ex owner got 2 years.

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_4365089,00.html

Still involved with the club. Was given the role of Honory Life President, and I have seen him sitting alongside the ADUG crew.

I think he still holds a minority shareholding as well.

bigstar

expect to see less and less of him. he did alright though got us a good deal with the abu dhabis. i cant see much coming of the court result, hes living in london now, any way how could you arrest anyone who looks like mr magoo

Boggles

Petrov out for 3/4 months

http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,8652_4368583,00.html

bigstar

richards out too for "a period of time" whatever that is. no right back now for sunday, onuohas barely fit and i never really fancied him at full back. if we dont get a result on sunday, the alarm bells may start going off. going over for the game myself so i hope we play some good football.

Xavi6

From mcfc.co.uk -

Joe Hart signs new City contract

Manchester City is pleased to announce that Joe Hart has signed a new five-year contract with the Club.

The 21-year-old keeper put pen to paper on the deal on Sunday lunchtime, and a delighted Mark Hughes said: “I’m very pleased that Joe has signed this contract. Our young players are a huge part of our plans for this club, and securing the services of one of the most promising keepers in the country was key to what we are doing here.”

Joe joined City from Shrewsbury in May 2006 having been tracked by several Premier League clubs. He made his first team debut against Sheffield United in October of that year, and became City’s first-choice stopper during the 2007/08 season.

He has become a regular pick for the England Under 21 side, helping them into next summer’s European Championships. He also won his first cap for the senior side against Trinidad & Tobago in June.

Love it! Best young keeper in the league. Be great to pick up an experienced back up in January to help in develop even more.

Enjoy the game bigstar?!

bigstar

was in the corner of the colin bell stand when he tipped diaos shot over the bar, and to think we got him for nothing from shrewsbury.
best game ive been to in 16 years of city matches, some great attacking play, sturridge and evans could be two fantastic players in the years ahead.

weve got robinho, weve got robinho

Xavi6

Reganio 2

Reganio 2, 25/1/07 wrote:

No mate it was just me complimenting him no rumors or anything just wondering what you people thought of him, I suppose I should have worded it better.
I agree with you about him being very light weight especially for a central midfielder. I have said it to my mates about him being a great player and definitly one for the future but they pretty much just laughed in my face.

Just wanted to point this out ... Oh how right I was

bigstar

anyone got any ideas what the story is with us this season, apart from chelsea and liverpool, weve been great at home, we go away and forget how to play. the worrying thing is we give the opposition too much time when they have the ball, we need to be closing them down more. what do you think xavi? are we going to be up and down all season.

Xavi6

We are up and down every season! Typical City tbh.

I think the fans need to stop expecting miracles. We have a ridiculously young side that is still learning and needs time to gel. There are some arseholes calling for Hughes' head already beacuse we aren't in the top 4. Crazy stuff. The thing we've lacked over the past 15 years is stability so you'd think City fans more than others would be patient.

Xavi6

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/sport/58971/CITY-TO-BREAK-RECORD.html

CITY TO BREAK RECORD

£35m to bring Aguero to Eastlands

MANCHESTER CITY will smash their own Premier League transfer record with a stunning £35million bid for Argentinian wonderkid Sergio Aguero.

Just weeks after splashing out £32m for Robinho, City will spend even bigger in January to land the 20-year-old Atletico Madrid striker.

City are already in talks with the Spanish club for the youngster, who many of Europe’s top coaches rate more highly than Barcelona star Lionel Messi.

It looks certain Mark Hughes will land the player in the January transfer window and thus sicken Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho.

The Italians were turned down when they offered £25m in the summer but City are now big favourites to land FIFA’s Young Player of the year in 2007.

A source close to the player confirmed: “City have already offered more than the £32m they paid for Robinho.

“Madrid turned down £24m from Inter in the summer but the cash offer has gone higher and higher from City.

“And just as they couldn’t hold on to Fernando Torres, Atletico know they can’t resist this sort of pressure.”

Aguero started his career at Independiente, becoming the youngest player to debut in the Argentine First Division at only 15 years and 35 days — breaking the record previously established by Diego Maradona.

Yes please!!!

Boggles

City havn't really had a problem scoring goals this season, I think a centre half should be a priority TBH.

roryc

Xavi6 wrote: »

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/sport/58971/CITY-TO-BREAK-RECORD.html



Yes please!!!

Jesus...

Xavi6

Boggles wrote: »

City havn't really had a problem scoring goals this season, I think a centre half should be a priority TBH.

But we already have him!



:pac:

eZe^

Xavi6 wrote: »

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/sport/58971/CITY-TO-BREAK-RECORD.html



Yes please!!!

His release clause is around 60 million euro, so you'd need about £50m for him. Sure money isn't even an issue though, why not buy Messi, Xavi and Casillas while you're at it!

Xavi6

All we'd need is Xavi.

Boggles

eZe^ wrote: »

His release clause is around 60 million euro, so you'd need about £50m for him. Sure money isn't even an issue though, why not buy Messi, Xavi and Casillas while you're at it!

It would work out at about 10 million a game for Sick note Messi.

Ireland is better than Xavi.

Casillas as his peak wouldn't fill Harts sweaty gloves.

roryc

If City start splashing out on all the top players, will there still be a place for players like Ireland/Dunne etc... I'd be worried if I wasn't an established member of the City set up

eZe^

Xavi6 wrote: »

All we'd need is Xavi.

Isn't that the one position you really don't need players in? :pac: Love is blind!

Boggles wrote: »

It would work out at about 10 million a game for Sick note Messi.

Ireland is better than Xavi.

Casillas as his peak wouldn't fill Harts sweaty gloves.

Wait for some sod to take you seriously and start a thread called 'EL TRAP, MAKE STEPHEN JOIN THE NATIONAL TEAM, HE'S BETTER THAN XAVI'

Xavi6

roryc wrote: »

If City start splashing out on all the top players, will there still be a place for players like Ireland/Dunne etc... I'd be worried if I wasn't an established member of the City set up

Ireland is an established member, a young one at that, who is playing out of his skin so he's certainly safe.

Dunne on the other hand will be gone by the summer, if not January, imo.

Rumours are that Onouha is unhappy and wants out.

eZe^ wrote: »

Isn't that the one position you really don't need players in? :pac: Love is blind!

Ah he could play the holdin role and move Vinny to centre half.

Xavi6

eZe^ wrote: »

Wait for some sod to take you seriously and start a thread called 'EL TRAP, MAKE STEPHEN JOIN THE NATIONAL TEAM, HE'S BETTER THAN XAVI'

Ahhh if only este were still with us... :pac:

nlgbbbblth

When did City last play a Saturday game?

seems to be all Sunday and Monday so far this season.

Xavi6

Tell me about it. Another night of three hours sleep for me. It's a bloody joke.

PHB

I can't see Aguero going to City, since the entire world would be happy to pay 35 million for him aswell!

bigstar

PHB wrote: »

I can't see Aguero going to City, since the entire world would be happy to pay 35 million for him aswell!

ah jealousy, something we'll have to get used to now.

Headshot

bigstar wrote: »

ah jealousy, something we'll have to get used to now.

mate its called being realistic

bigstar

well see come january, if we cant defend, we might aswell buy all the attackers we can get our hands on, its only brazilians and argentines from now on

Sherifu

Shocking result tonight.

bigstar

not really, just another day away from the comfort of eastlands. played well in the first half, could have scored a couple, came out second half and were absolute sh1te, cant win back the ball, at least dunne scored again.

Raskolnikov

bigstar wrote: »

richards out too for "a period of time"

For a player of his ability, he's had a stinker of a season so far.

Elano also had a pathetic game. For a big lad, there's no reason why he should be so easily pushed off the ball.

brayblue24

Sherifu wrote: »

Shocking result tonight.

And a woeful display. I've defended Dunne many times before but it's getting beyond the joke now..

Xavi6

To be fair to Dunne, up until the 80th minute he was our best player. Unfortunately though that all counts for nothing when he keeps banging in OGs.

_blank_

Xavi.

Do you think Mark Hughes is a good enough manager to take Manchester City where they want to be?

If you could define where you want Manchester City to be, in terms of success, that would be good too.

Xavi6

Des wrote: »

Xavi.

Do you think Mark Hughes is a good enough manager to take Manchester City where they want to be?

In a word, no. But then again, I don't know who is that would be available.

We heard about how he was a great motivator, gets the most from players blah blah blah yet we've got a bunch of toothless nancy boys going out onto the pitch. His player management was meant to be the ace in the pack and if he doesn't have that with us then he's not worth having around.

The flip side is everyone wants stability. Sacking a manager after 10 or 11 league games does nothing to rectify that.

If you could define where you want Manchester City to be, in terms of success, that would be good too.

This season or in general?