Manchester City Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours

bigstar

JPA wrote: »

Just saying you'll never get the money back or rather the sheik won't.
Guess that's a bit irrelevant.

probably not, but well have some fun in the meantime, hopefully, fingers crossed, if all doesnt turn to sh1t.

redout

bigstar wrote: »

whats arrogant about it. we need, badly need, good players especially a striker and bellamy cost €14m and we can afford him,

No arguments with you lot needing good players but how the hell do you reckon Bellamy is a good player ? The guy has a brutal goalscoring record, troublemaker and moves club too much. Anyway all them points aside he is not what I call a good player.

Smegball

Bellamy was 10m apparently.

bigstar

redout wrote: »

No arguments with you lot needing good players but how the hell do you reckon Bellamy is a good player ? The guy has a brutal goalscoring record, troublemaker and moves club too much. Anyway all them points aside he is not what I call a good player.

fair enough, and ordinarily i wouldnt rate that much, but he played his best under hughes and we need a player who works hard rather than jut flashy, so i think hell do well.

Xavi6

It's January. Superstars aren't readily available. The only people who are are either mercenaries like Chimbonda or solid players playing for inferior teams. Bellamy is somewhere in between, and imo is the best of the bunch we could have gotten.

That debut performance and goal would suggest to me that he is a shrewd signing.

Xavi6

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1133876/PICTURE-SPECIAL-Sleepless-Given-trains-new-Manchester-City-team-mates-snow-wrapping-Newcastle.html

PICTURE SPECIAL: Sleepless Given trains with new Man City team-mates in the snow after sealing move from Newcastle

Manchester City new boy Shay Given has admitted he did not sleep last night because of his excitement at the prospect of his first day at training.

Given completed a ￠G6million move from Newcastle yesterday and is expected to make his debut against Middlesbrough at Eastlands on Saturday.

The Republic of Ireland star has spent the last 11 years at St James' Park, so there was bound to be a bit of apprehension as he stepped into the unknown.

'I was so excited last night that I couldn't sleep,' he told City's official website. 'It will be like being a kid at a new school at training.

'I want to meet the lads, get to know my new surrounds and get down to work. I feel the best years are still ahead of me. I work hard in training to keep improving. That will never change.'

A veteran of World Cup and Champions League campaigns, Given is clear to feature in City's assault on the UEFA Cup - which begins against Copenhagen next month.

'I was delighted to get the move tied up, because of the UEFA deadline last night,' he added. 'I didn't want to be sat in the stand if City are going to be picking up the UEFA Cup later this season.'

Given's arrival has been viewed as bad news for England international Joe Hart, who has been City's No 1 for the past 18 months.

However, the 32-year-old believes he can offer Hart and City's other young goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel some valuable advice in the future.

'I have a lot of experience that I can pass on,' he said. 'They might not be all that happy to see me, but I would like to think that we can all work together and all improve together.

'I rate Joe highly. He has done fantastically well this season but he is still very young in goalkeeping terms.'

Nunu

Xavi6 wrote: »

With all that money you think they could replace the missing 'b's' in 'Manchester City Football Club' lettering at their training ground....bleeding skinflints!:D

...oh and somebody has a 'b' fetish over there!

Xavi6

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_4891445,00.html

Robinho has described Manchester City as a 'big club' and is confident star players will soon want to flock to Eastlands.

The Premier League outfit have emerged as one of the major financial forces in world football following the summer arrival of billionaire owners the Abu Dhabi United Group.

Backed by that money, boss Mark Hughes made a world-record bid for AC Milan's Kaka during the winter transfer window, but the move failed as some questioned why the Brazilian idol would have considered the potential switch.

City continue to struggle for consistency and sit 10th in the top-flight and it has been suggested that the club - who have not won a major honour since the 1976 League Cup - will struggle for star-pulling power, despite their riches.

But former Real Madrid playmaker Robinho is convinced that City - who signed Wayne Bridge, Craig Bellamy, Shay Given and Nigel de Jong in January - are already held in high regard.

Silverware

"I see it as a respected club, one that every player will want to play for," said the Brazil international, who was talking to his website www.robinhoofficial.com.

"Hopefully by that time the club will have won many titles such as the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League."

But the 25-year-old acknowledges that City cannot be considered a successful club until they have ended their 33-year wait for major silverware.

"Our objective is to be big, but we must work hard," he added. "We are already big, but we can be bigger by winning titles.

"Hopefully Manchester City will be improving every year. And each year we must be competing in more challenging competitions and reaching higher levels."

Robinho was talking to skysports.com courtesy of www.fobazo.com

The little legend. Unhappy me bollox.

brayblue24

Nice to see we're not the only nation of begrudgers!

http://www.teamtalk.com/football/story/0,16368,1777_4893490,00.html

keane2097

Xavi6 wrote: »

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_4891445,00.html



The little legend. Unhappy me bollox.

For some reason what immediately jumps out to me from his website name is Robin Hoof...

Jack Charlton for City manager anyone?

Nunu

SWP charged with violent conduct.

No chance he'll appeal is there? Because I have him in FF and City have a double gameweek coming up....and that's all that matters:)

ShooterSF

I see City are Platini's latest thing to bitch about. Threatening to ban ye's from european competitions for spending above the clubs means. I'm a United fan but if Platini thinks limiting clubs spending by their earnings and stopping owner investment is a good idea he's an idiot. If that happens we'll just go back to the big clubs earning more, spending more and widening the gap again.

L'prof

ShooterSF wrote: »

I see City are Platini's latest thing to bitch about. Threatening to ban ye's from european competitions for spending above the clubs means. I'm a United fan but if Platini thinks limiting clubs spending by their earnings and stopping owner investment is a good idea he's an idiot. If that happens we'll just go back to the big clubs earning more, spending more and widening the gap again.

Platini loves to whinge about teams, I don't know why...the man generally annoys me, but he does have a point to a certain degree on this one!

Loomis

Kaka fan's tat-too quick!

WHEN Manchester City's £100m bid for Brazilian superstar Kaka fell through fan Chris Atkinson was more blue than most.

The keen City fan was so confident his team could secure the deal to bring the AC Milan star to Eastlands that he got the player's name tattooed across his chest.

And he's been so embarrassed since the bid fell through last month that he's only just revealed his 6cm-wide new body art - in the centre of his chest - to mates.

Chris, 25, from Altrincham, who has 18 tattoos, including the City badge and England's three lions on his leg and a St George's flag with MCFC on his arm, paid £60 for the new body art after news broke that City were chasing the star.

Embarrassed

He said: "I was gutted when it fell through. I couldn't believe it and rushed to check all the news channels.

"I got it done when City's representatives flew out to Milan to talk to Kaka's but I hadn't shown anyone.

"When it fell through I was too embarrassed to tell anyone what I'd done. My mum and dad haven't even seen it yet.

"I didn't show anyone until I was in the pub last week and said to the lads 'guess what I've had done'. They thought it was a transfer but when I showed them it was real they just laughed."

But labourer Chris, a life long City fan, is not planning to get it covered up just yet.

He said: "I'm not doing anything until the summer. You never know they might try for him again. I'm thinking about getting a Robinho one - I've tried before but my mates said I'd be stupid."

Ouch.

redout

How can Platini complain about City in all honesty. Its known the guy has a soft spot for Real Madrid a club in debt to the tune of over half a billion €uro according to their most recent AGM in December (the one Calderon got fired over for!)


'In Manchester City they can work with all the young players in Manchester and bring them to the academy and they become like Kaka.


'Then they don't need to buy him for €150million because they will have him in their own academy.'


I am use to Platini talking some real bollox at times but the above takes the biscuit.

anladmór

Mr. Anderson wrote: »

Kaka fan's tat-too quick!

hhahaha moron.

Mgoraf

Manchester City Winger Wright-Phillips Receives FA-Induced Three League Game Ban

http://www.goal.com/en/news/710/manchester-city/2009/02/09/1101119/breaking-news-manchester-city-winger-wright-phillips-receives-fa

Xavi6

Absolute disgrace of a decision.

Ronaldo kicks out at Stoke and nothing is done. Gerrard boots the ball at a Chelsea player and nothing is done. Typical FA with one rule for the 'big 4' and another for the rest.

Fucking jokers the lot of them

bigstar

was reading that thread on wages caps. as much as i agree that transfer fees and wages are ridiculous, i think its been ridiculous for years, an 18y/o rooney for £30m rio for the same, carrick, veron without even talking about chelsea or the spanish and italian teams. how hypocritical that its only when city starts doing it, is it a matter of grave importance for football. the traditions of football have been hacked away for years, long before city had any money. i hope we spend billions in the next few years and win every competition there is, let the fcukers moan, they brought it on themselves.

Rich1691

bigstar wrote: »

was reading that thread on wages caps. as much as i agree that transfer fees and wages are ridiculous, i think its been ridiculous for years, an 18y/o rooney for £30m rio for the same, carrick, veron without even talking about chelsea or the spanish and italian teams. how hypocritical that its only when city starts doing it, is it a matter of grave importance for football. the traditions of football have been hacked away for years, long before city had any money. i hope we spend billions in the next few years and win every competition there is, let the fcukers moan, they brought it on themselves.

I think its because Man City became billionaires over night where as the likes of Man Utd have been building up their financial status for a long time. When Chelsea were taken over soccer fans in general were frustrated that Chelsea became very rich over night and started buying and snatching players with last minute pent house apartement deals etc...

bigstar

thats extremely naive thinking united built up their finances over a long period of time, keane was a transfer record in 93. anyway the fact that city became millionaires over night has nothing to do with ridiculous transfers fees. my point is the transfer market has been inflated for years and its just tough if city have money that no one else does.

Mgoraf

Xavi6 wrote: »

Absolute disgrace of a decision.

Ronaldo kicks out at Stoke and nothing is done. Gerrard boots the ball at a Chelsea player and nothing is done. Typical FA with one rule for the 'big 4' and another for the rest.

Fucking jokers the lot of them

C'mon you should know how it works by now :rolleyes:

RE Platini and the transfer fees:
Agree, didn't see him coming out with this when Madrid where linked with ridiculous bids for Ronaldo. He likes to get a dig in at the EPL somewhere.

bigstar

boj should be back soon, petrov is going to see his surgeon and may be training soon and benjani should also be training soon. obviously the one missing there is johnson, i guess hes out of the picture now, shame since he looked like a class act in the making

Xavi6

Boj is training fully with the first team squad now. Doing all the 5 a sides and everything so hopefully he'll have a reserve run out soon.

Mgoraf

I remember see a story a few months back about a (mystery) Prem Player who was on a drug ban. And there was rumours it was Johnson?? Anyone else see this?

bigstar

no i just heard he was fat and a bit of a waster

Xavi6

Johnson likes the drink not drugs.

bigstar

i was just reading that newcastle tried to sign him on deadline day and city rejected a bid. could that be a sign that maybe hes worth keeping/is getting his act together. hes still only 20

Xavi6

I want to keep him. Box to box players of the highest quality are a rare breed and Johnson has the potential to be one of those. If he did it at another club it'd infuriate me.

bigstar

Xavi6 wrote: »

I want to keep him. Box to box players of the highest quality are a rare breed and Johnson has the potential to be one of those. If he did it at another club it'd infuriate me.

me too. i hope this means he is getting himself sorted, but he has to get his act together. hopefully he works through the summer and realises hes wasted a full season

bigstar

thought this was interesting, apart from the ireland bit

http://mancityblues.com/newsblog/index.php/2009/02/10/hughes-style-mediocrity-or-magic

Xavi6

Reserves won 4-0 today. Vas, Boj and Ball all scored. Garrido, Berti and Clayton also played.

bigstar

any chance the pompey game may be called off again considering the weather.
also another team that sacks/changes manager before we play them, weve gone from a loss (spurs) to two draws (newcastle and blackburn) so hopefully we can get a win this time.

Xavi6

I wouldn't be upset if it was called off tbh. I'm off to Copenhagen next week and I don't want anyone getting crocked before then.

bigstar

fair enough but if gets called off it means a mid week rescheduling which isnt ideal, i was hoping pompey got knocked out of the fa cup so we could play them sat.

Xavi6

We are playing them on Saturday......

redout

Caicedo scored the winner last night for Ecuador U-21s who beat England 3-2 in Malaga.

Xavi6

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_city/article5711898.ece

City are shortly expected to open talks with Stephen Ireland about a new deal. The Ireland midfield player is contracted to the club until June 2012, but City accept that his present wages of about £30,000 a week do not reflect his importance or standing in the team, for whom he has been a revelation this season.

Ireland, 22, is expected to sign a two-year extension that will double his wages at least. In an interview with The Times last December, Ireland said that he wanted to spend his entire career at City.

“I would love to play at City for the next 10 or 15 years,” he said. “I want to be a one-club man.”

Good man Stevie

bohsman

Fair play to him, nice to see a player show some pride and loyalty to his team in this day and age.

keane2097

bohsman wrote: »

Fair play to him, nice to see a player show some pride and loyalty to his team in this day and age.

Well in fairness it does just happen to be the club capable of paying the highest wages by far...

mayordenis

keane2097 wrote: »

Well in fairness it does just happen to be the club capable of paying the highest wages by far...

he's ****ed either way then.

Fair play I say.

keane2097

mayordenis wrote: »

he's ****ed either way then.

Fair play I say.

Oh yeah fair play alright. Don't get me wrong - I'm delighted for him.

redout

MANCHESTER CITY plan to use Luiz Felipe Scolari and the Brazil connection to land Kaka.
City chiefs know Scolari will spend the next six months in England learning the language properly and studying the English game while his son Fabricio finishes the school term.

That leaves Scolari in pole position to replace Mark Hughes at Eastlands — and act as the perfect bait to lure Kaka from AC Milan.

Billionaire City owner Sheikh Mansour and chairman Khaldoon al Mubarek are still determined to push through a £100million deal for the Brazilian superstar.

And having Scolari at City would make a huge difference to Kaka, who was given his Brazil debut in 2002 by the former boss.

Sources in Portugal claim super-agent Jorge Mendes has been named as the man who can take Scolari to City, with the wheels already in motion to tempt Kaka.

One of the reasons for the failure of City’s initial move for the Milan midfielder was that manager Hughes was not part of the negotiating team.

Excellent
With the deal set up by Kia Joorabchian and Pini Zahavi, City chief executive Gary Cook took it upon himself to finalise the world-record transfer.

But when Kaka asked questions about his role in the City side, Hughes was not there to answer.

That would not be the case with Scolari, who already enjoys an excellent relationship with his countryman.

The Brazilian boss has told friends he has unfinished business in the Premier League after his Chelsea dismissal.

One of his main problems at Stamford Bridge was Roman Abramovich’s inability to spend freely as Chelsea found themselves outbid for Robinho — by City.



http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/sport/177639/MAN-CITY-WANT-SCOLARI.html




I think this would be a positive move for City if it happens. He is staying in England for the next 6 months and if he came I could defintely see Kaka having a serious rethink.

Xavi6

I don't want Scolari anywhere near City. I never liked him before Chelsea and I certainly don't now.

bigstar

scolari couldnt get the best out of a very talented squad, sure we already have a manager like that.
FFS portsmouth! every time you think hughes is going to get things right and then we lose to someone like portsmouth. liverpool and westham away next, two handy games.

Dr Bolouswki

The bluemoon forums are full of frothers calling for Hughes out - tbh I think we are around the same points as at this stage last season - and back then Sven was the greatest thing since sliced bread... I think dumping Hughes would not be a great idea - I'd really like to see some sensible progressiona t our club - if Hughes fails to have us solidly within a European berth by Christmas next season, well then maybe see him out - but calling for his head now seems total knee jerk reaction stuff

What think you's? I've nto seen much anti-hughes here - only on other forums... all hot air or does it bare weight?

whatawaster

Dr Bolouswki wrote: »

The bluemoon forums are full of frothers calling for Hughes out - tbh I think we are around the same points as at this stage last season - and back then Sven was the greatest thing since sliced bread... I think dumping Hughes would not be a great idea - I'd really like to see some sensible progressiona t our club - if Hughes fails to have us solidly within a European berth by Christmas next season, well then maybe see him out - but calling for his head now seems total knee jerk reaction stuff

What think you's? I've nto seen much anti-hughes here - only on other forums... all hot air or does it bare weight?

To be fair to Sven, although he hardly had nothing to spend, he didn't have 100 million or whatever it is Hughes spent. And he very quickly transformed a very poor side into a very good one.
And from the limited times i've seen them play this season and last, they looked a much more organised and together outfit last season.

Xavi6

whatawaster wrote: »

To be fair to Sven, although he hardly had nothing to spend, he didn't have 100 million or whatever it is Hughes spent. And he very quickly transformed a very poor side into a very good one.
And from the limited times i've seen them play this season and last, they looked a much more organised and together outfit last season.

Wow hold on a sec. We were a very good side up until January. From then until the end of the season we were fucking terrible. Sven did well at the time but he was no messiah.

I'm on the fence with Hughes. On the one hand a squad like ours should not be putting such piss poor performances as they did on Saturday, or against West Brom. Absolute embarrassments they were. The buck stops with the manager at the end of the day.

On the other hand it's only 6 months down the line. The squad has been significantly strenghtened (which is what we all wanted) and we're still alive in Europe. I just hope to God we don't fuck that up in Copenhagen cause if we do then Hughes is in trouble.

The bottom line is that we're stuck with him until the end of the season, or else we sack him and go managerless. The former is a much better option than the latter so the knee jerk reactions don't do anyone any favours.

We'll re-assess things come May.

bigstar

i dont think many city fans really want to get rid of another manager. but we should be doing better than we are and all we can see is a talented group under performing and we take our frustrations out on either hughes or the players depending on the week. no matter how much money we have things wont happen instantly, all we want to see is an improvement, which doesnt seem to be coming atm. i say give him time, another season or so, its a learning curve for everyone. but i dont know if the owners will see it that way. its a cliche but consistency breeds success

bigstar

whatawaster wrote: »

To be fair to Sven, although he hardly had nothing to spend, he didn't have 100 million or whatever it is Hughes spent. And he very quickly transformed a very poor side into a very good one.
And from the limited times i've seen them play this season and last, they looked a much more organised and together outfit last season.

like xavi said after january last season we were awful,and a 6-0 and 8-1 defeat, so not that organised.
like you say youve seen us a limited amount of times, depending on when weve either won decisively or lost by one or two goals. some performances last season were bad and that has carried on this season, a lack of fight or spirit or wahtever you want to call it. tbh i cant see us being beat by 6 or 8 goals this year so thats an improvement. realistically we are the same as the past 2-3 seasons but we should be better