Manchester City Thread

[54321]

What channel is the man city bolton game on?

[tshirtman]

Sir Alex Ferguson believes Manchester City may start to get affected by the scheduling of TV fixtures on the Premier League title run-in.

Once again, Manchester United go second this weekend, with their trip to Tottenham coming on Sunday - 24 hours after City entertain relegation-threatened Bolton.

Next weekend both sides have Sunday fixtures and the weekend after City are not due to be in action until Monday, when they entertain Chelsea, although that match might be pushed back still further due to the FA Cup.

It is the kind of scheduling Ferguson has been dealing with for over two decades now but is totally new for City and their manager Roberto Mancini.

"It doesn't make a difference to us - but it may make a difference to them as they don't have the same kind of experience," Ferguson told Inside United. "You never know."

Sounds like Fergie is worried about the spuds game this weekend, and clutching at straws a bit.

[tshirtman]

the Tevez affair is a difficult one for us city fans, we want to boo the Herman Munster head so much, if he plays for the first team again, but we don't want to cause any unrest or friction with the rest of the team, I just hope they leave him to rot in the reserves for the next three months.

[andy1967]

City lost 3-1, Tevez played for 1 hour.

[tshirtman]

EXCLUSIVE: Tevez to make Man City return in reserve fixture against Preston

Carlos Tevez will begin his Manchester City comeback in earnest on Tuesday when he makes his first competitive appearance for the club since his fall-out with Roberto Mancini five months ago.

Sportsmail can reveal that, one week after apologising for his actions, Tevez will play for City in a reserve League Cup tie against Preston that has been specially tailored to his needs.

The game was originally scheduled for Chorley?s Victory Park on Wednesday, but City succeeded in changing the venue and date after identifying it as an ideal opportunity for easing him back into action.

Concerned at the state of Chorley?s pitch, and intense media interest in Tevez?s eagerly-awaited return, City requested the tie be brought forward 24 hours and played behind closed doors at their Carrington training complex.

The 2pm kick off will give Mancini the chance to assess the 28-year-old?s match sharpness and how much more fitness work is needed before he can challenge for a first-team recall.

Tevez, who infuriated the City manager by refusing to warm up against Bayern Munich and subsequently spent three-and-a-half months on unauthorised leave in Argentina, was thought to be on course for a return to the squad against Swansea a week on Saturday.

Coach David Platt warned it could take longer, but such an early outing in a competitive reserves match suggests he could be up for selection at the Liberty Stadium.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... xture.html

[zee24]

Glen Johnson returns to LFC from the Eng squad with injury. Joleon Lescott called up as his replacement.

[zee24]

Raffaella Fico, she has dated Ronaldo in the past

[zee24]

We've already seen Mario Balotelli celebrating a goal by revealing a t-shirt asking Why Always Me?


Now he's changed tack and language to declare his love for girlfriend Raffaella Fico.


After scoring against Blackburn in today's late kick-off, Balotelli lifted his shirt to show the message: Raffaella Ti Amo.

[tshirtman]

read this today, it's a good honest read from a gooner.

Roberto Mancini: Rising above hate

At some point this season, just after Manchester City most likely outplayed your club, you must have concluded that any team ? regardless of how it is managed ? would be this successful with the kind of star power that the Citizens possess.

Well, as you may already know, there are many, many others who share this perspective when it comes to evaluating the impact of City manager Roberto Mancini. For all his accomplishments at the Eastlands thus far, it seems that most football fans refuse to give the Italian much credit for catalyzing a revival at Etihad Stadium.

Those who look beyond what?s visible in hindsight, though, will realize that the wisdom Mancini brings thanks to an enviable record of winning championships throughout his career is not only important, but simply invaluable for City.

After months of doubting their credentials, even the most bitter critics have accepted that Manchester City can no longer be viewed as pretenders; after managing to stay atop the Premier League table all along this season, they are contenders, after all.

While the likes of Kun Aguero, David Silva, Micah Richards, and Joe Hart are certainly great to have when aiming to dethrone Manchester United, it is often overlooked how this group went from having a ton of potential to leading the charge for a domestic title.

The answer, quite simply, is the presence of Mancini on the touchline. Not many can stand up to Sir Alex Ferguson and deliver repeatedly the way Mancini has.

From knocking United out of the FA Cup at Wembley last year to destroying them 6-1 at Old Trafford earlier this season, Mancini has demonstrated exactly why his leadership brand is one of a kind.

Remember those days when his Internazionale side seemed unstoppable in Italy for a few years at a stretch? To be precise, he led Inter to three Serie A titles, four Coppa Italia triumps, and two SuperCoppa wins within half a decade before bringing the FA Cup to City at the end of just his second season in England.

Despite such a proven track record behind him, criticism has been heaped at the manager throughout this season. Disgruntled striker Carlos Tevez was perhaps the first to question Mancini?s man-management skills before the Italian got involved in trading jabs with the likes of Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis.

Rummenigge and De Laurentiis, as we can recall, were aggressively mocking City for their failure to progress in the UEFA Champions League.

And then there was that completely illogical and insensitive comment from Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis, who unnecessarily ventured into forbidden territory to undermine City?s achievements this season.

As a Gooner who has always taken pride in Arsenal?s classy conduct, I was shocked to see Gazidis tell the media that the league?s best team is jealous of a struggling Gunners side. The reason? Champions League!

At that point three-and-a-half weeks ago, Gazidis somehow felt that being in the Round of 16 and the FA Cup placed Arsenal in a much more favorable position than City, who barely missed out on the Champions League?s knock-out stages and last season, actually won the FA Cup ? a feat that the Gunners have not accomplished in nearly seven years.

Fast forward to today, the Gunners have pretty much crashed out of Europe with a 4-0 humiliation in Milan and another 2-0 FA disappointment away to Sunderland.

As far as the Premier League is concerned, City are miles ahead of the North Londoners. In fact, the trash talking in Munich and Naples does not seem any more appropriate either, what with both those sides struggling in their domestic leagues.

Another man associated with Arsenal ? former goalkeeper Jens Lehmann ? also publicly celebrated City?s rare setbacks throughout this season, somehow managing to accuse Mancini?s men of playing boring football.

As a side note, the infamous ?boring? label continues to be pasted on Mancini and City from several different directions, even though the club?s league-leading 64 goals and a staggering goal-differential of 45 makes those claims sound even more stupid than Lehmann?s decision to urinate behind the goal during a Bundesliga match in 2009.

Mancini has chosen not to track down his detractors and verbally respond to any of their hatred. He probably knows too well that actions speak much louder than words.

The season moves so fast that we often forget to reflect on the reality of the moment. Being delusional of Manchester City?s progress and accusing Mancini of resting on the laurels of a tremendously gifted squad is a stance everyone is entitled to, but let?s not forget that taking that stance involves quite a bit of oversight.

In this moment, Manchester City are excelling in terms of achieving their goals (no pun intended). They may be out of both the domestic cup competitions, as well as the Champions League, but they remain on course for a famous title win, which could be made all the more sweeter if garnished with Europa League glory.

And Mancini is fully aware that staying focused for the next three months is poised to result in the kind of success that would silence the haters, at least until the next season. Thus, the experienced gaffer is busy telling his players that all of their remaining fixtures must, indeed, be treated as Champions League finals.

?It is impossible to be complacent. Every game is like a Champions League final and for this reason, we need good concentration,? the manager asserted as he urged his side to respect the significance of every single match that is pending on their fixture list.

That sums it all up. Roberto Mancini is not only immensely experienced and tactically astute, but also highly focused and extremely respectful. For all his success ? as well as his position in charge of England?s most in-form club ? it is only expected that the man will be subject to hatred.

But one thing is clear: no matter how much hatred is targeted towards him, he seems to keep rising above it. For that, he must be applauded!

http://www.premiershiptalk.com/2012/02/24/roberto-mancini-rising-above-hate/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PremiershipTalk+%28Premiership+Talk%29

[zee24]

trying to avoid camera

SkySports Video Player (v09) freewheel live

[zee24]

Tevez spoof

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BhIfFZ7uRE"]Carlos Tevez and his mam ripping Mancini - YouTube[/ame]

The talksport version is funnier

http://www.talksport.co.uk/magazine/translator/2012-02-22/funniest-carlos-tevez-video-you-will-ever-see-talksport-spoof

[zee24]

He may deserve a chance to prove himself but with your owners they want the best out there playing for the club not hopefulls. Eventually they will once these financial fair play rules actually start kicking in and once the new facilities are up and running, but it maybe too late for this youngster by then.

[tshirtman]

sorry don't agree with you over Sturridge, even Chelsea are trying to get rid, there's rumors Chelsea are going to offer him to Arsenel in the summer in a part exchange for Theo Walcott,

John Guidetti has never been given the chance to prove himself at the top level, you don't get a hat-trick against Ajax by luck, nor do you get called up for international duty if you don't have something, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, and Arsenel are all trying to sign him,
he deserves a chance to prove himself at City.

[aleister crowley]

Next season City could save themselves a good few million by getting rid of Tevez and not buying a new striker to replace him,
instead they will hopefully bring back John Guidetti from his season long loan spell at Feyenoord, he has scored 18 goals in 16 starts including 3 hat-tricks, one against Ajax,
30.000 Feyenoord supporters have signed a petition to keep him there for another season(but that's unlikely), he has already become a hero to the fans, this week he scored another goal, but got himself sent off for taking his shirt off and earning a second yellow card, so he's still got a bit to learn, but he's only 19 years old.
he's being likened to Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez, and has just got his first call up to the Swedish national squad.
I really hope to see him in a blue shirt next season, he deserves a chance to prove himself at the highest level.

John Guidetti | A Rising Star | 2011-2012 | HD - YouTube

Don't rate Guidetti...never have never will.
Looks good in a sub standard league but not good enough.

City missed the boat with Sturridge. Greedy player but he's turning into class now.
Definate starter for England sooner than later. He's a better player than Rooney will ever be.

[tshirtman]

Next season City could save themselves a good few million by getting rid of Tevez and not buying a new striker to replace him,
instead they will hopefully bring back John Guidetti from his season long loan spell at Feyenoord, he has scored 18 goals in 16 starts including 3 hat-tricks, one against Ajax,
30.000 Feyenoord supporters have signed a petition to keep him there for another season(but that's unlikely), he has already become a hero to the fans, this week he scored another goal, but got himself sent off for taking his shirt off and earning a second yellow card, so he's still got a bit to learn, but he's only 19 years old.
he's being likened to Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez, and has just got his first call up to the Swedish national squad.
I really hope to see him in a blue shirt next season, he deserves a chance to prove himself at the highest level.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfM8fjtxMvs&feature=related]John Guidetti | A Rising Star | 2011-2012 | HD - YouTube[/ame]