LONDON (DF) -- With all eyes on today's historic FA Cup semi-final at Wembley against crosstown foes Manchester United, under-fire Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has vowed to take the game to rivals United, defiantly proclaiming he's not afraid of being sacked at the end of the season.
A series of sub-par performances have left Mancini's side desperately clinging onto the fourth and final UEFA Champions League spot, only three points ahead of Tottenham Hotspur, having played a game more. Regardless of the result, today's Manchester derby stands poised to set the tone for City's remaining league fixtures.
"We must play our normal game," said Mancini at his pre-match press conference. "I am not afraid of Manchester United. I am not afraid of losing my job. As a manager, you don't think of these things. I am only afraid of losing."
Liam Murphy, a former City trainee who now follows the club with the Manchester Evening News, believes today's match could prove to be the defining moment of Mancini's tenure as City boss.
"I'm afraid it's make or break time for Roberto," alleged Murphy. "Our form has been simply spastic this season. Fantastic attacking flair mixed in with dreadfully dire defensive dross. A Champions League place is a must for us this season, without a doubt, but if we blow it today, against United of all clubs, I think he's already gone."
"It's really entirely up to him," Murphy continued. "Should he beat United, go on to win the FA Cup and finally bring a trophy back to this club, all the criticism, all the negativity regarding his tactics, all the discussion of his terrible transfer dealings, all the media stories claiming he's an inept manager and in way over his head, it'll all disappear."
"You know how they always say 'beware the wounded animal'? Maybe Mancini will surprise everyone and come out fighting."
Manchester United's wing sensation Nani has declared his disappointment after being excluded from the PFA Players' Player of the Year shortlist. The young Portuguese was baffled by the snub, and said his petulance, diving, and feigning injury should have had absolutely no effect on his fellow professionals including him in the shortlist. -- (Daily Mail)
Former Blackburn Rovers boss Sam Allardyce has claimed the club would not be in a relegation fight had he not been sacked by owners Venky's in December. Sources at Blackburn agreed, saying they believe Allardyce was referring to the fact he would have already had the club relegated by now. -- (Daily Mail)
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti insists he isn't afraid of dropping £50m flop Fernando Torress and risking the wrath of Roman Abramovich. The former AC Milan boss revealed that even though Abramovich picks the team, he's the one who hands in the final lineup to Premier League officials before the game. -- (Daily Mirror)
Arsenal supporters have reacted angrily to the news that American tycoon Stan Kroenke will launch a takeover of the club after purchasing a further 32% of the club's shares. The Arsenal Supporters Trust has urged its members to resist any potential offers to prevent Kroenke from single-handedly making the club competitive by injecting cash for high profile, quality signings in the summer. -- (Telegraph)
Under-pressure Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini will allow striker Emmanuel Adebayor to make his loan move to Real Madrid permanent in the summer. The defensive-minded Italian tactician insists City don't need a commanding striker who has the ability to score goals and win games. -- (The Sun)
Newcastle United are preparing an ambitious £19.2m bid for Anderlecht's 17-year-old wonderkid Romelu Lukaku, with first team boss Alan Pardew admitting the club's scouting network had unearthed the gem on Football Manager. Pardew said: "They signed him last week, and so far he looks good." -- (Metro)
Sunderland have revealed they are being sued by one of their own fans who was knocked unconscious by a wayward strike from former player Djibril Cisse during a 2008 training session. The Sunderland legal team will claim the fan was negligent and knew he was taking his life into his own hands by standing 30 yards to the left of the goal when Cisse was practicing shooting. -- (Metro)
The FA will severely reprimand Manchester United's Wayne Rooney after the striker was caught swearing into a television camera against West Ham on Saturday. FA bosses insist Rooney's behavior was completely unacceptable, but plan to stop short of a ban due to the importance of United's upcoming fixtures. -- (Daily Telegraph)
Gareth Bale has insisted he would have "no qualms" about moving abroad in the future, should interest from top European clubs persist. Bale thinks his growth as a player could be aided if he played for a club with a real history of success. -- (Press Association)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has blamed fixture congestion for his side's slumping form in recent weeks, despite being knocked out early of both domestic cups and the Champions League. The Frenchman believes his players are still overworked and shouldn't be forced to play every week. -- (Daily Mirror)
AC Milan supremo Silvio Berlusconi has claimed Mario Balotelli's off-field antics will prevent him from pulling on the Rossoneri shirt in the future. The fiery Italian Prime Minister, under investigation for questionable ethics in his own right, said Milan fan Balotelli should use him as an example of how those at AC Milan behave off the field. -- (Press Association)
Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor has revealed he cut all ties with Manchester City because fans refused to show him enough love. Adebayor insists the relationship is over, despite his being forced to return to Manchester in the summer. -- (The Sun)
Sven-Goran Eriksson's Leicester City will make a summer move for injured Manchester United striker Michael Owen should they gain promotion to the Premier League. Former England manager Eriksson believes Owen would be the perfect addition to his overrated, aging squad of players. -- (Daily Mirror)
Spurs boss Harry Redknapp has contended the midweek Champions League trip to Madrid was not weighing on his players' minds as they played out an uninspiring 0-0 draw with Wigan. Redknapp reportedly told reporters that an away match at Wigan holds relatively the same importance as any old Champions League quarterfinal with Real Madrid. -- (Daily Mirror)
England manager Fabio Capello insisits his decision to restore John Terry to the England captaincy, just over a year after he took it away, was made for purely footballing reasons, as the Italian didn't want to be forced into selecting misfit defender Rio Ferdinand to start every match. -- (The Sun)
Jose Mourinho is Sheikh Mansour's first and only choice to replace ineffectual Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini at the end of the season, with the Portuguese boss finally ready to leave Madrid for Manchester and United kingpin Alex Ferguson unwilling to open up a job at Old Trafford. -- (Daily Mail)
Arsene Wenger has labeled the lumpy pitch at the Hawthorns "scandalous" and "unfit for rugby," after Saturday's 2-2 draw with West Brom. The Frenchman believes his Arsenal side could win the title if they were allowed to play all of their remaining games on the pristine pitch at the Emirates Stadium. -- (Daily Mail)
Chelsea's wonderkid defender David Luiz has described his goal against Manchester City on Sunday as the "best moment of his life." Luiz was desperate to prove City wrong after the Blues mysteriously rejected the opportunity to sign him in 2009 in favor of Everton's world-class centerback Joleon Lescott. -- (Telegraph)
Manchester United supremo Alex Ferguson has shrugged off suggestions he was laughing at bench-ridden striker Dimitar Berbatov during Tuesday's Champions League victory over Marseille at Old Trafford, claiming he's not the only person who laughs at Berbatov on a regular basis. -- (The Metro)
Barcelona's Brazilian right-wing back Dani Alves is ready to reject a move to Manchester City in the summer, after revealing he'll only play for a manager willing to allow his fullbacks to enter the opposition's half. -- (News of the World)
Aston Villa stand poised to renew their interest in Manchester United's Michael Owen following suggestions United could cancel his contract at the end of the season. Villa manager Gerard Houllier believes he can bring the former England international back to his Liverpool best, even if he's out injured. -- (Daily Mirror)
MANCHESTER (DF) -- Volatile Manchester City wonderkid Mario Balotelli could be facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines, possibly for the rest of the season, after it was discovered the young Italian international is allergic to certain types of grass.
Balotelli was forced off early in the second half during last Thursday's UEFA Europa League tie against Dynamo Kiev. His manager Roberto Mancini confirmed the freak injury during the post-match press conference. "Mario had an allergy, I don't know what, his face was swollen, I don't know why. Maybe he was cold."
A Manchester City physio, speaking in a condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the allergy and Balotelli himself, revealed the young Italian suffered the same reaction after coming on as a substitute in the 1-0 FA Cup victory over Reading.
"He's allergic to certain types of grass. I'm told, mostly the green kind," said the City physio. "It's really quite extraordinary. He's perfectly fine on our artificial indoor training pitches, but as soon as he gets outside onto the grass, something goes horribly wrong."
Respected sports kinesiologist and allergy expert Dr. Steven K. Daniels feels Balotelli may have to take radical steps if he hopes to have a future in the game, given the recent revelations regarding his health.
"Mario is obviously a fantastic talent and I'm sure everyone would love to see how he develops," Daniels said. "He should really take a step back and consider his options. The only way for him to further his career might be to move somewhere where artificial pitches are the norm, avoiding grass altogether. Russia, Scandinavia, the United States-- he has options."
"I know those aren't the top leagues, but given the choice, which would you prefer: stability and good health in Tromso, or fame, fortune and a puffy face in Manchester?"
KIEV (DF) -- Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has launched a stringent defense of his negative tactics following an uninspiring 2-0 Europa League defeat to Dynamo Kiev on Thursday night, claiming that his City side would be fully capable of winning the Italian Serie A.
"This is how we play in Italy," alleged Mancini after City's ineffectual performance in Kiev. "I won three titles with Inter this way. You play slow, don't move, pass it sideways, and the ball goes in."
A first half goal from former Chelsea and Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko coupled with Oleg Gusev's second half strike ensured the Blues have it all to do next Thursday at Eastlands. Many in the media have been left scratching their heads over the Italian's refusal to allow his crop of world-class players the freedom to express themselves.
"It's hard to believe a player with such fantastic flair could turn out to be such a defensive manager," said former City trainee Liam Murphy, who now follows the club with the Manchester Evening News. "We couldn't win Serie A. We can't even beat Dynamo Kiev. If Edin Dzeko winds-up playing on the left wing and Pablo Zabaleta turns out to be the most attacking midfielder, we're in deep trouble."
Criticism of Mancini's pessimistic tactics wasn't limited to experts in the media, as a plurality of City supporters took to the airwaves and internet last night to express their displeasure. Several who had made the long trip to Kiev felt especially aggrieved.
"I traveled 2,500 miles and spent over 1,000 quid to watch this rubbish?" asked one disgruntled City supporter outside the Valeriy Lobanovskiy Stadium. "What a joke. If I wanted to watch this sort of football, I could just drive down from Blackley on Sunday and see it when we play Reading."
Blackburn owners and poultry magnates Venky's have cried fowl and started looking for a way to demote manager Steve Kean to his old role as first team coach. They claim the vegetarian Scotsman doesn't have the game to move the club forward in the pressure-cooker of the Premier League. -- (News of the World)
New York Red Bulls playmaker Thierry Henry is itching to return to Arsenal sooner rather than later. The 33-year-old former talisman says that even though he's French, he's still capable of outworking Danish flop Nicklas Bendtner. -- (The Sun)
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has admitted that despite wild child Mario Balotelli not listening to him, he'll keep playing the Italian wonderkid as long as he keeps contributing nothing to the team apart from the odd spectacular goal. -- (The Telegraph)
Injury-ravaged England and Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves is set to be offered a new contract in the summer by manager Alex Ferguson after the United boss confirmed he only wants aging, overrated England players patrolling the center of his midfield for the foreseeable future. -- (Daily Mirror)
Ivory Coast star Yaya Toure has leapt to the defence of his brother Kolo after the elder Toure tested positive during a recent drugs test. The Manchester City powerhouse insisted Kolo was sane, and only under the influence of Roberto Mancini's positive tactics. -- (The Sun)
Aston Villa boss Gerard Houllier has defended fielding a reserve team against Manchester City in the FA Cup, claiming his reserves stood a better chance of winning at a near empty Eastlands because they have drubbed the first eleven in several recent games played behind closed doors. -- (Daily Express)
Birmingham's makeshift left back Liam Ridgewell has stressed the value of inspirational DVDs and motivational speakers, claiming the Goal! football film series and a half time pep talk from international lecturer Bear Grylls helped the Blues beat Arsenal in the League Cup final at Wembley. -- (Daily Mirror)
LONDON (DF) -- After snatching a vital point from a disappointing Manchester City side, Fulham boss Mark Hughes went on the offensive against the club which replaced him as manager nearly 15 months ago, suggesting that if he were still in charge, City would have cruised to a 6-0 victory.
In a game where clear cut chances were at a premium, Damien Duff's second half goal canceled out Mario Balotelli's excellent strike from distance to give Fulham a deserved draw at Eastlands. Balotelli's moment of brilliance proved to be City's lone attacking highlight, with the home side often struggling for cohesion up front.
"There was no inspiration," said Liam Murphy, a former City trainee who now follows City with the Manchester Evening News. "It's something fans have been criticizing Mancini for since he took the job. The build up play is slow and predictable. No one was criticizing Hughes for that when he was in charge. Games were exciting-- play was pacey and quick. Now we're watching Serie A."
In his post-match interview, Hughes admitted he was disappointed with a draw, feeling Fulham were the better team on the day. He also turned up the heat in his rivalry with Roberto Mancini by taking a swipe at the Italian's languid tactics.
"We played really well today and I'm a bit disappointed to be perfectly honest because I thought we looked the more likely team to score. Tactically, I'm light years ahead of the Man City manager. If I had had that sort of talent at my disposal when I was in charge, I'm sure City would have won 6-0 today."
A Fulham spokesperson later clarified the Welshman's fiery comments, insisting Hughes has every right to defend his tenure as City boss. "It's not out of the ordinary for former managers to discuss what they would have done in a match involving their old clubs-- especially when they have the attention of the television cameras."
"Obviously, there's a bit of acrimoniousness still leftover from 15 months ago, but that's to be expected," continued the spokesperson. "Mark wanted to be part of City's rebuilding project and he had the rug taken out from under him. He still feels he's the best man for the job."
"If his verbal volley hits Roberto upside the head on the way to the Eastlands directors' box, then so be it."
Daniel Sturridge has issued an emphatic "please come and re-sign me" plea to Manchester City's owners after the promising young forward's big money move to West London only took him ten miles away to Bolton City Centre. -- (Daily Star)
Troubled Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has ruled out a future move to Manchester City, as long as even-tempered Italian Roberto Mancini is in charge, insisting he would only play for managers like Tony Pulis and Sam Allardyce who favor hard-hitting long balls and flying elbows. -- (The Independent)
Barcelona will make a move for Gareth Bale this summer after closing the door on a deal for Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas. The Catalan giants claim to have initially been put off by Bale "because he's Welsh," but changed their mind when they discovered he "plays like he's Spanish." -- (Daily Mirror)
John Terry still believes fifth place Chelsea can catch Manchester United for the Premier League title, even if they lose both of the upcoming meetings between the sides. Terry thinks Chelsea's greater experience will trump United's points total. -- (Daily Mirror)
French midfield maestro Charles N'Zogbia has claimed he still plans to leave Wigan Athletic for Ligue 1, despite a continuing lack of interest from French top division clubs. -- (Daily Mail)
Aston Villa are keen to bring in West Ham flop Robert Green to replace stalwart American Brad Friedel in goal, continuing manager Gerard Houllier's recent transfer policy of signing nothing but England B internationals. -- (Daily Mirror)
Russian left back Yuri Zhirkov has dismissed recent press reports suggesting he plans to quit Chelsea in the summer should he not break into the first team, declaring he could never play for anyone other than Roman Abramovich. -- (The Sun)
MANCHESTER (DF) -- Despite a vast majority of bookmakers across Europe insisting otherwise, Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has claimed his side aren't favorites to lift the Europa League trophy in Dublin on May 18th.
After turning on the style to collect a cool 3-0 win against Aris Thessaloniki, a scoreline which flattered the Greek giants, many European bookmakers stopped taking bets on Manchester City, with most believing it to be a forgone conclusion that City captain Carlos Tevez will wind-up lifting the cup at the Aviva Stadium.
"We're seeing the same thing all across Europe," said Ingo Metzger, a renowned betting patterns expert based out of Zurich. "Now that they're through to the round of 16, everyone is jumping on the Manchester City bandwagon. There isn't a club left in the competition that can compete. UEFA should simply award them the trophy now to save everyone the hassle of having to show up."
Mancini refused to be drawn into speculation after the match on Thursday, but did admit he viewed the competition as wide open. "We are not favorites. There are sixteen great clubs left and I'm sure one of them will win it."
"We don't like to get ahead of ourselves," declared a City spokesperson after Mancini's press conference. "We have a lot of fixtures between then and now, and there are plenty of fantastic teams left in the draw. We're just excited to be in the mix. As a club, we're taking things one game at a time."
The spokesperson revealed that the City hierarchy have taken steps to ensure seats will be available for their supporters, regardless of the cost. "So far, Sheikh Mansour has only reserved half of the publicly available tickets for the final, but that could change should we make it all the way there."
"We have the money to buy the whole stadium."
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson is considering a shock summer move
for fan favorite and Manchester City playmaker Carlos Tevez after admitting he
"got it wrong" -- sending sinful striker Wayne Rooney in the opposite direction. --
(Daily Mail)
Blackburn have scoffed at Manchester City's £40m asking price for
mercurial Paraguayan Roque Santa Cruz, with owners Venky's Limited insisting
they won't waste more than half that figure on the injury-prone forward. -- (Daily
Mirror)
Harry Redknapp insists Tottenham Hotspur's failure to secure the riches of
Champions League qualification next season wouldn't detract him from bringing in
at least "ten or twelve" new attacking midfielders this summer. -- (Daily Express)
Manchester United will raid Everton's youth system in the summer with dual
multi-million pound bids for promising midfielders Jack Rodwell and Dan Gosling after giving up hope
of developing their own future England internationals. -- (Daily Mail)
Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas has moved one step closer to joining
Barcelona by thanking them for their second half collapse during the UEFA
Champions League round of 16 tie. It is believed the extra revenue will allow
the Gunners to lower their asking price for the £50m-rated Spanish midfielder. --
(The Sun)
Fernando Torres is hoping to move back to Liverpool when the transfer
window opens in July after failing to settle in rainy, English-speaking west
London. -- (Liverpool Echo)
Newcastle United talisman Joey Barton has planned to engineer a move to
Aston Villa in order to increase his chances for an England call up after a text
message from new Villa signing Darren Bent convinced him Fabio Capello doesn't
believe English players playing in Tyne and Wear are actually English. --
(Guardian)
MANCHESTER (DF) -- Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini is hoping fringe squad players won't knock his side out of the FA Cup tomorrow afternoon as League One strugglers Notts County visit the City of Manchester Stadium for a fourth round replay.
Injuries to several key players and a congested fixture list have forced Mancini to scrape the proverbial bottom of the barrel, handing probable starts to players who, under any reasonable standards, wouldn't normally be in contention. A source at City's Carrington training ground confirmed Mancini's dilemma.
"Roberto is really fretting Sunday's match," said the anonymous source. "He's frustrated. Jo and [Patrick] Vieira are both in line for starts. I think he probably wishes he had gone after a few more players in January."
Former City trainee Liam Murphy, who now follows Manchester City with the Manchester Evening News, feels Mancini's worries over his starting eleven are justified.
"Vieira is well past his prime," Murphy opined. "Five years ago, City would have had something special with him coming off the bench. Now he's off the pace. He belongs in an over 30s league because these 20-somethings keep giving him the run around."
"Jo, on the other hand, is a complete enigma. I always get the feeling he's one touch away from something special. The problem is, he has no first, second, or third touches, so he spends most of the time with his head in his hands, watching the ball roll away."
Murphy continued: "Notts County are too much him. I think his level of talent is right around League Two, where simply being Brazilian scares defenders enough to gift you goals."
Manchester City currently sit 59 places above Notts County in the Football League table.
