The Final Say – 31st January 2010
It’s difficult to know where to begin this week. The Robinho transfer saga caught the headlines throughout the week and most blues fans are happy to see the back of him. But am I the only person who believed he should never have been signed in the first place?
The problem you get when you sign a player of Robinho’s class is a lack of confidence throughout the team. Take the period when we had Gio Kinkladze in the squad. Whenever anything happened, it was usually Kinkladze who started it off. If he was off form, so were the team and the same happened with Robinho last season.
It was almost like the team were waiting for him to do something and if he didn’t. no-one else did either. But this season we have added something different and it has made the Brazilian just another fish in our pond, rather the big fish and it’s not in Robinho’s nature to be just another fish.
City teams in the past have been built on workers throughout the side. Yes they have had occasional flair, such as Colin Bell or Paul Lake for example, but the majority of our sides have always had a bit of grit in the middle of the park. Should we sign McDonald Mariga, it will add height as well as strength and at £7m plus Bojinov in exchange, he could turn out to be quite a bargain.
We have also strongly been linked with Adam Johnson from Middlesbrough but where will that leave SWP or Petrov? I like both players but I can only see the Bulgarian going as SWP is a City institution and Garry Cook will want to avoid aggravating the fans by selling him to Barcelona.
Cooks own position has been put on the line and rightly so. He was a man in the sports industry who knew nothing about City or football for that matter.
Just Not Good Enough, I’m Afraid
Well, I’ve got to mention it and it will re-open that whole in our hearts. I am of course, talking about City’s Carling Cup exit on Wednesday. A 2-1 would have been enough against many other teams but not at Old Trafford. All we needed was one extra goal at OT. That would have given us the advantage of two away goals and could have seen us through.
But we didn’t get it and the truth is that we had 180 minutes to score more than three goals and we simply couldn’t achieve it. It was a brilliant effort by the boys though and it has given the supporters hope for the future. Last season we went out to Brighton and over the last few years, beaten by Doncaster and Chesterfield so to reach the semi-final is a great boost for us. Maybe next year we will go one further.
But what makes me laugh is the United fans and their manager. They say they aren’t bothered by us and we are nothing more than noisy neighbours but their celebrations seem to be more in relief than about putting us out.
We’ve got Stoke coming up and we should hopefully see ourselves in the quarter finals. Hopefully the draw will be kind to us if we do manage to get through although I’m not too worried about who we play. If we get someone at home, we’re a match for anyone. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We have to secure our place first and that means beating Stoke, who put Arsenal out in the last round.
Should Have Been A Hatful, Really
A club going for a place in the top four should easily brush aside a team that has not been out of the bottom three this season. Yet the blues made hard work of Portsmouth. Maybe they were still suffering the effects of Wednesday night but I’m just glad we weren’t playing Chelsea or Spurs. I say Spurs because they are our bogey side at the moment and have been for a while, but if we’d played someone of that standing and performed the way we did, we’d have been taken to the cleaners.
Was it tiredness or did the players simply underestimate Portsmouth? It would be difficult not to really. We have a wealth of talent that should have destroyed the South Coast club and maybe a few players were thinking it would be a stroll. In the end it was but if they’d put in a bit more effort, we’d still be level on points but goal difference could become crucial at the end of the season. If we miss out on fourth by a couple of goals, the players and fans will be gutted, particularly since we had a chance today.
The Real Reason Terry Didn’t Join City?
It was a big transfer story during the summer. John Terry was offered the chance to leave Stamford Bridge and join the blue revolution and for a while it looked a possibility. Then someone must have reminded him that Wayne Bridge plays for us and he turned us down.
Is the reason for this because he was having an affair with Bridge’s then girlfriend? It has all emerged in the last couple of days that the married England captain and so called ‘Mr Chelsea’ was cheating on his wife and allegedly got her pregnant. If it wasn’t for Bridge coming to Eastlands last January, it may have been possible Terry would have been leading us into the new season.
Some City players showed their solidarity to Wayne today by sporting ‘team Bridge’ shirts underneath their playing shirts. Some Chelsea blogs have, for some reason deemed this unacceptable. So are they condoning what Terry, a supposed father of the year, has been doing behind his trusting wife’s back?
Well we can see where their scruples lie.
The transfer window shuts a 5pm tomorrow and we will have details of any new signings we make as and when they come in. I hope by next Sunday we have another away win under our belts.
Until next week, keep the faith and have a good week.
City 2-0 Portsmouth
Manchester City’s bid for a Champions League place were boosted this afternoon with an easy win over bottom side Portsmouth at Eastlands.
The Blues moved up to sixth in the table, level on points with Liverpool in fifth and one point behind fourth-placed Spurs. The blues also have two games in hand on both their rivals.
Following a week of cup ties, during which City progressed to the fifth round of the FA Cup but lost out in the Carling Cup semi final, City got back to winning ways in the league with Emmanuel Adebayor and Vincent Kompany scoring the goals before half time.
Unsurprisingly, City started slowly and Pompey must have fancied their chances of taking something from the game and they were arguably the better side for 39 minutes, having two good chances to take the lead.
John Utaka had the first chance but scooped his shot over the bar after getting on the end of Danny Webber’s cross. Webber and Utaka were also involved in the move that ended with Kompany deflecting Anthony Vanden Borre’s shot onto his own bar.
However Adebayor, back in the team following the horrific attack on the Togo team bus during the African Cup of Nations, put City in front in fine style with five minutes to go to half time. The striker latched onto Ireland’s lofted pass and, with Mark Wilson appealing in vain for offside, the striker hammered a shot past David James for his seventh of the season.
Kompany wrapped up victory in first half stoppage time. Shrugging former City defender Tal Ben-Haim aside, Kompany met Martin Petrov’s corner and powered home his first goal of the season.
Portsmouth toiled to no avail in the second half and City almost made it three late on when Carlos Tevez created space in the box, but his shot hit the post.
The game is in stark contrast to last year’s game when City ran out 6-0 winners but it is the three points that matter in City’s quest to finish above Liverpool, Spurs and Villa in fourth place and secure a Champions League slot next season.
Goals:
City: Adebayor 40, Kompany 45+1
Booked:
City – De Jong
Portsmouth – Boateng, Basinas, Wilson
Attendance:
44,015
City Set To Clinch Mariga Deal
Report have emerged this morning that City are set to win the race to sign Parma midfielder McDonald Mariga.
The blues look like they have beat competition from Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan to sign the highly rated Kenyan before Monday’s 5pm transfer deadline.
City have agreed terms with Parma for the midfielder, which is a £7m payment and player exchange with Bulgarian striker Valeri Bojinov making his loan move to the Italian side permanent.
Mariga helped Parma to promotion from Serie B last season and is considered one of the best young African players.
The blues are also hoping to sign Middlesbrough’s highly rated winger Adam Johnson before the transfer window slams shut. The winger has reportedly told Boro he wants to speak to City about a possible move and the blues have tabled an offer in the region of £5m.
However Boro are looking to get around double that amount but may decide to sell the youngster as Johnson is out of contract in the summer and could leave on a free transfer.
City’s interest in Johnson has apparently prompted Barcelona to consider making a bid for City’s home grown Shaun Wright-Phillips. The little winger returned to the blues in 2008 after a spell with Chelsea but the blues would risk the wrath of the supporters should they decide to sell SWP again.
Classic Match – City v Portsmouth 21st Sept 2009
It was a time of great jubilation for City. A takeover of the club by ADUG would be completed within the following few days and the blues were displaying a wealth of talent which included the Brazilian trio of Robinho, Jo and Elano while the club’s new chairman, Khaldoon Al Muburak was unveiled to the supporters prior to kick off.
The new chairman didn’t have to wait long for City’s first attack of the game. Jo fed his compatriot Robinho, whose curling shot had former City keeper David James at full stretch to stop City from taking an early lead. He didn’t know it at the time but James was in for a busy afternoon.
Ten minutes later, Robinho’s ball released Shaun Wright-Phillips whose shot was blocked by James. The blues had full control of the game and with all the possession City were having, it was only a matter of time before they took the lead.
Jo timed his run to perfection to latch onto Robinho’s pass and the £18m marksman rounded James and slotted home to put City 1-0 up. Portsmouth’s Peter Crouch would rue missing a chance on 20 minutes when he should have headed home as two minutes later, the blues went 2-0 up.
Elano’s corner had James scrambling across to the near post but Richard Dunne got there ahead of him and Sol Campbell to score on his birthday. Joe Hart in the City goal was a mere spectator and should have been tested by Crouch but he fired wide and City went into the break knowing Portsmouth were there for the taking.
Half Time: City 2-0 Portsmouth
It only took the blues 10 second half minutes to put the game beyond reach. Stephen Ireland cleverly lofted the ball over form City defender Sylvain Distin and Jo’s strength got him to the ball and fed Robinho who curled the ball home from 15 yards.
That was game over but the players were eager to impress their new owners. On 65 minutes, City went 4-0 up. Wright-Phillips latched onto Ireland’s superb through ball to hammer past James and score his third goal since his return from Chelsea.
Moments after that goal, Jo was replaced by Ched Evans who didn’t take long to get himself on the scoresheet. Elano’s pass wide found Robinho who’s run and cross was backheeled by Wright-Phillips into the path of Evans who couldn’t miss from ten yards.
And Portsmouth’s misery was completed when James fumbled Javier Garrido’s cross into the path to Gelson Fernandes who knocked the ball into an empty net to complete the rout.
Final Score: City 6-0 Portsmouth
Teams
City: Hart, Zabaleta, Richards, Dunne, Garrido, Kompany, Wright-Phillips, Ireland (Gelson 77), Elano, Robinho (Sturridge 85), Jo (Evans 71).
Subs Not Used: Schmeichel, Michael Ball, Hamann, Ben-Haim.
Portsmouth: James, Johnson (Pamarot 82), Distin, Campbell, Belhadj, Diarra, Davis (Diop 33), Kaboul (Utaka 46), Armand Traore, Crouch, Defoe.
Subs Not Used: Ashdown, Hreidarsson, Mvuemba, Kanu.
Match Preview: City v Portsmouth
City entertain Portsmouth on Sunday eager to put the disappointment of their Carling Cup defeat behind them.
The blues lost 4-3 on aggregate at Old Trafford and it was a bitter pill for blues to swallow, with the supporters so hungry for success. A win for the blues on Sunday will keep them in touch with Liverpool and Spurs in the hunt for fourth spot in the league.
City currently lie in sixth place, level on points with Liverpool but only three points behind Spurs and have the benefit of having two games in hand on their rivals.
Portsmouth are the crisis club of the Premiership and are facing a winding up over from HMRC over an unpaid tax bill and rumours of players being sold without prior knowledge or consent of the management. The club have also had their transfer embargo lifted but only in respect for loan or free signings
The South Coast club lie bottom of the Premiership, which is where they have been for most of the season and rumours have circulated that manager Avram Grant may quit the club following Sunday’s game regardless of the result.
Team News
Kolo Toure will be available again after returning from the African Cup of Nations but Joleon Lescott and new signing Patrick Vieira are still out injured. Benjani is unlikely to feature against his former club as he is in talks with Sunderland about a possible loan move while Robinho has joined Santos on loan.
Portsmouth welcome back midfielder Jamie O’Hara, who is on loan from Spurs but star players Younes Kaboul and Asmir Begovic are on the verge of completing moves to White Hart Lane. David Nugent has returned from a loan spell at Burnley and could feature.
Teams
City (from): Given, Taylor, Zabaleta, Richards, Boyata, Onuoha, Toure, Sylvinho, Garrido, Trippier, Wright-Phillips, Kompany, De Jong, Barry, Ibrahim, Bellamy, Petrov, Tevez, Adebayor.
Portsmouth (from): James, Mokoena, Mullins, Vanden Borre, Piquionne, Ben-Haim, Brown, Wilson, Hreidarsson, Boateng, Diop, Finnan, Utaka, Webber, Nugent, Smith, Hughes, Ashdown.
League Form (Last 5):
City: WWWWL
Portsmouth: LWLLD
Over The Blue Moon Prediction:
City 3-0 Portsmouth
Given the gulf between the two teams, the blues should have no problems increasing the pressure on Pompey.
The Opposition – Portsmouth
Portsmouth were promoted to the Premiership in 2003, they qualified for the UEFA Cup for the 2008/09 season after winning the FA Cup against Cardiff but failed to progress from the group stage.
But this season, they have been the Premiership’s crisis club. They were rooted to the foot of the table after a run of seven successive defeats, including a 1-0 loss at home to City and are still at the bottom and face the very real possibility of relegation.
Ownership of Portsmouth have swapped hands twice month but the club have still been late paying the players wages on three separate occasions and HMRC have presented a petition to the High Court of Justice for the club to be wound up. The Premier League also slapped a transfer embargo on the club but that has been lifted but only to allow free or loan signings.
There have also been claims that players are being sold behind the back of Peter Storrie and Avram Grant as reports suggest the Chief Executive and team manager know nothing of the negotiations with Spurs regarding the transfers of Younes Kaboul and Asmir Begovic.
Manager – Avram Grant
Former Chelsea boss Grant took over as manager at Fratton Park following the sacking of Paul Hart but has failed to get Pompey off the bottom of the table. Rumours are he will leave Portsmouth following Sunday’s game at Eastlands over players allegedly being sold without his knowledge.
Ground – Fratton Park
Fratton Park has been Portsmouth’s ground since 1898 and has a current capacity of 20, 224.
Other Portsmouth Facts
Portsmouth were founded in 1898 and Fratton Park has been their only home.
Southampton are Portsmouth’s main rivals but the two are currently separated by two divisions. The two have been drawn together in the FA Cup fifth round.
They have won the FA Cup on two occasions; 1939 and 2008.
City and Portsmouth have done business together over the years. David James and Sylvain Distin left City for Pompey in 2006 and Tal Ben Haim also moved south during the summer of 2009. In 1994 City signed Paul Walsh from Portsmouth for £750,000 but in 1995, he returned south in exchange for Gerry Creaney. Also in 1995, City signed Kit Symons from Portsmouth for £1.2m.
But arguably, the worst piece of business between the two sides was the 1997 transfer of Lee Bradbury to Maine Road. A £3m move resulted in just 10 goals and ‘Lee Badbuy’ as he was nicknamed, was sold a year later.
City v Portsmouth – Big Match Statistics
City face Portsmouth at the weekend looking to defend their impressive record against the South Coast side.
The blues are currently unbeaten in six Premier League home games against Pompey, winning four and drawing two. Portsmouth currently lie bottom of the Premiership and have only won once on their travels so far this season, that being a 1-0 at Wolves which ended a run of seven straight defeats at the start of the season.
In the Premiership, Portsmouth have only breached the City defence on three occasions; their first visit to Eastlands finished 1-1 in 2003, while losing 2-1 in 2005 and 3-1 in 2008.
City have played Portsmouth a total of 77 times in league competition with the majority of games being played in the old Football League First Division. The two teams first met on 1st September 1926 at Maine Road where the blues ran out comfortable 4-0 winners. But the first two games at Fratton Park ended in defeat for City.
City have won the majority of league meetings, 36 to Portsmouth’s 24 and at home the blues are particularly strong, only losing five at either Maine Road or Eastlands and winning 25 of those games. The blues have had a far superior strike rate, from 38 games, City have scored 86 times against Pompey, while Portsmouth have scored just over half that total (44).
City and Portsmouth have only met outside the league on three occasions; twice in the FA Cup where City have won both, including the final at Wembley in 1934, and one in the League Cup at Fratton Park in November 1960.
City’s League Record Against Portsmouth (Home)
| PL | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
| Premier League | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 3 |
| Division 1 (Old) | 21 | 14 | 3 | 4 | 45 | 28 |
| Division 2 (Old) | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 7 |
| Division 1 (New) | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 6 |
| Division 2 (New) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| League Total | 38 | 25 | 8 | 5 | 86 | 44 |
| FA Cup | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| League Cup | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 39 | 26 | 8 | 5 | 89 | 45 |
Portsmouth Facts
Portsmouth haven’t beaten City away since August 1963 when the blues lost 2-0. Since that defeat, City have won 10 of the following 15 games.
Portsmouth’s ground spelt backwards read ‘Krap Nottarf’
Their 6-0 thrashing at Eastlands last season is City’s biggest Premiership win (even Jo scored that day). It is also City’s biggest home win over Portsmouth, while Pompey’s biggest away win at City was 4-2 in April 1935.
Portsmouth are the Premiership’s crisis club at the moment and are somehow staving off going into administration.
Former City manager Stuart Pearce should have scored his 100th goal against Portsmouth but missed the penalty.
Stats courtesy of MCFC Stats
Transfer News – Three Days Of Transfer Window Left
With just three days left until the end of the transfer window, OTBM looks at a few of the rumours flying around.
First on the list is Parma’s highly rated midfielder McDonald Mariga. Following the failure to sign Real Madrid’s Fernando Gago, manager Roberto Mancini has turned to the 22 year old amid interest from both Milan clubs, Napoli and Arsenal.
At 6’3” tall, Mariga would add much needed height to the midfield and is reported to be in the same mould as Chelsea’s Michael Essien. £10m is the reported asking price and the blues may allow striker Valeri Bojinov to remain permanently at Parma as part of any deal.
From Parma to Middlesbrough. That’s a horrible thought but it’s only for winger Adam Johnson. The England Under 21 international has been Boro’s star performer this season in what has been a disappointing campaign for the North East club.
Johnson has reportedly asked manager Gordon Strachan for permission to speak to City, although the former United midfielder is hoping to keep hold of Johnson until at least the summer. However, the winger will be out of contract by then and could move for free, although the blues have reportedly offered £5m for the youngster.
Next up is a player who may be following Robinho out of Eastlands. Benjani has been targeted by Sunderland and may move to the North East on loan until the end of the season. Robinho secured a loan transfer to former club Santos on Thursday.
The transfer window shuts on Monday and although City were again expected to be big spenders, they have only signed Patrick Viera so far. So will Johnson get his wish and join the blues? If so, what will it mean for Petrov or SWP? Is Mariga City’s Essien?
Another couple of days and we’ll find out. Keep tuned.
PS, sorry the site wasn’t updated yesterday. Post derby blues and too much ribbing from United fans I’m afraid but normal service is back.
City Fall To Fergie Time Winner
City lost their Carling Cup semi-final against United as Wayne Rooney scored in Fergie time to send United into the final.
Leading 2-1 from the first leg, the blues looked good value for a draw with the 0-0 time score. Even when Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick scored to put United 2-0, City responded when Carlos Tevez pulled a goal back which looked like sending the time into extra time.
But, as in September, Fergie time took over and United scored to win 4-3 on aggregate and send the blues crashing out. However, City can take heart from the happenings of both legs and indeed, the whole tie.
Prior to League One side Leeds United knocking the reds out of the FA Cup, SAF promised to stick by his kids in the Carling Cup so it is a measure of how much a threat City pose to United’s dominance that he played his strongest team possible including Rio Ferdinand, who is facing a violent conduct charge from the FA.
Indeed it was City who decided to field a youngster for both games in the shape of Dedryck Boyata, a move which is showing that the blues are getting to the stage where we have strength in depth.
It was the biggest derby in years and although it ended in defeat, a lot of positives will be taken once the dust has settled.
City had the better chances in the first half, with Tevez wasted the chance of the half chance on 28 minutes when he headed straight at van der Sar from Craig Bellamy’s perfect cross.
Pressure was on United at the start of the second half but it was City who almost took the lead. Micah Richards’ rising drive had van der Sar at full stretch to tip it away for a corner. Bellamy went to take it and was subsequently hit by a coin and a plastic bottle thrown at him as some United fans decided to bring shame on their club.
On 52 minutes, Scholes got his goal from the edge of the area and Carrick made it two on 71 minutes before Rooney missed a sitter from eight yards.
The tie looked to be going into extra time when Tevez, the scourge of United in the first leg, got to the ball ahead of Ferdinand and back-heeled it into the net Denis Law style.
Unfortunately, as usual at Old Trafford added time was City’s undoing when Rooney got a lucky goal to win the tie.
It was a fantastic effort from the blues, who will now focus on fourth spot and that elusive Champions League place. And there is also a home FA Cup 5th round tie with Stoke in February and a place in the quarter finals to go for.
We may not have won tonight but the ear-splitting noise from Old Trafford showed that it meant more to United than they care to admit. They now recognise the threat from Eastlands and that scares the hell out of them.
Despite the result, the balance of power in Manchester is starting to shift. And when it does, reds fans will not know what has hit them.
And So To Battle
Tonight’s game doesn’t just represent a chance for the blues to appear at Wembley. It doesn’t just give them a chance to knock United out of a cup competition. But it does represent a milestone in City’s evolution.
After years of new managers and false dawn’s this season could just be the one and Roberto Mancini is the man who will take us there. Mark Hughes was popular but he was never a tactician like Mancini, who can see where things need changing and is not afraid to do it but a big thank you has got to go to the Welshman for getting us here in the first place.
Blues fans have waited almost thirty years for a night like tonight and now, just a couple of hours away from the biggest game for City for a long time, blues fans everywhere are hoping for that one result that will transform their season.
For United, this is just another derby, just another cup semi-final. They have been to so many over the years that they will treat this as just another game.
Yet for the blues it is so much different. We have lived in the shadow of United for too long and now is a chance for our club to evolve and to begin to step out from behind that shadow.
Tonight, friends will become rivals for at least ninety minutes as the battle rages on the pitch and we can only hope that it is only the pitch that sees such a battle tonight.
If the blues fail tonight, there will be another time, another place where we won’t fail. But if we succeed, it will mark a pivotal point in our evolution and fully justify the finance which ADUG as placed in the club. We will no longer be ignored, dismissed as a mid-table team but one with real ambition and a glorious future ahead of us.
And so to the Battle of Old Trafford, where I fully believe that tonight, the lads will pull it off. Whether it is a draw or win, I don’t really care. What does matter is that, by late this evening, City’s name will stand opposite to Aston Villa’s on the League Cup Final date. It is what every blue wants and hopes for tonight and by tomorrow, bragging rights will firmly belong in the blue half of the city.
Good luck City. Makes us all proud.
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