Mancini: We Have Not Failed
City boss Roberto Mancini has stated that missing out on fourth place in the Premier League will not be a failure.
The blues lie in sixth place in the league, one point behind fourth placed Spurs, who they play at Eastlands next week. However it has been suggested that failure to secure Champions League football will mean failure for the club, something Mancini denies.
“No, I don’t think I will have failed,” he said. “We want to finish fourth and that is what we are working for. But we have improved a lot in the last five months and we must improve more if we want to be a good team. I think the owners can see that.”
Although he is still unsure about his future, the Italian is already planning for the summer but has denied drawing up a list of candidates to leave City during the close season, which has included Emmanuel Adebayor, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Stephen Ireland and Wayne Bridge. “I never said that,” he said. “I have had meetings with the club about players for the future but I never said there were players I did not want.”
What’s All The Fuss About?
Okay, so City have been given special dispensation to sign an emergency keeper for the remainder of the season and they have signed Marton Fulop for the last three games. Is it such a big deal?
It’s not like we’ve gone to them and asked for a new striker or a midfield general for the final games of a long, hard season. We have made a request simply because we have run out of keepers. Gunnar Nielsen is our only available keeper and if he gets injured, it would mean facing Spurs without a recognised man between the sticks.
However, some other blogs are disputing this, none more so than Spurs, who seem in uproar that the blues have been allowed such special treatment. But the simple matter is, if we hadn’t been allowed to sign Fulop and Nielsen got injured against Villa, we would be left without a keeper for the Spurs game, giving them a clear advantage.
Of course, the Spurs fans would be delirious with delight if we faced them with an outfield player in goal. But if the tables were turned, would the Spurs supporters then change their tune? If all their keepers were injured, would they not want their club to do something similar? Of course they would.
In my opinion, the FA have acted with fairness, not bias. They have allowed us to sign a keeper and City have not gone out and signed a world class player or even an understudy. We have gone for a player who is third choice with his club, which is only fair given the circumstances.
But the only thing more annoying than listening to opposing supporter’s whinge on about the injustice of it all is this next little snippet. Apparently, a leading sports lawyer has told Spurs, Villa and Liverpool they could consider legal action against the FA because of their decision.
“I am sure it is something they will consider and they are quite right to. When this discretion is given by the Premier League it is effectively advantaging one team over another,” Ian Cater of Denton Wilde Sapte told City AM.
However, Cater added that the three clubs would have to prove the Premier League had not followed its own procedures or reached an irrational decision. “Given those challenges I would be surprised if teams did seek to challenge. But, that said, there is a lot of money involved.”
Ah, now that’s what all the fuss is about.
New Boy Delighted By City Move
Marton Fulop has expressed is delight at signing for City until the end of the season.
The Sunderland third choice keeper was drafted in after injuries to three of City’s keeper’s, while Joe Hart remains on loan at Birmingham after the Midland club refused to allow Hart to return to Eastlands.
“I got the call on Tuesday from City and I was more than happy to come and help the club,” revealed the Hungarian who is likely to go straight into the side to face Aston Villa on Saturday. “It came out of the blue but I am delighted to try to help City achieve their goal.”
The blues need to win their remaining three games to be certain of Champions League qualification next season, but have all but secured a place in Europe next season in any case. The blues are six points ahead of Everton but with a far better goal difference than the Toffees, but one point will guarantee the return of European football to Eastlands.
Keeper Deal Reached
City have signed Sunderland keeper Marton Fulop on an emergency loan for the final three games of the season.
The blues asked the Premier League for special dispensation after Shay Given’s shoulder injury left the Ireland keeper out for the remainder of the season and City without a recognised keeper.
City had been hopeful of securing Joe Hart’s early return from Birmingham, but the two clubs had to agree a deal first before being ratified by the Premier League. However, Birmingham were determined to hold onto Hart and the blues moved to secure Fulop’s services.
Fulop, who had fallen down the Sunderland pecking order, should join the blues for training tomorrow and be in line for his City debut against Aston Villa on Saturday, with Saturday’s stand-in Gunnar Neilson providing back-up. He has made 14 appearances for Sunderland this season and has 20 international caps for Hungary.
Remembering… Lee Bradbury
If a credit crunch had existed in 1997, it would probably have saved City the club record £3m paid to Portsmouth for Lee Bradbury.
Bradbury had been putting in some excellent performance for Portsmouth, scoring 15 goals from 54 appearances. His for had attracted the attentions of a number of clubs, but Frank Clarke’s City won the race and paid £3m for his services in July 1997.
Ironically, City’s first game of the season saw Portsmouth visit Maine Road and Bradbury lined up to face his former club. However, the former serviceman failed to get on target as the blues were held to a 2-2 draw.
It was City’s ninth game of the season when Bradbury finally scored the first goal in his short City career. It came against Norwich City in a 2-1 defeat at Maine Road. But just a week later, Bradbury was on target again in a 6-0 demolition of Swindon Town. Was the striker about to show his worth and justify his huge price tag?
Well no actually. He played in the 1-0 defeat to Ipswich Town at Portman Road on 4th October and didn’t figure again until 31st January in a 0-0 draw with Tranmere Rovers at Prenton Park. He managed to score his third goal against Swindon Town in a 3-1 win and if we could have played Swindon every week, Bradbury would have been fine. Unfortunately, it was another eight games until his next goals, a brace against Stockport at Maine Road. Bradbury managed another two before the end of the season, but his 7 goal season tally somehow failed to save City from relegation.
The following season, Bradbury got off to a flyer, scoring on the opening day of the season in a 3-0 win over Blackpool and also in a 7-1 demolition of Notts County in the League Cup. But another two goals failed to help salvage his City career and he was subsequently sold to Crystal Palace for £1.5m.
Bradbury was then loaned to Birmingham City, before moving back to Portsmouth to make 99 appearances, scoring 28 times. Following spells with Walsall, Oxford and Southend, Bradbury moved to Bournemouth in 2007, where he has scored one goal this season.
Keeper Request Set To Be Granted
City could be set to sign an emergency keeper on loan until the end of the season, according to the BBC.
The blues made their request to the FA following news that Given will miss the remainder of the season after being substituted at Arsenal on Saturday with a dislocated shoulder.
However, Joe Hart is on loan at Birmingham until the end of the season and Given’s back-up, Stuart Taylor is himself sidelined through injury, meaning Saturday’s replacement, Gunnar Neilsen is the only available keeper.
And without any recognised back-up, it is looking likely that, given the circumstances, the FA will grant the blues permission to sign a keeper on loan, despite the fact that the transfer window closed on 1st February.
Sunderland’s Marton Fulop has been touted as a possible replacement for the final three games of the season.
Hansen: Spurs Are Favourites For Fourth
Alan Hansen believes Spurs will edge out City in the race for fourth place.
The Legendary Liverpool defender believes the Tottenham squad is as deep as any of the top four but feels they have better players than the blues. “Despite their defeat at Old Trafford, Tottenham still look better equipped than any of their rivals to become the team who finally break the stranglehold on the Champions League places,” explained the Scot.
“Though both Spurs and Manchester City, their closest challengers, have the look of sides who could become realistic, regular challengers for both the top four and even the Premier League title over the next few seasons, at the moment it is Harry Redknapp’s side who are the more impressive. They have the better players, the better team and their strength in depth is as good as there is in the league, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal included.”
But Hansen regarded City as a mishmash of talent but feels the team will step up a level should they qualify for the Champions League. “City have spent a significant sum to build a side, but they still seem a mishmash of talented players with not many who would qualify for inclusion in the very top bracket in world football. That will change, though, especially if it is City qualify for the Champions League.”
City will again be expected to be amongst the big spenders during the summer and Hansen feels the time is right for the blues to launch a serious assault at the top four. “There could not be a better time to do that, as the top four are not as good as they once were – that can be seen by how many times each has lost this season – and it is an opportunity City would not want to miss.”
Spurs Target City Duo
Tottenham are reportedly planning an audacious swoop for two of City’s stars during the summer.
Craig Bellamy and Micah Richards are high on Harry Redknapp’s shopping list as the Spurs manager prepares for a possible assault on the Champions League.
Bellamy was a target for Redknapp during the January transfer window in 2009, but opted to move north to join Mark Hughes’s blue revolution. But since Hughes’ sacking in December, Bellamy has allegedly had a series of bust-ups with the City hierarchy and may be one of the first out of the Eastlands exit door.
Richards burst onto the scene during an FA Cup tie at Aston Villa in 2006, when he scored a last minute equaliser for the blues before swearing during a live interview after the game on the BBC.
His performances earned him an England call but his form soon dipped and Richards has now found himself out of the reckoning. The defender career has been on the line ever since and he did nothing to endear himself to the City hierarchy during the summer when he mistook a bout of swine flu for alcohol poisoning.
With City looking to re-build their own squad during the summer, Mancini may feel that the pair have had their time at Eastlands and would be more than ready to part with them.
Who Can Afford Him?
Why is it when City get a decent player in their ranks, the media go all out to make sure he leaves us pretty quickly?
This, of course refers to the Daily Mail’s report that Carlos Tevez will quit Eastlands should the blues fail to secure fourth spot and Champions League football next season. His adviser, Kia Joorabchian, is rumoured to have contacted some of Europe’s leading clubs should Tevez decide to quit.
But Tevez knew the scale of the task ahead of the club if they were to finish fourth. If he wanted Champions League football, would it not have been better to choose Real Madrid, Barcelona or any other Champions League regular? If Joorabchian is his adviser, don’t you think he should have advised better?
In relation to Mancini, Tevez knows, as do the rest of the playing squad that Mancini may or may not be in charge at Eastlands next season. But if the Argentine does decide to up sticks and leave the blues, who could afford him?
The problem lies with the fact that Tevez, by being the good player he is, has made himself too expensive. City paid a reported £25m for him and his displays this season, together with a haul of 28 goals has only increased the Argentine’s value. Any interested parties will probably have to pay double that figure to secure his services.
Add to that his wage demands, and you’ll be looking at just Real Madrid or Barcelona as possible destinations. Liverpool are mentioned in the report along with an amusing cut price figure of £18m. Would City’s hierarchy really lose £7m on their best performing player?
I don’t think so, but if Tevez does want to leave in the summer then City will not be able to stop him. But any interested clubs should be prepared to spend big because City will not allow Tevez to leave on the cheap.
Verdict: Arsenal 0-0 City
The one good thing that can come from a late kick off is the fact that you can see what your rivals had done earlier in the day. City went into the game with the knowledge that Spurs had lost in the lunchtime kick-off at Old Trafford and that, while three points would have been brilliant for moral, a draw would not be a bad result either.
A point at Arsenal is never a bad thing for City. Considering we have lost there ten times in twelve Premier League visits, a draw is a fairly decent result, even if the performance wasn’t brilliant.
With the memories of last September’s unsavoury events resurfacing, a visit to a hostile Emirates was always going to be tough and Roberto Mancini went there to play it safe and it worked. Often when City visit places to play it safe, they are caught out and end up losing what could have been a vital point, but not this time.
Playing three defensive midfielders, Mancini’s side stifled every Arsenal attack on the City goal and even when they did manage to break through, they were stopped by Shay Given, who dislocated his shoulder in stopping Abou Diaby from breaking the deadlock.
Carlos Tevez played the lone striker role with another former Gunner, Emmanuel Adebayor, on the bench as another part of Mancini’s safety plan. The home supporters must have been disappointed to see Adebayor on the bench, denying them the opportunity to subject him to further abuse. They got their chance seven minutes into the second half and for a while after his introduction, the blues looked likely to break the deadlock.
But although City had a penalty appeal turned down for handball against Sol Campbell, the blues couldn’t find a way through to get their first league win at Arsenal since 1975.
But the main thing is that the blues avoided defeat, bettering Spurs result which was the main objective of the day. It may not have been pretty or attractive, but we did the job that we went there to do.
Now we are just a point behind Spurs and just two points ahead of Villa, who seem to have come from nowhere and are suddenly in the reckoning again. And with Villa and Spurs next at Eastlands, City’s bid for a fourth place finish is clearly in their own hands.
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