Micah Wants Rooney Revenge
Artice by Elliot Dodd
The City full back who has come into tremendous form at late is out to get revenge on Wayne Rooney’s over head kick which won the match during the most recent derby.
Richards second half header secured a semi-final spot for city at Wembley, which will see the two teams compete to face either Stoke or Bolton in the Final.
Micah admitted city play too well against reading stating “We struggled to break them down” however he goes onto say “we showed great resilience to get through and that’s all that matters.”
As a response to the reports of an argument between Micah and manager Roberto Mancini following the defeat to Dynamo Kiev in the Europa League, he reveals that tempers flared after the match in Ukraine, but was pleased that city bounced back with a win against reading saying “we had just lost 2-0, so nobody was going to be happy. The main thing was we put it right today.”
Our Season Starts Here
Article By Richard Butterworth
If Manchester City are to make a success of this season, the time starts now.
The majority of the remaining fixtures highlight the importance of City’s run in. If we are to go further in the Europa League we’ll have to do it the hard way against a strong Dynamo Kiev team, who are without their talisman Artem Milevskiy.
If we are to finish in a Champions League spot our destiny is in our own hands with games against Chelsea and Tottenham. The fixture against Tottenham is particularly interesting, City are in a good position to exercise the demons of last years game against Spurs. A loss to Spurs however could result in a déjà vu of last year’s disappointment of having to settle for Europa League football for another year.
Qualifying for the Champions League this year would also qualify as real progress for City. With a fifth place finish last season and the acquisitions of this summer, the squads development can only really be labelled as a success by City playing Champions League football next year.
There is also the impending FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United, which is probably going to be the biggest derby in recent memory. The tie sets up the chance for City’s first FA Cup final since 1981 and a chance to finally end the wait for a major trophy, but not only that to beat United in doing so would be a sweet victory. If we beat United then Stoke or Bolton await, and no disrespect intended to either club but you would fancy City against either of these teams in the final.
City also have to contend with tricky fixtures away at Liverpool and Everton. The game against bogey team Everton in particular could prove to be an acid test type game, in which City could display just how far they have come or just how far they have yet to go.
SWP Hopeful That City Can Win The Cup
Article by Elliot Dodd
Shaun Wright-Phillips, Manchester City’s number 8 and all round legend believes that it was “inevitable” that City would draw their bitter rivals in the semi-finals of the FA cup held at Wembley.
Despite SWP finding it hard to play first team football, the England international has found himself playing again at the heart of the team because of a serious injury to he’s team mate Adam Johnson, who is not set to return for a matter of weeks.
SWP has scored some tremendous goals against United, which have proved to be important, and he hopes he can fire City into the final. “It may mean a little bit more to me because I know what our fans have been through,” Wright-Phillips said. “I have been through a hell of a lot with them and hopefully as a team, we can realise their dreams as well as achieving one of our own.”
However with the sky blues playing Dynamo Kiev with a 2-0 deficit at Eastlands on Thursday the winger believes its not the time to talk about the derby clash saying “The players we have are experienced enough to concentrate on the job in hand and not to look too far forward.”
City’s FA Cup semi-final againt United takes place on Saturday 16th April with a kick off time of 3pm. This also means City’s home game against Spurs, scheduled for that weekend, has been postponed.
Thank Micah For That
Those weren’t the words I wanted to use to write this piece but you get the gist of it.
Micah Richards 73rd minute goal spared city from a replay in Berkshire and booked City’s place in the semi final of the FA Cup for the first time since 1981. He directed a header beyond visiting keeper Alex McCarthy, who until that moment had looked like not being beaten all afternoon.
McCarthy produced a string of saves to stop Yaya Toure and David Silva scoring in the first half, while Carlos Tevez and Richards were also denied by the Reading keeper. For a while, it looked likely to be one of those days that we have seen on many occasions down the years.
You know the sort, where we dominate a game, fail to beat the keeper then the opposition go on and score a winner. Thankfully, that didn’t happen today, thanks to Micah’s header and now we go on to face United at Wembley on April 16th or 17th, just a couple of days after my birthday.
I’ve heard a few complaints about drawing United in the semis, but it is likely that we would have played them in the final anyway and to be honest, I’d rather face them now rather than in the final. Why? Because they would raise their game in the final and it would mean more to them to stop us winning the cup than winning the thing themselves.
Don’t get me wrong, I would have loved a derby final and it will come one day, but I’d rather put them out at the semi final stage this time around. Once past United, then we have Bolton or Stoke to contend with and many will feel that the winners of the derby will win the cup.
We’ll have to see on that one, but the main thing is we are through to the last four and all those goals that we should have scored today can be saved for Thursday when Dynamo Kiev visit.
Sneijder Impersonates Broken Record
Dutch star Wesley Sneijder has made an impersonation of a broken record by telling City that money alone will not buy success.
“They are spending a lot of money and they are good players, but you cannot buy a good team,” said the Dutchman, who has become the latest in a series of non-City connected player to make comments regarding the clubs wealth. “You can buy good players, but you have to make a team and you need the right coach there.”
Sneijder was a member of the Real Madrid side that for some reason paid £130m for Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka, but didn’t manage to overcome the power of Barcelona and he subsequently move to Inter Milan.
But Sneijder’s comments are just the latest to hit the blues in the two years that ADUG have been in control at Eastlands. For the first few months, there was barely a week that went by without someone saying ‘money won’t buy you success,’ or ‘money isn’t everything’ and I thought that, almost three years down the line, we would have gone beyond this, but clearly some people can’t let it go.
The question is though, what the hell does the wealth of a club in the northern part of England have to do with Wesley Sneijder? Why is someone like him commenting on our financial status? Is he trying to engineer a move to Eastlands?
I don’t understand why players not connected with City in any way, shape or form feel the need to be commenting on us so will someone please change the record?
Mario Balotelli: The Enigma.
Article by Richard
When Mario Balotelli was subbed off against Dynamo Kiev, after apparently having an allergic reaction to the grass over there it summed up his time at Manchester City: strange.
He was late to surface from the tunnel after half time, and when it was announced that he was missing I initially thought “here we go again”. His short time at City has been anything but uneventful. He scored on his debut and then got injured in the same game, which is poignant as Balotelli’s lows have outshone his highs so far. After his layoff he came back against West Brom, scored two, but was then sent off, so there is a recurring theme here.
When Balotelli signed for City, it provoked a feeling from me not felt during the reign of Sheik Mansour, and it was that we were signing an unknown entity. Most of Mark Hughes’ signings coupled with the ones Mancini had already made were all players I was quite familiar with. Yet Balotelli’s signing was similar to the players Sven Goran Eriksson had brought in; I’d heard good things about them but that was about it. So it was exciting that City would seemingly gamble on a player whose quality wasn’t fully known.
The opinion in Italy and of the media over here was that Mario had ‘undoubted quality’. This phrase is used in regards to him as much as his petulance is. Yet how can someone who was played only 70 professional games have ‘undoubted quality’? What Balotelli really has, is potential, he has the ability to turn this potential into quality but the attitude to combust at any moment.
He has of course shown signs of great promise, when he applies himself, such as his hat-trick against Aston Villa, yet other performances leave much to the imagination, and at times his desire to give his all for the City shirt must come into question.
It can’t be easy for a man who has cited homesickness early on in his time at City, yet he has such a hostile relationship with the country of his birth. Being booed by fans as he made his international debut must have hurt him. Yet his exterior would suggest that he is unfazed by it all, and his ability to seemingly shrug off the racist abuse hurled at him from Italian fans is commendable.
Despite all this the fact remains that a question mark hangs over Balotelli’s head. Will he fulfil his potential and combine his attitude with his skill to become a loveable rogue? Or will his talent go to waste and City fans will rue what might have been?
Blues Need To Invoke Spirit Of 1969
As we all know, the last time City won the FA Cup was courtesy of a Neil Young goal at Wembley in 1969 and it would be a fitting tribute to the winger, who passed away earlier this year, if the blues triumphed at Wembley in May.
But to do that, City must invoke the spirit of that cup winning side by winning another three games in the competition to bring the trophy to Eastlands. Easy isn’t it?
That’s what City manager Joe Mercer and his assistant Malcolm Allison told their squad prior to playing Luton Town in the third round of the competition. “Win six games and you’ve won the cup,” Young and his team-mates were told. And they did.
The blues didn’t do it in a flamboyant way by hammering their Third Division opponents at Maine Road, but settled for a 1-0 win courtesy of a Francis Lee goal. In the fourth round, City travelled to St James’s Park and played out a goalless draw with Newcastle, before beating the Geordies 2-0 at Maine Road but had Mike Summerbee sent off.
Second Division Blackburn Rovers were easily disposed of 4-1 at Ewood Park before Spurs arrived at Maine Road for the Quarter-Final. City had already taken four points off the Londoners and booked their semi-final place thanks to another Lee goal. Everton, with their own midfield trio of Alan Ball, Howard Kendall and Colin Harvey, lay in wait for the semi final, where Tommy Booth became the hero as City won 1-0 and faced Leicester in the final.
This season’s run has been quite the opposite to that of 1969, with two replays being gained, three matches against lower league opposition and fifteen goals scored in the process so far. It was a strong defence as opposed to all out attack that took the blues to Wembley. City only conceded one goal throughout the whole competition, while their opponents only conceded two prior to the final.
But City will have to be wary of Reading on Sunday. The Royals will have nothing to lose and everything to gain at Eastlands, while it is quite the opposite for City. We will be expected to win while the Cup romantics will be hoping for a Reading victory to prove the magic of the competition is still alive.
By the time we kick off, the other opponents should be known, unless Stoke and West Ham decide to draw their game. Bolton and United have already made it into the semis so a City victory would make it a North West triple. An by invoking the spirit of 1969, City can make it all the way to the final and a potential first Manchester Derby at Wembley.
Could You Write For Us?
In the next week, MCB will be undergoing a small makeover in order to bring more regular features. We’ll be improving the look and feel of the site, adding some new features as well as finally adding some good games on there too. We are also looking to team up with the brilliant MCFCForum as well so there’s quite a bit to look forward to.
To go with our new look, we are looking to bring in a few new writers. We are guilty of not providing enough content recently and this is purely down to work commitments from myself and Brian, as well as other projects that I’m involved in. We are looking for people who can write in the following categories:
Daily News Updates – we are looking for a couple of people who can provide news updates during the day, something which is impossible for me at the moment.
Opinion Writers – Opinions matter, whether right or wrong and we are looking for a couple of people who are not afraid to give their opinions. The more controversial the better, but with limited expletives. There are better ways to put your point across than just swearing.
Alternative City – A bit of fun for this one so someone with a wicked sense of humour is definitely required. Basically I want someone who is funny, can take a light hearted look at the blues and write a decent, funny piece to keep us all amused during the day.
If you think you meet any of the above criteria, please let me know by emailing pete@mancityblog.com
Please only email if you can write regularly for the site. I’ve heard from people in the past that have said they would love to write for us only never to hear from them again. There’s no payment involved, which probably explains why they never got back in touch, but it’s a great opportunity to get your voice and opinions across, or a good starting point for anyone looking to get into sports journalism.
We are also open to suggestions for new article topics, so if there is anything you’d like to see on here, again get in touch.
Look forward to hearing from you.
Guilty Of Stupidity, But That’s About All
Kolo Toure faces a bit of time on the sidelines after his wife’s slimming pills are the suspecting fiends surrounding his drug test failure.
The defender has until Wednesday to decide whether or not he wants his B sample testing, which could potentially clear him if it comes back negative. If not, then Toure will have to provide an explanation for the failure and will also face a long ban from the game.
But if the reports that Kolo took some of his wife’s slimming pills to control is weight are true, then the defender is really guilty of one thing: stupidity.
Professional athletes are responsible for what goes into their bodies and a little simple check with the club’s anti doping officer, doctor or anyone else in the medical profession would have checked the pills concerned and confirmed whether or not they were safe to take.
Unfortunately in this case, Kolo didn’t do that and now could face up to two years out of the game, which will almost certainly end his City career. However, I personally don’t think that it will be that long, although his season could be over, due to the length of the disciplinary procedures involved.
Kolo’s case is similar to that of Sheffield United keeper Paddy Kenny, who was suspended for nine months after he was found to have a stimulant in his system. The player’s defence was that ephedrine was present in a cough medicine the player had taken, but his claims were dismissed. Again, a ban could have been avoided if simple checks had been made.
Another player who was suspended for drug use was, of course, Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu, however he tested positive for cocaine and was banned for just seven months but was sacked by Chelsea in any case.
It amazes me though, how a player can take a simple, legal cough medicine and be banned for eight months, yet another player can take an illegal substance and only get seven. Mutu should have been banned for the maximum time possible.
Of course, there will also be comparison drawn against Rio Ferdinand, who was banned for nine months after failing to attend a test, but the difference between the two is the fact that Kolo attended and failed while Ferdinand was out shopping instead and didn’t make the test, therefore incurring an automatic fail.
A ban for Kolo, especially at this stage of the season, would be a blow to the blues, but we have some strength at the back and hopefully his absence will not be too long. I don’t think he will receive a huge ban as the player’s lifestyle may also be taken into consideration.
What do you think about the situation? Let us know your thoughts.
Friday Focus – Do Referee’s Get A Raw Deal?
Referees have been in the spotlight this week, all for the wrong reasons, as usual. With elbows and allegations of bias flying around, MCB asks, are referees getting a raw deal, or is the criticism they receive justified?
Last Saturday Mark Clattenburg, not for the first time, hit the headlines after he failed to send off United striker Wayne Rooney at Wigan during United’s 4-0 win. Rooney went on to score United’s third and Clattenburg’s explanation that he saw the incident and felt he took the appropriate action, meant the FA could not take any further action.
That decision could have had a major impact on the title race as Rooney scored at Chelsea on Tuesday, where another refereeing decision decided the game. This time it went against United when referee Martin Atkinson awarded Chelsea a controversial penalty that won the game for the champions.
To rub salt into Fergie’s wounds, defender Nemanja Vidic was sent off for a second bookable offence, while Atkinson failed to send off David Luiz when the defender, who had already been booked, clattered into Rooney.
And on Wednesday, Clattenburg booked Mario Balotelli following an elbow in the face of Villa’s Chris Herd. The City man went for a high ball and caught the Villa man in the face with his left arm, leading to the ref to immediately reach for the yellow card.
Clattenburg’s decision on Wednesday made a complete joke of his weekend choice not to book the United man and sent more mixed messages than a tart on a date to the rest of the Premier League’s stars, who are now wondering what is a fair challenge and what isn’t.
There is no doubt that decisions like Clattenburg’s and Atkinson’s can clearly change the course of a game, but referees are only human and, as eighteenth century poet Alexander Pope said, to err is to be human, and referees are no different
We can’t possibly count how many mistakes are made by referees in today’s game but we have to accept that mistakes are part and parcel of the modern game, whether we like it or not. They happen at every level but just because it’s the Premier League, they seem bigger.
Personally, I think it’s because of the sheer amount of money that is involved in today’s game. I remember when Chelsea played Barcelona at Stamford Bridge in 2009. Barca had levelled deep into injury time to win on away goals rule, leading to some claiming the London club would miss out on millions due to poor refereeing decisions.
But on the other side of the coin, refs are paid to make vital decisions and shouldn’t get the big decisions wrong which, as always, leads to calls for video technology. But the introduction of such a technology will probably not work as well as the footballing authorities would like.
For example, if the technology was brought in to make calls on goals, it wouldn’t be long before they were being requested for offsides, penalties, free kicks and every major and minor offence during the game and before we knew it, every Premier League game would be lasting two hours or more.
So what would the solution to minimising referees mistakes? Well for one clubs, and in particular managers, could take some of the pressure they put on a ref by not making instant judgements on them, or by making comments regarding the referee performance after the match.
The thing is with managers, what comes around, goes around. On Saturday, Ferguson claimed after the game that there was nothing in Rooney’s challenge, but as soon as the boot was on the other foot with Luiz, he started screaming foul. It’s amazing how quickly the mouth opens when it goes against his team and as a result, he now finds himself on an FA charge.
In addition, the amount of players that actually surround a ref when a decision is made is ridiculous. On Tuesday, no less than four players surrounded the referee. Now I’m of the opinion that, when a ref makes a decision, there should be only the team captain and the player(s) concerned that can approach the ref. Anyone else should be warned to step away or risk being booked. Harsh, but maybe a way to keep players under control.
Football should be about the game and the talking points should be players and goals, not the decisions that are made or in some cases, not and for that refs have to play their part too.
What do you think? Do refs get a raw deal in today’s modern game or do they deserve the criticism they get?
Man City News 24/7Partners
-