Derby Day B*ll*x

[Chinners]

MCFC BOLLOX ROUND-UP
It’s derby day and as you’d expect, this morning’s back pages are full of stories about tonight’s fascinating clash between City and United with plenty of measured opinion and thoughtful insight.
Leading the pack is Daniel Taylor’s excellent feature in The Guardian, covering everything from a porcelain cow in the City trophy cabinet to how some factions of the national media have been overreacting somewhat (!) in recent weeks and how Roberto Mancini has weathered the recent press frenzy with dignity.
“Eastlands felt like a happy place yesterday,” writes Taylor. “Sunday’s win had therapeutic qualities and Mancini seems to have come through the most difficult period of his 11 months in charge.
“The Italian was on the pitch after the final whistle, embracing Tevez and acclaiming the fans who had repeatedly sung his name to the tune of ‘Volare’. At his press conference yesterday there was not one question about his position. The storm has passed.”
About time, too.
Meanwhile, in The Times, Oliver Kay highlights the lack of bluster from the Blues ahead of the game, believing that City understand it’s time to do their talking on the pitch and that Sir Alex Ferguson is well aware that the so-called ‘noisy neighbours’ have become ominously quiet of late.
Alluding to the United boss’ press conference, Kay writes: “May of Ferguson’s misgivings about the modern Manchester City have been proved correct over the past couple of years but, under the circumstances, it was like one of those moments when someone tells you, at ear splitting volume, that he can hardly hear himself think.”
Of course, the general understated tenor at both press conferences yesterday has not prevented more sensationalistic headlines being squeezed from the odd quote here and there in some of the other papers who attempt to stoke up a war of words between the two managers.
That’s the way it’s always been prior to a Manchester derby and there’s no real harm with that is there? If you can’t stir up the emotions for a game like this, well, you might as well not bother!

ALAN HANSEN BOLLOX
When Manchester City and Manchester United meet, there is always plenty riding on the outcome - but it is hard to overstate the significance of the game at Eastlands on Wednesday.
There will be sub-plots on and off the pitch, while both bosses, Roberto Mancini and Sir Alex Ferguson, will see this game as a perfect opportunity to strike an important blow in the battle with their neighbours.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 173698.stm

BLUE MOON BOLLOX
Forget Titanic, Deep Impact or even The Day After Tomorrow, up until a couple of years ago any film about Manchester City could have probably have been billed as the ultimate disaster movie.
True, Blue Moon Rising, a recently released film following the club's tumultuous progress last season, has a far from happy ending itself - I think most people know what happened - but for old-school football fans it is still more like a feel-good flick.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/chrisbevan/2 ... ty_fa.html

Six of the Best: Alan Brazil’s magnificent Manchester derbies
6) Man United 4-1 Man City, First Division, August 31, 1957
The last Manchester derby before the Munich air crash that cost eight members of the United team their lives. Goals from Duncan Edwards, Tommy Taylor, Johnny Berry and Dennis Viollet sent United fans home happy on a summer’s evening as they maintained their perfect start to the season. Five months later, three of those goal scorers were dead – only Berry survived – in a disaster that devastated British football. Who knows how the landscape of the English game might have changed had those ‘Busby Babes’ had the opportunity to develop into the powerhouse they would surely have become? An absolute tragedy.
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5) Man City 3-1 Man United, Premier League, November 9, 2005
City ended 13 years of hurt as they finally tasted victory against their bitter rivals. It was Kevin Keegan’s first – and last – derby at Maine Road and what an occasion it turned out to be. Nicolas Anelka put City ahead after five minutes, only for Ole Gunnar Solksjaer to equalise just three minutes later. Cue Shaun Goater. The big Bermudan struck twice to earn City a rare success and local bragging rights. All together now… ‘feed the Goat, feed the Goat, feed the Goat and he will score…’
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4) Man United 5-0 Man City 0, Premiership, November 10, 1994
Manchester City fans turned up in their numbers at Old Trafford, many of them wearing Barcelona shirts in ‘honour’ of the Spanish giants’ 4-0 win over United in the European Cup just eight days earlier. But those Blue boys were left choking on their paella as United romped to a 5-0 win – their biggest ever derby win in the Premiership era. Flying winger Andrei Kanchelskis was the executioner in chief, helping himself to a hat-trick.

3) Man City 5-1 Man United, First Division, September 23, 1989
City left Fergie choking on his fine wine as they romped to a stunning success at Maine Road. The United boss described this drubbing as his “most embarrassing defeat” and it’s not hard to see why. The game was held up for ten minutes when the players were taken off the pitch early on after crowd trouble but, on the resumption, City raced into an amazing 3-0 lead with goals from David Oldfield, Trevor Morley and Ian Bishop. United responded with one from Mark Hughes, but a further strike by Oldfield and a fifth from Andy Hinchcliffe ensured the Blue Moon was most certainly in the ascendency that night.
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2) Man United 4-3 Man City, Premier League, September 19, 2009
This classic had everything and was a joy for the neutral. City fans, though, will have rather more bitter memories. Sheikh Mansour’s riches were already threatening to upset the apple cart in Manchester, and now here was City’s chance to show they were a coming force to be reckoned with. And to be fair, despite this defeat, they did just that. Three times they came from behind at Old Trafford, with goals from the returning Carlos Tevez and Craig Bellamy (2), only for their hearts to be broken by a ‘Fergie time’ winner from little Mickey Owen.
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1) Man United 0-1 Man City, First Division, April 27, 1974
The most infamous Manchester derby of all-time. Denis Law had spent more than a decade as the darling of the Stretford End before crossing the Manchester divide to re-join City. And in one of football’s most unforgettable moments, his back-heel goal earned City victory and condemned United to relegation. In truth, that cheeky winner didn’t send United down to Division Two – Birmingham’s win on the same day ensured the Red Devils would still have suffered the drop – but Law’s refusal to celebrate his goal remains to this day one of the game’s most enduring images.
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Carlos Tevez fears he may be forced out of tonight’s Manchester derby.Tevez was in some distress last night at the prospect of missing the fixture against his former club, but will have a fitness test before the game to decide whether to risk further damage to his injured thigh.
The Manchester City captain has told friends he rates his chances of making the game as ‘50-50 at best’.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... nited.html

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has raised the stakes ahead of Wednesday night's derby against Manchester City by branding the infamous 'Welcome to Manchester' poster as 'stupid'.
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528, ... 68,00.html

Roque Santa Cruz is a £3m Wolfsburg target, while Fulham also want the striker who cost Manchester City £14m from Blackburn.
Wolfsburg have inquired about City striker Santa Cruz and that could threaten Fulham's chances of signing him with City keen to strike a deal for Wolfsburg's Edin Dzeko in January. Santa Cruz could become a makeweight in a £35million deal but Bayern Munich are also keen on Dzeko.

Is Hulk about to turn Blue?
Big-spending Manchester City have sent scouts to check on Porto’s Brazilian striker Hulk.
The Brazilian international has been in brilliant form this season and scored twice in a 5-0 win over Benfica in front of City scouts on Sunday.
Hulk, who has scored nine goals this season and has twice been the Portuguese League’s Player of the Month, said: “I have heard about the rumours of the Premier League, but I am focused on my work here.”

WAG OF THE DAY

http://www.nowpublic.com/sports/mario-b ... 53834.html

MORE DEMENTO BOLLOX
ALEX Ferguson suggested on the eve of another hugely resonant derby match that Manchester City's fans would rather see silverware than hear boasts from the club's marketing department about their team and appeared to deliver a dig at the club's chief executive, Garry Cook, for "getting carried away."
Ferguson, who suggested the Carlos Tevez poster which so infuriated him last season will have "embarrassed" fans, ridiculed the supporter who had "Manchester City -- Champions League winners 2011" tattooed on his right shoulder at the start of last season and placed City's directors in the same category as him.
"Unfortunately fans are just as bad as directors," Ferguson said. "A lot of supporters would probably prefer to see a trophy paraded before they start getting carried away (and) screaming from the rooftops."
While a cool Roberto Mancini -- who was dealt a blow when Mario Balotelli's three-game ban was upheld yesterday -- refused to enter into the pre-match skirmishes, declared Ferguson "the best manager in the world," the United manager could not resist another dig at the Tevez 'Welcome to Manchester' poster which still rankles.
"It was probably some advertising gimmick somewhere along the line, but I don't think they can be proud of it," he said. "I don't see how they thought that would get more points off us as opposed to playing against us on a football pitch."
Ferguson did not refer by name to Cook, with whom he is acquainted having spent a cordial evening seated beside him at Manchester Town Hall two years ago, but the chief executive's suggestion in New York after City's 2-1 Carling Cup semi-final first-leg win over United in January that City were on course to overtake United and become "without doubt the biggest and best football club in the world" has not been lost on the opposing manager.
Whatever about this, City have nonetheless been making an impact on their rivals.
Wayne Rooney was mesmerised this summer by the near £200,000-a-week salary of City's Yaya Touré and by flirting with departure across Manchester has secured himself £30,000-a-week more than United were initially willing to pay.
The closest Mancini got to any level of pre-match provocation was his suggestion that City's current view of United is "we understand we can always beat them now."
That certainly seems to be the case this evening, with United missing Rooney, Ryan Giggs and almost certainly Nani. Ferguson is also unsure who will have recovered from the virus which laid him low last week and forced him to send his players home yesterday; Dimitar Berbatov has been unwell.
For City, Emmanuel Adebayor reported a calf strain on Monday, but may be fit to play. City are indignant about the FA's decision to refuse to reduce Balotelli's three-match ban for his straight red card at West Bromwich to one match, particularly since Tom Huddlestone has escaped a ban for what seemed a more clear-cut offence -- a stamp on Bolton's Johan Elmander.
caustic
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan's long-awaited first league triumph over United at the stadium Ferguson likes to call the "Temple of Doom" would more than compensate -- though the Scot was caustic about notions that City were a challenge to be headed off.
"Excuse me, Chelsea won the League last season," Ferguson said. "That's our challenge. We have to chase Chelsea and if you don't recognise who won the League the year before, then you're very foolish."
(© Independent News Service)

TRANSFER BOLLOX
Atletico Madrid striker Diego Forlan has been offered to city rivals Real for £20m. The offer came from an intermediary, not his current club. The news is likely to place Tottenham and Italian giants Juventus on alert. insidefutbol.com

Chelsea and Bayern Munich are interested in AS Roma striker Mirko Vucinic. The 27-year-old Montenegro striker joined the club in 2007 from Lecce for more than £20m. imscouting.com

Inter Milan manager Rafael Benitez is planning to raid former club Liverpool for Danish centre-back Daniel Agger as a replacement for Walter Samuel, who is out for the season with knee ligament damage. Daily Mirror

Liverpool are ready to take on AC Milan in the race to sign £9m-rated Japan midfielder Keisuke Honda from CSKA Moscow. Talksport

Arsenal are pondering a move for Borussia Dortmund defender Neven Subotic. The Serbian has helped the team rise to the top of the Bundesliga and has been rated at £20m. caughtoffside.com

Bolton are keen on £2m-rated Argentinos Juniors defender Santiago Gentiletti. The Sun

Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier has earmarked France striker Bafetimbi Gomis as the man he wants to replace forward John Carew, with whom he had a row at the club's training ground on Monday. Daily Star

FC Nurnberg fear they will lose Manchester United target Ilkay Gundogan in the summer. The £7m-rated Germany Under-21 midfielder has been watched several times by United's scouts. Daily Mail

OTHER BOLLOX
Newcastle right-back Danny Simpson is in line for a surprise England call-up as cover for Glen Johnson, who has had injury problems this season. Talksport

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson will ask veteran playmaker Paul Scholes, 35, to put any retirement plans on hold for another year. United are ready to offer the former England international a 12-month contract extension. Daily Star

England manager Fabio Capello has finally been given the green light to pick Andy Carroll by Football Association bosses after a four-man panel decided that the Newcastle striker's recent misdemeanours should not result in him being banned from representing his country. Daily Express

Wolves boss Mick McCarthy says experiences with therapists through his career help keep tough results, like the late 2-1 defeat at Manchester United, in perspective. "We have a sports therapist," he said. "I was asked to see the psychologist when I went to Lyon. I came out with my arm around him, telling him not to worry! I was 30 with a mortgage, three kids, 400 league games and in a new country. I ended up coming out of there telling him not to worry. I didn't see him again!" Daily Star

TONIGHTS LIKELY LINE UP BOLLOX

[Slim]

I want Hulk, I think we can get better, I think we have better, but how awesome would it be to have THE HULK announced over the tannoy.

[Chinners]

CHIP SHOP BOLLOX
Lou Macari fears Manchester United could lack the strength in depth to topple Manchester City at Eastlands tonight.
Sir Alex Ferguson's side will definitely be missing Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs through injury, while Paul Scholes, Patrice Evra, Nemanja Vidic and Dimitar Berbatov are all doubts with illness.
And former United star Macari is worried that if those established stars are ruled out, then Fergie's men could find it tough against their great rivals.
Macari told the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast: "United need experience and players that have been through it all before [at City tonight]. They need some of the players that have been missing back.
"If they go to Eastlands tonight with a team anywhere near what they had on Saturday then they could be in trouble. It's vital everyone has recovered form the virus and that the most established players are fit and available.
"United have the back up to play against Wolves and get three points, but not to play in a Manchester derby. My big concern is the availability of certain players.
“
United need the likes of Scholes, Berbatov and Vidic. I’ll be alarmed if any of them are missing
”
"They need the likes of Scholes, Berbatov and Vidic. I’ll be alarmed if any of them are missing."
City boss Roberto Mancini has found himself under fire in recent weeks with question marks about his future as his side has stuttered, but Macari has no doubts they are now a real threat.
He added: "They’ve got a terrific attack and if anyone under-estimates their ability to do well this season then they’re wrong.

MuEN's Derby day preview
Manchester City will be without Mario Balotelli for the 156th Manchester derby at Eastlands tonight, while Emmanuel Adebayor is racing to recover from a calf injury.
Aleksandar Kolarov is pushing for a place in the starting line-up following his recovery from an ankle injury, although Mancini might think twice about putting him in for such an intense occasion after a lengthy lay off.
City's midfield warrior Nigel de Jong says he has detected the tension levels rising in Manchester ahead of tonight’s match.
But the Dutchman is aware that he has to remain focused and disciplined in a game rivalry with a history of heavy challenges.
De Jong has had to rein in his naturally aggressive game since the furore surrounding his leg-breaking tackle on Newcastle’s Hatem Ben Arfa last month – his only yellow card since then was for deliberate handball early in the win at West Brom on Sunday.
But he will be tested to his combative limit by Darren Fletcher, who has come as close as anyone to filling the void at Old Trafford left by Roy Keane.
The Scotland international is not a midfield general in the truest traditions of Keane, Bryan Robson and Paul Ince – but he is the man Sir Alex Ferguson looks to when it comes to stamping United’s authority on the middle of the park.
So desperate was de Jong not to miss the derby, he played the rest of the game against West Brom with one eye on avoiding a second booking, to ensure he would be available tonight.
“If you get a booking in the first five minutes you have to watch your game, get more disciplined and not get carried away in certain situations,” said de Jong.
“So I am happy to be free to play against United and start it all again.
“You feel the edge in these games.
“We were playing West Brom on Sunday, and everyone was talking about the derby, and have been for two or three weeks.
“We know when it’s coming and in the build-up towards the game you can feel the tension in the city among the fans, among the players, and among the whole club.
“There is that extra edge and as a player that gives you the spirit to play that little bit harder on match day.”
De Jong will be a crucial figure in the battle – on Sunday he shored up a City defence which had uncharacteristically leaked eight goals in its previous three games.
Now he, Gareth Barry and Yaya Toure need to overpower the Reds’ midfield, as they did to champions Chelsea.
United’s preparations have been thrown into turmoil by the flu bug which has ravaged their squad, but de Jong says nothing can detract from the size of the occasion.
“The derby is always one of the biggest games of the season, but for United as well as for us,” he said.
“Everyone knows what’s going on between these two teams, and this season it will be even bigger.
“They get bigger and bigger and bigger, especially if you believe the speculation that was in the newspapers last week!
“It’s a good thing for City because it shows we are getting bigger as a club.
“My message to City fans is to keep supporting us – they are always a helping hand as a 12th man, especially at the derbies.
“I’ve played in a couple of derbies now and they are always a massive support for the team.
“The players want them to know the confidence is still there in the squad, and we want to give them a piece back on the pitch on Wednesday.”
De Jong was the latest player to rubbish talk of a big rift in the unity at City, and said that had been partly dismissed by a good team performance at West Brom.
“Everyone has focused on Manchester City over the past couple of weeks, and we obviously haven’t had the best results,” he said.
“But the West Brom result proved a point, that we are still a strong side.
“The confidence is there, in the players and the staff, and we are still sticking together as a team.
“Sunday’s result gives us great confidence going into the next game.
“Overall, it was one of our best performances of the season, as a team.
“We defended very well, and looked very strong up front, especially in the first half, but the whole team takes credit.
“There is plenty for us to take into the next game.”
Sir Alex Ferguson is crossing his fingers that the virus that has swept the Manchester United camp since their return from Turkey last week does not wreck their chances.
After losing several key players for the weekend win over Wolves, Ferguson had to send more home from training yesterday and admits he has no idea what the make up of his side to face Roberto Mancini's men at Eastlands will be.
In addition, Ryan Giggs and Owen Hargreaves (both hamstring) are definitely out, while Nani (groin) is rated extremely doubtful to recover from the injury he suffered in Turkey last week.

Manchester City (from): Hart, Richards, Zabaleta, Bridge, Lescott, Boyata, De Jong, Vieira, Barry, Johnson, K Toure, Y Toure, Tevez, Silva, Adebayor, Kolarov, Given, Milner, Kompany, Boateng.

Manchester United (from): Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Rafael, Brown, O'Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Smalling, Evans, Evra, Fabio, Obertan, Bebe, Carrick, Gibson, Scholes, Fletcher, Anderson, Nani, Park, Berbatov, Hernandez, Macheda

[Chinners]

Why Carlos Tevez is so important to Manchester Citys Bollox

When Manchester City entertain their local rivals United at Eastlands on Wednesday, one man will once again become the centre of attention.
In Carlos Tevez, City have a captain at the very peak of his powers and a goalscoring machine who can threaten his former club United's dominance in the north-west.
The numbers speak for themselves, as 36 goals in 51 starts testify, but ahead of the two teams' 157th competitive meeting, ex-City striker Uwe Rosler believes Tevez offers the complete centre-forward package.
"Tevez is absolutely key to City's hopes, both in this match and for the rest of the season," Rosler, who scored twice against United in the Manchester derby during a four-year spell at the club from 1994-98, told BBC Sport.
"He'll be desperate to shine against his former club and knows this is a golden opportunity for City to step up their title bid. The statistics show he's probably their most important player and, while we don't know the full story behind his departure from Old Trafford, United may regret not keeping him.
"He is a striker who can dribble, turn a man, chase non-stop, press the opposition, make smart moves, hold the ball up and - crucially - score goals. He is always up for it, has bags of energy, wears his heart on his sleeve and gives the whole team a lift.
"For me, he is every manager's dream and the perfect player for English football."
Tevez is set to face his old side for the fourth time since swapping red for blue and the match provides him with another chance to show Sir Alex Ferguson exactly what he is missing out on.
Despite his success and popularity during a two-year spell at United, Ferguson was reportedly unwilling to spend £25.5m on a player who made 26 of his 97 appearances for the Old Trafford club as a substitute.
And for a manager who expects players to come off the bench and make an impact - Ole Gunnar Solskjaer immediately springs to mind - his decision was perhaps understandable.

Tevez plundered 30 goals in 71 starts for United (a goal every 2.3 games) but only four in 26 substitute appearances (a goal every 6.5 games).

Clearly unhappy with this bit-part role, he became the first high-profile player since Denis Law in 1973 to cross the divide, joining a club who were happy to meet the asking price and position him at the pinnacle of their Abu Dhabi-funded revolution.
Suffice to say, Tevez has not looked back.
He scored nine goals in 18 games before Mark Hughes was sacked in December 2009 and, despite voicing his displeasure at the Welshman's dismissal, made a superb start to life under new boss Roberto Mancini.
A return of nine strikes in his next six starts and a further 11 before the end of the campaign saw Tevez finish with 29 goals as he led City to within three points of a top-four finish.
End-of-season calculations showed City were almost twice as likely to emerge triumphant with Tevez in the team (they won 55% of their matches when he played and just 33% in his absence).
The 26-year-old's importance was illustrated in February when Mancini's men drew three and lost one of their four matches while he was in Argentina caring for his baby daughter, who was born prematurely.
"City often appear to lack enthusiasm when Tevez isn't in the side," observed Rosler, who scored 50 goals in 153 games for City and since retiring as a player has manager Norwegian sides Lillestrom, Viking and Molde.
"He lifts his team-mates and also the crowd through his style of play. In my time at City, Paul Walsh was similar: very busy, never giving up, chasing everything and always looking to create chances.
"In the game at Wolves in October [when Tevez was injured], City got an early goal and then played as if they thought the job was done. They invited Wolves back into the game and ended up losing.
"With Tevez in the team you have a guy who is up for it all the time and he carries the rest of the players with him."
The burden on Tevez has not been helped by the departure of Craig Bellamy, Emmanuel Adebayor's struggle for form, Mancini's reluctance to pick Roque Santa Cruz or a knee injury to new signing Mario Balotelli.

TEVEZ IN STATS
100%: City have won all five of the games in which Tevez has scored this season
91.6%: City have won 22 of the 24 games in which Tevez has scored since joining
56%: City have won 31 of the 55 games Tevez has played
37.5%: When Tevez has started, 36 of City's 96 goals have come from the Argentine
26.6%: City have won just eight of the 30 matches in which Tevez has not scored
1.4: Tevez has scored 36 goals in 51 starts for City, averaging a goal every 1.4 games
2.3: Tevez scored 30 goals in 71 starts for Man United, averaging a goal every 2.3 games
6.5: Tevez scored four goals in 26 substitute appearances at Old Trafford, a goal every 6.5 games
Statistics correct as of 09/11/10
But Tevez has responded again this season, the man from Buenos Aires scoring five goals in 13 games, providing three assists and taking far more shots than any of his team-mates.

City have won all five of the matches in which he has scored, whereas in the eight matches he has not, City have won three, drawn three and lost two. In fact, City are yet to lose a league game in which Tevez has scored.
"There is a big difference between City with Tevez and without him," said Rosler. "When he was injured recently, Adebayor came in and scored goals but City were poor.
"They are hugely different players. Tevez is always on the move and and available, constantly giving the opposition a headache.
"To me, Adebayor sometimes looks very lethargic and static."
Mancini's decision to hand Tevez the captain's armband this season suggested he views the former Boca Juniors, Corinthians and West Ham star as his natural leader on the pitch.
That said, the pair have not always seen eye-to-eye.
In April, Tevez gave a wide-ranging interview to the Daily Mail in which he criticised the Italian's training methods and at half-time in this season's victory over Newcastle they are reported to have clashed in the dressing room.
The argument was thought to have revolved around City's tactical formation, with Tevez frustrated at Mancini's decision to play him as a lone striker throughout the early part of this season.
He also irked his manager by claiming the prospect of early retirement had crossed his mind, by making fairly regular trips back to Argentina and by speaking of a longing to be with his family in his homeland.
"The only thing that worries me is that he has come out in public a few times to say he misses Argentina, he misses his family, he thinks about retiring," said Rosler, who plans to move his family back to Manchester having completed a successful two-month stint at Molde.
"Whether or not he gets on with Mancini is irrelevant because that is not affecting his performances; in fact, Mancini seems to be getting the best out of him. What City don't want is to hear more talk of homesickness.
"They have invested a lot of money in Tevez, he is playing very well, the players look up to him and the fans adore him. If he was to leave it could have a disastrous affect on City's entire project."
City will be hoping on Wednesday night it is United's Premier League project on which Tevez can have a disastrous effect.