THE BOLLOX
Two days later and debate still rages on whether Saturday’s 2-2 draw at the Emirates was more valuable to Arsenal or City’s title chances.
I wouldn’t expect any kind of consensus to be forthcoming, so let’s shift out focus to Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League opener against Bayern Munich.
Of course City were victorious last time they travelled to the Allianz Arena, coming back from 2-0 down to triumph 3-2 and there’s no reason they can’t win again this week – so says Vincent Kompany in this morning’s Guardian.
“This is the first game of the Champions League, an away game against one of the hardest teams to play in the world right now,” Kompany declared.
“But we should take confidence out of the last game we played in Munich. We’re up for the challenge.”
Manuel Pellegrini said: “Bayern are the most strong team but my team has a great personality to try to win everywhere. We showed that against Arsenal [on Saturday].
“Last season, we lost three early away games to Cardiff, Aston Villa and Chelsea but we went on to beat Bayern in Munich and I think we were the team who won the most away points in the second round of the Premier League. “We have the personality to try to play everywhere in the same way. If we continue like this, it will be a very close game against Bayern.”
Seeing as we’ve played the German giants as many times as we’ve faced QPR over the last three seasons, their squad should be pretty familiar to you by now…
News has emerged that Munich will be without one of their key defensive components for Match Day One as Holger Badstuber tore a thigh muscle this weekend.
“The Germany international went down during Bayern's 2-0 Bundesliga win over VfB Stuttgart and initial reports were that it was a small niggle,” reports the Daily Express.
“But further tests have shown the 25-year-old now needs surgery, just weeks after returning from a 20-month injury layoff recovering from consecutive cruciate ligament damage.
"Obviously I am very disappointed at the moment," Badstuber said in a statement.
"But I have learned meanwhile how to deal with these situations. I will not give up and do not worry I will come back and pick up where I left off after my long injury break,"
Don’t get too excited about that one, Pep Guardiola will still be able to call upon the services of Messrs Alaba, Boateng, Dante and Lahm…
Finally for today, Kompany believes that Yaya Toure will join him in signing a new long-term contract in the near future.
The Ivorian was said to be unhappy at the club over the summer but that’s all behind him now, judging from quotes attributed to the City skipper in the DSSC.
“What matters most is not that I signed. It is that David Silva, Samir Nasri and Aleksandar Kolarov did the same. Now, it’s not far off for Yaya as well,” he said.
“This is a very strong sign. All of these players could play for one of the three biggest clubs in the world and they decided to have faith in City.
“'I‘ve had a strong relationship with City for years and the decision to extend was normal. I’m looking to the future.”
James Milner stalling on new Manchester City deal
MAN CITY face losing England midfielder James Milner to the highest bidder in the January transfer window.
And another worry for the Blues is that keeper Joe Hart has still to agree a new deal.
Milner, though, is the pressing concern as he is out of contract next summer when he could leave for nothing.
That means City would accept a £5million offer for a player they value at £15m.
Everton, Arsenal and Liverpool will all be interested in Milner, 28.
“Southampton's James Ward-Prowse, 19, and Jay Rodriquez, 25, would be targets”
He is also one of City's home-grown players for squad-quota purposes and the champions would look to replace him with an English signing.
Southampton's James Ward-Prowse, 19, and Jay Rodriquez, 25, would be targets.
Milner will see how many starts he makes for City before deciding whether to sign a new deal.
He won his 50th England cap in Switzerland last Monday but is not a regular City starter.
Hart, meanwhile, has been offered a five-year contract - as revealed by the Daily Star Sunday.
But the England keeper, 27, who has two seasons left on his current deal, has still not signed it.
City believe he is waiting to see if Manuel Pellegrini sticks with him as No.1 or prefers summer signing Willy Caballero, 32.
Kompany relishing Bayern test
Vincent Kompany insists Manchester City will draw heart from their previous success at the Allianz Arena ahead of their UEFA Champions League showdown with Bayern Munich.
Manuel Pellegrini’s side face the 2013 champions on Wednesday and are full of confidence following their 3-2 victory over Bayern in Munich at the same stage last December, according to captain Kompany.
After being knocked out at the group stages two years running, City progressed to the knockout stages last season, but then lost to Barcelona in the Round of 16.
However, Kompany insists the reigning Premier League champions are ready to lay down their marker on the continent.
“We’re confident,” the Belgian centre-back told the Daily Mirror. "This is the first game of the Champions League, an away game against one of the hardest teams to play against in the world right now.
“But we should take confidence out of the last game we played in Munich. We’re up for the challenge anyway.
“I don’t think we’ve got a point to prove in Europe. I dissociate Europe from the league. But I just want to win games.”
Kompany’s confidence was echoed by City manager Pellegrini, who believes his side possess the necessary character to raid the Allianz Arena once again.
“The Champions League group is similar to last year, we have Bayern Munich – they are the most strong team but I think this team has a greater personality to try to win everywhere,” he said. “We showed that here against Arsenal.
“Last year we lost against Cardiff and the first three away. We finished beating Bayern in Munich and I think we were the team who won most points away in the second round of the Premier League.
“Now we have personality to go and try to play everywhere in the same way. They are always different games, and we must play on Wednesday against a very good team.
“With the way we are playing, with the personality and character we showed when we are losing 2-1, we went for the draw and the win and we had the clear chances to do it. If we continue that way I think it will be a very close game in Munich.”
Manuel Pellegrini's Whines on Officiating Miss Manchester City's Real Problems
City's problems run much deeper than Mark Clattenburg's iffy whistle.
Manchester City have several real problems after four Premier League matches, and manager Manuel Pellegrini is kidding himself if he thinks that officiating decisions are one of them.
But there was Pellegrini thrashing around like a fish stranded on a rock complaining about Mark Clattenburg's supposedly one-sided view of City's draw with Arsenal at the Emirates.
“The referee didn’t want to whistle,” Pellegrini said according to Barney Ronay of The Guardian. “There was clearly a foul. Welbeck pushed Kompany, he didn’t have any intention to play the ball. Arsenal scored both goals with fouls. On a normal day we have to win this game.”
Pellegrini even went so far as to suggest that his decision to remove striker Sergio Aguero after 66 minutes, when Aguero had scored City's only goal in the match to that point, was Clattenburg's fault.
“I’m sure in the next play that he [Aguero] would be sent off,” Pellegrini fumed according to Jason Burt of The Telegraph. “The referee had given him a yellow. Sergio was very angry and had all the reason to be very angry. He is very strong and does not go diving in.”
As City's best scorer, Aguero cannot allow his play to be undermined by a referee's decisions or his own ill temper. But Aguero's rage (per Pellegrini) and Pellegrini's own petulance serve only to distract from City's real troubles.
Yaya Toure was unavailable against Arsenal, and Pellegrini tried to mask Toure's absence with an XI that no one could have predicted, or would have.
Lampard lasted only 45 minutes against Arsenal, and it may have been 45 minutes too long.
Chelsea castoff Frank Lampard started with Fernandinho and James Milner in City's midfield, forcing Pellegrini to play Aguero alone up front.
Pellegrini tried to replace a dollar with three quarters to predictable effect. Arsenal basically ran City off the pitch for most of the first half, which was dotted periodically with "professional fouls" from the trio of overmatched replacements.
That City went to the changing room with the lead was the working definition of the term "against the run of play." In the end, they were fortunate to come away with one point.
For one day, City's inability to meaningfully account for lacking Toure in their XI was an inconvenience. If Arsenal can make City look so ordinary without Toure, though, what would Bayern Munich, Chelsea or Real Madrid do to them?
This is what happens when the summer's biggest acquisitions (Eliaquim Mangala and Fernando) either cannot get on the pitch at all, or cannot stay there.
This is also what happens when the Financial Fair Play chickens come home to roost, or at least that is what Pellegrini thinks.
Discussing Alvaro Negredo's departure, Pellegrini observed per a Press Association report in The Guardian that "it all starts from the restriction about the number of players. We have restrictions about the amount of players and the money we can spend."
Four matches into the season, what is your worry level about City?
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Far worse for City than the monetary rein is the roster limitation. Lampard was deemed surplus to requirements at Chelsea, where he is a legend, but Lampard is on City's Champions League roster because City needed another "home-grown" player in the 21 they are allowed. That is less than optimal.
Chelsea clearly do not miss Lampard, as the Blues are unbeaten and were never seriously threatened in their first four Premier League matches. If City do not beat Jose Mourinho's men at the Etihad next weekend, the title race could be over before it ever really began.
Aguero has three goals in four Premier League starts, and City have still dropped five points out of 12.
On second thought, maybe Pellegrini was right to rail against Clattenburg's "very bad day."
If Pellegrini is lucky, perhaps no one will notice that the silver of last season's Premier League trophy is already beginning to tarnish.
Martin Demichelis wants to extend contract at Manchester City
Manchester City defender Martin Demichelis has admitted that he wants to continue playing for the club beyond this season.
The 33-year-old, who moved to the Etihad Stadium from Atletico Madrid last year, will come to the end of his current contract at the end of the season.
Demichelis will face competition from new £32m signing Eliaquim Mangala, but the Argentine is hopeful that he can stay for another year.
"I am playing every game, every two to three days, so I am just enjoying it and taking it game by game," the Manchester Evening News quotes Demichelis as saying.
"I would be happy to stay this year and then one more year because I think I will still have the quality to play at this level."
Demichelis scored a late equaliser in City's 2-2 draw with Arsenal at the Emirates on Saturday.
Manchester United will get Angel Di Maria, 26, to try to convince close friend Cristiano Ronaldo, 29, to leave Real Madrid and return to Old Trafford next summer. (Daily Express)
And Red Devils boss Louis van Gaal is also keen to add Borussia Dortmund centre-back Mats Hummels, 25, to his squad. (Daily Express)
Arsenal and Chelsea are set to battle for the signature of Valencia striker Paco Alcacer, 21, when the transfer window reopens in January. (Daily Mirror)
Roma are preparing to launch a £2m bid for Liverpool full-back Glen Johnson, 30. (Daily Star)
Striker Danny Graham, 29, who has failed to score in 13 appearances for Sunderland since joining them for £5m in January 2013, is set to go out on loan. Championship sides Charlton, Middlesbrough and Wolves are all interested. (Daily Mirror)
German giants Bayern Munich are lining up a £32m bid for Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil, 25. (Caughtoffside.com)
Bolton Wanderers look set to claim the signature of highly rated Crewe Alexandra striker Max Clayton, 20. (Stoke Sentinel)
Newcastle are considering former Manchester United boss David Moyes, ex-Crystal Palace coach Tony Pulis and Southampton's Ronald Koeman to replace current manager Alan Pardew after a poor start to the season. (Daily Star)
Pardew will be sacked as Newcastle manager if his side lose their home game against Hull City on Saturday. (Sun)
Alternatively, Pardew is set to be given time to turn things around at St James' Park. (Guardian)
Liverpool and England winger Raheem Sterling "will be one of the stars of Europe," says team-mate Philippe Coutinho. Sterling, 19, is set to make his Champions League debut against Bulgarian side Ludogorets Razgrad on Tuesday. (Liverpool Echo)
Former Liverpool striker Fernando Torres played a key role in convincing Sterling to join the Reds. (DSSC)
Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert says he is keen for midfielder Fabian Delph, 24, to sign a new deal following his impressive start to his England career. (Sky Sports Understands)
Former Villa striker John Carew says they could contend for a Champions League spot after their superb opening to the season. (Birmingham Mail)
Ex-Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, 35, criticises former Red Devils boss David Moyes for his "embarrassing" tactics and "amateurish" preparation before big matches. (Sun)
Striker Abel Hernandez, 24, could make his debut for Hull City against West Ham in Monday's Premier League match after receiving his visa in time. (Hull DSSC)
West Ham midfielder Alex Song, 27, who is on loan from Barcelona, is a world-class player and will inspire his new team-mates, according to Hammers boss Sam Allardyce. (Independent)
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho praises Diego Costa's "fantastic character" after the 25-year-old striker scored a hat-trick against Swansea after coming through a fitness test before the match. Costa had also been an injury doubt before the game against Everton, in which he netted twice. (Times )
Arsenal right-back Mathieu Debuchy, 29, could be out for up to three months after sustaining an ankle injury in Saturday's 2-2 draw with Manchester City. (Sun )
Cardiff City fans want former Stoke and Crystal Palace manager Tony Pulis to replace current boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The Bluebirds are 15th in the Championship and lost 4-2 at home to Norwich on Saturday, despite taking a 2-0 lead. (Wales Online)
Manchester United midfielder Daley Blind tweeted his delight after his winning debut
Colombian striker Radamel Falcao, 28, caused amusement by mistakenly referring to Manchester United's opponents as 'Qeens Park Rogers' on Twitter ahead of Sunday's game against Harry Redknapp's London side.
Falcao's team-mate Daley Blind was delighted to make his first appearance for the Old Trafford side, commenting: "A very nice debut, a top atmosphere and a great team performance."
Juan Mata thanked Angel Di Maria for his "great assist" after the Argentine's scuffed shot set him up for an easy goal against QPR.
QPR had to make a 194-mile coach trip back to London after their defeat at Manchester United because they couldn't book out a train carriage - and Harry Redknapp cheekily blamed United supporters travelling back to the capital. (DSSC)
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