Francis Lee and the day that changed history at Manchester City.
It's been a while since England players were Manchester City players, too. If anything, it's a mark of how much has changed over the years at Eastlands. In 2004, the fans were gutted whenever Shaun Wright-Phillips missed out on call-ups. In 2014, they pray nobody picks up a knock ahead of the crucial run of games the club has coming up.
Now, I'd be lying if I said I remembered the last time that the Blues were powerhouses of English football and had key players called up on international duty -- I'm only nearing 30 years old, after all. But, this week (Thursday, in particular) marks 47 years since the club signed someone who would go on to represent England at the World Cup and who would also be hugely influential in City's history: Francis Lee
Then manager Joe Mercer paid 60 thousand pounds for the striker in 1967, breaking the club's transfer record at the time. He was described as "the final piece of the jigsaw" for City -- and the Blues went on to lift the First Division title on the final day of that season at Newcastle. Lee scored the winning goal that afternoon.
It wasn't quite a Sergio Aguero last-gasp strike, given it actually made the score 4-2 before the Magpies pulled one back to set up a nervy finish, but there is some merit in making a comparison between those two players. Their styles of play were similar; both had stocky builds and both drove at the defence with the ball.
The Argentine possibly keeps his feet more than the former England player did, given that he earned a reputation for diving -- harshly acquired or not -- with the nickname Lee Won Pen taking over from Lee One Pen, given to him for the number he scored. In his defence, he broke the record for penalties converted in a season during 1971-72, but he didn't win them all and those that he did weren't necessarily dives.
There was more personality to Lee, though, than the raw goal-scoring statistics suggest. Back in the era when footballers could commit terrible fouls and avoid being sent off, there were some players with a reputation for less than fair play. Leeds United's Norman Hunter was perhaps the enforcer's enforcer and when playing for Derby County in 1975, Lee threw punch after punch after punch in the hard man's direction after a "disagreement."
In the Manchester derby of November 1971, the striker made his feelings clear towards both the referee and United legend George Best about a "foul" in the centre circle. The two came together as the winger broke away for the Reds and Lee ran into the back of him, picking up a yellow card. However, indicating he thought the Irishman had dived, the City striker threw himself to the floor too.
His personality was less Aguero, but more Mario Balotelli or Craig Bellamy. You get the impression that had the media attention surrounded football in the late '60s and early '70s in the same way that it does today, Lee would have been the man fans of other teams loved to hate.
Up until last season, when Wayne Rooney netted a late free kick against the Blues in a 4-1 City win at the Etihad, Lee had been one of the four the joint-top scorers in the Manchester derby, too.
In the mid '90s, the forward returned to Maine Road under a wave of optimism. He bought the club from then-owner Peter Swales and became chairman. However, things didn't go as planned following the sacking of Brian Horton as manager as Alan Ball took the job instead. Two points from the opening 11 games set the stall out for a season that ended in relegation.
That wasn't necessarily the start of events that led to the Blues competing in the third tier of English football for the first (and so far only) time, but it was certainly a contributing factor. Lee resigned as chairman shortly before that second relegation was confirmed in 1998.
He was an extrovert. In the way that current chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and manager Manuel Pellegrini are dreadful for the British media, Lee was the exact opposite. The current set-up provides no stories at all.
However, at the annual general meeting before City's 1998 relegation, Lee had said he'd "jump off the Kippax" stand should they go down. It's those kinds of statements that the club has tried to distance themselves from in recent years.
The problem is that Lee's two eras at Maine Road are so far removed that there are two sets of perceptions of him. The crucial goals to help the club win the First Division, the Cup Winners' Cup, the FA Cup and the League Cup aren't on the radar for the generations that followed and saw the club hit their lowest point around the time of his chairmanship. Those who were youngsters in the '90s remember a poor chairman. Those who were kids of the '60s remember a great striker.
Whatever memories you have of him, there's little doubt that this week in October 1967 changed the shape of Manchester City.
Watch on youtube.comLiverpool, Man Utd and Man City target Martin Odegaard set for trials
Norwegian wonderkid Martin Odegaard has revealed that he is set for trials next month.
The highly sought-after youngster, already a full Norway international despite being aged just 15, is thought to be wanted by Premier League trio Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool, as well as Spanish giants Barcelona.
He has already spent time at United’s Carrington base and they were reportedly considering a transfer deadline move for him last month.
The attacking midfielder instead stayed at current club Stromsgodset for the rest of the Norwegian side, but could now visit some of his suitors for trials over the coming weeks.
He revealed: “It might well happen that I will visit some clubs.
“We will talk about that after the season is over. Right now, I am not thinking about it at all.
“I am only thinking about Stromsgodset and the national team.
“First and foremost, I got to finish the season first.”
Barcelona are said to have already invited Odegaard and dad Hans Erik to visit their facilities.
Kompany relaxed over European progress
The Blues skipper does not believe it is time to panic with just two games gone in the group.
Manchester City are not about to make their Champions League situation into a ‘drama’ – and with good reason.
Blues skipper Vincent Kompany has expressed his belief that Group E is still wide open, despite his team picking up one point from their opening two games in the competition.
And it could be that Joe Hart’s wonder show at the Allianz Arena, that appeared to be in vain when they conceded a last-minute goal to lose to Bayern Munich, could still prove important.
City now face a double-header against CSKA Moscow, who have lost their firs two games.
That means by the time City play host to the German champions on November 25, if results go to form, they should be tucked in behind Bayern in second place.
But beating CSKA is not a given and the fact that the next game, at the Khimki Arena on October 21, will be behind closed doors, adds an uncertain element to the game.
The eerie atmosphere appeared to affect Bayern when they played in front of an empty stadium a fortnight ago, even though they edged a flat encounter by the only goal.
Asked how he sees the group after City’s disappointing 1-1 draw with Roma, Kompany said: “It could go any way really.
“Roma have to play Bayern now and one of the teams will lose points, if my maths is correct. And that will probably leave us with an opportunity to get closer again.
“We really hope we can get the six points against Moscow then go into those last two games.
“We have to win both Moscow games – it’s safe to say that. But doing so will not just open up the door for second place, but first place as well. It’s going to be close.
“I don’t think you can really aim for second place – but if you get into contention to go into the next round, I think you will be very close to first. It’s that kind of group.”
City fans groaned when the draw for the group was made in August, and the moans got louder when the fixtures came out and they had to travel to face the might of Bayern in the opening game.
Getting off to a poor start has dogged the Blues in three previous Champions League campaigns.
But it could end up working in their favour, especially if Bayern do the double over Roma, and qualify early
Roma get to play Bayern twice in meaningful games, and that makes them a different proposition.
If results go to form, it would mean City will head to the cauldron of the Olympic Stadium in Rome on December 10 needing only a draw to progress. Given their fortune in escaping with a draw in the home game, that might appear a tough prospect.
But hopefully by then the return of Fernando and Eliaquim Mangala’s adaptation to life in the City defence will make a difference.
Those two players were brought in by the Blues during the summer with the demands of Europe in mind – both possess the strength and pace to deal with the swift attacking and counter-attacking teams that have undone the Blues in the past.
It would have been interesting to see how City fared had the two former Porto men been in place against Bayern and Roma, especially if he played in a five-man midfield alongside Fernandinho and Yaya Toure.
If they head for Rome needing a point, that reinforced midfield has a reassuring solidity about it, without losing any of the attacking potential which Yaya brings.
But, tactical considerations apart, Kompany says the bottom line is that City simply have to improve their level of performance if they want to progress to the last 16.
“I’m not going to make a big drama out of it,” he said. “I recognise we can be better. We have to take it on board, go to the next game and make sure we are better.
“It’s clear we are capable of being better, but I’m not going to beat myself up about it. We have to make sure we learn something from this – and we owe a better performance in the next game.”
City’s Champions League record is often held against them, but their record is not particularly bad, especially if you discount their disastrous 2012-13 season when they managed three draws and three defeats.
In the other two seasons, they won eight and drew one out of 12 group games, were unlucky not to qualify in 2011-12 and only finished behind Bayern by a single goal last year.
Said Kompany: “We had 15 out of 18 points last season, otherwise we’ve happened to fall into quite hard groups. But the Roma performance was just below par.
“There’s nothing more difficult or special about the Champions League - but you need to be at your best, like in any game in the Premier League, and we didn’t do that.”
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Arsenal And Liverpool Snubbed As Midfield Target Prepare To Sign New Deal
Manchester City midfielder James Milner has revealed that he is close to signing a new contract with the Premier League champions.
The 28-year-old’s current deal is set to expire at the end of the season and after suggesting he would consider a move away from the Etihad Stadium if he didn’t get more first team football, several clubs reportedly became interested in his signature including Arsenal and Liverpool.
However, the midfielder now appears to have had a change of heart and has said that he is hoping to pen a new deal soon.
“We’ve been in talks with the club,” Milner was quoted by Goal.
“We’ve talked about it and hopefully it can get sorted sometime soon.
“I don’t want to be paid to sit and watch. You want to feel like you’re contributing and enjoy your football as much as you can, so I am in a happier place now.”
Milner joined City in 2010 for a reported £28.5 million and although he has made over 150 appearances for the club, he only started 12 games for the Citizens last season – leading to his demand for more first team football.
However, having started several games recently, the England international looks set to join the likes of Sergio Aguero and Vincent Kompany in committing his future to the club.
Manchester City & Ivory Coast Star Yaya Toure Joins Nissan as Global Ambassador
Nissan is proud to announce Yaya Touré, three-time African Footballer of the Year and UEFA Champions League winner, as its newest global ambassador. The Manchester City and Ivory Coast midfielder has agreed to a deal which will see him work alongside Nissan’s global UEFA Champions League and Orange Africa Cup of Nations 2015 partnerships.
Yaya joins Nissan’s star-studded team of UEFA Champions League ambassadors, which includes the recently announced Barcelona and Spain midfielder, Andrés Iniesta and PSG and Brazil defender, Thiago Silva. The UEFA Champions League ambassadors will work with the company as part of the Engineers of Excitement program, which aims to enhance the experience of football fans through a range of activities including the exclusive Goal of the Week competition. Touré will also star in a series of new television and print advertisements for the UEFA Champions League due to premiere in February 2015.
Yaya Toure said, “I’m proud to be partnering with Nissan across its UEFA Champions League and Orange Africa Cup of Nations 2015 sponsorships. I have been fortunate enough to win lots of trophies in my career, but the Orange Africa Cup of Nations has always been my target as an African, so I am really looking forward to it and to working with Nissan to help bring the excitement around both of these fantastic tournaments to fans around Africa and the rest of the world.”
As the face of Nissan’s advertising campaign in Africa, Yaya Touré will play a key role around Nissan’s Orange Africa Cup of Nations 2015 sponsorship, further connecting football fans with the brand and helping increase excitement around its innovative range of products.
“Nissan is delighted that Yaya Touré has joined our team as a global ambassador,” said Roel de-Vries, Corporate Vice President, Global Head of Marketing, Communications and Brand – Nissan. “As one of the greatest midfielders of his generation, Yaya Touré is the perfect ambassador for our brand as he possesses great all round skills combining pace, power and high technical ability - features Nissan incorporates into its vehicles.”
As well as being named African Footballer of the Year on three occasions, Yaya Touré has also won the UEFA Champions League with Barcelona and five league titles across four countries including England and Spain. With over 80 caps for Ivory Coast, Yaya Touré was recently named captain of the national team and will lead his country in qualification to reach his sixth Orange Africa Cup of Nations 2015 in January.
Takashi Hata, Senior Vice President, Africa, Middle East and India – Nissan added, “As a three-time African Footballer of the Year, Yaya Touré is an icon to millions of people across the continent. As Nissan looks to further increase its market presence in the region, our partnership with Yaya Touré will help bring Nissan closer to the fans around Africa’s biggest football tournament and further strengthen our brand in a region to which we have been committed for over four decades.”
Nissan is the official global automotive sponsor of the UEFA Super Cup and UEFA Champions League, with a four season deal that will cover the period 2014/2015 to 2017/2018. Nissan is the official global automotive supplier to the Orange Africa Cup of Nations 2015. The tournament is now in its 30th year and kicks off in Morocco on January 17, 2015.
In July 2014, Nissan extended its connections in world football by agreeing a global partnership to become the Official Automotive Partner of City Football Group (CFG). The five-year deal represents a first for CFG, with Nissan becoming the first global partner of the football network, an organisation including Nissan majority owned Yokohama F. Marinos alongside Barclays Premier League Champions, Manchester City FC, Manchester City Women’s FC, New York City FC and Melbourne City FC.
Chelsea thrive while Man City have been down on their luck
With the international break allowing clubs and supporters a chance to take a step back, breathe, and assess how to approach the busy pre-winter period, who will be able to do so with optimism and who should be filled with dread?
It will come as no surprise that Chelsea and Manchester City are first and second respectively in the English Premier League standings and could be about to get better. The west Londoners have spent less time losing (37 minutes) than any other side, their goals tally of 21 is 11 more than the league average of 9.8 and only Southampton have conceded fewer goals, with five allowed to Chelsea’s seven.
It is City though that have the most scope to improve. In a number of areas where an element of fortune plays a part, they appear down on their luck. They have hit the woodwork four times, more than anyone else except Tottenham (also four), they are the only side to have conceded two own goals and they have been awarded just 53 fouls all season, 10 fewer than the second-least fouled side (Leicester City).
These things tend to level out as the season progresses, meaning City can expect to pick up some points due to kind refereeing or a fortunate deflection. Considering they have only lost once all term, an upturn in fortunes would quickly see pressure put back on Chelsea. That this defeat came at the hands of Stoke City, a team struggling to convert chances and keep them out at the other end, is rather coincidental.
The Potters should be worried that there are many signs that things could quickly get worse, as some key attacking and defensive numbers suggest. They have work to do at both ends: their tally of 96 shots is the sixth highest in the league, yet their return of six goals is the third lowest. Meanwhile they are the only side to have conceded more goals (eight) than shots saved (seven). England’s Roy Hodgson will not, it seems, be the only manager with a busy week ahead.
Fans and clubs unite in a bid to shelve Premier League plans for fixture abroad
CONTROVERSIAL new plans to play a 38th Premier League game abroad look doomed to failure - at least for now.
Starsport understands the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal are all against the idea.
The concept of playing an extra, 39th top-flight game outside the UK was shelved back in 2008 amid a storm of criticism.
Clubs are now considering playing an existing round of matches overseas instead, which would keep the season at 38 rather than 39 games.
But while some middle-tier sides are keen, it has met with a lukewarm response from the big hitters according to sources within the Premier League.
Clubs like Chelsea and United already play friendly matches abroad on a regular basis and feel they would gain little from the plan.
It is an idea which has met with fierce opposition from fans up and down the country, who were quick to ridicule it yesterday on radio phone-ins and social media.
“I'm not sure it would work with FIFA either. We have a completely different approach about our idea of German football”
Bundesliga chief executive Christian Saifert
Bundelsiga chief executive Christian Saifert also savaged the plan at the Leaders Sport Business Summit in London last night, saying it would never be considered in Germany.
Saifert said: "For supporters who go to every game their club plays, no matter if it's rain or wind or snow or whatever, and they're still travelling.
"But on that game that decides whether their team is relegated, and they can't be there because it's in Thailand...? This would not be an approach for the Bundesliga.
"I'm not sure it would work with FIFA either. We have a completely different approach about our idea of German football."
The Premier League wants to expand to tap into lucrative overseas markets just as US sports like basketball and American football have in this country.
London's O2 Arena is sold out every year for NBA regular season games, and the NFL will stage three sold-out matches at Wembley Stadium for the first time this year.
Another proposal being discussed is a plan to take the FA Community Shield overseas when the contract tying it to Wembley expires in 2017.
The FA considered playing the fixture in Dublin back in 2012 when London staged the Olympics but ultimately decided against it.
And senior figures within the game's governing body remain firmly opposed to the idea of forcing teams to play future Shield matches abroad.
Arsenal are working on a £55m deal to bring Paris St-Germain striker Edinson Cavani, 27, to the Emirates. (Metro)
But the Gunners are likely to miss out on another target, with 27-year-old full-back Ignazio Abate set to commit his future to AC Milan. (TalkSHIT)
Former Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe, 32, could return to English football in January, according to the boss of the Toronto MLS franchise. (Daily Mirror)
Liverpool have no plans to loan out Fabio Borini, 23, despite interest in the striker from Inter Milan, Sunderland and QPR in the summer. (Daily Star)
Tottenham defender Younes Kaboul, 28, has denied reports linking him with a move to either Lazio or Fiorentina in Italy's Serie A. (Talksport)
Former Newcastle midfielder Yohan Cabaye, 28, says he is unhappy with his bit-part role at Paris St-Germain and misses England. (London Evening Standard)
Harry Redknapp says he nearly signed former Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira and current Barcelona striker Luis Suarez for Tottenham when he was in charge of Spurs. (DSSC)
Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney, 28, has denied suggestions his red card against West Ham shows his temperament is going backwards. (Daily Star)
Meanwhile, the England captain has vowed to become the country's all-time greatest goalscorer by beating Sir Bobby Charlton's record of 49 goals. (The Sun)
San Marino manager Pierangelo Manzaroli says Thursday's match against England will be an exercise in "damage limitation". (London Evening Standard)
Midfielder Aaron Ramsey believes Wales have one of their best chances of qualifying for a major tournament with a squad led by Gareth Bale. (Independent)
Liverpool's summer signing Lazar Markovic, 20, has asked fans to give him more time after struggling to impress since joining from Benfica. (Daily Express)
Barcelona striker Suarez, 27, could make his international return in Uruguay's friendly with Saudi Arabia on Friday, having not played for his national team since his World Cup bite on Italy's Giorgio Chiellini. (Daily Mirror)
Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert has travelled to New York to discuss matters such as the January transfer window with the club's chairman Randy Lerner. (Birmingham Mail)
Sir Alex Ferguson backs Louis van Gaal's determination to "clear the decks" at Manchester United after speaking publicly about the Dutchman's appointment for the first time. (Daily Telegraph)
Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, and Arsenal are among the Premier League clubs believed to be strongly against the idea of playing an extra game in the season abroad. (Daily Star)
Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson, 24, is ready to commit his future to the club and wants to stay at Anfield for "many years". (Daily Mirror)
Arsenal players have been tweeting messages of support to Mesut Ozil, with the Arsenal midfielder out for up to 12 weeks with a knee injury. Lukas Podolski tweets: "Get well bro! Hope you're back on the pitch soon!!!", while Santi Cazorla writes: "Get well soon Mesut Ozil, Arsenal needs you!"
Liverpool defender Jose Enrique woke up on Wednesday morning and decided he wanted to look like Charlie Chaplin. The Spaniard tweeted: "Surprised my girlfriend with a new style of beard this morning, She didn't like it very much.. hahahahaha."
Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez says he used to perform somersaults for £2.30 and wash cars to make money for his family. (Metro)
Having scored the winning penalty in Gillingham's shootout victory against Colchester United in the Football League Trophy on Tuesday night, goalkeeper Stuart Nelson was so busy talking to the media afterwards, he missed the team bus and had to thumb a lift home with reporters. (KentOnline)
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