Mark Hughes’ side were held to a 3-3 draw at Bolton on Saturday which slammed the brakes on their charge for a top-four spot in the Premier League. Brazilian Sylvinho, who has twice won the Champions League, made his first start for City as a deputy for injured left-back Wayne Bridge. But he was disappointed his team could not overcome Gary Megson’s strugglers.
He said: “We can learn from Barcelona. They play the same way every game. They play the same against Chelsea as they do against a third or fourth division side in Spain.” Former Arsenal defender Sylvinho, a three-time La Liga winner, joined City on a one-year deal in the summer after being released by Barca. And he believes Hughes’ men are on the verge of something special – but that it will take time. He said: “We are changing the mentality of a whole club, not just 25 players. I was upset when Wayne was hurt because he is part of the future at City. But I enjoyed the game at Bolton. "Matches like that usually take shape in the opening 20 minutes and it was hard for us. We didn’t play well early on or defend as a team, but in the second half and even with 10 men we got the ball down and tried to play football. I had a good connection with Craig Bellamy and Robinho and I am ready to play at Tottenham if selected. Hopefully, we will have more confidence to play in the opposition half.”
Alex Ferguson will keep faith with Manchester United's fringe players for their Carling Cup semi-final clash with Manchester City
United, on the back of their first home defeat in domestic competition since March, host Wolves on Tuesday night with a dozen players, including Rio Ferdinand, Jonny Evans and Owen Hargreaves, still sidelined through injury. Ryan Giggs, voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year on Sunday, is also rated doubtful.
Ferguson is likely to continue to deploy Darren Fletcher as a makeshift right-back against Mick McCarthy's side, so scant are the resources available to him, and a first-leg tie with their Manchester fierce rivals at Eastlands on Jan 6, immediately after the packed Christmas Premier League schedule, places further strain on an already stretched squad.
But Ferguson has vowed to stand by the players who have brought United to the cusp of a third consecutive Wembley appearance despite the prospect of handing the initiative, and local bragging rights, to City.
"We are now two games away from Wembley in the Carling Cup," the United manager said. "We will enjoy the ties and these lads will play again. "You might think that playing Manchester City in the semi-final might test my resolve but it will not, even though Mark Hughes seems to play full-strength teams in the Carling Cup. "What you have to remember is that these boys won the competition last season. They are good players and I will keep faith in them. You make a judgment and then you show trust and patience. They are the future of Manchester United and they have to learn their trade." More immediately, Ferguson must lift the handful of senior players he has available to him to try to get their Premier League challenge back on track after suffering their first home defeat to Aston Villa since 1983 on Saturday.
His counterpart, McCarthy, though, believes that setback will simply have made United's players more determined to put Wolves to the sword and admitted that, despite recording two wins in two games, including a commendable victory at Tottenham, he is preparing his side for an onslaught from the champions. "They must be thinking 'Wolves are coming and we have just been beaten by Villa'," McCarthy said. "If ever there is a chance to get yourself back on track it is to slap these insolent little so and sos coming up from the Black Country. "If I were a United player, I would be thinking we are going to give them the biggest doing they have ever had. I would be rubbing my hands with glee that we were coming up. Go and have a look at the bookmakers and see what they are saying. They are not stupid. There are no skint ones."
TRANSFER BOLLOX
Tottenham winger David Bentley, who was left out of the squad that played Wolves at the weekend, wants Spurs to let him leave in the January transfer window.The Mirror
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez will try and exploit the uncertainty at West Ham by making a £6m bid for midfielder Scott Parker. The Sun
Barcelona could make a shock £3.5m move for Crystal Palace forward Victor Moses in the new year. The 19-year-old has also attracted the interest of Sunderland, Wigan and Tottenham.(Daily Star)
Arsenal and Manchester United have been warned off signing Standard Liege's £15m midfielder Steven Defour in January, although the player's agent says he would be interested in coming to England.The Sun
Real Madrid want to sign Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho and could use striker Ruud van Nistelrooy as bait. (Daily Star)
Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce has told striker Benni McCarthy that he can leave Rovers in the new year. (Daily Telegraph)
And Allardyce has been given permission to sign Chelsea striker Franco di Santo on loan for the rest of the season. (Daily Mirror)
Charlton midfielder Therry Racon is wanted by West Brom, Leicester and Nottingham Forest. The Sun
Coventry manager Chris Coleman is lining up a £1m move for Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis McGuigan.The Sun
OTHER BOLLOX
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti will drop some of his star players for Wednesday's home game with Portsmouth following the 3-3 draw with Everton at the weekend. Defender Ricardo Carvalho and midfielder Michael Ballack are in the firing line.The Sun
David Gold and David Sullivan have pledged a £25m January transfer kitty as part of their £50m takeover of West Ham. Daily Mirror
However, the Icelandic bank that controls West Ham is set to reject the bid from the former Birmingham owners.Independent
The city of Liverpool could lose out in the race to host 2018 World Cup matches, with Milton Keynes a possible inclusion in England's final bid to Fifa.The Times
Full of xmas cheer, Chelsea have turned down Portsmouth's request for more time to pay the £750,000 owed from Glen Johnson's move to Fratton Park.The Sun
Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho has been accused of "physical and verbal aggression" towards a journalist after Sunday's 1-1 draw at Atalanta.The Times
Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves is on the verge of making a comeback from two knee operations, but is struggling to overcome the psychological hurdle of playing again for the first team. The Sun
WAG OF THE DAY
http://www.thespoiler.co.uk/index.php/2 ... ly-carlson
FINAL BOLLOX
Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has admitted asking for divine intervention to help his side's title ambitions following another defeat at the weekend. "We've got to get through it and, as I'm doing, pray to God that at the end of season there will be something worthwhile for what we've gone through," he said.The Sun
