The Football Association on Tuesday wrote to Hughes, who stated that the referee’s performance was “mystifying” and “laughable,” asking him to explain his comments that Clattenburg had “passed judgment on Bellamy” to a member of Manchester City’s backroom staff as they walked to the field after the half-time interval. City will ask Bolton or Sky for any available footage over the alleged conversation.
“I don’t appreciate it when referees go out for the second half telling my support staff who they like and do not like in my team,” Hughes said after the game. The Manchester City manager has a week to explain the comment, and the FA will then decide whether to charge him with improper conduct under new, more stringent guidelines introduced this summer. While managers are allowed to criticise a referee’s performance, questioning his integrity, implying bias or engaging in a personal attack all constitute transgressions. Hughes would then be liable to a warning as to his future conduct or a fine, though the FA do have more severe disciplinary measures at their disposal for more serious cases.
Clattenburg showed Bellamy two yellow cards during the second half of the 3-3 draw at the Reebok Stadium, the first for dissent and the second for an alleged dive after the Welsh striker tumbled under a challenge from Paul Robinson. City sources insist the referee had asked a member of the back-room staff how they could “work with Craig Bellamy all week” in the tunnel before the start of the second half. Hughes revealed on Tuesday he had not had any further communication with Clattenburg since the incident and admitted he was “not quite sure” if he would be charged, though he did admit City had no recourse to have Bellamy’s mandatory one-match ban overturned. “I have been asked to explain my comments,” he said. “I just said what I was made aware of.
“The only time you can [appeal] is if it is a case of mistaken identity. If everyone is agreed on decisions of a retrospective nature in terms of bad tackles, or having people sent off who should not be, then that is a key decision. It is an anomaly in the rules that needs looking at.” Bellamy will miss Wednesday evening’s trip to Tottenham Hotspur as a result of his dismissal, a blow to Hughes as he plots to catch and overhaul Harry Redknapp’s side in the race for fourth place.
“It is not just us trying to progress,” he said. “They have their ambitions as well. It makes the Premier League really special as there are going to be changes, teams in the ascendancy while others fall by the wayside. We have to make sure we are not one of those.” Redknapp, certainly, does not regard that as a likely peril for the world’s richest club. The Tottenham manager revealed yesterday he had already experienced City’s newly-acquired financial prowess, seeing his interest in Gareth Barry over the summer gazumped by the millions on offer at Eastlands. “Once City came in, we could not get near him,” he said. “Nowhere near. I do not begrudge Mark the money he has got to spend at all. Other clubs have done it over the years, and it just so happens they have more money to spend than the others. It is great for him to be able to go out and buy some of the best players in the world. Eventually, in the next four or five years, I could see them winning the championship.”
Why you should not judge Craig Bellamy on face value alone
In some ways, it wasn’t a great seven days for Craig Bellamy. First of all, he got swine flu. When he recovered, he played for Manchester City at Bolton and was sent off by Mark Clattenburg for being tripped up by a defender. In one way, though, it was a great success. At the start of last week, the Craig Bellamy Foundation held a fund-raising evening at Eastlands and raised a lot of money for the player’s efforts to build and maintain a football academy for youngsters in Sierra Leone.When referees like Clattenburg look at Bellamy and see only a yapping irritant, they should look again before they rush to judgment.
‘A Star in the Making’ – Man City’s Donal McDermott
The Manchester City academy is famed for producing fantastic talent, and one of the bright stars for the future is Donal McDermott. He was part of the side that won the F.A. Youth Cup in 2008 and the young Irishman grew up wanting to do nothing more than play football, aspiring to be like his boyhood hero, Damien Duff, who has played at the very highest level for club and country, and be a top entertainer like Ronaldinho and Ronaldo.
Despite the big names arriving at Eastlands, the 20-year-old believes that training with the new major signings will help himself and other youngsters improve greatly.
“City are a club who have always looked to their academy for players and if the players they are producing are good enough, they will get a chance and for any young player at City, training with the likes of Robinho and Carlos Tevez is only a good thing as they can learn so much from these players, which will help them throughout their careers.”
McDermott spent three successful months on loan at Chesterfield, where he scored five goals in fifteen appearances, league and cup, for the Spireites, helping them to a lofty position in Coca-Cola League Two, and believe that they have what it takes to push on from here.
“The team did really well when I was there and since I have left, so I feel they may well push for promotion. But my intention wasn’t to sign there permanently after my spell, although I really enjoyed it and will always remember my time there.”
He is a player who has the potential to be a Premier League star with his ability on the ball and his raw pace to frighten any defence, which is why City were so keen to keep him on their books by offering him a two-year contract in the summer, and the speedy forward relished his opportunity to play first-team football.
“My aim was to get as many games under my belt at Chesterfield while I was there and it has really helped me as a player and a person which will hold me in good stead for when I return to City and hopefully help me to push on to the first team.”
The City first-team boasts the likes of Shaun Wright-Phillips, Micah Richards, Nedum Onuoha, Stephen Ireland and Vladimir Weiss who have all burst onto the scene and made a huge impact and club and international level and McDermott believes it is down to the fantastic work done by Jim Cassell and Paul Power behind the scenes that has helped the acadamy players reach their potential.
“As a young player at fifteen, choosing where I wanted to start my career was easy. Man City had a huge reputation for producing the best young players, but also the players who have left Man City, who didn’t quite make it at City, most of them have gone on to have good careers in league football, and with the likes of Jim, Alex Gibson, Paul and everyone else who works there behind the scenes it has given every player like me who came through the academy the best chance to play at the highest level.”
I think it is great that City are giving young player the opportunity they need to play first team football because it is vital for the club’s future. The aim was not to be the next Chelsea and spend huge money all of the time, but to bring in these players to build the foundations for something special.The youth players that played in the friendly in Abu Dhabi were up against experienced men and they applied themselves very well. It is a good advert for the future of the club, especially with City producing the likes of McDermott, Javan Vidal and Alex Nimley.
TRANSFER BOLLOX
Manchester United are keen on Serbian defender Uros Cosic, who is tipped by his club CSKA Moscow as a potentially bigger talent than Nemanja Vidic.Daily Mirror
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce is planning a January bid for Wigan's £4m-rated defender Maynor Figueroa, who scored a stunning long-range goal against Stoke at the weekend. The Sun
Arsenal are concerned that defender Mikael Silvestre could leave the club on a free transfer at the end of the season.Daily Mirror
Wigan boss Roberto Martinez is considering a move for Chile defender Waldo Ponce, who plays for Velez Sarsfield in Argentina. Daily Mail
Aston Villa's Spanish defender Carlos Cueller has attracted the interest of Real Madrid.Daily Mirror
Leicester boss Nigel Pearson could make a £750,000 offer for Arsenal defender Kerrea Gilbert. The Sun
OTHER BOLLOX
The ruling family of the United Arab Emirates want talks with Liverpool's owners to discuss possible investments.Daily Mirror
And Liverpool's co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks are closing in on a deal that will see them sell a share in the club to a new investor for around £124m. Daily Telegraph
Jose Mourinho's troubles at Inter Milan have increased the likelehood of the former Chelsea boss returning to England, with Liverpool and Manchester City touted as possible destinations.The Sun
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger's attempt to get compensation from the Dutch Football Federation over the injury picked up by Robin van Persie while on international duty last month has been dismissed by Fifa.The Independent
Former Portsmouth manager Tony Adams is set to return to management with French side St Etienne. Daily Mail
Coventry boss Chris Coleman has been given until the new year to save his job at the Ricoh Arena. The Sun
Nottingham have blocked an approach from another unnamed Championship club to speak to manager Billy Davies. Davies has been linked with the vacant jobs at Queens Park Rangers and Sheffield Wednesday. The Sun
Sheffield United are leading the chase for Peterborough striker Aaron McLean. (The Sun)
WAG OF THE DAY
http://www.thespoiler.co.uk/index.php/2 ... alvalaggio
FINAL BOLLOX
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger admits his half-time rant during the game against Liverpool was a risk, and says football management is like "living on a volcano". He said: "I was many times very angry but sometimes you're angry but do not show it. The problem with anger, you can create some damage that you cannot repair."
Daily Telegraph
