Yesterday, I had a very special, overnight visitor, my neighbour’s daughter. She is a truly delightful child, a credit to her parents and teachers. She came for dinner which we prepared and ate together, before settling down to watch the football match.

We’d already had a lively discussion over dinner about rugby. She’d seen her first match this summer, Toulouse v Brive. So she was more than happy to

I rest my case

watch the Ireland v France match with me. After Anelka scored in the 72nd minute from a Gourcuff assist, she  promptly fell asleep on the sofa, secure in the knowledge that France were now much more likely to be South Africa bound.

It was a tight match which, frankly, could have gone either way. Tellingly, the man of the match was the French goalkeeper, and ex-OGCN player, Hugo Lloris. Though I should add that the  French scored more heavily in a couple of departments by comparison with the Irish: cooler kit (Adidas) and better looks (IMHO).

Earlier, I had watched an understrength England be dazzled by the Brazilians in Doha, Qatar. Ex-Villan, Gareth Barry was easily England’s best player in their 1-0 defeat.

My overnight guest was collected early this morning to allow me to leave for the pointage in Cannes. As I cycled past the hippodrome, I joined up with a group of cyclists, including a guy I rode with last week. To my surprise I managed to stay with them all the way to the pointage. I had anticipated that at some point I would be joined, and overtaken, by riders from my club. But they hadn’t arrived by the time I departed the pointage, returning home via Mouans Sartoux and Mougins.

I then had a quick turn around as I was meeting a friend for lunch. We were celebrating her new job in New York where, among  other things, she’s going to be looking after shipments of Chanel into the East Coast. I’m truly pleased for her. She’s worked really hard to build the up the company’s operation in Nice and needed another challenge. I will miss her, but have already signaled my intention to visit her next year in the Big Apple.

I’m now in my nightwear contemplating either an evening curled up on the sofa watching the TV or an early night with Jens Voigt’s biography. Reading in bed is another of my guilty pleasures and one which I can indulge only when my beloved is away, and he’s away until Thursday.

Efter en landsdækkende studietur er jeg nu tilbage og har et par efternølere, der skal skribles ned på interaktivt papir.

Jeg bemærkede inden kampen mod City, at det ville blive en særdeles hård nød at knække, men cadeau til Fulhams tropper, der eminent klarede 2-2 i den svære udebanekamp den 25. oktober.

Første fase af kampen forløb forudsigeligt, hvor City havde størstedelen af spillet, mens Fulham måtte ty til kontraer for at komme frem til chancer.

Dette førte til, at begge mandskaber kom til udmærkede chancer, dog med overvægt til City og en livlig Carlos Tevez i front, der havde kampens første store tilbud i det 17. minut, da hans flade afslutning gik snert forbi Mark Schwarzers ene opstander.

Bare et minut senere skulle gæsterne dog have været i front, da Diomansy Kamara snød Citys offside fælde og var alene med Shay Given, men et øjebliks tøven gav målmanden chancen for at snuppe bolden for fødderne af den senegalesiske forward.

I den anden ende havde usympatiske Emmanuel Adebayor travlt med at filme sig til frispark og straffespark, mens Nigel de Jong og Kolo Toure havde hæderlige forsøg i deres iver på at passere australske Schwarzer i Fulham-målet.

Chancerne flød nu i stride strømme til især City, mens Jonathan Greenings langskudsforsøg i det 30. minut var det tætteste Fulham kom i resten af første halvleg.

Lige inden halvleg virkede det til, at City kom i front, da Micah Richards headede et Martin Petrov hjørnespark i nettet, men dommer Kevin Friends fløjte lød for et tilsyneladende frispark på Chris Baird, som der ikke var mange, der kunne spotte.

“Pyha!”, udbrød jeg, men efter pausen blev det til et fortvivlende hyl rettet mod Bobby Zamora, der havde brændt en gigantisk mulighed, da han på forunderlig vis missede på et frit mål fra fem meters afstand(!)

Og det blev hurtigt værre, da først Joleon Lescott og dernæst Petrov i henholdsvis det 53. og 60. minut sendte Fulham ud i mørket, hvor især det sidste mål var en fremragende kasse fra kanten af feltet.

“Suk”, lød det nu fra undertegnede, som overvejede at slukke for kampen, men bare to minutter senere kom Fulham igen ind i kampen, da Damien Duff placerede bolden bag Shay Given fra tyve meters afstand.

Fulham levede i høj grad endnu, og det var ikke slut før “the fat man sings”.

Og få minutter senere blev det så 2-2, da Clint Dempsey kom først på Greenings glimrende placerede frispark uden chance for Given i City-målet.

Chancer fulgte til begge mandskaber, men desværre blev det ikke til et lignende comeback, som fra den meriterende sejr i “The Great Escape” tilbage i 2008, da Fulham vendte 2-0 til 2-3 i en kamp, der grundlagde vores forunderlige redning fra nedrykning.

Kamp Fakta

Man City Given, Richards, Toure (Kompany 90), Lescott, Bridge, De Jong (Ireland 72), Barry, Petrov (Wright-Phillips 67), Bellamy, Adebayor, Tevez.
Bænk: Taylor, Johnson, Sylvinho, Weiss.

Mål: Lescott 53, Petrov 60.

Fulham (Karakterer efter den gamle 13-skala)

Schwarzer 8 – En lidt famlende start men stor autoritet i slutfasen

Pantsil 5 – En ganske forfærdentlig kamp af ghaneseren, der skøjtede rundt i størstedelen af kampen

Hangeland 10 – Holdt for det meste Citys angribere i kort snor

Hughes 8 - Stabil uden dog at gøre meget væsen af sig

Kelly 8 – Solid gennem det meste af kampen, men usynlig i det offensive

Duff 9 – Blev slagtet flere gange af Bridge, men gav aldrig op, garnede et superb mål og var en vigtig mand i slutfasen

Greening 7 - Lidt startvanskeligheder og tog ikke det ansvar, som Hodgson måske havde håbet på; fik dog en assist ud af anstrengelserne

Baird 10 – Limen der holdt kæderne sammen

Dempsey 9 – Fremragende fight igennem hele kampen og kom til flere tilbud, hvoraf det ene udmøntede i en kasse

Kamara 8 – Jagtede alle bolde á la Tevez, men havde ikke held i afslutningerne

Zamora 8 – Lidt væk i første halvleg og brændte et par gode (enorme) muligheder. Dog klasse i de sidste tyve min, hvor City-forsvaret havde store problemer med The Artist formerly known as NoGoals; derudover en Assist til Duffs kasse!

Seol UB – Kom ind i sidste minut, og kan derfor ikke bedømmes

Bænk: Zuberbuhler, Nevland, Gera, Riise, Eddie Johnson, Smalling.

Gule kort: Hangeland, Pantsil.

Mål: Duff 62, Dempsey 68.

Tilskuertal: 44,906

Dommer: Kevin Friend

ROLL UP! ROLL UP! I am Stuart Hall. HA HA! Back again to take you firmly by the hand – HOY! – and guide you around some of the zoological treats on offer on this wonderful planet. Earth is indeed our mother, and I am her adopted son. The moon is my awkward stepfather.

After being forced to enter the confines of Manchester United zoo, and having just been released from self-imposed quarantine I am excited to tell you dear readers that I am going to be taking you for a tour around a Zoo that is very close to my heart, CLOSE TO MY LOINS! In fact it is close to all my zones erogenous or otherwise. Have you guessed where our travels will take us today? What wondrous delights I have in store for you? (Er, Stuart… it says Manchester City in the title? – ed). THAT’S RIGHT! Manchester City Zoo, my beloved, my wife AND my mistress. Sometimes I go and rub myself against its railings, but often the police move me on. DO THEY NOT KNOW WHO I AM!?

Evidently not.

THE ANIMALS STUART! I hear you cry it with whiskey soaked passion like Ally McCoist contesting a decision with officials. “NO, that was never an offside ya wee jumped up prick, DAMN YOU LINESMAN!”. But they cannot understand, for he is too Scottish even for them. And anyway, they are now designated as referees’ assistants. Imagine, if you will, McCoist’s scotch brogue floundering at the hissing sibilants of the word ‘assistant’; pawing fruitlessly at the decorous décolletage of the English language like a sweating Edinburgh businessmen in a student union. However, in lingual terms I am no Scottish offical, more akin in fact to a UEFA disciplinary panel of the mother tongue and as such, I would politely heed the call of Scots, red-faced with their aggressive excuse making.  Then once they had passed out on fizzy wine I would swiftly change my mind.

The zoo has changed rapidly over recent years with unfashionable animals being shipped out almost as quickly as more exciting exhibits are being brought in. Such is life in our times. I am prone to reminisce fondly; did that hungry goat Shaun really give me any less joy than the stellar line up exotic animals on display today? Probably. I am a capricious man, prone to whim. Whim, and goats.

The first sense to be assualted upon entering the palatial confines of the zoo is the pungent smell. A smell that you will never quite forget; a smell that makes your Adam’s apple bob as if grown men dressed as evil beasts of nightmares were trying to gnash it with their stinking teeth. The smell of new money. Disgusting as it is, and it is unfathomably vile, it quickly becomes addictive. Br-r-reath it in young lad! Let it coat your lungs with greed. This smell leads me to our first exhibit: the king of the Eastlands pride, newly acquired from a London zoo, MAGNIFICENT! He is of course the Lion Adebayor, and his proud mane glistens in the early morning light. As bold as he looks he is a male Lion and as such is happy to reserve energy at all possible times. In the wild the male leaves the pride to hunt, TO KILL, to bring a prize carcass that he may feast on. He will only show his true power when threatened, whether that is ripping out Roy Horn’s neck or stamping on prone Dutchmen.

A small footbridge has been built over the swollen river of cash which dissects the zoo. On the other side we find a paddock and in it Ireland, a proud stag. But this poor boy has lost his horns! The keepers at the zoo did try fitting Ireland with a set of replacement fake horns, but this brought much derision from the viewing public. You C-R-R-UEL cruel people. As I look at him he stands alone gazing across an empty field. This is not how it should be. NO!He should be with his own kind, but the brute refuses, he won’t play ball. A top Italian deer expert brought in to manage the Irish herd still hasn’t managed to coax Ireland to deviate from his stubborn position. When asked why this was Keeper Trapattoni replied “Weelll, ee iz a bit, owyousay… stoopid”. For now the keepers allow him out at the end of the day to play with the other animals. He is tolerated by them, even Adebayor.

The young Stuart Hall would wander gaily through the meadows of Cheshire, occasionally stopping to pinch a bottle of milk from the doorsteps of rich footballers. It was on one of these trips that I befriended a swarm of bees. They would aid me with my household chores, and help with my homework. Lord of the flies? HA! I was King of the Bees. So our next exhibit has a place in my heart, though prefers to live in the zoos new twelve million pound hive. It is of course Barry the Bee.

(Ed: um…Stuart, do zoos have bees?).

More importantly my dear impertinent editor, do bees have zoos? Precipate that in your pipe and enkindle it!

AHEM! I shall continue. Barry the bee is another recent arrival, having been lured from the West Midlands by the opportunity to join a swarm which had a greater chance of breaking into the Honey Industries top four placings. Barry was also said to be pleased with the offer of lots of bee money (known as mohoney) and 15 minutes a week unsupervised time alone with the queen. To his credit he works tirelessly gathering nectar and making sure it returns to the safety of the hive where the swarm will make sweet honey. I watch him fly off on another errand, it is time to move on. MOVE ON.

The sun dapples the assorted burger vans, memorabilia shops and the occasional Sky Zoo News presenter, we are back where we began. The entrance to the zoo. A spilt ice cream signals the flight of children, but from what do they run? It is a particularly annoying and aggressive wasp called Bellamy; he is well-known to the counter girls and security guards here. Naturalists would have it that Bellamy is sadly a necessary evil of nature. Whilst we may find him a nuisance, he has a role to play. His design is efficiency born of evolution. THREE BILLION YEARS! T-h-r-e-e BILLION! To create the perfect irritant. He is content mostly to bother staff and visitors alike, but every so often he will fly unprovoked into another animal’s enclosure and sting them repeatedly.

He is coming my way now, so I shall attempt to leave… NOT THAT I, STUART HALL AM AFRAID! I know many emotions but fear is not one. I simply evacuate a pellet into my bloomers. Did I mention I was wearing bloomers? I am wearing bloomers. Why, are you not?

Well I have got what I came for, zoological delights and a naughty hug from Mavis, who has been tea lady at the zoo since 1963. I can tell you boys, she’s still got it. ‘It’ being chlamydia. HA! I shall leave you then, dear friends with a final thought. A man very close to my heart, someone who I would follow to the edge of the known world, Napoleon, once described Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand Perigord as “a piece of shit in a silk stocking”. Partial as I am to silk, stockings, and shit, I have to concede that it sums up Manchester City Zoo quite nicely.

Robinho, Manchester City’s Brazilian star has again fuelled speculation that he is to leave Eastlands by saying moving to Barcelona would help his quest to become the best player in the world.

The 25-year-old told a Brazilian radio station that although he was happy with the rumours linking him with the Catalan giants, he was in no way trying to engineer a move away from City.

However, if Robinho does leave England next summer, or even in the January transfer window, for pastures new, how much will he really be missed by a team whose profile has risen considerably since he joined in the summer of 2008?

When the player, who was ominously dubbed as Pele’s heir apparent by the legend himself, first came to Manchester, he was regarded as the coup which proved the Eastland’s club now had the financial clout to worry the big four.

A year later and City have significantly increased their number of world-renowned players. Emmanuel Adebayor, Carlos Tevez, Roque Santa Cruz and Gareth Barry were all bought in the last transfer window to considerably boost the squad’s strength.

This has not only taken the limelight off the Brazilian, who was the undoubted star of the team last season, but has also meant that his absence for most of this season through injury has gone unnoticed.

City have so far amassed 18 points from 9 matches, and with a game in hand look like one of the teams that could potentially profit on the increasing error-prone big four so far.

While Robinho was an immediate succcess for the first half of last season, he faded somewhat after Christmas, and was often anonymous when playing away from home.

And if Robinho does move on, considering the limitless funds available to City, there won’t be too many Blues fans who will be fearing the lack of a replacement coming along.

Especially considering, despite the highest praise in his Santos days, Robinho has shown greatness only sporadically in his career so far. Half a good season last season and a handful of memorablr performances for Real Madrid have reinforced the view that he is too hit and miss.

While he is only 25, City may feel they have already got the best out of him, and if he is already talking of a move to Barcelona, it may be good business to cash in on him and move on.

Robinho is a very good player when he wants to be, but with the type of money City have available, they could replace him quite easily without feeling they’ve let the star of their team go.

Jeg glemte å si det:

Jeg lanserer meg selv som høyaktuell kandidat til landslagstrener-jobben. Helt serr mener jeg at jeg kunne ført Norge til EM.

Tidligere meritter:

Vunnet Premier League og kommet til semifinale i Champions League med Watford på CM 01/02.

Vunnet Seria A med Piacenza på CM 01/02

Vunnet Premier League og UEFA CUP med Blackburn på FM 08/09

Komme på 2.plass med Bodø/Glimt på FM 08/09.

Oppdaget og sett det skyhøye potensiale på for eksempel Jimmy Bullard, Lee Cattermole, Gareth Barry og Darren Fletcher henholdsvis 3, 2, 2 og 3 år før de såkalte “fotballekspertene” skjønte hvilke tre store talenter disse var og fortsatt er.

Faen så rævva norske og utenlandske fotballeksperter er.

A

is available by clicking, erm, right here!

Fiorentina awaits us tonight at their ground and once again we would probably have to play a blinder, hit a few past the Italians, keep a clean sheet and get a few of their players sent off before the press will acknowledge our achievements or basically be blind to everything our lads have achieved against all the odds. While most of the pre-match talk has been on the on-again feud between Hicks and Gillett as new potential suitors emerge from the Middle East, I am just concerned that Fiorentina could quite easily overwhelm us on the field. They aren’t the best team in Italy, but have been quite consistent the past two or three seasons at least and despite all that media talk about the Serie A being one of the backwaters of European football now, they still know how to defend and many of their lesser known teams have often sent our famous Premiership buddies into their own wilderness. From what I’ve seen of Fiorentina, a very organised side and can be quite capable of playing some delicious football too. Good thing Gilardino is out but with the kind of excellent defending Rafa has been instilling in our lads, I wouldn’t consider a clean sheet a certainty. It will all again depend on Torres and Gerrard and whether they can come up with some magic to keep us in the game throughout the proceedings. Wouldn’t be too bad if a draw is the final result but I wouldn’t rule out us losing on the day too. Keep the faith as we always say but it is a possibility.

Watching the Man City Hammers game last night, I finally get why Rafa wanted Barry. Without Barry, Man City won’t be half the team they are now. He’s holding them up and organising them. While he still isn’t worth the money Rafa was prepared to pay for him, on hindsight we sorely need a player like him now. Masch does a good job at destroying stuff but he doesn’t have the distribution qualities that Barry has which would be of great help to Stevie G and Torres. Of course Alonso filled that part in the past but Barry has the extra dimension of being able to tackle better. His passing might not be anywhere near the class of Alonso but now that the boy has left, gosh what a hole that gapes ever so wide. Lucas? I know just about ever Liverpool fan has little regard for him, but he can be a useful player if only Rafa freed him from having to be a water carrier. He never was one to begin with and looks a totally different player than when he first arrived. And that’s a real pity.

So we all love these European nights and always have a chance, especially with Rafa in charge. But should we really pay too much attention to it? Sometimes, I wonder if the truth is that we are better equipped to win the Champions League than the league. The one off situations bring the best out of the lads and yes the whole competition is much shorter than a league of course which is more of a grind. But while last season was a great improvement, why can’t our lads be more consistent like those Mancunians or glamour Londoners? But take nothing away from their effort and achievements, they will only get better. As long as Rafa gets the money to bring in better players. Which doesn’t look like happening since he’ll only have 20m to spend each season which also includes any salary raises to be paid to those who want more money. Let’s say Masch asks for a better package when Barca comes acalling again next summer. That’d be enough to wipe out half the 20 million. Just what Hicks and Gillett are thinking I don’t know – why all the power struggle? The Saudis are coming in with much more than they spent originally – take the money and run since they aren’t gonna be making any consistent income from the club the way they are running it. Ok I get it – they’re just using it to lay their own debts on the club. Which is why I hope the fans continue their vocal demonstrations against them. Sponsors won’t like it? Well they would like it better once those two are out of the way and the oil money are flowing into the club.

Anyway here’s what I think’s gonna happen tonight and some of you won’t like it – Fiorentina might just sneak past us and there’d be more media nonsense after that about a new crisis at Anfield. Maybe it might lead to an early exit, maybe not. But whatever it is, I hope we do prioritise the league as the 19th title is just calling out to us and wants to return to its’ rightful home that is Anfield!

Pga. en hektisk opstartsfase på Uni er det endnu engang lykkes mig at nedprioritere min Fulham-blog, men her kommer lige et hurtigt referat af det ærgelige nederlag mod City i midtugen.

Manchester City var i høj grad storfavoritter mod et Fulham-mandskab, der ikke rigtigt er kommet ud af startblokken endnu til den nye sæson.

City lagde da også bedst ud med chancer til Bellamy, Ireland og Tevez, men unge Stockdale har bevist, at han er værdig til at være førstereserve for Mark Schwarzer, og denne eftermiddag var han også Fulhams bedste mand.

Zoltan Gera gav hjemmebanefavoritterne et kæmpechok i det 34. minut, da han med et drømmemål smadrede bolden ind bag Shay Given fra omkring 30 meters afstand.

Et af de få spillemæssige højdepunkter fra den håbløse ungarer, som langt fra har slået til på Craven Cottage siden sit skifte fra WBA i 2006.

Dette var omtrent også Fulhams eneste reelle forsøg i første halvleg og udebaneholdet kunne gå til pause med en overraskende føring på 1-0 på trods af Citys dominans.

Anden halvleg var et stort City-pres, og i det 52. minut fik de lyseblå hul på bylden, da Gareth Barry prikkede bolden i må, efter den ellers glimrende Stockdale havde mistet overblikket i feltet på et hjørnespark.

Fulham måtte stadig modstå Citys hurtige angrebsspil, men kunne ufortjent havde taget billetten til næste runde, da Seol Ki-Hyeon i en Fulham-kontra testede Given fra tyve meters afstand, men den irske keeper hev en fin redning ud af ærmet efter at have været arbejdsløs det meste af kampen.

Begge mandskaber skulle nu forberede sig på ekstratid, og her havde Bjørn Helge-Riise en mulighed for at sende The Cottagers videre, men den norske midtbanemand sendte lige akkurat sin jordfræser på den forkerte side af stolpen.

Og i det 111. minut dukkede Kolo Toure så op og headede sit hold videre til fjerde runde efter et Martin Petrov hjørnespark, og Fulham-spillerne måtte slukørede søge mod omklædningsrummet efter endnu en pauver indsats.

Kolo Toure udtalte efter kampen, at han ikke kunne huske, hvornår han sidst havde scoret, og det summer meget godt Fulhams sæson op indtil videre….

Kamp Fakta

Man City Given, Zabaleta, Toure, Lescott, Bridge,Wright-Phillips, De Jong (Weiss 91), Barry,Ireland (Petrov 75), Tevez, Bellamy.
Bænk: Taylor, Garrido, Sylvinho, Vidal, Ball.

Mål: Barry 52, Toure 111.

Fulham Stockdale, Stoor, Baird, Smalling, Kelly,Davies (Dikgacoi 71), Greening, Riise, Gera (Anderson 120),Seol, Eddie Johnson (Elm 91).
Subs Not Used: Zuberbuhler, Watts, Saunders, Smith.

Kort: Dikgacoi, Kelly.

Mål: Gera 34.

Tilskuertal: 24,507

Dommer: Stuart Attwell

The midfielder has been left ruing the Red Devils’ injury time winner.

Manchester City midfielder Gareth Barry has acknowledged that his coolly-taken first-half equaliser in yesterday’s derby with Manchester United is irrelevant, after his side were eventually beaten 4-3 thanks to aMichael Owen winner deep into injury time.

“It’s always good to score somewhere like here in a derby, and in my first taste of a Manchester derby as well, but it all means nothing because we didn’t get the points,” the England midfielder told City’s official website.

“It always hurts to lose to a last-minute goal, especially after we looked like we would get a well-deserved point. Not many teams are going to come here and score three. We’ve made another statement by doing that.

“We deserve a lot of credit for that but at the same time we have to look at ourselves because we conceded four goals at the other end. We have to have a look at that; it’s obviously something we have to improve on.”

Barry’s goal came about thanks to the foraging of Carlos Tevez, who forced United keeper Ben Foster into an error. The Argentine played with a heavily strapped right knee due to the injury that had made him a doubt for the game right up until kick-off, and Barry conceded that the striker’s display was one positive to be take from the game for City.

He concluded: “Carlos coming through was another positive for us, and he worked his socks off. It was a great atmosphere, very loud – the supporters made the game and it was a great spectacle, but sadly for our fans we got no reward.”

Goal

I’m just going to get right into it today:

Calcio:

Juventus 2-0 AS Livorno – Four in a row for Juve – Ciro Ferrara’s men just keep on rolling, and newly-promoted Livorno couldn’t do anything to stop it. That’s not to say that l’Amaranto were helpless in Saturday’s match in Torino, but two first-half goals and another superhuman performance from Gianluigi Buffon were enough to see Juventus take three points away from the fixture. Vincenzo Iaquinta and Claudio Marchisio both appeared on the scoresheet for i Bianconeri, who now sit tied atop the table and two points clear of bitter rivals Inter.

Inter 2-1 Cagliari – Speaking of Inter, the reigning scudetto champions came from behind to win away at Cagliari this evening, largely thanks to a certain Argentine. I Nerazzurri went behind early in the match after Maicon got a little rough in the box with Alessandro Matri and Jeda converted the ensuing spot kick on 16′. Gli Isolani managed to hold their lead for the better part of an hour, but in the 52nd minute a gross defensive error saw the tides turn as Diego Milito capitalized on Cagliari’s mistake. Just four minutes later, Cagliari’s luck would worsen as the Argentine took advantage of a long ball and beat Federico Marchetti once more to put his side ahead. The slim lead would prove to be enough for La Beneamata (and I use that nickname with all due sarcasm) who take three points home to Milan this evening. However, it was not all smooth sailing for Jose Mourinho’s side, as Cagliari regained their confidence midway through the second half and youngster Daniele Dessena should have equalized on two seperate occasions. Mourinho himself had a mixed bag of a night, celebrating wildly upon Milito’s second goal but being sent off the bench just minutes later for complaining about a decision regarding Mario Balotelli – he would watch the remainder of the game from the stands. All in all, not an overly convincing victory for Inter – but a victory nonetheless.

AC Milan 1-0 Bologna – It seems that all of Milano will be celebrating tonight, as the Rossoneri managed to grab a late win at home in the San Siro this evening. Despite starting the match positively enough and retaining possession for the majority of the play, it took Milan 75 minutes to finally break down Bologna and take a deserved lead. That lead came via Clarence Seedorf, who once again proved that old dogs don’t need to learn new tricks – just be really good at the ones they know. The (flying?) Dutchman came barrelling up the wing, and finding no one to pass to, instead turned defender Andrea Raggi inside out and fired home himself. Bologna looked close to a late equalizer on a 30-yard bullet from Nicola Mingazzini in the 87th minute, but a spectacular save from Marco Storari ensured that Milan got the three points they were due.

Udinese 0-0 Napoli – Another case of the scoreline not telling the full story as both sides created more than their fair share of chances in highly spirited match at the Stadio San Paolo. Perhaps the closest of all of these was Antonio Di Natales’s wrongly disallowed goal (he was definitely on-side), doubly notable because the striker showed his class by not celebrating (he didn’t realize it had been disallowed) out of respect to his Neapolitan heritage. In truth, Napoli looked the stronger side going forward, but were unable to beat Samir Handanovic, who worked miracles between the uprights for le Zebrette. All in all an entertaining draw – neither side should be overly disappointed with the result as both could have gone behind on innumerable spurned chances from the other.

AS Roma 3-1 Fiorentina – Oh no, no, no – this one gets its own article.

Football:

The next Maradona? Somehow, I doubt it.

Arsenal 4-0 Wigan Athletic – Arsenal have bounced back from last week’s loss away in Manchester to trounce Wigan in an impressive performance at the Emirates. The home side’s four goals came from Eduardo and Cesc Fabregas, who netted one apiece, and Thomas Vermaelen who bagged a brace and put in a man-of-the-match performance. However, none of these goals could compete with what was undoubtedly the most memorable event in the match – Emmanuel Eboue’s Diego Maradona impression. Eboue was booked for deliberately striking the ball with his hand in attempt to score a Maradona-esque goal for the home side – an attempt which has some outraged (though not the Gunner support, who applauded him off the pitch after he was substituted in the 73rd minute). It’s not the first time the Ivorian has been booked for actions of an unsportsmanlike manner, as he was booked earlier in the season for diving when Arsenal faced Manchester United. What the game means for Arsenal is clear – three points – but what it means for Eboue is a little less certain. Cheatin’ bastard.

Manchester Utd 4-3 Manchester City - This, friends, is what a derby should be. It was truly one for the ages; a goal-fest in which the two teams competed as equals for perhaps the first time, Carlos Tevez was roundly booed by the Old Trafford faithful, and United’s winning goal was scored by a former Liverpool legend. Wayne Rooney gave his side an early lead on 2′, Gareth Barry equalized on 16′, Darren Fletcher twice gave his side the lead only to have Craig Bellamy twice equalize minutes later (including a 90th minute equalizer), and Michael Owen played the unlikely role of hero for United with a goal that came in the 95th minute of play. Sir Alex Ferguson and Mark Hughes have been engaged in a sort of war of words lately, and while Fergie will no doubt be happy to rub the loss in his opposite’s face, Hughes shouldn’t be too displeased with his side, who proved to be more-than-worthy opponents for the reigning EPL champions even without the suspended Emmanuel Adebayor. A derby to remember, and (though City fans will beg to differ) a good day for United and City fans alike.

Chelsea 3-0 Tottenham Hotspur – Judgement day for the Spurs – it was a second chance after losing to United, an opportunity to test their mettle against Champions League-level competitors and see if they could beat Chelsea at home for the first time in 20 years (give or take). Spoiler alert: They couldn’t. Tottenham went on the attack early, with Wilson Palacios and Jermaine Jena attempting to test Petr Cech early from range, but their efforts proved fruitless. Chelsea’s retaliation was swift, as Jose Bosingwa and Nicolas Anelka poured on the pressure down the right flank – though the opening goal would eventually come from the left, as Didier Drogba’s cross found the head of Ashley Cole and beat Carlo Cudicini. Chelsea would go into the half up one goal – but they weren’t done yet. When the two teams returned, Michael Ballack and Didier Drogba would double and triple Chelsea’s lead, respectively, in a furious span of 5 minutes. The Spurs would be unable to fight their way back into it, and while Carlo Ancelotti will be pleased with his players’ performance, one can be sure that Harry Redknapp’s men will be getting an earful as they return to the Lilywhite half of London tonight.

Liverpool 3-2 West Ham – Liverpool came out on top of a hotly contested match that saw West Ham twice come from behind to equalize and Fernando Torres twice give his side the lead with a brace that would ultimately win the game for the Scousers. Dirk Kuyt also netted for the Reds, while Carlton Cole and new signing Alessandro Diamanti each netted for West Ham. The first half of the match was energetic and fast-paced, with West Ham’s Zavon Hines impressing – though he should have put his side ahead early after Jamie Carragher committed a calamitous error – essentially offering the ball up on the edge of the ‘Pool box. In the second half the tempo slowed inevitably, though it remained a closely-fought match and Liverpool will feel happy (and perhaps a bit fortunate) to have won it.

Fußball:

VfL Wolfsburg 2-1 Schalke 04 – A brace from Edin Dzeko saw the reigning Bundesliga champs rise above hopeful contenders Schalke and the manager who took them to the title – Felix Magath. Magath left Wolfsburg last year for greener pastures after the club was crowned German football champions for the first time in its history. The scoring didn’t open until the 55th minute, when and unmarked Dzeko headed a perfect cross from Sascha Riether into the net. Magath’s side thought they had equalized in the 80th minute thanks to a strike from Benedikt Höwedes – only for Dzeko to restore the lead less than a minute later, finishing superbly on another well-placed cross. Wolfsburg parked the bus for the last nine minutes of the game, ensuring that Schalke could not get back into it and grab a share of the points.

Choupo-Moting - sounds German, right?

Bayern Münich 2-1 Nürnberg – Die Roten continued their fiery run of form, although the first half that didn’t really get started until 20 minutes in and Bayern did not really hit their stride until the half-hour mark. However, the second half would produce more results, as Ivica Olic game the home side the lead on 55′ minutes. After scoring the opener just Bayern maintained control of possession, but did not apply overt amounts of pressure on the Nürnberg goal. After falling behind, the visitors introduced German U-21 star Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting to instant effect, as the youngster caused Bayern’s back line all sorts of trouble, and showed a knack for getting behind defenses – he would equalize for his side on 73′ after doing just that. However, Bayern weren’t going to settle for anything less than a win, and it would be Daniel van Buyten who would put his side ahead less than ten minutes later (with less than ten minutes left). His effort would be enough to see his side take full points at the Allianz-Arena and keep their winning streak – and their confidence in the title race – intact.

Futbol:

Barcelona 5-2 Atlético Madrid – Barcelona beat los Colchoneros by a wide margin despite strikes from the deadly duo of Diego Forlan and Sergio Aguero. Unfortunately for Atléti, the entirety of Barca’s squad seemed deadly last night, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Daniel Alves, Seydou Keita and Lionel Messi all appearing on the scoresheet. It was never an even match, as Barca went up 4-0 before Aguero and Forlan would pull two back for their side. Messi’s extra time goal in the 93rd minute would finish his brace and finish Atlético, who simply could not withstand the might of the Spanish champions.

Real Madrid 5-0 Xerez – Madrid’s other team fared much better this weekend, with Los Merengues stomping all over Andalucian squad Xerez – who are appearing in La Liga’s Primera division for the first time in their club’s history. Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring for his side in the first minute – though they would not improve upon their one-goal lead until the 74th minute, when CR9 would net again. This opened the floodgate for Los Blancos, with Guti, Karim Benzema and Ruud van Nistelrooy all joining Ronaldo on the scoresheet in the game’s final minutes. This was clearly a case of a little fish in a big pond – a pond called the Bernabéu in which little fish are caught, gutted, and fried.

Hasta hace bien poco, la selección española presentaba siempre en las grandes citas, a priori, uno de los mejores equipos pero ,por una u otra razón, y a pesar de dar muy buena impresión ante equipos menores, siempre se iba a casa recibiendo con el rabo entre las piernas y con la oreja mojada en los partido importantes. Es lo que la prensa llamaba “no saber competir”.

J5: El Arsenal y el “saber competir”

• Partido de la jornada: Manchester City 4 – 2 Arsenal

Pues bien, tras el doble partido en Manchester (primero en Old Trafford y después en el City of Manchester), bien se podría decir que el  Arsenal de hoy sufre del mismo mal que la España de entonces. Y lo peor es que nadie conoce el remedio a semejante mal (quizás contratar a Luís Aragonés?). Bromas aparte, creo que sólo el tiempo puede hacer que este equipo aprenda a manejar partidos igualados contra rivales de la más alta entidad. Y este City es uno de esos rivales.

Porque el City ya no es el tapado: va a luchar por ganar la Premier a poco que no se le tuerzan las cosas. Faltaba la confirmación ante uno de los 4 fantásticos (que pasarán a ser cinco esta temporada) y aquí la tenemos. La solidez con la que están ganando partidos y, sobre todo, la contundencia en los últimos metros, incluso sin haberse acoplado aún ni Robinho ni Tévez al nuevo equipo -parece que Adebayor se bastase él solo- dan miedo.

Fue un partido quizás algo soso en la primera mitad. Ambos equipos llegaban al área con pocas ideas, y las defensas no tenían problemas para imponerse. La única forma de romper el marcador parecía de suerte o a balón parado, y el primer gol de los locales fue una conjugación de ambas. Saque de falta que Barry cuelga al área desde 35 metros,  cabecea Micah Richards y Almunia se mete el gol en su propia portería después de no ser lo suficientemente contudente a la hora de despejar el disparo a córner. Manos blanditas de un portero al que le intenté dar un poco de crédito cuando empezó a desbancar a Lehmann, pero cada vez lo está perdiendo más rápido con sus inseguras actuaciones. Aunque la mala suerte también jugó su papel, la culpa de este gol es 99% suya. Ésta vez tocaba ver cómo iba a reaccionar el Arsenal con el marcador en contra. E incluso parecían más cómodos. El City se metió algo atrás y dejó jugar a los londinenses, que, aunque faltos de pegada, acabaron por conseguir el empate, ya en la segunda mitad, con una obra de arte del holandés Robin van Persie. Él solito se recogió un balón en la frontal del área, se dió la vuelta y la colocó rasa y pegadita al palo, imposible para Given.

Pero de nuevo llegó otra “autodestrucción” gunner. A pesar de seguir llevando el peso del partido, como siempre hizo la selección española (incluso en tiempos de Clemente), los rivales se beneficiaron de ello. Sólo diez minutos después del empate, en el 75, Clichy avanza en mediocampo dejando la defensa descubierta, Lescott le roba el balón impecablemente, el City monta un rápida contra que remata Craig Bellamy para poner de nuevo por delante a los Citizens, mostrando que este equipo tiene profundidad de banquillo. Y por si no llegó con una, de nuevo Clichy pierde otro balón, esta vez ante Shaun Wright-Phillips en las inmediaciones del área visitante. Intenta remediarlo cometiendo una clara falta sobre el inglés, que se levanta rapidamente para seguir la jugada, pillando a la defensa gunner en las nubes y poniendo un balón perfecto a Adebayor para cabecear totalmente libre de marca el 3-1, y desatando la locura del togolés que se marcó un sprint de 90 metros digno de Usain Bolt para ir a “celebrarlo” en frente de la aficción del Arsenal (ver foto inicial) que, según él, le despreció en los últimos años. No voy a entrar en la polémica, pero cabe mencionar que Adebayor se encuentra ante una posible sanción de varios partidos por provocar a la afición rival. Y ojo que la próxima semana visitan al eterno rival…

No se habían acabado aún los regalos. Tras un corner a favor del Arsenal, nueva pérdida de balón en las inmediaciones del área de Given. Bellamy se recorre 75 metros aguantando el balón en un 3 contra 3 y, cuando llegan al área rival se la pone en bandeja a Wrigth-Phillips que acabó de destrozar al rival. 3 pérdidas de balón, 3 goles en contra. Totalmente inasumible en un equipo que pretende estar entre los grandes.

Si hay alguna noticia positiva a destacar para el Arsenal, esa sería la vuelta de Rosicky, más de un año después. Con el City ya relajado, el Arsenal intentó maquillar un poco la abultada derrota. Tras un par de lanzamientos al palo de van Persie, el magnífico jugador checo acabó por aprovechar un gran pase de un desaparecido Cesc para poner el definitivo 4-2 en el marcador.

Bautizo de fuego para un City que tiene pinta de ganador de la Premier y que, de ganar el próximo domingo en Old Trafford le dejaría a la altura de un Chelsea que, de momento, sigue siendo el máximo favorito. Eso será en la J6. De momento, os dejo el resumen del que ha sido el mejor partido de la J5:

• Resto de partidos

No ha sido el del City of Manchester el único gran partido de esta quinta jornada. En White Hart Lane, el Tottenham intentaba mantener su racha de victorias ante su bestia negra de los últimos años, el Manchester United. Y de nuevo, volvió a caer ante los campeones. 1-3 ganaron los diablos rojos con un festival de golazos en ambas porterías, el primero marcado por Defoe (ver abajo) a los 50 segundos de partido. Pero parece que el United ya empieza a juntar las piezas que van a componer el puzzle de Ferguson esta temporada, y acabó arrasando a los locales con un Giggs espectacular.

Si mantuvo el pleno de victorias el Chelsea con el gol nuestro de cada día de Drogba y otro de Malouda en el último suspiro para remontar el gol inicial de la, por así llamarlo, revelación de lo que va de temporada, el Stoke City. Llamó la atención la efusividad de la celebración de este último gol por parte de todo el equipo, lo que nos hace creer aún más en la fortaleza de este Chelsea.

En el derbi de Birmingham se impuso el Aston Villa con un gol de Agbonlahor en los últimos minutos, mientras que el Bolton venció en Portsmouth en el duelo entre los dos único equipos que aún no habían puntuado, y que deja a los del sur de la isla como uno de los claros favoritos para bajar a la Championship.

Blackburn 3 – 1 Wolverhampton

Liverpool 4 – 0 Burnley

Portsmouth 2 – 3 Bolton

Stoke City 1 – 2 Chelsea

Sunderland 4 – 1 Hull City

Wigan 1 – 0 West Ham

Tottenham 1 – 3 Manchester United

Birmingham 0 – 1 Aston Villa

Fulham 2 – 1 Everton

• Clasificación

El Chelsea mantiene el liderato una semana más y tendrá que defenderlo la próxima semana en el derbi londinense ante el Tottenham, que baja a la cuarta posición. Al acecho del líder ya están los dos equipos de la ciudad de Manchester, mientras que el Arsenal, líder en las primeras jornadas, baja ya hasta la 9ª plaza. El mal arranque del Everton, sitúa a los de David Moyes en la penúltima posición.

• El gol de la jornada

Cada jornada de la Premier trae un buen saco de grandes goles que merecerían aparecer en esta categoría. Tres de esos golazos se vieron el sábado en el duelo estelar de White Hart Lane, y aunque sea difícil descartar la maravilla de Mister Giggs y el jugadón de Rooney, me quedo con la belleza estética de la chilena del delantero inglés más en forma (con permiso del propio Rooney, con el que comparte el título de máximo goleador): Jermaine Defoe. Impresionante!

Y pensar que muchos árbitros de otras ligas lo anularían por juego peligroso…

The infamous summer transfer window is now well and truly shut. UEFA have told everyone to shut up and make do until January now. But are all the Premier League clubs sufficiently stocked?

Hull, Liverpool and Man City are next up.

Hull

Phil Brown’s side were lucky not to be relegated last season after a dreadful run of form in the last couple of months of their first Premier League year. The priority in the summer, like so many other clubs, was to add a goal scorer as well as strengthening all other areas of the team.

While Hull searched out strikers, half of their defence was leaving for pastures new. Sam Ricketts headed west to Bolton and Michael Turner signed for Sunderland. After targeting Michael Owen throughout the early part of the summer, the Tigers had to settle for Jozy Altidore and Kamel Ghilas. Hardly recognised players, but the early signs have been promising.

Without Turner, the defence looks much more liable to be breached this season. Ibrahima Sonko has been brought in on loan as a like-for-like replacement but there are doubts over his ability to do the job. The top league credentials of Paul McShane and Steven Mouyokolo are also debatable, but at £3million Stephen Hunt is a steal.

Liverpool

After Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa defected to Real Madrid, Rafa Benitez’s precedence was to replace the pair. Another striker to challenge Fernando Torres and company would have also not gone a miss- the likes of David N’Gog struggled to make an impact last season.

Benitez entered the market to sign an Italian crock at what he called a ‘bargain’ £20million. Alonso replacement Alberto Aquilani won’t be fit until October time due to an ankle injury, and has had many injury problems in the past. But he does have a lovely girlfriend. Glen Johnson was Arbeloa’s replacement and looks like establishing himself as England’s first choice right back in the process.

But Liverpool decided not to sign a striker. That was surely in some part down to the financial problems of Reds owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett. An injury of any longevity for Fernando Torres and Liverpool’s title dreams could be over sharpish.

Man City

City had the aim this summer of going out and signing anyone who was any good and available. Or so it seemed.

First, and arguably most importantly, came Gareth Barry. His role as the seamless tie between defence and attack will be absolutely vital to City’s chances of success. Emmanuel Adebayor, Roque Santa Cruz and Carlos Tevez give manager Mark Hughes a mouth-watering array of forwards. Meanwhile Joelon Lescott and Kolo Toure will complement each other well at the back.

After basically changing the complete core of the side, City have done fantastically to start the way they have. It will be interesting to see if any players get reckless with Mark Hughes’ rotational policy and seek a move away in January.

Photos: Thanks to Diego M. Valenzuela (Altidore), lessio (Aquilani) and Alfonso Jimenez (Tevez).

The infamous summer transfer window is now well and truly shut. UEFA have told everyone to shut up and make do until January now. But are all the Premier League clubs sufficiently stocked?

First up, it’s Arsenal, Villa and Birmingham.

Arsenal

Neutral football fans willed Arsenal, at the least, to go out and sign a solid, dominant centre back and a holding midfielder to give the more attack-minded players the freedom to roam. Arsenal supporters expected not a lot to happen.

Arsene Wenger being Arsene Wenger, the latter was the case. While he did strengthen the defence with former Ajax centre half Thomas Vermaelen, Wenger kept true to form by keeping faith in his pool of youngsters. They will mature this year. Honest.

Whether the current crop will mature or not, Arsenal would have benefit enormously by the addition of a Makelele or Gilberto-type figure. The likes of the inexperienced Jack Wilshere would be more inclined to show their best form with the knowledge that there is insurance behind them ready to snare any potential counter attack by the opposition.

Aston Villa

After such a successful season last time out, Villa had the unenviable task of replacing their two key players. Gareth Barry was tempted by Arab riches and captain Martin Laursen had to retire from the game because of a nasty knee injury.

A deal for Richard Dunne is expected to go through today as suggested in one of my earlier blog posts. The club also splashed out a massive £5million for average-at-best centre back James Collins- an example of how inflated the transfer market has become. Stephen Warnock and Habib Beye are sound signings that add pace and depth to the backline, while Stewart Downing will hope to push himself into the starting line-up when he returns from injury around November-time.

Finding a successor to Gareth Barry was never going to be easy. Quality midfielders are at a premium, as Mr Wenger seems to have found. Ex-Leeds prodigy Fabian Delph is not a like-for-like replacement and so the task will probably be left to Nigel Reo-Coker or Steve Sidwell who will have to rediscover the form that they have produced in past seasons.

Birmingham

Birmingham won promotion with a squad that had some Premier League experience, but the nucleus of the side needed to be added to. Centre backs and goal scorers were a must, as was more strength in depth.

Manager Alex McLeish signed three new centre backs- all without any Premier League experience. Roger Johnson and Scott Dann come with glowing recommendations from the Championship, and Giovanny Espinoza has almost 90 international caps to his name for Ecuador. But the question remains whether the trio will be able to cope with the dynamic nature of Europe’s top league.

Joe Hart is a fantastic signing in goal, as is Barry Ferguson who still has what it takes to play at the top level. But the rest of the team lacks inspiration and adventure. At over £7million, Christian Benitez will feel the massive burden on his shoulders if he doesn’t get goals, Lee Bowyer and Stephen Carr might struggle to shrug off their Premier League ‘has-beens’ status and Gregory Vignal will never dispose of his Premier League ‘never-been’ status.

Photos: Thanks to hitthatswitch (money), toksuede (Fabregas), dalli58 (O’Neill) and superleagueformula:thebeautifulrace (Ferguson)

Manchester City: Lad millionerne rulle…

Stiftet: 1880 (som St. Mark’s )

Stadion: City of Manchester Stadium (Kapacitet: 47.726)

Kælenavn: Citizens, Blues, City

Seneste tre ligaplaceringer: (07/08/09): 14/9/10

Første fem kampe: 15/8 Blackburn (U), 19/8 Everton (H) (udsat), 22/8 Wolverhampton (H), 29/8 Portsmouth (U), 12/9 Arsenal (H)

Manager: Mark Hughes (Siden juni 2008)

De sidste lidt over 15 år i Manchester Citys historie har været nogen af de mere dramatiske. I 1996 rykkede klubben – som blandt andet har to mesterskaber og 4 FA-cups i trofæskabet – ud af Premier League. To år senere gik det helt galt, og klubben måtte tage den tunge, ydmygende tur ned i den trejdebedste engelske fodboldrække. Klubben hev sig imidlertid op med hårrødderne og formåede via to på hinanden følgende oprykninger, at være tilbage i den bedste række i år 2000. Det viste sig dog at være en postgang for tidligt for traditionsklubben som efter en enkelt sæson igen måtte sige farvel til det fine selskab.

Kevin Keagan blev ansat som træner og klubben formåede at sikre sig oprykning igen i første forsøg – oven i købet med et rekordhøjt pointantal og et rekordhøjt antal scorede mål. Holdet stabiliserede sig i den bedste række igen, flyttede fra klubbens traditionelle hjem på Maine Road til det nybyggede City of Manchester Stadium og måtte sige farvel til Keagan der ville være landstræner i 2005. I stedet ansatte man Stuart Pearce, som viste sig at være både sympatisk og arbejdsom, men ikke fuldstændig klar til den store opgave. Holdet satte ny rekord for færrest scorede mål på hjemmebane nogensinde i den bedste række, da de kun lavede 10 mål på det nye stadion i 06-07 sæsonen. Sommeren 2007 bød på yderligere forviklinger, da klubben blev købt af Thailands tidligere præsident Thaksin Shinawatra. Sven Göran Eriksson blev ansat, der blev investeret heftigt i spillertruppen og holdet spillede noget glimrende fodbold. Efter et formdyk i anden halvdel af sæsonen gik der imidlertid rygter med to kampe tilbage om at Eriksson allerede var fortid. Fansene protesterede, holdet tabte fuldstændig bizart 8-1 til Middlesbrough i sæsonens sidste kamp, og kort tid efter var Eriksson fyret og erstattet med Mark Hughes. Shinawatra solgte senere på sommeren klubben igen, og ind trådte det Abu Dhabi konsortium, som akkurat nåede at købe Robinho for næsten af Chelsea inden transfervinduet smækkede i. I januar blev der købt yderligere ind, men det var ikke nok til sikre Manchester City en placering i toppen af ligaen og holdet sluttede sæsonen trofæløst og på en 10. plads i ligaen.

Truppen generelt: Stærkt på alle pladser

Shay Given blev købt i januar fra Newcastle til at tage sig af pladsen mellem stængerne. Klubben råder endvidere over U-21 landsholdsmålmand Joe Hart. Venstrebacken Wayne Bridge blev ligeledes hentet i januar efter at have varmet bænken på bekostning af Ashley Cole i Chelsea de senere år. På højrebacken havde 21-årige Micah Richards en lidt skuffende sæson efter at være brast ind på førsteholdet og i landsholdstruppen som teenager. Han bruges i øvrigt også lejlighedsvis i centerforsvaret, som dog oftest består af anfører Richard Dunne og unge, stærke Nedson Onouha, som også kan bruges på backpladserne. Ligeledes kan israelske Tal Ben Haim kan fylde op overalt i backkæden, alt imens Javier Garrido fik en del kampe på venstrebacken i sidste sæson, men nok må regnes som reserve efter Bridges tilkomst.

Argentinske Pablo Zabaleta kan bruges som højreback, men blev i sidste sæson oftere brugt på den centrale midtbane, hvor han var en rigtig god bølgebryder. Belgiske Vincent Kompany kan også spille centerforsvar, men bruges ligeledes hovedsagligt som central midtbanespiller, hvor manden med det gigantiske hoved er en fysisk maskine. I januar blev Nigel De Jong hentet i Kompanys tidligere klub HSV, og giver City endnu en på midtbanen. Af mere offensivt mindede midtbanespillere råder holdet over den ofte fuldstændig fremragende bulgarske venstrekant Martin Petrov som kan give undertegnede helt våde bukser, ligesom det egenavlede kraftcenter Stephen Ireland er en af Premier Leagues allerbedste spillere. Ja sgu! Shaun Wright-Phillips har ligeledes fundet fodboldlykken efter hjemkomsten til Manchester City fra sit bænkevarmerliv i Chelsea, og bidrager med kantspil af høj klasse i højresiden. Endvidere vil talentet fra egne rækker, Michael Johnson, forsøge at presse sig på, hvis ikke han ender med at skifte til en klub med mere spilletid. Den ligeledes egenavlede Kelvin Etuhu må nok indstille sig på meget begrænset spilletid, ligesom den unge slovak Vladimir Weiss må væbne sig med tålmodighed.

På toppen råder City udover allerede nævnte Robinho over navne som Vladimir Bojinov, Felipe Caicedo, Benjani Mwaruwari, Craig Bellamy og Jo. Robinho og Bellamy bruges dog ofte på kanterne i noget der minder om en 4-3-3 eller 4-5-1 alt efter hvordan man vender og drejer det.

Væsentlige transfere: Hvor mange angribere skal der til at skifte en elpære?

Intet mindre end fire af de nævnte angribere er dog allerede udlejet, mens tre andre er kommet til. Felipe Caicedo er i Sporting Lisabon, Bojinov skal et smut til Parma alt imens Jo er tilbage i Everton, hvor han også tilbragte sidste halvsæson på lån. Til gengæld er angrebet styrket med intet mindre end tre stjernenavne: Carlos Tevez fra Manchester United, Emmanuel Adebayor fra Arsenal og Roque Santa Cruz fra Blackburn. De to sidstnævnte vil oplagt skulle bruges som forreste angriber, alt imens Tevez sandsynligvis vil blive anvendt i en mere tilbagetrukken rolle eller på kanten.

Der er i det hele taget sket rigtig meget på transfermarkedet for Manchester City, og mange af de ovennævnte spillere  fra sidste sæson må kigge sig nervøst over skulderen i den nye sæson. Stuart Taylor er blevet hentet til en tjans som reservemålmand fra Aston Villa. Dette har meget belejliget givet mulighed for at udleje Joe Hart til Birmingham, hvor planen må være at han skal have rutine og spilletid med henblik på at blive fremtidens mand på City of Manchester Stadium. Kolo Toure er blevet hentet fra Arsenal til at styrke centerforsvaret, og i det lange løb kan Richard Dunne meget vel blive den helt store taber i kampen om de pladser. Aston Villas landsholdsspiller Gareth Barry er komme til og giver endnu et alternativt til en tilbagetrukken midtbanespiller. Og meget tyder på at City ikke er færdige med at købe ind. Navnlig er der vedholdende rygter og Joleon Lescott fra Everton.

Til gengæld har man også fået ryddet ud i staldfyldet hos City. Danny Mills, Dietmar Hamann, Michael Ball, Kasper Schmeichel, Ched Evans, Gelson Fernandez og Darius Vassel er nogle af de navne som har forladt klubben, mens brassilianeren Elano Blumer og angrebstalentet Daniel Sturridge måske er de to mest overraskende afgange fra klubben. De er taget til henholdsvis Galatasaray og Chelsea.

Forventninger: Rom blev ikke bygget på to transfervinduer…

Manchester City har fået skrabet sig en pissegod gruppe spillere sammen – og ikke mindst en god bred trup. Klubben nyder endvidere godt af ikke at skulle koncentrere sig om andet end Premier League, og af at de direkte har svækket Arsenal med købet af Toure og Adebayor - altså har de umiddelbart fået de seneste års svageste medlem af big four yderligere ned på jorden. På papiret i hvert fald. Nu spilles fodbold imidlertid på banen og ikke på papiret. Og heldigvis for det. For selvom City har en hel flok fremragende spillere, så har de endnu ikke et godt hold. Det var det Mark Hughes kæmpede med sidste år, og det lykkedes ganske enkelt aldrig for ham at finde et velafbalanceret hold, hvor spillerne for alvor så ud til at føle sig hjemme. Navnlig på udebane var den gal. Der var lyspunkter; kampe hvor spillet kørte, og kampe hvor det lykkedes at få Robinho til at påtage sig noget der mindede om defensive pligter, men der er stadig lang vej i forhold til topholdenes velsmurte kollektiver. 

Flere af de spillere som nu findes i truppen virker ikke som typerne, som umiddelbart bidrager positivt til et harmonisk og afbalanceret hold på banen - eller i omklædningsrummet. Særligt Adebayor virker ikke som en spiller i Mark Hughes’ ånd. Som spiller var Hughes selv benhård, hårdtarbejdende og meget ærlig. I Adebayor finder han næsten sin diametrale modsætning, og det står stærkt tvivlsomt om Hughes som manager kan – eller vil – tøjle de egoer som følger med den type spiller der efterhånden er samlet nogle stykker af i City. Og problemer kan næsten ikke undgåes når der er flere gode spillere end der er pladser på banen. Hughes har tidligere tvetydigt ytret at han vist ikke selv stod for alle spillerindkøb. En sådan politik kan vise sig overordentlig problematisk, hvis træner og ejere bliver uenige om hvem der skal spille.

Blandt andet derfor fremstår det særdeles interessant om Abu Dhabi-gruppen overhovedet ser Hughes som den langsigtede løsning på trænerbænken, eller om de ligesom Abramovich da han havde givet Ranieri en enkelt sæson i det nye Chelsea vil udskifte træneren med et større navn og “garanterede” trofæer.

Alle disse ubekendte risikerer at eksplodere hos folkets klub i Manchester. Og derfor – og fordi ting tager tid, Rom ikke blev bygget på en dag, og bolden er rund, og alt kan ske osv. osv. osv kommer Manchester City ikke helt op i toppen i år. Det skal givetvis nok komme – spillermaterialet er der - men det skal først sættes sammen på den rigtige måde – og måske af en helt anden mand end ham der sidder med opgaven i dag.

Tip: Forventet placering: Nummer 6 Supersæson: Ambitionerne er næsten lige så høje som summen på bankbogen hos citys ejere. Derfor vil en placering som nummer 4 med den tilhørende CL-deltagelse nok være succeskriteriet.

Aston Villa: Den gamle Villas lidelser

Stiftet: 1874

Stadion: Villa Park (Kapacitet: 42.640)

Kælenavn: Villa, Villans, Lions

Seneste tre ligaplaceringer (07/08/09): 11/6/6

Første fem kampe: 15/8 Wigan (H), 18/8 West Ham (U) (udsat), 22/8 Liverpool (U), 29/8 Fulham (H), 12/9 Birmingham (U)

Manager: Martin O’Neill (Siden august 2006)

Aston Villas nyere historie har så sandelig sine op og nedture. I 1982 vandt Birmingham-klubben det største trofæ i klubfodbold, da Europa Cupen for mesterhold blev hentet til Villa Park med en finalesejr over Bayern Munchen. Fem år senere rykkede klubben ud af den bedste engelske fodboldrække, og siden har traditionsklubben (som er det hold som har tilbragt næstflest sæsoner i den bedste række i England – 98 i alt) undtagen et par gode sæsoner hist og pist været en kronisk skuffelse for de stadig mere frustrerede fans.

Graham Taylor rykkede ganske vist holdet tilbage i det fine selskab i slutningen af firserne, og formåede at slutte på en andenplads i ligaen i 1990. Taylor blev derefter engelsk landstræner, og huskes i dag mest for i dette job at være blevet sammenlignet med en kålroe af et større engelsk dagblad. Slovakiske Josef Venglos fulgte ikke særlig succesfuldt op på det gode forarbejde fra Taylor, og ind trådte Big Ron Atkinson som førte Aston Villa ind i Premier League æraen. Med en angrebsduo bestående af Dean Saunders og Dalian Atkinson sluttede Villa lige efter Manchester United i kampen om det allerførste Premier League trofæ, men siden har holdet ikke formået at bejle så seriøst til titlen. Klubbens ejer Doug Ellis forsøgte op gennem 90′erne med trænere; Brian Little og John Gregory, men sidstnævntes fine resultater blev ikke belønnet med den økonomiske opbakning, som måske kunne have bragt Villa tilbage i den absolutte top. I det nye årtusinde fik Graham Taylor chancen igen uden succes, inden den tidligere Leeds-træner David O’Leary forsøgte sig med en lovende sæson efterfulgt af en række kiksede transfere og braste drømme til følge i de næste år. I 2006 kom den tidligere mirakelmager fra Leicester og succestræner fra Celtic Martin O’Neill til klubben. Lidt mere end en måned senere blev Doug Ellis købt ud af klubben efter 23 års ejerskab. Amerikaneren Randy Lerner overtog, og siden har Lerners positive ejerstil givet Martin O’Neill glimrende rammer til at forsøge at bryde the big fours dominans. 

I sidste sæson startede den sympatiske skottes bud på et Villa-mandskab sæsonen rigtig godt, og blandede sig i topstriden langt ind i sæsonen. Efter 25 kampe var Villa således på tredjepladsen. Den resterende sæson blev dog en skuffelse, og Villa måtte affinde sig med en 6. plads. Ikke desto mindre er drømmene om endelig at genskabe klubbens plads i toppen af engelsk fodbold nok mere livagtige end længe i den claret and blue del af Birmingham. 

Truppen generelt: Stærkt og britisk

O’Neill lavede et regulært røverkøb, da han hentede veteranen Brad Friedel i Blackburn før sidste sæson. Foran sig har amerikaneren glæde af en backkæde med en række strenge at spille på: Curtis Davies og Carlos Cuellar kan udgøre et udemærket centerforsvar, omend sidstnævnte stadig mangler at overbevise efter sit skifte fra Rangers. På højrebacken kan den tidligere Charlton-anfører Luke Young gøre et stabilt job (ligesom han kan vikariere i den anden forsvarsside), alt imens Nicky Shorey er en glimrende, spillende venstreback, omend han ikke har formået at genskabe den form som fik ham ind omkring landsholdet da han spillede for Reading. Wilfred Bouma som er ved at være tilbage efter en lang skadespause er et populært alternativ til venstrebacken.

På midtbanen er O’Neills gamle favorit fra Celtic-tiden, bulgarske Stylian Petrov, nyudnævnt anfører, og har efterhånden definitivt taget springet fra niveauet i Skotland til at være fuldbyrdet spilstyrende Premier League spiller. Den centrale midtbane kan desuden bemandes af Steve Sidwell og floppet Nigel Reo-Coker. Venstrekanten tilhører klubbens måske største stjerne – Ashley Young – som med høj fart, teknik på højt plan og målfarlighed er en spiller af rigtig høj klasse. Unge Young mangler måske en smule stabilitet, men har tiden for sig. På den anden kant er James Milner meget undervurderet og arbejder stenhårdt i tillæg til at være en rigtig god spiller.  

På toppen trækker Villa store veksler på norske John Carew, som lader til endelige at have fundet en længerevarende fodboldlykke i Birmingham. Han suppleres af O’Neills protege fra Leicester-dagene, Emile Heskey, som blev hentet til klubben fra Wigan i januar. Derudover råder Villa over unge, lynhurtige Gabriel Agbonlahor, som i sidste sæson sammen med Carew blev delt klubtopscorer med 11 mål. Angrebet fuldendes af et andet tidligere West Ham flop – Marlon Harewood, og af unge og talentfulde Nathan Delfounso kan meget vel stå over for sit gennembrud i denne sæson.

Væsentlige transfere: 4 ud, 4 ind

Før sidste sæson modstod Villa med næb og klør en række meget nærgående tilnærmelser fra Liverpool mod anfører Gareth Barry. Denne sæson lykkedes det ikke at modstå, og Barry spiller nu bold på Manchester Citys midtbane. Samme vej er reservekeeper Stuart Taylor taget, alt imens den defensive knoldesparker Zat Knight er taget til Bolton. Sidst men sandelig ikke mindst har danske Martin Laursen sørgeligt nok måtte indstille karrieren efter virkelig overbevisende at have taget dirigentstokken i forsvaret i sin sidste sæson for Villa.

Ind er til gengæld kommet højrebacken Habib Beye fra Newcastle, som også kan vikariere i centerforsvaret. Veteranmålmanden Andy Marshall er hentet som reserve for Friedel – men er en decideret vårhare med blot 34 år i forhold til Friedels 38. Sluttelig er offensiven blevet styrket med købet af Middlesbrough Stewart Downing og kæmpetalentet Fabian Delph.

Forventninger: Sidste sæson bliver svær at overgå

Aston Villa har en stærk trup. De har flere gode alternativer til mange pladser, og ikke mindst en dygtig træner med oceaner af erfaring, og en dokumenteret evne til at vinde trofæer. Det er derfor fuldstændig indiskutabelt, at Villa bør slutte i top 10. Dette er imidlertid næppe nok for den ambitiøse klub, som vil ønske at overgå forrige sæsons sjetteplads. Dette bliver vanskeligt af flere grunde. Navnlig fordi holdet i sommerpausen har sagt farvel til et par meget svært erstattelige spillere.

Ganske vist er Friedel og bagkæden bedre end de fleste i Premier League, men forsvaret mangler en lederfigur, hvilket blev tydeliggjort af holdets defensive formdyk da Martin Laursen gik i stykker i sidste sæson. Beye er en god spiller, men om han kan blive en decideret forsvarsstyrmand er tvivlsomt.

På midtbanen ser de offensive muligheder rigtig spændende ud, og Young, Milner, Downing og Delph er en flok unge, sultne, engelske spillere som de fleste klubber i ligaen ville elske at have. Imidlertid er der et meget stort spørgsmålstegn ved om nogen kan løfte arven efter Gareth Barry som i de seneste år er blevet en konstant mere central del af Villas hold.

Helt fremme kan Carew og Heskey give de fleste grå hår i hovedet, mens Agbonlahor er en interessant og giftig spiller, som kan blive meget bedre. Købert af Downing kunne desuden indikere at Young skal bruges mere centralt end tilfældet hidtil har været.

Ikke desto mindre spår jeg at Villa får svært ved at gentage sidste sæsons flotte præstation. Dette skyldes ikke mindst at holdene umiddelbart the big four ser ud til at være stærkere end længe. Manchester Citys indkøbsvanvid er allerede meget omtalt, alt imens også Tottenham ser rigtig giftige ud. Tabet af Laursen og Barry kan meget vel blive afgørende for at Villa ikke kan bide skeer med disse hold.

Tip: Forventet placering: Nummer 8 Supersæson: Top 5.

It’s not often that another team in England, let alone in Manchester, hogs the headlines more than Manchester United. But it’s not often that a British team gets bought over by an Abu Dhabi investment group, although football clubs are starting to replace private islands and super-yachts as the new playthings for the filthy rich. Never has the balance of the game shifted so much in favour of those with the Yankee dollar (or British pound). Of course, there have been rich clubs in the past, but there was always an air of financial prudence in transfer dealings. But spiralling wages in recent years has in turn led to exorbitant transfer fees, and the market this summer takes the cake for that.

Manchester City’s spending alone has surpassed £100 million in the space of a few months. City fans (who have suddenly sprouted up all over) will argue that they got several players for roughly the price of one Cristiano Ronaldo. But taking a closer look at City’s signings, one can’t help having a feeling that they paid inflated values. Then again, to the Middle Eastern owners, they’d pay more to get the players they want now (or at least the players that wanted to join them) rather than wait and face the opportunity cost of not strengthening their team (note to Sir Alex Ferguson: stop complaining about the inflated market and get David Silva). They have brought in an England international defensive midfielder who Liverpool so desperately wanted, an Arsenal defender and striker with vast Champions League experience between them, a Paraguayan forward who banged in the goals for Blackburn Rovers (which is no mean feat) and an Argentine cry-baby (I’m a United fan after all).

But almost everyone still thinks City won’t break into the top four this season. However, looking at their team on paper, I ask myself, why not? They certainly can make a fight out of it. Gareth Barry and Nigel de Jong sitting in midfield will provide plenty of protection to a defence marshalled by the experienced Kolo Toure and the likely addition of Matthew Upson. Let’s not forget Shay Given in goal, one of the best shot-stoppers in the league. What may prove to be their downfall though are too many cooks spoiling the broth (although in the case of Richard Dunne, he could do with eating that broth and losing some weight). With Stephen Ireland, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Robinho looking to dictate play, things usually fall apart in the final third, which was their story of last season.

With these three attacking midfielders, manager Mark Hughes still has to find a way to fit Carlos Tevez, Roque Santa Cruz, Craig Bellamy and Emmanuel Adebayor into the side. There’s no doubt that City are a top-heavy side (even with Richard Dunne in defence) with a wealth of attacking talent, but to get players to gel and work well as a cohesive unit, they need to be playing together regularly. Since City are not involved in any European competition this season, Hughes does not have to rotate this players due to fatigue or a packed fixture list, which may work for teams like small squad teams like Everton and Aston Villa but may lead to mutiny on a bench with Bellamy and friends.

His handling of unhappy players will be key to City’s all-out push for a Champions League place. As we’ve seen many times before, maintaining form after the New Year is how the big four clubs break away from the rest of the pack. Hughes has to thread a fine line between keeping a settled line-up and ensuring team spirit and unity remains in the squad. I still expect an Adebayor-Bellamy fight sometime around Christmas, and my money is on the Welshman winning with a well-placed knee jab.

There’s no doubt Hughes is under immense pressure this season, and anything less than a Europa League spot (even that may not be enough) will probably lead to a certain Portuguese ‘Special One’ making his return to the Premier League. Hughes really needs his big-money signings to deliver. And they need to prove that the party line about being at City for the long-term project and not for the money is somewhat plausible with performances where it matters most – on the pitch.

Adebayor has done enough talking to last a lifetime; now he needs to get them at least 20 goals. With Robinho’s wizardry and the workhorse Carlos Tevez in support, that target is achievable. Ireland and Wright-Phillips are capable of contributing goals from the midfield as well. In Wayne Bridge and Pablo Zabaleta, they also have marauding full-backs who can put decent crosses into the box. De Jong and Barry in the middle will be the glue that holds this team together. Their protection in front of the back four will be especially vital against the big teams, who may find it difficult to break them down.

Hughes does not have to give a motivational speech to his players. If he shows them Ferguson’s quotes about the club being small with an equally miniscule mentality and its apparent obsessiveness with all things United, that should motivate them to do well. Then again, one questions whether the players’ enthusiasm at signing fat contracts will be matched by equally fervent performances on the pitch. Because nothing less than that will get City what they and their Abu Dhabi owners really want – entry to the cash cow that is the UEFA Champions League. Oh yes, I almost forgot – and their first trophy in 33 years!

Last Season: 6^th – A late season collapse after being five minutes from an eight point lead in 4^th.

Say hello to your new teammates: Stewart Downing, Fabian Delph, Habib Beye.

Close the door on your way out: Gareth Barry, Zat Knight, Martin Laursen

Predicted star: Ashley Young, who else? With Barry gone and Delph & Downing signed, Young could end up with a more central role behind the strikers as the season goes on. Even if not, his crosses and creativity will be the key to Villa doing well. I have a reluctant hunch Milner will also have a good year.

Needs a big year: Agbonlahor needs to improve the consistency of his goalscoring. Whoever is signed to replace the retired Laursen will need to provide leadership, an aerial threat from set-pieces and general excellent defensive displays. No pressure then.

One to watch: We’ll get to see what the fuss about Delph is about. Barry Bannan has been tipped in a couple of places.

Hopefully worth the money they paid.

What they want to happen: A new Laursen and a larger squad oversees further improvement to 5^th or even 4^th. Birmingham to go straight back down.

Nightmare scenario: A stretched squad cannot repeat the achievements of last season and they slip towards mid-table. Defeat to Birmingham won’t go down too well. Someone buys Ashley Young.

Plan A: Pace and crossing from the flanks onto big John Carew and Agbonlahor.

Plan B, just in case: ‘Direct’ play towards the duo of Carew and Heskey.

Predicted finish: 8^th

A lot rests on him.

Why? The suspicion remains that last season was Villa’s best chance to break into the top four and that opportunity is now gone. Man City are stronger, Spurs are more solid (ish) and Everton are tough to beat as usual. Gareth Barry decided that Champions League football money was a factor after all and jumped ship to their rivals while Laursen had to unfortunately retire. Neither player has been replaced as yet, while main signing Downing won’t play until Christmas. Clubs are starting to sniff around Ashley Young too.

On the plus side, Villa have a young, fast hard working squad and if they can stay fit then they’ll compete as ever. A decent, albeit relegated, right back has been signed and Bouma is fit again (is this a good thing?). It’s still quite tight between the four clubs mentioned in this preview and with bit of luck Villa could get the Europa League spot. I feel however it might be a season of regression for Martin O’Neill’s side.

.

T.

By Daniel Lang

The bitter rivalry between the two top clubs in Manchester boiled over into pandemonium this past sunday, as United and City fought out a valiant battle. At the end of they day however, it was the home side, United who were left smiling after snatching all three points at Old Trafford.

The game started at a frenetic pace as United’s Wayne Rooney bagged the opener inside the first 2 minutes. After a scrappy passage inside the City box, Rooney skipped past two defenders before coolly beating keeper Shay Given to put his side one up.

City, though proved many critics wrong when they did not sit back shell shocked. This style of play was rewarded when a gaffe between United stopper Ben Foster and the returning Rio Ferdinand provided the hard working Carlos Tevez with an opportunity to give former Aston Villa man Gareth Barry an open target. Depite good positioning from Nemanja Vidic, Barry did not miss his golden opportunity to draw his side level on 16 minutes.

The game seemed to settle into a somewhat dull mood for the final 20 minutes of the first half, which ended at a 1-1 deadlock. The second half started with the electricity expected of what is arguably England’s biggest derby match. Evergreen midfield magician Ryan Giggs provided an inch perfect delivery for shock scorer Darren Fletcher to get his head to, restoring United’s advantage. 

Another lazy passage by United’s Rio Ferdinand allowed City to once again level the match, as Craig Bellamy scored a stunner, leaving Ben Foster flapping at thin air. Similar to his first effort though, Darren Fletcher was able to hand United what looked like a match-winner when he again latched onto a perfect delivery from Ryan Giggs for his second headed goal of the fixture.

In what can only be described as a brain snap, Rio Ferdinand tried to chip Craig Bellamy with his free kick late on, only to hand Bellamy the perfect opportunity to snatch a point for City. Ferdinand could not track back quick enough, leaving Bellamy only Foster to beat. Foster made an error in judgement as he failed to cover his angles correctly, allowing Bellamy to beat him at the post on 90 minutes, leaving the match poised to be a 3-3 stalemate.

Fittingly in a match full of excitement, there was one more twist of fate to come. With four minutes of added time signaled by the fourth official, Mark Hughes and his City followers had the right to feel agrieved that the game was left to run into 96 minutes, although Bellamy’s excessive goal celebration, the substitution of Anderson (for Michael Carrick) and a couple of free kicks certainly contributed to more time than just four minutes.

As the clock struck 95mins 26sec Ryan Giggs, who could not be beaten in the race for man of the match, slipped a beautiful through ball to new boy Michael Owen, who calmly finished to score his first goal at Old Trafford in his first Manchester derby.