Manchester City

[wellred]

It's pretty obvious what's happened here with Hargreaves.

City have so much money, they can even afford to buy players for the physios to practice on.

[mrbojangles]

not bad:

Good one stevie. It doesn't take them long does it

I can't understand this one personally but there must be something that Mancini saw and liked.

[mrbojangles]

This is quite amazing really. Never thought I would see the day when we have so many internationals. Caveat:- this was before the transfer window closed. From the city web site:-

International Departures

There will be tumbleweed blowing around City’s Carrington training complex this week with no less than 25 players called up for international duty.

Ranging from full international matches to Under-21and Under-19 games, almost the entire senior squad are currently away with their respective countries.

Starting on home soil, Joe Hart, Gareth Barry, Joleon Lescott, Adam Johnson, James Milner and Micah Richards are all away with England and Craig Bellamy has been called up by Wales.

Sergio Aguero and Pablo Zabaleta are away with Argentina while Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy have joined up with the France squad.

Also on duty are Aleks Kolarov (Serbia), Stefan Savic (Montenegro), Edin Dzeko (Bosnia), Costel Pantilimon (Romania), Mario Balotelli (Italy), Nigel de Jong (Holland), David Silva (Spain), Vincent Kompany (Belgium) and Yaya Toure is with the Ivory Coast national team.

At at Under-21 level, Freddie Veseli, John Guidetti and Gais Assulin have been called up while Karim Rekik and Loris Karius are away for their respective Under-19 squads.

If Greg Cunningham (injured) Roque Santa Cruz and Vladimir Weiss (loan) were included, that’d be a grand total of 27 – easily a Club record.

And that’s without Carlos Tevez, who doesn’t currently play in Argentina friendlies! The only thing Roberto Mancini will be concerned about is all his players returning injury free.

[MrRed]

Hargreaves is on a pay as you play deal with City so i read,that must be beside his 30.000 a week basic

[StevieH]

Hargreaves is on a pay as you play deal with City so i read,that must be beside his 30.000 a week basic

think that was a typo. should read 'pay IF you play'.

[uptheos]

Can't understand why Mancini is shelling out money to Hargreaves, other than he's a cute curly haired kid and perhaps the owners quite like his style.

[mrbojangles]

From the Manchester Evening News

Carlos Tevez to stand by Manchester City if missus can find happiness in Manchester

Carlos Tevez could stay to help City’s push for glory in the next few years – if his missus says it’s all right!

The Blues striker came close to being swapped for Inter Milan’s Wesley Sneijder a fortnight ago, after telling the club he wanted to leave at the end of last season.

But after the transfer deadline came and went without anyone meeting the Blues’ £40million asking price, Tevez’s adviser Kia Joorabchian says he is happy to remain.

Brazilian outfit Corinthians tried to land the Argentinian ace with a £38m offer – but could not provide bank guarantees – and are said to be putting together another bid for the January transfer window.

But Joorabchian says that might not be needed if Tevez’s wife Vanesa can make a go of her second attempt at settling in Cheshire.

He feels there is a chance this time could be more successful, as she is friends with Sergio Aguero’s wife Giannina Maradona.

The couple split up initially as she did not like life in Prestbury and fled back to Buenos Aires, taking her daughter with her, and giving birth to their second child after arriving back home.

After a reconciliation this summer, Tevez announced that he wanted to leave City and fix up a move to a place where his wife would feel more at home, citing South America, Spain or Italy. That failed to happen, despite strong interest from Corinthians and Inter – who came up with a swap for Sneijder, as exclusively revealed by M.E.N. Sport in July.

That deal came about after no-one could meet City’s asking price, originally slated as £50m.

“Inter were offering Wesley Sneijder in exchange for Carlos two weeks ago but after signing Samir Nasri they had too many players in that position.

“If Nasri hadn’t done that deal, it probably would have attracted City.”

But Tevez’s wife’s decision to give England another go, and the Blues’ blistering start to the season, may yet change Tevez’s mind, says Joorabchian, who tried to broker the failed deals.

“Now he has convinced his wife she should come for a while at least,” he added. “Maybe she will settle down and things will be fine, as it was more to do with family reasons.

“Culturally if he went to Milan or Spain it would be easier for his wife to adapt in terms of getting around and communicating better. That was a real, major problem. The two wives are friends and Sergio is friends with Carlos, so that might help.”

[mrbojangles]

Good luck to Kolo. From the Independant:-

Touré set to return 'as fit as I've ever been' after six-month ban

Manchester City defender Kolo Touré hopes to return like "a new player" after completing his ban for failing a drugs test. The Ivory Coast international is now eligible to play for City again after enduring an enforced six months on the sidelines.

Touré, 30, missed the final three months of last season, including City's FA Cup final triumph at Wembley, after taking a diet pill which contained a prohibited substance.

Touré told City TV: "I feel totally recharged and as fit as I've ever been in my life. Hopefully, it will be like having a new signing because I am back and want to challenge for a first-team place. I know it won't be easy because the team is playing so well, but I'll be pushing hard for an opportunity.

"I'm just so happy to be back and I will give everything I have to the team, this club and our fans. I can't wait to get going."

Touré could potentially return to the City side for next week's Premier League game against Wigan, although he faces tough competition from the likes of Vincent Kompany, Joleon Lescott and Stefan Savic.

Touré thought the pill he took was approved and news that he had failed a test came as a shock. "I remember it clearly," he added. "I was at home in my bedroom when the club doctor and [manager] Roberto Mancini came in to explain what had happened.

"It was a shock to see them there and I immediately realised the implications for my career, the club and my family. It was an awful moment because I didn't know what was going to happen."

Touré has thanked the club, fans and his brother and team-mate Yaya for their support throughout his suspension.

The former Arsenal centre-back said: "Yaya has been incredible and, as brothers, this has brought us even closer. He was always there for me and kept me informed of what was happening at the club. I must also thank the manager, my team-mates, the staff and particularly [chief executive] Garry Cook and our chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak for standing by me and helping me through this period.

"It's at times like this you know who your friends are and I'd also like to thank people like [Arsenal manager] Arsène Wenger, too. And I will try and repay our amazing supporters for all their good wishes, kind words and support."

[MrRed]

Link

Signs a 1 year contract and is then left out of the Champions League squad because he needs fitness!

[mrbojangles]

Link

Signs a 1 year contract and is then left out of the Champions League squad because he needs fitness!

Match fitness !!

Who in their right mind would include him in the squad at this point? Once he's had a few games under his belt maybe but not now. He hasn't played a competetive match for about a year and half.

[MrRed]

Link

Signs a 1 year contract and is then left out of the Champions League squad because he needs fitness!

Match fitness !!

Who in their right mind would include him in the squad at this point? Once he's had a few games under his belt maybe but not now. He hasn't played a competetive match for about a year and half.

I do understand that so hence why i say just the 1 year contract,how many minutes does a player need to get "match fit" will he get any match time do it? first team i mean....i think he will struggle to get in the team or be a bit part player,surely he is well rested and would not take long to regain "match fitness" have you seen the you tube videos? he looks pretty fit to me

Strange! with his experience and having just passed a medical! surely he would be available in a couple of weeks?? or as i suspect he has been signed as a bench warmer with Super Mario

[mrbojangles]

Link

Signs a 1 year contract and is then left out of the Champions League squad because he needs fitness!

Match fitness !!

Who in their right mind would include him in the squad at this point? Once he's had a few games under his belt maybe but not now. He hasn't played a competetive match for about a year and half.

I do understand that so hence why i say just the 1 year contract,how many minutes does a player need to get "match fit" will he get any match time do it? first team i mean....i think he will struggle to get in the team or be a bit part player,surely he is well rested and would not take long to regain "match fitness" have you seen the you tube videos? he looks pretty fit to me

Strange! with his experience and having just passed a medical! surely he would be available in a couple of weeks?? or as i suspect he has been signed as a bench warmer with Super Mario

But he's been named in the premier league squad of 25. Therefore if he gets his match fitness back in the prem (including Carling and FA Cups) he'll obviously be considered for the Champs League squad after the group stages. It makes absolute sense to me.

[MrRed]

Link

Signs a 1 year contract and is then left out of the Champions League squad because he needs fitness!

Match fitness !!

Who in their right mind would include him in the squad at this point? Once he's had a few games under his belt maybe but not now. He hasn't played a competetive match for about a year and half.

I do understand that so hence why i say just the 1 year contract,how many minutes does a player need to get "match fit" will he get any match time do it? first team i mean....i think he will struggle to get in the team or be a bit part player,surely he is well rested and would not take long to regain "match fitness" have you seen the you tube videos? he looks pretty fit to me

Strange! with his experience and having just passed a medical! surely he would be available in a couple of weeks?? or as i suspect he has been signed as a bench warmer with Super Mario

But he's been named in the premier league squad of 25. Therefore if he gets his match fitness back in the prem (including Carling and FA Cups) he'll obviously be considered for the Champs League squad after the group stages. It makes absolute sense to me.

There should be no IF! ...... that's all i am trying to say.

[mrbojangles]

I do understand that so hence why i say just the 1 year contract,how many minutes does a player need to get "match fit" will he get any match time do it? first team i mean....i think he will struggle to get in the team or be a bit part player,surely he is well rested and would not take long to regain "match fitness" have you seen the you tube videos? he looks pretty fit to me

Strange! with his experience and having just passed a medical! surely he would be available in a couple of weeks?? or as i suspect he has been signed as a bench warmer with Super Mario

But he's been named in the premier league squad of 25. Therefore if he gets his match fitness back in the prem (including Carling and FA Cups) he'll obviously be considered for the Champs League squad after the group stages. It makes absolute sense to me.

There should be no IF! ...... that's all i am trying to say.

There are always IF's with every player. As we got him for free, there isn't really any gamble here. Therefore, IF he proves himself, great. IF he doesn't and the injury comes back, nothing lost really.

[StevieH]

this lad is the gift that just keeps on giving isn't he? balotelli caught playing on his ipad while sat on the italy subs bench.

http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/oddballs/874501-mario-balotelli-busted-fiddling-with-ipad-while-on-italy-substitutes-bench

[smokie36]

Why does this thread not have its own sponsor yet mrboj?

Surely only a matter of time....

[MrRed]

City board to investigate Cock

[smokie36]

City board to investigate Cock

Hacked email or not it gives an interesting insight into the idiots mindset.

[StevieH]

City board to investigate Cock

Hacked email or not it gives an interesting insight into the idiots mindset.

'hacked email'? even if he were on holiday at the time as city are claiming, are you telling me a senior executive like cook doesn't have a blackberry?

[MrRed]

He will squirm out of it again,perfect yes man for the big boss

[mrbojangles]

Blimey. The claws are out today aren't they.

[carmine]

City board to investigate Cock

Hacked email or not it gives an interesting insight into the idiots mindset.

He's sugesting someone else wrote it......and everyones supposed to believe him

Not altogether bad news for City fans this. They'll be able to get a decent ceo, or at the very least, a yes man who's not such a complete cock.

[MrRed]

Blimey. The claws are out today aren't they.

[smokie36]

City board to investigate Cock

Hacked email or not it gives an interesting insight into the idiots mindset.

He's sugesting someone else wrote it......and everyones supposed to believe him

Not altogether bad news for City fans this. They'll be able to get a decent ceo, or at the very least, a yes man who's not such a complete cock.

Ahh I see.....not a bad idea. That's been tried on here a few times an all.....

[SantiSuk]

The lady probably was exaggerating her illness if the reported description of how she reacted to getting an e-mail is anything to go by!

Sticks and stones (and cancer) may break my bones but words ..... now you're talking!

[redrus]

Gets hacked but only sends one, single solitary offensive e-mail.... Dream on....!

redrus

[StevieH]

Gets hacked but only sends one, single solitary offensive e-mail.... Dream on....!

yes, quite. like the 'hacker' wouldn't have sent one to alex ferguson for example.

[redrus]

Gets hacked but only sends one, single solitary offensive e-mail.... Dream on....!

yes, quite. like the 'hacker' wouldn't have sent one to alex ferguson for example.

Exactly....!!!

redrus

[StevieH]

Gets hacked but only sends one, single solitary offensive e-mail.... Dream on....!

yes, quite. like the 'hacker' wouldn't have sent one to alex ferguson for example.

Exactly....!!!

the media, city directors, the sheikh. . . .all sorts and everyone. amazing coincidence that he only sent just that one email.

[MrRed]

Not forgetting his best mate Thaky