Friday, June 28, 2013
Citizens in the Confeds Cup
Yesterday night the world witnessed a fantastic rematch between Italy and Spain in the Confeds Cup semis. David Silva featured in Vicente del Bosque's starting XI. He didn't play particularly well but I don't think that he was a burden for the Spanish side. The player who really impressed last night was the new player in Manchester, Jesus Navas. Entering the game for Silva in the middle of the second half, Navas provided Spain with some much needed energy and pace off the bench. He carried the team going forward, combining well with Iniesta. Though it never resulted in a goal, his play created several scoring opportunities, and he fired off a couple of nice shots of his own. Not to mention he was cool as could be under pressure, slotting home the final spot kick to advance Spain to the finals. Overall, Navas's performance was brilliant and City fans everywhere should be excited about what he will bring to the Etihad next year.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Greetings from Honduras
Sorry that there have not been any posts recently as I have been in Honduras on a medical/dental mission trip since June 14th. This is actually the first time I have had internet in these past 12 days. Anyway, I´ll be back posting regularly starting either tomorrow or the next day.
Leave a comment about some topics you might want me to cover when I return.
Cheers
Leave a comment about some topics you might want me to cover when I return.
Cheers
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Why we should keep Edin Dzeko
The one player whose status I am truly confused about is Edin Dzeko's. He proved his worth this year, leading the team with 14 goals in the Premiership. There are always rumours swirling about when it comes to him, but will one ever come true? I hope not. Unlike all of the other attackers that City have, Dzeko is not a diminutive figure. Standing at 193 cm (6'4") he is a strong force in the air for set pieces, as well as distributing the ball out from goal kicks or Hart's punts. Not to mention he is one of the worlds best at holding the ball up while the rest of the attackers get forward; however, he is quick enough and has decent enough pace that he is a threat on the counter attack as well. Something else he posses which not many players on the squad have is his dominant left foot. This isn't to say that we have a bunch of players who can't use their left foot at all, but other than Silva and Kolarov, who doesn't play too much, City lacks a left footed set-piece option. More than that though, it is just helpful to have a player who can make runs behind the defense and be a dual threat with either foot. In the final analysis, I think that Dzeko is a quality player who can offer a lot of goals to City. Furthermore, I don't think that any team would pay as much as his quality on the field is worth at his age, even if City were willing to accept the bid. Truthfully, the only scenario where I could see Dzeko moving and me not being upset to lose one of my favorite players is if he were swapped to bring down the price of Gareth Bale. The potential for that deal I will discuss later as well, but for now, I think City should seriously consider keeping Dzeko aboard for at least another year.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
City's starting XI for 2013-14
Considering that we have millions to spend, a 4-3-3 formation to implement, and are in need of more quality if we want to win anything next year, I'd say that there will be quite a few more signings and departures to come this summer. I will go into detail on them later, but for now, here are what I think our XI could look like:
What do you think? Leave a comment down below on who you want City to have next year!
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Pelligrini
Alright, even though it isn't official, it looks like a done deal that Manuel Pelligrini will be joining City this summer. Sources say that he has asked the front office for two wingers and a defensive midfielder. With Fernandinho signed and Navas surely on his way it seems like he is somewhat calling the shots even though he isn't contracted yet. Other supposed transfer targets include Di Maria, El Shaarawy, Pepe, and Rami. Personally I would go for Di Maria and Rami if I had to take two of those four.
Here is a list of ten targets that Pelligrini reportedly has in mind: http://app.caughtoffside.com/?referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.caughtoffside.com%2Ftags%2Fla-liga%2Fbarcelona-la-liga%2F#article/caughtoffside-147829
Thursday, June 6, 2013
It's official, Fernandinho will be a blue next year
Based on the feed back that @MCFC has gotten on twitter it appears that most people are excited about the signing. But with a confirmed price of 30M pounds, well it just seems a bit ridiculous. All of these moves without a manager too. What happens when our manager is hired and he decides that Fernandinho is not good enough to break through at the Etihad, or that he simply doesn't work well in the system he is trying to implement? What then huh? 30M pounds down the drain? Of course we know that if he has a poor season next year then we are stuck with him. Think about it. I'm sure he's been offered wages that are too much for his quality, nobody will want to match them, even if his fee is low, and even if he doesn't flop we will surely lose money on the deal because who will pay 30M pounds to us for an aging, not particularly amazing central midfielder? Maybe I'm being overly pessimistic about this deal, but to me he just does not seem like a good 'get' for the club.
Let me know what you think about Fernandinho and his 30M pound price in the comment section below!
Let me know what you think about Fernandinho and his 30M pound price in the comment section below!
Pre-window transfers
Per usual, City are getting right down to it and shelling out the cash for big name new players. Given the circumstances though, one has to wonder if what they're doing is smart.
It appears that in the past 36 hours, City have managed to spend 60M pounds (including next years salaries for the players) without even having a manager. To me this begs the question: is the front office going to be dictating the style of play next year? The main reason of employing a manager is that they are experienced coaches who understand the flow of football. Ideally, your manager knows what tactics to use and when, he is a good man manager, and he recognizes when there is a need to bring in new talent or let declining players leave. However, without a manager running the show, it would appear as though Khaldoon has his own opinions on the football and that he is really the one who works for all the new signings we have had in the past few years.
Say that Pelligrini is hired within the next week and he does tell the press that he is bringing his 4-3-3 style to Manchester, well then Jesus Navas seems like a credible signing since he is perfectly suited to play the right winger role that Pelligrini will look for. Fernandinho is another story though. For a reported 30M euros, I don't see Fernandinho adding much to the side. We already have two great attacking midfield players in Silva and Nasri (although I think Nasri should leave for France). Our defensive style midfield is just fine too, considering Gareth Barry has cemented himself as a first team regular and that just last August we paid 16M pounds to Benfica for Javi Garcia. Furthermore, Jack Rodwell a young, impressive physical specimen with plenty of good footballing qualities, I think that it should be a priority of the next manager to develop him into a solid player which the team can rely on in midfield. After all, Yaya turned 30 this year and won't be world class forever. I see Rodwell as his successor, but certainly not Fernandinho. Let's not forget that the Brazilian is not exactly young either, coming in at 28 years of age. The way I see it, when a player is brought into the club, he should be overtly better than the player he is replacing/competing with, or he should bring a new dynamic to the team that it did not have before. I do not think Fernandinho is as good as our midfield as it is, let alone better, and I do not think that his style of play brings anything new to the team.
So, my first advice to City would be to HIRE A MANAGER!! My second piece of advice would be to focus on getting as much quality for the money you spend as possible; not throwing 30M pounds at players who at best add depth to the squad.
Leave a comment below about what you think of the potential Navas and Fernandinho signings.
Share this with your friends!
It appears that in the past 36 hours, City have managed to spend 60M pounds (including next years salaries for the players) without even having a manager. To me this begs the question: is the front office going to be dictating the style of play next year? The main reason of employing a manager is that they are experienced coaches who understand the flow of football. Ideally, your manager knows what tactics to use and when, he is a good man manager, and he recognizes when there is a need to bring in new talent or let declining players leave. However, without a manager running the show, it would appear as though Khaldoon has his own opinions on the football and that he is really the one who works for all the new signings we have had in the past few years.
Say that Pelligrini is hired within the next week and he does tell the press that he is bringing his 4-3-3 style to Manchester, well then Jesus Navas seems like a credible signing since he is perfectly suited to play the right winger role that Pelligrini will look for. Fernandinho is another story though. For a reported 30M euros, I don't see Fernandinho adding much to the side. We already have two great attacking midfield players in Silva and Nasri (although I think Nasri should leave for France). Our defensive style midfield is just fine too, considering Gareth Barry has cemented himself as a first team regular and that just last August we paid 16M pounds to Benfica for Javi Garcia. Furthermore, Jack Rodwell a young, impressive physical specimen with plenty of good footballing qualities, I think that it should be a priority of the next manager to develop him into a solid player which the team can rely on in midfield. After all, Yaya turned 30 this year and won't be world class forever. I see Rodwell as his successor, but certainly not Fernandinho. Let's not forget that the Brazilian is not exactly young either, coming in at 28 years of age. The way I see it, when a player is brought into the club, he should be overtly better than the player he is replacing/competing with, or he should bring a new dynamic to the team that it did not have before. I do not think Fernandinho is as good as our midfield as it is, let alone better, and I do not think that his style of play brings anything new to the team.
So, my first advice to City would be to HIRE A MANAGER!! My second piece of advice would be to focus on getting as much quality for the money you spend as possible; not throwing 30M pounds at players who at best add depth to the squad.
Leave a comment below about what you think of the potential Navas and Fernandinho signings.
Share this with your friends!
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
2012/2013 Season Review (Players)
Drama.
Drama is the one word I would use to describe this past season. Injuries, disputes, arrests, good form, bad form. The squad which MCFC boasted this year took all of those things, jumbled them together, and crapped out a season.
Injuries:
The season started off on a low note with the championship campaigns most valuable player, Sergio Aguero, going down with a knee injury before the new season could even reach the hour mark. I'm not one to suggest that if he hadn't gone out we would have won the treble or anything, since he did come back after only 30 days time, but I do believe that the tone that this game set for Aguero significantly affected his form during the rest of the season. Second to go down with a major injury was our skipper, Vinnie Kompany. His sidelining was much more extended though, and the team clearly suffered from his absence. During his twelve games in the stands, the defensive line let in more goals in any 10 match span than it did for the whole season. Luckily for City, the opposition during this time period was of relatively weak nature. Even though the attacking play also lacked the luster it had exhibited in the previous season, the forwards were able to score just enough to keep decent results coming in. Finally, an injury which spanned nearly the whole year was the leg revamping of Micah Richards. Richards is high up on my list of favorite players, and his versatility was something which I often found myself wishing for throughout the season. Although, his injury was probably the least significant in terms of affect on the team since Pablo Zabaleta stepped up brilliantly to become the best performing right back in the premiership this season.
Balotelli:
Although we all loved his showmanship, and rare yet fantastic moments of pure footballing class, he had to go. Having started training ground disputes with, as I remember, more players than I can count on one hand, including the most publicized one with Roberto Mancini, it was clear that Balotelli would not be staying in England much longer. I'm glad for him that he has succeeded once again in Milan, and I am sad to see him leave but at the same time, I am relieved that his poor media reputation won't be hovering around the locker room anymore.
Tevez:
Infamously going AWOL to Argentina last year, Carlos Tevez redeemed himself in the last 3 months of the championship season. He played the whole season this time and performed well for most of it. Easily the largest storyline surrounding Tevez this year is his driving ban. Seriously Carlos, you are great on the pitch, but how frustrating can you get off it.
Form:
As a whole, I would categorize this season by saying that generally, the team was in poor form. Most notably, David Silva. Having been an integral part of the Spanish side which captured the European crown over the summer, Silva looked exhausted. His creativity lacked, his work rate diminished, and even his face just looked as though he hadn't slept in weeks. As well, nobody made me more angry this season than Samir Nasri. First of all, I will never forgive him for hiding behind Dzeko and sticking a leg out to deflect van Persie's free kick into the net during the first Manchester derby. Second, half the time it just seemed as though he didn't care or wasn't trying. Lastly, and perhaps most disappointingly: Joe Hart. After a fantastic campaign that included 17 clean sheets in 2011/12, Hart's form took a significant dip. Although the numbers are similar, any person who saw games both this year and last could tell you that Hart was not at the same level he had been. Maybe he ought to return to the 25 shirt instead of being 1, or something, but let's all hope he gets back to his old, acrobatic ways.
Despite all of this negativity, there were some shining stars for the club this year. As mentioned already, Pablo Zabaleta had a breakout year, torturing attackers and providing excellent crosses for the forwards to connect with. One of those forwards was leading goalscorer Edin Dzeko. Playing the role of fourth choice striker in campaigns past, Dzeko emerged as the man in form this year. Whether he stays at the club or not remains to be seen, but I don't think anyone would have difficulties keeping him at the Etihad. Finally, James Milner. No, he is not the most talented footballer nor the fastest nor the strongest, but his work rate and love for the game are what consistently place him in the first XI for Manchester City and even England.
Overall, it was a rough season. BUT, I am optimistic that a couple of new signings this summer, coupled with the continued success of Dzeko, Zaba, and Milner, will be just what the club needs to inject the quality from 2011/12 back into the squad, returning it to domestic glory and taking it to new heights in Europe.
Drama is the one word I would use to describe this past season. Injuries, disputes, arrests, good form, bad form. The squad which MCFC boasted this year took all of those things, jumbled them together, and crapped out a season.
Injuries:
The season started off on a low note with the championship campaigns most valuable player, Sergio Aguero, going down with a knee injury before the new season could even reach the hour mark. I'm not one to suggest that if he hadn't gone out we would have won the treble or anything, since he did come back after only 30 days time, but I do believe that the tone that this game set for Aguero significantly affected his form during the rest of the season. Second to go down with a major injury was our skipper, Vinnie Kompany. His sidelining was much more extended though, and the team clearly suffered from his absence. During his twelve games in the stands, the defensive line let in more goals in any 10 match span than it did for the whole season. Luckily for City, the opposition during this time period was of relatively weak nature. Even though the attacking play also lacked the luster it had exhibited in the previous season, the forwards were able to score just enough to keep decent results coming in. Finally, an injury which spanned nearly the whole year was the leg revamping of Micah Richards. Richards is high up on my list of favorite players, and his versatility was something which I often found myself wishing for throughout the season. Although, his injury was probably the least significant in terms of affect on the team since Pablo Zabaleta stepped up brilliantly to become the best performing right back in the premiership this season.
Balotelli:
Although we all loved his showmanship, and rare yet fantastic moments of pure footballing class, he had to go. Having started training ground disputes with, as I remember, more players than I can count on one hand, including the most publicized one with Roberto Mancini, it was clear that Balotelli would not be staying in England much longer. I'm glad for him that he has succeeded once again in Milan, and I am sad to see him leave but at the same time, I am relieved that his poor media reputation won't be hovering around the locker room anymore.
Tevez:
Infamously going AWOL to Argentina last year, Carlos Tevez redeemed himself in the last 3 months of the championship season. He played the whole season this time and performed well for most of it. Easily the largest storyline surrounding Tevez this year is his driving ban. Seriously Carlos, you are great on the pitch, but how frustrating can you get off it.
Form:
As a whole, I would categorize this season by saying that generally, the team was in poor form. Most notably, David Silva. Having been an integral part of the Spanish side which captured the European crown over the summer, Silva looked exhausted. His creativity lacked, his work rate diminished, and even his face just looked as though he hadn't slept in weeks. As well, nobody made me more angry this season than Samir Nasri. First of all, I will never forgive him for hiding behind Dzeko and sticking a leg out to deflect van Persie's free kick into the net during the first Manchester derby. Second, half the time it just seemed as though he didn't care or wasn't trying. Lastly, and perhaps most disappointingly: Joe Hart. After a fantastic campaign that included 17 clean sheets in 2011/12, Hart's form took a significant dip. Although the numbers are similar, any person who saw games both this year and last could tell you that Hart was not at the same level he had been. Maybe he ought to return to the 25 shirt instead of being 1, or something, but let's all hope he gets back to his old, acrobatic ways.
Despite all of this negativity, there were some shining stars for the club this year. As mentioned already, Pablo Zabaleta had a breakout year, torturing attackers and providing excellent crosses for the forwards to connect with. One of those forwards was leading goalscorer Edin Dzeko. Playing the role of fourth choice striker in campaigns past, Dzeko emerged as the man in form this year. Whether he stays at the club or not remains to be seen, but I don't think anyone would have difficulties keeping him at the Etihad. Finally, James Milner. No, he is not the most talented footballer nor the fastest nor the strongest, but his work rate and love for the game are what consistently place him in the first XI for Manchester City and even England.
Overall, it was a rough season. BUT, I am optimistic that a couple of new signings this summer, coupled with the continued success of Dzeko, Zaba, and Milner, will be just what the club needs to inject the quality from 2011/12 back into the squad, returning it to domestic glory and taking it to new heights in Europe.
2012/13 Season Review (Management)
This past season was certainly not ideal for the club: crashing out of the Champions League (last in the group), ending the campaign 11 points and 9 goals differential behind United, and of course, the embarrassing defeat to Wigan in the FA Cup Final. As a result of those shortcomings, Roberto Mancini was sacked exactly 1 year after the team had claimed its first championship in over 4 decades. There were mixed opinions on Mancini's firing. Some claimed that Mubarak was becoming Abramovich (sacking at the first sign of failure); however, others, like myself, felt that the goal each season is to make progress with the club. I did not think that any of the signings truly improved the quality of the squad (with the possible exception of Nastasic, going from first to second is obviously the wrong direction, and for the second year in a row, City failed to advance past the group stages of the UCL. For an established club like Madrid or Juventus, this would just be considered a rough patch, and the manager would probably feel pressure but wouldn't be sacked. In our situation though, the goal of the club is to increase recognition through success. The 2011 FA Cup and the 2012 Premier League trophies accomplished exactly that. Because of the success in other areas, the massive failure in the Champions League was brushed aside. But it couldn't last forever. When the team failed to even qualify for the Europa League, the front office must've realized that enough was enough. And so Roberto was fired.
With Jose Mourinho out of the running it appears that Manuel Pelligrini is a sure-fire lock to follow Mancini, but only time will tell.
Sidenote: I believe that part of the reason why Mancini was fired was because of the Italian style football he played. I know that I hated his defense system, especially when he would go three at the back. I don't think the front office liked this very much either. Another drawback to his management style was the way he wanted the team to possess the ball. Unlike with Barca and Spain, he focused on short passing in the defensive and middle thirds; as you can tell from watching just one Barcelona game, however, their passing is mostly in the front third and at least the offensive half. I bet that one of the factors the owners considered was the appeal of the football Mancini tried to play, and I do not think that their opinions about it helped him at all. Furthermore, I'm not sure that they were fans of his media presence.
With Jose Mourinho out of the running it appears that Manuel Pelligrini is a sure-fire lock to follow Mancini, but only time will tell.
Sidenote: I believe that part of the reason why Mancini was fired was because of the Italian style football he played. I know that I hated his defense system, especially when he would go three at the back. I don't think the front office liked this very much either. Another drawback to his management style was the way he wanted the team to possess the ball. Unlike with Barca and Spain, he focused on short passing in the defensive and middle thirds; as you can tell from watching just one Barcelona game, however, their passing is mostly in the front third and at least the offensive half. I bet that one of the factors the owners considered was the appeal of the football Mancini tried to play, and I do not think that their opinions about it helped him at all. Furthermore, I'm not sure that they were fans of his media presence.
Welcome!
Hello Citizens! My goal for this blog is to analyze everything thing that happens with the club. Whether this be front office statements, press conference coverage, transfer rumours/deals, match previews and reviews, and discussing the form of our players. The point is that this site be about the one thing that everyone who reads it loves, City!
Cheers!
Cheers!
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