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Pressure on City boss Hughes

One manager who is sure to be active in the transfer marker this January is Manchester City’s Mark Hughes. With a failing team in the league, things got even worse for Sparky over the weekend when Nottingham Forest wiped the floor with his team in the FA Cup.

The first arrival is set to be Chelsea defender Wayne Bridge who must have wondered what he had walked in to after watching the horror show last Saturday. City have also been linked with Stewart Downing who is expected to hand in a written transfer request to Middlesbrough today.

Other names who have been linked with a move to Eastlands are Roque Santa Cruz and former Brazilian hot shot Ronaldo.

It has not come as a surprise that City are about to splash the cash on essentially a new team, but is this a reason for their current league position? If you knew that you were going to be replaced at any moment would you give 100%?

The pressure is now on Hughes to produces results quickly – my guess is that he will not be able to do this and will be shown the door in the summer.

Do you agree with me?

Manchester City win in Germany

Despite the impending Manchester derby this coming weekend against city rivals United, Manchester City put those thoughts behind them to put on an impressive display and win 2-0 in Germany against Shalke to practically book their place in the last 32 of the UEFA Cup.

City had much the better of the chances and the play in the first half before former Portsmouth striker Benjani (who’s old team are also playing tonight against AC Milan) put his side in front from close range.

City could have doubled their lead shortly after but Stephen Ireland’s effort was ruled offside, when in truth he need not have touched it as it appeared to be going in anyway. He made up for it in the second half though when he did score City’s second and gave his side a much deserved 2-0 win.

City are now on six points from two games, needing just one point from their final two matches to be sure of going through.

Man City, having left star striker Robinho behind in Manchester, can now turn their attention to their bitter rivals United on Sunday, a game that they won last season when they completed the double over Manchester United.

City eye Tevez

Moneybags Manchester City are now looking across Manchester for their latest target, but it’s not Ronaldo. This time City are eying up Manchester United’s Argentinean striker Carlos Tevez. The decision might not be United’s to make either, as Tevez isn’t actually a United player, he’s still on loan at the club from West Ham, though the real ownership of the player is in much doubt after his agent seemed to own him, and of course Sheffield United famously complained that he shouldn’t have been allowed to play for the Hammers when they stayed up through Tevez, and Sheffield United were relegated.

Now the future of Tevez looks even more clouded as City, fresh from their 6-0 mauling of Pompey at the weekend, are setting their sights on the best players in the world, of which Tevez is certainly one.

Tevez agent (and possibly his owner, we’re not really sure) Joorabchian, the man who also brought Tevez to England, says that Tevez is staying at United:

Carlos is not joining Manchester City.

All this talk linking him with them is a complete load of nonsense.

He is a Manchester United player through and through and is looking forward to signing a long-term contract with them in the near future.

Though Joorabchian is a man of money, which is something that Manchester City have in abundance. Money, as everyone knows, has a habit of talking.

City hit Pompey for Six

It’s a good time to be a Manchester City fan it would seem, as City have just been taken over by a billionaire, they’ve got more money than they now what to do with, they’ve signed a brilliant Brazilian in the shape of Robinho and now they’ve thumped Portsmouth 6-0.

Pompey were no match for rampant City, who are the top goal scorers this season, and today they showed exactly why. With the samba frontline of Robinho, Elano and Jo, City tore Pompey to pieces in an emphatic win.

City led 2-0 at the break with goals from Jo and Dunne, before taking a ragged Portsmouth apart in the second half. Robinho, who scored on his debut last week against Chelsea, grabbed his second for the club, and new re-signing Shaun Wright-Phillips nabbed his third since returning to Eastlands.

Ched Evans and Gelson Fernandes finished the scoring for City, who proved far to hot for Pompey to handle.

It was a double celebration for City, because in addition to thrashing Portsmouth, the official takeover of the club by Abu Dhabi United Group was announced for 23rd September, with the new City chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, appearing to the fans before the game.

It looks like he’s got his money’s worth today.

City deny signing Fat Ronaldo

There were reports flying around today that Manchester City were on the verge of signing Ronaldo for £150,000 per week. No, not that Ronaldo, Fat Ronaldo. The one who walked out of Real Madrid to warm the bench at AC Milan, before injuring himself and spending the last few months on the beach in Rio.

Yes, Ronaldo was once a great player, the best in the world at one stage (in fact, three times as he was voted world player of the year on three separate occasions) but he is now well past his best.

Plus, most of the claims about the deal were coming from him. He’s optimistic if nothing else. As he’s recovering from a knee injury right now, Ronny would have to pass a fatness test first before signing anyway.

Yet City say they’re not about to sign the big Brazilian.

We had shown a past interest in bringing the player to the football club in the right circumstances and spoke to him and his representatives.

However, we have chosen not to pursue the matter.

Ronaldo however seems to think the deal is done and he’ll be a City player, and scoring goals in the Premiership very soon. He claims that by joining City, he’ll make the club one of the greatest clubs in the world, and believes by teaming up with Robinho he’ll forge a 50 goal per season partnership:

I like the project that City presented me.

It’s the best offer I’ve received and it will be interesting to play with Robinho.

Whether City offer Ronaldo more money than he’s clearly worth remains to be seen, but whether Mark Hughes wants a fat, slow, injured Brazilian in his team is another matter.

Robinho scores on debut against Chelsea

He signed for £32.5m on transfer deadline day, snubbing Chelsea because Man City offered him more money. He was accused of being a football mercenary and the Real Madrid chairman said that by joining Man City it proved he didn’t leave Spain for footballing reasons.

Yet, the Brazilian striker Robinho put all of those comments behind him and showed just why City paid £32.5 million for him, by scoring on his debut with a typically Brazilian free kick.

Sadly his day was spoiled by Chelsea, who came from behind to power home 3-1 winners, and remain on top of the Premier League, just ahead of Liverpool.

Robinho scored his debut goal on 13 minutes, when he converted a 20 yard free kick to give City the lead. The excitement was short lived however, as Chelsea levelled just three minutes later through Carvalho, showing that the City optimism was short lived.

Lampard, then Anelka won the game for Chelsea in impressive style.

The only drawback for Chelsea was that John Terry was sent off for a foul on Jo, and will miss the game next week against champions Manchester United.

Barton Banned Again

Just when he thought he was getting his life, and career, back in order, Joey Barton has been slapped with a twelve match ban (six game ban plus six game suspended sentence). This is for the violent conduct charge he admitted to when he assaulted his Manchester City team-mate Ousmane Dabo in a training ground bust-up.

Barton has only just been released from prison for his assault on a teenager in Liverpool, and in his first game for Newcastle against Arsenal he received a deafening tirade of abuse from his own fans.

Barton received the six game ban, the additional six game suspended sentence, and a £25,000 fine for the assault, which only represents half of his week’s wages!

Far from getting his life back on track, Joey Barton seems as though he will never learn, as he was followed on his way to report to his probation officer recently and was seen driving his Range Rover down bus lanes and through a red light, something which he could be banned from driving for.

As if things couldn’t get any worse for Barton, with manager Kevin Keegan walking out he know has no leadership.

Barton will miss games against Hull, West Ham, Tottenham, Blackburn, Everton and Manchester City.

Manchester City try to steal Berbatov for £30 million

In an audacious last gasp effort, Man City are trying to hijack rivals Manchester United’s bid for Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov. City has had a £30 million bid for the player accepted by Tottenham, but the player is still keen on joining the Reds and wants to play in the Champions League.

Berbatov is in talks with United, even though Spurs have yet to accept a bid from the champions for their player. The Abu Dhabi United Group, who own Manchester City, have tabled the bid in an attempt to steal the player from bitter rivals Man UTD. City manager Mark Hughes hopes to meet the player today to discuss the transfer, but he’ll have to be quick because the transfer deadline closes tonight.

Thaksin Shinawatra only agreed to sell the club to the Abu Dhabi United Group today, and already they’re weighing in with what would be the transfer coup of the season. If only they had more time before the transfer window closes.

Mark Hughes is delighted with the speed that things have happened at City today:

It’s happened quite quickly today.

We are going to try and bring good players to the club and it is a notice of our intent and we’ll try and get him.

There is a real buzz and expectation and hopefully this time it won’t be a false dawn and we can establish ourselves as a top six club.

They [the new owners] have the means to do that.

I wanted the resources to compete at the top table and it looks like that’s what I have got.

Whether Berbatov agrees to join City is another matter, but he only has a few hours to make his mind up.

City and Villa progress in UEFA cup

Manchester City have their young goalkeeper Joe Hart to thank as they edged past FC Midtjylland to reach the first round of the UEFA Cup.

Although City won the tie one nil, the sides went all the way to penalties after the Danes recorded the same score at the City of Manchester stadium a fortnight ago.

Hart arguably kept the Blues in the tie during the 90 minutes with a string of fine saves, although Ched Evans and Daniel Sturridge can both count themselves as unlucky not to send City through earlier.

Yet, the former Shrewsbury Town keeper saved spot kicks from Jonas Borring and Kolja Afriyie to send City through 4 – 2 on penalties.

Aston Villa will join them in the hat after they strolled past FH Hafnarfjordur 5 -2 on aggregate. Craig Gardner put Villa ahead with a top quality strike just inside the area. Yet within two and a half minutes scores were level when Atli Bjornsson sneeked through at the near post.

Yet Villa already held a 4 – 1 lead from the first leg and that never looked in any danger as they hardly broke sweat to see themselves through.

The draw will be made in Monaco at 12:00 tomorrow afternoon.

Thaksin Shinawatra offers to quit Manchester City

Manchester City’s Thailand owner Thaksin Shinawatra has offered to stand down from his position, amid the turmoil over the warrant for his arrest back in his home country of Thailand.

City chairman Garry Cook has revealed that Shinawatra has offered to resign his position from the board of the club.

Shinawatra, the former Prime Minister of Thailand, was supposed to return to Thailand last week to face charges, but instead chose to fly to back the UK.

Garry Cook stated:

Dr Thaksin is embarrassed about the indignity brought on all the entities - the club, the Premier League - he never intended this.

Dr Thaksin has been really open about this.

He has said to me, ‘if you need me to resign from the football club as a director, because it would serve the needs of the Premier League, then I’m fine with that as long as that doesn’t change any other thing.’

The City board has yet to respond to the offer made by Shinawatra. The whole situation is also being monitored by the Premier League, who could step in if they believe Shinawatra isn’t the right person to control a Premier League side.

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