It is hard to imagine Ferran Soriano and Txiki Begiristain being regaled with the tale of when Steve Lomas shepherded the ball by the corner flag to haphazardly preserve a result that would seal Manchester City’s relegation. They may not realise the fans’ anthem “We’re Not Really Here” found life amid the gallows humour that accompanied the subsequent tour of English football’s pyramid, not to mention jokes about blue Oxo Cubes.

There is, therefore, a certain irony that these two men from Barcelona, with hard-forged reputations as two of the game’s finest administrators and brought to Manchester to oversee period of clinical dominance mapped out amid the opulence of Abu Dhabi, have over the past few weeks or so –unwittingly or otherwise – presided over a farce that is unmistakably “Typical City”.

By way of a quick recap, it became clear the goose of the manager who ended the club’s 35-year trophy drought and 44-year wait for a league title was well and truly cooked on the eve of the FA Cup final against soon-to-be relegated Wigan; his players appeared at Wembley in a dishevelled daze and fell to a deserved defeat, 72 hours on from the initial stories so fatal to that cup bid Roberto Mancini was sacked; a day later, around an hour before the managerless Blues beat Reading 2-0, first-team coach David Platt moved on; over the rest of the week, amid a deluge of newspaper stories about a riven dressing room at the point of mutiny during Mancini’s final months, a raft of other first-team staff left the Etihad Stadium before Norwich arrived to claim a 3-2 win against their disjointed hosts amid left-back Aleksander Kolarov quarrelling with home supporters.

Standing back from that in black and white, one is confronted with an undeniably unseemly mess. But from the wreckage emerged a perhaps surprising conclusion in some quarters – woeful timing apart, perhaps Soriano, Begiristain and chairman Khaldoon al Mubarak were correct to place Sheikh Mansour’s finger on the trigger and end Mancini’s glittering three-and-a-half-year reign.

As Manuel Pellegrini waits in the wings, there are obvious parallels to be drawn from when Mancini usurped Mark Hughes in December 2009. An underachieving group of expensively assembled players forced the owners’ hands to bring in a manager they view as an upgrade. Put simply, Mancini is better than Hughes, Pellegrini is better than Mancini and Manchester City continue to progress.

Under performance in the 2012/13 season is impossible to argue against, even for Mancini’s staunchest supporters. Aside from the redoubtable Pablo Zabaleta and James Milner, it is difficult to identify a player who has improved on their title-winning campaign 12 months earlier. Joe Hart, Vincent Kompany, Yaya Toure, David Silva and Sergio Aguero were the backbone of that triumph and have all fallen short. Such collective failure from big names means the manager must come under scrutiny and, in this context, Pellegrini’s reputation as a shrewd tactician who always gets the maximum from his charges is appealing. City have undoubtedly been less than the sum of their parts this term.

Of course, Mancini can point towards his often-made argument that City made the mistake of failing to improve from a position of strength by not bringing in the players he wanted last summer. Results at home and in Europe make his case virtually water-tight, but the former Italy international must himself carry the can for woeful misjudgements. Surely there were better second or third choices than Scott Sinclair and Javi Garcia? If a failure to bring in Mancini’s primary transfer targets weakened City then his ill-conceived back-up plans merely compounded the situation.

An intriguing subtext to the manager’s grumblings over acquisitions and direction of ire towards director of football Brian Marwood is the latter’s move to the role of academy director and Begiristain’s installation in his place last October. Careful what you wish for, Roberto.

Of course, Marwood was far from the only City employee to feel the sharp end of Mancini’s tongue. Criticism of key players such as Joe Hart and Samir Nasri, not always without justification, became an increasingly uncomfortable feature of the season and meant reports of squad members ready to pop champagne corks at the news of their manager’s imminent demise hardly came as a surprise.

While some of Mancini’s jibes appeared to have a positive impact and others were tongue-in-cheek (he would, perhaps knowingly, head a reasonable queue of City fans wanting to punch Nasri in the face), angrily questioning Kompany for playing 90 for Belgium following a two-month injury absence felt like an unnecessary and reckless act of bridge burning.

Kompany is an influential and highly impressive leader who nailed his colours to the Mancini mast during City’s troubled early post-Hughes days. No doubt a conversation between the two was in order; a public flogging, not so much. A popular and respected dressing room figure, Kompany has cut a dejected and sullen figure over recent weeks and it is irresistible not to read between the lines.

So, with Mancini’s allies among the playing staff dwindling, perhaps Soriano and Begiristain felt backed into a corner. If this is the case, they have set one or two precedents that may well come back to haunt them.

There are numerous examples in the modern game of player power being king and of confrontational management styles having a limited shelf life, irrespective of success. The similarities between Mancini’s latest downfall and his exit from Inter Milan are there for all to see. But City’s players now know a manager giving them a hard time can have his position brought into question if they don’t like it. What happens the next time this occurs? Also, what happens the next time Pellegrini or anyone else finishes second in an incredibly difficult league to win? Dangerous, dangerous precedents that are somewhat at odds with the desire for a “holistic approach” and associated stability.

Indeed, Gael Clichy had some interesting thoughts on the matter when he became the first member of a disgruntled squad to stick his head above the parapet in New York last week. It is safe to say talk of mutiny was not in the air.

“It’s always difficult – a manager has to be a manager. Once you become a friend of the players, that’s when you can have trouble,” he told the Manchester Evening News.

“I prefer to have trouble because the manager is respected and is hard with the players than a manager who is having trouble because he is friends with the players.

“He brought most of us to the club. If he bought you it means that he likes you. A player that he just bought can’t really say he had a problem.”

Also in the column against Mancini’s dismissal is the wanton surrender of a clear strategic advantage. For all the talk of David Moyes being an ideal successor to Sir Alex Ferguson and the impressive efficiency with which Manchester United implemented their succession plan, City’s closest rivals find themselves in a state of upheaval and uncertainty unknown to them for a generation. With Chelsea also set to change managers, City had a serial winner with three and half years under his belt at the helm. Now the Blues are in a similar state of flux, with an unhelpful dollop or two of damaging fall-out to boot.

And there lies the final black mark against Soriano and Begiristain – Mancini wins things. Lots of things. Everywhere he’s managed. Critics of Mancini can point towards favourable circumstances and demonstrable character flaws, but the cold, hard facts are he is a winner and a fiercely determined one in a game where “show us your medals” can end many an argument. This season’s failing will have burnt and past experience points towards a manic desire to correct them. Regardless of whether some noses are put out of joint in the process, that man sounds like an asset.

Equally, an embattled playing group could be more likely to find solace under the sympathetic and encouraging methods espoused by Pellegrini if, as expected the 59-year-old Chilean brings his glowing reputation to Manchester. No one can be certain whether Manchester City have taken a step backwards to embark upon a couple forwards or if this whole episode is the first of a few paces in reverse.

Reports that moves for major signings – such as Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Fernandinho, Napoli striker Edinson Cavani and the jewel in Pellegrini’s Malaga side, Isco – are well underway come as welcome news. Pellegrini ideally needs all the key components in place for the start of pre-season training next month. There will be fences to mend and fires to put out. The unity demonstrated in 2012’s title push, branded with the hashtag #together by City’s official website, echoes like a call from a different age.

Soriano and Begiristain must secure their chosen manager and targets quickly, not least to demonstrate competence. The men from the Camp Nou can no longer be granted the luxury of a blind belief that the club will prosper in their hands having produced an unwelcome demonstration that “Typical City” is alive and well.

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In Sweden the derby build up began over a week ago with adverts drawing out in length after last week’s Champions League games.  Flights from Abu Dhabi have been reported much higher than usual.  The clamour for tickets is unprecedented.  Put quite simply: game on.

@VincentKompany advised us last week that over 650 million viewers worldwide will watch this derby.  To be one of the privileged 47,000 (and change) supporters who will go to the match, I’m left wandering, “how on earth do I enjoy it?”

As I ponder pre-match strategy I recall interviewing Paul Lake on the day that Sergio Aguero arrived at the club.  The question I was desperate to ask was whether he thought we would ever see Tevez and Aguero playing alongside each other. 

And here we are now potentially relying on this pair to win us the league.   Dreaming about them linking up to win the derby has occupied a lot of my spare time lately. If I think about the possibilities for long enough, add in the stadium atmosphere and some imaginary commentary, I can actually almost bring myself to tears! 

It’s like being a kid again imagining all the goals and re-living past memories.  But as the game approaches so do all of the grown-up fears.  Fear of failure, fear of nerve-jangling moments, fear of the unknown.   

Then a big consideration arrives.  We led the league for a long time, gave it up, and thought we were out of contention.  We stuck together and we’ve been given another chance.  If we take it this time, having given it up once will we give it up again?  Could this really be it?

I’ve concluded that I probably won’t enjoy this game until and unless we reach the final whistle having got the three points.  I’ve decided on a pre-match glass of single malt Scotch to calm the nerves and limiting twitter monitoring to short bursts before I get too sick with excitement.  Bring it on.

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Now then, now then, now then, then now, come on...enough already!  The battery of press attacks against Manchester City over the last few days has reached a fever pitch.  But this is a good thing.  A very good thing.

Blues enthusiasm hit rock bottom for the season after the Sunderland game and it became open season for reporters, many of whom had been sharpening their knives all season long waiting for this moment.  Licking their lips, they had the articles primed and ready, all their sad headline-writers had to do was come up with some predictable pap of a banner and they could hit send.

This is perfect timing.  Not only is Mancini under fire but stories abound on much of the team, the perfect tonic to unite the dressing room.  Crisis at the Etihad, panic, Mancini to be sacked, get the army helmets out and dig in because this is one of the worst seasons I can remember for a long time.  We broke the Premier League record with 20 consecutive home wins after the incredible comeback at Chelsea - you know what these really are dark days indeed.

I was most struck in midweek by one of the laziest articles I've ever seen written in a newspaper.  Struck because my reaction to it would have been much more angry in days gone by.  Instead, I felt a feeling of elation as Chief Football Writer of London's main daily was reduced to 'gutter press' status with his weak and feeble cheap shot.

"City are a ridiculous club," was his opening gambit in his tirade against the Blues on 4th April (article here).  No but hang on. It gets better.  "Having been willing to sacrifice most conventional football principles in a desperate and often ugly pursuit of silverware, they made their fast-tracked assault on the game’s elite all about the winning." 

And you thought that was bad?  "At a time when football is finally realising its general approach to financial management is utterly unsustainable, City’s largesse is grotesque if unaccompanied by any deeper philosophy or commitment to win in the right way and exhibiting a strong moral compass." 

Now we're in tears laughing are we not?!  This is extraordinary!  A London-based Chief Football Correspondent entering into the world of morals, philosophy, and life navigation.  Is this a covert application for Martin Samuel's job at the Daily Mail?!  You'll never get it James, he's too good!

Manchester City's owners have exhibited humility, kept their wealth well under wraps in Manchester, and as the country recovers from being on its knees they are busy planning an urban regeneration that is bigger than any government project in the area.  Job creation, positive growth, a long-term commitment to a local community, a long-term commitment to a proud football club.  There's plenty more deeper James, if you had bothered to dig that deep.

Mark Ogden reminded us this morning that he doesn't write the headlines.  A closer inspection of his article that led with the headline, "Is it all getting too much for Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini" revealed a balanced article written by someone who could be bothered to recall his memory of Mancini's past efforts.  

But if London's evening daily could only produce empty fag packets, then Manchester's daily didn't do much better. After much speculation about the front page headline, we were left to consider for what seemed like an eternally long nano-second how bad builders can occasionally be (article link). How very dull.  

The best thing about this "exclusive" was that it was attributed to three MEN writers.  It took three of them?!  

What does all of this tell you about Manchester City in this moment?  That we're good.

Good enough to win the title?  As Buzzer said earlier today, "it ain't over till the fat lady sings."

All the best,

@MCFCfans

If you haven't already purchased Paul Lake's book, "I'm Not Really Here", then do so - it's a cracker.

In the first part release of this interview, shot in one of the platinum boxes at the Etihad stadium, MCFCfans explores the Madchester scene in more detail and sets the scene of the injury that was to dominate the rest of his life.

   “I’m Not Really Here” published by Century - click the book cover above to buy or here to buy 

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Manchester City are set to meet the 60 year old fan who finds himself at the centre of a storm that threatens to jeopardize the extensive supporter engagement efforts made by the club since ownership changed hands just over three years ago.

The club will hope that an investigation into the ejection of an older fan, at the match against Aston Villa on Saturday 15th October, will help to calm tensions around the perimeter of the singing sections at the Etihad stadium ahead of the next home game against Wolves on Saturday 29th October.

Mario Balotelli scored a fantastic opener in Manchester City's match against Aston Villa , only for events off-the-pitch in the East Stand at the Etihad Stadium to interrupt the flow of play shortly afterwards.

For it was shortly after the goal was scored that stewards, working for the stewarding company Showsec, took the decision to eject a 60 year old man in line with the club's policy on persistent standing.

In a heartbeat, one older supporter found himself at the centre of a growing tension between supporters and stewards that has its roots in Manchester City's well-intentioned attempts to improve the atmosphere at the stadium through the creation of a singing section.

Shocking YouTube video footage appears to show that it was the actions of one steward in particular that triggered the emotional reaction of surrounding supporters who rallied to the older fan's cause.

NB: This video contains strong language and is not suitable for viewing by minors or in an office environment

After the decision is made to eject the older supporter, he is heard saying,”I've done nothing wrong, why are you screaming at me?” All whilst being man-handled by a policeman and a steward.

The video then becomes unclear due to the growing disturbance in the crowd.  When the video returns to the suppporter he is then heard saying,“I take 5 tables a day for heart problems.”

Promptly after revealing his condition, a steward that appears to have been observing the incident from further away, decides to climb over several seats in an escalation of the incident that sees the older fan dragged away from his seat.

The video closes with a disturbing image of the man lying on the ground at the front of block 109, as police and stewards stand in a circle seemingly unsure of what to do next other than wait for medical staff to arrive.

In a statement sent to MCFCfans by Greater Manchester Police, Chief Superintendent Gerry Donnellan said: "Just before half time during the match between Manchester City and Aston Villa, club stewards and security requested the assistance of GMP as, in line with their rules, they were asking a man in the crowd to leave the ground because he refused to sit down.

"Officers only assist if there is a breach of the peace or if there is a likelihood of a breach of the peace occurring and in this case there was one; stewards were struggling with the man and other people in the crowd.

"The man was arrested on suspicion of causing a breach of the peace, but de-arrested when the breach of the peace had ceased.

"He was seen to collapse and paramedics attended, where he was given a clean bill of health.

"Two men were arrested on suspicion of common assault after incidents with stewards. One was later charged and one was given a Fixed Penalty Notice.

"The force's Professional Standards Branch has received a complaint from a third party and will respond in the appropriate fashion in due course."

At this stage it is not known who has lodged the complaint to the police following the incident.  Based on anecdotal evidence, there are many possible complainants due to the fracas that took place as a result of the incident.

The incident requires a full and transparent investigation backed by the courage to act

The uproar after the incident was unprecedented in recent times at the club.  The club, already engaged in a variety of other public relations matters, was deluged with letters and calls from irate supporters.

Immediately after the incident, MCFCfans called for an investigation into the matter that was picked up by the natiional press (Guardian article).  The club promptly confirmed that an investigation would take place and communicating to MCFCfans issued this statement, “The Club have invited both the older fan and a FSF representative to discuss the matter in person and the meeting will take place in the coming days.”

The Football Supporters Federation, known for tirelessly following up incidents of this nature and in support of more vulnerable supporters, stated to MCFCfans,“We welcome the club’s decision to investigate the incident in Block 109 during the Aston Villa game and to interview the supporter involved. We would be happy to assist in that process in any way which would be helpful to the parties.”

MCFCfans understands that the older fan has accepted the offer of a FSF representative to be present at the meeting with the club, something that may go some way to re-assuring all supporters that a fair hearing will take place.

So far so good, and the club deserves to be given the opportunity to investigate the matter fully.

The incident raises many questions. The questions that are consistently raised by witnesses to the incident are:

- Why was an older, apparently vulnerable, fan chosen for ejection, whilst so many other fans standing around him and on the same row were also presumably eligible for ejection?  What process is in place to decide who is ejected?

- Once the older fan had highlighted his heart condition, why was the incident escalated by the lone steward?  What training and procedures are in place in such a situation to ensure that vulnerable fans with medical conditions are treated with care?

The investigation at the very least should provide re-assurance to supporters that there are processes in place, checks and balances, incident reviews, learning and re-training, governance that involves senior club officials outside the seemingly closed circle of stadium security and its contracted stewarding company Showsec.

In short, could the incident have been handled differently?

Showsec for their part confirmed that they are co-operating fully with the investigation involving their client Manchester City, but were unable to comment specifically on the details concerning the ejection.

Thoughts will turn to the long-term solutions...

The current investigation should rightly focus on the specific circumstances surrounding the older fan.  But this is unlikely to solve the problem of block 109.

Peter Fletcher, the club's Stadium Security and Safety Manager, finds himself in the unenviable position of attempting to balance club policy, ground regulations, licensing laws, and supporter safety.

It doesn't take long perusing supporter forums to know that Mr.Fletcher is not altogether popular, in particular with fans seated in the singing areas and adjacent blocks.

But it was presumably him that gave his blessing to the singing sections in the first place. So does he now find himself in a no-win situation?

The club's statement went on to state, “More generally, whilst the Club has adopted a collaborative approach with fans wishing to stand in certain areas, it remains the case that persistent standing within Blocks 109 and 119, which border the singing section, remains contrary to the policy for this season, a fact which was clearly communicated by letter to supporters in those areas prior to the first game of the season.

The Club continually review policy and procedure across all areas, as is the case following this incident.  We will also be seeking to gauge the views of fans adjacent to the singing stand in the coming days and weeks to assist with planning for next and future seasons."

The statement shows a genuine desire by the club to engage with supporters to find long-term solutions for the singing sections and areas around them.

The FSF, knowing the history behind block 109 can play a vital role and went on to confirm their involvement to MCFCfans, “We have arranged to meet the Club next month to discuss a range of issues related to standing at the Etihad Stadium and the Club’s approach to this. We welcome the Club’s willingness to meet and note that the introduction of the singing area is a more progressive approach to this issue than is the case at some other clubs. However, there are clearly issues to be addressed relating to the management of standing in adjacent areas.”

It could now be said that leadership by the club needs to be matched by leadership from the fans.  The FSF can fill some of this role, but perhaps the club also needs to find other ways of bridging the gap between the 'men in suits' and the supporter in the stand by inviting willing volunteers and supporters representatives to the debate.

One fan in block 109 did take a lead recently when carrying out a survey of 100 fans in block 109.  The survey revealed that 90% in the block wanted to stand/sing all game, 8% during moments of excitement, and 1.2% wanted to be seated.

Many supporters may say a conclusive result, but those who wish to be seated will still wish to be heard.

As far as all parties in the debate are concerned, actions will speak louder than words.

Is Safe Standing the future?

It's ironic that all of this should take place so recently after the Hillsbough debate in the House of Commons.

The FSF's Safe Standing campaign is one of the recognised national attempts to solve the wider issue, which in their words can be summarised as,”It is clear that many supporters have a strong desire to stand.” The campaign, officially supported by The Liberal Democrats, states, “The FSF believes that football supporters should have the choice to stand in a Safe Standing area, if they so wish. Stadiums would retain seated accommodation for those who wished to sit.”

Do you support Safe Standing?  

What is your view on City's singing section and where it should be located?  

And have you been impacted by the persisent standing policy?

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Paul Lake, commenting exclusively to MCFCfans on the signing of Sergio Aguero ahead of the release of his new book,”I’m Not Really Here,” said that it would be a dream as a City fan to see Carlos Tevez playing in the same side as Aguero, but he went on to add, ”I’d be surprised if that happens.”  

Paul Lake, never a man to shy away from hard work himself, commented on the appeal of bringing Argentinian stars to the Etihad stadium, ”you get the impression from Pablo Zaboleta and Carlos Tevez that their work ethic is immense, that has a knock-on effect.”

Lake emphasised the importance of inserting Aguero straight into the pre-season action with City in order to achieve a settled side with the new signings as quickly as possible.  Aguero, who is married to one of Diego Maradona’s daughters, will wear the No.16 shirt at City and may well see his first action in this weekend’s pre-season Super Cup tournament in Dublin where City play an Irish XI followed by Inter Milan. 

MCFCfans captured Sergio Aguero’s first experience of meeting City fans outside the Etihad stadium during his contract negotiation process. 

It remains an open question, however, as to whether Tevez can forge an exit with goal.com reporting today that talks were held with Inter on Thursday as fresh attempts are made to work an exit for the unsettled player.  Ironically, any deal may hinge on whether United make a formal bid for Inter playmaker Wesley Sneijder.

See Paul Lake's video interview with MCFCfans by clicking here

The Manchester City Hall of Fame and Blues legend is just days away from having the incredible story of his challenging life picked up off the doormats of Manchester City fans all over the world.  The pre-release response to the book has been phenomenal, with journalists and readers reporting tears and much emotion having read what is a deeply moving but ultimately inspiring account.   

MCFCFans – Click here to vote on Where City finish will in the league this season?

   “I’m Not Really Here” is released on August 4^th published by Century - click the book cover above to buy or here to buy 

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Sergio Aguero became Manchester City’s club record signing and emerged after signing his contract to an excited crowd of supporters at the Etihad stadium yesterday.  MCFCfans caught the mood with exclusive footage of Kun making a point of dealing with every single request from fans to sign autographs and take pictures, with two delightful junior Blues over the moon at securing his signature.

  Sergio has his picture taken with a junior Blue

City fans demonstrated their excellent command of Spanish, though Sergio was clearly briefed to not respond to questions. However, when City fan Norman Burkitt asked,"how are you?" in Spanish, a smiling Sergio replied, "bien!"  Life-long City fan Burkitt is now on his way to Dublin hoping to see Sergio play for the first time in a City shirt, whilst his daughter Jasmine appears in the BBC3 documentary series,"Small Teen Bigger World," on Monday at 9pm.

Aguero remarked on his Twitter feed some last night,"I'm already a City player. I'm happy to be in this club and in this town. Thank you all for the welcome and the reception!!!"

Comment below with your ideas for a Kun chant !!

Twitter: @MCFCfans

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Sergio Aguero has become become Manchester City’s club record signing and arrived to an ever-growing crowd of supporters  at the Etihad stadium today.  The deal is believed to be worth in excess of £35 million in order to trigger the release clause in his contract with Atletico Madrid, which spares the Madrid side the potential embarrassment that would have followed any move to Real.

Supporters began gathering at the Etihad stadium from the moment Twitter feeds began reporting his arrival at London’s Heathrow airport today.  A medical was followed by further meetings and negotiations, before a smiling Sergio Aguero emerged from the City @ Home building to make his way to the Colin Bell Stand.   

Sergio happily signs for two very happy junior Blues

There he made a specific point of dealing with every single photo and autograph request from the waiting fans over a period of half an hour or so, a true gentleman.

So what do we know about the 23 year old “Kun” from Argentina?  Born into a large and poor family, he’s a prolific goalscoarer with arguably more of a killer instinct for goal than Carlos Tevez, albeit with a weaker shot, having scored 74 goals in 174 appearances at Atletico. 

He is a loyal player and still loves his first home club Independiente, a club that stands to benefit from a slice of the transfer fee and where he has a lifetime box. 

Off the pitch he is the husband of Giannina Maradona, the youngest daughter of Diego Maradona.  It is likely that City, with the future so rooted in youth development, will keep an eye on his son Benjamin.  Just two years old, the young man is reported to be an extraordinary talent with the round ball himself.  Kun is also reported to be very close friends with a certain Lionel Messi.

His English is unlikely to be much better than Tevez, but with British Airways now offering a direct flight from London to Buenos Aires, who knows maybe Carlos, Kun and Pablo can fly back and forward together in order to get around the homesickness clause that may well have been included at Mancini’s insistence!

All eyes now on his first appearance....and what will his chant be?!

MCFCfans

From planking to scoring - SWP is making his mark

Manchester City ventured into Vancouver for the second match of their US tour, a match that only went ahead following the herculean efforts of Vancouver Whitecaps staff and fans who spent hours clearing the Empire Field pitch of water following a deluge over the weekend.  Paul Barber, Whitecaps CEO, explained in an interview on Team 1040 radio in Vancouver that the club had probably sold the city out of screen wipers that were used to help clear the pitch. 

The company that the club hired to lay a natural grass pitch on top of an artificial surface, standard practice in the US for such exhibition games, described it as,” probably their best ever installation,” according to Barber.  The heavens opened moments after that conversation took place in Vancouver. 

Hats off then to the Whitecaps for making the game a reality for the 24,074 sell-out crowd, and it must have been ‘hearts in mouths’ time when Yaya Toure was taken off injured on a worsening pitch, with reports since making it very clear that it was caused by catching another player’s foot.  City players were put to the test with a cruel goal from the Whitecaps that took a wicked deflection off Stefan Savic after half an hour, before John Guidetti equalised for City in the 68^th minute. 

Earlier in the day Ryan Ruocco on ESPN New York radio had been discussing the huge boost that soccer in North America had received from the Women’s World Cup, with the USA disappointingly falling to Japan on penalties in front of 13.5 million viewers.  Penalties he said were like,” a home run derby,” and no way to finish a competitive soccer match.  As word spread that the Whitecaps game against City would be decided on penalties in the event of a draw, up stepped a much-loved City favourite who is determined to make his mark on this US tour – Shaun Wright-Phillips.  Five minutes from time Wright-Phillips produced a rasping thunderbolt into the top left hand corner that was reminiscent of many of his long-range efforts of old.

SWP caught the online headlines early in the tour for what was undoubtedly the best planking effort displayed by a member of the City squad posting their efforts online.  A goal to finish off Club America was followed in Vancouver by the decider to ensure City notched up a confidence-boosting comeback from a goal down.  It has so far been tough to pick out the stand out performers on this tour, but if Shaun Wright-Phillips can adapt his play to the kind of passing game he is beginning to show then it will be a sign of a top player maturing in his trade. As Micah Richards quotes in his daily blog today, ”A class goal from a class guy,” and to view SWP’s humble post-match comments we would have to agree.

The City team have arrived in Los Angeles in preparation for their next match against LA Galaxy on Sunday, with the Galaxy first concentrating on their match tonight with Columbus Crew.  A clean sweep of wins on this US tour would be a fantastic start to pre-season.

@MCFCfans

This article is dedicated to the Real Way Down project :

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The Ultimate MCFC FA Cup Final Viewing Guide

In two days we aim to produce the ultimate Global FA Cup Final Viewing Guide for Manchester City fans all over the world, including pubs, bars, parties and roundabouts for those actually going to the match.

COME ON THEN BLUES GET YOUR PUBS AND MEETUPS ON HERE!!

London

The Green Man – Dagmar Avenue, Wembley, HA9 8DF (Wembley Park / Wembley Central / Wembley Stadium Rail)

If you are planning to go to the match then this boozer will be bouncing before kick off.   Once again designated as a Manchester City pub, it will open from 9.30am with food, beer garden, marquees, and portaloos all available. Numbers in the car park are being restricted by the police this time and the doors will close once the quota is reached.  So get there early!

The Roundabout – near the Green Man on Empire Way (A479)

No it isn’t a pub, it is literally a roundabout!  A bloke called Kevin Beresford published a book called “Roundabouts of Great Britain” in 2004 after getting mailbag full of people’s favourite roundabouts.  Surely if he published it now City fans would vote the roundabout at Wembley as their No.1.  There are so many fans planning to base themselves here that you’ll probably have to get there early as well!

The Greyhound – 324 Harrow Road, Wembley, HA9 6LL (Wembley Stadium Rail / Wembley Central)

Not reported as the most desirable of boozers but got a vote of confidence for Blues atmosphere before the semi-final.

The City Pride – 28 Farringdon Lane, EC1R 3AN (Farringdon)

Tony (aka Tueartsboots) is working with the landlord to open the pub early for  pre-match build up and set it up for a post-match drink-up afterwards.  The City Pride has fast become the Blues base for London-based City fans with regular attendances of over 50 or so for big games.  Expect it to be rammed for this one. It has a large downstairs  with several plasma screens (inc at the bar as you wait for your pint) and good-sized upstairs as well. Definitely a good one to go to if you don’t have a ticket.

The Railway – corner of West End Lane and Broadhurst Gardens (right next to West Hampstead tube)

This is a well-trodden pre-Wembley boozer at one of the key outposts slightly off the beaten.  Right next to West Hampstead tube, it is just 15 mins away on the Jubilee line to Wembley Park.  The duty manager was convinced it would be Red for the Semi-Final.  How wrong he was.  It was jam-packed with Blues before and after the match with a cracking atmosphere. It will be Blue again.

Manchester

City Square – City of Manchester Stadium

A lot of fans were frustrated at the box office falling over themselves to sell tickets for City Square when they couldn’t get through to buy the actual match tickets.  But this is a leading option if you’re staying in Manchester.

There are loads of other options so please could Blues who know of at least 30+ fans meeting up to watch the game in a boozer write in rather than us listing out every boozer in town!

Perth, Australia

Blues seeking a boozer – get in touch

Brussels, Belgium

The 6 Nations Bar, 48-50 Rue Gretry, 1000 Brussels, Belgium

New York, USA

The Mad Hatter Saloon & Beer Garden – 360 Third Ave

The only place to be in New York for the final.  Even Garry Cooke has been here before.

Now let's get the rest of the world sorted!!

  The Roundabout is a hot favourite for the Final !!

We have made it to the FA Cup Final!  What a feeling it was to beat United in the Semi.  One of the best games I have ever been to as a City fan.  There is just that nagging feeling now though.  Stoke is a big ask and it never feels great to be the favourite as a City fan.  But that won’t stop an unprecedented pre- and post-match party as the City giddy-o-meter explodes past the red zone.

MCFCfans returns setting itself the one week challenge of producing the most comprehensive MCFC Global FA Cup Final viewing guide incorporating research from everywhere and feedback from readers.  Let’s hear it from fans going to the match and from around the world planning to watch on TV in order to create the best blue-bouncing atmosphere across the globe.  Put your pubs, bars, underground parties, and (hopefully) after-match celebration ideas down by commenting on this article or by going to our FA Cup Final page here.

This FA Cup Final will again produce the good-humoured MCFC way to party, so now is the chance to nail all of the plans being made after the Semi was such a success.  One of the biggest differences with the final would appear to be the large number of fans that will actually stay in London this time, which should make for a great after-match drink up whatever the result.

We’ll update the list below on a daily basis next week with all of your feedback coming in.

MCFCfans

London

The Green Man – Dagmar Avenue, Wembley, HA9 8DF (Wembley Park / Wembley Central / Wembley Stadium Rail)

If you are planning to go to the match then this boozer will be bouncing before kick off.   Once again designated as a Manchester City pub, it will open from 9.30am with food, beer garden, marquees, and portaloos all available. Numbers in the car park are being restricted by the police this time and the doors will close once the quota is reached.  So get there early!

The Roundabout – near the Green Man on Empire Way (A479) – can someone confirm?

No it isn’t a pub, it is literally a roundabout!  A bloke called Kevin Beresford published a book called “Roundabouts of Great Britain” in 2004 after getting mailbag full of people’s favourite roundabouts.  Surely if he published it now City fans would vote the roundabout at Wembley as their No.1.  There are so many fans planning to base themselves here that you’ll probably have to get there early as well!

The Greyhound – 324 Harrow Road, Wembley, HA9 6LL (Wembley Stadium Rail / Wembley Central)

Not reported as the most desirable of boozers but got a vote of confidence for Blues atmosphere before the semi-final.

The City Pride – 28 Farringdon Lane, EC1R 3AN (Farringdon)

Tony (aka Tueartsboots) is working with the landlord to open the pub early for  pre-match build up and set it up for a post-match drink-up afterwards.  The City Pride has fast become the Blues base for London-based City fans with regular attendances of over 50 or so for big games.  Expect it to be rammed for this one. It has a large downstairs  with several plasma screens (inc at the bar as you wait for your pint) and good-sized upstairs as well. Definitely a good one to go to if you don’t have a ticket.

The Railway – corner of West End Lane and Broadhurst Gardens (right next to West Hampstead tube)

This is a well-trodden pre-Wembley boozer at one of the key outposts slightly off the beaten.  Right next to West Hampstead tube, it is just 15 mins away on the Jubilee line to Wembley Park.  The duty manager was convinced it would be Red for the Semi-Final.  How wrong he was.  It was jam-packed with Blues before and after the match with a cracking atmosphere. It will be Blue again.

Manchester

City Square – City of Manchester Stadium

A lot of fans were frustrated at the box office falling over themselves to sell tickets for City Square when they couldn’t get through to buy the actual match tickets.  But this is a leading option if you’re staying in Manchester.

There are loads of other options so please could Blues who know of at least 30+ fans meeting up to watch the game in a boozer write in rather than us listing out every boozer in town!

Perth, Australia

Blues seeking a boozer – get in touch

Brussels, Belgium

Blues known to be getting together here – pub TBC

New York, USA

The Mad Hatter Saloon & Beer Garden – 360 Third Ave

The only place to be in New York for the final.  Even Garry Cooke has been here before.

Now let's get the rest of the world sorted!!

By Dom Farrell, MCFCfans

When David Silva opened his Manchester City account a mere eight minutes into last Thursday's Europa League clash with Salzburg, the feeling of relief was tangible.

The build up to the match was dominated by quotes from boss Roberto Mancini, Nigel de Jong and Silva himself claiming that the former Valencia player's apparent problems in acclimatising to life at City were about to come to an end.

The cruel nature of football can often throw such words back into the protagonists' faces, but when the Silva nonchalantly side-footed Jo's knockdown into the bottom corner, the comments seemed prophetic.

His start to life at City had a number of parallels with the club's stuttering fortunes in the opening weeks of the season - initial excitement and flashes of top level potential, but no definitive impact. 

But Mancini seems to have recognised a stretch of seven games in three weeks as the point of the season where a statement can be made and, in Silva, identified a player who can grasp the moment.

The Canary Islander continued to display the subtleties of his craft three days later as City eased to their second 2-0 win of the week, this time over Wigan in the Premier League.

Newly shorn skipper Carlos Tevez was the star performer at the DW Stadium, opening the scoring with a delightful finish, before laying on the second goal and its associated breathing space for Yaya Toure. 

In the past week Tevez appeared liberated by the Silva’s presence, freed up to roam with the trademark belligerence that has been absence since his horror miss in the defeat to Sunderland. 

A playmaker of Silva's undoubted quality can make football a far simpler game for those around him.

There is an ongoing and understandable wish among City fans for Mancini to give Silva, and Tevez more support in the final third of the field.

In-form England winger Adam Johnson could count himself unfortunate to miss out at Wigan and the prospect of him working alongside Tevez and Silva's burgeoning relationship will surely become too good to ignore.  And this is before the firebrand talents of Mario Balotelli are added to the mix.

The problem is that supplementing the attack will necessitate breaking up the central midfield barricade which is performing with such distinction.  De Jong and Gareth Barry brim with increasing certainty and expression, while Yaya snatched his first City goal at the weekend and is starting to provide the penetration and dynamism that was lacking from the Blues engine room last season.

A difficult decision awaits Mancini in the coming weeks because for all its merits, his current approach is operating within uncomfortably fine margins. A couple of botched chances and Wigan could have been another Sunderland.

It seems perverse to suggest a victory over reigning Austrian champions Salzburg, who boasted a 100% record in last season's Europa League group stage, was less trying than a trip to Wigan. City's previous league outings offer reasons to take such a view.

A haul of one point from a possible six against Sunderland and Blackburn was unacceptable for the ambitious Blues. It represented a stark reluctance to consume the bread and butter that sustains the campaigns of title contenders.

Roberto Martinez' Latics have staggered punch-drunk through the opening rounds of the season, gathering themselves briefly to land a haymaker on Tottenham, so were written off before a ball was kicked.

Additionally, the days’ other games provided a blockbuster between Manchester United and Liverpool and Chelsea’s latest demolition job. 

Against this backdrop, a routine, nondescript win that passes almost without notice is vital. Such wins are the foundations that successful season are built on.

More of the same in the Carling Cup against West Brom on Wednesday night is crucial before City look to derail the Chelsea bandwagon.

Beneath the layer upon layer of articles about big money signings and whether the manager of the day can fashion a side to win the Premier League, there are always incredibly heart-warming stories to be heard about the generosity of City fans around the world. 

One such story concerns the huge dedication of a small number of fans to make the impossible possible.  On Wednesday 25^th August Phil Holme, Tony Griffiths, Alex Channon, Howard Burr will travel to Freetown in Sierra Leone in order to deliver a mini-bus for an aspiring youth football club that was setup as a City supporting club.  Paul Lake, Ambassador for City in the Community will also travel with the party.  They have been helped by the generosity of fans around the world to make it happen.

Here is an abridged version of the story so far as told by Phil Holme of the Portadown Supporters Club branch...

   Armani with future young MCFC Sierra Leone players

In the autumn of 2003 a member of Reddish Branch of the MCFC supporters club completed 30 years as a police officer in Manchester and retired. He then started working in Sierra Leone in West Africa, where his job was to train detectives out there to investigate child abuse.

Sierra Leone has for the past several years been either last, or second to last in the world wealth league tables published every year. Average life expectancy is around 38 years and living conditions for most people are appalling. On top of all these problems the country has gone through a particularly bloody civil war that lasted 11 years and only ended in 2000.

When he arrived in Freetown, the capital City, Tony noticed the usual scattering of people wearing Arsenal, Liverpool and Stretford shirts. It soon became apparent that football is massive in the country and most people follow the English Premier League.

At the end of his first week he was enjoying a beer at a beach bar when a young man approached him by the name of Armani Sheku Kamara who was selling watches, sunglasses etc. He noticed that he was wearing a Stretford lapel badge and as Tony is a dyed in the wool blue he joked with the young man that he could not buy any of his merchandise from a man wearing such an offensive item. Within a short time he agreed to throw the offending item into the Atlantic Ocean and negotiations commenced.

It soon became apparent that not only did he have a good knowledge of Premier League football he also had a good knowledge of the ups and downs of Manchester City. He assured Tony that he was only wearing the offending badge because a customer had given it to him and he promised him that if he could get him a City shirt he would be a City fan for the rest of his life. Little did he know what that conversation would lead to.

In early 2004 Tony returned to Sierra Leone having spent a few weeks back in Manchester, and of course took back with him a City shirt for Armani. Within a few days of receiving the shirt Armani told Tony that he was setting up a Man City Supporters Club in Freetown. When Tony next returned to UK he discussed the Sierra Leone situation, first with Howard Burr the Secretary of the Reddish Branch and then with Alex Channon former Chair of the CSA. It was then that the Sierra Leone Branch of the Manchester City Supporters Club was born.

On Tony’s next visit he was able to take back with him several dozen assorted City shirts donated by City fans over here. They proved very popular and soon were being seen all around the Freetown streets. Soon Armani had formed a Manchester City Football team in Freetown as well as a Junior Man City team. The problem was that they were wearing a red and white striped kit that they had to rent on a match-by-match basis. Following discussion with Lorraine Firth at Manchester City the Club kindly donated a full kit for the team out there. There was also a concerted effort by a lot of Branches to collect as many shirts, boots as possible these were also sent out to Sierra Leone.

Tony Griffiths last visited Sierra Leone in March 2007 and we were proud to hear of many men women and children wearing an array of City shirts around the capital and beyond. The football team formed such a short time ago is going from strength to strength and Armani is something of a local celebrity who is frequently interviewed on national radio in Sierra Leone and works extremely hard to promote Man City for no financial reward.  On 23^rd November 2008 the Man City Youth team appeared in the Sierra Leone F.A. Youth Cup final and WON. Not bad for a team that did not exist 4 years ago. You now can't walk through Freetown without seeing a City shirt and hearing shouts of “City till I die”

Unfortunately the first team had to pull out of the main league last season as it did not have enough cash to fulfil their away fixtures although the league have agreed to keep their place in division two for next season assuming they have funds in place.

The next phase is to try and help make the team financially independent by raising money for a mini bus this doubles up as both transport to away matches, which is one of the most prohibitive costs to the team, and during the rest of the week it becomes a revenue maker by running it as a proper bus in Freetown. This will give two people a job and also raise enough cash to keep the teams running. Also it should provide enough to replace the bus every 10 years.

This is not just another fund raiser - the work being done is changing lives and keeping young people off the streets and giving them a common bond - it is CHANGING LIVES and even SAVING some.

The bus arrived in Manchester on 12^th July where it was liveried up with sponsorship logos including the new MCFC Supporters Club logo. Special thanks to Barclay Signs Ltd from Stockport who did this free of charge. The bus is now on its way to Sierra Leone with all the kit and equipment donated by Man City fans where Tony, Howard, Alex, Paul, Neil Cole from Endemol (who will be filming the whole process) and myself (Phil Holme) will be there to meet and deliver it to MCFC Sierra Leone and Armani.

We can’t thank the Club enough in particular Garry Cook and Paul Lake but everyone has been fantastic, there are too many to mention but our heartfelt thanks goes to EVERYONE who has been involved in helping or donating in anyway whatever. Without you it would not have happened but please remember the appeal goes on.

City as a Club have always been fan friendly. When we were taken over, there were those who thought here we go another rags or chelski etc. Well I’m here to tell you the heart of Man City is in great shape and if anything is going to get even more fan friendly especially with the unification of the Supporters Club. I am proud of my football club (how many can say that in this day and age) long may it continue thank you Sheikh Mansour.

On 28th July a container was loaded with the bus and six pallets of kit, training gear, laptops, books, a kids bike a scooter and a partridge in a pear tree (well maybe not the last one) Alex and Howard were there to lend a hand and Neil was there to film the container being loaded. The long journey began on the 29th July with the container off to Felixstowe where it will be loaded aboard the ship bound for Freetown and is due to arrive on 26th August. We, that is Tony, Alex, Howard, Paul, Neil and myself will be leaving on 25th August for Freetown to meet the ship the following day - here’s hoping it’s on time (everything is crossed).

There is a very busy itinerary whilst we are there Armani has contacted the Minister for Sport and various media outlets that want the story. We will be going to various schools and we will be attending a football game of MCFC Sierra Leone. On the Saturday we will be handing out training gear and kit to the teams at our hotel and on the Sunday it will be the official handover of the bus outside the National Stadium.

So it’s all go from here guys - I reckon we may add just a little water to the docks on the 26th - can't see there being a dry eye so to speak

Thanks again for all your support - and please remember we are still collecting.

Phil Holme

CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO THE BUS APPEAL

MCFCfans Midweek Feature: Classic matches - City 5 Tottenham 2; October 22, 1994

Joe Hart’s weekend masterclass at White Hart Lane meant that the latest top flight encounter between City and Tottenham finished goalless.

Nevertheless, goals and excitement have seldom been far away in previous meetings between the sides.

Maine Road played host to what became known as “The Ballet on Ice” in 1968, when City’s championship-winning side featuring the talents of Mike Summerbee, Francis Lee and Colin Bell made light of a snow-covered pitch to win 4-1 with a breathtaking display of attacking football.

Few will ever forget the Blues’ 10-man comeback to win 4-3 in North London in the fourth round of the 2004 FA Cup, but the meeting between the two sides in October 1994 produced an often overlooked classic.

Following that summer’s World Cup in the USA, Tottenham had made a number of eye-catching additions under boss Ossie Ardiles. Romania pair Ilie Dumitrescu and Gica Popescu joined after helping their country reach the quarter finals, while Germany’s Jurgen Klinsmann became one of the Premier League’s first world class foreign imports.

Spurs adopted a cavalier approach under Ardiles, with a forward line boasting the talents of Klinsmann, Dumitrescu, Teddy Sheringham, Nick Barmby and Darren Anderton.  A thrilling 4-3 opening day win at Sheffield Wednesday was followed by chastening defeats at the hands of Leicester and Nottingham Forest, and Ardiles arrived at Maine Road on a miserable autumn day as a man under pressure. 

City were also becoming noted as one of the division’s entertainers.  The relegation-saving run of form under Brian Horton at the end of the 93/94 season had continued, with Peter Beagrie’s wing trickery providing the bullets for burgeoning strike pairing Paul Walsh and Uwe Rosler.  Rosler was absent from the game with ankle ligament damage, leaving Walsh to form a little-and-large partnership with Niall Quinn.

The game kicked off in driving rain, forcing spectators in the partially built and presently roofless Kippax stand to reach for their complimentary waterproofs.

Spurs commanded possession in the opening stages, with Popescu dictating proceedings, but City took the lead when Walsh drove home left-footed from just inside the penalty area after Sol Campbell had failed to deal with Steve Lomas' right-wing cross.

A clever reverse pass from Sheringham undid the City backline, releasing Klinsmann who was felled by the challenge of goalkeeper Andy Dibble inside the box. England forward Sheringham had missed Tottenham's previous three penalties, so Dumitrescu duly stepped up and hammered into the top corner.

The home side's lead was restored when Spurs keeper Ian Walker could only parry Walsh's header from Nicky Summerbee's raking cross into the path of the on-rushing Quinn.

It was three before half-time. Peter Beagrie and Quinn combined sublimely down the left flank before Walsh stabbed underneath Walker for his second of the afternoon.

Spurs were back in the contest shortly after the interval. Klinsmann back-heeled to Dumitrescu whose 20-yard strike took a wicked deflection beyond the hapless Dibble.

But Walsh continued to terrorise his former club, and after a mazy dribble, he left Beagrie wonderfully placed on the left wing. The ex-Everton winger danced around David Kerslake before crossing for Lomas to thud a header home.

The Blues and Walsh were not finished, and the forward completed a torrid afternoon for the young Campbell by pulling him from pillar to post and squaring for Gary Flitcroft to complete a comprehensive 5-2 victory.

The following midweek, a humiliating 3-0 League Cup defeat to Notts County left Ardiles out of work.

City continued their impressive form and were dreaming of a European place. But a collapse after Christmas plunged Horton's side into a relegation battle.

Memorable Easter triumphs over Liverpool and champions-elect Blackburn secured top-flight football for another season, but could not save Horton from an encounter with his P45.

Rob Manford, MCFCfans

The Italian's expensively assembled starting line-up found themselves in the eye of a ferocious storm in the first half hour of the Premier League curtain raiser against Tottenham. 

In truth, if it hadn't been for Hart's heroics, Spurs could have been out of sight. But after winning the backing of Mancini's countryman Fabio Capello in midweek, the Mansfield-born stopper was in inspired form.  Razor-sharp reactions denied Jermain Defoe from close range and every inch of Hart's 6ft5 frame improbably clawed a deflected drive from Benoit Assou-Ekotto out of the top corner. These were just two highlights of a complete goalkeeping display.

In recent history, City have been blessed with some stunning turns from their last line of defence. Tony Coton's performance against Leeds on the opening day in 1993, Nicky Weaver's star turn in 1999's vital promotion clash with Ipswich and Shay Given's debut salvo at home to Middlesbrough come instantly to mind.  In the latter game, Given effectively condemned Hart to a year in exile on loan at Birmingham. His colleague duly knuckled down and has returned to Eastlands to reclaim the goalkeeping jersey by the sheer force of his own endeavors.

Whether Given at 34 has the stomach for a similar fight is questionable. His prickly response to questions about his first-team prospects while on international duty with the Republic of Ireland would suggest otherwise.  An expected appearance against FC Timisoara in the Europa League on Thursday is unlikely to appease an accomplished performer who will not be short of potential suitors.

The initial results of City's goalkeeping conundrum - a richly gifted youngster hungrily pursuing excellence while a revered veteran contemplates his next move - lay bare the pros and cons of Mancini's job in managing a well-stocked and lavishly gifted group.

Carlos Tevez emerged at White Hart Lane proudly displaying the captain's armband. The clear message to former skipper Kolo Toure was that his years to top-level experience do not make his place in the side certain.  Alongside the imperious Vincent Kompany at the heart of City's defence, the Ivory Coast star was spurred on to arguably his best performance for the club.

Mancini's selection in the centre of midfield was less successful. The solution to having a raft of holding midfielders in your squad is not shoe-horning as many of them into your starting XI as is humanly possible. Too often in a sometimes chastening first half, City's central trio of Nigel de Jong, Yaya Toure and Gareth Barry were pushed flat and deep in front of their back four, inviting a constant stream of Spurs pressure and leaving the diminutive attacking talents of Shaun Wright-Phillips, David Silva and Carlos Tevez isolated.

More damningly, adequate cover was not given to full-backs Micah Richards and Aleksander Kolorov as Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bale wrought havoc down the flanks for Tottenham. Only when Barry moved to a left-sided midfield position in the second half ahead of substitute Pablo Zabaleta did the wide areas start to look secure.

In the friendly win over Valencia, De Jong, Barry and Yaya were successfully deployed in a midfield diamond. Barry opened the scoring and was joined by Yaya in making a number of penetrative runs into the penalty area, beyond playmaker Silva and Emmanuel Adebayor and Tevez up front.  A week on in North London, Tevez was a lone forward, City's attack lacked focus and even when Mancini's side regained their poise in possession after half-time, their attacking play was devoid of a definite pattern.

This is something the Blues' boss will hope the arrival of Mario Balotelli and the imminent purchase of James Milner remedies. But he must also encourage a dynamism and intent that was lacking on Saturday to allow these players and others to realise their potential in City colours.

Tottenham's first half showing displayed the benefits of a thrusting, attacking 4-4-2 style in the Barclays Premier League, just as the well stocked midfields at this summer's World Cup demonstrated the virtues of a possession-based approach in the modern game.

City have the personnel to undertake either system successfully when their new arrivals have bedded in. Mancini must display greater conviction by using both to win football matches.

Rob Manford, MCFCfans

Enjoy the game!

Rob Manford, MCFCfans

Video Chart No.2

"Tape it, keep it, and if you're a Manchester City fan watch it week in week out."

The countdown to the MCFCfans No.1 video continues ahead of this evening's potential banana skin against Scunthorpe.  This video was very nearly our No.1.  What a night this was at White Hart Lane.  Definitely one of the most incredible games I have ever been to.  3-0 down at half-time I remember buying a Bovril (presumably no booze that night) and having put it on the ground for one second someone kicked it over.  At that moment I thought things couldn't get any worse. In the comedy of having Barton sent off and being 3-0 down it seemed that we were still due to witness something else.  When the first City goal went in I had the genuine feeling we could get a replay.  But no one imagined what would happen next.  One of the best City videos on the internet...watch it week in week out.

CTID.

Click here to see the video

No.3 - Neville has a shocker

Well it seemed only right on the day of a derby match that we drop the low-rated video trash and stick to a firm derby favourite as we continue our video chart countdown.  This game was one of the most enjoyable games to watch live and has to be up there in many a City fan's top 10.  3-1 would be a tidy result tonight and if the team on paper performs on the pitch then we could have one foot in the final.  Come on City !!!

MCFCfans

No. 4 - We're not really here

Do you ever ask yourself, what will it be like if and when we start winning trophies?  An entire generation of City fans look forward to the moment when City lift their next trophy.  The Carling Cup is a mere three games away.  But do you think that younger City fans are ready to experience winning?!

This is another video that caught our eye for a low amount of views even though it's an interesting video.  Professor Cary Cooper talks about the psychology of City fans with a video that contains some great footage of the stands at Maine Road.  This one deserves more than the 2,954 views it has had so far so we've put it in at No.4 in the MCFCfans video chart. 

MCFCfans

A high new entry at No.5

After a long spell of peace and quiet on the blog, we return after a poor performance against Everton.  A job done by Everton who outplayed us for most of the game, certainly after the first 20 minutes. 

MCFCfans begins a series featuring our top 5 Manchester City videos with a favourite that is so well put together it’s a great surprise it sits quietly in YouTube with only 9,300 or so views. It's an emotional video that seems fitting after the defeat today...how easy it is to forget those days gone by.

The cracking backing music is brilliantly worked against images that reflect the cult following of Manchester City.  It's an awesome capture of a special moment in City history.  What a great club it is we support.  Enjoy!

MCFCfans

City dropped two points today as the inability to keep a clean sheet begins to take its’ toll.  It was an improvement on last year’s 3-1 loss.  But it was certainly disappointing to miss out on the opportunity to capitalise on the results going on around us this weekend.

We were happily informed by Shaun Goater’s ‘Read the Goat’ column in the match programme that he would be wearing his t-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops whilst watching the game in 70 degrees heat, just as it started p***ing down in Manchester.  At that point City announced what on paper looked to be a formidable attacking line-up with Petrov, Bellamy, Tevez, Adebayor all starting.  But the shape didn’t pay huge dividends, and it was clear that the raft of recent internationals has interrupted City’s learning curve.

After a dull start, the game had its’ first highlight in the 11^th minute when the Kippax identified a posh chap from Fulham in a pink jumper.  “Who’s the tranny in the pink?” was followed by variations on the same theme for a couple of minutes before the aforementioned posh chap, who to be fair acknowledged the City end with a hearty wave, became so embarrassed that he took his pink jumper off.  For all Fulham’s population of the away end looked pretty pathetic their dogged determination on the pitch certainly wasn’t.

Petrov was awarded with a start after his good performances and operated on both sides, swapping with Bellamy in order to take up corner-taking duties.  But the 10-man Fulham defence made it hard for City to stretch down the flanks, and the attack often found itself in a circular formation that lacked link play in the middle.   It could have been a setup that Ireland would have been more suited to in the berth alongside Barry. 

When the deadlock was finally broken in the 53^rd minute it was a scrappy goal that was awarded to Adebayor during the match, but seems to have been given to Lescott post-match.  Great link-up play then saw Petrov pick his spot with a superb finish to make it 2-0.  City were cruising and it looked like the floodgates might open.  However, they opened at the other end in five minutes of defensive madness. The warning signs were there for all to see when Zamora somehow missed from point blank after a series of defensive howlers saw Fulham dance into the box earlier in the match.  There was a lack of organisation in defence that needs to be resolved rapidly. 

Tevez and Bellamy led by example in their promotion of work-rate, Tevez regularly getting into the box to create chances, but it was telling that City had twenty-four (24) chances and only six were on target.  The benefit to the team provided by the ever-improving Bridge was more than wiped out by Micah Richards who was a passenger for most of the game. To be fair to him he did a job that would have been done by Zabaleta had he not been suspended, but it was an obvious area of weakness that Fulham did well to exploit.

Overall, a disappointment but not a catastrophe. As TLDORC blog rightly points out, the press will be on the lookout for a new crisis club now that Liverpool have beaten United.  We need to make sure it is not City, starting with Scunthorpe.

MCFCfans

    All eyes on Anfield as City look to gain ground

The fact that City’s army of London-based fans have chosen to take the earlier trains to Manchester, even though they are 30 minutes slower than the later trains, perhaps signals that it is not just Mark Hughes who will have his eye on the game at Anfield today.  How times have changed.

City entered Mark Hughes’s notional second block of games this season with a draw against Wigan.  A good result seen as it ended with 10 men against a well-organised side that always give City a run for their money.  Saturday’s results at Wolves and White Hart Lane, alongside the ongoing dropping of points by the so-called ‘top four,’ lend weight to the argument that this will be one of the Premiership’s most open seasons in its’ short history.  At last. 

Today the world’s press will focus on the game at Anfield, and then no doubt splurge enough predictable, pre-written pap to fill a new landfill site.   City fans will emerge from Mary D’s Beamish Bar with a smile on their face if both sides share the points, before taking their seats to see City quietly go about their slow overtake up the inside lane.  For at this point in the season, City sits in a sweet spot that suits the club perfectly.  Not so high up the table to attract attention, a sneaky game in hand, and crucially in touch with the leaders.

Naturally, nothing less than a win will do today.   A draw away to Wigan followed by an interruption to the home record would be seen as the potential beginnings of wheels coming off.  City will field a strong team against theoretically tired Fulham who played on Thursday night, so a win should be straight-forward.  But Fulham have a tendency to surprise, especially in the face of adversity so the defence will need to be on its’ guard.  In fact City should be targeting 9 points from their next three league games in preparation for the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham to come.  A strong run to the year-end will confirm what many fans prefer to keep quiet for fear of exciting the demons.  Say no more!

On the player front it will be interesting to see whether Petrov is rewarded with a start.  The signs are that there could be more goals to come from Petrov, so why not.  It’s healthy rotation that keeps others on their toes.  In the meantime, it will be a joy to continue watching the likes of Barry (see Observer interview) and De Jong ply their trade.  As one friend recently put it, “De Jong is playing the Makelele role better than Makelele.”  If anything it is our longer-serving stars that need to come out of their shells somewhat.  SWP has been guilty of giving the ball away too cheaply at times, while Ireland has yet to really start firing.  Tevez is surely like the first sip of a fine Malbec, the best is yet to come.  And a final word on Robinho.  Yes we can live without him – but we can also live with him.  He will yet prove his worth with the under-rated talent around him.

MCFCfans

City start the club management’s next pre-defined block of games in an exciting season against Wigan on Sunday.  The first block went extremely well, and if City are in the top four by new year then I ‘ll have a fine Scotch in honour of a great first half of the season.  To be honest I’ll have a fine Scotch anyway, but it’ll taste better if City are up there!

City have defied the pre-season critics both on and off the pitch, smoothly riding the waves of press vitriol coming its’ way.  One can only hazard at the current state of mind of Sir Alex Ferguson who in yesterday’s Daily Mail advised us that City may be heading for financial disintegration in the future, questioning at the same time whether or not it can be good for a club to have financial stability.

The tide is turning.  Sport magazine, a London-based sports freebie, has been something akin to a United fanzine for much of the early season.  So it was no surprise that its’ editor didn’t reply to my friendly e-mail requesting some balance in their coverage.  It’s a decent Sport weekly, so why did they see fit to profile a different United player each week? 

Well maybe they were listening this week as the player profiling gave way for “The Power List 2009,” a list of Sports view of the 50 people who wield the most influence in British sport.  Sandwiched in between Lord Coe at No.3 and Jeremy Darroch, Chief Executive of BSkyB, is our very own Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayad Al Nahyan.  One of the world’s most powerful investors who has brought instant stability to City, certainly not the prospect of financial disintegration that £700 million of debt brings.

Kicking off the season again with a win against Wigan will be important. It’s a tough game that provides a stern test of resilience.  We will miss Bellamy if he’s not fit, but it’s up to the team to make sure we win games like this.  Once again the Manchester City Babies in Ghana have provided great inspiration.  The club picked up a triple crown of league victories in all age groups two weeks ago, and finished last weekend unbeaten with two wins and a draw – see their dedicated page here.

MCFCfans

MCFCfans (see poll on our home page)

There is no time for intricate research and intelligent commentary this morning.  No City fan is going to make any allowances today in their pursuit to get to quite clearly the biggest game of the season so far.  The fact that this Arsenal game is immediately followed up by the derby next week makes it extra special.  There is also the outside chance of an appearance from the owner in front of a sell out home crowd for the first time.

The atmosphere today will be something close to the Hamburg  game.  It is the first big test against one of the so-called 'big four'.  It's game on, the talking stops here, and the playing on the pitch is everything.  It's time for a huge performance from every player.  What a mouth-watering prospect.

No Tevez for City won't make a jot of difference given the circumstances. City's approach to the game will be the key.  What will the mental state be?  If we give Arsenal too much respect in the face of the pressure then we stand to be taken apart.  But if our confident strutting is carefully employed with an Adebayor goal or two then we're in good shape with a belting crowd behind us.

Time to get in the car and drive to the match. Can't wait.  Will be collecting kit for the Manchester City Babies in Ghana on the way. They play Standfast FC this weekend, a rival side based in Tamale and above the Babies in the league in every age group (see MCFC Babies page). It will be a tough weekend for them but here's hoping for top points for City and the Babies this weekend.

MCFCfans

This morning's reports quoting Richard Dunne's comments while on international duty have left City fans feeling uncomfortable.  The recent squeeky clean media effort has seen the first blot on its' copy book. 

The week started so well with Oliver Holt's report in the Mirror entitled, "Why Kaka might regret choosing Real Madrid over Manchester City."  Finally, it seems the media is beginning to believe in the City "project."

However, City's official website report on Richard Dunne's departure seems to conflict with his own comments in the press this morning.  Mark Hughes said in that report, "It would have been difficult for Dunney to stay given his standing at the club and I understand that.  I wasn’t going to stand in his way. I could have tried to stop him going and said I wanted him as a squad player but out of respect for what he has done for City I wasn’t going to do that."

But Dunne himself suggested that he was forced out of the club speculating that it was a decision taken by the club to balance the books.  This morning's Times article reports that Dunne was led to believe that the club were busy selling him behind his back. Dunne is reported as saying, "From the day after the Bulgaria v Republic game in June, I was getting phone calls from people saying Garry Cook has been trying to sell me behind my back.  That was two months after me going to him and saying if he has any problems to come and deal with me."

As discussed on other blogs this morning (Lonesome Death of Roy Carroll), these reports sit uneasily with City fans who appreciate the years of service that loyal servant Dunne gave to City.  Most fans agreed that it was time to make changes in central defense.  The club has been making credible efforts to reach out and be a more supporter-facing club.  City fans and players alike will be keen to know that this effort extends to loyal playing staff.  However, the conflicting reports suggest that it may not all be a one-way street.  The Independent suggests that City dispute Dunne's claim that he was promised a testimonial. They also reportedly argue that they compensated Dunne adequately by giving him a £600,000 golden handshake and agreed to reduce the transfer fee with Villa down from £6m to 4.8m.  As is so often the case, we may never know the real truth.

MCFCfans

    City forced to defend early in the first half

A well-deserved one-nil victory (City Official Match Report) but an expensive three points for my wallet!  The foundations of my goal-fest prediction were all there.  But when I turned up and realised we were to be playing in white I thought the entire strategy might be undone.  I’m a strong believer in third kits being a bad omen.

I’ll exchange a dent in the wallet for three points any day.  City dominated for a lot of the game but it's fair to say Pompey gave us some cause for concern in various areas.  It was a great atmosphere and we roll on unbeaten in the league, unbeaten away from home, the only side to have not conceded a goal.  As one fan bellowed out in reply to Pompey’s cheating chant aimed at Adebayor, “Same old City, always winning!”  Yeah, steady on...

Any fans who weren’t at the game will know better as it was televised on Sky, but I hear the disallowed goal should have stood on the grounds that Barry was offside and not Richards.  Was Barry interfering with play?  There were also two big penalty shouts.  I thought both were penalties, but the Tevez penalty shout was probably the most blatant I have ever seen.  Again Sky may have already proven me wrong.  Either way, had a couple of all of those chances gone in the 3-0 correct score and total goals call might have looked a little more sensible.  I hope readers didn’t wager too much on similar outcomes. I heard one fan on the way out say he had Adebayor to score first and City 3-0.  Gutted.

Adebayor's goal brought about rapturous scenes in the City end with Adebayor's newly adapted song being bellowed out to a silent Pompey crowd (see home page for video).  If Adebayor can keep up the steady trickle of goals then our away form might just continue.

As it was many City fans were sweating like Aussies in a spelling test for a period during the second half when Pompey pressed for an equaliser.  Shay Given’s call for composure in seeing games out was not entirely heeded, as the gut instinct for many City players is still to rampage up the pitch in search of another goal late on.  But the 1-0 held and City fans celebrated to avoid the riot that would have unfolded had Pompey equalised after the Tevez penalty shout.

 City fans celebrate the final whistle...let the good times roll!

With readers having watched the game on television it leaves me to point out a few subtle nuances picked up in the terrace.  Firstly, the terrace banter is getting better and better.  The production line of imaginative and humorous songs that used to be the reserve of standing in the Kippax is on its’ way back.  If you’ve not been to an away game yet this season then I can highly recommend it.

On the player front Tevez looked a bit tired as the game neared the end.  More match fitness is required.  I guess I have to break my protective silence on Wayne Bridge as well.  He must close down potential crosses quicker than he does, or at all.  If we’re vulnerable anywhere it is down the flanks.  Finally, an observation on Petrov.  I spotted it at the Blackburn game and noticed it again at half-time at Portsmouth. His body language seems to be saying, “what am I doing here,” like he would be more interested staying at home pairing his socks up.  Head down and no enthusiasm.  I hope I’m wrong and he wins a place to prove his attacking worth.

After the international break, City have two huge games in the form of Arsenal at home and United away.  The Chairman’s recent interview with the official site suggested the Sheikh could be in town soon. Arsenal at home would represent a fine way to greet an adoring and grateful City faithful.

Bring ‘em on!

MCFCfans

  The Grand Master Plan takes shape

Firstly, a warm welcome to all of the new members of MCFCfans, supporters of Manchester City from all over the world who have been signing up to be a part of a growing global City community.   There are many great City fan blogs, and it is the sign of a club with real heart and substance that we should be blessed with so many not-for-profit, well-respected, unofficial sites. 

The form book certainly reads in City’s favour today.   WWWWW, our form back to the Celtic friendly, is not a sight we have seen for a while.  Added to this is the fact that City has not conceded a goal in the last four games.  There are certainly some small issues around the edges about one aspect or another of the team, but I would take that start any season.

As Hughes himself has confessed, Pompey presents a somewhat unpredictable challenge.   Playing a struggling team away from home, that has just had a major organisational change, is always perilous.  In the spirit of light-hearted banter, I think that predicting a tight affair today is the easy option.  City should trounce Portsmouth today, make no bones about it.   Pompey’s new owner has yet to make an impact at Pompey, and it could be said he needs to prove himself after his outbursts during the City takeover.  A lot of quality has left the club and not a lot has come back in the other direction.

There were several aspects that impressed me watching City from the stand on Thursday evening.   The one that really stood out though, was the condition of the players.   Very few players looked to be lacking match fitness even though we’re at the start of the season.  When a ball was being chased by any City player, it was chased with a burst of pace that demonstrated a rigorous pre-season training routine.  No longer does Stephen Ireland look like the only player who can run for 90 minutes. 

Stephen Ireland’s description in the Telegraph yesterday about a walk in the hotel grounds with Micah and Nedum was enlightening. “We were on a walk at the hotel, me and Micah and Nedum.  And we were just saying – Richard Dunne had just left, just before we went on our walk – and we were saying there’s just three of us left, this is mental you know.”  It’s happened so fast and yet, so far at least, the manner of the execution of the plan has been excellent.

It’s not difficult to pick out the new players who have made an impact so far.  All of them.  Adebayor is scoring and has slotted in nicely up front.  Barry’s command of midfield is a cut above, although there is more to be done to gel the midfield together.   Tevez showed signs of real class on Thursday night. His vision and ability to join up passages of play is something akin to a chess player.  Toure and Lescott looked relatively assured.  The niggling wing-back concerns persist, and there is a real need to find a way to get the best out of Robinho as the formation takes shape. But these niggles take time.

This is a team that is enjoying playing football together as the grand master plan is implemented.  There is a real buzz around the club and the players are feeding from it.  The feel good factor could create a big result today.  The betting certainly indicates a strong City showing (Betfair:  City 1.59 – 1.6, Pompey 7.0-7.2, Draw 4.2-4.3 @ 09.57am, 30^th Aug).  So I’m long total goals, but have capped my correct score optimism at 3-0 to City (Betfair:  13.5-14.0). 

Let’s hear a big noise in the 2,000 strong away end today Blues:  COME ON CITY !!!

Sturridge vs. FC Midtjylland - Hands off Chelski

I spent much of Thursday mulling over whether to write a match preview on the Uefa Cup game and ultimately decided against it. Sometimes it’s damned if you do damned if you don’t when surmising things before a match.

The constant media speculation over the last two weeks has been tiring. In fact there was so much noise that we decided to ‘keep stum.’ Why add to the media and cyber frenzy of speculation. More on that in later blog posts. But all the same, most fans would probably agree it has softened the usual beginning-of-season excitement considerably.

Compounding concern about the game, Danish friends and clients were calling me Thursday to report that we should be worried. Members and fans will not be heartened to hear that this worry was most pronounced when discussing how comfortable FC Midtjylland is when playing at home. The return leg will not be easy.

A beginning-of-season re-union with a City mate and member of MCFCfans.com did nothing to help matters. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” he said before going on to report recent FC Midtjylland successes. The final ‘nail in the coffin’ though was reading a betting prediction in a newspaper that boldly recommended its’ readers to back both City and Villa to be leading their respective opposition at half time and full time. “In fact it’s so much a dead cert you might as well put them in a double as well,” it finished. Well if either team was going to spoil that double it was going to be City!

City started as if they were in a friendly game. Not just any friendly game. The first friendly game of the pre-season when players’ minds are still on the beach, the pool, and the beer. The body language was noticeably lackluster. Passes went astray and the defense was disorganised.

Olsen’s finish (video on our home page) was top quality but it was gifted by poor defending. It was City’s wake up call to get some attacking going and there were some positive moves around at times. We could have scored when hitting the bar twice but it always felt as if we lacked a real threat to the Danish goal.

Petrov stood out, Kelvin Etuhu’s pace is something to look forward to, and we know Sturridge has real potential. But Elano seemed distant, Caicedo was pointless, and too many moves needlessly broke down, sometimes to fruitless show-boating.

Hughes has since pointed to the real lack of fitness in the side. "We are trying to get a group of players up to match fitness and that was evident the other night in the Uefa Cup," Hughes said. "It will not happen overnight. Maybe we will have to wait because our training is different from what they have been doing. It is about making players able to cope with the demands of the Premier League. To compete in the Premier League you have to be athletic, dynamic and sustain that performance from the first game to the last." He went on to point out that the new regime may be a shock to some of the players.

What is a big positive now is that the football is starting in earnest. The off-the-pitch concerns are very real but there were there a year ago. The time to protest was back then. There may be a suitable time to protest again in future but only once we've observed more events and facts. There is much to the situation off the pitch and we will try and cover this in a later post. The team itself is in tact. We’re chasing strikers and new players albeit with cash that is possibly not available (see Telegraph story of 13th August). Arguably we have a better manager in Mark Hughes, even though the messy episode to replace Sven did our reputation no good. Hughes probably has what it takes to see us through a possible future change in ownership. Whether he judges that sticking it out is in his best interests only he knows. It is likely that he has seriously considered his position, but let's hope he's prepared to wait and work on the team in the meantime.

What is most important now is that we back him and the team. We must get playing well on the pitch and as fans we play a part in that with the tone of our support. We're in a difficult situation, but for now it's probably best to keep the terraces focused on the pitch.

We’re interested in how many of our readers are going to the match so please go to the poll at this link on our home page where you can also join the webjam community of City fans at MCFCfans.com.

MCFCfans.com

PS. Check out the profile and new photos of the MCFC Babies in Ghana on our MCFC Babies page. We’ll be following the team’s progress with the help of team coach and member of MCFCfans.com, Peter Amoabil. The Under 12s recently won a trial game against Kanvili FC 4-2 and will play them again away from home this Sunday. Here’s hoping the application to the league is successful.

Manchester City got the season off to a great start by scoring the first competitive goals of the new season (City’s goals). What was more notable than the result was the effort made by the some 200 City fans to get to the game.

Thomas Cook got the bidding off to a depressing start with an £885 price tag put on the match package tour. We requested a price quote from Atlantic Airways to charter a plane and it was rejected due to a lack of aircraft. Hmm somewhat sceptical, read on.

The most daring and City-esque travel itinerary was put together by the group of City fans who decided that boarding a 72ft fishing trawler from The Shetland Isles would be their best bet to under cut the air fares. This was an inspirational plan. To succeed would result in hero status. To fail would result in hero status. Either way it would be a damn good laugh! This is the stuff of legends (BBC Story)

They set off from Manchester making their way to Aberdeen. From there they took a ferry to the Shetland Isles, where they met the shrewd Scottish islander who has converted his 72ft fishing trawler into a Faroe Islands shuttle service for British football fans. Clever stuff. Scotland is forever getting drawn against the Faroes.

There is one major catch though. The Atlantic Ocean and a multitude of challenging weather systems stand in the way. Bad weather prevented the trawler from leaving port rendering the fans stranded. Enter The Sun newspaper and suddenly the airline with no spare aircraft is falling over itself with Thomas Cook to seize the marketing opportunity. They make it to the game and get to meet new manager Mark Hughes into the bargain!

The story is fantastic and reminds us that City’s cult following is alive and well. MCFCfans.com this month adds a video of the last day at Maine Road to the History Channel that brings a tear to the eye. If you are struggling to get enthused about the new season simply watch this video.

We have also started our push for an MCFC-based charity (MCFC Babies link) aimed at sponsoring youth teams around the world, inspired by the MCFC Babies in Ghana. Get in touch if you would like to be involved.

Can’t wait for the season to start. We're in for a corker.

MCFCfans.com

PS. Message for Magni Arge, President of Atlantic Airways, “Where did the spare plane come from?!”

Telegraph Faroe Story

The Sun Faroe Story

We are undoubtedly in a new footballing era. The English Premiership is at the forefront of a revolution in football that is being led by money, media, and a global thirst for sporting escapism. Football is the world’s favourite sport and large masses are gorging on the entertainment provided by the EPL. Some English football fans, of course, choose to opt out and either move down the leagues back to the grass roots, or turn their attention to alternative sports. And rightly so if they feel that their personal reward for doing so is that much greater than the modern day commercialism that dominates the top football clubs.

Way back when in the late 1800s, before all of the globe’s current football supporters had been conceived, football was evolving in England. As balls were chucked around various pitches in the north of England, clubs made their mind up as to whether “football,” as it was known then, should be played in the form of rugby or football. By and large the lines between rugby and football were drawn due to the separate paths of the professional game (football,) versus the amateur game (rugby).

Professional football as we know it emerged and the first and most immediate issue for the best teams of the day was how to protect the revenue earned from friendlies with other quality clubs versus the bind of playing the riffraff in the FA Cup, the world’s oldest football competition. All these years later, we should not be surprised at the money-grabbing culture that exists in the game for it has always been there, albeit previously with a much more gentlemanly feel about it.

There is something unique about City’s situation at present. City is one of the world’s oldest football clubs, it captured the central Manchester audience, and secured the Manchester City name ahead of other clubs’ attempts to do the same. As fans we don’t want to win the “cup for cock-ups,” that Franny Lee so infamously described, but as we’ve unofficially won that cup we’ve maintained a fan base that is now revered around the world for its’ passion, humour, and sheer loyalty in the face of adversity.

The arrival of Thaksin Shinawatra as the club’s new owner has, being brutally honest, begun to divide the club’s fans. Simplifying the matter completely, we’re like a city population debating over whether or not to develop the skyline with modern buildings ahead of protecting the views of its’ historic buildings. As City fans, the arrival of our new and dramatic owner has brought us face to face with the realities of modern English Premiership football.

This league is a commercial enterprise and in order to carry on its’ relentless march it needs to create, innovate, attract new money, and continue to keep the global media in an almost hypnotic trance ahead of other prominent football leagues. Manchester City either targets pole position or falls away. The wall of money that Frank brought with him convinced our previous board that it was the only viable option to survive and succeed. Well maybe the chosen solution wasn’t required for survival. For success, however, it almost certainly was. Frank wants to be at the top table when all is said and done and that’s the end of it. Whether Frank was the right investor remains an open question.

Furthermore, whether or not the most virulent strains of commercialism will be acceptable to City fans in the long run is also debatable. The Ronaldinho debate rolls on. Frank believes that this man will raise our global profile. Too right he will. But is it a good trade? Will he flop and do a footballing equivalent of Nick Leeson on us? There is no doubt that every City fan would want to see Ronny pulling on a City shirt in the flesh just for the buzz in one game, and better than that see him scoring a City goal. But is it in the best interests of the club? If not why not? Well because he might well be past it and we might well win the cup for transfer cock-ups if we sign him.

Urgent summer transfers in and out aside, bottom-line, can Hughes prize us away from the dominant influence of the chairmen in recent City history, and become the manager that beat the City system?

He’s got more than Sven in that department. We’re in for an exciting season. There is a lot of work to be done but the future remains extremely bright. We’re on the up and don’t forget it.

Lets' aim high and go for the big guns. Bring it on and keep the faith.

MCFCfans.com

(History sourced from “Manchester – A Football History” by Gary James)

P.S.

MCFCfans.com is supporting the Manchester City Centenary Supporters Association (MCCSA) appeal for funds for their Ghana branch, which runs a series of youth football teams in Ghana called Manchester City Babies. Please lend your support to this appeal for the three teams to equip themselves to enter leagues and raise the profile of Manchester City globally. You can do this by sending a cheque payable to MCCSA, no matter how small, to :

Alex Channon
'Penalty Spot'
81 Milner Street
Swinton
Manchester M27 4AS

You can also support the appeal by bidding for an original Platt Lane penalty spot being sold to the highest bidder by Alex Channon. MCFCfans.com intends to support the auction by placing an ad on eBay and advertising the sale on MCFCfans.com.

Manchester City fans are hanging on tenterhooks today waiting to hear the outcome of both Sven Goran Eriksson’s future and the final calculations of the Premier League Fair Play League, which will ultimately decide whether or not City pick up a UEFA Cup spot next season. However, it looks like neither decision will be forthcoming until the end of the week at least as reports emerged that Jose Mourinho’s return to coaching is imminent.

Yesterday’s drubbing at Boro and the ongoing manager saga has begun to leave a bitter taste in the mouth over an otherwise successful season. It’s a depressingly well-trodden path of turmoil for the club and we can only hope now for a swift resolution to the Sven situation.

Perhaps fuelled by yesterday’s result, a divide of opinion is now opening up among City fans with some unhappy that Sven appeared to have given up yesterday. Questions are now being asked about his motives over the last couple of weeks. Others prefer to point to the inevitability of yesterday’s collapse following the recent events. We can’t escape the difficult truth that our new owner has in one season both rescued the club financially and then thrown it into immediate end-of-season turmoil.

Whatever happens, Thaksin Shinawatra needs to act swiftly and decisively before the situation at the club gets any worse. We’ve lost the credibility we had built up over the season in the space of a few weeks. The club is in a sensitive situation, needing ongoing nursing out of the depths of lower league football. The vultures are circling around our best players, some of whom we’ve been nurturing for years.

As if the script-writers hadn’t already been second-guessed enough, a UEFA cup spot is a possibility through the Fair Play league. There appears to have been a fair amount of mis-reporting on this subject. Certainly Richard Dunne’s red card didn’t help. However, the latest Fair Play league table doesn’t include the penultimate game of the season when Fulham picked up two yellow cards and City had none. In any event when the numbers are crunched these cards will not make a huge difference. It’s the more subjective scores around respect for officials and opponents that will make the difference. The final decision is not expected to be announced until the end of this week, or early next week.

Will Thaksin hold on until the UEFA Cup spot is announced before he makes his decision? Will it make any difference? Is there any chance at all Mourinho will sign up? Who knows anything any more? It’s easier to predict a 10-game accumulator on the coupon than to figure out what might happen next at City. Ric Turner sums up well in the Times Online. Balloons, Thai politics, hanging on the Fair Play league, maybe sack the manager. We’re breaking new ground here. But lets keep a sense of perspective. The sun is shining and we’re still in the Premiership.

Finally, our poll asking if City fans would consider a home games boycott closed this morning. 83% said “Yes” they would consider boycotting home games next season if Sven is shown the door. We’re looking to guage a fresh view in our new poll. Please take a look and vote now by clicking this link.