Ace striker Wayne Rooney has picked his World 11 and there is hardly a Manchester United player in the squad. The England striker has thrown himself and Nemanja Vidic into his FIFA 11 Ultimate Team for EA Sports plus two from rivals Manchester City, including right-back Micah Richards, The Sun reports. Rooney’s ultimate 11: Reina [...]
Posts Tagged ‘Manchester City’
Vieira, Johnson make strong debut
February 11th, 2010 |
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Roberto Mancini paid tribute to two players at either ends of their careers after Manchester City boosted their bid for a fourth-place finish in the Premier League with a 2-0 victory over Bolton. Carlos Tevez, from the penalty spot, and Emmanuel Adebayor scored the goals that secured the three
Mancini replaces sacked Hughes as City boss
December 20th, 2009 |
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Mark Hughes was sacked as manager of Manchester City on Saturday and replaced by former Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini, the English Premier League side announced. City have lost just twice in the league this season and Hughes departed despite seeing his team win 4-3 in the league at home
Soccer: Man Utd thrashed at Fulham, Liverpool lose again
December 20th, 2009 |
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Premier League champions Manchester United were thrashed 3-0 at Fulham on Saturday while neighbours Manchester City sacked manager Mark Hughes and brought in Italian Roberto Mancini. Goals by Danny Murphy, Bobby Zamora and Damien Duff condemned second-placed United to a second league defeat
Football: Hughes relishing United semi-final
December 3rd, 2009 |
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Manchester City manager Mark Hughes insists his team have nothing to fear ahead of their English League Cup semi-final with Manchester United. City booked a place in the last four with a 3-0 victory over Arsenal in the quarter-finals at Eastlands here on Wednesday. The significance of
Liverpool draw with Man City
November 22nd, 2009 |
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Daniel Agger and Ryan Babel added to Liverpool’s injury woes yesterday in a lively 2-2 English Premier League draw with big-spending Manchester City at Anfield. A win, in what under-pressure Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez had described as a potentially make-or-break match for his side’s domestic
Liverpool will be in top four of the league table, vows Benitez
November 21st, 2009 |
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Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has silenced critics who have claimed that Manchester City can nick the Reds” place in the top four of the Premier League table.
Earlier, a survey of all the 20 Premier League managers, revealed that 80 per cent tipped Manchester City to shatter the league of the consistent top four following [...]
Football: Hughes hails red hot Bellamy
October 6th, 2009 |
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Mark Hughes believes Craig Bellamy can provide the firepower to shoot Manchester City into the Champions League after the striker’s goal earned a 1-1 draw at Aston Villa. Bellamy hit his fourth goal of the season after half-time at Villa Park on Monday to cancel out former City defender
Adebayor will never apologize for his stamp, says Van Persie
September 26th, 2009 |
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Arsenal striker Robin Van Persie has said that former teammate and Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor will never apologize for the stamp that left the Dutchman injured.
Van Persie had earlier accused Adebayor of deliberately trying to injure him with a stamp during their defeat to Manchester City two weeks ago. He also sustained a cut [...]
Mansour fully owns Manchester City
September 24th, 2009 |
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Manchester City football club is now completely owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Presidential Affairs. The Premier League club said yesterday on its website that it “can confirm that a transaction involving 10 per cent of the shares of
Adebayor repeats controversial goal sequence
September 16th, 2009 |
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Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor stuck two fingers up at football chiefs by recreating his controversial goal celebration in training.
According to The Sun, Adebayor ran down the pitch and slid to his knees in front of fans of his old club in City’’s 4-2 win on Saturday.
He apologised after a steward was hurt amid fury [...]
Gerrard pulls out of England game
August 11th, 2009 |
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INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY: Netherlands v England
Venue: Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam Date: Wed, 12 August Kick-off: 2045 BST Coverage: Live on BBC Radio 5 Live and ITV1; Live text commentary on BBC Sport website
Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster has withdrawn from the England squad for Wednesday’s friendly against the Netherlands in Amsterdam.
The 26-year-old picked up a knock during Sunday’s FA Community Shield defeat by Chelsea.
Manchester City’s Joe Hart – currently on loan at Birmingham City – has been called up as a replacement.
First-choice goalkeeper David James was left out of the squad by coach Fabio Capello because of a knee injury.
In James’ absence, Capello selected West Ham United’s Robert Green and Blackburn Rovers’ Paul Robinson, who will now compete with Hart to play at the Amsterdam Arena.
Foster has played twice for England, the first in the 1-0 defeat against Spain in February 2007 and the second as a second-half substitute in the 4-0 win over Slovakia in March this year.
606: DEBATE"England has no decent keeper. this is an area of concern for our world cup chances"
RockingTheJoint
He is expected to be first-choice goalkeeper for Manchester United in the absence of regular number one Edwin Van der Sar, who will be sidelined for up to eight weeks after undergoing surgery on a broken finger and bone in his left hand.
Foster started the Community Shield match against Chelsea on Sunday, but was unable to prevent United losing 4-1 on penalties.
Following seven successive qualifying wins, England are on the cusp of qualifying for the World Cup next summer in South Africa, while the Dutch, who have also notched up seven victories, are assured of a place in the 2010 finals.
After playing the Netherlands, Capello’s England face Slovenia in a friendly on 5 September, before facing Croatia in a World Cup qualifier at Wembley on 9 September.
England squad for 12 August friendly against the Netherlands:
Goalkeepers: Joe Hart (Manchester City), Robert Green (West Ham United), Paul Robinson (Blackburn Rovers)
Defenders: Wayne Bridge (Manchester City), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Joleon Lescott (Everton), John Terry (Chelsea), Matthew Upson (West Ham United)
Midfielders: Gareth Barry (Manchester City), David Beckham (LA Galaxy), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), James Milner (Aston Villa), Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Manchester City), Ashley Young (Aston Villa)
Forwards: Carlton Cole (West Ham United), Jermain Defoe(Tottenham Hotspur), Emile Heskey (Aston Villa), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Countdown to kick-off
August 7th, 2009 |
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Manchester City While Real Madrid have dominated this summer’s transfer window, City have spent extravagantly themselves, splurging close to £100 million (Dh622.5m) as they attempt to turn the Premier League’s ‘Big Four’ into a quintet. However, increased spending means increased expectation
Wenger not ruling out Vieira deal
August 1st, 2009 |
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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says he will not rush to spend the money raised from the sales of Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor to Manchester City.
Wenger has generated in the region of £40m from the transfers but has made only one summer signing so far, Thomas Vermaelen from Ajax for £10m.
"I feel we are strong enough but if we can add then we will do it," Wenger told the club’s official website.
"In England, people think all problems can be sorted out by buying players."
Arsenal have been linked with a host of players this summer but Wenger says the club are not "close to signing anyone at the moment".
Defenders Brede Hangeland of Fulham and Newcastle’s Sebastien Bassong as well as strikers Klaas-Jan Huntelaar of Real Madrid, Bordeaux’s Marouane Chamakh, have been linked with moves to the Emirates Stadium.
Former skipper Patrick Vieira, 33, is also rumoured to be on Wenger’s radar after falling out of favour at Inter Milan.
"We have money available so for us it is now (important) to spend it in the right way when we do it or if we do it," added Wenger after Arsenal’s 1-0 friendly win over German side Hannover on Wednesday.
"The biggest target is to work hard in training, improve what we can improve and have confidence in the players that we have."
606: DEBATECesctastic
The lack of summer signings, the departures of defender Toure and striker Adebayor and the serious injury to Samir Nasri has put the spotlight on the club’s transfer policy.
The Gunners lost out in their bid to sign Felipe Melo from Fiorentina, with the Brazil midfielder opting to sign for Juventus instead.
Since moving to the Emirates Stadium in 2006, the Gunners boss has focused on nurturing young players rather than capturing experienced stars.
The likes of Mathieu Flamini, Gilberto Silva and Alexander Hleb have all left the club while Wenger has developed the talent of youngsters such as Theo Walcott, Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere.
But Arsenal are without a trophy since 2005 and finished a distant fourth in the Premier League last season, leading to a lively shareholders meeting back in May at which Wenger criticised the negativity of the Emirates crowd.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Hughes downplays the money factor
August 1st, 2009 |
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Manchester City manager Mark Hughes insists players are moving to Eastlands for the prospect of medals, not big money. And he claims the club will not pay transfer fees above the odds as their blistering recruitment drive gathers pace. City have made five major signings in the transfer window –
The week in brief
July 31st, 2009 |
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City Gravy train rolls on Manchester City continued their summer spending spree this week. Mark Hughes completed the signing of Arsenal defender Kolo Toure for £16 million (Dh97m) after Chelsea captain John Terry ruled out leaving Stamford Bridge. Hughes has now refocused his attention on
Ibrahimovic seals Barcelona move
July 27th, 2009 |
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Barcelona striker Samuel Eto’o's has reached an agreement with Inter Milan to join the Italian champions, according to his agent.
Barca have had an offer of about £38m plus Eto’o, in exchange for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, accepted while Alexander Hleb will also join Inter on loan.
"The deal is sealed, next week he will start working with Inter," said the 28-year-old’s agent Josep Maria Mesalles.
"When he signs the contract he will be at (coach) Jose Mourinho’s disposal."
Reports suggest Eto’o has agreed a five-year deal with Inter and will earn about £9.6 a season. It brings an end to his five-year stay at the Nou Camp.
"It’s done," said Mesalles. "We have reached an agreement with Inter. Samuel talked to Mourinho and is very happy to be wearing the Nerazzurri shirt. All the details have been filed.
"It’s complete harmony with us and the Nerazzurri club. We are very happy and satisfied. The deal’s sealed, next week he will start working with Inter.
The agreement should give the green light for Ibrahimovic’s move in the opposite direction, despite the 27-year-old Sweden striker picking up a wrist injury during Inter’s friendly defeat by Chelsea on Tuesday.
Inter and Barca have yet to confirm the news but the Italians announced on Thursday that Ibrahimovic’s injury is not as serious as first feared.
606: DEBATEmascotman
Inter president Massimo Moratti said on Tuesday: "Until things are wrapped up, there’s nothing to say but I am confident.
"Eto’o is one of the most important players on the market. Along with Ibra, he’s one of the most wanted. It’s a good chance for us to have another champion."
Ibrahimovic was the top scorer in Serie A last season and Moratti had nothing but praise for the 27-year-old.
"He’s a very serious professional," he said of the Swedish international. "He has always behaved well with us.
"He helped us win the championship and he was top scorer last year."
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola, who transfer-listed Eto’o last year, has said he believes the Cameroon striker should leave the club.
"I am convinced that the best thing for Barca is for Eto’o to leave," stated Guardiola. "Could I be mistaken Maybe so. But I am here to make these decisions."
Guardiola added Eto’o's departure would be good for the team.
"I feel that it is best for the club and the team. It’s a question of feelings," said Guardiola. "I am not here to change anyone’s character, but I can decide on which players I want to count on for the season.
"After what we won, we had to change the dressing room. I took this decision from my experience as a footballer."
Eto’o had been on the verge of a deal with Manchester City but Mark Hughes’s side withdrew their interest last week.
The forward signed for Barcelona from Mallorca for £16m in 2004.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Terry’s five weeks of silence
July 27th, 2009 |
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Perhaps Chelsea’s captain spent all summer struggling to find the words to describe his selfless loyalty towards the club
Let’s take John Terry’s word for it. Let’s assume he was telling the truth when he said that “I am totally committed to Chelsea and always have been”. When all’s said and done, only the archest of cynics would doubt the sincerity of a top-flight professional footballer issuing the written equivalent of a crest-kiss-with-clenched-fist, because anyone with a passing interest in the game knows it is not populated by players, or indeed managers, with form in the field of dishonest declarations of loyalty.
Some have questioned the bona fides of Terry’s oath of allegiance on the grounds that it was pledged after five weeks of complete radio silence, a period long enough to prompt acerbic suggestions that “Mr Chelsea” was displaying a certain amount of contempt for his club and those who support it. If he knew Chelsea’s supporters were on tenterhooks waiting to hear his plans and knew there was no question of him leaving Stamford Bridge, why did he wait for more than a month to offer any kind of reassurance?
While it’s possible he was suffering from a particularly nasty throat infection that had rendered him speechless, it seems obvious that Terry is so committed to Chelsea that he was prepared to waste the best part of his summer holidays with spiral notebook in hand, sitting in an armchair surrounded by scrunched-up balls of paper, sucking furiously on his pencil as he struggled to find the exact words required to describe the selfless loyalty we now know he feels towards his club and its fans.
These same fans should be wary, however, as Terry’s statement reveals him to be a man so lacking in ambition that he was unprepared to even consider the prospect of signing for a club whose financial clout and relentless, if ultimately unsuccessful, pursuit of the world’s best players and John Terry has been well documented. Let’s face it, a player so reluctant to even think about leaving his comfort zone is unlikely to stray out of position to cover for Jose Bosingwa or Ashley Cole the next time either full-back is left horribly exposed.
Chelsea supporters could also be forgiven for questioning the smarts of a player whose steadfast refusal to use the interest of a club reportedly prepared to double his wages as leverage with which to secure a new, improved contract from his current employers suggests he may well be several sandwiches short of a picnic. Equally incomprehensible lapses of judgment on the field of play during the coming months would almost certainly scupper his team’s chances of bagging a major trophy.
These are interesting times for Chelsea fans, who will be preparing for the season ahead with some trepidation now that their club’s captain, whose carefully considered utterances have revealed him to be something of an ambition-free dolt. The scarcely plausible alternative, that he’s yet another calculating mercenary who held his club to ransom before fobbing off its fans with a transparent and misleading sop, is unlikely to reassure them.
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Terry’s month of silence
July 27th, 2009 |
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Perhaps Chelsea’s captain spent all summer struggling to find the words to describe his selfless loyalty towards the club
Let’s take John Terry’s word for it. Let’s assume he was telling the truth when he said that “I am totally committed to Chelsea and always have been”. When all’s said and done, only the archest of cynics would doubt the sincerity of a top-flight professional footballer issuing the written equivalent of a crest-kiss-with-clenched-fist, because anyone with a passing interest in the game knows it is not populated by players, or indeed managers, with form in the field of dishonest declarations of loyalty.
Some have questioned the bona fides of Terry’s oath of allegiance on the grounds that it was pledged after five weeks of complete radio silence, a period long enough to prompt acerbic suggestions that “Mr Chelsea” was displaying a certain amount of contempt for his club and those who support it. If he knew Chelsea’s supporters were on tenterhooks waiting to hear his plans and knew there was no question of him leaving Stamford Bridge, why did he wait for more than a month to offer any kind of reassurance?
While it’s possible he was suffering from a particularly nasty throat infection that had rendered him speechless, it seems obvious that Terry is so committed to Chelsea that he was prepared to waste the best part of his summer holidays with spiral notebook in hand, sitting in an armchair surrounded by scrunched-up balls of paper, sucking furiously on his pencil as he struggled to find the exact words required to describe the selfless loyalty we now know he feels towards his club and its fans.
These same fans should be wary, however, as Terry’s statement reveals him to be a man so lacking in ambition that he was unprepared to even consider the prospect of signing for a club whose financial clout and relentless, if ultimately unsuccessful, pursuit of the world’s best players and John Terry has been well documented. Let’s face it, a player so reluctant to even think about leaving his comfort zone is unlikely to stray out of position to cover for Jose Bosingwa or Ashley Cole the next time either full-back is left horribly exposed.
Chelsea supporters could also be forgiven for questioning the smarts of a player whose steadfast refusal to use the interest of a club reportedly prepared to double his wages as leverage with which to secure a new, improved contract from his current employers suggests he may well be several sandwiches short of a picnic. Equally incomprehensible lapses of judgment on the field of play during the coming months would almost certainly scupper his team’s chances of bagging a major trophy.
These are interesting times for Chelsea fans, who will be preparing for the season ahead with some trepidation now that their club’s captain, whose carefully considered utterances have revealed him to be something of an ambition-free dolt. The scarcely plausible alternative, that he’s yet another calculating mercenary who held his club to ransom before fobbing off its fans with a transparent and misleading sop, is unlikely to reassure them.
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Terry: I never thought of leaving
July 27th, 2009 |
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• Defender confirms he will reject move to Eastlands
• Captain set for new deal worth £150,000 a week
John Terry is expected to agree an improved contract at Chelsea this week after the England captain finally broke his silence on Manchester City’s ambitious attempt to secure his services by committing his future to the London club.
City had a £30m bid for the centre-half rejected out of hand earlier this month but retained hope that Terry might agitate for a move to Eastlands for as long as he refused to comment publicly on the matter. The 28-year-old had privately been unnerved by Chelsea’s inability to secure a marquee signing this summer, and by two years of managerial upheaval since Jose Mourinho’s abrupt departure from the club, but insisted that leaving Stamford Bridge “was never a possibility”.
He had held talks with Roman Abramovich before the team’s departure for their four-match pre-season tour of the United States, but has since met the club’s owner and the chief executive, Peter Kenyon, for further discussions during their stay in the US as he sought assurances over their long-term vision at Stamford Bridge. Although Chelsea were always convinced that they would not lose the defender and believed they had an agreement in place with Terry, the player himself did not make up his mind definitively to stay until Saturday.
• Ancelotti insists he always knew Terry would stay
• Daniel Taylor on Terry’s decision to resist City’s millions
• Dominic Fifield: Chelsea’s pre-season is going to plan
The carefully worded statement released through Chelsea ahead of the team’s game against Club America will be the prelude for discussions to move on to securing the captain on improved terms likely to swell his weekly wage from £135,000 to nearer £150,000 – considerably short of what City were prepared to pay him – which should be signed before the end of the week. The new deal is not expected to extend the defender’s stay at the club beyond the three years still to run on his current contract.
“I am totally committed to Chelsea and always have been,” said Terry. “Chelsea have also made it clear to me consistently that there was never any intention to accept any kind of offer. When you are linked with any club, or with a manager [Mark Hughes] who I have huge respect for, it will always make headlines, but me leaving Chelsea was never a possibility.
“I know there has been comment that I should have made a statement earlier. However, throughout this period there have been numerous discussions between myself, the owner and the Chelsea board and we all agreed that the timing of any statement would suit everyone involved in those talks, not any outside influences or agendas. What is clear to me following those discussions is that Chelsea’s ambition remains as high as ever.”
That ambition has yet to yield either Franck Ribéry or David Villa, the players Terry suggested Chelsea should pursue in the wake of victory in the FA Cup final in May, though the club remain in the market for new blood. Securing their captain will provide a timely boost, particularly as Terry was genuinely intrigued by the project being put in place by the Abu Dhabi United Group at City, though Carlo Ancelotti insisted he was never perturbed by the issue. “There was not a problem because we have been sure that John stays at Chelsea,” said the Italian. “There’s never been a problem with this.”
The new Chelsea manager has already indicated he will build his team around its English core, typified by Terry, with the captain pinpointing the Italian’s influence as another reason to stay. “I am certain that he will take this club on to the next level,” he added. “Another important factor was knowing that Chelsea would be securing key current players for the long term. The strengthening of the squad around this core is crucial to pushing us on to greater success. I am as committed as ever to helping drive Chelsea forward and I will be proud to lead the team for as long as I can.”
The implications for City are less encouraging, though a move for Terry had always been hugely ambitious. Hughes still hopes to secure the Arsenal centre-half Kolo Touré, a long-standing target, as he seeks defensive reinforcements to complement the mouth-watering attacking resources already lured to Eastlands this summer.
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