If Hazard Slips The Net, It Could Be Time For Plan B

According to various media outlets the protracted race to sign Belgian wonderkid Eden Hazard could be entering the final straight with City firmly at the back of the pack.  Reports in France, mostly emanating from sporting newspaper L'Equipe have been suggesting for a week or so that the player would only consider a club where he would be an automatic starter, and where he would be guaranteed to play behind a striker, the classic '10' as it were.  Obviously having the strongest squad in the league dictates that outside of Aguero, Yaya Toure, Silva and Kompany we don't have any automatic starters, and Hazard at this moment in time isn't ready to join that elite.  There is also doubt whether he would be utilised solely in a central position due to form of both Toure, Silva and Nasri in those areas.


Those would seemingly be the reasons that we have slipped out of contention, one French journalist on twitter has gone as far as to say that our offer is 'dead'.  The suggestion is that Chelsea have come out of nowhere since winning the Champions League and are close to wrapping up a deal worth £150,000 a week, whilst United are also an option for the 21 year old.


Clearly nothing is set in stone yet, and these reports could boil down to being purely conjecture but if we take them as being accurate one would assume we are looking at other targets.  To be honest I am not totally sure it is an area we do need to strengthen, but if the club deem it necessary, who are the players out there that could be viewed as a backup plan, a fall back if you will.


Younes Belhanda


Belhanda was linked to City a few weeks ago as an alternative to Hazard.  Various newspapers claimed that the Moroccan international had already been identified by the club as the go-to player should a move for the Belgian be unsuccessful.  The 22 year old is in his 3rd season with French club Montpellier, with whom he won the Ligue 1 title this season.  Belhanda can play on either flank or centrally behind a striker and is similar to Hazard in some ways, he has excellent vision and technique, and due to playing as a defender as a teenager he also reads the game incredibly well.  The only stumbling block could be the fact he may want to play in the Champions League with his current club next season, something which is understandable.



Stephane Sessegnon


To be honest this one is way out of left field and took me a bit by surprise, but when I think about it I can see the sense in it.  Today's Mirror is suggesting that we have joined the race alongside Arsenal and Spurs to sign the Benin international.  Before you write him off as not being good enough, just think about it.  With regards to FFP we can't go out spending £30M+ on the very best players, sometimes you have to identify players that would improve you but wouldn't cost the earth, Sess fits into that category.  The 27 year old has given us no end of problems when we have come up against Sunderland and he has threatened many of the top teams, he also has Premier League experience which can be absolutely vital, he may not be a glamorous option be he is a better player than you think and would allow us to spend more money in other areas.

Iker Muniain

Muniain was part of the Athletic Bilbao team that absolutely tore Manchester United apart over both legs of their recent Europa League meeting.  The 19 year old, who has been dubbed 'The Spanish Messi' appears to have all the potential to be an extremely exciting footballer, and could develop into a real great of the game.  At 2 years younger than Hazard, obviously there could be complications with his development, but with his versatility (he can play on either wing or centrally) and the form he has demonstrated this season for Bilbao the signs are very positive, and personally he is a player I would love to see at City, ideally alongside his team mate Javi Martinez.  The other downside with this option is the price, he wouldn't come cheap, and for a 19 year old it could be a massive gamble, but I just can't help but thinking it may be one worth taking.



Gareth Bale


There isn't much you can say about Bale that hasn't been said already, we already know all about his game and what a threat he can be.  Unlike the other suggestions, the Welshman is an out and out winger as opposed to someone that can play through the middle as well, the fact that he can also play at fullback however could mean the end of Aleksandar Kolarov should Bale be the route we go down.  His searing pace and fantastic delivery give him all the markings of a truly top player.  He has been linked to Barcelona and Real Madrid over the course of the season and now that Spurs have been denied Champions League football they could face a fight to hang onto the Welshman.  The downside of a move for Bale would be the price, buying players from the Premier League is obscenely expensive and I reckon it would cost close to £40M to prise him away and for that money I wonder if there might be better options out there.


Lucas Moura


Lucas Moura is a player that some of you may not be too aware of since he isn't plying his trade in Europe.  Currently playing in his native Brazil for Sao Paulo the 19 year old is really making a name for himself as one of the brightest young talents that the country has produced.  Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Chelsea have all failed in bids to bring the youngster to Europe, but the failure of the aforementioned club could play into our hands.  It was reported last week that the Stamford Bridge side failed with a bid of £32M, and as a result have gone all out to sign Hazard.  Clearly he is one of the more expensive options and with the history of Brazilians not living upto their potential there is a large element of risk here, but should he develop as expected he could be one of the leading lights of world football, a risk, but could pay huge dividends.


Mario Gotze

Gotze is a player that has seemingly been watched by every top club in the Premier League and it is probably time that we considered a swoop.  For a good few years Manchester United have considered moving for the 19 year old German international but a concrete offer never seemed to materialise.  It is now Arsenal that have seemingly began to show a great deal of interest in the talented youngster.  The midfielder who can play wide and centrally has been an important part of the team that has won 2 consecutive Bundesliga titles and he is believed to be uneasy with the idea of leaving the resurgent Borussia Dortmund, so much so that he recently signed a contract extension that could keep him at the club until 2016.  Either way Gotze is an excellent prospect and will in all likelihood develop into a very top player, he is a long shot, but money does talk and City could be an attractive proposition for the German.


Ezequiel Lavezzi


A name known to all City fans after his exploits in the Champions League this year for Napoli.  Most of the chatter regarding the 2 clubs has been over a move for Edinson Cavani, but the future of Lavezzi is far from clear as well.  The Naples club have missed out on qualification for Europe's top competition and therefore may face a battle to keep there better players.  The all action and committed Lavezzi could soon be on the way, and whilst many expect him to make the move to PSG, City are also rumoured to be interested.  We have quite a collection of Argentines at this point and that would surely be something that would appeal to the 27 year old.  The wideman can be a bit of a hot head and I do wonder whether we need another Argentinian with a questionable temperament but in footballing terms he would definitely be an asset, albeit an expensive one.

I still remain unsure that we actually need a player to work in the same areas as Nasri, Silva and Toure, but the clubs pursuit of Hazard would probably suggest we do.  Personally I would always prefer to see the club go after a younger player and develop them as opposed to bringing in someone in their prime who would obviously cost more money and have less time at the top.  The man for me is Iker Muniain, anyone who has watched much La Liga action this year will have seen the potential the Spaniard has, and should we manage to recruit both him and Martinez I think that would be some excellent player recruitment.

Rumour Mill: City Close In On Spanish Striker?

The dust has barely settled on the events of last Sunday, and already preparations are being put in place for the 2012-2013 season, and the defense of our title (read that sentence again, it sounds good doesn't it?).  


According to the press it is our forward line that could be getting a reshuffle.  Sergio Aguero will remain in all likelihood, and I imagine Mario Balotelli will most likely stay as well, so it is the futures of Carlos Tevez and Edin Dzeko that remain in the balance.  The pressing rumour today is of a deal being wrapped up for Spain and Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente, a strange decision based on the players we already have.


Llorente is a good striker, in fact he's better than that, he is an excellent striker.  He gave Manchester United no end of trouble in their Europa League meetings, he was a dangerous part of a very skilful attacking unit.  At 6'5 it is pretty easy to see where his strengths lie, he is lethal in the air and has good strength and presence to go along with it; although likening him to Andy Carroll would be doing him a disservice, he is very adept with the ball at his feet, and  with his excellent technique it is no surprise that he is such a regular for Spain, he doesn't appear out of place playing with the World Cup holders.

Spanish tabloid/rag AS are reporting today that a deal is almost done, as with all players in Spain there is a release clause in his contract, the figure in this case is around £29million and the paper claim City are ready to offer this sum to secure his services.  They go as far as to suggest that discussions have already taken place between the club and his brother Chus, who acts as his agent and representative.  


Clearly an expensive deal to finance, but on a player who would certainly be a good performer, my question though is over how necessary he really is?  The report in AS claims that City view Llorente as the perfect partner for Aguero (something which may suggest the end of Tevez in Manchester), so the suggestion being they want to partner Kun, with a powerful tall forward; now I may be wrong but I am pretty certain we have one of those already on our books.  

Even with his vital goal on Sunday, the writing appears to be on the wall for Dzeko.  Gauging by his celebration and enjoyment of victory on Sunday, I would say he has strong feelings for the club, and this would suggest to me that his poorer performances this season have not been down to lack of effort, more a lack of confidence.  A return of 19 goals in 40 games this season is one that would be deemed successful by many, but there are still many doubters over the players ability.  It wasn't just his own performances that were impressive, when he was partnered with Aguero for the opening months of the season, the team were playing their best football, all this suggests to me that we already have the perfect partner for the Argentine, or at least a very good one.


To sell a player with that scoring record, and who scored such a vital goal to win us the title would be a mistake in my eyes, but lets put the Dzeko issue to one side for the time being, what about Llorente?  Well as I say, he is a high quality striker, and would arguably be an upgrade on the Bosnian but at 27 I am not sure he represents value for money when we already have the aforementioned player who has arguably a better scoring record over his career.

Prior to the last 2 campaigns, Llorente has notching up about 11 goals a season, and whilst in more recent years this has improved (18 in 2010-2011 and 17 in 2011-2012) I am still not sure if he is worth the gamble at that price.  I can't help but feel that should we spend £30million on a new striker, it should be on someone different to what we already have.  Cavani would fit the bill nicely or even Robin Van Persie, but for me, as good as Llorente is, i'm not sure he would be that much of an improvement on Dzeko.

Who's Staying? The Striking Conundrum!

Clearly all City fans are focused on one thing this week, and that is the title showdown on Sunday afternoon.  Personally I have spent most of my time thinking about it, my mood veering between supreme confidence and sheer terror as every hour passes.   I am pretty sure everything that could be written about the game has already been done so, and for that reason I am looking at something all together different today.


As the season draws to a close the transfer rumour mill has been going into over drive, and it seems that one of the positions we will strengthen is up front, and for me, that is a bit of a strange notion.  Goals have hardly been hard to come by, and it must surely mean that one or perhaps two of our strikers are on the way out, so today I will be looking at the relative merits of each, and trying to identify which, if any are surplus to requirements and can be improved upon.


Mario Balotelli - 31 Appearances 17 Goals.


To say that the Italian has been at the centre of a few media storms this season would be an understatement.  It has definitely been a year of highs and lows for the 21 year old, and generally it has been an upward trend in terms of behaviour and performance.  Last year he managed 10 goals in 28 games and so clearly he has been more productive in front of goal and there has been indications of an improved work rate as well, that is not to say that all has been positive.  There have still been indiscretions and although he has risen to the bait less often he has still been riled and picked up a few needless red cards.  He played an important part through the Winter months and scored some vital goals, but sadly his efficiency has wained.  There have been other issues as well, City quite simply don't seem as effective when 'Mad Mario' is on the pitch, it is worth noting that the poor spell that Aguero suffered in front of goal coincided with Balo's run in the team.


Season High - 2 goals at Old Trafford, why always him?
Season Low - Dismissal at the Emirates and his resulting dropping from the team.
Chances of Staying - 7/10 - Mancini likes him, and he has been unplayable at times.  There have been signs of improvement this year over last so for that reason he might get one more chance, but should a decent offer come in, we might be tempted to sell.


John Guidetti - 23 Appearances 20 Goals (on loan at Feyenoord)

It looked like the Swedish international was on the way out last Summer, but the promise of a full season out on loan at a top club convinced him to stay, but now we have a guaranteed goal scorer returning to us and he is hungry for games.  Guidetti is an interesting player, I saw him at reserve level numerous times and was never convinced he had enough in his locker to make it at a top club, but his scoring record in Holland is pretty frightening.  One thing to consider is that he has scored a few penalties in that 20, but considering his young age it has undeniably been a highly successful season for the forward.  He is now saying that he will only return to City if he is guaranteed games, and some have suggested he is already too big for his boots.  Whilst he has been impressive, goals in Holland don't always translate to Premier League success, see Samaras, Kezman and Alfonso Alves.


Season High - Scoring 3 hat tricks in successive games
Season Low - Receiving a second yellow  for removing his shirt after scoring a 2nd goal, only for the opposition to immediately equalise.
Chances of Staying - 5/10 - Could go either way really.  The club like to encourage youth, but if he can't be guaranteed game time he could be on his way.


Sergio Aguero - 45 Appearances 29 Goals

It seems crazy now that some pundits suggested that Aguero would struggle in his first season in the Premier League.  Charlie Nicholas went as far as to say he could be the flop of the season, stating that £38million was 'not value for money', right from his first appearance, these fears have been well and truly banished.  The Argentine has been the focal point of our attack line and he will remain the lynch pin for a long time hopefully.  There have been spells where has struggled, these coinciding with Mario Balotelli having a run in the team, but other than that he has scored goals at regular intervals.  One of the most refreshing things about the 23 year old is that he has the right attitude, something that many of the worlds top players do not possess.  His partnership with Edin Dzeko towards the start of the season was extremely fruitful, and now that the Bosnian has been more or less sidelined, he is working well with his compatriot Tevez, identifying the correct partner for Kun is vital and I can only see him continuing to improve.  I just wish he would shoot from distance more often, since when he does, the ball usually ends up in the back of the net!


Season High - That goal at Norwich was an absolute stunner.
Season Low - Nope, can't think of one.
Chances of Staying - 9/10 - There were reports linking him with a move to Real, but to me those seem wide of the mark, he seems happy, his family seem happy and we have no reason to sell!


Edin Dzeko - 39 Appearances 19 Goals

It seems crazy to me that a striker who has notched up 19 goals could be criticised, but that is just how some City fans are.  To be fair the giant Bosnian can frustrate, at times he looks poor, very poor, his touch can let him down, he can look sluggish and sadly disinterested.  At other times however he looks like someone that could be a prolific goalscorer in any league, and at the start of the season that is just how he appeared.  To say that he divides opinion would be an understatement, but one thing that I don't think anyone could question is the fact that the 26 year old is clearly a confidence player.  When he has a run of games he looks twice as effective, even more so when the goals are flowing, but when he comes in and out of the team he struggles somewhat.  Personally I am a fan and think that if we had some decent wingers and provided him with better service he would prosper and become a really strong 'plan b', but I don't deny that at times he does struggle in our set up, Dzeko is a player that comes alive in the penalty area, having to come deep to pick up the ball (which is our bread and butter) isn't really playing to his strengths.


Season High - Scoring 4 at White Hart Lane, his 4th goal was a season highlight.
Season Low - Getting stroppy when substituted in Munich.
Chances of Staying - 3/10 - Personally I would like him to remain, but I just don't see it, he wants to be playing regularly and I can't see that happening at City under the leadership of Mancini.


Carlos Tevez - 10 Appearances 4 Goals

Where to begin with this one?  I suppose the first thing to say is that I think Tevez is our best striker, I dislike him with a passion, but in terms of footballing ability I genuinely believe he is the best we have.  Does that mean he deserves to stay though?  As far as I am concerned, not a chance.  Some may be quick to forgive him for that night in Munich, but that is something I can't bring myself to do.  If that was his only discretion then maybe, but the bottom line is that his actions that night were the latest in a string of incidents that showed no respect for the club or the people that pay his frankly obscene wages.  The undeniable truth though is that he has got us out of somewhat of a hole, his return to the team has coincided with an upturn in performances and I don't think the 2 are unrelated.  His work rate since his 'holiday' are just as high as ever, and he is performing well, but how long will it last?  The cynic in me thinks he only returned on the promise of a quick sale this Summer, but the words coming from player and club suggest different.  I just hope the man that has the final say on the future of Tevez is Roberto Mancini and not the power brokers in Abu Dhabi.


Season High - His hat-trick at Carrow Road was the day he was welcomed back into the hearts of (most) City fans.
Season Low - His refusal to play/warm up in Munich will forever blight him.
Chances of Staying - 6/10 - Part of me believes his return was to bring about a move this Summer, it was beneficial to both parties, but maybe he will finally realise there is nowhere better to be playing?


Emmanuel Adebayor - 35 Appearances 17 Goals (on loan at Tottenham)


The frustration with Manu is that if he consistently demonstrated the application and endeavour he shows when he first joins a club he would be a top top striker, but sadly he can't/won't do that.  Ade and Mancini have seemingly never got along, and there is simply no way back for him at Eastlands.  If we can't find a buyer, another season out on load is a near certainty.


Chances of Staying - 0/10 - There is more chance of Joey Barton signing this Summer.


Roque Santa-Cruz - 21 Appearances 5 Goals (on loan at Betis)


I always felt sorry for RSC; Mark Hughes was desperate to sign him and spent a most ridiculous sum to bring him to City, he was injured pretty much his whole time at the club and he never got going.  When he did play he showed passion and commitment (unlike Adebayor), but he simply wasn't and isn't good enough for us.


Chances of Staying - 0/10 - There is more chance of Joey Barton signing and Jo returning this Summer.

That pretty much rounds off all the strikers available to us, and to be honest we have a wealth of quality options open to us; that is the reason that I am always so surprised to see us being linked with further reinforcements up front.  I think the end is nigh for Edin Dzeko sadly, as much as I would like him to remain I just can't help but feel that the writing is on the wall.  As for Carlos Tevez, well things could go either way on that, and I wouldn't like to make a further prediction on his future.  Should Dzeko leave, and should Guidetti not be deemed good enough for us next season, I suppose we could do with one more forward.  Names in the ring seem to be Robin Van Persie and Napoli man Edinson Cavani.  Personally I prefer the man from Uruguay who has notched up 32 goals this campaign, a deal would be expensive to finance, but seeing whether they would take Adebayor in return could be a good place to start.

Rumour Mill: Round Up Of Friday's Press Rubb....Stories

A fair few bits and bobs in the papers today, some of which are worth the time of day, some of which aren't even worth being wrapped around your sausage and chips.  Picking the wheat from the chaff isn't overly difficult in a few of these cases, but lets get on with it.


First up is the ongoing Nigel De Jong saga, Italian sporting website Tuttomercatoweb have tested my language skills (google translator) this morning and are reporting that Liverpool are keen to move for the Dutch destroyer.  In recent months the midfielder has started to get back to where he was last season, but he is still not one of the first names on the teamsheet as he has been in times gone by.  He still offers plenty, but whether he is content to remain a squad player is unclear, and on top of that the issues with his contract still persist.  De Jong has one year remaining on his current deal, an offer was on the table last Summer that was turned down, and it appears that an improved one is not forthcoming.  The Italian sports site reckons that King Kenny (or whoever makes the transfer decisions since the departure of Comolli)  would be prepared to offer around £15million, which to be honest would not be a bad deal considering he could theoretically leave for nothing next Summer.

Personally I would like to see him stay, he is a real fan favourite and has shown total commitment to the cause even during his contract troubles, I am sure a middle ground could be found to tie him down.  As for the Liverpool side of things, whilst De Jong is a top player in that position, it is one area that they already have quality, although he has been out all year Lucas does a very similar job and is an extremely good player so whether anything comes of their supposed interest remains to be seen.


De Jong is actually an important part of the next story as well, although this time he isn't the star! Step forward chimp like Tottenham flying machine Gareth Bale.  This one is splashed across the back page of The Mirror and surely that should tell you all you need to know about its credibility.  As I write this piece, the following quotes are spreading like wildfire on twitter:

"Gareth Bale is a fantastic player. But I don't think he will leave a big team like Tottenham,".

Make of that what you will, is Roberto trying to out 'Redknapp' Harry? The fact is that Gareth Bale probably will leave Spurs (one of many) should they miss out on Champions League football, and I would certainly have him at City....but not for the figures suggested in todays Mirror.  The paper reckon we are going to offer the ridiculous figure of £40million....plus Emmanuel Adebayor.....and Adam Johnson.....oh and Nigel De Jong as well.  To be quite honest if we did make that offer, Spurs would be absolute fools to not take it, but to offer that sum of money and then potentially 3 players worth about another 40? No chance!

Now to throw in a quick one before the main event!  Back to our Italian friends Tuttomercatoweb, and the future of Brazilian 'fullback' Dani Alves.  To keep to the point, he won't be joining City this Summer or any time soon.  He has been linked to us numerous times over the past few years, particularly during his protracted contract negotiations with Barcelona, but it is now reported that he wishes to stay in the Catalan capital for a while longer.


I can't see I am overly disappointed personally, we already have one fullback who struggles with the defensive side of his game (Kolarov) and I am not quite sure we need another, besides, with the marauding Micah Richards and the warrior-like Pablo Zabaleta I really don't see that area of the field as one that needs strengthening in the slightest.


Now for the big one...Eden Hazard!  It has been a very eventful few days for the Belgian, and there could now be the biggest indication as to where his future lies, well, at least geographically.  According to the rumour mongering French newspaper L'Equipe the wingers next move will definitely be to England, counting out the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona, and more precisely, it will be to Manchester...which club though is still unknown.


Allegedly he was at the derby on Monday and more intriguingly there are claims that his people were entertained by the City delegation at the recent Wolves game.  These 2 events have led some in the media to suggest that we are in pole position for his signature, but I doubt it will be as straight forward as that as the United hierarchy are though to be extremely keen on securing him themselves.  Mancini and Vieira have flown to France on a couple of occasions to watch the 21 year old and both are said to have been extremely impressed.  

The decision for the player is relatively simple, he knows should he join City he will be part of a squad, but he will also earn more money and arguably be challenging for more honours, where as at United he is guaranteed to be a starter week in and week out.  The other advantage that we posses is the posse of French speakers we have, as well as the presence of his national captain Vincent Kompany.  Personally I expect the Hazard saga to run and run, but I would be very surprised if he ended up anywhere but Manchester, and if I had to pick, i'd say I can see him holding up the blue shirt in the near future.

Everything You Wanted To Know About Eden Hazard But Were Afraid To Ask!

A lot of names get thrown about every year, there are some players that just live on the back pages, permanently linked with that 'big' move.  For the last few years Eden Hazard has been one of those people, and over that time pretty much every football fan has stated how much they admire him, and made claims about how much he would be of benefit to their particular team.


Not to question the knowledge of other fans, but it does lead me to wonder how many people watch Ligue 1, because to have the knowledge of the player that people claim to have, they must watch Lille an awful lot!  I will hold my hands up and admit that 12 months ago, I was one of those people, I wanted Hazard at City, but I wasn't entirely sure why.  The hysteria around him had got so high, everyone wanted their club to sign him, but if you asked said fan whether he was right or left footed, they would in many cases be unable to answer you.  For that reason, I am going to spread the word, and make it clear just who Eden Hazard actually is, and why he'd be a great addition to the City squad.

We have all read the following admiring quotes from Mancini in recent days:

"I like Hazard a lot. He's a good player, he's young and he would do great things in our team...Given his technical qualities, City would be the perfect destination for him. I know him and have been following him for a long time. He's a player a lot of teams want.".

So what is it about the player that would make us such a 'perfect destination'?  To be quite honest from what I have seen and read the kid has it all.  Capable of playing on either wing, he has that prized asset of being pretty two footed, he may naturally use his right, but he is equally adapt on his left, he is also comfortable playing centrally behind the forward line.  He creates chances no matter where he is playing on the pitch, and he is also not shy of scoring himself, notching up 16 league goals (and 13 assists) this season in 33 appearances, not a bad return for an attacking midfield player.

The Belgian certainly doesn't lack self confidence, some may deem him cocky, but others, and more importantly those that have worked with him believe it is more positive than that, he believes in his own ability and at 21 that is crucial.  The midfielder was fast tracked from the Lille academy into the first team squad at just 16 and became the youngest ever professional player in France.  Hazard is lauded for many parts of his game, he is searingly quick with and without the ball, and with supreme dribbling ability he can create something out of nothing in a flash.  His technical ability is hugely impressive as well, he has a fine range of passing and an excellent strike.  He has been likened to some of the very top players in the global game, similarities between Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are not wide of the mark, the scary thing is that he is probably ahead of where they were at his age.  


All is not so positive however, there are a few drawbacks.  A very important consideration is that whilst he has been dubbed a 'defenders nightmare' and has appeared unplayable at times, this is in a league which does not reach the standards of the English top flight.  There have also been negative suggestions regarded his self confidence, his former manage at Lille Claude Puel, gave some warnings when speaking to BBC Sport:

"Eden's strength is that he never doubts himself...He has so much self-confidence. That enabled him to reach a high level very quickly, but now it's holding him back because he's not pushing himself enough....He has everything he needs to become truly a great player, but he has to understand talent alone isn't enough. You have to work as well and he'll only make the next step if he moves to a more competitive environment.".

This attitude is mirrored by former Arsenal great Emmanuel Petit:

"I always feel short-changed with Hazard...Hazard is a diamond but he needs to be polished by the right jeweller.".

National manager Georges Leekens has also questioned Hazard and suggested that he has a lot more work ahead of him if he wants to be one of the games greats, but, the facts is that noone denies the potential that he possesses.  There is the chance he could go the same way as many of these kids who are told they are world beaters only to stutter, but if that can be overcome he clearly has the potential.

Why though would City be such a good fit?  Well we know that Mancini has a knack of getting the best out of certain players, the improvement of Joleon Lescott, Micah Richards and Gareth Barry confirm that his coaching techniques are of a good standard, so I am confident that he could get the player on the right track and keep him there.

Tactically it is somewhat of a no brainer, we have very little natural width in our squad, Adam Johnson, maligned by many, is in my mind not as bad as many make out but whether he has the ability to ever be a top player I am unsure, Hazard definitely has that though.  Yes, he has a penchant for cutting inside something that makes us tremendously narrow at times but with his 2 footed ability he would always keep defenders guessing as to which way he was going to go.  Perhaps his biggest asset to us as a club though is his pace.  Other than our fullbacks we are not an overly pacey side and that is something that the Belgian would definitely provide, he would commit defenders, and beat defenders, and his playmaking ability could be a joy to watch alongside the likes of Silva, Aguero and Nasri.

Competition for his signature is obviously strong, he has been linked with Arsenal for years, but whether they could compete financially seems unlikely, United are very interested in his signature, as are Spurs and Chelsea.  Clearly we could offer the best deal, but with Real Madrid sniffing around we could face stiff competition there.  In fact it could be the Spanish giants that offer our biggest competition with the clubs sporting director, Zinedine Zidane, saying that he would sign the player 'with his eyes closed'.

Hopefully that has offered a little insight into the much talked about youngster, I think it is crucial to take the positive of the player, there are clearly drawbacks, but the kid is 21 and has the world at his feet, it would be strange if he wasn't a little bit overly self confident.  I personally can see him at City, and the player dubbed 'the right footed Messi' by ex-Marseille coach Rolland Courbis would light up Eastlands and the Premier League in my opinion, a truly mouth watering prospect.

6 Of The Worst City Players. Ever!

Understandably lots of City fans are worrying and stressing about the title, but don't lose sight of the bigger picture, things are pretty amazing right now.  The majority of my life supporting City hasn’t been in the slightest bit glamorous, I wasn’t around for the good times, so my City history is more Christian Negouai and Neil Heaney than it is Colin Bell and Neil Young.

So as we look forward to a bright and exciting future, I think it is important to remember the past, and remember the bad days because after all that makes what is currently happening all the more sweeter.

I have decided to compile this list and look at the 6 (yes I know 6 is a random number!) worst players that I think have representing the club that I love during my lifetime watching City.   Think how great David Silva looks now when he’s compared to dross like Jason Van Blerk, so without further ado, here are in no particular order the 6 worst players to represent City in my life time:

Ged Brannan –  1997 – 1998 – 42 Appearances & 4 Goals

Brannan began his career playing for Tranmere and he spent a 7 year period settled with the club.  After making 238 appearances for the side he made the ‘big move’ to Manchester.  He was signed by Frank Clark for £750,000 when City were in what is now the Championship, he was supposed to be one of the players that would help fire the club back towards the Premier League, sadly this never happened.

Clark brought some really poor players to City, in fact that period of our history is littered with some awful names, a few of which feature on this list.  Brannan was a midfielder, and was soon relegated to the role of backup player, he simply wasn’t very good.  He remained at Maine Road for just over 12 months before he was farmed off to Motherwell for £375,000…what a piece of business that was.

Steve McManaman - 2003 – 2005 – 35 Appearances & 0 Goals

City needed some flair and some invention and Kevin Keegan thought the former Liverpool player could provide that.  Signed from Real Madrid, he made his debut in a game against Aston Villa and he was outstanding, but it was all downhill from there.

Looking back on it now, it could be argued that he had a positive effect on some of the youngsters coming through at the time, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Joey Barton and Stephen Ireland all probably learnt from him, but on the pitch he was a total waste of time.  Often referred to as Steve McPointyman because of his infuriating spells stood trying to orchestrate moves with his hands, waving like some sort of conductor, his impact was minimal at best, and sometimes it was like playing with 10 men.

It just never really worked, he lost his place to Wright-Phillips and then he just came in and out of the side to little effect.  Obviously in his day he was far from a bad footballer, but at City he was abject and other than his debut he brought absolutely nothing to the team, a sad sight all round!

Lee Bradbury - 1997 – 1998 – 40 Appearances & 10 Goals

At the time, the joke went ‘What do you get if you remove the ‘R’s’ from Lee Bradbury’s name?’.  Sadly the punchline pretty much summed this deal up.  Signed from Portsmouth again by ‘legend’ Frank Clark for £3million when the side was in Division 1, he was another of the big signings expected to help City back to the big time.  Much like Brannan it never happened, he never really settled and the former solider didn’t last long.  

He was relegated with City when they dropped down to Division 2, and things got no better at all, not long into the new season he was sold to Crystal Palace for £1.5million.  He was a bit of a failure there as well however and he was ultimately sold back to Portsmouth for £900,000.  He bounced around the lower leagues for the most part of his career and after a year in management at Bournemouth he now finds himself without a club.

Laurent Charvet - 2000 – 2003 – 23 Appearances & 1 Goal

Charvet was one of the players that Joe Royle brought to a resurgent City for their first season back in the Premier League, he had previously played for Newcastle and had been fairly impressive, his time with the blues however would never meet those standards, in fact he didn’t even come close.  He was meant to replace a hopelessly out of form Richard Edghill but he never really secured the place, in all honesty he was pretty woeful.

When City were relegated back to Division 1 at the end of the season, Kevin Keegan took over and employed a 3-5-2 formation with wingbacks, Charvet was again given a chance to impress but he failed to improve and he soon slipped behind a very young Shaun Wright-Phillips and a resurgent Richard Edghill in the pecking order.  He remained at the club until 2003 by which time City were back in the Premier League but in those 3 years he managed a meagre 23 games, he eventually moved back to his native France to play for Sochaux.

Gerry Creaney - 1995 – 1998 – 21 Appearances & 4 Goals

There are some very good reasons why City slipped down the leagues and had to endure the dark days, one of those was gross miss-management and some of the worst transfer deals in the history of football, Scottish striker Gerry Creaney was part of just one of those deals.  City had Paul Walsh and Uwe Rosler leading the line, goals were flowing under Brian Horton but they were still slipping down the Premier League.  

New chairman Francis Lee decided to sack Horton and bring in his mate Alan Ball, Ball decided that free scoring Portsmouth player Gerry Creaney was capable of playing at a higher level, and so a £1.5million deal was put together to bring him to the club.  Only it wasn’t just money that was used, Ball also threw fan favourite Paul Walsh into the mix and thus one of City’s worst ever transfers was completed.

The club were relegated that season with Creaney making no impact whatsoever, he managed a lacklustre 4 goals as City went down with a whimper.  The player never really had a career after that and bounced around the non-leagues, but he will always have that season in the top flight to remember, its just a shame the City faithful have to remember it as well.

Barry Conlon - 1997 – 1998 – 8 Appearances 0 Goals

Now generally I have tried to focus on players that played a fair few games for City as opposed to people who came in and were so bad they never really played, but Conlon couldn’t be missed out.  I remember watching Barry during his brief stint at Maine Road, and seeing him roll around the pitch made me think that I too could be a professional footballer, he was really dire!  The third player to make the list from the same era, but easily the worst.

The striker arrived at City from QPR and he made just 1 start and 7 substitute appearances.  The important thing to remember about this period in the clubs history is how ridiculously short of money they were, and yet Frank Clark threw about what we did have like confetti on carthorses like this.

After he left City he plied his trade almost exclusively in the lower leagues and to be fair he never really excelled anywhere.  I had the misfortune of seeing Barry again last season during a fruitless spell at Stockport County where he managed 0 goals in 10 games…his contract was terminated after a few months.  He recently signed a deal with a Belgian lower league club, where he will be mostly getting to know the local Belgian beer i’d have thought.

So there we have it, there are other awful players that have been at City over the years, but for me, these are the worst that i've endured.  Therefore just remember next time you are at Eastlands and you feel the need to rant about Gareth Barry misplacing another pass, it could be worse, we could still have Ged Brannan scampering around the field!

Rumour Mill: X-Rated Tackler Part Of Double Raid on European Giants?

It isn't just newspapers that carry (make up) the biggest pieces of transfer speculation, a whole host of websites also make it their job to cobble together some of the most scurrilous rumours that you could ever wish to find, and one of the leading lights (worst offenders) in this is Tribal Football, or Tribull Football as it is more commonly known.  This time though they might be onto something as they report that David Platt flew out recently to watch the players in question.


Quite why he needed to do that I am unsure since the team in question were Benfica, who were recently at Stamford Bridge, but I suppose money is no object so a return to Lisbon would probably not disappoint.  The game he watched was the Lisbon derby (Sporting triumphed 1-0) and the players he was there to watch were Spanish midfielder Javi Garcia and Belgian utility man Axel Witsel, the aforementioned x-rated tackler.

Both players are more often than not used in central midfield, Garcia, however has also been used at the heart of the defence, and Witsel, known for his combative attitude has also been deployed on the right side at numerous points in his career.  Garcia began life at Real Madrid, but soon moved onto Osasuna where he began to develop, he then returned to the Spanish capital but soon became surplus to requirements thus triggering his move to Benfica.  The player has been linked to numerous English clubs for quite a period of time with Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United supposedly interested in his services.  Interestingly he signed a new deal with the Portueguese club in March, signing up until 2018, but whether this was just a way to boost his transfer value come the Summer is unclear.  


The 25 year old would clearly not come cheap, and considering his position there are other people I would prefer us to make a move for first, and I am sure that the City hierarchy feel the same way, as a backup plan I have no complaints but I would rather see us move for Javi Martinez or even long term Arsenal target Yann M'Vila, if moves for these should fall through, Garcia would be a good addition to our midfield.

Onto Witsel, a truly controversial player in the past.  When he was at his former club, Standard Liege, he formed a pretty impressive midfield partnership with Steven Defour and Marouane Fellaini.  Great things were expect of the trio and Witsel was the last to leave, moving to Benfica at the start of this season.  During his time in his homeland the 23 year old gained a reputation for his hard, almost aggressive tackling, the red cards followed and the player was widely criticised for lacking self control.  His most infamous dismissal resulted in a 3 month ban after he broke the ankle (assaulted) of Anderlecht defender Marcin Wasilewski, seriously look it up on youtube, its pretty vile.  Unfortunately for Witsel after his ban, he was sent off again against Anderlecht for another particularly brutal challenge.  Things got no better when he received his 3rd set of marching orders against Cercle Brugge for another shocking tackle on Brazilian Renato Neto.


Clearly there were many questions about the players temperament and seeming lack of control, in fact these doubts overshadowed what a superb prospect he appeared to be.  Since he moved to Benfica he seems to have improved his attitude, and has impressed greatly being viewed as one of the best players in Portugal.  If it weren't for the questions over his attitude and professionalism he would have moved to the Premier League a long time ago, he has been courted by Manchester United and it would now appear that City are showing interest as well as Chelsea. 

When I wrote recently about Nigel De Jong I said that he filled a vital role in some ways, we need that bulldog in the middle of the pitch to get about and win the ball back, but in other ways he didn't have the all round game that we needed.  Witsel would be an upgrade on that should be manage to curb his aggression.  He has the energy and ability to win the ball but he also has the technical ability to then use it in a more meaningful way than the Dutchman can currently.  


Any move for these 2 would not be straight forward, obviously when you are looking at bringing in players of this quality you will face competition and it is no difference in this case.  Of the 2, I would be incredibly interested in Witsel should he continue to control himself on the pitch, as for Garcia, well he is a good player but there are other options out there that I would rather see us pursue.