As bizarre as it may sound, if Manchester City could play against Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal each week, they’d be in a better league position than they are now. City continue to look flaccid when they play teams such as Stoke City, but always seem to be up for it when they play powerhouses such as Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal.

The difference between City and other teams is that on the big days when you need it the most, they have key footballers who play with heart, namely Craig Bellamy and Carlos Tevez. We saw how incredibly passionate and dangerous they were earlier in the season when they almost beat Manchester United at Old Trafford. And we saw it again Saturday in a very exciting second half when City beat Premier League title favorites Chelsea 4-2 at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea, on the other hand, reminded me of the team from last year under Luiz Felipe Scolari when they were undisciplined, vulnerable in the back and sloppy in midfield.

One of the other things that impressed me about Manchester City was the solidarity among the team and the way that the players were galvanized in their support for Wayne Bridge. The way that Tevez encouraged the City supporters to praise Bridge after Tevez scored from the penalty spot was a shining example.

City may not be the best team in the league, not even close, but their team spirit is exemplary and they play with heart — two key components that will make the difference during key games but won’t win them the league.

There’s no question that when City go forward, they look deadly on the break. Just as Aston Villa can be clinical when they counter attack, so too is Manchester City.

The first two goals of the game couldn’t have been more opposite in nature. The first, by Frank Lampard, was a classy inch-perfect shot that beat Shay Given and went into the corner of the net. The second, by Carlos Tevez, was a shot that bobbled into the net. Fair play to Tevez, though. He thoroughly deserved the goal and it was a perfect example of how the Argentine never gives up.

Tevez had a brilliant day but so too did Craig Bellamy who showed his precision running down the left wing which netted him two goals.

As for other incidents in the game, I missed the part where Wayne Bridge refused to shake John Terry’s hand. But I did see an unimpressive defensive performance from Terry yet again. As for Chelsea’s second goal, which resulted after Javier Belletti brought down Gareth Barry in the box, I thought it was a poor decision by the referee. I didn’t see any contact even when I watched the TV replay.

Overall, what a brilliant second half performance from Manchester City which will have an impact on the Premier League title race and the challenge for fourth place. This was the first time Manchester City won the double over Chelsea since the 1957-58 season. And it was thoroughly deserved.

In ten years time, English football fans will look back in the annals of history and cast villainous or glorious eyes upon someone named Wayne. This pending assignment of fates will depend on the outcome of this summer’s World Cup. Wayne Bridge, as unfortunate as it is, has been in the media for all the wrong reasons in recent weeks. Embroiled in a PR nightmare-affair-driven scandal, Bridge, whilst attempting to emerge unscathed has removed his name for England contention some 100 or so days before a ball is kicked in anger. 

The second-choice left back for England and first choice left back for perennial underachievers Manchester City cites his position in the squad is now “untenable and potentially divisive“. Come on folks, can you imagine a locker room with those two in it? All the while Wayne Rooney sits quiet in the corner, focused, meditating, contemplating how to break down the staunch German defense in a World Cup quarter-final. Speaking of Rooney,…

Wayne Rooney on the other hand is in the form of his life, has placed not a kick wrong all season, but carries the ridiculously heavy burden of every single hope, dream and aspiration of an entire country (and even some Americans). It’s almost March and Rooney actually looks to be getting stronger having given up scoring with his feet in preference of his head all the while carrying Manchester United on his broad shoulders.

For anxious England and Manchester United fans, the time will soon come where every step, every kick and every tackle their beloved hero participates in will be greeted with nervous anticipation. He’s got to have a rest soon or could risk burnout. Think about it, can one man continue this kind of form March 1 through the middle of July?

One could argue that Mr. Bridge’s decision to commit international football suicide was in all honesty soon enough therefore far away enough to not cause a major distraction to the England dressing room come June. One may also argue that a certain Mr. Leighton Baines or Mr. Stephen Warnock could easily fill the left back shoes left vacant by Bridge. England fans may also have Ashley Cole back in time to claim his starting spot making this debate seemingly irrelevant.

And what’s to become of the likely lad Mr. John Terry? Certainly not in the form of his life for club, Terry trudges forward on an uneven landscape, a balancing act of sorts, as he stumbles his way in central defense stripped of the England captaincy he once held so dear. Surely the decision to pick between Bridge or Terry will never coalesce for Fabio Capello, or will it? Capello’s always said he’ll pick on form and not reputation, a deciding factor that’s plagued England managers in the past. And what of the fringe England central defenders? Upson, Lescott, Cahill, Jagielka? Could one of them replace Terry to make way for Bridge? Uncertainties that will reveal themselves in time.

One thing’s for certain, the pre-match handshake of Chelsea and Manchester City on the weekend will without a doubt be the most anticipated moment in English football this season.

It was all going all too swimmingly in the run-up to the World Cup, wasn’t it England supporters? That vindaloo dinner was digesting so well. A triumphant qualifying campaign, including two supremely satisfying Croatia thumpings. A seemingly straightforward World Cup draw. Rooney on a rampage. Capello’s calm command with his coif stiff against the breeze helping to erase memories of Steve McClaren standing dumbfounded beneath that brolly.

First came John Terry’s sexual shenanigans, emergency trips to Dubai and all. Then came Landon Donovan’s challenge on Ashley Cole, causing Cashley to break his left angle. And in a most delicious irony, Wayne Bridge is amongst the leading candidates to replace Cole at left-back. No doubt the tabloids will be in a tizzy.

But what of England’s chances now? Does this change your mind on the pecking order in Group C? Who replaces Cole in the interim? Should Cole play in the World Cup if he doesn’t recover until after Chelsea’s season ends? How much blame do you heap on Donovan? Whose absence is more catastrophic, Charlie Davies for the USA or Cole for England? Should Cole play in the World Cup if he doesn’t recover until after Chelsea’s season ends? And just where will Chelsea be at season’s end if Cole plays no part? Have at it.

Not many think Capello has made the wrong decision to strip Terry of the England captaincy. But I think its an awful decison. I’m not concerned with Terry in the slightest, nor Bridge. But as soon as you start making decisions because there’s a media howl so to do, you are in trouble. You start to follow the media’s agenda and not your own. As we know the football media this week has been in a frothing frenzy of moralistic self-righteousness over the whole Terry/ Bridge/Capello situation. Like Terry, it just wouldn’t quit.

So lets get this straight it seems this decison was made because of something as nebulous and fleeting as ‘respect.’ Poor old Wayne can’t respect his –ex best mate any more. Aw diddums. Well you should choose your friends more carefully then, son.

I found all of it a mixture of hypocrisy and hype. The bleating sympathy for Wayne Bridge though was especially sickening and typical of the infantile culture of football. At times it was as though someone had died. His girlfriend leaves him – presumably because she’s fed up of him – and we’re supposed to feel sorry for him because his feral best mate has gone and humped her afterwards? This is pretty ordinary stuff.

And this is supposed to be so upsetting to him that he’s ‘in bits’? Is he 15 years old? She’s gone man. Let it go. She can do what she wants. Is it really impossible for you to play in the same squad as Terry because a woman who didn’t want to be with you had sex with another man? If so, you’ve got a lot of growing up to do, lad. This is all so childish. It’s a like a teenage story. Quotes from him in the press read like a ‘true life story’ in a trashy magazine.

Bridge was unable to keep the French underwear model on board. She ends the relationship and keeps the kid. She wasn’t kidnapped by Terry and held against her will. She wanted to do this. Whatever you think of Terry’s behaviour, Bridge was already out of the picture. So why are people saying his fellow England team-mates are feeling sorry for him? Why? Because he wasn’t able to keep a tasty bird in his bed? Christ, we should all deserve sympathy then. Grow up you whiners.

Yes we’ve all felt a bit sick when someone we know – even a mate – gets off with an old girlfriend but hey, that’s life. You’ve got no claim on her. It’s all over. She can open her legs for the Royal Navy if she wants; its nowt to do with you anymore. So why is everyone supposed to be broken hearted for poor old Wayne? Why is he being painted as a broken man? This actually smacks more of the schoolyard than of grown-up adult life.
Bridge should be feeling lucky that he’s got a career as a peripheral England player at all. He’s not that good and is only there because there’s sod all else at left back. He should also count his blessings that a man such as he has had access to the bedroom of a French underwear model for a couple of years. If he wasn’t a millionaire football player he’d have to make do, like the rest of us, with bar maids.

I’m not feeling sorry for him nor should anyone else. Almost everyone else who walks this planet has a harder life than Wayne Bridge. He’d do well to remember that before he disappears up his own arse of self-pity.
Surely the correct response to all this, would be to laugh it off. After all, this French knicker woman has been gone since last summer. Plenty of time to get over it. Laughing it off is what most of us would do in real life. When the Hull fans chanted ‘you must be s**t, she’s shagging away’ if he had laughed and applauded them, it would have gained him more empathy than any amount of sob story accounts of his distress and how he’s lost respect for Terry. Oh boo f**king hoo. I bet he knew exactly the sort of man Terry was. He’s known him for long enough. Did he think he was some sort of monk? I bet he knew of Terry’s other alleged affairs. I bet he wasn’t bothered in the slightest. I bet he thought it was all just lads being lads. Until it affected him.

Yes, he might not want to think of Terry riding her like a stallion, but you can’t live your life like a love-sick 15 year old. Grow up, man! If she cared about you, she’d not have legged it. If you had been what she wanted she wouldn’t have gone. Second choice for England and second choice in bed it would seem. So be it. This is your role in life Wayne. Grow a pair of bollocks, serve your country to the best of your ability if picked and deal with it.

The real tragedy is that Capello fell for this purile rubbish pushed by the media and gave in to the pressure. So what next? If a player is caught cheating on his wife will he get the sack? Does it have to be a full blown affair or a one night stand? Full penetration or a hand job? What moral code to keep their place are the players supposed to stick to now? Those of the Catholic church? Buddhism maybe? Zorocrastian perhaps? Who knows any more? It’s a total mess.

Photo credit: Billy Banter.

If I was an Arsenal fan, I’d be fed up already listening to people saying that Manchester City were obviously going to usurp them as one of the “Big Four” sides. It’s amazing what spending money does to peoples judgement when it comes to football and Manchester City have certainly caught more than their fair share of attention over the summer. To all intents and purposes, Manchester City will easily outstrip Arsenal on the pitch and leapfrog them in the Premiership.

So since last summer City have spent over £160 million pounds, but have they really bought the required players to turn them into a major force in the Premiership. In my honest opinion, no they haven’t. It’s easy to simply look at the figures they’ve spent and it all becomes an addiction to money rather than talent. For some, Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson have suddenly lost the managerial skills they’ve earned over one summer due to players going to Manchester City.

How has Ferguson lost his abilities by not signing Carlos Tevez? Whilst the vocal United fans tried to convince Ferguson to sign him up, Ferguson would not be budged. He was quite right to question how a striker who only scored 5 goals in the Premiership was worth £25 million. He consistently failed to deliver in big games time and again, yet because he ran around like a dog chasing a rabbit, he was “world class”. It is such an over rated term, that is consistently trotted out all the time as to make it almost redundant. Would you honestly say he’s a better striker than Wayne Rooney? Really? Even the most blinkered City fan can surely see the stupidity of that comparison.

Not one of Manchester City’s new signings is World Class, that’s a fact. Not one of them. Honestly, seriously, none of them. With the exception of Gareth Barry, Shay Given and Wayne Bridge, there isn’t one player who would be at Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal or Chelsea. Adebayor, Toure and Tevez have all been let go because they aren’t good enough for a top 4 side. City had clean run at every one of the targets they’ve signed because the clubs that owned the players were happy to see them leave, Barry and Given apart.

Craig Bellamy, over rated, over paid and has never, ever delivered consistently. A temper that causes more problems than he’s worth, I witnessed one of his strops at Norwich. Refused a decision by the referee, little Craig stomped his feet and jumped up and down on the spot for almost a minute. Pathetic. I wonder how long it will be before he starts texting his team mates spiteful messages?

Roque Santa Cruz, so good that when he left Bayern Munich, he joined Blackburn, no offence Rovers fans. If every major club in Europe wasn’t interested, how has he become such a brilliant striker after one good season and then moping around for a year hoping for a move. In 8 years at Bayern, he scored 38 goals playing for one of the biggest sides in Europe and one that consistently challenged for trophies at home and in Europe. That’s a dreadful record for someone allegedly so good.

Robinho  joined Manchester City, then forgot who he’d signed for. Chelsea to be fair, wouldn’t pay over £27.5 million for him and by Christmas, they were probably glad they hadn’t. Another one touted as “world class”, laughably so if you’ve watched him regularly at Real Madrid. A good player, almost really good, but wildly inconsistent, prone to having hissy fits and a strike rate that doesn’t match the amount of chances he gets.

As for the two signings from Arsenal, Toure and Adebayor, Wenger must be laughing all the way the bank with his £40 million transfer kitty. He has, thanks to Manchester City, made a fortune from Arsenal’s two biggest troublemakers who were simply not at the races last season. If anything, Arsenal are stronger without spending a penny. The issues that those two caused in the dressing room and on the training ground had caused fractures through out  Wengers squad in the last two seasons. Arsenal are better without those two at the Emirates, no question.

Adebayor famously attacked a team mate during a match because he didn’t pass to him, Toure got his gang to ignore William Gallas because he couldn’t be captain. Once again, childish, immature and bringing tons of baggage with them.Good riddance, I don’t know one Arsenal fan who is sad to see them leave. Not one. That tells you everything you need to know about those two.

This rag tag bunch of egotistical, money driven mercenaries are now all nicely tied up on 4 and 5 year contracts, earning more money than they ever believed they possibly could. Do you really think they’ve come to win trophies or count their cash? All this talk of “ being excited by the project” makes me laugh, it’s jibberish. It’s all about the money, nothing more, nothing less.  Now somehow this team will be bonded and formed into one the best teams in England within weeks? It’s crazy to expect such results so soon.

How long before the cracks appear at Eastlands and the dressing room becomes a pit of ego clashes and cliques. If they’re not in the top 7 come Christmas, the pressure will be really on Mark Hughes. Rome was not built in a day and Manchester City could end up being more like Sodom and Gomorrah than the Eternal City next season. They will have all to do to keep up with Everton, Tottenham, Villa and Fulham, never mind crack the top 4 and worry Arsenal.

When Mark Hughes agreed to replace Sven Goran Eriksson last summer, no doubt he knew things would be interesting at Manchester City, it very rarely isn’t in the sky blue half of Manchester, but I doubt he’d have expected anything like the events that ultimately played out. What with the takeover and the crazy final day of the summer transfer window, with City making 10 bids of over £15 million for players, it was probably the maddest 24 hours the City faithful could remember in years.

After that, he’s coped remarkably well with the media speculation, both about transfer targets and his own future at the club, showing a calm and assured exterior throughout the season. Of course there have been hiccups along the way, the F.A. Cup defeat, losing 3-0 at home to Forest probably the lowest point along with the embarrassment of being kicked out of the League Cup at Brighton on penalties. Yet, this is a team still trying to find its feet and he has added some excellent signings along the way.

Shay Given is one of the best goalkeepers in Europe, as hard as that signing was on the promising Joe Hart, Wayne Bridge a consistent and dependable left back. Vincent Kompany has long been touted as one of Europe’s most promising players as is Nigel De Jong and Stephen Ireland has been magnificent all season. Of course, question marks were raised over the signing of Craig Bellamy, but if anyone can get him playing to his full potential, it’s Hughes, their relationship built during his time as Wales and Blackburn manager.

Now the owner has laid down the aim for next season, a top 6 finish, which for a manager who took Blackburn to the UEFA Cup twice and had 3 top 10 finishes in a row, should be a piece of cake with the resources at his disposal. Mubarak’s statement released on Tuesday was a vindication for Hughes and the work in progress that Manchester City should be classed as. It seemed a reasoned and balanced indication of what the owner wants for Manchester City, regardless of the rubbish and speculation that you can read every day about them, such as this nonsense!

City have had some dreadful press this year, with so many lazy journalists writing rubbish about them because it fills space in empty papers. Here in the UK, we have a couple of papers who are renowned for being so far of the mark with transfer stories as to be laughable. Suffice to say, if you see a transfer story printed in either the Daily Express or the Daily Star, chances are it’ll never happen. Last season, they had a success rate of 8% for transfer stories, the lowest in England by some distance.

That’s not to say they’ve not been their own worst enemy at times, Chief Executive Gary Cook has said some eyebrow raising things during his time at Eastlands, the comments about Richard Dunne were especially unkind, “China and India are gagging for football content to watch and we’re going to tell them that City is their content. We need a superstar to get through that door. Richard Dunne doesn’t roll off the tongue in Beijing. Ronaldinho brings access to major sponsors and financial reward.”

Now that may be true but players like Richard Dunne win you titles by allowing the superstars to play and thankfully Cook has calmed his comments down over the last couple of months after the rather choice words used toward Kaka and A.C. Milan. He needs to deliver the players to move City up a level from where they’ve been the last couple of years. A consistent goal scorer is key, as is a fit and skilful left sided midfielder to add to four or five signings to strengthen the squad. Hughes will be looking to shift some dead wood out too as well as tie Stephen Ireland down to a new long term contract.

Hughes now knows his goals, no doubt his list of transfer targets already is on Gary Cooks desk and as soon as the season finishes on Sunday, City will begin the search to add some more quality to the potential they already have on their books. With Tottenham, Everton and Aston Villa all showing flashes this season, we could finally get a season to remember in 2009-2010 and not just the same 4 clubs sharing out the trophies once again.

FC Copenhagen chairman Stale Solbakken suggests that Manchester City’s spending will ruin football.

“The amounts of money that have been mentioned are incredible,” Solbakken told Ekstra-Bladet.

“I think that such incredible sums will take part in destroying football.

“They are creating too big a mental distance between what we call reality and then Manchester City.”

 The idea of City’s fiscal force frightens, but its tangible affect has been negligible.

City have not upset the competitive climate in the Premier League.  They sit just 9^th in the table, with 31 points from 25 matches, and that represents improvement from winning three of their last five in the league.  Before they were flirting with relegation.

Aside from the odd Robinho, City have not fleeced the world’s biggest stars from their clubs.  Kaka rejected triple his current salary.  David Villa and Gigi Buffon turned down deals as well.  The only financial flexing City have done thus far is overpaying for Craig Bellamy and Wayne Bridge.

City’s main hindrance signing players has been their perception as an unsuccessful club.  This also seems to be their critics’ point of contention.

Manchester City are not deemed a threat because they distort financial reality.  Clubs already do that.  Nothing divides the gods from the clods in European football more than the Champions League. 

There are also disparate television and merchandising deals on the continent.  Barcelona and Real Madrid operate under different financial considerations than the rest of La Liga.  Ditto for Bayern Munich in Germany and for AC Milan, Juventus and Inter in Serie A.

Spending obscene money disproportionately doesn’t bother football people.  It’s the notion of an upstart Manchester City doing it that is the problem.  Criticism of City is not censuring the rich, but the nouveau riche.

Perhaps, it’s not football that’s going to be destroyed, but a complacent aristocracy.

So it’s all off then, Kaka has shunned the millions on offer to switch the San Siro for Eastlands, turned his back on an alleged £500,000 a week ( A measly take home salary of £260,000 per week after tax) and declared his love for AC Milan. Am I surprised? A little bit, but it’s certainly reaffirmed a bit of faith for me in footballers when someone can turn down astronomical wages to stay where they are. I thought that even a deeply religious man as Kaka is, would have his head turned by Manchester City’s overtures toward him but it was not to be. Manchester City are now beginning to realise the scale of the task ahead of them to attract anyone of any real quality to join them. Sure Wayne Bridge is an accomplished player, but one of the best 10 left backs in the world? No. Is Craig Bellamy, 29 years old and on his 8th club already,  a man who could start an argument in a graveyard, one of the top 50 strikers in the world today? No he’s not. If Nigel De Jong was as good as they think he is, he wouldn’t be with SV Hamburg. Apologies to Hamburg fans and your fantastic manager.

It finally proves that to some players money isn’t everything. Whilst I appreciate the fact he’s on a fair whack at Milano, around £150,000 a week, Kaka realises the scale of the job ahead of Manchester City’s owners to attract anyone to join them at Eastlands. Are they going to play European football next season? It looks a major long shot at this point with only two routes open to them, winning the UEFA Cup or applying to join through the Intertoto Cup and at the moment both look well out of City’s reach. We are now beginning to see the calibre of players who will go to City and the ones who will not, Robinho, Bellamy, Bridge, Jo. It’s long way from Kaka, Messi, Aguero and Ribery. The owners will be stunned I suspect that for some people money is not everything, to build the highest building in the world, only for the people to declare how ugly it is.

I think the owners bought the club and assumed that money would bring everyone there. They’re now beginning to realise it’s not the case. City, traditionally one of Britain’s best supported clubs, are not a European household name, haven’t won a trophy in 40 years and were in the third tier of English football as recently as 1999. They cannot offer a history of success, as Manchester United, Liverpool and even Arsenal and Chelsea in recent years can do. When you bring European sides into the mix, the lure of the lush warmer climes of Spain and Italy, history and passion go against them as well. If they can’t match sides in England, what about Barcelona, Internazionale, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Juventus, Bayern Munich, even Lyon. Nationallocation goes against them too as their two successful near neighbours can offer Champions League football, well balanced squads and and a winning ethic. Big players want the chance to win big trophies and Manchester City simply cannot do that, instead of trying to build a Mancunian Barcelona, they should look back in recent history and use Blackburn’s template to try and get to the top in England first. Then perhaps they can look to higher quality signings once they become a top 6 side.

Unfortunately, it seems that to compound the issues with Kaka, Robinho has walked out of the Manchester City training camp in Tenerife, apparently due to a disagreement over being allowed to have his birthday in Brazil. City have not given a reason for him leaving the camp as yet and one of the local English speaking Tenerife Radio station, Oasis FM (now that is ironic) are currently running a “Have you seen Robinho” phone in competition this morning. For Manchester City fans, they hope someone spots him soon.

Congrats to Derby County. On a day where Cricket was the headline in England throughout (thanks ECB), Derby County came up with another dozy…technically being 180 minutes away from European competition.

However that’s where the hyperbole stops for me. Sir Alex Ferguson obviously had a plan in mind for tonight’s game, damage control. While yes the 1-0 scoreline could be considered flattering for the number of chances Derby County had, Derby were unable to really punish Manchester United and the lighthearted nature they took this first leg. When the ninety was up, the scoreline should have read at least 2-0.

But let’s be honest about this game. Manchester United have a big tie Sunday against Chelsea at Old Trafford and they host the return leg to this tie in two weeks time. Sir Alex killed one bird when tonight’s game ended 1-0. He was able to rest key players and with the damage held to a minimal, should be able to turn over a Derby County side that will have the post manager change glow wearing off in a fort night. So let us all not over blow this result. While yes it’s a bit of a shock, let’s put this into perspective first. If Derby manage to hold on at Old Tafford for the Wembley final, then we can wonder about the what ifs of this night.

Busy day at St. James Park. First we find out Shola Ameobi signed a new 3 year deal. Let’s hope he gets healthy to play a large part of those 3 years. Secondly we find out that Obafemi Martins is off to see the hernia guy in Germany. See ya in six weeks. However if I was Martins, I’d tell his agent to shut up about blasting the club and the medical staff saying ‘The Newcastle medical staff is woeful’. Why state the obvious when at any time you can look at their injury list and go ‘is this West Ham from last season’? And finally we find out that Alan Smith looks to be sold from the club. For some odd reason that will probably come to me later, that surprises me.

Other Stories
Mark Hughes believes in an open door policy. I guess his players just don’t want to take him up on that offer. If players are taking up their grievances in player only meetings and with chairmen, then in my mind the players have either revolted or no longer care about you as a person.

We have a new leader in the club house in the Richest Club Owner Invitational, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Manchester City. That’s what happens when you have more money than everyone else. Roman Abramovich falls to third.

Tell me if I’ve got this nightly Jermain Defoe update correct. 1) The story comes out that Defoe made his own deal. 2) Bitter ex agent who is suing Defoe over breech of contract makes claim that Defoe’s mother helped broker the deal. So would that make 3) Bitter ex agent is trying to get both Defoe and Tottenham in trouble? Now I just want this story to end!

So John Terry is disappointed to see Wayne Bridge go. I guess they must have become great friends on the Chelsea medical tables.

Major League Soccer bust Denilson is on trail with Bolton. Hey Gary, you can’t be that desperate for players.

Here’s our daily warning from Middlesbrough saying Stewart Downing isn’t for sale.

Well the rumblings of yesterday have come to fruition today, on two counts. The first happening in South America, the other happening at the Riverside.

I can understand Carlos Tevez wanting his future sorted. But the situation with Manchester United seems to get crazier by the day. After firing back at Ferguson’s claims of rejecting a contract offer and saying he nor his agent had seen a contract, Tevez fired what I think could be the fatal jab when he admitted that he’s going to start hearing offers from other clubs.

In my mind, Carlos Tevez is skating on ultra thin ice right now. You’re not an out and out starter at Manchester United and I’m going to go out on a limb and assume you’re wanting mega pounds to stay. However to more or less say you’re ready to leave Manchester United and (while I’ll admit this comment is off handed), saying he’d love to play for Real Madrid, the corner that is being back into is not an easy one to walk out of.

Tevez needs to understand that being a squad player means you are not going to make what you think you’re worth at Manchester United. Only the week in and week out players guaranteed in the starting eleven will. If you think you’re bigger than the club, do yourself a favor and simply go ahead and leave. Ferguson won’t deal with the headache.

The other story from last night that came home to roost was the formal transfer request Stewart Downing made to Middlesbrough. It appears clear that Downing wants to continue his career under the wing of Harry Redknapp at Tottenham, but not only was Downing’s formal transfer request denied, Tottenham’s 12 million pound bid was also denied.

This situation reads to me very similar to the situation we saw last year with one Dimitar Berbatov.  Downing seems to be doing everything possible to get ouf of the club, be damned about the relationships made and the respect of the fans you have. While I understand we haven’t hit the sulk level yet, I expect that to happen in short order. The intentions have been made clear, and the impression I get is that Downing isn’t going to stop until he’s out of the Riverside for the comforts of North London.

Steve Gibson is in a tight spot. While I agree with him for making a player honor a contact, how much more of this nonsense will he tolerate. Gibson though saying ‘I repeat: none of our senior players will be leaving the Riverside Stadium this month’ tells me that he’s ready for the long haul that this January window will bring. But one thing Gibson should realize is Daniel Levy has very recently been in Gibson’s shoes, and knows what the final outcome ultimately will be.

Other Stories
Add Arsene Wenger to the back of Sir Alex Ferguson in saying the fixture list is ‘unfair’. Where to do I get my tissues? You’re supposed to be top four sides. Quit crying about who you have to face and when you have to face them.

Joe Cole seems a tad bit unhappy about being replaced for the 13th match in a row and is wanting to meet with Scolari about why that is the case. Just another fire for Scolari to put out. It’s funny though all these little fires are growing into one big inferno.

Wayne Bridge promises that his best is yet to come. As one Manchester City fan put it to me ‘that is until he gets injured’.

Tony Pulis thinks that bringing in players will lift the mood around the Stoke City squad. That is until they decide to take pop shots at each other during a match.

A Column to go Home By
Peter Bills questions if Chelsea have the stomach to fight for the title, FA Cup, and Champions League. I’ve been asking that same question as a Chelsea fan since the second week of the season.