All posts by h79snht.top

Last week, Manchester City played Stoke City twice in a few days, in the FA Cup final and in the league. Everyone got on pretty well. City decided not to parade the FA Cup before or after the league game in respect to Stoke fans, we clapped their fans away and Delilah was played over the loudspeaker.All very nice, and message boards for both clubs contained many a thread praising the opposition fans, and mentioning a new-found respect after the carnage of our double relegation in 1998 when trouble after the final game (Manchester City won it 5-2, to no avail) was widespread.This new found respect and praise didn’t sit very well with some fans though. It just wasn’t football to be praising opposition fans, or to be getting on with them this much. Afterall, part of being a football supporter is to hate most other fans, and most of all, other clubs.It’s easy to hate. Obviously I am required by law as a City fan to hate everything about Manchester United. Older City fans hate Everton because of the commonplace violence in away games in the 80s.  And they always beat us. A (perceived) bad reputation of fans makes plenty of other teams easy to hate. Spurs and Arsenal fans are arrogant, Blackpool were fine until their manager’s tiresome press conferences and toadying up to Alex Ferguson (along with many other sycophants in the managerial game) began to hit home.Liverpool fans think their club is more important than anyone else’s, Newcastle fans think their fans are better.  I don’t like QPR now Warnock is their manager. Or West Ham now Gold and Sullivan are weaving their magic as owners. I hated Crystal Palace while Jordan was chairman.[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’right’]Don’t take all the above as my opinion – mere hyperbole to show how easy it is to take against clubs, as if it is almost frowned upon to like other clubs. Any little thing you can seize upon- one arrogant letter from an Arsenal fan on a website is enough for you to tar all Arsenal fans with the same brush.It’s a similar theme at matches. Ninety minutes of winding each other up and sneering (or more) outside. This seems to be a habit restricted to British clubs though – perhaps familiarity breeds contempt, but it’s a lot harder to really detest a foreign team. Though I am tempted to start hating Barcelona because everyone fawns over them so much. And because of Busquets of course.I hate Ipswich because their fans sneered when we got relegated once. I hate Luton because they relegated us in 1983 and David Pleat ran across the pitch. And because of those portakabins down the side of the pitch. God I hated them. I hate Portsmouth because they have a drummer and lots of bell ringing.And that’s the thing with irrational dislikes – football clubs are massive entities, with a large coaching and managerial staff, a large pool of players, a set of fans that can number millions and a proud history stretching back over a century, but it only takes one individual or one tiny detail at a club for me to take a dislike to them. Thus, whichever club Harry Redknapp is attached to I am duty-bound to hate. This is because of the spurious reasons of him having so many friends in the media he seems untouchable, and because he likes to talk about players in the press that he thinks are ‘triffic, perfectly illustrated when he unsettled Eyal Berkovic away from Manchester City many years ago. Time has not healed the wounds.Why do we take so easily to hating other teams? It doesn’t happen in other sports. Football is of course tribal, more now than it has ever been, and we mark our territory and stand our ground. We see everything through blinkers, and excuse our own team and fans whilst pouncing on the actions of others.  We can’t sit with opposition fans or we will kill each other. We can’t debate without prejudice, we can’t accept the opposition fans were louder, the opposition team were better, or that the penalty they got was a fair decision. And some rivalries are more deep-seated of course – splits caused by religious differences, historical rivalries between cities, but often nothing more than a fiery game three seasons previous.This is football, and part of what we love about it. It’s fine for me to hate Plymouth Argyle, because no one should play in green (ok, that’s pushing it a bit) . But my most irrational hatred of all concerns a tannoy system. A certain championship side, who shall remain nameless, once scored against City, and the PA system erupted to the sound of Tina Turner and “Simply The Best”.Surely a just reason to hate a whole club? I think so.

It wasn’t until this week’s revelation that Roy Hodgson received compensation in the region of £7.3 million for being sacked by Liverpool’s new owners, Fenway Sports Group, that I acknowledged the level of expense Premier League chairmen have recently been prepared to outlay in order to remove their club’s manager. The contemporary trend of managerial pay-offs has been offset with a few cases where managers have maintained their terms of employment for longer than warranted because the price of relieving them of their position has been too costly. The benefits, other than those reaped by the deposed mangers, of this culture are not immediately obvious and despite a lack of public clarity in terms of football clubs finances, it is clear that managerial reparations have cost several fans the opportunity to enjoy new signings.

The financial damage caused by Hodgson’s departure implies that he earned £45,833 on each of his 192 days at Anfield and the former Fulham boss inflicted further pain on his old club by guiding West Brom to a 2-1 victory over Liverpool this weekend. However, Hodgson’s recently burgeoning bank account doesn’t represent the largest sum received by an ousted Premier League manager in the last three years. Chelsea parted with £12.6 million in order to jettison Luiz Felipe Scolari and his assistants in 2009, which was sandwiched in between the £3 million Sam Allardyce was awarded for leaving Newcastle in 2008 and Mark Hughes earned the same amount for being discarded by Manchester City.

In Fact, ‘Big Sam’ negotiated another £3 million pay-off when Blackburn announced his sacking last December and his aptitude for inducing widespread initial confidence and then forcing the need for an abrupt change worth millions highlights the inescapable incompetence affecting several Premier League chairmen. The evidence suggests some of the most successful managers of the current century have built their reputations on short stints at clubs and countries and the rewards they have delivered have far outweighed any subsequent negative influence.

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Jose Mourinho is generally considered to be the world’s most skilled at this type of managing and has never preserved his responsibilities at any club he has managed for longer than three years. Mourinho’s longest spell as manager was at Stamford Bridge where he guided Chelsea to 2 Premier Leagues, 2 League Cups and an FA Cup having previously led Porto to 2 Primeira Ligas, a UEFA Cup and a Champions League trophy during his two years at the Estadio do Dragao. Internazionale were the next club side to benefit from the Portugese’s charmed touch and achieved an unprecedented Italian Treble last season. Guus Hiddink embodies Mourinho’s international counterpart, having transformed the footballing foundations in Holland, South Korea, Australia and Russia with a four-month term at Chelsea yielding an FA Cup in 2009.

In my view, no manager should merit a contract any longer than two years for an international team because the nature of international competition dictates two-year schedules. Steve McClaren’s £2.5 million remuneration for failing to qualify England for Euro 2008 should have encouraged the FA to reassess their approach to managerial contracts but were unable to relieve Fabio Capello of his duties after last summer’s World Cup due to a clause inserted in his terms before the tournament invoking an immediate £6 million recompense for dismissal. If a manager’s performance is evaluated after every tournament then surely they should only be offered terms for the duration of the qualification period and the resulting competition?

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Club football provides a different framework and work-load but no chairman should feel compelled to place extortionate ‘confidence’ in a manager by offering them contracts lasting three, four or five years. It is always difficult to equate traditional employment conventions to those exercised in football but managers of any team in any league shouldn’t require more than two or three years to achieve the targets negotiated at the time of their appointment. The money Blackburn, Chelsea and Newcastle could have saved might have been used to reinvest in the playing staff – something all fans would favour. The Premier League’s wealth continues to grow in parallel to its chairmen’s incompetence but future managerial axe-wielders would do well to consider the true cost of impulsive confidence.

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They say if it aint broke, then don’t fix it but I’m going to try and attempt to get my hammer and screwdriver out with the Premier League’s current archaic relegation system. As we all know, over recent years the ‘top four’ has expanded to what is regarded as the ‘big six’ with the fourteen other Premier League clubs struggling to match the elite both on the field of play and financially off it also. Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish has previously stated that clubs such as his own are now struggling to cope in terms of wages and revenue with the new breed of ‘super clubs’ out there. With the ‘big six’ usually near the top end of the table in any order, the rest of the clubs are fairly evenly matched on their day and the competitiveness of the promoted clubs this term serves to suggest that the jump from the Championship to the Premier League isn’t as big as first publicised; simply requiring effort, desire and careful guidance.

So if the jump from tier two to top flight isn’t that big, then why can’t there be a restructuring of the old and historic relegation system? Championship clubs have proved they can cut it in the big time. The bottom three go down at the end of the season. Simple. The worst three teams suffer for their bad form over the endurance of a campaign. But what if the 18th placed Premier League side had to play off with the 3rd placed Championship side in an end of season relegation play off?

The German Bundesliga currently operates with this system and the Dutch Eredivisie negotiates this ruling also, with the slight difference that two top flight teams in Holland have to do battle with two second tier sides instead. Not only would more excitement stem from a one off game but clubs in the Premier League would strive even more to avoid a hazardous one off game, and clubs in the Championship would strive even more to clamber into third position, for a chance to achieve promotion. Perhaps we would see greater competitiveness as a general pattern. The current Championship play-off system is a very exciting one, but you do feel it is a waste of hope and time for the sides that fail to reach the final of it.

It is my opinion that the so-called ‘late surger’ or sixth placed side often has the momentum to topple the sides immediately ahead of them, distorting the points tallies which may be significantly greater for the third, fourth and fifth sides at the end of a campaign. All of the clubs know the pitfalls of the playoffs already, but I think whilst play off glory may be joyous for whoever wins, the other teams’ exploits over a course of a season are cruelly taken away and unrewarded. Therefore, if the third place side hierarchically had to do battle with the 18th placed Premier League side, this type of play off would be far more fair and reasonable.

Of course, if the Premier League were far superior to the Championship then redemption for the 18th placed side would almost be guaranteed and widespread criticism would be received for such a system. However, in a metaphorical ‘relegation play-off game’ it would be an interesting experiment as the lack of morale and heads down nature of the Premier League team verses the hopeful and upbeat nature of the Championship side would make for what could be considered an even and keenly-fought contest. Not only would we gauge a realistic outlook of how close the respective tiers are but we would see a shift in attitude in this country that play-offs can be implemented at the bottom of the table as effectively as they are placed at the top.

Whilst critics may point to the argument that we’d see lesser quality in the Premier League if the Championship side were victorious in the one off game, they only have to be reminded that 18 of the 24 current Championship sides have tasted Premier League action before, and it is the acclaim of managers everywhere that England’s second tier is one of the most competitive and hardest to negotiate.

Last year’s final day in the Premier League was exciting (and gruelling) for the teams involved at the basement of the division, but by implementing a relegation play off there would be a far more systematic element as to how clubs rise and fall. For example if Terry Connor’s Wolves clambered to 18th position from their current position, this could be considered a success and a chance to survive, hence greater excitement and drama surrounding an 18th placed finished as opposed to the swift reality of dropping out of the division at present.

Perhaps these concepts may seem like meddling and tampering with an already astute system, but adopting such a system would spark even more excitement into an already enthralling division, rightly considered the best in the world.

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What do you think of this idea? Are we too rigid in this country towards change or should I be taking a lay down? Follow me @ http://twitter.com/Taylor_Will1989

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Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has moved to play down speculation linking him with a move to Italy at the end of the season.Guardiola, 40, has been the subject of reports in the Italian press suggesting he could be set to coach in Serie A with either Inter Milan or Roma in 2011/12.

He spent three seasons in Italy as a player with Brescia and Roma and is believed to be interested in a return to the country at some point in the future.

But the former Spain international has announced his intention to at least fulfil his contract at Camp Nou, which runs until the end of the next season.

“I still have an ongoing contract with Barcelona. Inter are a great club but I’ll stay with my current club for an additional season,” Guardiola was quoted as saying in La Gazzetta dello Sport .

“Either way I’d never do anything without speaking to Barcelona president Sandro Rosell first.”

With the promotion of Brighton, Southampton and Peterborough, who were some of the division’s top spenders and the relegation of Preston, Sheffield United and Scunthorpe who all look to be in transition period, League One certainly looks the weakest it has for many a year so it is the perfect opportunity for a perennial challenger to finally make the step up to the Championship.

Promotion

Huddersfield Town were incredibly unlucky not to achieve automatic promotion last year and only a long unbeaten run by Southampton prevented them before the disappointment of the playoff final defeat. This time round Lee Clarke’s men are rightly favourites as they have all the right attributes to get out of the division however after losing key men in Pilkington, Peltier and Kilbane, it will be interesting to see if they are as consistent this season. I think Preston North End with Phil Brown in charge, who has Premier League experience, have the potential to return to the Championship and I expect them to do the best out of the relegated teams. Their end of season form was much improved despite the inevitable relegation and I believe they have a very capable squad for the division, making them strong contenders.

Playoff Contenders

Charlton are tipped to have a big season but I think they may be a bit overrated with some un-inspiring signings. They will surely be an improved side with all the new arrivals but I am not sure if Chris Powell is the man to take them back to the Championship. However I can see the Addicks challenging for the top six near the end of the season. Havign both Sheffield clubs in the third tier of English football is a rare sight and they will be looking to make the playoffs at least. Wednesday are not going to be the best team to watch under Gary Megson but if the style of football achieves promotion their fans won’t to mind. They should be contenders come the end of the season but need to find a goalscorer first. Over the city at Bramall Lane, Danny Wilson may have faced a lot of stick after taking the job but if he can take them back at the first time of asking the early animosity will be forgotten. They will be looking to use their excellent youth team to help them achieve after getting rid a number of expensive players and a place in the playoffs at the end of the season should be within their grasp.

Outsiders

Fellow relegated side Scunthorpe looked a different outfit under Alan Knill at the end of last season but it wasn’t enough to save them. A summer of departures has followed and a limited budget has meant only a few new signings to replace them. However if they can find a 20 goal a season man and sort their leaky defence, they will have enough quality to challenge for a play-off berth. Brentford look a good shot for playoffs under former Man City striker Uwe Rosler. The signing of League Two top goal scorer Clayton Donaldson is just one of their impressive captures this summer and pre-season results have been encouraging with the Bees looking like a team on the up. MK Dons under Karl Robinson enhanced as the season went on and if they continue this improvement they have the squad to sustain a challenge for the playoffs again despite the loss of key man Peter Leven.

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Dark Horses

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Current League Two Champions, Chesterfield could be this year’s surprise package after playing some fantastic football last year. John Sherdian looks to be a very capable manager and they could well make a challenge for the playoffs although the loss of Craig Davies may affect their charge up the divisions.

Let me know your thoughts on my predictions and what you think of the upcoming League Two season also look out for the teams who will be trying to avoid relegation tomorrow. Follow me on twitter @aidanmccartney for more Football League debate.

Chelsea threw away a three-goal lead against Manchester United on Sunday, as the Premier League champions showed their resolve to get a 3-3 draw at Stamford Bridge.

A Jonny Evans own goal after good work by Daniel Sturridge gave The Blues a 1-0 lead at half time, before a stunning volley from Juan Mata doubled their lead in the first minute of the second period.

Three points looked all by guaranteed when a David Luiz header took a deflection off Rio Ferdinand and beat David De Gea in the United goal, putting Chelsea three goals to the good.

However Sir Alex Ferguson’s men fought back courageously, with two Wayne Rooney penalties getting them within touching distance, and substitute Javier Hernandez heading home the equaliser with six minutes remaining.

Villa Boas was clearly frustrated by dropping two points, and questioned Howard Webb’s decision-making process in the second half.

“Of course, it’s not easy to take. A game where we were very positive and had the initiative for most of it,” the Portuguese coach told Sky Sports.

“It’s a massive recovery for United. It’ll feel like a win for them, of course. We had it in our hands and let it slip.

“There were some strange decisions today though. At Old Trafford we lost two goals that were offside and I see Sir Alex speaking about the linesman just after they recall him.

“These things just keep happening. The first one is a penalty and I agree with it. The second is very, very unlucky.

“I’m not sure if Howard is trying to compensate for something,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, despite staring defeat in the face, Ferguson feels that his side should have taken all three points and were the better team throughout.

“We had two penalties in the second half which were justified. I think we could have had four penalties.

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“It’s two points dropped to be honest with you. We played ever so well apart from the period directly after half-time when we lost two goals. I thought we were by far the better team,” he defied.

The result means United are two points adrift of cross-town rivals Manchester City at the Premier League summit, whilst Chelsea move a point closer to Tottenham in third for the time being.

By Gareth McKnight

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Turn on a football related programme this weekend and you can expect to find a former player having his say about the sport we all love. With Robbie Savage working for the BBC and ESPN, Gary Neville for SKY and former Arsenal defenders, Lee Dixon and Martin Keown both on the BBC, the question has to be asked why football pundits must be formers players who were the most irritating of their time?

The simple answer is that we appear to live in a world where people who are most controversial succeed and these former players who have already established a reputation in the game use this to grind out a career in media after they have retired. By deliberately being controversial they guarantee a reaction from a viewer or reader, something that outside of football, comedians like Frankie Boyle and shock writers like Richard Littlejohn have realised to their advantage

With the added competition that showing football has, I think the media organisations like BBC and Sky are competing against each other to find the most controversial pundit who will ensure people tune into their coverage and not their rivals. The problem for footballers who are have a decent reputation in the game is that they struggle to gain controversy. A fine example is BBC pundit Alan Shearer who just seems to states the obvious every week on MOTD to everyone’s general annoyance and also Steve Claridge who does quite similar on the Football League Show. From the reaction when these two are on our screens it is obvious that football fans do not want to watch dullards discussing football and would rather someone who can keep them entertained, whether that is through intensive football knowledge or by making controversial statements that these supporters react to.

Gary Neville has been one of football most controversial and divisive figures for years during his illustrious playing career at Old Trafford. When Sky appointed him a pundit at the start of the new season they knew what they doing as Neville is never short of an opinion or two. I have actually been surprised by Neville’s intelligent and amiable punditry so far and he actually seems to think about the game. While soon to be dancer, Robbie Savage clearly has a bright future in the media profession as after hanging up his boots last season he won the Sony DAB Rising Star Award for his work on BBC Radio Five Live. Although I was not his biggest fan as a player he has carried through the controversial aspects of his game into his media career and he can certainly bring extra life to a mundane phone call during his 606 show. I actually think Lee Dixon is one of the best pundits around, his views on the MOTD2 sofa are normally well-thought out and balanced but he still maintains the ability to entertain, he is someone that pundits in better jobs like Shearer could learn from.

I think these newly retired players are freshening up the football media landscape after it had stagnated in recent year with many pundits who had been out of the game for many years falling out of touch with the game. Some of these younger pundits were involved in the game just last seasons so will have some idea what the manager is saying at half time or what players think of a certain referee, so their words carry more weight. This new breed of football pundit in the competitive world of football looks to continue and if this trend does carry as as it has I wouldn’t at all surprised to see in the future, pundits Joey Barton and El Hadj Diouf discussing the game on a Saturday night.

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With their FA Cup campaign over, Wolverhampton return to the business of staving off relegation with a trip to Bolton on Wednesday.

Wolves cruelly fell 1-0 at home to Stoke City in the fourth round of the cup on Sunday, with Serbia international Nenad Milijas blowing a chance to equalise from the penalty spot in the shadows of full time.

With that disappointment fresh in their minds, Wolves must now attempt to turn around their English Premier League campaign, which is in dire need of resuscitation.

Wolves are wallowing at 19th on the table with a mere 21 points from 23 fixtures, ahead of bottom-placed West Ham United only by goal difference.

Mick McCarthy’s men were soundly beaten 3-0 by Liverpool last Saturday – their third loss from the past four games.

Milijas believes his side can draw confidence from their performance at home to Stoke, even though it ended disastrously.

“We need to turn things around and we need to think about the Bolton game and taking points there to stay in the Premier League,” the Serbian midfielder told The Express and Star.

“That’s the most important thing for us, the fans – everyone. We have good players and I hope we can win it.”

“If we play like we did against Stoke but keep a clean sheet and don’t make a mistake to allow them to score, I think we’ll be okay because I’m convinced we will score.”

Bolton, meanwhile, have slid to 11th after taking just one point from their past five fixtures.

It has been an incredibly disappointing run for Owen Coyle’s side, who were comfortably in the top 10 in the earlier half of the season.

On Monday, the Trotters bore the brunt of Chelsea’s stunning return to form, going down 4-0 in a thoroughly lopsided display.

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That loss was just the second time this season Bolton had failed to take a point at home, and with Wolves losing nine of their past 10 on the road the Trotters will surely fancy their chances of getting one up over McCarthy’s men.

But the Wolves boss may have an ace up his sleeve in the form of Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara, who has signed on loan at the West Midlands club until the season’s end and could make his season debut on Wednesday.

Kevin Doyle missed the clash with Stoke due to illness but is expected to be fit for Bolton, though Stephen Hunt is in major doubt with a calf strain.

Croatian striker Ivan Klasnic watched Bolton’s loss to Chelsea from the bench and could be handed some time on the pitch by Coyle after recovering from a groin strain.

Liverpool have appointed Kevin Keen as their new first team coach, who ends a nine-year spell at West Ham. The 44-year-old takes over from Sammy Lee, and will renew his working relationship with Steve Clarke from their time together at the Hammers.

Keen has penned a three-year deal and will report to Reds pre-season, which starts on Monday. Manager Kenny Dalglish feels the addition will be of benefit to the Anfield club’s chances in 2011/12.

“I’m delighted that Kevin is joining us to work alongside Steve Clarke coaching the first team. He has previously worked with Steve at West Ham and has a good reputation and a good manner about him. He is highly respected in the game and will be a great addition to our staff,” the Scot said in The Guardian.

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The Amersham born man made over 600 first team appearances as midfielder for West Ham, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Stoke City, Macclesfield and Wycombe in his playing career.

It is often quite difficult to define a manager in terms of the tactics, players and shape that they like to go with, as things often change to combat your next opponents, but one noticeable trait of Roberto Mancini’s during his time at Man City thus far has been his defensive attitude which not only stifles some of the clubs creative talents, but fails to get the best out of some of their most expensive acquisitions, namely in this case, £26m summer signing James Milner.

Milner, the swashbuckling try hard, a player that is both dynamic and versatile, has disappointed somewhat since his long drawn out move from former employers Aston Villa to Man City this summer that went some way to signalling the departure of Martin O’Neill from Villa Park.

Last season was a breakout season for the England international, establishing himself as Capello’s ‘go to’ man whenever a position needed filling in the national side, it was his deployment in central midfield that sparked such fine form that prompted moneybags City to move for him.

He scored 7 league goals and delivered an impressive 12 assists from his position just ahead of Stiliyan Petrov in the middle of the park last term, which it makes it all the more strange that despite such perseverance in pursuing his signature based on this form, Mancini has reverted to playing back Milner on the wing.

Of course, £26m (£18m in fact, with £8m value Stephen Ireland being exchanged in the opposite direction) was always way too much for a player that seems to lack the pace to truly trouble the best, but such is the way with the market being inflated for English talent, that a premium is put on such players simply due to the nature of their passports, coupled with the fact that every man and his dog knows that City have money to boot. Yet Milner, by his standards anyway, has been inconsistent this term and for this I don’t blame the player, but his current manager’s tactics.

Man City still very much have the look about them of a team of fine individuals as opposed to a fully functioning outfit, so much so that it prompted England international (still feels slightly odd calling him that) Kevin Davies to say as much via his Twitter feed after Saturday’s lacklustre defeat to City away from home. But it’s in Mancini’s inherent cautiousness that Man City have found their biggest achilles heel to date.

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Quite why, with the likes of David Silva, Carlos Tevez, Mario Balotelli and to a lesser extent Adam Johnson and James Milner within their ranks and at his disposal, Mancini feels the need to persist with three recognised holding midfielders in their starting eleven is beyond me.

Gareth Barry’s slump has turned into the norm and he can no longer be expected to look anything other than pedestrian. Nigel De Jong, while a dirty bugger, is certainly one of the best enforcers around, so his position shouldn‘t be under any threat. Whereas Yaya Toure, despite a lovely pass to set up the only goal for Carlos Tevez at the weekend, looks lost at times in an unfamiliarly attacking role.

Toure is used to playing a full 15 yards further back, a role he’s played throughout most of his career, and while technically he is sound, he looks too cumbersome to provide the spark Mancini is looking for on a consistent enough basis and so the link between midfield and attack is often a stunted one, and the over-reliance on Carlos Tevez has become plain for all to see.

A simple remedy to this would be to abandon some of the shackles that seem to be holding this Man City side back and deploy Milner back into the heart of midfield to add a further attacking dimension to their play through the middle. To an extent, Milner may be tired from his excursions playing for his country in this summer’s World Cup in South Africa, as the fatigue that dogs so many after an international tournament seems to have reared it’s ugly head again this time around with many of the league’s elite that played that travelled to Africa this summer failing to sparkle, but I think in the main, it has to do with his role in the side.

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This Man City side, at the moment, do not look like capable of challenging for the title, which sounds ludicrous given the amount of money they’ve spent, and it’s not down to so-called in-fighting or the strength of other sides, for this is the most open title race (not quite sure if it qualifies as one after 16 games yet, but hey ho) in recent memory and the league really is there for the taking this year with every other side possessing such obvious flaws.

The fact of the matter is that Milner, while adept at playing out wide, is not a £26m winger, or even an £18m winger depending on how you approach the value of Milner/Ireland deal. He simply can’t beat his man enough on a regular basis and while his delivery can at times be fantastic, to the tune of 4 assists so far this term, he is so much more when giving the license to tear around in the middle of midfield.

The form that prompted Mancini to part with so much of City’s hard earned came from the centre and that’s where he should be restored, otherwise Tevez will continue to be cut an isolated and frustrated figure and Milner will remain a casualty of Mancini’s meddling.

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