Summer 2011 transfer window

So, the transfer window of summer 2011 has been a cracking one and has seen Manchester City add Sergio Aguero and Samir Nasri to their growing list of stars. With City competing in the UCL next season, we really needed some depth and I am happy with our activity in this transfer window. We have signed a few quality players, and have added that depth we needed. Here is a list of Manchester City's activity throughout the transfer window.

Samir Nasri at Carrington

Incoming

Sergio Aguero - Athletico Madrid to Manchester City
Samir Nasri & Gael Clichy - Arsenal to Manchester City
Costel Pantilimon - Poli Timisoara to Manchester City
Stefan Savic - Partizan to Manchester City

Owen Hargreves - Unattached to Manchester City

Major Outgoings

Roque Santa Cruz - Manchester City to Real Betis (Loan)
John Guidetti - Manchester City to Feyenoord (Loan)

Shaun Wright-Phillips - Manchester City to QPR

Dedryck Boyata - Manchester City to Bolton (Loan)
Emmanual Adebayor - Manchester City to Tottenham (Loan)

Vladimír Weiss - Manchester City to Espanyol (Loan)

Craig Bellamy - Manchester City to Liverpool

They are the major outgoings of summer 2011 for Manchester City, and listed above are the major incomings. We wish all the players departing (whether it is for a season or not) good luck in the rest of their career.

Is Edin Dzeko our new Shaun Goater?

I know it might sound a little silly, but there are a lot of similarities between Dzeko and the Bermudan striker who became very much a fans favourite during his time at the club. In terms of ability, Goater was nowhere near as talented as Dzeko, but he knew how to put the ball in the back of the net, and was a real goalscorer. Edin is just like this, and his record at Wolfsburg proves he can put the ball in the net when given some confidence. Of course, Goater found his level when he reached what is now known as the Championship in my opinion, and when we got promoted twice in 2000 and 2002 it was clear that he was not as effective, but he still scored goals.

Dzeko has the potential to become a City great

In my opinion, since Shaun Goater departed, we haven’t had a real poacher in front of goal until Dzeko arrived in January. Of course, we have bought the likes of Carlos Tevez and Robinho, but those two are different kind of players, who offer more than just putting the ball in the back of the net. However, every team needs an Edin Dzeko type player in their squad, because when your desperate for a goal, there’s not many like Dzeko when he is on form. He proved that on Sunday, by scoring 4 goals which were all of top class quality and varied each time. Some people refer to it as a ‘Golden Hat trick’ when scoring a goal with both feet and your head, and if you don’t believe his first 3 were golden, his last one was for sure, as he hit the ball first time into the top corner on the edge of the box, a shot that no keeper in the world would’ve saved.

Another similarity between the two is the difficulty they both had in settling in at the club. In both their first seasons at the club, both were regularly hounded by a small majority of fans, and it seemed like they would never gain the confidence they needed. However, with Joe Royle and Roberto Mancini putting faith in their respective players, they started grabbing goals and whilst Goater is now known as an icon for many fans, I have a feeling Dzeko will follow the same path in years to come. The service he is getting from Samir Nasri, Sergio Aguero and David Silva is frightening at times, and knowing that all he needs to do is stick the ball in the back of the net, Dzeko could easily be the league’s top scorer this season and for many seasons to come – and it couldn’t happen to a nicer person!

Micah Richards agrees new four year contract with Manchester City - Manchester City FC

Micah Richards agrees new four year contract with Manchester City - Manchester City FC:

'via Blog this'

Match Preview: Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester City

Competition: Premier League
Time: 1.30pm GMT
Venue: White Hart Lane

Barclay's Premier League: Match Predictions

One of our features is predictions for each match every week and here are our predictions for this week which see's 6 games on Saturday and 4 on Sunday.

Uefa Champions League Draw

So, the draw has been made for the most prestigious award in European football, but what do you make of the draw?

Arsenal and City agree fee

"Yes! I will be joining you Gareth"

Arsenal have confirmed that the club and Manchester City have agreed a fee for 24 year old playmaker Samir Nasri. Wenger has given permission for Nasri to travel to Manchester for a medical and to agree personal terms after the French man told Wenger that he does not want to be included in Arsenal's squad to face Udinese.

The deal comes after weeks of speculation about the future of the star, and Wenger said  "The summer was very difficult because we had Cesc Fábregas and Nasri on permanent transfer negotiations and that is draining in the end, we lost two great players and that's a sad side of the story but at some stage it has to be over, because you want to focus on the future."

However, it was unexpected that Wenger would give the deal the green light after he insisted that he does not have to sell Nasri and Fabregas in July. The deal will mean that he will lose two of his key players in the space of just 8 days, and this will severly weaken Arsenal's chances this year.
In July, the manager said""Samir's situation is clear for me. He stays. We are in a [financial] position where we can say 'No', and we will … Imagine the worst situation, that we lose Fábregas and Nasri; you cannot convince people that you are ambitious after that."

The loss of these two players will result in the fans of the club asking questions as to how they will go on this season. One thing is for sure, Wenger needs to strengthen his team if they are to do well in the Premier League and the Champions League, and his ambition to strengthen was knocked massively as Lille declared Edin Hazard as not for sale.

Watch Samir Nasri's top 10 goals for Arsenal



Confirmed Manchester City team vs Bolton

Hart

Richards   Kompany  Lescott  Kolarov

Milner  Barry

Toure   Silva  Aguero

Dzeko

Confirmed Manchester City team for the game, enjoy the match!

Match Preview: Bolton Wanderers vs Manchester City

Competition: Premier League
Time: 4pm GMT
Venue: Reebok Stadium

Barclay's Premier League: Match Predictions

One of our features is predictions for each match every week, and here are our predictions for Saturday's and Sunday's games, and also for the game on Monday.

Saturday's Fixtures

Arsenal vs Liverpool: 1-1
I don't think that both teams will be able to overcome eachother today, Arsenal will really rely on Van Persie and Nasri as they do not have as much talent in their team as they have had due to injuries and transfers.

Aston Villa vs Blackburn: 2-1
I think that Villa will beat Blackburn today, but it will be a close encounter and I feel that maybe it will be a goal in the last 10 minutes that secures it for Villa today.

Chelsea vs West Brom: 3-1
Today, I feel that Chelsea will come out in force and Fernando Torres will show what he really can do and bag a brace. Villa Boas will really need to prove what his Chelsea team can do, and today's game is definetly a chance to do this.

Everton vs QPR: 2-0
Everton will play their first game of the season against a team that lost 4-0 to Bolton on the opening day. Today I think Everton will be the better side and I can't see them conceding at home to QPR.

Sunderland vs Newcastle: 2-1
This game has already kicked off, and I think that it should be a close encounter. I will go with a 2-1 win for Sunderland today in this Tyne-Wear derby.

Swansea vs Wigan: 1-1
This is a big big chance for Swansea to show what they are made of today. They started the season at The Etihad Stadium, a very tough place to go to and lost 4-0. They would've took some positives from that game and they will go all out to win the game against Wigan.

Sunday Fixtures

Bolton vs Manchester City: See match preview when posted.

Norwich vs Stoke: 0-1
Stoke are a very hard team to break down, and play very physically and I believe that Norwich will struggle with this. Stoke will look to win after drawing 0-0 to Chelsea, and will be high in confidence, so I predict a 1-0 win for the away team.

Wolverhampton vs Fulham: 0-0
No-one likes to see them, but I predict a bore draw at The Molineux and I don't expect to see much excitement.

Monday's Fixture

Manchester United vs Tottenham: 1-1
Tottenham will play their first game of the season at a very tough place. However, United are without Vidic and Ferdinand which could make it easier for Tottenham's attack, and I predict a 1-1 draw.

Aguero or Tevez - Who fits in the team better?

After an explosive start to his City career, many have started to ask the question, who needs Carlos Tevez? From what we all saw yesterday, it seems as though we have picked up a bargain if Aguero can continue to display the talents he showed in the space of just 31 minutes, but who fits into our team better? Sergio Aguero or Carlos Tevez?

We all saw last season Tevez single handedly at times drag us up the table and through numerous games, he scored goals at crucial times and made many more. He also displayed the work rate that we all love to see in players at City, he worked like a machine to get back and help out the midfield and even defense at times which endured him to so many of us. However following his comments about Manchester in general he has lost some of these fans, and fairly so. 

Sergio Aguero has since been purchased, seemingly at the time to replace Tevez, despite the fact Tevez is yet to leave, and displayed most of the qualities that we saw in Carlos, the hard work, the skill, and the desire to create something out of nothing, as shown by the work to create the goal for Silva against Swansea. 

Comparing the two, they both are very similar, as mentioned above, but both also work very will with the creative influence of Silva, and should Nasri join, this can only be another positive influence on the attacking play. 

One point that maybe mentioned as a difference is that despite only being given 30 minutes yesterday, a supposedly tired and not fully fit Aguero managed to link up with Edin Dzeko on a number of occasions with quick one - two’s while we only really saw Tevez create two chances with Edin, in the same game against Leicester in the FA cup. However it might be harsh to judge either on this considering Aguero has only played 30 minutes and Carlos has limited playing time with Dzeko. 

So who is better for city? So far its hard to tell, both are top quality players and so far we can only call it a draw, we haven’t seen enough of Aguero as of yet, he played very well against an average side that was scared to put a hard challenge in on anybody, we can only judge after Aguero has faced players like Vidic, or Shawcross, who wont be afraid to give him a good kicking, either way, it can only be a good thing for us that we have two players of such quality at our disposal. 

Written by Jack Davies

Sergio Aguero - Absolute Class Act

Normally, a player will take time to settle and to really mould into the squad, but not this guy. Sergio provided a debut to remember with two quality goals announcing his arrival in English football in spectacular fashion. The man just looked quality as soon as he came onto the pitch and really added something to the Blue’s game, some energy which was massively needed.

Sergio Aguero celebrates after scoring
on his Manchester City debut

His first goal saw him drift away from the Swansea defence, and a brilliant ball in from Micah Richards allowed him to slot home City’s second of the night. Every second of the game, Aguero seemed to move away from the defence, and they really could not stop those wonderful runs which saw him clear of any defenders. As if his debut goal wasn’t enough, he then assisted after a ball was chipped over the top for him to latch onto. He tried to chip Vorm, but his chip was going wide. Somehow though, through pure determination the Argentine managed to keep the ball on the pitch and flick it to Silva who converted for City’s third.

And then he really took the headlines. A wonderful strike out of nowhere saw Aguero grab his second on his Manchester City debut, and this really capped off a magnificent performance.

Overall, he really did impress for the Sky Blues on his first game, and I really hope to see this man in action every game this season, and I expect he will be with us for a long time. This man is defiantly worth every penny we have paid.

Watch a short video of Sergio Aguero's

Manchester City debut

Match Preview: Manchester City vs Swansea City

Competition: Premier League

Time: 8pm (GMT)

Venue: Etihad Stadium

TSBV Feature: Premier League preview (Part 4)

With less than 24 hours to go before the season finally kicks off, we wrap up our Premier League Preview by examining how Swansea City, Tottenham Hotspur, West Bromwich Albion, Wigan Athletic and Wolves will do this season.

Barclay's Premier League: Day 1 - Match Predictions

The Premier League starts today after a summer where all fans eagerly anticipated the return of the footballing season. Here, we will predict the scores for today's games and this will run continuously throughout the season. Manchester City don't feature in today's clashes, but we will still predict the scores.

Blackburn vs Wolves - 2-1

We feel that Blackburn may be able to grab something today at Ewood Park, and we think they will start the season strongly against Wolves today.

Fulham vs Aston Villa - 1-0
Fulham have added a couple of players such as John Arne Riise, and they have picked themselves up a new manager. This is the same for Villa and today's game will be eagerly anticipated as both sets of fans want to see their new managers take to the dugout. Villa have lost Ashley Young, and this could mean they lack a bit of creativity. However both sides will really be up for this today and we reckon the game will be massively competitive as both sides will be looking for the win. We feel that Fulham will scrape it today due to the home advantage.

Liverpool vs Sunderland - 3-0
Liverpool look like they have put together a strong side throughout the summer and I think they'll do well this year. We predict them to start well with a 3-0 victory at Anfield.

Newcastle vs Arsenal - 3-2
Newcastle may not be the strongest team at the moment, but neither are Arsenal. They look set to lose Nasri and Fabregas, and we feel the squad might not be in the right frame of mind today. We feel that they may lose 3-2.

QPR vs Bolton - 0-0
We can't see anyone coming out on top in this game, and we think it could be quite boring. We predict a 0-0 draw today.

Tottenham vs Everton - P-P
Unfortunately, the season won't start for these two teams straight away due to the riots that swept the country this week.

Wigan vs Norwich - 1-1
We don't think any side will come on top today, and therefore we predict a 1-1 result.

News: Roberto Mancini Pre Match Conference vs Swansea

In his pre match conference ahead of the first game of the new season, Roberto Mancini has spoken about transfer targets and Carlos Tevez.

When asked about an update on Samir Nasri, he said:

"I don't know the situation at the moment. But, the start of our season is on Monday and we have yet to complete our team and I hope we can do this very quickly because we need new players."

"I think the club are still trying to work on this (signing Nasri). It is not easy but we hope we complete our team very quickly. The first game (of the Premier League) is really important, and we play three games before the transfer window ends"

With regards to Carlos Tevez, Mancini again insisted that Carlos Tevez could possibly stay a Manchester City player, something which he will be happy with: "It is 2 weeks until the end of the market. I think it's difficult for him to leave"

"I don't know if he will stay but at the moment, there isn't a team who wants to take him."

However, Mancini said that he is unlikely to feature on Monday night due to not being match fit: "Carlos is here and is maybe not ready to play because he has worked only for four days"

"He has worked very well and is here. I think for Monday it is difficult, but for the next game he will be available"

Mancini also refused to speak about the captaincy, and whether Tevez would keep hold of it: "At the moment this is not important. It is important that Carlos is here and working with the team. Afterwards we will decide this"

TSBV Feature: Premier League preview (Part 3)

With 10 clubs having been previewed, we look at the last 10 teams with only 3 days left to go before the start of the season. Today, we'll preview the chances of Newcastle United, Norwich City, Queens Park Rangers, Stoke City and Sunderland

Report: Bitter rivals Manchester United complete comeback to win Community Shield

Another brilliant Manchester Derby saw Manchester United complete a dramatic comeback to win the Community Shield against City and win the first piece of silverware this season. The Community Shield probably needed a game like this to be sparked into life, with both sides desperate to get one over each other.

It was a poor display from City, who for the whole 90 minutes, seemed to be second best. Poor passing and lazy tackling from the players meant that United never really had to get out of second gear to exact their revenge after the FA Cup Semi Final. There was also no debut for Sergio Aguero, who was left on the bench by manager Roberto Mancini, who preferred Edin Dzeko and Mario Balotelli over the 23 year old Argentinian. 

United manager Alex Ferguson decided to play two of his new signings in David de Gea and Ashley Young, whilst Phil Jones was left on the bench. He also favoured Danny Welbeck to partner Wayne Rooney up front, leaving Dimitar Berbatov on the bench, further indication that the Bulgarian is on his way out of United.

The game started off in electric fashion, with City looking unable to cope with Nani and Young on the wings, and they were creating havoc for the two full backs. However, there was no end result from these two, and the early stages were dominated by strong tackles and animosity between the two sets of players; typical of a Derby. 

City started to use their powerful team to their advantage though as the game edged towards the 30 minute mark, through a set piece. Evra hauled down Dzeko, and from the resulting free kick, Joleon Lescott climbed above the United defenders to beat de Gea with a brilliant header to put the Blues ahead. It was arguably undeserved, but City found some confidence from the goal, and minutes later James Milner got past Evra before being taken out just outside the penalty area. It seemed like Evra was the last man, but referee Phil Dowd didn't produce any cards to the Frenchman. 

Jumping for joy: Dzeko celebrates
City's second

City's confidence grew throughout the later stages of the first half, and were keeping the ball very well. They seemed content to keep it 1-0, but with about a minute of the half left, Edin Dzeko found himself unmarked from about 30 yards out and unleashed a ferocious shot which went under de Gea and into the back of the net. The Bosnian was clearly delighted with his effort, and rightly so. City went into the break 2-0 ahead, and really, although they were second best, they took their chances unlike United.

That was soon to change though, and after the break, United looked a revived team after making 3 changes. Phil Jones, Johnny Evans and Tom Cleverley replaced Vidic, Ferdinand and Carrick. Cleverley also made an immediate impact with a cross into the box to Welbeck, whose header went embarrassingly wide. 

It took United just 7 minutes to get a goal back, with a free kick from Young being steered in by Chris Smalling from yards out. It was poor defending from City though, and was pretty much a gift wrapped goal. United took the gift with open arms and ensued with constant pressure before grabbing their second goal just before the hour mark. A great move from the Champions which involved a number of one touch passes led to Nani smashing the ball above Joe Hart into the goal. 

How did that happen? Mancini's face
says it all.

There was a number of substitions after this, with both sides changing formations to try and find a way past their opponents defences, and it was City who had the best chance to go ahead again when substitute Adam Johnson forced a fine save from the United keeper at his near post after hitting the ball firmly just outside the area.

Both teams were being roared on by their supporters to grab a winner, but with the game seemingly heading to penalties, United took the initiative with just seconds left. City were pushing for a winner with a corner, but it was headed away, and Rooney kicked the ball upfield. A very uncharacteristic error from City's captain Vincent Kompany led to Nani being given a chance to win the game with just Joe Hart to beat, he used great composure to slide past England's number one keeper and tap it into the goal, sending the United fans into raptures (who said it didn't mean anything to them!!).

Whilst it was a disappointing result for City fans, we can be sure of one thing this season; it should be a great ride!

News: Mancini disappointed with Derby day defeat

Speaking after the 3-2 defeat to Manchester United, Mancini admitted he was lost for words at how his side managed to lose control of the game and let it slip out of their hands. After being 2-0 up at half time, goals from Smalling and Nani ten minutes after the break and a last minute winner ensured United completed a comeback, which, in reality, should never have happened.

News: Confirmed teams for today's clash

Manchester City

Hart

Richards    Lecott    Kompany    Kolarov

De Jong   Milner

Balotelli           Toure      David Silva

Dzeko

Manchester United

De Gea

Smalling    Ferdinand    Vidic    Evra

Young    Carrick    Anderson    Nani

Rooney    Welbeck

Match Special: Manchester City vs Manchester United in brief

FA Cup Semi-Final, the last
 time these two sides met

Manchester City vs Manchester United

Competition: The Community Shield

Date: Sunday 7th August 2011

Time: 2:30pm

Manchester United will be looking to get one over City after the Blues were victorious last time these two teams met at Wembley, however City will be looking to get the first bragging rights of the season as they look to challenge for the Premier League Title.

The Last 5 Manchester Derbies

20th September 2009 - Manchester United 4 - 3 Manchester City

19th January 2010 - Manchester City 2 - 1 Manchester United

27th January 2010 - Manchester United 3 - 1 Manchester City

12th February 2011 - Manchester United 2 - 1 Manchester City

16th April 2011 - Manchester City 1 - 0 Manchester United

Statistics

Manchester City wins - 43

Manchester United wins - 66

Draws - 50

TSBV Predicts: 2-1

City predicted line-up: GK: Hart; RB: Richards; LB: Clichy; CB: Kompany & Lescott; CDM: Barry & De Jong; RAM: Balotelli; LAM: David Silva; CAM: Toure; ST: Dzeko. 

United predicted line-up: GK: De Gea; RB: Fabio; LB: Evra; CB: Vidic & Ferdinand; CDM: Jones; RM:Valencia; LM: Young; CAM: Nani; ST: Rooney & Welbeck. 

TSBV Feature: Premier League preview (Part 2)

After previewing the seasons ahead for Arsenal, Villa, Blackburn, Bolton and Chelsea, here is Part 2 of TSBVs Premier League Review. In this part, we will discuss how we feel Everton, Fulham, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United will do in the 2011-12 season.

News: Eriksen turns down City

Danish playmaker Christian Eriksen has turned down a move to Manchester City, according to the star’s agent.

The 19-year-old has made 14 appearences for the Denmark first team, scoring just once. He has also made 43 appearances for current Eredivisie champions Ajax, where he has scored 6 goals. The creative attacker has been linked with several clubs from Europe, but has supposedly rejected a possible move to England in order to carry on his development at Ajax.

Here is what Eriksen’s agent Martin Schoot had to say about the situation.

"It is true that we have a concrete proposal from Manchester City, about which Eriksen is proud and honoured, "We talk about the world's richest club, so that they are interested is something Christian regards as an honour.

"But Christian said a polite, 'no thanks', because he did not feel it would be the best move for his career at this time.

"It also says a little about Christian as a person. It is clear that money does not mean the most to him.”

In other transfer news, reports in Italy claim that Manchester City have had a bid accepted by Inter Milan for Manchester United target Wesley Sneijder, however both clubs have been quick to deny this.

Match Preview: Manchester City vs Manchester United

Will we be doing the Poznan again come Sunday
afternoon?

Here is your first dose of TSBV's match previews that will be done for every game this season. In each preview, we will give you the our views on the upcoming game and who we consider to be our key player, and the man to watch.

We also are introducing an exciting aspect. For every preview, we will be asking a fan of the opposition to answer a few questions about their team, the upcoming game, and their views on City. Here are some of the key details of the match on Sunday:

News: Mancini speaks ahead of another Wembley Derby

In his interview with the media, Mancini spoke out about the game itself, Carlos Tevez, Mario Balotelli's recent comments and whether exciting new prospect Sergio Aguero will start against our fierce rivals.

Even though the Community Shield has usually been treated as a friendly in the past, there is certainly a different vibe to it this year from both camps, and Mancini himself admitted the opposition certainly helps matters:

News: City sign Pantilimon

Earlier today, City completed the signing of Romanian goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon from Poli Timisoara as a replacement for recently departed Shay Given.

It is unknown what the actual transfer fee was for the 6ft 8 giant, but there are rumours flying around that we have paid around £2.5 million for the highly rated Romanian, who is the Romania's number one, ever since making his senior international debut in 2008.

He reportedly attracted some interest from Arsenal and Inter Milan ever since Timisoara were relegated to the Romanian second division last season because of accumulated debt, even though they actually finished 2nd. He chose City though, and we here at TSBV see it as a good deal. 

News: Adam Johnson speaks out ahead of the new season

Speaking to the MEN's Rob Dawson, the 24 year old winger has said that he is happy to play wherever manager Roberto Mancini asks him too this season, knowing of the ever increasing options available to the Italian tactician. Ever since his arrival to the Etihad Stadium, he has frequently been used on the right wing, a tactic used by many foreign clubs nowadays where wingers are played on the opposite side.

With regards to his new founded position, Johnson said: "Foreign wingers play on the opposite side and I think that’s how it’s going. I’ve had conversations with the manager and there are some things we agree on and some things we disagree on."


Johnson was very much quick to praise Mancini's mentality though, and is grateful for being brought to the club way back in January 2010

"Which side do you want me on, boss?"
AJ is prepared to be flexible this year

“He just wants to win every game. He focuses on everything, down to the last little thing, and  that’s probably one of the reasons we did so well last season."

"Since I signed, everything has changed for me. It’s given me the chance to play for England and express myself in a massive team. I don’t think the defensive side has ever been an issue in my game but at City you don’t have to use it as much. Now I’m at City I get the chance to attack more and that’s what I like doing.  

"Since I’ve come to City I think I’ve definitely improved. When you play with top players it brings you on. You probably learn more from just watching the players in training than you do from the coaches sometimes.”

He is looking forward to the prospect of playing Champions League football next season for the first time of his career, and said: "The Champions League is a massive thing. I haven’t played in it and it’s another thing I’d like to do in my career.”

Johnson also spoke of his desire to make the cut for the England squad for the 2012 European Championships next year, after narrowly missing out in last years World Cup squad

He said: "I want to be playing games because there's a championship at the end of the season. That’s definitely at the back of my mind. I definitely want to go there after missing out on the World Cup and I think England have got a great chance."

Report: Open Training Session

Both Hart and Taylor impressed
yesterday

Manchester City fan's turned out in force yesterday to get the first look at the refurbished City team on home soil. New signings Gael Clichy and Stefan Savic were both introduced, but unfortunately for fans Sergio Aguero fell ill so could not make it.

The training session started off with the players being introduced onto the pitch, with Kompany, Savic and Clichy coming on last. The players then went for a jog around the pitch whilst being applauded by City fans as they went past. Joe Hart and Stuart Taylor went straight to work, and they both impresssed. Taylor looked in brilliant form as he made some cracking saves, as did Joe. The players then had a training game, Dzeko looked good in front of goal, bagging himself a couple. The session was ended with the players clapping the City fans for turning up. Some players remained to have a few shots on England's number one, before going into the changing rooms. The players then signed some autographs and had some pictures with fans of all ages, these players were - Joe Hart, Nigel De Jong, Mario Balotelli, (who signed most of his autographs topless due to giving his shirt away to a rather dazzling girl) James Milner, Adam Johnson and Vincent Kompany signed a couple too. Mancini also signed a few. The players were then called into the changing rooms for taking too much time!

The players also thanked us for the
support after a long session

Players which stood out: I thought Edin Dzeko looked brilliant in front of goal scoring a few times in the training match, also Stuart Taylor shone, having made a few brilliant saves in keeper training.





Here are a few more photo's from yesterday's training session:

    

As you can see above, TSBV got very close to Joe Hart and he was willing to give us his autograph, and we also got some close ups of Milner and Mario (just before he took his top off!!)

TSBV Feature: Premier League preview (Part 1)

As we mentioned yesterday, one feature we are introducing for our readers is our very own preview of the upcoming Premier League preview. We will analyse the chances of each team this season through telling you our opinion on the strengths, weaknesses and predicted positions of these teams. Part 1 includes Arsenal, Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers and Chelsea.

News: Tevez Given More Time Off

Manchester City have granted Argentine Carlos Tevez an extension on his South American holiday. The striker was supposed to return to training on Thursday 4th August but he will now return on Monday the 8th, which means he will miss the Community Shield clash with Manchester United on Sunday.

The late arrival of Carlos would should spark added speculation about the future of the Argentine, but City and Tevez have both confirmed that the documented return date for Tevez was in fact the 8th.

This will surely result in more speculation about the future of Tevez and there will be added speculation about a move to Inter Milan, as they look like the only option for Tevez this Summer. Tevez, due to his holiday in South America missed today's open training session at the Etihad Stadium, as did Sergio Aguero due to illness.

However, we must remember that Carlos is still a City player and that he will return to training on Monday and there could still be a future for the striker in England.

Latest Transfer News: 3rd August

Firstly, there has been some confirmed news, with 21 year old Ryan McGivern has joined Crystal Palace on an initial month long loan deal. Palace manager Dougie Freedman said: "I am pleased to be able to agree with both Andrew and Ryan for them to be with us for the opening month of our season. I am fully aware the qualities which both bring to our playing squad. Both bring experience to an area of the team where we need cover going into an important opening set of games and I see them as important additions to the players we already have available."

Elsewhere, according to the Mirror, City are willing to offer Emmanuel Adebayor in a swap deal for the Spurs right winger Aaron Lennon. If true, it will be a great shock to Harry Redknapp, who only recently desired his admiration to sign up out of favour Adebayor. Talks are supposedly progressing well, with the only stumbling block proving to be the wages of the Togo star, which are way out of Tottenham's range.

Roberto Mancini is desperate to get rid of Emmanuel Adebayor, who has been nothing but a distraction for the past season, publicising the pair's relationship with each other on various occassions. If Mancini can get Lennon as part of the deal, he would see it as a big bonus.

In other news, there are rumours going around that Sunderland have made an enquiry for right winger Shaun Wright Phillips. The 29 year old recently expressed his desire to fight for a place at City, but the likes of Sunderland, Bolton and Wigan have something which cannot be offered at City; first team football. City would probably consider selling him, but only for the right price

News: David Silva would welcome Tevez return

This summer has seen Carlos Tevez reiterate his desire to leave the club to be closer to his family. It seemed like he was destined to move to Corinthians a couple of weeks ago, but the deal eventually collapsed due to City not receiving any evidence that the Brazilian club would pay the full transfer fee. With that deal collapsing, Tevez is set to return to Carrington tomorrow morning after being given an extended holiday due to his commitments in the Copa America, and his future doesn't seem to look like it'll be resolved any time soon.

"Carrington's that way, Carlos!" Silva happy to see Tevez return

This is no worry to David Silva, who, when asked about Carlos, said: "Carlos has to return and that's great. He's a very important player for us. I don't think there will be a problem. We know Carlos well. If he stays, great. There are a lot of competitions and we hope to play well in them all. He'd help that. I haven't spoken with him. When he's on holiday you have to leave him be and let him relax. That way he comes back and actually can't wait to come back."

From these quotes, it seems like the team will be happy to see the return of last season's top scorer, but after everything that has been said, manager Roberto Mancini will inevitably see things in a different light. The purchase of Sergio Aguero has paved the way for Tevez to move away, and it is clear that Mancini wants to create a squad that is happy to be at the club.

Silva, also talked about his hopes for City this coming season, in a season where he is expected to do big things: "This is my second season [at the club] and I hope it turns out well, like my first. I hope to win another trophy. At the end of last season we had some good performances."

He also spoke of his excitement to be playing alongside new signing Sergio Aguero this season, saying: "Sergio Aguero is a brilliant player. I think he'll turn out very well and he can really help us. We have to adapt with him and he has to adapt with us"

Site update: Introducing The Sky Blue View’s New Features...

The Sky Blue View is introducing some new features to the site that will keep the readers interacted and will give them an opportunity to express their views. These new features will often be weekly, but could happen mid-week due to mid-week games. These features are as follows:

• We will predict how each team will finish this season, and give a reason for this. This will only run at the beginning of the season and will give a reason for the ranking of each team in depth.

• We will introduce “The Sky Blue View Weekly Review” which will review all of the Barclay’s Premier League games and will keep you up-to-date. This feature will be posted on Sunday of each week and will inform you of all results. In this we will discuss all games of all competitions in which Manchester City and any other Premier League team play in.

• We are also going to have a prediction of all scores before a Premier League match-day. This will be run before any game, and will give our view on the outcome. In addition to our view, fans will be able to post a comment expressing their views and what they feel the outcome will be.

We hope you enjoy these new features, and we also hope that they will keep you up-to-date with all the recent news.

TSBV Exclusive: Mario Balotelli; Trouble causer or simply misunderstood?

One of Mario's controversial moments last season

Ever since his £22.5 million move from Inter Milan last summer, Mario Balotelli has kept himself in the spotlight almost consistently, and usually for his wrongdoings. Red cards for violent behaviour against the likes of West Brom and Dynamo Kiev and bust ups with his manager and colleagues has led to many City fans contemplating whether he was worth splashing the cash. His off the field behaviour has also grabbed many headlines in the past year, with reportedly throwing darts at youth players and his car already being impounded a staggering 27 times since he arrived from the fashion capital of the world.

However, this contemplation is usually squashed by many optimists, as they realise the 20 year old Italian clearly has the talent and the heart (remember his donation to a homeless man outside a casino?) to become the best in the world if he put his head down. It's just a case of hoping he does this sooner, rather than later. So, is he a trouble causer or just simply misunderstood?

His recent comments about life in Manchester are sure not to help matters to prove he is simply misunderstood, with Balotelli saying that he is basically homesick and wants to go back home, even though he is happy at the club at the moment. Many people clearly misunderstood his comments, with many papers stating that "Mario wants to leave Manchester City" and that he is no longer interested in staying in Manchester. However, I believe that this helps to fuel the arguments that he is a misunderstood player. It is obviously not going to be easy for him to settle into a new country at only 20 years of age, and it doesn't help when everyone in the country slags you off constantly.

Of course he has created a lot of trouble for Manchester City last season, and some of his performances were questionable to say the least, but he has to be given a chance to bed himself in. If you delve deeper into the situation, he is just like any young person his age. He wants to have a good time, the only problem being is that he is always in the media spotlight. As much he likes this type of lifestyle, he might have to sacrifice it if he truly wants to become the world's greatest.

He is also misunderstood as a footballer, and perhaps even a bit controversial. He is a metaphor for why we love football, and always will be able to keep journalists in a job single handedly! Nowadays we seem to expect footballers to be very well behaved both on and off the pitch and be a role model to young children who love football. In an ideal world, we'd love this to be the case, but the fact is, it can't. Players like Mario Balotelli are freshening up the game, and his character just personifies what Manchester City are all about at the moment; we are different, and we are exciting.

I have no doubting Mario's abilities and as a footballer, I can see him being one of the greatest strikers in the world in a few years time, and it can only help that he has a father figure in Roberto Mancini keeping him in check.

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News: City Ready to Bid for Arsenal Playmaker

Manchetser City are reportedly ready to place a £22 million bid for French midfielder Samir Nasri. Nasri, 24, is yet to sign a contract extension at the Emirates, and manager Arsene Wenger is starting to get used to the idea that he may have to cash in for Nasri now rather than possibly losing him for free next year.

Nasri moved to Arsenal in 2008 for a fee of around £12 million and has been a hit in England, having playing 85 games and scoring 18.

Manchester United have been massively linked with Nasri throughout the summer, and many players have said they would love the player to be part of the dressing room at Old Trafford. However, Manchester City are reported to have made Nasri their priority signing after signing Sergio Aguero.

City are looking to place a bid around the area of £22 million for Nasri, which will be higher than the rejected £20 million big from Manchester United.

However, Arsenal will still continue to try and hold onto Nasri, despite heavy links with United and City. If Nasri should request to leave the club, then Wenger will have to depart with one of his best players.

News: Real don’t need Adebayor – Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo has dismissed a return to the Bernabéu for Emmanuel Adebayor, claiming the club did not need another forward.

Adebayor is massively outfavoured at Manchester City and the striker announced that a return to Real Madrid would be favourable, where he spent last season on loan scored 5 goals in 14 appearances.  

However, Ronaldo insisted that the Spanish Giants did not need another forward. He spoke about the situation whilst on pre-season tour in Guangzhou, China. “I don't think that we need to sign another forward. We are happy with the line-up as it is already.”

Real have more than enough forwards, such as Karim Benzema, Gonzalo Higuain and Cristiano Ronaldo, all of which is some way have been linked with a move to Manchester City. Madrid have also just added Spanish midfielder/strike Jose Maria Callejon to their collection of forwards.

Mourinho last month said that he was looking to bring in another forward, but Adebayor still remains with City, despite being linked with a move to Madrid, Spurs and Bayern Munich.

Adebayor’s future still remains unclear, but he is very unlikely to play his football at Manchester City in the new season. He has made it very clear that he his unhappy at the club, having fallen out of Mancini’s first team plans and has been fined heavily by the club for trying to organise a boycott of training and also for not turning up for training two times in a row.

TSBV Exclusive: Do we really need Samir Nasri?

With the ever growing Manchester City Squad, the question still remains which 25 players will make it into the Premier League Squad? Factor this with reports of MCFC’s interest into Samir Nasri coupled with the reports that Nasri himself may want to leave Arsenal, the question arises: do City really need Samir Nasri?

Of Course a player with the quality of Nasri would fit into almost any club. He is definitely able to play at a high standard in the premier league and can play in a number of attacking roles. Like David Silva, Nasri has the instinct and awareness which very few players have, which allow them to play balls which many of the spectators have not even seen.  As well as this, Nasri has quick feet and a good shot which not only makes him great as a creator but as a finisher as well. (as shown in the clip above).

So yes, we’ve distinguished he’s an excellent talent, however would he be unnecessary?  With the likes of Milner, who has much promise and I think may start to replace Barry in the coming season,  Johnson, who has quick feet and really put pressure on defenders last year, and of course SWP who has had a fantastic  pre-season, would we really need that creative engine in midfield or attack? Of course Silva as I mentioned is a similar player and Nasri would also play in the position Ballotelli has been put in over the past few games (left forward in a 4-3-3 formation) which again asks the question is he really needed in the squad?

Overall I think that Nasri would be an excellent signing, and in a game which is more about strength in depth than the starting 11, I think he’d easily be one of city best performers, and he wouldn’t be a bad influence on the dressing room, especially with Clichy in there to help him fit in. Therefore as a fan of Nasri myself, I would be excited to see the Frenchman come up to the blue side of Manchester, however he may not be necessarily crucial to city challenging for trophies this year.

Written by Patrick Ryan

News: Open Training Session at The Etihad Stadium

Manchester City have announced the date of the annual training event held at The Etihad Stadium. The event will take place at 2:30 on Wednesday the 3rd of August and will be open to fans of all ages. The event gives you an opportunity to see the team train live, and gives you a great chance to interact with the players. The session will last between 1 hour and 90 minutes, and will give you an opportunity to see new boys Gael Clichy, Stefan Savic and Sergio Aguero on home turf. 

The day will also give you the chance to secure yourself a seat at Wembley for the Community Shield clash between Manchester United as tickets have now been released on general sale and will be available to buy on the day.

The prices range from £20-£45 for adults and £10-£35 for under 16s.

Event Information

Time: 2:30

Date: Wednesday 3rd August

Location: The Etihad Stadium

Duration: 1 hour - 90 minutes

Price: £0

So put the event in your calender and i hope to see you all at what will be a magnificent day and a great chance to see the players in action.

For more information visit: http://www.mcfc.co.uk/News/Club-news/2011/July/Open-training-session-at-Etihad-Stadium

News: Toure Relishing the Prospect of More Silverware

Even if most people see the Community Shield as a friendly and the last preparation for the season ahead, Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has insisted the game will give the Sky Blue’s the first chance to demonstrate how much of a challenge they could put up for the Premier League Title.

Wembley will be rocking as the two Manchester teams face each other in what promises to be a cracking encounter between the two clubs. Last year’s FA Cup semi-final was settled by the Ivory Coast midfielder’s second half goal, which meant City could secure their first trophy since 1976.

However, Toure isn’t the only one relishing the tie. Sir Alex Ferguson is looking to be victors in the game as he is determined to silence the ‘noisy neighbours’ who he admits, are not a threat to the title.

City have had an impressive pre-season having beaten Inter Milan 3-0, and so have United who came 2-1 victory against Barcelona. However, for Toure the game on Sunday is the one that will show the world what City have to offer for the next few years.

Toure said "The important thing is that the team show all the fans and all the people that Man City is coming up, to prove we are here, we have to show United we are here. We want to win the trophy for the fans and the club.”

He then continued "We play United, then it's the Premier League and then the Champions League Draw.

"We have to go step by step. We will have to play well next week to beat Man United; they are a very good team."

Introducing Ourselves...

Name? Archie Barnett.

Age? 16.

Most memorable match? Wembley, Manchester City 1 – 0 Manchester United.

Favourite player, why? David Silva, wonderful craftsman in the centre of the park. Lack any imagination without him.

Why do you support Manchester City? Came through the family, all of my family were fans so I had to follow. I realise that it was the right path to go and delighted to support such a great club with such a promising future ahead of it.

Name? Aaron Leggott.

Age? 18.

Most memorable match? Beating Stoke 1-0 in the FA Cup final at Wembley or UEFA Cup against Hamburg in 2009 purely because of the great atmosphere created by the City fans.

Favourite player, why? David Silva, the guy oozes class on every blade of grass on the pitch, one of the best players to ever put on the Manchester City shirt, and will undoubtedly become a legend at he club.

Why do you support Manchester City? Because of my dad! He passed the ‘City bug’ to me and took me to my first ever game against Blackpool, our first game in league 1 (then called the 3^rd Division). I remember walking out of the concourse at Maine Road and thinking “wow”. The only way was up for the club from then on, and I’ve loved the Blues ever since. It’s been a rollercoaster ride for us, but one which was certainly worth riding and I am sure we will be going up rather than down in the future!

The Sky Blue View – What to expect?

The Sky Blue View is a brand new blog that will discuss every aspect of life as a Sky Blue fan, and will keep you right up-to-date with the latest news. The blog has been set up and will be run by two Manchester City enthusiasts, ready to write. But what exactly should you expect from this new blog?

Well, we will cover all Manchester City news – from match reports to transfers. Our aim is to keep you, the reader up-to-date with all of your favourite team’s news. We will cover transfers, new signings, pre-match build ups, match reports, polls and even possibly interviews with the new upcoming stars.

The blog will be run by Archie Barnett (16) and Aaron Leggott (18) who are both massive City fans, and have been since day 1 of their lives and will continue to be so. We both hope that you enjoy the blog and promise we will keep you up-to-date with all of the latest gossip. We will post an article soon introducing ourselves to you, our followers.