Wembley is calling once again for Manchester City. Despite the fans not necessarily wanting to head down to London for the third time is as many months, I understand that the Box Office is looking a bit healthier than it did two days ago.
Mancini is telling us that Aguero is starting from a seated position, which probably means that he will run with the pre-season duo of Dzeko and Balotelli up front. I suspect he will play De Jong and Yaya in centre midfield with Silva and Johnson out wide. The back four will probably be Richards, Kompany, Lescott and Clichy. Clearly Joe Hart smiling from his pay rise will be between the posts.
It looks a strong team to me and one that is capable of beating the green and golders and presenting a very serious title challenge this season.
Following on from my comments yesterday now Nani has become the latest piper-upper saying that we will have problems without Tevez. And this from a fringe player who can’t hold down a place at Stretford and didn’t get a start in the Champions League one-sider. Dear Nani, have you not looked outside your blinkered environment all summer? I think we bought Aguero, I think we’ve had a full pre-season with Dzeko and Balotelli. Yes, I see the odd goal or two there. Maybe we’ll just avoid relegation and things can get back to normal eh?
Ferguson reckons Mancini’s squad is out of control. I think not Alex, the only murmurs come from players who aren’t getting included, mainly Adebayor and Exit Gate Tevez and in every case it is their own fault. I agree that Mancini has to win the league and move on from there to avoid pressure blah blah blah. Well I don’t think he needs you to tell him that. He is dealing with it. He has produced a squad capable of challenging your boys and you have said so yourself!
My fear (and potential source of amusement) for the new season and following the Champions League qualification draw is that the good old gooners might not even last as long as February before their season disappears, as well as their players, this time round.
Udinese will present them with a test in the Qualifiers and as their Premier League season throws up United and Liverpool before the Bank Holiday, there could be a last minute clamour for the exit gates by their senior players. Two defeats there and a draw against the Mags would leave the start of their season looking miserably thin. So Samir, you may not be one of my favourite players but come and join us, Juan (Mata) why would you want to play for Arsenal? It’s all happening Chez City. Get on the easyJet to Manchester. Oh and Cesc, get the world’s best Club team to pay the world’s best money and get yourself out to the Prat Llobregat a toute vitesse (or even rapidamente). You know it makes sense.
Aside form all of this the football world needs to hear the rags saying ‘Well it’s only a pre-season friendly’ by 1630hrs tomorrow. Then Mancini will have thrown down the gauntlet. If by virtue of the pervading dodgy ref decisions Stretford sneak a result, then who cares?
And a final word for the hoarding masses who populate a football ground near City but outside the city…you may rib us about the occasional empty seat but two of your best ever footballers have packed it in since the end of last season and on neither occasion was your ground full for their special matches, not even with tourists. Get used to it boys you can now buy multiple tickets on your memberships to flog to the touts!!
I never felt more like singing the Blues.
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