1. City head up the road to an always difficult assignment at Wigan on Sunday in the Champions League places with a game in hand. The Latics start to the season has bordered on the bizarre. Hammerings off the rags and Arsenal but great wins over Villa and Chelsea. How’s life with Roberto Martinez at the controls?
Fantastic, we play football now, you wont recognise us from our recent encounters, gone is the aimless punting of the ball into space as used by both Jewell and Bruce and in its place a more measured passing game with patient football and keeping possession of the ball important.
Obviously some Latics fans don’t like the new style, they prefer the harem scarem approach and we have been a little inconsistent which has led to some mutterings but the change is total and Martinez is reshaping the whole club from the playing style, training methods, youth system, the lot so it will take time, but I am very pleased with life under Roberto Martinez.
2. What are your hopes and aspirations for this season and how do you feel the summer transfer window went for you?
Hopes and aspirations, well, hope to be a Premier League club this time next season, that has to be the number one aim for 75% of the Premier League clubs and we are definitely in that group. Once that is settled then hopefully go on to push for European qualification and I would love for us to have a good run in the Cup, we are out of the Carling Cup so it would have to be the big one, a trip to Wembley in the FA Cup final, now that is something to aspire to.
3. Best place for a Balti Pie and a pint on Sunday?
Best place for a pie will be in the stadium, Pooles Pies are served there, no Balti’s but a fantastic Chunky Steak or a piping hot Meat and Potato, they were voted the best in the league and you cant beat a Wigan pie.
As for a pint, the Red Robin is an away friendly venue and is situated just 100 yards away from the ground on the retail park but I am guessing the name of the place wont go down too well with you guys so there is always the Orwell at Wigan Pier or if you come into town from the North you could try the Springfield near to where our old ground was, it’s a home pub but very friendly.
4. ‘Shot by both sides:’ The Dangermen. Who should Wigan and in turn City, be paying close attention to at the DW Stadium on Sunday?
Obviously you have Adebayor who is an extremely talented forward but I fear the speed of Bellamy more than anything, he is direct, very quick and invites last ditch lunges which in turn wins free kicks and penalties, he also plays well against us no matter who he is playing for, so I’d go for Bellamy.
For us you’d better keep a close eye on Hugo Rodallega our Columbian hitman, he scored this week for his country has they beat Paraguay 2-0 in the world cup qualifiers and he is a livewire in and around the box.
5. Everyone at Manchester City from pitch to state of the art turnstile are very publicly aiming to take on and destabilise the seemingly endless, increasingly boring procession of ‘The Big Four’ – Can it be done?
Yep of course it can be done, not too long ago the big four were Arsenal, Liverpool, Man U and Everton, before that change Everton and Man U for Nottingham Forest and Leeds, it’s is a cycle and the only constant in it all for me are Arsenal, others seem to come and go. City or any other club with the right investment and guidance can break into the pack, the trick then is to maintain your status, that’s what the current top four appear to be doing well at the moment
6. Are The Citizens guilty of ‘ruining football,’ one of the more hysterical charges levelled at the club throughout 2009?
For me United were more guilty of ruining football when they didn’t compete in the FA cup to take part in some tinpot meaningless competition.
City are doing what Chelsea did a few years ago, what clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona and to some extent the Italian clubs have always done and that is flex financial muscle to recruit the top players, I think your problem could be that you are the new kids on the block and you are putting some noses out of joint.
What is ruining football is the arrogance of clubs to field weakened teams in competitions that they care little about and short change the fans that they also seem to care little about, striving to bring the best players in the world to your club can only be good, surely?
7. And so to battle. Your match prediction?
I believe we will continue our tradition of giving you what for, so I am going to say…2-1 Latics win.
Deadly Sinners so far this season:
Blackburn Rovers: Mikey D
Wolverhampton Wanderers: Akela
Portsmouth: pompeyrug
Arsenal: Paul Mustchin
Manchester united: Nobby Allcock
West Ham: Rossy
Aston Villa: The Fear
Wigan Athetic: Worbo
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