Thursday gossip

Thu 03 Nov 2011, 8:53AM
Posted by Tim Oscroft

A Yaya Toure double coupled with Roberto Mancini applying a bag of ice to his head provides perfect fodder for the media this morning.



There are some cracking headlines, and this is where print usually outdoes the po-faced internet, so credit where it's due; "Toure de force" - Daily Express, "Hip hip Toure" - Daily Mail, "Mancini the ice man" - the Mail again, and my favourite - "Yayaaarrgghh!", where the Mirror couples Yaya celebrating with the boss bumping his head.

The Mail's Ian Ladyman neatly sums up Wednesday's action - "At last a European performance of stature from Manchester City. At last something to build on.

"Manager Roberto Mancini may have ended the game with an ice pack on his head after banging it on the dugout roof but that, frankly, was as uncomfortable as it got for the Italian and his players against a woeful Villarreal team at Estadio El Madrigal on Wednesday night."

And now for the "You couldn't make it up" section, and the "news" that an effigy of Mario Balotelli will be burned in Kent on 5th November has spread around the 'net like, erm, wildfire. Click here to have a look at the Mail's version, but it reminds me of the end of "The Wicker Man"!

Further afield, we are said to be "tracking" AZ Alkmaar's Adam Maher and some nondescript quotes from his father have been painted up as a "blast" at City on Talksport's web site under the headline "Man City can forget about signing Maher, blasts starlet's father"

The quotes are, "A few years ago he could have gone to Manchester City, Lyon or AC Milan," Maher senior said.

"But it is still too early for a big step. Adam is too young. There is always room for one year or three or four more.

"His agent, Sigi Lens, isn't even taking calls from abroad. In any case, we've seen what can happen to young players who join big clubs like Manchester City."

Er, that's it - that's a blast..

bollocks. youngsters at man city play of they are good enough.

micah - 23
savic - 20

there are plenty of players aged under 25 in the 1st team squad.

Not forgetting Balotelli, he's 21.

And Savic had a solid performance again last night as well. I was a bit surprised he was chosen ahead of Lescott, but then I suppose he's getting some match practice in as we're going to need someone to fill in for Vinny this weekend.

Dawg, I think thats the thing with Mancini, he doesnt want to get into the Chelsea trap and he's buying players not just for the next couple of seasons but to continue to build. I think he's more an admirer of SAF than the "Chelsea quick fix way".

Basicly Chelsea have just tweaked the team over the last 6 seasons basing it on the tinkermans squad with each yearly manager adding a couple here and there plus the players Abramovich fancies. Thank god our owners know they know nothing about football rather than using it as fantasy football.