Friday Gossip

Gripes and grumbles about Manchester cut no ice with a former occupant of the City hot-seat.
Sven-Goran Eriksson was been holding forth on the subject of what Carlos Tevez and Mario Balotelli have said, or more likely he’s been answering questions put to him in the lead up to the start of the Championship season tomorrow.

We’ll go with the Independent, but other newspapers are available of course: “Manchester City's strikers Carlos Tevez and Mario Balotelli have both expressed their unhappiness with Manchester this summer and the view of Eriksson – who took up residence in the central Radisson Edwardian Hotel, a short walk from Balotelli's Deansgate apartment, during his 10 months as City manager – bore out those expressed by Eric Cantona 24 hours before him.

"’Well, maybe I'm old now but I find it very difficult to understand that," Eriksson said. "I lived in so many places but I was always happy. There's more sunshine in Rome than in Manchester but there's nothing wrong with Manchester. Yes, it rains a lot but there you go. You are there to work, not for holidays. No, no, no I don't understand that.’"

Ian Herbert goes on to add that Sven has a bit of a Manchester City old boys club on the go at Leicester: “The Swiss midfielder Gelson Fernandes arrived on a season-long loan yesterday joining Michael Johnson, Michael Ball, Kasper Schmeichel and Darius Vassell.”

It seems that SWP is a wanted man, but by who is a matter for debate. The Mirror says Bolton want him, but the Express reckon Sunderland are interested in a 12-month loan.

The release of Paul Lake’s autobiography, “I’m not really here”, deservedly gets a lot of coverage today and the man himself gave a lengthy interview TalkSport’s Danny Kelly - you can hear it by clicking here.

Hands of SWP!!!

He's been fantastic in pre season and deserves a more prominant role this season if the form continues.



Just started reading "I'm not really here" and as someone who is the same age as Lakey, the early years I can totally relate to, and I must say, it's such a delight to read, very candid and funny, he has a remarkable memory. It also has some great photo's, and a rather chilling one of the game when he swallowed his tongue, an incident I'd forgotten about until it came up with the release of this book, even though I was at the game.



Just got myself a ticket for sunday as well, so well chuffed! just hope we win again and that there are no fisticuffs outside, or mindless sore loser tactics that soured the semi for a lot of younger fans.

What a great interview. Quaffers!!! Great memories brought back. I replaced Jason Beckford at Manchester Boys when he left for MCFC full time. Paul Lake is a legend. Good Luck with the book.