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[coolcity]

Surprised to come on here and not find a thread (unless i'm not looking hard enough) about the Champs League match v. the Munchkins.

Great start to the season for both teams, but City could do with at least a point after the home draw with Napoli. This could go either way, my feeling being that we are coming of age very quickly and this could be an interesting marker. I'm cautiously optimistic rather than enthusiatic but if we can win this it will be a huge confidence booster. Those nagging doubts developed from years of going nowhere fast are going to take some shifting but maybe, just maybe, we're closer than we ever dreamed we would be just a couple of years ago. Thoughts?

[The Pupi]

I think we'll do the business and I'll be on another rush home come the end of the season. Chumps league final would be nice cos it'd mean, because of work, that I could come home for a few weeks this time instead of 4 days!

Gotta "watch" the match via text commentary at work til I can get home and watch the download

[Kippax Cat]

Outplayed mostly but very good for the first 30 mins.  Two penalty shouts declined and unlucky with both goals (shoddy defending tho)  Can't understand why Kolo was preferred to Lescott...........he looked away with the fairies at times.

Might have been a different game if Tevez hadn't refused to come on when Mancini wanted him to.  He should be shot at dawn for that! Had our Manager known his Plan B striker did not want to play, he might have left Edin Dzeko on the pitch.

Can we sack him?  I sincerely hope he isn't getting his £250k this week for a display of arrogant petulance which beggars belief.  The should leave the little shit in Germany and tell him to find his own way back.

Note:  For those who didnt see the Sky coverage, Mancini said in his post match interview that Tevez refused to come on for the last 30 minutes!

[The Pupi]

The scabby faced fuckin twat. Absolutely livid about that. I too would leave the c*nt in Germany, after knocking ten bells of shite out of him. If anyone has ever disrespected our club so blatently before, I don't recall it. Stunned and angry and that's nothing to do with the actual match!!!

[Mick]

Well Mancini has said that Tevez can never play for City again. Although I almost wish he could be given 5 minutes so we can all let him know how we feel.

I think it's important for the rest of the squad and anybody else who might join that Tevez isn't seen to come out of this as a winner. He's been trying to get out for months, he's been disruptive for months, if the result of this, if he gets sold cheap, especially to a potential rival, it sends entirely the wrong message.

Does this not qualify as gross misconduct? He should certainly be fined the maximum we are allowed, he should certainly be suspended from the squad and not allowed to train with them, and basically he should be left to rot until such time as somebody makes us an offer which is acceptable to us. He hasn't made himself any more saleable, and I suspect he's cup-tied for the CL because he played came on against Napoli. Difficult situation for City, but we mustn't let him be seen to "win." If he wants away so badly, if he wants to play, let him buy out his contract.

We need a good result at Blackburn. Aguero and Balotelli to start up front, please, Dzeko on the bench.

[coolcity]

I feel exactly the same. What City need to do is get hold of the best lawyers they can find, get UEFA/FIFA on side and sue the arse off the twat for every penny his refusal to play may potentially cost the club. Then the powers that be should ensure he never plays professional football again.

All that bullshit in the summer about wanting to be near his family then he swans off on an extended break in the Med, without his beloved family as I understood it, that said it all for me, he just wanted an excuse to leave.

The 3,000 fans who went to Germany should start a class action too. Nail the bastard for every penny.

As for the match, not too worried, up against a very decent side away who haven't lost or conceded a goal yet this season, we were the better team for half an hour. A lot of bad luck over the first goal with the ball landing at Bayern players feet as though attracted by magnetism and similar bad luck for the second when the ball could have gone anywhere. Bad timing too, but for me City didn't deserve to be losing at the break, let alone 2-0. On another day we could have been 2-0 up.

Second half we were definately deflated though. A lot seemed to be questioning the first substitution but Dzeko seemed to be having one of those games where he wouldn't have scored if we had playd until midnight. I knew the manager had brought De Jong on to shore things up a bit, it was obvious, and if Tevez had come on it might have been a different story but the ref seemed to bottle it a bit in the second half - were we awarded a single free kick? I can't remember one!

Overall though who cares? I don't think it's that big a deal. Nobody else is going to get anything against the Germans, who I think we can take points off at home and I honestly don't think we'll finish below Napoli. Assuming we match Napoli's results against Villareal, we'll be fine. For me we were always likely to be playing for second place in the group. First job though is to kick Tevez out and ensure there is no disruption in the camp.

[Tragic]

On the 43 heading into town then a taxi home, decent day marred by stupidity both on and off the field. Dropping Lescott was a mistake but Bert made the call based on Kolo's experience...some calls work, like on Saturday others bite you on the arse!

As for Carlos only heard stuff second hand so will reserve my comments until fully equipped awake...

ctid

[PeterT]

The scabby faced fuckin twat. Absolutely livid about that. I too would leave the c*nt in Germany, after knocking ten bells of shite out of him. If anyone has ever disrespected our club so blatently before, I don't recall it. Stunned and angry and that's nothing to do with the actual match!!!

I can't help but feel that you're holding back there.

I also can't help but feel that he woulda got on better at every club he's been to if he bothered to take the time to learn the lingo. Just too dim to take it in I guess.

And BTW Carlos, no, we don't love, respect or understand you. We've tolerated you for your ability for a while but now you can just fade away into obscurity and let the real professionals like Pablo get on with some real football.

I worried when Kolo was announced, but I suppose the squad does need to rotate or they'll all be burned out before Christmas. Woulda kept Kolo for Saturday meself....   but then I know stuff all.

[The Pupi]

Sorry Peter! For a good few minutes there I was one of those idiots you read about in the paper and whose actions you never condone. I still cannot believe how he disrespected our club that way though.

[coolcity]

Gaffer meeting the owners on Thursday in what the press call an emergency meeting. I only hope it's at his request and the owners back him 100%. What odds Mancini walking away if they don't?

Getting a bit fed up of the press hype about City not being able to control their players etc. etc. etc. Can't remember a journalist ever becoming a successful football manager.

[Mick]

Gaffer meeting the owners on Thursday in what the press call an emergency meeting. I only hope it's at his request and the owners back him 100%. What odds Mancini walking away if they don't?

Getting a bit fed up of the press hype about City not being able to control their players etc. etc. etc. Can't remember a journalist ever becoming a successful football manager.

That's not been my impression of the reaction. Tevez has been suspended, and it seems very clear that the club are 100% behind Mancini, I have no doubt he'll be at Ewood on Saturday to hear strong backing from the fans and I'm sure that Khaldhoon and the Shake support him on this issue.   They will doubtless want a quick resolution with Tevez either shipped out or if we can't do that kept away from the squad until we can ship him out. The only question really is whether they will back Bert with money to bring in another striker in January.

As for the press, virtually everything I have read has been supportive of Mancini and City and has unequivocally condemned Tevez. Journos and football professionals alike have lined up to state that Tevez's behaviour is disgraceful and unacceptable, nobody for a moment believes his  story about it all being a misunderstanding, and no blame has been attached to Bert. Even the vice-president of Fifa has come out to publicly condemn Tevez and back the club. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/15101077.stm

The only equivocation has come from Gordon Taylor and from agent Hughes on the night. There's been the odd snidey remark, for sure, and there's been some irritating revisionism concerning Fergiescum and his magical ability to spot a wrong-un, despite the fact that he didn't and they offered him a contract  - http://www.manutd.com/en/News-And-Features/Football-News/2009/Jun/Tevez-leaving-United.aspx - which he turned down. Oh, and Colin Schindler has written something unhelpful in the Express which it was beneath me to finish and which I really can't be arsed to find again and link to (trust me, you're missing nowt), but I actually reckon that the press in general have been very much onside during this affair.

Not fooled of course - they don't suddenly like us. They just like the Argentinian cry-baby even less.

[PeterT]

Sorry Peter!

We both need the iron   

Universal condemnation for the little arse, bar Hughes, it would seem.

Edit: Posted simultaneously with Mick who said it better. What did Taylor have to say?

[PeterT]

BBC are reporting Tevez to have said that he was refusing to warm up as he thought he was already sorted.  Sounds like damage limitation but still unacceptable if true.

Taylor

"It is a serious employment issue. All the various options need to be considered because he is a human being and this is his career we are talking about.

"It looks as though he will be coming away from Manchester City unless there is some good mediation because Carlos has upset a lot of people, not least the manager and the fans. It looks a very difficult situation to retrieve if he is going to stay.

"In football you have a contract to go out and do the best you can and that didn't happen so there are going to be serious repercussions."

Diplomacy perhaps but not equivocation as I understand it. The last sentence says it all and I don't think any of us will disagree with that.

[Skint]

There's also supposed to be an interview he gave in spanish immediately after the game stating he didn't feel right physically or mentally to go on! If this is true-they've got him for breach of contract!

[coolcity]

There's also supposed to be an interview he gave in spanish immediately after the game stating he didn't feel right physically or mentally to go on! If this is true-they've got him for breach of contract!

Yes, the interview was on Sky, via an interpreter. Tevez didn't answer the question of whther he refused to go on, but simply gave a statement saying that he had always given 100% for City etc. It was only the following morning when he issued a statement saying he didn't feel right.

He hadn't been suspended at the time I wrote the last post, but for me it's dead simple - either the manager asked him to go on the field or he didn't, and you can't misunderstand "get stripped - you're on" in any language.

The fact that he didn't speak English speaks volumes about his commitment given the time he's been in the country. remember mancini didn't speak a word of English when he arrived at City!

With regard to how the club handles this, I think the concern now is financial. With UEFA's new rules you can only spend the money you earn, sort of, as I understand it, so if we take a loss on Tevez that hits our bottom line regardless of how much money the owners have and they will also take a further hit if we fail to progress from the group stages. So we could effectively be 50 million down which will affect our (financial) ability to bring in more players, so this has to be a major concern. Trouble is, whatever happens it's a no-win situation for the club.

[coolcity]

"It is a serious employment issue. All the various options need to be considered because he is a human being and this is his career we are talking about."

Typical of Taylor to bottle it, never ever sides with the club. Tevez made his own decision about his career, why should anybody else give a toss? If he gets a life ban he's hardly likely to be signing on for the rest of his life is he? 

[The Pupi]

I'm surprised nobody hasn't yet had someone lip read and translated whatever Tevez was saying to Zaba when his hand was (so he thought) covering his mouth, clearly captured by Skysports. Maybe that'll be next?

"No way I'm playing for them Malvinas bastards Zaboh, I'd rather be selling Che Guevara T Shirts in Buenos Aires."
"Stop being such a knob Carlitos, That was nearly 30 years ago."
Suit yourself, puco. I'm still not going on. Wallet of God for this lad from now on."

[PeterT]

Just listened to an interview with Ricky Hatton on R5. Says Tevez makes him want to come out of retirement.

[Ged]

As for the match, not too worried, up against a very decent side away who haven't lost or conceded a goal yet this season, we were the better team for half an hour.

Really? So who did BMG beat at the Alianz Arena on the opening day of the season? TSV 1860 were away that weekend and aren't even in the same division.

[Tragic]

As for the match, not too worried, up against a very decent side away who haven't lost or conceded a goal yet this season, we were the better team for half an hour.

Really? So who did BMG beat at the Alianz Arena on the opening day of the season? TSV 1860 were away that weekend and aren't even in the same division.

There you go again with your facts...

One goal conceded thus far is a pretty impressive record...shame we didn't really come close to adding to it, note to Bert and the boys when you are dominating a side away from home shooooooooooooooot!!!

Here's hoping for a decent performance and 3 points tomorrow!

ctid

[canadablue]

Agreed. I think, after everything, that how we play and look and interact at Ewood is very important for the club and the season. And Kean seems pretty poor at Blackburn, so we have a chance to go there and back Mancini by beating the shyte out of them. If we're listless or pull a Middlesborough 8 goals shipped type protest again then we can kiss Mancini and the season goodbye. I'll be watching the whole match with great interest from my recliner!

[jds]

Tevez knew exactly what he was doing. He knows what Mancini was doing as well - very often he uses the tactic of taking a forward off, killing the game for ten mins and then going back to 4-4-2. With that in mind, it's spiteful as well. He's basically trying to tell Mancini how important he is, to "teach" him he has to do what Tevez wants. He knows we've only got four forwards so he thinks we can't do without him.

And it turns out to be very poor judgment.

The backpedalling since is the sound of a player (and adviser) realising just how badly Tevez judged the situation and his comments after. Thankfully the fans came down on the side of the manager yesterday and even if we didn't sell him straight away, surely he can't play for us again. He can't be trusted - who knows what stunt he'll pull next?

[PeterT]

who knows what stunt he'll pull next?

A cupid one.

[canadablue]

Very fanny post Peter.

[PeterT]

A gash bit of humour.