October Player of the Month

It's been a funny auld month, October, undefeated yet still slightly underwhelming, mainly down to the surrendering of a two-goal lead to Roy Hodgson's Fulham. We have, as covered in a previous post, bettered our results in the same games last season, holding Villa and Wigan to draws, earning something from that game with Fulham, and progressing to the last eight of the League Cup.

Those games, however, had demonstrated that all might not be as well as we'd thought in defence. Wayne Bridge's improved form has been somewhat overshadowed by injuries to Kolo Toure, several errors by Joleon Lescott, and the ongoing battle between Micah Richards and Pablo Zabaleta at right-back, the latter, most fans' choice for the role, perhaps costing us a better result at the DW Stadium.

This combined with a blunting of our attacking options has led to some questions being asked about our top four credentials. The injuries to our best player, Stevie Ireland, haven't helped, and the apparently patchy form of Shaun Wright-Phillips has most probably been pointed out to any Blue who'll listen. Still, a dozen games in, we've only lost once, due to a late and dubious goal at the Theatre of Lego.

The point at Villa Park certainly seemed to demonstrate both our best and worst. More aerial naivety, and a generally poor first half somewhat made up for by an improved second, Villa seemingly pleased with a point after battening down the hatches for the final half-hour. Ireland's introduction made a huge difference. Toure, Bridge, and a lively Craig Bellamy were the only others who came away from the game with much credit.

Wigan away was a pretty torrid affair. A fairly even first-half, them probably looking that little bit more dangerous, resulting in a goal whilst most of us were probably emptying our bladders or sneaking a crafty woodbine. Pablo's second yellow proved the turning point after we'd started the second half brightly. Nigel de Jong put in a typical warrior-like performance, Carlos Tevez didn't stop running, Martin Petrov looked dangerous and got the goal, and Joleon Lescott was pretty faultless.

The two points dropped at Eastlands against Fulham are still smarting. Ultimately, no-one played that well on the day. We never really got into our rhythm and once we'd gained a lead we demonstrated some woeful defending that would've quietly brought a smirk to the faces of the 'typical City' brigade. Martin Petrov was probably the best of a bad lot, and Wayne Bridge again did okay.

Doing away with Scunthorpe last Wednesday at least proved an uplifing ending to the month, though it was very much a game of two halves. Against lower-league opposition we again demonstrated our ability to defend like numpties before putting the foot down and tearing them to shreads. Summer signing Sylvinho was quietly effective, as was the returning Vince Kompany. Pablo Zabaleta was largely good, too, Nige again decent, and the half-hour cameo of Vlad Weiss stood out.

To be honest, it's hard to pick a Player of the Month, several have shown some good form without being consistent over the four games. Nige continues to prove a vital cog but was poor at Villa. Craig Bellamy, nursing a knock, did well but only played twice, Martin Petrov similarly, but grabbed two important goals, and Carlos Tevez has bust a gut yet backed it up with little end-product.

Overall, i think i'll just have to give it to Wayne Bridge. Occasional moments of naivety aside he's had a very good season, in my opinion. He looks fitter, hungrier, and more of an asset both going forwards and defending. His form might not be spectacular but it's generally solid, and he's looking more like the top full-back of old than the one who, barring a solid debut, looked a bit off the pace last season.

October: Wayne Bridge

Friday mp3: Editors

Editors, formerly known as Pilot and Snowfield, gained national attention with a hat-trick of great singles during early 2005. 'Munich', 'Blood' and 'Bullets' all managed to break into the top thirty, and were followed by LP The Back Room, released on Newcastle-based label Kitchenware, earning comparisons to Interpol and Joy Division.

An End Has a Start, the band's follow-up came two years later, featuring hit singles 'Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors' and the title-track, but perhaps lacking the ferocity of the debut. Third album In This Light and On This Evening, released this month saw the band change their guitars for synths.

'Bones' was a download-only single from the second record.

MP3: Editors - Bones
Buy the records
Website
Myspace
Last.fm

Johnno's return great news, but patience required

The highlight of Wednesday's in-the-end comfortable win over Nigel Adkins' Scunthorpe at Eastlands, for me anyway, though i imagine for a good number of fellow fans, was the return of midfielder Michael Johnson. Seeing the lad in a sky blue shirt again was an absolute pleasure, and easily surpasses any result or performance.

Quite simply, Johnson, when fit, is an exceptional footballer. Though comparisons to the great Colin Bell were never anything more than lazy even stupid terrace banter, the boy's shown us enough to believe we've got a player there who could potentially be a special talent. Sven's season here saw Johnson prove pivotal, and it's only been Stevie Ireland pushing on since that's to some degree softened the blow of losing Michael.

His year-long absence from the side has courted much speculation, none of it backed up with anything resembling fact. If rumours were to be believed Johnno's spent those twelve months boosting the profits of brewers and publicans throughout the city, an in-joke turning into the odd alleged spotting around town, and through the internet and idle rumour some start taking this unfounded gossip as gospel.

Those within the game will tell you what a good footballer Johnson is. Truth be told, had he been fit we might not have even entered market for Gareth Barry. Though different types of player they both have the unique skill of being able to make whatever they do look effortless, and similarly to the £12m purchase from Aston Villa Johnson is well capable of playing more than one role in central midfield.

What we do have to be a bit careful with is expecting too much too soon. During his cameos against Scunthorpe, and even West Ham, he demonstrated some nice touches and glimpses of his past form, but it may well have to be a case of baby steps, edging him back in gently, fifteen or twenty minutes here and there, plus some reserve football, with the realistic goal of having him fully fit by the start of next season.

With the finances now available to the manager, though, fewer and fewer academy players will get regular football in the first-team. In one respect that's sad, we all appreciate young lads coming through and making the grade, but as fans we accept that we can't have it both ways. Johnson and Ireland, however, are two that we know have the natural talent to play a big part irrespective of who arrives. The thought of seeing the pair of them lining up in the same midfield certainly whets the appetite.

Will we ever break our quarter-final hoodoo?

April 1981. Bucks Fizz had just won the Eurovision Song Contest, Brixton was on fire, Ronald Reagan had recently survived an assassination attempt, and the great Joe Louis passed away. More importantly, a Paul Power goal would see us sneak past Ipswich at Villa Park to reach our eighth FA Cup Final. Nearly three decades later we're still waiting to not only repeat that feat, but to make a semi-final of any major competition.

Since that tie against Ipswich we've generally been miserable in knockout tournaments, occasional quarter-finals raising expectation but coming with their customary breaking of hearts. In that time giants like Millwall, Cardiff and Brighton have had their day out in the sun. Oxford and Luton have won the League Cup, Leicester twice. Even Plymouth, Oldham and Chesterfield have made the last four of either of the pots at some point!

The last few seasons have been especially torturous, us falling short during each of the last four. April's UEFA Cup exit at the hands of Martin Jol's Hamburg perhaps the most gutting given the performance. The season before, we kindly allowed a ten-man Spurs side to beat us in our own back-yard in the League Cup. Then there was Blackburn sending us tumbling in front of an especially animated City support, and the year before Dean Ashton beating us pretty much on his own.

Last night's beating of Championship side Scunthorpe means we've again reached the last eight of one of the major knockouts. The luck of the draw, specifically the chance of another home tie, could see us finally break our duck. Though some of the names left in the hat are those of the better Premier League sides, given the tendency to rest certain players and give youth a chance, we might well like our chances against anyone.

Sides who might think twice about playing weakened sides may have their hands forced, and the fixture computer could have worked in our favour. Chelsea, for instance, have to travel to Arsenal and here either side of their next round tie. Spurs have tricky trips to Villa and Everton bookending the quarter-finals. United, too, have to go to Fratton Park and Upton Park before and after their tie, respectively.

In all honesty, i'm not the biggest fan of the League Cup. The general apathy regards it seems widespread, reflected in most cases by dwindling attendances. As fans starved of silverware for so long, though, we'd certainly take it. Whilst it's not the FA Cup, and a top four, even top six place in the league would be a bigger achievement, it could finally mean we can get the monkey off our backs, and something in the trophy cabinet barring dust, the odd spider, and of course the Thomas Cook Trophy.

With four of the six sides left involved in some sort of European competition, and two looking like they've got relegation battles on their hands, ourselves and Spurs might well fancy our chances. Now we've a few players coming back from injury, too, the extra games shouldn't have much if any toll on the squad, if anything the extra football could work in our favour.

We'll quite likely get the toughest draw possible, a tie against Arsenal or Spurs, both who've been quite fond of knocking us out of the cups over the years. Pompey or Blackburn at Eastlands would appear to be the easiest route, but we're going to have to face a top side somewhere along the way, so it shouldn't really matter if we're paired with one at this stage. Like the tournament or not, though, a trip to Wembley, not to get too far ahead of ourselves, would be fantastic. Not wanting to be unduly pessimistic, but even a semi-final would be a refreshing change!

Preview: Scunthorpe (Home)

Nigel Adkins' Scunthorpe side visit Eastlands tomorrow hoping to cause the shock of the round. The plum tie against lower-league opposition should be a good chance to rest key players and rely on those who perhaps don't start every week. Given the cup humblings last season, though, and the fact that realistically speaking this is our best chance of ending our silverware drought, i think Hughes might select as strong a side as possible.

I certainly think that's the right way to go about the game. It always strikes me as odd when managers rest players rather than win the game then let them put their feet up. Those with knocks who might be wheeled out of the dressing room were it a tough league game, leave them out by all means, but otherwise i'd be tempted to pick our strongest eleven.

Wayne Bridge's knee injury means we're likely to see a debut for Sylvinho. Out of action since the European Cup Final in May, the Brazilian may well be a little ring rusty. The same might be expected of Vincent Kompany, presumably to be given the nod in place of captain Kolo Toure. The mobility of the pair could possibly be a concern, the man in the middle of them, Joleon Lescott, could have a heavier workload than he might've expected.

Rumours of Michael Johnson getting his first start since our exit from the very same competition at Brighton over a year ago are probably wide of the mark. I expect Stevie Ireland to get ninety minutes alongside either Nigel de Jong or Gareth Barry. A shortage of left-wing options might mean Craig Bellamy has to start when not 100%, though i'd be perfectly happy with Vladimir Weiss getting the nod. Roque Santa Cruz is said to have tonsillitis, meaning we might be as you were in attack.

Though we won't be taking the Glanford Park side lightly, you'd have thought the evening could be one for getting a few chins back up. Losing one game all season is no mean feat, but failing to get maximum points from three on the bounce has led to doubts creeping in amongst some fans. Manu and Tevez have seemed frustrated of late, and SWP could do with a good game after earning a bit of criticism in recent weeks. For that reason i'd play all three, a good result could prove a real shot in the arm for the Birmingham game.

The 'experts' will tell you it's a game we can't possibly lose, as fans we've been here before. Thirty places below us they might be, and quite poor on the road, the perfect formula for a cup humbling. With the stadium likely to be far from capacity, and the pressure very much on us, they do have at least a slight chance, and we shouldn't take them for mugs, but we should win this, and well.

Their side may include on-loan West Ham defender Jordan Spence, former Tranmere 'keeper Joe Murphy and dangerous striker Paul Hayes. Centre-half Cliff Byrne and midfielder Matthew Sparrow are the only two names who also played in the FA Cup third round tie at Eastlands three years ago in which Robbie Fowler bagged a hat-trick in quarter of an hour. Joint top-scorer Gary Hooper misses out, and David Mirfin is doubtful.

I'm not sure we'll have it all our own way, they'll be up for the occasion and we need to not get sidetracked. An early goal would enable us to get into our rhythm nicely, and hopefully there'll be no slip-ups. A couple of goals advantage could mean run-outs from the bench for the likes of Kieran Tripper, Ben Mee or David Ball, all said to in contention for a place in the match squad. Job done, please, lads.

City: Given, Zabaleta, Sylvinho, Kompany, Lescott, Barry, SWP, Ireland, Tevez, Adebayor, Bellamy

Scunthorpe: Murphy, Spence, Williams, Byrne, Jones, Togwell, O'Connor, Sparrow, McCann, Hayes, Forte

Prediction: City 3 Scunthorpe 1

Improvements on last season's results must be seen as a sign of progress

As the disappointment of yet again blowing a lead at home to Fulham sets in you can't help but notice a general despondent feeling creeping back amongst supporters. Some decided to boo the team off the field at the final whistle despite them having lost only one of their opening dozen fixtures, the more reactionary of our online following quick to vent their rage at the 'naive' manager, whilst some have seen enough of England regular Joleon Lescott to have written him off as a donkey all of eight weeks into his five-year contract.

What can't be denied is that we're still conceding sloppy goals, and that failing to go on to collect three points whilst two up at home isn't really what might be expected of a team hopefully challenging for a top four place. We've all a right to feel a bit aggrieved on both points, a defence that looked watertight initially now appears to be very leaky, and even teams with a basic understanding of the game will recognise that we're capable of looking like a bunch of retards if called upon to deal with balls in the air.

Whether Hughes did get his team selection wrong on Sunday is hard to say, but even if that was the case i certainly don't think trotting out the old questions about his tactical acumen is really warranted. Do we really need to play Nigel de Jong and Gareth Barry when at home? Possibly not, but many of those now asking that question are the same who'd point to de Jong's good form of late and who would almost certainly have something to say were the Dutchman dropped.

The recent run of games was always going to be tough, and five points from nine would have been a respectable return, if not spectacular by our earlier form. A point apiece at both Villa and Wigan was probably fair in the end, but although we at times demonstrated a soft centre in both fixtures we certainly ended the game at Villa Park the more offensive, and were looking like doing likewise at the DW Stadium until Pablo Zabaleta got himself sent off.

Given the circumstances, i was reasonably happy with two points from those tricky games, and i'm not sure the 'good sides should always win at places like Wigan' spiel really sticks. Whether we agree or not with what's just been said i'm sure each of us would concur that yesterday was two points dropped rather than one won, despite Fulham looking capable of snatching a winner. We need to bear in mind, though, that we have been spoilt over the last few months as far as home form goes. Sixteen wins from our last seventeen home games since going out of the cup with a whimper in early January, a slip-up was always going to come.

What i find encouraging is that we're getting results from games we haven't in previous seasons. Though the money spent should mean we pick up considerably more points than last year, it's by no means a given. As the season wears on comparing our results like-for-like can only be a good measure of progress. Of the eight league sides we played last year we've bettered our result against five of them (Blackburn. Portsmouth, Villa, Wigan & Fulham), matched our return against a further two (Arsenal and West Ham), and although we again lost at Old Trafford we certainly pushed them harder than during May's drab 0-2 defeat.

As lots of people have pointed out, we shouldn't be dropping points at home, but as well as us generally not doing, as mentioned above, all sides do occasionally, even those who are better than us. United have already slipped up to Sunderland this season, and Liverpool were well beaten on their own patch by Villa. Last year the Big Four dropped 58 points at home, to the likes of Hull, West Ham, Newcastle, and more than one of them to Roy Hodgson's side. All sides occasionally drop points at home in the same way that even the very best of them sometimes concede sloppy goals.

It's fair for any supporter to point to problems with the side; Joleon Lescott shouldn't be getting beat in the air like he did yesterday, perhaps we're not getting the best from Stevie Ireland, we'll all have our opinions. An eight-point swing compared to last season, however, does show considerable improvement. We'll get some weeks where we'll be a bit flat, or make errors, but the points on the board are what matter. In all likelihood we'll have to earn an extra 20 or 25 points this year to achieve a Champions League place, despite the obvious chinks in the armour we do seem to be finding them.

Fulham prove stern test once more

Bogey side Fulham this afternoon earned a result at Eastlands for the third successive season, coming back from two goals down to take a share of the spoils in a disappointing 2-2 draw. Joleon Lescott and Martin Petrov had put City in what appeared to be a commanding lead before the West Londoners once again rallied to the bemusement of the home crowd.

As expected, Micah Richards moved over to right-back in the absence of the suspended Pablo Zabaleta, with Kolo Toure returning after missing the trip to Wigan through injury. Shaun Wright-Phillips found himself the man to miss out, with in-form Welshman Craig Bellamy regaining his place in what was otherwise an unchanged side.

For the visitors, Stephen Kelly replaced Paul Konchesky at left-back, with former Southampton defender Chris Baird being pushed forward into a central midfield role in the absence of usual string-puller Danny Murphy. Diomansy Kamara, who always seems to play out of skin against us, started alongside Bobby Zamora upfront.

We certainly started the brighter of the two teams, Tevez terrier-like again, popping up all over the pitch. Martin Petrov also proved a regular danger, interchanging flanks with Bellamy and whipping several dangerous balls in. Sadly we lacked any real edge in or around the box, and for all our hard work we rarely looked like taking the lead as the Fulham defence held firm.

In the nineteenth minute we might have had a penalty. Emmanuel Adebayor asking the question of the official after being felled in the area, who, probably rightly, chose not to award the spotkick. Micah Richards headed over a Petrov corner shortly after, and Nigel de Jong forced a great stop from Schwarzer, driving on to a lose ball after a Wayne Bridge shot had been parried.

After the half hour the away side came more into the game. Chris Baird shot just wide from around twenty yards out after finding himself in acres of space. Bobby Zamora held Joleon Lescott off down their right flank, playing Damien Duff in to cross for Greening at the back post, but the former United man's effort was off target. Clint Dempsey also went close, forcing a save from Shay Given from distance.

We did manage to rally before the break. Carlos Tevez put a fierce near-post header over the bar following another corner. Adebayor also went close, cutting in from the right, he got a lucky bounce, taking on two Fulham defenders with the aid of an accidental one-two before drilling a left-footed effort just the wrong side of the upright.

Another good delivery from Petrov saw us score what we thought was the opener. A Tevez run had forced the corner, Petrov floated in a peach of a cross and Micah Richards jumped highest to head home for what would've been his first goal of the season. The referee, however, had seen an infringement in the crowd of players, possibly a push by Gareth Barry, and ruled it out.

Fulham seemed to start the second half with an added spark and should have taken the lead through Bobby Zamora. Kamara skipping past Micah Richards, laying the ball back for Dempsey who forced a good stop from Given. With the goal at his mercy, the former West Ham forward somehow managed to sky his effort over the bar from all of four yards.

The first goal arrived in the 53rd minute. Gareth Barry managed to outjump his marker at the back post and get his head onto a cross from the left, the ball fell to Adebayor whose shot was prodded home virtually on the line by £24m centre-half Joleon Lescott, his first strike in City colours.

Seven minutes later we doubled our advantage, a super strike from Martin Petrov and his third in as many games. Picking up the ball in a central role he found Gareth Barry on the right of the area, cutting back in on his favoured left peg the England man laid the ball back to the winger, whose first touch saw him evade an oncoming challenge, teeing himself up for a well-placed drive into the left of Schwarzer's net.

At that point, even with our record against Fulham, you'd have assumed we'd see the game out, not so. Within two minutes Damien Duff had pulled one back. It was a decent move, to be honest, but at the same time a poor goal to concede. Duff picked up the ball to the right of goal, laying back into the centre Greening found Dempsey. A lofted cross found its intended target, Zamora chesting down after getting a yard on Bridge, Duff was onto it like a whippet and drilled a low left-footed effort past the outstretched hands of his Irish teammate.

Not too long later, and after Martin Petrov had hobbled off with what looked like a knee injury, Fulham bagged an equaliser. An inswinging free-kick was knocked high into the area, and American Dempsey beat Joleon Lescott in the air, heading low back across goal the ball seemed to take an age to trickle into the net.

The introduction of Stevie Ireland and Shaun Wright-Phillips couldn't give us the oomph we needed to get a winner, and if any side was going to sneak it then it felt more likely to be the visitors; Zamora, Hangeland and the ever lively Dempsey all having chances. Gareth Barry did go close with a header with minutes remaining, but it felt a bit like we could've played all day and not scored again.

A draw would have to be deemed a fair result in the end. On one hand it's disappointing to drop points, especially at home, but they're a very good side and certainly have the Indian sign over us. It's a point we didn't get last season, and although blowing a two-goal lead is especially annoying, at least we didn't go on to come away from the game with nothing at all.

Most worrying will be the goals we conceded, two more from crosses or set-pieces. We have definite chinks in our armour in not being able to prevent or deal with high balls into the box. After initially looking organised at the back we lost all confidence and the lack of a real driving force in the centre of midfield afforded Fulham too much possession.

At least we remain undefeated since the Derby, and are picking up something when not playing that well. The midweek League Cup tie against Scunthorpe should see us get back to winning ways, and although i'd hope we wouldn't underestimate them it could prove a good opportunity to bag a couple of goals, keep a clean sheet, and to generally come as a bit of a confidence booster after a tricky few weeks.

Team:
Given, Richards, Bridge, Toure (Kompany '89), Lescott, de Jong (Ireland '73), Bellamy, Barry, Tevez, Adebayor, Petrov (SWP '68)

Basic discipline key to pushing on

Mark Hughes' interview with Oliver Holt recently was, in my opinion, one of his most revealing yet. Holt's opinion is one that changes with the wind, of course. When he's not making ridiculous claims that several permanently-crocked wasters from over the road should be making the final England 23 for South Africa, or generally bigging up anything red, he can knock the odd decent article together.

The gist of the piece was Hughes' increasingly strong position at the club, his turning of a bloated bunch of randomly-assembled players into a squad in the mould of its manager, and a general hint at the newly-established disciplined culture behind the scenes, not failing to point out that whilst under pressure last season, several players, mainly Brazilian, tried taking the Michael. Hughes talks of basic practices now in place, including rules regards timekeeping and a team dress code, and it's something i feel is very important.

When you see top teams arrive for away games, this trend of some players wearing stupidly oversized headphones apart at least, they have an air about them. When, say, United turn up at an opposition's ground all suited and booted they look like they've come to take care of business rather than just have a bit of a kickabout. It says that they're proud of themselves and their teammates, are a collective more than a few individuals, there to do a job and the club proud.

The recent laying down of basic ground rules by not only Mark Hughes, but also England manager Fabio Capello, must have proved quite humbling for some of the players involved, but as a supporter it's nice to know that, although stupidly rich, a bit of good old-fashioned discipline has to be adhered to now and again. That, like us, in whatever line of work we might happen to be in, there are a few do's and don'ts to abide by.

Whether modern managers can still get away with adopting an old-school approach to management is doubtful, Hughes says as much when describing him having to bite his lip at times last season, and in making clear that there are no 'rules for the sake of having rules'. Other managers have also admitted to a necessary 'cooling down' as the power within the game shifts more and more towards the players.

I've spoke previously about Hughes' stamp on the club becoming much clearer over the last six months or so, and not only in the sense of him signing more players and moving on those brought in by previous managers, but in the facilities and other areas. The introduction of basic rules regards player and staff behaviour, and the beginnings of different culture behind the scenes is another positive step, a manager shaping a club from bottom to top.

Ultimately, mobile phones being turned off at the training ground, or players dressing smartly when on duty, or not falling out of nightclubs so often, isn't going to win us the Premier League, or England the World Cup, but it sends out the right message to fans that those on big wages aren't just there for the craic and their paycheque, but are taking their roles seriously, and an organised, well-drilled, hard-working environment must be a positive thing, and not only in the short-term.

Both City and England, not that i'm particularly arsed about the latter but the growing power base of the managers involved with each is comparable, have suffered after years of lackadaisical hands-off management from the likes of Sven and Kevin Keegan. Players have been able to get away with things they might not do now providing results were going a certain way, when they stop doing the manager's role is virtually redundant because he's played all his cards.

Should any player cross either of the current incumbents they should probably expect to face the consequences, be it something as basic as answering a mobile phone at the dinner table, turning up to the airport looking like you've got dressed in the dark, being late for training, or something more serious, one rule for one, one rule for all, no special cases, everyone the same.

The money involved within the game nowadays will probably ensure there will always be more than your fair share of egos, but in encouraging self-regulation Hughes not only strengthens his own position but weakens that of those who might be secretly pulling in another direction. If players repeatedly cause mischief, like Elano last year, they'll be quickly out of the door. If others want to follow suit, no pun intended, they'll have the ones that do want to achieve things at Manchester City to answer to.

Read Oliver Holt's article here.

Friday mp3: The Twilight Sad

The Twilight Sad, a four-piece from Kilsyth, Scotland, formed in 2003. A bit like a good Glasvegas, they were signed by respected indie label Fat Cat on the strength of their first demo and only third ever gig.

This is the first track they ever wrote, and remains the strongest of both their debut EP and album. Their second record, Forget the Night Ahead, released a couple of weeks ago, is a belter.

MP3: That Summer, At Home I Had Become The Invisible Boy
Buy the records
Website
Myspace
Last.fm

Preview: Fulham (Home)

Roy Hodgson's well-drilled Fulham side visit Eastlands for the second time in a month, looking to get the frustration of conceding a late equaliser during their midweek Europa League tie against Italian giants Roma out of their system. Somewhat of a bogey side for us over recent seasons, three points could possibly see us up to third and with a game in hand still to play.

With Pablo Zabaleta serving a one-game ban, Micah Richards will almost certainly move over to right-back. Kolo Toure should return, though if his heel hasn't fully recovered Vincent Kompany could make his first start of the season. I expect Nigel de Jong to continue in midfield given his good performance at the DW last Sunday, and Bellamy to replace Martin Petrov if fit, though the Bulgarian might one again rightly feel aggrieved at losing his spot.

Without Stevie Ireland in midfield we can look a little pedestrian. I'd be tempted to bring him in, if not for de Jong then perhaps for Shaun, but i've a feeling Hughes will leave the Irishman on the bench once more. Nige has done very little wrong, infact you could easily argue he's been one of our better players over the last few weeks, but at home, unless against one of the big four, i'd be content with Gareth Barry doing the donkeywork in the middle. With Ireland in the side we're always likely to be that bit more offensive.

The visitors will be without South African midfielder Kagisho Dikgacoi, who i thought was quite impressive from the bench during the drab Carling Cup tie. Talisman Danny Murphy could miss out with a knee injury, and with Dixon Etuhu and Simon Davies ruled out Jonathan Greening should start in the middle. Konchesky, Dempsey and Duff, all said to have been carrying knocks of late, should start after being spared ninety minutes on Thursday.

Fulham, moreso than anyone else in the league, i'd say, are a side who can never be underestimated. They're a proper footballing side; a set of players who all know their roles and benefit from the lack of 'superstar' egos. It almost feels offensive to label them well-organised, to some degree i think that takes away from the fact that they're one of the best passing sides in the division.

The man i think we should be paying extra attention to is Clint Dempsey. Twice on the scoresheet here last season, he's a player capable of causing anyone problems. We need to watch his runs, he's always a danger from knockdowns, second balls and set-pieces. The other main danger, and similarly a player i like, Jonathan Greening. He's an excellent footballer, in my opinion, was probably the best in the Championship on signing for Fulham, give him any space at all and he can have a real impact on games, we mustn't let him settle.

I fancy us to win tomorrow. With our home record we should expect to beat anyone here. If a side was to unexpectedly beat us, though, a good footballing side like Fulham could be the sort to cause an upset. We must set the tempo of the game right from the whistle. When we score first at home we'll rarely not go on to win, but level at half-time we can become a bit negative and lose confidence.

With Spurs losing at home to Stoke this afternoon, and Liverpool on a poor run, we must win our upcoming games. Four extremely tricky away fixtures to come before Christmas means any dropped points at home could prove costly. Tomorrow's the sort of game we'd have ballsed up in during previous years, polishing Fulham off would be a big three points. No taking your eyes off the ball, please, lads.

Probable teams:
City: Given, Richards, Bridge, Toure, Lescott, de Jong, SWP, Barry, Tevez, Adebayor, Bellamy

Fulham: Schwarzer, Paintsil, Konchesky, Hughes, Hangeland, Greening, Duff, Dempsey, Zamora, Kamara, Gera

Prediction: City 2 Fulham 0

Talk of new contract for Richards a little premature

Rumours over the last day or so that full-back Micah Richards is to be rewarded with a new, big money, five-year contract has come as somewhat of a surprise. The false dawn of a good performance against a wingerless Arsenal side was followed up with a calamitous showing at Old Trafford, and his form, not just this season, but last as well, has been patchy to say the least.

To be fair to him, i thought he did quite well in a centre-half role at Wigan alongside the excellent Joleon Lescott, but with Vince Kompany nearing fitness again, and Nedum Onouha; faultless when he came in last season, a place in the right-back position remains his best hope, and with fan favourite Pablo Zabaleta nudging ahead for that place, and rumours of a possible arrival for Brazilian Maicon in January, i personally thought Micah was approaching a real crossroads in his career at the club.

I must stress that i'm all in favour of homegrown players remaining vital to the squad. Now that we have this obscene bottomless pot of cash we can quite easily replace players as and when we see fit, and although young local lads might get less of a chance in the future, new regulations mean some of them will still have a significant part to play, but form has to be the biggest factor, Micah's rarely at the races, and most fans seem to agree that he often proves our weakest link.

Perhaps i'm just out of touch with how these things work, but i'd rather new contracts, and given our situation now, probably pay rises, be reliant on what people are doing on the pitch. If Micah has a good season then award him for his consistency, otherwise the manager should be letting him know, in private at least, that he's falling short of the standards he previously set, and those we need to be at to have a real hope of pushing on.

Up until a couple of years ago the idea of losing Micah Richards was a pretty terrifying one to most fans. The possibility of a 'bigger' club snatching him now would sound quite far-fetched. Awarding him a new deal when he's already got three years left on his current one, and whilst he's not doing too much to earn salary as it is, well, simply doesn't strike me as a logical move.

I hope he can rediscover his old form, starting with a good performance against Fulham on Sunday. Zabaleta's suspension gives the lad a good opportunity to win his regular place back and prove to the manager that an expensive arrival when the window opens isn't necessary. I'm sure we'd all like to see him play a big part in the future of the club, but he really has to pull his finger out.

City on Youtube

Whilst perusing Youtube earlier trying to cheer myself up with reruns of a couple of derby spankings i came across an extraordinary collection of City videos. I expect i've been quite slow on the uptake and most of you know about them already, but the viewing figures on the clips, some in the low hundreds, surprised me.

Lots of the clips i'd seen before, but some i hadn't. I recognise a few from a couple of old BBC VHS's i had years ago, and others i suspect might be from the Match of the Seventies series, as that decade is covered quite extensively. It's a real treasure trove of stuff, fair play to whoever has taken the time to upload it. I've picked out a few that might be of particular interest...

Firstly, a humorous profile of the team from the 1930's. Brilliant to see the likes of Eric Brook, Fred Tilson, Matt Busby, Frank Swift and Sam Cowan so close up, as well as moving pictures of Maine Road in its earlier days. There are also some brief but disappointing highlights of the 1934 Cup Final victory against Portsmouth. Sadly the footage of our goals isn't great, but still well worth a watch. There are also some, more extensive this time, of the '56 Cup Final win.

A game i'm sure you'll have all seen numerous times, but that i never get bored of watching, is the 'Ballet On Ice' against Spurs in 1967/68. Both halves of the 4-3 final day title-clinching win have also been uploaded, here and here, i'd only previously saw a short video of the goals. An especially good clip, from Ken Loach's docudrama 'The Golden Vision', sees City play out a draw at Goodison Park. Also from that period, an impressive Cup Winners Cup victory over Athletic Bilbao, both legs of the League Cup semi against United (home, away), as well as the thumping of Schalke in 1970.

A Francis Lee perfect hat-trick from the December derby of 70/71 is a particular delight, as are seven minutes of footage from that of the following year, a highly-entertaining 3-3 draw, a similar scoreline from Bramall Lane, and excellent wins at Everton and Tottenham. A League Cup win over Coventry (73/74), played on a midweek afternoon due to the three-day week, and a spanking of Leicester, Barney Daniels scoring his only goals in a City shirt, are other highlights.

Also thoroughly enjoyable, our last win at Arsenal (embarrassingly 1975!), another big win against the Foxes featuring four goals from Brian Kidd, and five past Spurs at Maine Road in '77 in a result that would see us looking on course for the title, ultimately finishing behind Liverpool despite them not winning any of their last four, a fine win against them the following October proving at least a small consolation. Other great games include a commanding display at Chelsea in '78 during which Ron Futcher grabs a treble, and the UEFA Cup performances against Milan (home, away) and Standard Liege.

Perhaps the most interesting, if slightly upsetting, though i do think i've seen it once before on an old VHS, is a short news item on Colin Bell's attempted return from injury featuring an interview with him at his home, footage of him training in a rickety gym, and then jogging through Moss Side. Strange seeing him in off-the-pitch surroundings.

There's also all the others you might expect to see; cup finals, the play-off win (parts 1, 2 & 3), the 5-1, the comeback at Spurs, the promotion deciders against Charlton, Bradford and Blackburn, and many, many more. If you've not come across it already, or haven't got most of this stuff on video or DVD, it could well prove a valuable source of entertainment.

http://www.youtube.com/user/mcfcvideos

http://www.youtube.com/user/mcfcvideos2

Hating the old enemy really needn't involve deriding the dead

The Mirror's David McDonnell raises an interesting issue this morning; the increased nature of idiotic chants amongst football fans. I should probably point out quite early on that the journalist in question is one whose opinions i tend to take with a pinch of salt; he's a United-leaning hack working for a tabloid who repeatedly fail to endear themselves to our supporters. That, however, shouldn't cloud the fact that the issue is one of importance and the general gist of what he and old Whiskynose are saying is correct.

Our supporters are no worse than most, as McDonnell points out. No matter what circles you mix in, football-related or not, some people are just idiots, it's a fact of life. All clubs have them, those with bigger away followings will naturally have a few more. Sadly, football nowadays seems as much about disliking your rivals as backing your own, and as obvious as more broad progress to cut out elements of hooliganism is, some unfortunately still see away days as a chance to act like plums.

Football is, of course, a completely different game now to what it was, even just a decade or so ago. As it's had to become more family-friendly, and with the Premier League's popularity ever-growing, changes in both stadia and supporter demographics have had a negative effect on atmosphere at games, a small price to pay for people's safety, but occasionally frustrating for your more old-school fan, i'm sure.

With increased CCTV at grounds and membership required for purchasing tickets odds are that if you're consistently behaving like a massive bellend you'll face some sort of consequences. Some will still push it, but since moving to Eastlands instances of trouble at least appear to be less and less common. Renditions of songs mentioning the air disaster tend to also be on the decrease, and met with as many rolled eyebrows as accompanying choruses of support.

A by-product of the new audience that Premier League football attracts only serves to internalise the tribal nature of football supporters. Those who go to be entertained are deemed 'happy clappers', meaning some of those who follow the side away regularly see trips to other towns and clubs as a chance to not shit on their own doorstep, and sample an atmosphere more to their liking, with the 'fairweather' fans generally sat at home in their armchairs.

Yesterday's trip to the DW Stadium didn't really involve anything too out of the ordinary in terms of fan behaviour, just the odd idiot and a few unsavoury incidents; a couple of people being spat at or called 'Munichs' for daring to wear their side's shirt in their hometown, or for the unforgivable crime of displaying a sticker of their club's crest whilst driving to the supermarket. For all the progress we're making on and off the pitch, there are still a few who continue to let us down, and the story will be the same wherever you go.

I'm sure nobody wants to completely remove the passion from the game, but you have to worry about the mentality of those who automatically associate watching a game of football with acting like a moron, or who uses a few pints of watered-down lager as an excuse for it. There's absolutely no logical reason why people need to sing a song mocking those who died in Munich; it's not habit, or just a bit of fun, it's malicious, below the belt, and looks bad on us as a club. What's especially annoying is that these songs could be quite easily adapted and still used to full effect to back the team, and to be fair, incidences of this are noticeable amongst some.

I personally don't see how anyone who is either a Mancunian or fan of the game, would take pleasure from disrespecting those who lost their lives in '58. The current setup at Manchester United shouldn't influence your opinions of a sadly-lost great side, to paraphrase the great Jock Stein, some things are more important than twenty-two men kicking a bag of air around a field. Ultimately, those who can't bring themselves to show those men a little respect should at least have regard for the reputation of Manchester City Football Club.

It's by no means just our problem. Elements of Liverpool's support have been known to be just as crude about the disaster. In turn some idiots who follow United see the disregard for loss of life at Hillsborough, or the events of Heysel, as fair game, and you'll find examples wherever you look, if not always as high-profile. The anonymity of the internet only serves to encourage these sort of cretins to vent their vitriol without having to fear reprisals.

For those of us under the age of sixty it's probably difficult to contemplate how much of an effect was had on the city as a whole, not just Manchester United. A cliche it might have become, but a lot of people really did follow both clubs in those days. Frank Swift's early passing in the disaster would surely be enough to make any sane person think twice about mocking it. Matt Busby's integral role in our second ever major honour, though he survived the crash, would, you'd have thought, also enable the minority to put grievances aside.

As supporters of the (sometimes not quite so) beautiful game, and as patrons of the clubs we cherish we have a responsibility to act in a certain fashion. Of course it's not always possible to 'have a word' with someone, but if you can, do. Short of dobbing offenders in there's not too much more we can do than keep ourselves and those we know in check, but if enough of us made a serious effort perhaps some progress could be made.

The club might also want to send out a stronger message, both in terms of educating younger fans about the events and making those who should know better aware that there may be consequences for their actions. Some content on the website or through 'live4city' could be worth considering. It mightn't make a huge difference to the numbers of those who insist on the chanting now, but it could to future generations. Some sort of permanent memorial to Swift, also, as someone pointed out to me recently, might ensure that his death isn't at times conveniently forgotten in the name of 'banter'.

Point fair at the DW, and a good one given the circumstances

Today's 1-1 draw at Roberto Martinez's Wigan seems to have split opinion amongst supporters. Some have argued that trips to such places should result in three points if we hope to make a big improvement on last season. Others, and i tend to agree, see it as a good result given the sending off of Pablo Zabaleta, the patched-up side, and the generally below-par performance.

Wigan do have an awful home record against the top four, surprise recent victory over Chelsea their first in 35 attempts since winning promotion. The mention of this stat by our fans, and i've heard several mention it over the last day or two, strikes me as pretty irrelevant. Some seem to be forgetting the fact that we're not a top four club yet, and given our away record in recent times, not losing games away from home is relatively impressive in itself.

Bearing in mind that we've never won at the DW Stadium, and that we lost there last season, a draw, in my opinion, is an improvement, and although Wigan might be, with all due respect, a 'lesser' side, it is after all a local derby. Last year we bottled so many away games that once a goal down you could rarely see us getting grinding out any sort of result, Hull and Blackburn the only two points we won from losing positions. Earning draws in tricky ties away from home shows we at least some maturity in that respect.

To give the opponents some credit, they played quite well for large parts of the game. Perhaps unlucky to go in 0-1 down at the break, though we should have certainly done better for the goal, they created few out-and-out chances, though N'Zogbia, Diame & Rodallega all impressed to some degree. Until the second yellow card awarded to Pablo Zabaleta, however, i thought we were looking much the brighter side in the second half.

Wiley has received criticism in some quarters, and the first booking awarded was probably harsh. Once in the notebook, though, the player has a responsibility to not make any rash challenges that might tempt the official to order him to leave the pitch. Zab's tackle was cynical if not completely pointless, and without him on the pitch we never looked remotely like going on to take all three points.

The aim for us has to be to win our home fixtures and to pick something up whenever we travel. Winning our game in hand would take us above or further ahead of our main rivals (in my opinion Spurs, Everton, Villa, possibly Liverpool). Given that several of those who played yesterday were nursing knocks, not to make excuses, but Zabaleta, Bridge, Lescott, de Jong & Petrov have all been carrying injuries, and several squad players are also still missing, we did okay in the circumstances, and should see it as a point gained rather than two lost.

Preview: Wigan Athletic (Away)

As games go, away at Wigan Athletic isn't really one i tend to look forward to. The week leading up to the fixture will generally involve soundbite king Dave Whelan; a legend in his own lunchtime, self-appointed spokesperson for working-class Northerners, but in reality, Peter Kenyon aside, the most punchable man involved with Premier League football, lording it up on Sky in his typically droll and reactionary style.

The afternoon itself will mean a trip to a completely characterless town famed only for a literary classic from way back yonder, and the fact that a few residents quite like eating pies, lovely. An identikit new-build ground, could easily be Reading, or Derby, or Hull, or wherever, surrounded, as you might expect by an eyesore industrial park. Drums, horns, quite probably music after goals, everything that's wrong with modern football.

I'm really not sure why it's Wigan Athletic in particular who get my goat. The story in itself is quite an interesting one. A side of considerable non-league pedigree sail through the divisions under a local businessman-done-good, there is a certain Roy of the Rovers element to it, sure, and as football fans it's perhaps something we all have far-flung dreams of trying, but it's hard to find anything endearing about the club whatsoever.

On an impressive opening day win against a now-rejuvenated Aston Villa, Whelan, never a man to miss a potential opportunity for a few quid, was already hawking his new manager about, 'one of the best young managers in Europe' and 'destined for a big job in La Liga' were quotes he was quick to get to press, chairman's code for '£5m and you can have him'. Six defeats in eight games later and the Jack Walker wannabe's words would appear somewhat naive.

As managers go, Martinez is one i quite like. A cliche now amongst football fans but his Swansea side were beautiful to watch last year, and on hearing the Spaniard speak you can't help but feel an immediate sense of respect, he talks sense, he's a football purist, there's little to not like, he's one of the good guys, just, again, a shame he's now employed by a football club who are such a stain on the division they play in.

Given the form of both sides so far this season, we should, in theory at least, go there and roll them over, but their recent result over champions-elect Chelsea means we should perhaps not take them so easily. They were excellent that day, albeit aided by some comedy defending by John Terry, and a rash error from the now wobbly Peter Cech. Odds are they'll be up for a similar battle tomorrow.

This added to the fact that they, meaning their comical chairman and sporadically-attending support, not to mention the story-sniffers at Sky, will paint this out to be some sort of good against evil, littl'uns sticking it to the moneymen, David versus Goliath affair, we might well meet a sort of Stoke-like, kick and run, get yer elbows ready, potential sleepy Sunday afternoon humbling.

Our main concern will be getting a side out on the pitch at all. With Pablo Zabaleta picking up a hamstring strain late on at Villa Park there's the real danger that we may have to wheel Micah Richards out once more. Kolo Toure, Joleon Lescott and Wayne Bridge are also injured, the latter during England's 3-0 win over Belarus midweek. Backup defenders Nedum Onuoha and Vince Kompany are still missing, meaning our first-choice central pairing might have to play through the pain barrier. Nigel de Jong's another carrying a knock, but should take part.

Most worryingly, recent hero and occaional rag-puncher Craig Bellamy's ankle problem could leave us without a left-winger at all, given Robinho is still missing and Martin Petrov also returned from international duty with a tweaked knee. Michael Johnson and £17m Paraguayan striker Roque Santa Cruz remain some way off full match fitness.

I'm expecting a bit of a dust-up, and not a game that's easy on the eye. Spoilers Scharner and Diame will most probably be under strict instructions to stop us playing at all costs, and they'll fancy their chances from set-pieces. Whoever starts in the centre of defence for us will be in for a battle, Scotland will put himself about and the impressive Rodallega will need watching. I think we should have enough to win, but given our poor record at the now sycophantically-named DW Stadium, nothing would surprise me.

Possible teams:
Wigan: Kirkland, Melchiot, Figueroa, Boyce, Bramble, Scharner, Thomas, Diame, Scotland, Rodallega, N'Zogbia

City: Given, Richards, Sylvinho, Toure, Lescott, de Jong, Barry, Ireland, Tevez, Adebayor, SWP

Prediction: Wigan 1 City 2

Friday mp3: New Order

'Ceremony' was New Order's first release following their reformation after the death of Ian Curtis and Joy Division. Written by Curtis, the original only survives by way of a live recording from Birmingham on Still, and a demo, included as part of the Heart and Soul box-set.

The 'original' New Order version, before the re-recording following Gillian Gilbert joining the band months later, is a cracking tune, i'd say their best, even ahead of 'Temptation' or the obvious choice, the huge-selling and, as the story goes, loss-making 'Blue Monday'.

In a way the track title is perfect. It's always felt as much of a Joy Division song as a New Order one to me, the sharp guitars are still there, the renowned Hooky basslines, and Sumner sounding sort of unsure about himself as a lead. A definite case of respect to the old, in with the new.

MP3: New Order - Ceremony
Buy the records
Website
Myspace
Last.fm

Robbie comments to be taken with a pinch of salt

Football without scurrilous transfer gossip, it's fair enough to say, would prove a little less titillating. It's rarely the reason a youngster might engage with a club initially, or what keeps us going. It's not the smell of Bovril wafting over the 'terraces' or your favourite No.9 bagging a late winner, but on the slow news days a certain amount of joy can be had from feasting on the latest batch of completely unfounded rumours, a sort of guilt-free curtain-twitching via national press.

With that in mind, it would probably be hypocritical of us to get hot under the collar about constant tales linking our most high-profile player with a move back to Spain, especially as our pre-match routines will almost certainly involve passing mentions of the likes of Franck Ribery, Philipp Lahm and Yaya Toure. The upping of the media-wide view that the Brazilian is on his way, however, seems to be built on little substance, moreso the absence of the diminutive winger from the side due to injury, and the form of Craig Bellamy.

What can't be denied is that Barcelona are one of the biggest and greatest clubs in world football. They're on a completely different level to ourselves, perhaps always will be. That shouldn't be taken as a slant on us, or needless negativity, we're a rung or two down the ladder from the likes of Liverpool, United, Chelsea and Arsenal, and they themselves aren't on the level of the Catalan giants. When Barca want a player, be you anyone else barring perhaps their biggest domestic rival, they get their man.

Where Robinho would fit into the current Barcelona setup isn't altogether obvious. This is a team whose front three scored a century of goals last season and displayed some of the most breathtaking football you could care to see. That forward-line has undergone some surgery this summer, with the prolific Samuel Eto'o moving to Inter in a perplexing swap-deal involving the marmite-like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but they remain a supreme force.

Early signs are that the Swede is settling in well, but despite hitting a run during which the goals have dried up, the 'third' great of their attack, assuming Messi is an untouchable, Thierry Henry still strikes me as being a valuable cog in the Barca machine. I don't buy the oft-heard opinion that he's not the player he was. If anything, the player of the last two years has been a better all-round footballer, though perhaps not as impulsive and lightening-fast as in his first seven seasons at Arsenal, which yielded over 200 goals. Either way, i can't see them looking to replace him, or paying big bucks for Robinho to sit him on the bench.

The second reason i have doubts over the genuine nature of Barca's interest revolves around the increasingly-close relationship the two clubs have both been keen to garner in recent months. Garry Cook has been over to meet the top brass at the Nou Camp on a couple of occasions, firstly regards the future of Samuel Eto'o, then on a 'relationship-building exercise', and i expect in order to arrange this summer's pre-season friendly. Us, privileged to be at least business allies of such a club, them probably hoping we don't outbid them for future targets, at the very least those who run both clubs will have some sort of amicable friendship.

If Laporta and Guardiola had plans to try and sign a player from us i could see no reason why it might involve a three-month long battle of wills via the dailies. If we were dead-set against selling, hopes of harmonious relations between both clubs would surely depend on them taking no to mean just that. If we were open to moving Robinho on then a quiet gentleman's agreement between the heads of both clubs would be a better way of going about affairs.

Comments from the former Madrid man over the last couple of days have been taken to mean that it's pretty much a deal in motion. As we've seen in the past with foreign players, however, interviews conducted abroad can and often do result in a certain amount of mistranslation. Even if that's not the case, i'd struggle to get offended by his alleged words. He'd like to play for Barcelona, is that so surprising, i would, most of us would, i bet every lad kicking a flyaway against a wall would, ditto about wanting to play alongside some of the greatest footballers around today.

Does even speaking of a potential transfer disrespect us, the fans? I really don't think it does. The redtops are paying extra attention to the soundbites, forgetting the parts where he claims his representatives have had no contact with another club, that ultimately it's the business of the two clubs, that he's unavailable for transfer and wants to do his best for City. The rest of it is much ado about nothing.

I'm looking forward to him returning to the squad within the next couple of weeks. He'll have to win his place back, at the moment there are people ahead of him on merit, but he remains no less important to us than ever. Nothing's really changed in that respect, he's our most high-profile player and one capable of scoring goals and winning games. With a stronger spine to the side i expect him be a bit more consistent, i'm sure we all do, but some throwaway comments in the press, or the short-term form of others shouldn't mean we forget that this boy is a special talent.

It could even be said that the fact that someone unsure of a place in our starting XI being linked with a huge move to the greatest club side in world football may in itself be seen as progress. Years of these sort of speculative moves never happening, however, should mean we bat the rumours away without a second thought. Cesc Fabregas is yet to make a humongous move to Spain, likewise Stevie Gerrard, or Didier Drogba. A certain ladyboy might have, but even that came after three summers of posturing.

I see Robinho as being integral to our plans, but at the same time we're in the strange situation of any potential multi-million pound departure not hurting us in the same fashion as it might others. If there comes a time where Mark Hughes decides the deal is in the best interests of the club then i'll trust he knows best. Until mischievous tabloid rumours turn into signatures on dotted lines, though, i'll still wake up pinching myself every morning that Robinho plays for Manchester City.

International Round-Up

Gareth Barry, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Wayne Bridge all played as England rounded off their impressive qualifying campaign with a 3-0 victory over whipping boys Belarus at Wembley. Barry had a very impressive first half, SWP, playing on the left, scored and might have had another, whilst Bridge's evening was more mixed, resulting in him limping off with a groin strain with twelve minutes remaining.

Shay Given became one of only three Ireland players to earn a century of international caps as the Republic were held to a goalless draw by Montenegro at Croke Park. Having already been guaranteed of a play-off place, but not being able to catch Italy after the weekend's draw they'll be hoping for a kind draw.

Ryan McGiven played ninety minutes as Northern Ireland secured a creditable point away at the Czech Republic. The Czechs, such a great side of the recent past, miss out on a place in next year's finals. The winners of that group, Slovakia, won in Poland, with Vlad Weiss getting a full game.

Martin Petrov scored twice and Valeri Bojinov appeared as a late substitute as Bulgaria put six past Georgia, with all of their goals coming before the interval. A certain flop from over the road bagged a hat-trick.

Exciting academy forward Robbie Mak played for the Slovakian u21's as a 1-0 win in Cyrus keeps them top of their qualifying group, ahead of Croatia and Serbia.

The late kick-offs should see Carlos Tevez add to his half-ton of caps in a game in which the Argies need a point at least to squeek through. Hosts Uruguay need to win in case Felipe Caicedo's Ecuador earn three points in Chile. Anything less than qualification will almost certainly see Maradona out of a job.

Where are they now? Part 1

Alan Kernaghan
Signed from Middlebrough in September of 1993, the rotund Yorkshireman would go on to make 78 appearances for the club over an uneventful four-year period that included loan spells at Bolton, Bradford and St. Johnstone. Short of skill, pace, and often asleep, the Irish international could perhaps be considered Brian Horton's poorest signing, one fluked lob during an FA Cup tie against Leicester City at Maine Road being his only notable contribution.

After being granted a free transfer he joined St. Johnstone on a permanent deal and played a part in the Perth side's credible three successive top-five SPL finishes. Released in 2001 he had a brief stint at Brechin City before joining Clyde, initially as a player, taking over managerial duties after the sacking of Allan Maitland. Clyde would lead the Scottish First Division for much of the 03/04 season, losing out to Inverness Caley Thistle by a point.

That summer Kernaghan would depart the Broadwood Stadium, taking up a player/assistant manager role at Livingston. Another short-lived affair, he'd be fired along with boss Allan Preston after less than four months. Early 2005 brought another job offer, player/coach of Falkirk, he'd turn out for them nine times before being offered the hotseat at Dundee. His one campaign would see them win just ten times and finish a disappointing seventh. For over two years now he's been working as an academy coach at Rangers.


Andy Dibble
Andrew Gerald Dibble, a calamity goalkeeper who showed occasional glimpses of brilliance, he'd play for eighteen different clubs over a career spanning longer than two decades, never living up to his early promise or being able to budge the seal-like moustached legend Neville Southall out of the Welsh national side. He'll most commonly be remembered for an incident at the City Ground involving Gary Crosby.

150 appearances at City would be disrupted by constant injuries and patchy form. A brilliant shot-stopper on his day but always liable to make a rickett, the arrival of Tony Coton from Watford saw the Welshman's chances become limited. Several loan spells gave him games but a run after an injury to Coton early in the 94/95 season aside, he could never regain a regular place.

When Frank Clark arrived as manager Andy was released after nine years service and joined Glasgow Rangers, making his debut in a fiery Auld Firm clash that played a vital part in that season's title race, making several key saves as Rangers won 1-0. He'd make six further starts for the Ibrox club. On leaving that summer he'd drift from club to club, five in just two years, including former side Luton and Welsh giants Barry Town where, during his only game he'd receive chemical burns from the pitch markings resulting in a significant financial settlement.

Short stints at both Hartlepool and Carlisle would lead to a relatively settled couple of years at Stockport, and then three at Wrexham. His final club as a player would be Accrington Stanley, a penalties defeat at Rotherham in the Football League Trophy late in 2005 being last game as a pro. His first venture into coaching would be as part of John Coleman's backroom staff, moving to Coventry a year later, Peterborough the following March, and this month to Rotherham.


Craig Russell
Signed by Frank Clark in what was essentially a straight-swap deal involving Nicky Summerbee, Craig Russell, a left-footed, deep-lying forward is another whose time at the club would have to be deemed a complete failure. Never a real goalscorer he'd start only 26 games in just over a year before being shipped out on loan to Tranmere, Port Vale, Darlington, Oxford and finally St. Johnstone.

He'd eventually join the Scottish side on a free transfer, spending two seasons at McDiarmid Park he'd continue to be unable to hit a cow's arse with a banjo, moving back to the North-East for a year each at Carlisle United and Darlington, finishing his career at his hometown club, South Shields.

On retiring, Russell joined rugby union side Newcastle Falcons as a masseur, returning to football in a similar role with Newcastle United, then rejoining Sunderland this summer.

Look Back: City 4 Fulham 0, The Championship, 16/01/00

A crisp winter lunchtime a few days into the new millennium saw a Fulham side visit Maine Road looking for three points to boost their ailing play-off hopes. Between them and a top six position, but a good distance behind runaway leaders ourselves and Charlton Athletic, stood current Premier League members Blackburn Rovers and Wolves, and surprisingly Andy Kilner's Stockport County.

The West London club had taken the third tier by storm the previous year, amassing a century of points and playing some scintillating football under the tutelage of Kevin Keegan, who'd later have similar success a league up here. By the time the 99/00 season had started, though, the Liverpool legend had left for a short-lived stint as national team boss, being replaced by assistant Paul Bracewell.

Chairman Al Fayed had backed his new manager in the transfer market, allowing him to recruit the likes of Lee Clark from Sunderland for £3m along with experienced team-mates Andy Melville and Kevin Ball. German legend Karlheinze Reidle also joined after a two-year spell at Anfield, and winger Bjarne Goldbaek from Chelsea.

After a disappointing start to the previous December, including a pasting at Wolves and a 1-2 humbling on our own pitch by Stockport, we had put together a run of good results, five unbeaten before a televised FA Cup mauling by a very good Leeds side including Harry Kewell, Alan Smith, Jonathan Woodgate and later City forward Darren Huckerby. Fulham themselves had only lost one of their last dozen.

Bermudan forward Shaun Goater would end the season with an incredible 29 goals in 45 starts, rarely was he more destructive than on this day, scoring a perfect hat-trick; left foot, right food, header. The first arrived just shy of the half hour, Taylor dropping into his own half and pinging a delicious ball out to the right flank for then captain Richard Edghill to chase. Beating Rufus Brevett to the ball the former QPR man fell flat on his arse, leaving chance for Edghill to find Goater in the middle. Half falling over the big man managed to drill home past Maik Taylor with his trailing left peg.

The visitors would put up quite a good fist of it from that point on, until defender Chris Coleman earned himself a red card with twenty minutes left on the clock. Tony Grant, playing only his fifth game for the club after signing from Everton on Christmas Eve, picked up the ball in the edge of our area, hitting a splendid, sixty yard, outside-of-the-foot pass to Goater. On cutting inside Coleman tripped, and almost lying down clung to the ball with both hands to prevent a second.

Three more goals would follow as Fulham capitulated. Horlock floated an inswinging free-kick in from the right, Grant's jump sufficiently put the 'keeper off and the ball fell to Goater with his back turned to goal. What followed could, i suppose, be described as an overhead kick, just not the most delicate sort you might ever see, more an eyes shut hook towards goal amid a melee of bodies, but they all count.

The Goat would tie his treble up shortly afterwards, a fierce Tiatto corner finding the head of centre-half Richard Jobson. The former Oldham stalwart would direct a strong header towards the far bottom corner, Taylor saved with his outstretched boot only for the ball to fall to Goater just a yard or two from goal, heading home one of the easiest goals he'd score during his time at the club.

Kevin Horlock would grab a late fourth from the penalty spot. Jobson's long ball found the Taylor in the air, his cushioned header fell at the feet of Goater whose slick lay-off resulted in the advancing Bishop in acres of space. The midfielder, back at the club for a second spell nine years after leaving for West Ham, threaded a perfect pass between the two defenders, Tiatto racing onto it and being cynically brought down. As usual Super Kev made no mistake.

They'd go on to miss out on a play-off slot, their poor away form ultimately costing them. The next season, however, they'd win the division at a canter, another 100-point campaign under Frenchman Jean Tigana, Bracewell having been sacked after a four-game winless run in March. We'd miss out on the league title by just two points, but would still gain promotion as the early pace-setters took eachother all the way.

Team:
Weaver, Edghill, Granville, Wiekens, Jobson, Horlock, Bishop, Grant, Goater, G.Taylor, Kennedy