January Player of the Month

January was always going to be a key month in our quest for progression in all three major competitions. Overall it's proven a successful time, five wins from seven, and most encouragingly, wins in games when we haven't been playing particularly well, best summed up by today's three points, and us sidestepping tricky cup ties away from home, the sort we've tripped up in regularly during previous seasons.

The biggest headline of the month will ultimately be the League Cup exit to neighbours United, but progress in that competition was encouraging in itself, and though hugely disappointing to not make it to Wembley, this afternoon's mauling of title rivals Arsenal by Big Red indicates that to be edged out of a two-legged tie by an injury time goal perhaps isn't cause for anyone to be slitting wrists.

Roberto showed faith in his squad for January's first fixture, a tricky trip to the Riverside on a bitterly cold Saturday afternoon. It was one of the worst games i've ever seen, but we managed to see them off after soaking up early pressure. We were aided that day by an injury to Adam Johnson, a player likely to make the move here tomorrow, and whilst we rode our luck and were terribly disjointed, a piece of magic from Martin Petrov and a great run and finish by the Zimbabwean Pele saw us home.

The most encouraging part of that afternoon, a place in the next round aside, was the full debut of Dedryck Boyata, who after initially looking a bag of nerves went on to have a towering game alongside compatriot and mentor Vincent Kompany. Both played very well, which perhaps indicates we were never really comfortable, but the partnership told of promise, and that continued over their following games together over the course of the month.

Berto kept faith with Benjani for the home clash with Blackburn Rovers, and he didn't disappoint, ending the evening with three assists, two quite accidental, admittedly, but there was no faulting his effort. An error for their goal aside Vicent Kompany was again solid, on this occasion alongside Micah Richards, whose goal showed us a glimpse of what his early career promised in an attacking sense. The evening belonged to Carlito, though, his first treble in a City shirt including two absolute blinders.

The game at Goodison was undoubtedly the lowest point of the season so far. They had a point to prove and did so, but we were awful, and save a couple of first-half chances were rarely in the game. Robinho's substitution grabbed the headlines, but the best compliment i could pay to any one of ours that day would be that Shay made the odd great stop. One best forgotten.

When the first leg of the League Cup derby finally arrived it wasn't quite the all-action affair many had predicted, although the ultimate result was splendid, if not enough to make the return comfortable. Between periods of United dominance during the first and last twenty minutes we managed to grab ourselves a lead that we somehow held onto. For all that Tevez got the plaudits, it was Bellamy who made the difference, in my opinion, and caused them the most danger all night. Nige put in some trademark crunching challenges, too, and Shay carried his good form over from the previous weekend.

The most frustrating thing about Mark Hughes' tenure as boss was that we didn't get to see too much of lads from the academy. That was understandable in a sense, the pressure heaped on him from the day of the takeover was immense, but the fact remains that constantly adding big-name players had a detrimental effect on the chances of those coming through. For a televised potential banana skin at Glanford Park, then, it was again nice to get a glimpse of the likes of Boyata and Norweigen/Somali midfielder Abdi Ibrahim. Both played well beyond their years, Dedryck again under the tutelage of Vince, but Martin Petrov was the player who made the important difference in the other half.

The all-Belgian central defensive duo were again the pick at Old Trafford in a game where conceding three doesn't really tell the true story of a back-line that looked quite resolute by and large after lots of pressure. We had our chances, and Bellamy and Tevez both worked tirelessly, but the game was lost due to a combination of no pressing in midfield and moments of clocking off.

Carlos Tevez may well get the vote in other quarters, averaging a goal a game over the month, but in my opinion Vince has been pretty imperious since returning to what i believe is his best position. It's unfortunate that he's picked up another knock, but although we're still conceding goals i believe we look more composed with him in the defence. He's been amongst our better players every week over January, barring the non-performance at Everton, and his calm head could make all the difference as we look to improve a defensive record that has so far left a lot to be desired.

January: Vincent Kompany

Blues make hard work of beleaguered Pompey

A workmanlike but forgettable performance against Premier League whipping boys Portsmouth means we're still hot on the trail of the sides above us. Today was always going to be a test after the disappointing League Cup exit midweek, and the visitors gave it a real go, strikes from the returning Emmanuel Adebayor and defensive rock Vince Kompany deciding what was a relatively close-fought affair.

Captian Kolo Toure came back into the side at the expense of impressive youngster Dedryck Boyata, with Micah Richards being given the afternoon off as Pablo Zabaleta slotted into his natural right-back position. Craig Bellamy and Shaun Wright-Phillips were also rested, with Martin Petrov again starting on the right, with Barry on the left of a four as we reverted back to 4-4-2.

Avram Grant's starting eleven was at odds with those predicted by most people. David James surprisingly played after being ruled highly doubtful with a calf strain. Hayden Mullins got the nod as part of a three-man central midfield, and Danny Webber, scorer in midweek against West Ham, ploughed a lonely furrow up front alone in place of top scorer Frederic Piquionne.

The first ten minutes were pretty much all Pompey. John Utaka's driving run at goal was only halted by a late Garrido challenge, and a Webber cross was palmed half away by Given but the Nigerian skied his finish. Before the ten-minute mark they also had a soft penalty shout, Garrido nudging Webber, and later Spurs loanee O'Hara tested Given with a fierce drive.

We never really managed to get into gear throughout the game, but did begin to slowly take control of what was a very poor game as the half wore on. Gareth Barry turned two players and slipped Stephen Ireland in, but his attempt was deflected wide. Petrov cut halfway across the pitch and smashed wide with his favoured left peg, and Ireland forced a stop from James after being found unmarked in the middle from Tevez' cross.

The best effort of the half, however, fell to Portsmouth. Full-back Vanden Borre, who constantly pressed us for the first hour, played a one-two with Utaka and his speculative effort deflected on to Shay Given's bar, the retreating Ireland clearing off the line. Full-back Zabaleta had to be replaced before the break, suffering what looked like a broken nose. Nedum Onuoha the man to take his spot.

As the interval loomed we managed to get ourselves a lead. Stevie Ireland found himself free in the centre circle and delivered a terrific throughball over the top to Adebayor who effortlessly controlled and smashed home from the edge of the area to leave James stranded. It was an excellent strike, and the big striker had timed his run off his marker to perfection.

The game was pretty much won in injury time, but not before we had our own soft penalty shout, Garrido being felled, Tevez then forcing another strop from James, once again sporting a shocking pink outfit. Vincent Kompany was the man to grab the second, smashing home an unstoppable header from an outswinging Petrov cross to double his tally for the club.

The second half was even more uneventful. Pompey were still making a fist of it, and O'Hara particularly had quite a good game. Utaka switched to the left and continued to be given too much space, but with no real firepower up front their chances were largely from distance, O'Hara calling on Given to make a couple of straight-forward stops, but no real cutting edge.

Vince Kompany had to be replaced just before the hour after hurting his groin. Boyata again didn't let anyone down, but losing Vince will be a blow, he's played very well since his return to the side and two further defensive injuries leave us light at the back, with Wayne & Joleon still a couple of weeks or more away from returning.

Danny Webber should have brought his side back into thing, falling over when Given could only parry a Basinias scorcher from thirty yards. A late Boyata interception spared Emmanuel Adebayor's blushes after a terrible back-pass, and sub Piquionne could only thigh the ball into Given's arms when free a couple of yards from goal late on. Carlos Tevez hit the post after a Bellamy cross, but the second period was very much a case of us going through the motions.

I thought today was probably our flattest home performance of the season, but so long as we get the job done you accept that occasionally we'll be below par. A better side would have certainly taken advantage of our frequent sloppy defending, and we didn't seem able to up gear for a game seen by most as relatively routine. However, these are the types of results that could make the difference come May, and we're all familiar with the 'sign of a good team' cliches. Today was about getting a win, so you'd have to say it was another case of job done.

Team:
Given, Zabaleta (Onuoha '38), Garrido, Toure, Kompany (Boyata '59), de Jong, Petrov (Bellamy '73), Ireland, Tevez, Adebayor, Barry

Preview: City v Pompey

South coast 'crisis club' Portsmouth visit Eastlands this weekend hoping to put in a better performance than they did last time round, being on the end of a 6-0 drubbing that included goals from such prolific stars as Jo, Richard Dunne, Chedwyn Evans and Gelson 'headless chicken' Fernandes. An absolute home banker according to the critics, you'd hope we'll manage another three home points.

Pompey really do sound like they're on their last legs, bowing out of the Premier League with a whimper after an arduous last year or so that's seen them lose their manager, half their squad, be handed from pillar to post, clueless owner to clueless owner, and finally losing any lingering self-respect they had this week by struggling to pay their basic bills.

Younnes Kaboul, their best player so far this season, has rejoined Spurs as Harry Redknapp's shameless pillaging of his former employer continues. Asmir Begovic is expected to join Stoke and so won't play. Usual No.1 David James has a calf injury and may yet move on, too. Michael Brown and Papa Bouba Diop are missing with back and calf injuries, respectively. Nadir Belhadj and Hassan Yebda are now back from Angola but are unlikely to play. Aruna Dindane could make the bench following Ivory Coast's earlier exit.

For us, Pat Vieira still sounds well off a full debut, but Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure should at least make the squad. Carlos Tevez is expected to be rested after another tireless performance at Old Trafford. Roque Santa Cruz will still be missing with his calf problem, and Wayne Bridge, Joleon Lescott and Michael Johnson with knee injuries of various severity. Competition for places on the flanks has obviously decreased with both Vlad Weiss and Robinho leaving on loan.

I imagine we might see Emmanuel Adebayor get his first start in six weeks tomorrow in a game that should prove a good chance for him to bed himself back in. Dedryck Boyata, who particularly impressed in the second leg of the League Cup semi-final, may get the afternoon off, though the partnership between him and countryman Vince Kompany shows signs of promise. Micah Richards is perhaps most likely to move central rather than Kolo making an instant return.

I'd like to see Stevie Ireland start, and am surprised that Gareth Barry isn't being used more sparingly given his groin problems that may quite possibly require surgery before the World Cup. We'll have plenty of the ball tomorrow, and Ireland's masterclass in last year's fixture is still fresh in the memory. Mancini might well continue with a three across midfield, with SWP and Bellamy supporting Ade, but Craig, too, could do with an afternoon off after having what by his standards would have to be considered a successful season on the injury front.

For all that they're weighed down by the doom and gloom of being bottom of the league and close to administration, Pompey are unbeaten in four, and at times this season have played some nice stuff. I was actually quite impressed by their football, albeit under Paul Hart, now gone to and been sacked by QPR, and they certainly aren't the worst side to watch in this league, though with the odds stacked against them as they are it's hard to see them escaping the drop.

Tomorrow will by no means be a walk in the park. We can't take an apparently easy fixture for granted, especially as the sides who have now gone above us have dropped points in recent weeks. The next four games represent a good chance for us to push on and make ourselves favourites for fourth place, and we must be as up for battle as we've been for 'bigger' games against more fashionable opposition.

I fancy us for the three points and a couple of goals at least against such a makeshift back five. I can only see them packing the midfield and hoping to frustrate us, but we should have enough. One concern of recent performances has been the narrow positioning of our full-backs, and if Utaka and new arrival Owusu-Abeyie do start wide of a five, they could have some luck. Let's hope not. Comfortable home win.

Possible teams:
City: Given, Zabaleta, Garrido, Richards, Kompany, de Jong, Wright-Phillips, Ireland, Bellamy, Adebayor, Petrov

Pompey: Ashdown, Finnan, Hreidarsson, Ben Haim, Wilson, Mokoena, Boateng, O'Hara, Utaka, Piquionne, Owusu-Abeyie

Prediction: City 3 Portsmouth 0

Friday mp3: Weezer

Weezer formed in LA in 1992, playing their first gig as a support act for Keanu Reeves band Dogstar. Spike Jonze-directed Happy Days-influenced second single 'Buddy Holly' was their mainstream breakthrough, and a favourite of MTV.

Follow-up album Pinkerton, released in 1996, remains their best and most critically-acclaimed work. This is the opener from that record.

MP3: Tired of Sex
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Binning Cook would be harsh, but his role has to change

As soon as Garry Cook's mouth wound its way open in the run-up to the return derby fixture you just knew that if any final motivational tool was needed by Ferguson it was right there. Not that the stakes weren't obvious anyway, they'd just had their noses rubbed in it by an ex-player and were on the verge of seeing their local neighbours end their trophy drought, but on hearing those naive words i'm sure Roberto's opposite number was rubbing his hands.

The fact that United players have admitted Cook's little speech was discussed before the game proves that it was against our best interests, and only backs up their claims that we're getting a bit too big for our boots. I'm not dead against any sort of tomfoolery. I thought the poster campaign was bob-on, and sly digs at those across the road are more than welcome, but when the stakes are so high, and there's little to be achieved further than a few slaps on the back from pissed-up ex-pats, why bother?

I've been a very vocal supporter of Garry in the past, and will carry on being so long as he doesn't continue to put his foot in it any time he's placed in front of a microphone. People are right when they say he's not a football man, i'm not sure he necessarily needs to be. I happen to think he's a great asset to the club, but each gaffe makes me wonder, and paints him to be a character well at odds with the quiet, dignified nature of the owners and chairman.

Whilst 'seen and not heard' might not be completely true for someone in Garry's role, i feel it should be so far as on-the-pitch matters are concerned. How often do you hear David Gill rabbiting on about United's performances? Truth is, you rarely do. As a club we're growing immensely in all sorts of areas, and so far as i understand Cook has been vital to that, but need we keep tripping ourselves up by having him as the club's spokesman?

In Garry's defence, he has had to learn 'on the job'. Those who have held similar roles at other big clubs have been around for years before being moved up into the role. David Gill was at United for four seasons, firstly as a Finance Director then Assistant Chief Exec before earning promotion, David Dein around Arsenal since 1983, and Rick Parry was central to the formation of the Premier League before joining Liverpool in 1998, staying for eleven years. Cook was hired by a crook and has been given a crack of the whip by our current owners, it's testament to him that he's still here.

I sincerely hope he stays at the football club, but it needn't be as black and white as him being here or being shooed aside. If we're making strides under him - pushing on in a business sense, 'building the brand', then let that carry on, but the face-palm moments have been too frequent for him to continue as the official face of Manchester City. I'm not completely sure why he has to fulfill those duties, or why he's not capable of engaging brain beforehand.

The Milan jibe could have easily been avoided. The Rosler introduction was, in my opinion, a case of him trying too hard, and should have been carried out by a more suitable candidate. You can't tell me a roomful of hundreds of Blues wouldn't have preferred an ex-player taking on those duties, and the same goes for this latest 'Mad Hatter' rant.

Without wanting to get all Newcastle, if people must speak football, then make them football people, and not only football people, like Brian f*cking Marwood, but City people. Mike Summerbee or Colin Bell could be making a better job of these sort of occasions. Let Cook get on with what he's proved good at - building the reputation of the club outside of what goes on on the pitch. He is after all a businessman, as people repeatedly seem keen to point out.

Premier League Team of the Season (so far) 3/3

Picking the two strikers who have impressed most over the first half of the domestic season hasn't been too difficult. There were a few contenders, but the pair chosen would likely be in most of our thoughts if asked the question, and have both come face-to-face a couple of times over the last week or so in what's blew up into a press battle of who's really the goalscoring king of Manchester.

Rooney's form this season has made all the difference in United still being in the title race, and having got to another cup final. Twenty-one goals already has him well on course to achieve his best ever return, and he continues to mature as a player, stepping into the shoes of a certain Portuguese winger who moved on to a bigger club in the summer to allow the club's fantastic Yank owners to make the huge losses look a bit more digestible.

Without the ginger-chinned Scouser they'd be up shit creek, and reports of another blockbuster bid from Spain continue to surface. Love him or hate him, and i'm sure most are in the latter camp, he's grown from promising youngster to key asset of one of the biggest clubs in world football. It's just a shame that at international level we don't have the players, or at least the team, to really make the most of his abilities.

For all that Fernando Torres has bagged his fair share he's battled to regain full fitness, and in a struggling side hasn't been at his best. With little support it's easy to see how he might not be able to have the same impact as usual, and with main creators Gerrard and Benayoun both in and out of the side with injuries, too, he's never really got his season going.

Darren Bent will always score goals. His move to Spurs didn't really work out, in part due to the competition, but he also suffered from a manager who didn't really fancy him, and the pressure of such a big-money transfer took its toll. He's a twenty-goals-a-season man, no doubt about that, and fifteen already in a side whose initial momentum seems a distant memory, represents a good return. With his confidence up he's the complete striker; quick, strong, decent in the air, good movement, a poacher's eye for goal.

The love affair between the Chelsea fans and Didier Drogba has always struck me as being a little odd. There's no doubting his abilities, or his goalscoring record, but spells of indifferent form, threats to leave, well-documented on-the-pitch behaviour, genius followed by lethargy, i'm surprised he's still there after so long. A record swelled though it is by his extraordinary 33-goal haul of 06/07, he's still as good as there in in England and Europe. Ancelotti has worked his two strikers into a side, and this season more than any other they're entertaining to watch, and the January wobble forecast by so many has failed to materialise.

Since Spurs' November 9-1 mauling of erratic Wigan at White Hart Lane, Jermain Defoe has hit what for him would have to be considered a relatively barren run. He could and probably should have had a triple hat-trick that day, and under both Redknapp and Capello he appears to be living up to the promise of his early career, forcing himself up the pecking order for both Tottenham and England. He's been helped tremendously by the form of widemen Lennon and Kranjcar, two wingers whose delivery would give any forward half a chance. He's already achieved his most productive Premier League season.

Carlos' performances over the last three months, coupled with my blue allegiances, made him odds-on to get the nod. Not only has he been putting the ball in the net, but his engine and attitude are rarely rivalled in the modern game. Too often spoken of as a 'workmanlike' player, however, it's his skill on the ball and eye for a pass that have impressed most. He's the complete striker, save the odd bit of optimistic shooting, and with him in the side you feel we've always got a chance. Last time a City forward bagged 25 goals in a top-flight season?

Picks: Tevez (City), Rooney (Stretford)

City Vox Pops, part 8

Can we do it, and if so what do you see as being the key factors in us going there, getting a result and making our first Cup Final in what's felt like forever?

Wallace, ESPN Soccernet
"Yes, although I don't think it will be easy and the team will have to hold its nerve as seven minutes of Fergie Time are added!

The key factor will be the formation that Mancini picks to start the game. Despite the euphoria of the first leg victory the initial formation that Mancini went with was almost a 4-2-2-2 with de Jong and Barry in front of the back four, Zabaleta and SWP further forward on the wings and Bellamy and Tevez through the middle. It was the first time I'd seen Mancini make a tactical error and United worked the gap between Garrido, Barry and Zabaleta to get the first goal. Once the team moved to a 4-5-1, after the United goal, it choked the midfield and prevented United from playing.

If United score in the first fifteen minutes it will be very difficult for City to come back as the Owed Trafford crowd will be really into the game. Mancini has been brilliant in tinkering with formations during games. He has to get this right from the moment they walk out the tunnel. If he does City go through in a tight 2-2 draw. If not, United by at least two".

Jason, This Is Our City
"Can we do it? Yes, we can and the key factors will be having Kolo Toure back in defence, Patrick Vieira in midfield and Emmanuel Adebayor upfront with Carlos Tevez. They will be expecting another Carlos Tevez show and are not expecting much more aerial threat. No fear from the off needed".

Danny, Bitter & Blue
"Of course we can do it and I remain confident (as I wrote post-match last week) that we will go through.

I don’t see United operating too differently from last week, with them using the full-backs to supplement their attacking midfielders. I’d be surprised if Mancini went with anything other than a defensive, counter-attacking system to try and stymie United as he set out to do last week and the longer we can frustrate them the better – particularly Rooney who will be very dangerous.

It will undeniably be a tough proposition, but we are more than capable of scoring against a defence that has not been as tight as it has been in seasons past. If we could get the first goal too that be a huge bonus.

A difficult task lies ahead, but Mancini appears to be making the right decisions at the right times and I’ll pick us to go through with a score draw".

Jack, The Lonesome Death of Roy Carroll
"We can, but we are unlikely to. Ultimately I don't think that we will. Remember just how much of the ball United had at Eastlands, how much pressure we were under throughout. We were lucky to concede only once. But if we are to do it - and I'd put our chances of progress at about 30% - these will be the key factors...

First, the defence. They must have, individually and collectively, the performance of their lives. Shay Given must make those saves that only he can make again and again. Vincent Kompany must play faultlessly, as must whoever partners him - the safe option is Nedum Onuoha but Dedryck Boyata and Kolo Touré must both be in contention. The problem, of course, is Wayne Rooney. He is in the form of his life - 12 goals in his last 12 games - and was terrifying in that tense last half-hour in the first leg. If we can somehow shackle him that's half the challenge.

But I still think we will concede a goal or two. So we're going to have score. With Tévez, SWP and Bellamy on the pitch, though, I back us to create a chance or two. Taking them will be crucial. Particularly if we can score early, leave United needing three to avoid the game going to penalties - and their weekend game is much more important than ours. Which might give us the space to score a second.

So we need a lot to go our way. I think progress to Wembley will be just beyond us, but it's not impossible".

Gary, We've Got Robinho
"I think we can certainly win the tie. United are a top team but now we are, too. I think the key to winning the game tomorrow will be attacking football. We sat back too much in the first leg and let them come at us too often. When we did play them at their own game they did not like it. I definitely think we should set up to attack. Hopefully the game will prove to be yet another time we have stepped on Utd's head to reach the League Cup Final".

Alan, Blue Days
"Can we do it? Yes we can, but a lifetime's experience has taught me not to go into a derby expecting a result, or even expecting to enjoy the game - the pleasure comes afterwards IF we get the result. English teams fare better playing with a high tempo, but Mancini's not English. He's more likely to try a policy of containment, taking the sting out of the game, and hitting them on the break, in a similar way to our last victory at Old Trafford under Sven (Mancini's mentor).

Whether we can take the sting out of this one is another matter, and if we only try and defend like we did in the last twenty minutes of the first leg, we're probably doomed. We'll also need to keep a closer eye on their use of the flanks and retain possession better than we did on our last visit. I think we need to score, and I'd play Ireland in front of Barry and de Jong where he can release Bellamy, Wright-Phillips and Tevez. If Ireland can then get on the end of things, we're in with a shout.

Ideally I'd like us to get an early goal, with Robinho coming on later to seal it (with a hat-trick)!"

Preview: United v City

Finally here then, time to put up or shut up. Weeks of office banter, needless headlines, oneupsmanship, the odd arrow and golf ball, £42 a f*cking ticket, unwelcome boasts from Spokesman Cook, Carlito's revenge, etc, etc. At 8pm tomorrow Fergie and Berto will go head-to-head in what promises to be the third gripping city duel of the season. Can't wait!

Mancini's selection for Sunday's FA Cup win at Scunthorpe gives us a good idea of his starting eleven for tomorrow. Given, Richards, Garrido, Barry, Tevez and Bellamy should all return to the side. The trip to Glanford Park gave all Belgian central-defence Kompany and Boyata more time together, and i think they'll continue, with Nige roaming just in front and Micah switching to full-back.

Nani's performance against Hull on the weekend puts him in the frame to start, perhaps with Giggs central alongside Darren Fletcher. Luis Valencia and Dimitar Berbatov are likely to return after being benched during that routine win, and Rio Ferdinand's assault on Craig Fagan is likely to be met with no punishment, as you might expect. Wes Brown may move to right-back.

I think that attacking United is very much the key to us getting a positive result. Not sure i can see Mancini doing so, but sitting back and inviting waves of attacks is highly likely to cost us. I honestly think we have to forget the first leg completely, and go out with the ultimate aim of scoring. Do that and we've got a great chance.

We have an enormous job on our hands, anyone would taking such a slender lead to Old Trafford. United tend not to come off second best in such important games, whatever your thoughts on the competition, and the words of Carlos Tevez and Garry Cook will give them extra motive for seeing us off and taking them a step further to retaining the trophy.

Three players stand out as being particularly dangerous, though those who made a difference in the earlier Swamp derby proves it's nigh on impossible to predict who might influence a game with any authority whatsoever. Giggs, Rooney and Valencia, however, in my opinion, represent the biggest threats.

For me, Giggs looks no less a player in the middle of the park as he did on the left at his marauding best. His assist for Michael Owen's late winner earlier in the season is a prime example of just what he can do when given time on the ball, and i've lost count of the times i've watched him effortlessly change games. If Mancini goes with a five across the midfield then someone, possibly Pablo Zabaleta, will have to man-mark him.

Rooney's record speaks for itself, twenty goals in twenty-seven starts. At Old Trafford he's particularly destructive, and especially if Berbatov starts as expected then he too will drop deep, roam around the centre of the park, drift to the left flank and generally be a nightmare to pick up. Dedryck Boyata has played to the right of Vince Kompany, so could require schooling through the game by him and Nigel de Jong.

Lastly, Luis Valencia has had a good first season so far at his new club. He's a player i like a lot; strong, direct, a real predatory winger with a great burst of pace. He's capable of giving any left-back in the country a going over, and he got behind Garrido with ease in the first leg, and was always an outlet for cross-field passes. On the Legoland pitch he'll have even more space, will hog his line and rate his chances of getting the beating of the Spaniard. Again, others will need to help, namely Bellamy and Barry.

The worry, in an attacking sense, is that Tevez gets stranded up top, we've no real out-ball and resort to the sort of hoofery that cost us late in the league fixture, and could have in the recent second leg once we'd made changes. Our better counter-attacking football this season has come through Martin Petrov and Craig Bellamy, and i'd be surprised if they weren't the two who'll play wide, and with both cutting in onto their natural sides they'll certainly give Brown and Evra food for thought.

I think we have to admit that United are huge favourites to make the final, but stranger things have happened, and our record against the better sides this season has been excellent. Any sort of draw or win would see us through, a goal would swing things firmly in our favour. There's no real motivational talk needed by Roberto, the players will feel the atmosphere from the dressing room. Go out and make yourselves heroes, lads, it's been far too long.

Possible teams:
Rags: Van der Sar, Brown, Evra, Evans, Ferdinand, Fletcher, Valencia, Giggs, Rooney, Berbatov, Nani

City: Given, Richards, Garrido, Boyata, Kompany, de Jong, Zabaleta, Barry, Petrov, Tevez, Bellamy

Premier League Team of the Season (so far)? 2/3

MIDFIELD:
What better place to start than here at God's very own team. So far this season Craig Bellamy has been the obvious surprise package. We all knew he was a tremendously talented player, but with a good run of games under his belt he's taken his performances to another level, often proving our most vital asset. It says something about his contribution that Robinho is on the verge of moving on and Martin Petrov has had to make do with starting most often on the opposite flank. If he carries on his form over the latter half of the campaign then he'll have to be a serious contender for Player of the Year, and to think he was a signing mocked in some quarters on the back of failed bids for some Brazilian or other.

Sticking with left-wingers for the time being, Spurs Niko Kranjcar and Stoke's Matt Etherington have been two in cracking form. At £2.5m the Croatian from Pompey has to be the steal of the summer, he's excelled at his new club, not least during their recent victory over us at White Hart Lane. Drifting across the midfield he's a constant goal threat. Etherington has always had the potential to be one of the best about. He's got 'head down' pace, a powerful left foot, and is probably playing the best football of his career.

Aaron Lennon's form at Spurs can't have escaped anyone's notice. Over the last eighteen months or so his end product has increased drastically, so much so that he's now pretty much a cert to be on the plane to South Africa. No-one ever doubted his ability, but under Redknapp he's come into his own and at times has been, sorry for the use of a newly fashionable term, unplayable.

James Milner at Villa is another who has really put his foot on the gas as the World Cup edges nearer. He too has bettered his final ball and goal threat, but also shown that he's at home anywhere in midfield, having his most productive season so far in a central role. Most admirable is his work ethic, something that's always been obvious but has been harnessed especially well under Martin O'Neill, to the extent that he's now the heartbeat of their side.

Others that have caught the eye include Birmingham trio Larsson, Bowyer and Ferguson. The Swede showed last time round that he's a threat going forward at this level, but Bowyer and Ferguson are two players written off by most who have found a new lease of life under McLeish. Ferguson even looked poor at Rangers towards the end of his tenure there, but now looks a lively, competent Premier League midfielder, and Bowyer's tally so far brings back memories of his terrific form at Leeds.

Yossi Benayoun has been the only real bright spark in Liverpool's poor season. He's always been a player i've admired, in part due to his obvious similarities to countryman and former Blue Eyal Berkovic. He's someone i'd love us to bring to the club, an exquisite player who somehow remains underrated. His eye for a pass is unrivalled, he makes the game look easy and his goal record speaks for itself. Without him they'd have been even further off the pack.

Talking of unsung heroes, Abou Diaby and Alex Song are perhaps two who won't get as many plaudits come the end of the season as colleague Fabregas. I've gone for the Spaniard, but i'm sure Gooners who go every week will tell you that the two arrivals from France have been equally consistent. Both seem to have suddenly matured, though that may be ignorance on my behalf. Diaby in particular once looked cumbersome and unsure, now appears to be maturing into a commanding midfielder capable of both the donkey work and influencing attacks.

Over the road, despite many of his recent awards being daft, token gestures, Ryan Giggs, pushing forty, has carried a creaking United side over the last year. The man's exceptional, even hardened Blues couldn't deny that, to be able to dictate games has he often does whilst in the winter of his career deserves praise. I sincerely hope he does sod all on Wednesday, mind. Darren Fletcher also continues to do a superb job of proving the 'ratter' in their midfield. Anyone suggesting he'd be such a key player for them not so long ago wouldn't been laughed away.

Honourable mentions to David Dunn at Blackburn, who's shown patches of his best form for hometown club Blackburn. Clint Dempsey, sadly suffering a serious injury last week, is surely one of the neutrals favourite Premier League players. Him and club-mate Danny Murphy continue to excel under Roy Hodgson. Jordan Henderson at Sunderland, and Jack Collison at West Ham are two youngsters who have made a real impression.

To end on a City-related note, however, Nigel de Jong has kicked, harried and chased his way into contention, proving invaluable this season in a holding role that can at times go unnoticed by those who don't watch a side regularly. His selfless performances have quickly made him a cult hero at the club, and whatever the fee might've been, he's already looking a bargain.

Picks: Lennon (Spurs), Milner (Villa),
Fabregas (Arsenal), Bellamy (City)

Blues see off plucky Scunthorpe

The lads this afternoon booked their place in the fifth round of the FA Cup following a terrific game at Glanford Park. A six-goal thriller comprehensively rounded up a great weekend of football, Petrov, Onuoha, Sylvinho and Robinho grabbing the goals in front of a capacity crowd at the Championship club.

Roberto Mancini made several changes to his line-up ahead of Wednesday's win at Old Trafford. Stuart Taylor replaced Shay Given in goal, Ned Onuoha and Sylvinho came in for Richards and Garrido, Abdi Ibrahim, Stevie Ireland & Martin Petrov all played ahead of Barry, Zabaleta and Wright-Phillips, and Benjani started alone upfront.

Nigel Adkins went with experience over form in goal for the Iron, Joe Murphy getting the nod over Josh Lillis. Garry Thompson was also preferred to Josh Wright as Michael O'Connor's replacement. Otherwise it was as expected, with Woolford and Thompson wide of a 4-4-2 and dangermen Hayes and Hooper leading the line.

The tie got off to an extremely lively start, Scunthorpe carving out a half-chance within thirty seconds, Hayes forcing stand-in 'keeper Taylor to sweep up after the former Barnsley striker had found himself through on goal. Once that had been dealt with we put our foot on the gas, knocking the ball around nicely to take the lead in the third minute. Robinho, subjected to the boos, as you might expect, picked up the ball on the edge of the area, feigned a dozen needless step-overs and poked a ball through to Martin Petrov who lashed a beauty past Murphy with his sublime left peg.

On taking the lead one might've thought the afternoon's work would prove easier than we'd expected, far from it, once Ireland and Benjani had failed to create a second minutes later Scunny rallied and completely dominated for a solid twenty minutes plus. Left-winger Woolford cut in and blasted an effort over with his right, and the home side would go on to create several chances in quick succession that should have seen them at least level.

Firstly, impressive left-back Williams roared through our defence, exchanging passes with Woolford and only being snuffed out by a late Ibrahim block. From the resultant corner captain Cliff Byrne hit the bar with a powerful header, and with us scrambling clear, a dink back in saw a cross just evade the troublesome Paul Hayes. We were certainly riding our luck, and for a time being completely outplayed.

For all Scunny's possession we were having success on the break, Onuoha failed to finish a move involving Benjani, Ibrahim and Petrov, then a tame Robinho effort was easy work for Murphy. The Brazilian was impressing, but appeared to have left his shooting boots at home as for all his effort and good build-up play his shots on goal were half-hearted and powder-puff, and you felt that such poor finishing could potentially cost us.

Just before the half-hour the game was level, a header out of defence was hooked back into the area and Hayes, who was offside, it must be said, volleyed home delightfully to square thing at 1-1. The linesman making an incorrect call aside, it was deserved, we'd constantly been penned back and were being outfought. Before the break Hayes and Hooper combined briliantly, the latter smashing over after a nice one-two.

We seemed to regain the ascendancy over the last ten minutes of the half, as the home side tired after an admirable bout of constant pressure. Ireland broke out of defence, riding a couple of challenges and finding Robinho whose shot was again weak. Fortunately, as the half edged to its end, we retook the lead, debutant Ibrahim free down the left, his cross being headed away, faling to Ireland whose dinked throughball was poked home by Onuoha. Ireland was later put through and could have put the game beyond doubt, but opened his body too much and saw his placed attempt drift wide.

At half-time Mancini decided to replace Nigel de Jong with rookie left-back Gregg Cunningham, Sylvinho moving into the central midfield role tried previously at Boro in the previous round. Within two minutes the young defender had been booked, perhaps harshly, for a 50/50 challenge on the halfway line. Scunthorpe again pressed, continuing to outdo us, midfield workhorse Sam Togwell forcing a truly world-class save from Taylor with a high, pacy, curling crack at goal.

From quite early on in the second half fitness seemed to play its part, and for all the Glanford Park side pushed we seemed quite confident of sitting back and picking them off on the counter. Petrov and Robinho exchanged passes before the Bulgarian smashed wide, but in the 57th minute we'd got the third, temporary midfielder Sylvinho receiving the ball arund forty yards from goal and spanking home a sublime dipper reminiscent of his strike at Stamford Bridge for Arsenal a decade ago.

A fourth should have followed, firstly Petrov dragged a shot wide after being released down the left, then Murphy made a brilliant hat-trick of stops, two from Robinho. It was Adkins' side who grabbed the next goal however, a throw-in from their right sneaking through to right-back Byrne whose tame stab deflected off the otherwise imperious Boyata to set up a frenetic last twenty minutes.

With centre-half Jones pushed up into an emergency striking role we were really tested. McCann's second ball following a corner was flicked wide by Woolford, and aerial balls were constantly troubling us and until the last ten minutes we were still looking second best. Late on, Petrov tested Murphy once more, Boyata headed wide from a corner and we asserted our authority.

Robinho did get his goal with five minutes left on the clock, Nedum Onuoha touched a ball through to sub Zabaleta, the Argentine road a challenge and slipped possession back to Silvinho, on to Robinho, then Petrov, his reverse ball trickling through to the record buy who calmly stroked home to put the game beyond doubt before being replaced by Craig Bellamy.

For me, this afternoon was a classic cup tie, and by no means easy for us. Scunthorpe bossed parts of the game and had they been a bit more clinical may now be facing Stoke in the fifth round. Quality in the final third and overall fitness ultimately won us a game that could have gone either way, and though bowing out of any competition is disappointing, as we know all too well, they can hold their heads high. They gave it a real go, and matched a side that although made up of second string players, cost us £60m+.

The high point of this evening, in my opinion, were the performances of youngsters Boyata and Ibrahim. Before Mancini arrived it was unthinkable that either would get their chance, but both excelled. The two of them were the pick of the bunch, Ibrahim showed confidence beyond his years and Boyata was solid alongside countryman Kompany. Martin Petrov again put in an effortless shift, and should today prove Robinho's final game in a City shirt then at least he'll have bowed out on a high note. I don't want to spread nasty rumours but i even saw him make a couple of tackles today!

Team:
Taylor, Onuoha, Sylvinho, Boyata, Kompany, de Jong (Cunningham '46), Ireland (Zabaleta '66), Ibrahim, Petrov, Benjani, Robinho (Bellamy '85)

Bolton a Weiss move for Vlad

Vladimir Weiss this week became the fourth player to leave the club on a temporary basis this January following Paul Marshall, Adam Clayton and Jo moving to Aberdeen, Carlisle and Galatasaray, respectively. On the fringes of action this season, the midfielder certainly has a huge future in the game, and in my opinion the move makes sense all round.

I think that time spent away on loan getting games somewhere will do him the world of good. He's going to be a tremendous player, but occasional sub appearances aren't best for his development, and with Bellamy, Wright-Phillips, Petrov around, and even Tevez considering we often line-up in a 4-3-3, he'd have a difficult job on his hands getting himself a start.

In my opinion it had to be a Premier League side, and given Owen Coyle's recent move to the Trotters i think Vlad will be playing under a manager capable of both motivating his troops and instructing them to play in the correct way. A month or two back i wouldn't have considered Bolton a suitable destination, though with the likes of Taylor, Cohen and Mark Davies in their side this season they're not as direct as some would have you believe.

I was impressed with them during the first of their recent double-header with Arsenal. It was the Gunners who took their chances that day, but i spotted very early signs of Coyle's methods at play, and on another day they could have got at least a point. I've every faith that Vlad's talent will be harnessed in the right way, and that he'll return to City in the summer chomping at the bit and ready to really take on his peers.

That said, this weekend would have proven a good chance for him to get another ninety minutes under his belt, and those ahead of him for a starting place all have histories of knocks. Craig Bellamy's carried us for parts of this season, but it's unlikely we'll get through the season without him missing games, as he'd admit himself. Martin Petrov's frequently picking up injuries, and SWP's ankle problems appear ongoing.

Hopefully the loan will prove as successful as Joe Hart's to Birmingham. The academy took its fair share of knocks under the previous manager, in part inevitable with such funds available for signings, but Mancini looks like he'll give people a chance providing they work hard rather than repeatedly adding bodies, as witnessed by places in the squad of late for the likes of Dedryck Boyata, Javan Vidal and Abdi Ibrahim.

Preview: Scunthorpe v City

City travel through Yorkshire to Scunthorpe tomorrow hoping to book a place in the FA Cup 5th round. The game, according to their website, will be the first involving Scunny to be shown live on terrestrial television, a capacity 9,000 crowd is expected, and Nigel Adkins' men will be out to put right October's League Cup defeat at our place.

The same old faces are missing through injury. Roque Santa Cruz's dodgy calf will see him miss another three or four weeks. Pat Vieira's at least a week off a debut, also calf-related. Wayne Bridge and Joleon Lescott are both expected back around the turn of February. Michael Johnson's still broken, and young striker David Ball has fractured a metatarsal. Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor are still absent.

Roberto Mancini has revealed that Carlos Tevez will be rested ahead of the return leg with United. I think Craig Bellamy may also not start, which probably means Benjani alone in attack. Gareth Barry is carrying a groin injury and i imagine Stevie Ireland will replace him for his first appearance of the year. Dedryck Boyata could make his third start for the senior side. Vince Kompany, excellent since his return, is another i think might be given the afternoon off.

Scunny will be without the suspended Michael O'Connor, banned for picking up ten bookings. Josh Wright is the man most likely to deputise. Defender Andrew Wright has a foot injury. Young Josh Lillis is expected to continue in goal in place of the experienced former Tranmere man Joe Murhpy.

I'm anticipating a very tough game. All the cliches about small grounds, changing rooms, romance of the cup, etc, etc, have already been trotted out dozens of times, but i don't imagine the setting will come as too much of a culture shock for our lads, and the little i've seen of Scunthorpe this season tells of a side well capable of playing and not sticking ten men behind the ball and hoping for the best.

Strikers Hooper and Hayes will prove a real handful. Last season they bagged an incredible 49 goals between them, and so far this year have continued their impressive partnership a division higher. At just 22 Hooper is the more prolific, and might even move on before the end of the transfer window. Hayes will put himself about and unsettle us, drag our centre-halves all over the show. Other goal threats will come from midfielders Woolford; a tricky left-winger, and former West Ham youth player Grant McCann.

We should have enough to see Scunthorpe off, but nothing would surprise me in what's so far been a season of shocks. Without Tevez and Bellamy, if the latter is indeed rested, i worry about us not having that edge in attack. We were awful at Boro in the last round and got a bit lucky. I'm looking for Stephen Ireland to come in and dictate the tempo of the game, something he's well capable of.

Given the naive, nay stupid comments this week by Garry Cook i just hope we can go there and get the job done. As mentioned previously, you don't declare yourselves the new kids on the block ahead of a potential cup humbling against lower-league opposition. Tomorrow we'll be tested, whether we can keep mature heads and avoid the banana skin on offer, well, we'll see, but with such an important game midweek it would certainly prove a boost.

Possible teams:
Scunthorpe: Lillis, Byrne, Williams, Mirfin, Jones, Togwell, J.Wright, McCann, Hooper, Hayes, Woolford

City: Given, Vidal, Garrido, Richards, Boyata, de Jong, Wright-Phillips, Zabaleta, Ireland, Benjani, Petrov

Prediction: Scunthorpe 1 City 2

Friday mp3: The Strokes

New York's The Strokes first gained favour on these shores with 2001's Rough Trade-released The Modern Age EP in 2001. They released their debut record, Is This It, in October of that year, noted for its melodic CBGBs-influenced garage sound.

They've since released two further records, 2003's Room On Fire, and 2006's First Impressions of Earth, spawning such singles as '12:51', 'Reptilia' and 'Juicebox', and are generally accepted as being the band who rejuvenated British guitar music.

This is an underrated track from their second album.

MP3: I Can't Win
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Tevez right, but let's not add fuel to the fire

Today's press has been choc-a-block with tales of Carlos Tevez' choice words for a certain Goat-feeder from across town. It's all much ado about nothing, two grown men sending hand signals in eachother's direction during battle, and whilst both should probably know better ahead of a second high-tension local derby, it's refreshing seeing someone telling Fergie's 'sock sucker' (assuming he's not struggling with soft esses, of course) what most think of him.

What is absolutely beyond all doubt is that Carlos is right about Neville. Were it any other footballer with almost a century of England caps i think people would have sympathy, but the elder Brother Grimm has perfected the art of being a petty, gobby not-right for years, to the extent that a comedic hatred of his club's biggest rivals is the only thing that's stopped even his own fans losing interest as his career stutters to an uneventful halt.

Even as a City fan i think i'd be able to doff my hat to his achievements in the game were he not a complete and utter shithawk. He was, in his prime, a very good full-back, both for United and England, and he'll leave the game a very rich man with at least eight league title medals and six-hundred or so appearances for the best club side in the country over the last two decades. When he retires he should be applauded by fans of any club, yet he'll fall over the finishing line as he eyes a Bobby Charlton-like role in the future, being wheeled out of a dusty cupboard twice a year to talk about the good old days.

Carlito's description of Spokesman Nev couldn't have been more accurate. He's always had that air of the teacher's pet about him, the union man, there to make sure rules are adhered to and never bent. Most annoying, however, isn't his MUFCOK shtick, more so that the lad obviously hasn't got anything resembling a sense of f*cking humour. Even Phyllis, as much as he's similarly of the red gospel, can laugh at himself, even crack a joke now and then, with old Gary everything seems such serious business.

In my opinion, more people need to get stuck in to Gary Neville. He's a man who ought to be wound up, disrespected, belittled, but it's always advisable to do so when there's not such an immediate chance for comeuppance. On Wednesday we make the short trip to Old Trafford, and though turning the first leg round was encouraging, it will still take a sterling effort to progress having allowed them a precious away goal.

I can understand Tevez' frustration. He's rightfully still annoyed about being pissed about by them lot last summer. He's doing his talking on the pitch by notching goals every week, and whilst i've no problem with him showing them what they've missed out on, i think it would be a better idea to knock them out first, then we can mouth off all we want. The wrong result on Wednesday and we'll be looking to be living up to the 'noisy neighbours' tag Ferguson alluded to earlier in the season.

Don't get me wrong, i love anyone having a pop at United, but none of us are naive enough to ever completely write them off, as much as their team is in obvious decline, and these sort of clashes only add to the pressure on us to go there and get a result. I do think we can get a draw, or at least score, but we're stoking the fires, giving them added motivation, and cliche though it is, Taggart's only got to stick these cuttings on the dressing room wall and his motivational pre-match talk is done for him.

Added to this clash, Garry Cook has today been quoted ensuring people we're on our way to being the world's greatest/biggest club. Again, bad timing. On Sunday we play Scunthorpe away, and whilst we should see them off without worry he, and us by proxy, are again at risk of looking like fools should we suffer an unexpected result. I'm a big fan of Garry's, but there's absolutely no doubt that his best work has been done behind the scenes and his very worst in front of a microphone.

With the financial backing available to the degree it is we should go on to be a major force in English and hopefully European football. We're making huge progress on and off the field, but we're being a bit too vocal about it, in my opinion. Ideally we'd gain friends during our ascent, but it's probably not possible, especially judging by the reputations of other successful clubs. It's one thing unsettling the established set, but we should do it in the right way.

I just wish we'd button it a little, get on with the football and if it must happen, and ideally it wouldn't, then give the verbals afterwards. With Tevez there's history, and Neville fired the first broadside, but just sit on it, do the business, then have your say. With Cook, well, maybe we should try winning something or even getting to a major final before declaring ourselves the new best thing since sliced bread.

Carlito double sinks United

Top scorer and summer rejector of our poorer city rivals Carlos Tevez this evening settled an old score with his former employers as the mighty Blues came from behind to give themselves a lead ahead of next week's second leg. An early Ryan Giggs goal had put Stretford in front, but a spirited if at times flat showing resulted in a victory that leaves the club on course for its first major final in almost three decades.

Any victory over our local rivals must be cherished, and the fact that we managed to win a game that we started so poorly is especially encouraging, but overall i think we were second best and not as up for the occasion as i hoped we might be. United thoroughly dominated for the first and last half-hour of proceedings, and a mixture of resolute defending and luck saw us home when a draw would have been a fairer result.

The key for me was not conceding an away goal, but early on we allowed them far to much possession and despite both sides going with a five man midfield they always seemed to have spare bodies available and we especially struggled with cross-field passes. To Mancini's credit he saw it once more and fiddled with the formation, but overall i don't feel we were bold enough. United are a mediocre side yet we sat deep with nine men behind the ball for large periods.

To concentrate on the positives for a moment, though, and not wanting to sound like a miserablist, we managed to again get something from a game against one of the league's better clubs. Four wins, a draw and just one defeat in our six games against the top four this season proves we're making progress, and despite lots of last-ditch defending towards the end i think we managed it without playing anywhere near our best.

Roberto certainly surprised us with his initial side. Firstly with Boyata coming into the centre of defence with Micah moving to full-back, but more so with Pablo Zabaleta on the left of a four-man midfield. I don't think Dedryck let himself down. Odd moments of naivety are natural and considering the occasion he can go away relatively happy with himself. Zab also put a shift in around the pitch. It was certainly the case, however, that we improved once things had been rejigged.

The United goal was a poor one to concede. Garrido put several meaty challenges in later but in the early stages he was obviously our weak link and his poor positioning left Valencia as a permanent option down their right flank. When you sit off a top side and allow them to knock it round in the middle you're asking for trouble, and the flatness of the opening stages were quite underwhelming.

For all United dominated initially they really created little in front of goal during the entire first period. Our sporadic attacks, upped after the tactical switch and especially after the half-hour, yielded better goalscoring opportunities, and Carlos Tevez and Micah Richards should have both made better of headers in good positions. Those chances appeared to give us an added confidence and you definitely sensed a leveller was on its way.

To be completely honest i'm not sure the penalty was warranted, but you take them in these sort of games knowing full well that others would in similar positions. Rafael was extremely naive and Bellamy had the better of him. The initial foul was outside the area, and by rights we should have had a free-kick. There was some contact later, though, and although Craig probably played for it some do say if there's contact it's a player's right to go to ground.

Carlos hadn't been getting much service in attack until that point, the chance aside, but to his credit he, as usual, chased every ball no matter how much of a lost cause. The penalty was dispatched with aplomb before the prawn sandwichers and if anything the half-time whistle could have done with coming ten minutes after it did as the momentum really shifted and the baying home crowd sensed the game was there to be won.

Though i'm not at all a fan of the fella, i must say that i thought Wayne Rooney was tremendous throughout. Indeed he, and possibly Ryan Giggs, were, so far as they were concerned, the only two with any real ideas going forwards, and that's been the case for the last year or so. He really tested our defence during the second period and could have had three or four. His movement was textbook and only some brave goalkeeping from Shay Given kept him at bay.

When the goal that proved to be the winner did arrive, although Tevez will get the credit for the finish, several deserve props for helping it in. First, SWP's driving run earned the corner, Bellamy delivered a great ball in, and Zaba and Vince, not known for their engineering of goals at the other end, combined well to create the chance. Carlos' quick-thinking had us ahead, though, and whilst gestures to opposition bench and crowd are perhaps a little premature, they were joyous to witness.

The game could have been over shortly after that strike, Bellamy laying on a chance for SWP to blast at van der Sar. From there on in it was all United, they really did outplay us save the odd no-nonsense challenge from Nigel de Jong. We retreated far too much and were looking tired and winded. Waves of attacks came at us, passes were almost all being misplaced, they were finding space time after time without really trying, it was all too easy and a goal looked on the cards.

Ultimately, hanging on to secure the victory means the manager was correct in his decisions, but i'd have preferred to see us push on, try for another goal. I've not the slightest clue what formation we were playing late on, but we were happy to repeatedly hoof forwards and allow United the ball. They didn't have enough quality to level, but the introduction of Owen coincided with them upping pressure once more, and at times it was desperate but we hung on.

Well done to the lads for getting the result without playing particularly well, people regularly point out that 'sign of a good team' when the likes of tonight's opposition manage it. It's also not the first time this season that we've found ourselves in tricky positions and turned games in our favour. It was by no means a great performance, but a win's a win against them lot, and we're well capable of going to Legoland and getting a draw. Roll on Wembley.

Team:
Given, Richards, Garrido, Boyata (Onuoha '69), Kompany, de Jong, Wright-Phillips (Sylvinho '84), Barry, Tevez (Benjani '79), Bellamy, Zabaleta

Preview: City v United

Two weeks behind schedule the first League Cup meeting between Manchester's premier club and their less-illustrious Salford counterparts in over thirty years is finally upon us. Since the terrific quarter-final victory over Arsenal a lot's changed, not least Roberto Mancini replacing the man who masterminded that result, former Red Mark 'Les' Hughes. A good result tomorrow would see the mighty Blues on the verge of their first final in, well, too long, and suddenly the trophy deemed 'mickey mouse' by opposition supporters for years is worth a pop.

More bad news on the injury front with Roque Santa Cruz suffering yet another calf problem. He'll be out for a month. Martin Petrov also seemed to strain something on Saturday but should make it. Stevie Ireland may return, most likely to the bench. Toure, Adebayor, Onuoha, Lescott, Bridge, Johnson, etc, etc. Either SWP or Benjani will probably replace Santa Cruz.

The sour one has indicated that veteran winger Ryan Giggs will play no part, and i expect fellow oldies Neville, Scholes & van der Sar not to start. Rio Ferdinand and John O'Shea will still be missing with calf and thigh injuries, respectively, and Owen Hargreaves, well, i needn't go on. Dimitar Berbatov and Nemanja Vidic are both expected to take some part after recovering from minor leg problems.

In a way, the recent weather plus the humiliating FA Cup exit at the hands of League One 'real rivals' Leeds has taken a bit of pressure off Ferguson to field the young side he had promised to. Looking average in the league of late, they might see retaining this trophy as their best chance of silverware, and though he'd again be proving himself a hypocrite you can sort of understand how in a season where tensions between the two clubs have been increased due to events both on and off the pitch, he'd see this as an especially tough game when in previous years both he and their fans have been extremely vocal about both the opposition and competition itself.

I can only see him going with a front two of Rooney and Berbatov. The latter's been doing his best to impersonate an inanimate object for weeks, but his goal on the weekend, surprisingly his third in four games, could prove a confidence booster for a player who looks a shadow of his Spurs' self. Behind them we'll most likely see a second-string midfield of sorts featuring the tricky but ultimately useless Obertan, promising Irish academy graduate Darron Gibson, Anderson, with Valencia on the right. Whiskynose could do us a favour by including the likes of Neville, de Laet and one of those Brazilian kids who look about nine, but i've a feeling Evra and Vidic will pad out what would otherwise be a hooky-looking back four.

Despite the supreme confidence felt by most of our fans about this game i still see it as being 50/50 on the night, with United favourites to progress over two legs. I've learned over the years to never get to confident ahead of derby day, when we do they're likely to bring us down to earth with a bump, similarly positive results against them often occur when fearing the worst. The most important thing, i feel, is to prevent them from scoring. A win of any margin providing they go away with a blank would put us in a strong position for the away leg.

There are too many ifs, buts and maybes about their starting eleven to pinpoint areas of danger, but one thing that has worried me in recent weeks, though we've generally got away with it, is our disorganisation on set-pieces as the new manager tries to integrate a zonal marking system. I can't begin to be an expert on the positives and negatives of such tactics, but i'd like us to be more aggressive when defending corners especially. With that in mind i worry about Vidic in our box.

A player who has impressed me so far this season, though few seem to agree, has been Luis Antonio Valencia. I think he's adapted very quickly to his big move and given them an added edge. Any question marks over his end product in terms of crosses are as much down to United lacking a true targetman as anything. Berbatov and Rooney both play quite deep and so Valencia's situation isn't too different to that of our own Shaun Wright-Phillips. He's the other i'd like us to keep a special eye on, though again he's not certain to start, Park, Obertan, Nani, even Danny Wellbeck could get the nod on the flanks.

If Ferguson does go as below i think there are two areas we can target. Firstly, whoever plays at right-back, be it Brown, Rafael or Neville, should be no match for Bellamy and Petrov, assuming the latter starts. Their central midfield also lacks both presence and experience, and although Gibson shows glimpses of being a fine footballer when afforded time on the ball, both should be bread and butter for Barry and de Jong, though an improvement on both's non-performance at Everton is certainly needed. If we can dominate the centre of the park, not let them settle and disrupt their rhythm them we've a real chance.

I think we'll have enough to win the game, but stopping them grabbing a valuable away goal is a completely different kettle of fish. I don't think they'd be too upset leaving with a slight defeat, but no outcome would surprise. If we demonstrate either the tenacity displayed against Chelsea, or the clinical attacking during the two home games against Arsenal, then there should only be one winner, but you can never, ever write those c*nts off.

Possible teams:
City: Given, Zabaleta, Garrido, Richards, Kompany, de Jong, Wright-Phillips, Barry, Tevez, Bellamy, Petrov

Rags: Kuszcsak, Brown, Evra, Evans, Vidic, Gibson, Valencia, Anderson, Rooney, Berbatov, Obertan

Prediction: City 2 Stretford 1

Time running out for Robinho?

This substitution of our record signing at Goodison yesterday, himself having entered the fold from the bench, is seen by some as a pivotal moment in his time at the club. The recent comments by the player painting out that he's gloriously happy and sees his future nowhere else are completely at odds with his body language, and there's no doubt that he's generally been poor both this season, and away from home in general.

Those who claim his time here has been a complete failure, though, are a bit silly. People seem to forget that he had an extremely fruitful first season. Fourteen goals in thirty Premier League starts was quite a feat, and achieved in a side that struggled for parts of the campaign. The relationship he built up with Stevie Ireland was a particular delight, and for every occasion he went missing away from home he'd do something sublime elsewhere.

This season he's not been fit. A stress fracture of the ankle suffered whilst on international duty for Brazil resulted in him missing two months and he's yet to complete a game since returning. The side he's come back into has changed dramatically, and now he's one of a number of top players rather than our only real one. Bearing that in mind a certain amount of patience is perhaps needed to see if his form improves when fully fit and having had a good run in the side before writing him off completely.

Singling Robinho out isn't entirely fair. The season thus far has largely gone to plan, but it's generally been the same select few players excelling to drag us to results and without wanting to name them, several guilty of below-par even half-hearted performances post the initial run of wins at the very beginning of the season.

There almost definitely is some truth in the oft-said 'not suited to the Premier League' claims, likewise we're not naive enough to deny that money would have been the biggest factor in his decision to come here and in an ideal world he'd rather be at a Champions League club, but although my doubts about him grow by the week i still, perhaps naively, believe that the transfer can work out and it's not just a case of him being 'not bothered'.

Firstly, three of his compatriots have left the club over the last few months. He's paid millions of pounds to kick a ball around a field a couple of times a week, and so he should be expected to grin and bear such inconveniences, but whoever you are or whatever you do it would be natural to become a touch fed-up thousands of miles away from home and no longer in regular contact with close pals who quite possibly had some bearing on your decision to move in the first place.

More than that, though, the two players who demonstrated footballing brains on any sort of similar level to Robinho; Elano and Ireland, have moved on or also been injured, even played out of their natural role as the previous manager struggled to accommodate so many new signings. In my opinion we were right to move Elano on, but we certainly now miss a central midfielder as devastating in an attacking sense as he occasionally was.

What's certain, no matter where anyone might stand on the Robinho situation, is that are we to make any dent on the top four whatsoever, or end our embarrassing silverware shortage, then everyone, irrespective of wages, transfer fee or standing in the game will have to pull their weight. At the minute singling out Robbie's a bit hasty, but a vast improvement is certainly needed. I'll reserve ultimate judgement until the end of the season.

Nil flatters poor Blues against spirited Everton

City last night turned in their worst performance of the season so far against a motivated Toffees side at Goodison Park. The team never really got going and ended up lucky to escape having conceded just a couple as the opposition rallied to a comfortable victory buoyed by terrific midfield duo Marouane Fellaini and Steven Pienaar.

Roberto Mancini chose to start with Roque Santa Cruz in attack alongside Carlos Tevez, but the Paraguayan inflamed his previously injured calf within three minutes and was replaced by the seldom interested Robinho. The first twenty minutes weren't awful, Petrov cut in from his adopted right flank and forced a parry from Tim Howard with a curling drive, and later Robinho blazed a left-footed far-post volley over the bar after Tevez had headed a Zabaleta cross on.

The final seventy minutes were all Everton, and they thoroughly deserved the three points. They were better than us in every area of the pitch. Their first real chance was carved out by impressive American winger Landon Donovan down the right. He exchanged passes with the lively Pienaar and crossed for scrabble favourite Bilyaletdinov whose header was too weak to cause Given any real problems.

Wave after wave of Everton pressure came at us, and from set-pieces especially we struggled to cope with bouffanted Belgian Fellaini. First he tested Shay with a header, then had acres of space to control and volley wide from the edge of the area. His performance really set the tempo of the game, and without wanting to sound overly gushing about an opposition player he was absolutely faultless. Bilyaletdinov then forced a terrific stop from Given, latching on to a throughball and smashing a volley, the Irishman tipping over.

The opener arrived in the 36th minute. Steven Pienaar was proving a real live wire, never letting our midfield settle and regularly forcing errors. He stepped up to take the free-kick that had correctly been awarded for a naive foul just outside of the box by full-back Zabaleta. The wall didn't really do it's job and the relatively tame but well-placed set-piece found its way into Given's goal.

Our only other real effort in the half fell to Craig Bellamy, the Welshman cutting in on to his favoured right peg and curling a shot just wide of the far stick. Seconds later and the game was more or less over, a high ball over to Saha and Micah Richards penalised for having a fistful of shirt. The fact that these things happen dozens of times a game makes no difference, it was foolish and costly and always a penalty. Saha lashed his kick straight down the middle to make it 2-0.

The injury to Santa Cruz wasn't the only blow on that front. Carlos Tevez tweaked a hamstring but did finish the game and appeared to have ran it off. Martin Petrov also pulled up before the interval, possibly a calf strain, and was replaced by Benjani. More unfortunate knocks at a key time of the season, but that's football, and without them i still don't think we'd have had enough to take anything from the game.

Mancini did at least try to change things, but sadly not to the effect of previous weeks. A Garrido free-kick floated just over and Robinho wriggled through but was judged offside after a nice move, but nothing was happening in the final third and Everton were easily able to take their foot off the gas and sit back a bit knowing we were unlikely to really hurt them.

On the hour Robinho was taken off after doing very little. I counted two or three examples of challenges he ducked out of, but he was no worse overall than several others. During his time on the pitch he was involved in a couple of our better moves, though they hardly resulted in many clear-cut chances. He does need to show a bit more, well a lot more, truth be told, but it was a poor showing all round and the incident will probably be overplayed in tomorrow's press.

It's hard to take any real positives from the performance, but Wright-Phillips return from injury lifted the team slightly, and at least we were keeping the ball in the opposition half, if remaining blunt as a butter knife around the penalty box. Bellamy blasted over after a deep Tevez cross from the left was put back across by Zabaleta, but it was never going to be our day. Fellaini and Cahill both hit the woodwork with headers in the latter stages, Fellaini's effort by way of a great save from Given after poor marking from a corner.

There are no excuses, really. Everton were well organised, up for the fight and full of ideas. We were lethargic, half-hearted and not at the races. Johnny Heitinga marshaled his back-line well, Fellaini looked like a world beater, Donovan terrorised Garrido, Pienaar again impressed, Baines was a constant outlet and Saha's dropping deep troubled our defence. We were completely bullied in central midfield and created little.

Perhaps a defeat will have a galvanising effect, disappointing as it was. When you're cruising and winning games questions don't get asked, and there's no doubt we were poor at Boro and in spells against Blackburn on Monday. Results and performances like this one of course aren't good for confidence, but they can prove a wake-up call and hopefully the lads will take out their frustration on Tuesday night.

All sides are beaten occasionally, and beaten well. Everton have had their fair share of hooky results so far, Liverpool are suffering them most weeks, even United, Arsenal and Chelsea are undone now and again. It's no fluke that we are, or at least were, the most difficult side to beat in the division, just on this occasion we weren't up for it and were outfought by a side who were, and one who had a real point to prove, just as we were recently against Chelsea.

Fair play to Everton, they got the victory in a game that due to a certain summer transfer had an added edge around it. Perhaps they'll now go on and push up the league a bit. Whilst no-one is ever in a false position they're a top six side and one who've earned it on merit over a number of seasons. The deterioration in relations between the two clubs in light of the Lescott deal has been unfortunate, and hopefully this result can bring a certain amount of closure, though their manager's programme notes indicate that might not be the case.

More important is how we now react. When you're not used to losing games there's always the chance that confidence might be more effected. Top sides go out and right their wrongs and i'm sure we will. This was a chance to make up ground, but we're still well on course for the ultimate aim of the season, to finish in the top four. The recent run never meant we were title contenders in a million years, and one defeat shouldn't have us reaching for the prozac.

Team:
Given, Zabaleta, Garrido, Richards, Kompany, de Jong, Petrov (Benjani '46), Barry, Tevez, Santa Cruz (Robinho '8 (Wright-Phillips '60)), Bellamy