Roberto Mancini was playing for high stakes both on and off the park, as champions Manchester City sought a rare win at Anfield against Brendan Rodger’s young Liverpool braves. If the fiery Italian was a poker player one suspects he’d be an ace at calling his opponents bluff or, in this case, gambling with three points to get his point over to City’s money men. What other reason could he […]

Roberto Mancini was dubbed ‘Uno Fortunato’ – ‘The Lucky One’ throughout his glittering playing and managerial career with the likes of Sampdoria, Lazio and Inter Milan. It wasn’t intended to undermine his achievements with Serie A titles and Coppa Italia’s aplenty, it was just the Italian media’s way of saying he was somehow blessed with good fortune as well as outstanding ability. Well, his Manchester City team could do with […]

Hadn’t we been here before – predictions of a ‘nailed on’ City win, opponents out of their depth, a goalfest for the men in sky blue? Just 98 days on from that incredible win against QPR with the Premier League title on the line, and here we were with Manchester City’s version of Groundhog Day against newly promoted, unfancied Southampton. The feeling of déjà vu was further perpetuated by the […]

As ‘Super Saturday’ Olympic euphoria subsides, Manchester City supporters will be reliving ‘Sublime Sunday’ when they return to the Etihad for the first time since that fateful May 13 ‘Agueerrooooo’ afternoon. The Champions flag will flutter proudly over the stadium amid a plethora of gold Barclays badges proudly displayed on thousands of replica shirts as City begin the defence of their title. The campaign begins in similar vein as last […]

Rock legend Freddie Mercury was a ‘virtual’ impresario at the closing ceremony of London’s glorious 2012 Olympics on Sunday night, but his vocals would have been just as appropriate at the Community Shield clash up the M6 in Birmingham. Queen’s classic ‘We Are The Champions’ theme could easily have boomed out at Villa Park as the Royal Blue Champions of Europe stepped out against the Sky Blue (albeit in maroon) […]

It’s fair to say that all Manchester City fans are extraordinarily well hydrated as the Community Shield showdown with Chelsea beckons… well, we have been ‘drinking it in’ for the past three months, haven’t we? City supporters will have long since reached saturation point after the giddying events of May 13 and the now immortal Martin Tyler Sky Sports commentary of ‘Aguuuuerrrrrroooo’, but it’s now time to start all over […]