It was ‘all go’ at the Etihad Stadium – Super Frankie Lampard was going west, ‘Jimmy’ Milner was going east (down the East Lancs Road to be precise) and, quite astonishingly, Yaya Toure was going nowhere! With the Runners-up slot safely secured for the second time in three seasons, Manchester City were going for a sixth win on the spin, a clean sheet so Joe Hart could grab another Golden […]

The white flag of surrender hasn’t yet replaced the proud crest of Premier League Champions that flutters above the Etihad Stadium, but it can surely only be a matter of time. As a season that promised so much descends into an anxious final few weeks to cling onto an automatic Champions League qualification slot, Manuel Pellegrini is left casting around for any positives from a wholly underwhelming campaign. City’s abysmal 1-0 […]

Jose Mourinho has an obvious affinity with large passenger transport vehicles. He is very adept at parking buses and, in his capacity as a coach, the removal of his teeth would ordinarily accommodate 52 seats. But for once – sadly, probably just the once – Jose is keeping his poisonous ‘Norf & Sarf’ shut. The self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ is in a strop and seeking to perpetuate the myth that his […]

There’s a fat lady in London SW 6 preparing to break into song tonight. If the obese vocalist is moved to belt out a chorus in the wake of a Chelsea win, it’ll mean Jose Mourinho’s team will have to hit some seriously bum notes to allow Manchester City back into title contention. In the lyrics of another football-loving singer, Elton John, ‘Saturday night’s alright for fighting…’ and, metaphorically speaking, […]

Premier League titles are never won in January, but can conceivably be lost. Having hauled back what the media would have us believe was an ‘unassailable’ Chelsea, to sit level top on New Year’s Day, Manchester City know that two defeats before the end of the month, will once again seem them lagging eight points behind the Not So Special Snide Sneering One’s league leaders. 2015 is only 18 days […]

Having come within 90 minutes of topping the Premier League at Christmas, Manchester City could find themselves six points behind leaders Chelsea when they kick off on Boxing Day. Such fine margins illustrate the task facing Manuel Pellegrini’s side, as they go for their seventh PL win on the spin and ninth consecutive victory. After confounding their critics, overcoming the odds in Rome’s Stadio Olimpico and progressing in the Champions League, […]

Manchester City’s arch foes Michel Platini and Jose Mourinho were probably wearing smug grins after Manuel Pellegrini’s team won their seventh consecutive game in both the Champions and Premier Leagues. But why would UEFA’s Little Napoleon and Chelsea’s Snide One be smiling when City, the team everybody now loves to hate, had maintained momentum with a hard fought 1-0 win against rock bottom Leicester City? The answer is found in […]

Manchester City might be due a welcome break when it comes to the lifting of football hoodoos in and from the North East of England. Just as Manuel Pellegrini’s champions suggest they are able, ready and more than willing to retain their Premier League title, they lose their influential on-field leader and travel away to their bogiest of bogey sides. Captain Fantastic, Vincent Kompany is ruled out of the annual […]

Having beaten the champions of Germany in midweek, Manchester City finally – finally – decided to strut their stuff on the domestic stage and remind everyone just why they are the reigning champions of England. This was more like it – pace, precision passing and passion, a raw desire to ensure each Saint stayed tackled when tackled, and second balls were snapped up like flat screens TVs in a Black […]

A fixture that could once have been regarded as easy as picking low hanging fruit, is now a potential banana skin for Premier League Champions Manchester City. Invariably where there’s fruit there’s often a nut, and one Joseph Barton, pseudo philosopher, tweeter extraordinaire and England footballer of 12 minutes standing, will be present as QPR take on City at Loftus Road. Joey’s sole senior international appearance came as a 78th […]