It was emotional, it was clinical and ultimately it was routine as the Champions of England gave a despairing Newcastle United what they give them every season without fail…absolutely nothing. The Toon Army must hate the sight of Manchester City. The Magpies’ definition of ‘typical City’ is a team that takes maximum points game after game after game and remains undefeated in 17 consecutive Barcodes versus Blue Mancs encounters. Manuel […]

Manchester City begin their quest for back-to-back Premier League titles with something of a parliamentary air ringing in their ears. The slogan ‘5 more years’ is the ever popular mantra when a UK Government is seeking a second term in office. The 60 month tenure is all the rage on the sky blue side of Manchester this week, as one by one, City’s superstars sign up to sustain & enhance […]

Trips down the East Lancs Road to Merseyside, whilst not pointless, are often less than meaningful for Manchester City. That has to have changed by 19.30hrs today if Manuel Pellegrini’s men want to remain masters of their own Premier League destiny. It’s an amazing 13-day turnaround of fortunes for City who, if they can slay their bogiest of big bad bogey sides, will be just 180 minutes away from a […]

In the world of the after match football interview, the word ‘character’ is used and abused more than most. Managers and players willingly trot out the word e.g. ‘…the team showed real character…’, simply because they rallied to earn a draw, who knows, maybe even a win, in the face of adversity. Whichever, it’s cue cliché corner and more ‘characters’ than a Walt Disney Parade. Character be blowed – it’s […]

The disappointment that engulfed Manchester City’s 1-1 draw at Arsenal is a paradoxical measure of the club’s progress under Manuel Pellegrini. As the City players trooped off the Emirates pitch it felt like a defeat rather than the continuation of an admirable 10-game unbeaten away run, comprising seven wins and three draws. Instead of a point gained, the emotions screamed of two points squandered. City had failed to overcome a […]

When Manchester City stuck six past the then table-topping Gunners in the run up to Christmas, it was all about goals, goals and more goals as the Sky Blues homed in on the quickest 100 scored in the Premier League era. It’s been a season festooned with 133 so far, 79 in the league and a further 54 in cup competitions. With nine games still to play, albeit with some […]

Manchester City came roaring back into Premier League title contention with a gutsy 2-0 win on a day that few could have imagined would ever dawn. Not only did City start to bridge the yawning points chasm between themselves and Chelsea, they, like the rest of the football world, were rendered gobsmacked by five words from the self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ when Jose muttered: ‘I prefer not to speak!’ Well just […]

Today’s the day Manchester City fans find out if Manuel Pellegrini’s grasp of English is any better than his knowledge of basic maths. Having overseen one of the most memorable nights in the club’s history and beaten the reigning European champions in their own backyard, Pellegrini proceeded to receive ‘pelters’ for not knowing one more goal would have put City on top of Group D, ahead of Bayern Munich. Such […]

From muppets to marauders – Manuel Pellegrini’s much maligned marvels produced a memorable night of Champions League magnificence… and yet it was marred by a mystifying miscalculation that Manchester City may live to regret! As the whole of Europe took stock of City’s shock 3-2 win over the seemingly indestructible Bavarians, the Sky Blue’s manager was engulfed in controversy over what looks like a mathematical muddle in Munich. On the […]

Manchester City’s shining renaissance of recent years has been bedevilled by one constant source of darkness emanating from the Stadium of Light. Despite a meteoric restoration to the elite ranks of English football, comprising a trio of top three finishes – including a Premier League title – City persist in being dim when it comes to their stand-out bogey fixture – Sunderland away. Roberto Mancini fashioned City into FA Cup […]