Man City Embarrass United At Old Trafford

In a game that was hyped up to be one of the closest Manchester derby for many years, it ended up being an annihilation as we saw the blue half of Manchester completely dismantle the red side.

Man City were simply superb and took full advantage of being a man up for a vast amount of the second half as Jonny Evan got the wrong side of "Super Mario" Balotelli and took the Italian down with no other red jersey in sight.

Although Mancini's men will get most of the praise, I think Mancini himself should get heaps of praise for tactically beating Ferguson. The supposed risk of starting Balotelli more than paid off and Milner who, for me was an unlikely feature, played a super game.

Man United did get a glimpse of hope with ten minutes to go as Fletcher scored probably the goal of the game which made it 3-1 but as they push forward, Man City punished them by banging in three more goals. You could blame Ferguson for getting his tactics wrong but quite simply no one showed for the red devils on the day.

Where does this leave City? Well I think it leaves them head and shoulders above the rest, for now at least, but anything can happen between now and May.

But judging by the disposal of both Tottenham and Man United away from home this early in the season, there is no reason why they won't get better and better and not only push on for the league, but start to perform in the the Champions League.

What do you think? Do you consider Man City favorites now to win the league?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

What Should Arsenal Be Doing Differently?

It's fair to say that Arsenal's season hasn't got off to the best off starts and the departures of Nasri and Fabrgas look to be already taking their toll. The arrival of Arteta has been successful thus far but will he be able to do the same for the majority of the season.

It looks as if Wenger will be finding it hard to capture even a Europa League spot with the way  things are going. We've all seen and heard the jokes made about Arsenal and their losses against the likes of Man United, Blackburn and most recently their local rivals, Tottenham.

Although the Man United loss will have to be considered a major blip, it will be interesting to see what the outcome will be when Arsenal next visit a team with genuine ambitions of winning the league and then we will then know where Arsenal stand.

I know it is hard to imagine, but maybe Arsenal ever so slightly becoming, not quite a mid table team, but a team which are along the lines of finishing 5th, 6th and possibly even 7th.

I know a lot of you may feel I'm being a little bit harsh but unless the club invest in world class players, It's inevitable that Arsenal will be slipping down the table.

It would be a real shame as Arsenal have been probably the most attractive team to watch but if your not getting the results what is the point in playing such fabulous football.

What do you think? Where will Arsenal be in the table come the end of the season?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Manchester City Receive Reality Check

Last night wasn't a very good night if you're a fan of the blue half of Manchester. In quite an embarressing display, City conceded defeat to German giants Bayern Munich. It was a shame as Man City had looked very impressive in the first 30 minutes or so but ultimately were too inexperienced as a group at this level.

No one in a blue jersey really performed last night. Hart seemed to be the only City player on the ball and alert. David Silva pulls all the strings and it just wasn't going his way last night and as a result, City played with no urgency or real effect going forward.

Unfortunately, the limelight has been taken away from the very dominant Bayern as all the talk is now surrounding one Carlos Tevez. With many Man City fans already annoyed with him over the antics surrounding his future this past Summer already, last night didn't help his cause for popularity votes.

Carlos Tevez ended up refusing to come off the Man City bench with Mancini struggling for attacking options.  I think by this stage, regardless of him earning vasts amount of money, he should just be dropped from the squad completely. I can't see how any manager would want to work with a player who is obviously not willing to put the effort in himself.

It is a real shame that it has come to this as Tevez was by far, along with Komapny, the most influential player at Manchester City's disposal last season. It's inevitable that he will leave eventually but it would be nice to see if he could get his act together and start pulling his weight for the remainder of his stay at the Etihad Stadium.

Although many people would say that you have more chance of winning huge amounts of money on some online bingo game than Man City even getting to the quarter-finals of the Champions League this season, I still feel that the quarter-finals are still in City's range.

What do you think? How far can City get this year and what should they do with Tevez?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Anzhi To Try And Get Another Milan Player?

Russian side Anzhi are in the headlines again after reports are suggesting that a move for AC Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso could be on the cards. Anzhi have already got their hands on former Inter Milan star Samuel Eto'o, so anything is possible it seems.

Anzhi have become the new Manchester City as they try to buy player after player with a good reputation. For me, I don't mind when clubs who are the subject of a massive takeover buy countless players because if you have money, you're going to spend it.

Gennaro Gattusoi is one of the most feared midfielders in the world, not only for his skill but also for his caveman looks. Apart from Joe Jordan, I can't name many players, or coaches, that have stood toe to toe against Gattuso in a confrontation.

I think Gattuso would be a superb signing, but similar to Eto'o, his playing days are numbered and retirment must be on the mind of the former Italian international.

I'm not going to make any predictions as I thought playing at a club like Inter Milan would be too much for Eto'o to join Anzhi but I was wrong. Yet again though, I would like to think that Gattuso would like to end his career at his Beloved AC Milan but if he decides to move, good luck to him.

What do you think? Will Genaro Gattuso end up leaving for Russian side Anzhi?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Man United Become Outright Leaders

Man United proved yet again that they are truely the team to beat as they, relatively comfortably, beat Chelsea at Old Trafford yesterday. In doing this, they now have a two point advantage as Man City slipped up against Fulham.

Man United have been simply breathtaking to watch and each and every signing  over the Summer seems worth the investment, although a few performances similar to yesterday from keeper de Gea are probably needed to make him worth the £18 million or so that United paid for him.

The current United team look as if they have been playing together for many seasons with years of experience but it's hard to forget that the average age of the squad is just 25.

Although the score should have been 3-2 if the Torres of old was playing, Man United never looked under threat for a good period of time. If Man United are to play with the same passion and speed, it's hard to see any team stopping them as they charge on in their pursuit to claim their 20th league title.

Manchester City however could not hold on to a 2-0 lead at Craven Cottage as Fulham clawed their way back to earn a point. This will probably lead to questions surrounding City's ability to close out matches. If Man City are to have any chance of winning the league, letting a lead slip will have to become extinct.

I'm sure all of you may think that Man United have got the league pretty much wrapped up, but there is inevitably further twist and turns to occur during the season and quite literally anything could happen.

So what do you think? Can Manchester United be stopped?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Man City Look To Send Out A Message To The Rest Of Europe

The new Man City era continues tonight as they set to play Napoli tonight in the first round of the Champions League.  Man City and Roberto Mancini look to send out a message to all European clubs tonight and show that they aren't in the tournament to make up the numbers. 

I'm sure all City fans are raring to see their beloved club play in the best club tournament that football has to offer. It's hard to think that just ten years ago Man City were playing their football in the old Division 1, now known as the Championship. 

Man City have already been hugely impressive with many already backing them to pip United at the finishing line and win the Premier League. As long as Silva stays fit and Aguero and Dezko keep banging in the goals, there is no reason why City can't count themselves as very serious contenders.

Although many might consider Man City's group a tough one, I think the draw has been kind to Roberto Mancini's men and I wouldn't be 100% surprised to see them come out on top . Tonights opponents, Napoli, although relatively quiet on the European stage, will prove to be sturdy opposition as they got off to a winning start at the weekend in the opening weekend of the Serie A.

I think we can expect a City win tonight but that's not to say that we should rule a Napoli victory out completely but I just think Man City will have just too much flair in the likes of Aguero and the simply magnificent Silva. 

But what do you think? How will City not only fare in tonight's game but in the campaign as a whole?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

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Joey Barton Makes The Move To QPR

Joey Barton has today completed his move to the newly promoted side Queens Park Rangers. QPR, who have just been taken over by Tony Fernandes, might have made one of the signings of the summer. Joey Barton hasn't been in the good books at Newcastle as of late and a move elsewhere was the right decision for me.

QPR have proven, after an embarrassing opening day defeat, that they will not be pushed around by bigger clubs this season as they went to Goodison Park picking up three points while they were there. To be honest, out of the Swansea, Nowich and QPR, QPR have the best chance of staying up and they have only increased that possibility with the superb signing of Joey Barton.

Joey Barton, 28, has never been short of controversy in the past and the past couple of weeks have proved to be no different.

After weeks of tension between the Newcastle board and Barton, Barton started the opening game against Arsenal and in the space of 90 minutes, Barton had been stamped on, got slapped in the face and got a player sent off. That really sums up Joey Barton doesn't it?

If you forget about the negative headlines, Barton is actually a very talented footballer. Barton was influential for Man City before joining Newcastle where he proved yet again that he can play the game and no doubt he will be a success at QPR.

What do you think? Will this purchase increase the chances of Queens Park Rangers staying up?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

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