Newsletter #1672

News from Alex tonight with a look back at the West Brom and Chelsea games, a final at CoMS, Mancini’s musings and the team spirit.

We also have opinion on managers in general, a view from the Chelsea game and the usual requests together with an open letter.

Next up, after the European intermission, Newcastle are the visitors.

NEWS SUMMARY

General News

Past, Present, and Future: With his players talking up the club’s chances of winning the Premier League title this season and his critics questioning how long Mancini has got in the job before his ‘inevitable’ sacking, the Manchester City boss has asked for one thing this week; the time to change this club’s history. With thirty four years spent without a trophy and a number of seasons spent yo-yoing between the divisions, this is a new era for City and Mancini admits that it is that challenge that he savours so much: “That is why I liked Manchester City. It is like Sampdoria: if we are successful, we change the history of this club and we change it for life. This is our moment. When people ask why do I come here, I tell them it is because Manchester City never win. For me, that is the best challenge. These are good challenges because when you work for Real Madrid or Barcelona it is easy; all managers win at those clubs. But if you build a squad, work very hard for months and years at Manchester City and then you win, for me that would be more important. That would be fantastic.”

Blue Square to City Square: The City of Manchester Stadium will play host to the Blue Square Bet Premier Promotion final at the end of this season. Though the fixture had been scheduled to be played at Wembley, a possible clash with the Champions’ League final, which will be played at the national stadium in May, means that Eastlands will now host the play-off final. Club Ambassador Mike Summerbee explained how much it meant to the club to have been chosen: “It is an honour to host this match at the City of Manchester Stadium. For as long as I can remember, the Conference League has been hugely important, particularly in the north. It provides an invaluable training ground for younger players, and we are very excited to host this event.”

Football Conference Chairman Brian Lee revealed that no other stadium could compete with City’s 48,000 seater venue: “We are thrilled to have secured a world renowned venue of the quality of the City of Manchester Stadium. Having enquired about several Premier League venues, it was unanimously agreed that Manchester City is the ideal stadium for the Football Conference Promotion Final.”

Mickey Mouse on Cook’s Menu: The building of influential partnerships has been high up of the list of priorities at City over the last couple of years with companies like Etihad and Heineken both signing deals with the club and it would seem that Disney may be next on the list. Though nothing has yet been confirmed by the club, newspaper reports this week suggested that Executive Chairman Garry Cook had been using his contacts over in the US to make some sort of deal with the World Wide Sports branch of the Disney Corporation. Premier League rivals Chelsea currently boast a sponsorship deal with Mickey Mouse and Co., though with their contract coming to an end next year, there are whispers that they will be dropped and replaced by the Blues from Manchester.

Squad News

Leading From the Front: Carlos Tevez has been the epitome of everything City have missed in a player over previous seasons and when offered the captain’s armband by manager Mancini, it came as little surprise to fans who watch the Argentine’s tireless displays week in, week out. Though the language barrier is something that remains a problem for the former West Ham United forward, Tevez’s work ethic, ability to score goals and general attitude will be key to any title challenge City hope to put together this season. The man himself admits that he is honoured to be captain of the club he left Manchester United for last season and understands that he now finds himself playing a different rôle for the club: “Being made captain has brought me a lot more responsibility on and off the field. It’s important for me to be working hard and help the rest of the lads keep working hard, and I want to try to help grow this team from a very good one into something even bigger. I’m working hard, but I have to say that I love the responsibility.”

The Winning Mentality: The difference between City and their nearest rivals? All their rivals have won silverware in the last decade. Whilst United, Chelsea and Arsenal have consistently shared the title between them, Liverpool have had their successes in Europe and even Spurs have picked up a Carling Cup. So that’s what stands in the way of City and success and it’s something experienced midfielder Patrick Vieira hopes to put right this campaign. The Frenchman was an integral part of Arsenal’s most recent successes and he believes that as soon as City bring in one trophy, the floodgates will open: “We are just starting to build a team and that’s why it’s really important for the future that we win silverware this year. It doesn’t matter what we win, but I think it’s really important that we win something because that is how we are going to build a winning mentality. A winning mentality starts from the office to the pitch, going to every level of it, and I think it would be very good for the football club to win. The investment has been really high and people are working really hard so the club deserve to win something.”

Learn From My Mistakes: City chief Roberto Mancini has warned City starlet Adam Johnson that he must not become complacent following his early success at Eastlands. ‘Johnno’ signed from struggling Championship outfit Middlesbrough back in the January transfer window and was an instant hit with Blues’ fans and he combined pace and skill with a desire to run at defenders. Following an excellent five months at City, he was unlucky not to make the South Africa 2010 squad but has since won his first international cap and scored his first international goal. Despite this, he’s been a noticeable absence from City’s first XI in recent weeks and Mancini has asserted that the young winger must keep his feet on the ground: “Adam is a young player, he can still improve a lot and I would like him to understand that sometimes it’s important for a player to play for the team. Adam can have a top career but he has to understand he must work and he must think about football every day, and not other things. I didn’t work very hard because I thought that if you had good quality you could play at the maximum level, but I learned that if you don’t work very hard every day you can’t improve. What I’m saying is that it’s easy for a player like Adam, who has a good attitude and good quality, to arrive at the top but once he arrives at the top he must stay there because it is easy to drop behind again.”

Boy’ to Man: This time last year, even the staunchest of Manchester City fans would have been unsure as to who Dedryck Boyata was and yet one year on and the young Belgian centre-back has become a favourite of Roberto Mancini’s and consistent performer for the Blues. Having been thrown into the deep end in the Carling Cup semi-finals last year, Boyata, who had made his début for the club only two weeks before, has never looked back and was this week part of the City XI that beat Chelsea and sent out a message to the rest of the league. The 20-year-old admits it’s a massive step up for him but he appreciates the faith Mancini has showed in him: “I wasn’t expecting to start, because usually in training we have a starting XI and I wasn’t on it, so when I first saw the board and my name was up there I was kind of shocked. I used to see these guys like Drogba and Malouda on TV, and now I’ve got the chance to play against them – so thanks to the coach for that! It’s a big step for me from last year, and it’s not the same any more as when I first got in the team. The coach has shown faith in me, and I’m just doing my best to thank him and pay him back on the pitch.” Roberto Mancini made headlines this week by claiming he felt Chelsea were sure to win this season’s Premier League title, but Dedryck Boyata has moved to assure fans that his side’s aim is to outdo even Carlos Ancelotti’s men: “The target is to win the title and get into the Champions’ League. For that we have to stay focused. Last year we got some great results against the big teams. Now we need to do it against the other teams. We’ve not spoken about the manager’s comments. He said it because he could see the way Chelsea have played from the beginning of the season. I understand what he said. But he’s thinking about winning the title too.”

Central to our Success: City’s poor defensive record was their ultimate failing last season but with Joe Hart between the sticks, things have vastly improved. Belgian defender Vincent Kompany feels it’s not only his ‘keeper’s heroics that have strengthened a back-line that has now conceded only 2 Premier League goals in six games, but also the improving partnership between himself and central defensive partnership Kolo Toure. The two struggled for consistency last term but having now spent a season together, the former Hamburg man feels they make for a stronger unit: “Kolo and I work hard for each other and now that we have had time as a partnership you can see the difference. But as a defender you are always exposed to how much the rest of the team is willing to help you out. I think that the clean sheets we have been having are also a result of the great work that is being done in midfield and by the strikers. We work every day to make sure we get better and we knew that when we went 1-0 up against Chelsea last weekend we had the confidence that we would be able to defend that lead. Kolo is very experienced and so am I now. There is certainly no lack of knowledge in the defence. For his part, Kolo looks really fit at the moment and when he is at his fittest he is amongst the best defenders in the world.”

The Rumour Mill

To the Bridge: Only hours after scoring the winning goal in this weekend’s ‘clash of the cash’, Carlos Tevez revealed that there was interest in him from Chelsea when he chose to leave United last year. Having fallen out of favour at Old Trafford, the tireless Argentine sought offers elsewhere and though the rumours suggested Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Liverpool were all interested, Tevez only revealed Chelsea’s interest in him: “When Man United didn’t want me, I had a conversation with Ancelotti but there was never any concrete offer. I only ever talk about proper, written offers – and that was the case with City.”

Mancini Not Sweet on Toffees’ Deal: When FIFA warned that home-grown players would soon become a necessary inclusion in all Premier League squads, many City fans feared that this would lead to weakening the club’s spending spree as the Blues would have to focus on the future as well as the present. But with Mancini signing Johnson and Milner, as well as registering ten other home-grown players, the Italian boss is evidently a fan of English players. He has also, in the past, spoken of his hopes to sign Everton youngster Jack Rodwell, who only signed a new contract with The Toffees this summer. Mancini now however seems to have conceded defeat in the chase for the highly-rated English youngster, having described a potential transfer as ‘impossible’: “We put English players in the team but it isn’t easy because all the clubs that have English players won’t sell. I like Jack Rodwell but will Everton sell? Impossible.”

Manu to Milan? Be it because of injury or attitude, the truth is Emmanuel Adebayor has fallen down the pecking order at City. Few expect him to remain at the club beyond January if he continues to be left out of Mancini’s first team plans and both AC and Inter Milan are said to be chasing the Togolese striker’s signature.

Post-Match Reaction

Blue Moon Rising: Redemption possibly for Mancini as his gamble at The Hawthorns only days earlier, seemingly paid off. The Italian coach revealed after City’s dismissal from the Carling Cup that he had played a weakened side with his thoughts firmly set on the Chelsea fixture ahead. Well three points against the Champions who had a 100% record going into the fixture isn’t a bad result and Mancini will undoubtedly be quietly pleased with how things have worked out. Though the Blues have only one more chance of visiting Wembley this season, people are now talking about them as genuine title contenders and the boost that this will give Mancini and his players should be invaluable in the long term. Though neither side dominated the game and though there was very little to choose between them, a moment of brilliance from Captain Carlos acted as the difference between the two sides. Though it was Tevez’s goal that won the fixture, City’s defence was simply outstanding and Mancini paid tribute to them whilst also warning that the Blues must take this result into their next league game: “Our four defenders played like four brothers – they were so compact and strong, and it wasn’t easy. If you let Chelsea have space they will score goals, but we defended very, very well today. And Carlos is a fantastic striker, and not just because he has scored our goal. He fights against two players every time for every ball. Just because we won this doesn’t mean everything is OK. We must work and improve every week, and this can help us.”

Vincent Kompany praised all those involved in the excellent win but called for consistency from his team-mates if they are to challenge for honours this season: “There were fourteen players on that pitch, more on the bench, and thousands in the stand who just refused to be beaten. There was a collective will and we showed what could be done. Chelsea are a really good team and to beat them is great but it is only three points like any other three points. We will not win the league or finish in the Champions’ League places by beating Chelsea – though it will help – but by winning the games like the ones that are coming up against Newcastle and Blackpool.” It was more than just another three points for Yaya Toure who hopes this result, combined with the win over Liverpool will act as a signal of intent to the rest of the Premier League: “It was a big win, an important win and showed that Chelsea is a team that can be beaten just like any other. We have now beaten Liverpool and Chelsea at home so it shows that we are developing as a unit. It was very hard work out there but the kind of game players enjoy. Now we have to show more consistency. We have a lot of injuries but we have a strong enough squad to keep pace with the top sides.” City’s performance obviously did enough to instil a little fear in Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti who later said: “They are fantastic players, a very good squad. They can fight for the title.”

Ex-Blues’ News

Whinging Winger: A favourite during his time at Eastlands, Martin Petrov has sadly been bad mouthing the club he left this summer. The Bulgarian, who left for Bolton Wanderers during the summer months, has claimed that money will not buy City the title and has stated that things aren’t as rosy at City as people like to make out: “I don’t like saying bad words about City because they gave me my chance to make my name in the Premier League. But they have so much money now that they think they can go out and buy everyone. We saw in City’s last game (the Carling Cup defeat by West Brom) that money isn’t everything. If you don’t have a team, if you don’t play together then you won’t be successful. Of course I was unhappy at the end, but it wasn’t just me who was unhappy, it was everyone. Look at the players that moved on: Stephen Ireland, Richard Dunne, Elano, Vedran Corluka, Robinho. Everyone became unhappy with the situation at City.”

OPINION: CLASS ACT

We live in an age where the behaviour of top football managers is as charmless as the horse manure that lines the roads to Old Trafford. Wenger whinges about anyone who dares to tackle any of his players, only sees wrong in opponents and none of his own players; Mourinho is so arrogantly full of himself and is the self-appointed Member Numero Uno of the Jose Mourinho fan club; Ferguson continues to be obnoxious beyond belief; Redknapp continues to sanctimoniously comment on all matters Football (especially City whilst ‘coveting’ our players) and shows his jealous side where City are concerned. These people rarely if ever give credit to the opposition (especially when they have lost) and their reactions would make a two-year old in a tantrum seem reasonable. In short the game is stripped of its dignity. Well, almost because there are some exceptions such as Roy Hodgson and our very own Roberto Mancini.

It is refreshing and a pleasure to experience an opposing manager who is a gentleman, who acts with class and dignity, and there is no better example of this than Carlo Ancelotti. He has always struck me as being a class act from his AC Milan days, now we’re getting a closer look at him since he went to Stamford Bridge. In the face of Ferguson’s mind games last year he kept his cool and rose above the level of the classroom. Under pressure last year when Chelsea had a wobble in form, he maintained his composure and got on with the job of steadying the ship… successfully. I don’t care for Chelsea, but I was pleased for Ancelotti that he won the title last season. It’s good to see one of the ‘good guys’ win for once.

Whilst John Terry whined to the referee as if his doll had been taken away, Ancelotti showed us what a true sportsman that he is. He knew his team had been beaten fair and square and went out of his way to praise a City side that completed the third straight win over Chelsea.

He said: “We didn’t play how we wanted. We suffered from the pressure in midfield Man City put on us. We didn’t have the possibility to show our quality. Man City had a very good performance. In midfield they used a lot of power. Man City deserved to win. Man City have a lot of quality to fight for the title.” Fine words, but not flattering words. Genuine words, well spoken. Makes a change, doesn’t it?

OPINION: HUGHES

I wonder if Mark Hughes has a play-to-win attitude or merely plans to avoid defeat? Last December seven draws on end for City, this season Fulham have played six matches, drawn five of them. A win or two out of the seven last year would have seen us playing Champions’ League.

Perhaps we are lucky to have Mancini. His game plan was spot on against Chelsea, especially with so many missing through injury.

MATCH VIEW: MCFC 1 CFC 0

“Rampant”; “Unbeatable”; “Free-scoring”; “Dominant”; “The Best Team in the Country” – you’d be forgiven for thinking that yesterday, City would be facing an impossible task. Merely turning up to make up the numbers. Of course, most journo’s and pundits acknowledged that City would be Chelsea’s “first real test”, but most seemed to be using the line just to have something to say. Most didn’t really expect Chelsea to slip up. And who could really blame them? They have been in fine form. Though I might add that anybody who thinks Chelsea have yet to face a “test” does not really understand the Premier League. The same West Brom team that were swept aside by Chelsea on the opening day yesterday won at Arsenal. To steal a cliché then, there are no easy games in the Premier League, no matter how much Chelsea do to try to contradict that saying. But if Chelsea were the unstoppable force, yesterday City were the immovable object. For all Chelsea’s huff and puff, City’s door was never going to be blown down. I’ll admit to having my concerns prior to the game. I needn’t have worried. The same City team that played the perfect Jekyll and Hyde game against Sunderland (great in the first half; poor in the second) and failed to convince despite picking up three points at Wigan, stepped up their game yesterday. I should have known. We always do it. I shouldn’t have been surprised when Carlos Tevez broke from the half way line and placed a perfect shot through Ashley Cole’s legs, past Petr Cech, clipping the inside of the post before hitting the net. I shouldn’t have been surprised when perfect tackle after perfect tackle thwarted every Chelsea attack, eventually forcing Essien into weak, long-range efforts.

That one goal sealed a thoroughly deserved win then, our third successive victory against The Best Team in the Country.

So, here’s my player ratings for yesterday. I’ve gone with the starting eleven only as none of the substitutes really had enough time to make an impact. Being the traditionalist that I am, all ratings are out of 10.

Hart 6 – Not much to say for him really. Thanks to a good defensive performance, he had little to do. He saved well from Ivanovic’s rebound in the first half after the ball hit the bar, and he tipped a long range Anelka shot wide (though it was probably heading that way anyway). So, barely tested, but comfortable when called upon.
Zabaleta 7 – Poor Zabs seems to have become something of a scapegoat recently when things don’t go well. I was concerned about his lack of pace before the game but again, I needn’t have worried. He was reliable throughout. After picking up a yellow card in the first half I was concerned. I thought he’d become a liability. He does like a rash challenge but he handled himself well and didn’t do anything stupid. A solid performance.
Kompany 9 – He has fully cemented his rôle as City’s “Mr Dependable” now. He always looks calm and yesterday was no exception. This must inspire confidence in him from his team-mates. A very impressive performance and after a couple of seasons of consistent performances there are people beginning to describe Vinnie as “world class”. He’s certainly getting there he could be a rock in our defence for years to come.
K Toure 8 – Next to Kompany, he is looking a lot better than he did last season. I’ve lost count of how many perfect tackles he has made so far this season. His timing has become immaculate; time after time he gets his foot in just as the opponent is about to pull the trigger. We look to have found our defensive partnership for the season.
Boyata 8 – I’ve been impressed by him every time I’ve seen him (well, with the exception of the Hull away game last season, but we’ll forgive that). Yesterday was, as far I remember, his first game at right back in the first team. He handled it well. I’ve thought for a while now he’s going to be a star, and after being in his pocket all game, I reckon Didier Drogba would agree with me. The only thing that costs him an extra mark is the odd moment of inexperience, the tackle that earned him a yellow card in the second half being an example. But we won’t dwell on that, he was excellent.
Milner 7 – Earns his mark for work rate more than end product yesterday. He worked tirelessly for 90 minutes and was up and down the left touchline all game. Few crosses found their target and a few attempted tricks and flicks failed but I’m liking what I see so far.
Barry 8 – So far this season I have found myself having to eat my words after nearly every game. Last season I was not impressed by Gareth Barry (I made this clear on the Imagine FM Bluemoon Show earlier in the season). I am pleased to say though that he looks a different player this season. Yesterday he showed just how good his vision was, picking out inch perfect passes time and time again and doing a good job of breaking up play.
De Jong 8 – Imperious. As ever. There’s not too much to say here. He goes on the pitch and does his job. Does anybody in world football execute a slide tackle as well as Nigel? He is looking increasingly composed on the ball as well, he is perhaps more skilful than we’ve previously been allowed to see.
Silva 8 – His best performance yet. Any concerns about how he’d handle the physicality of the Premier League have surely been banished. He may be slight but he showed just how well he can handle himself. His creative play was excellent and offered a great link between defence and attack. I look forward to seeing him grow into the rôle in the next few games.
Y Toure 7 – Not an eye-catching performance in my opinion, but he was solid. Little more to say than that to be honest.
Tevez 8 – As you would expect, he battled well against physical defenders and as ever, combined it with more than a little skilful play. His goal was excellent. Continues to be worth his weight in gold.

Well, there we have it. That’s my little match review. To steal another cliché, beating Chelsea is excellent. It’s how we back it up against Newcastle and Blackpool that will really tell us where we are as a team though. Here’s hoping for positive results against Juventus and Newcastle then.

OPINION: OPEN LETTER

For the attention of the Main Board of Directors Manchester City Football Club.

Date: 24th September 2010.

Gentlemen,

This is an open letter for you to ponder, while enjoying fine wines before Saturday’s lunch-time match against Chelsea.

The decision to be made is:
MANCINI OUT.
O’NEILL IN.

I am in my seventies and watched City for over 50 years; some might say that displays my inability to make proper judgement and good comment on football, and I admit that what I say now is open for discussion, but it is my opinion that during the past 5 years City have played their best football under Sven-Goran Eriksson.

Then the football flowed, it was dynamic, long true passes along the ground, Brian Clough would have smiled, elegant play, moving up the field together as a team, no-one alone, always someone to pass the ball to. It was majestic. A joy to watch, it made you warm inside a candle burning bright so very beautiful.

You could not wait for the next match. Sometimes it failed but it worked far more than it didn’t. Cruelly ended by a ridiculous decision of the Board encouraged and orchestrated by Thaksin Shinawatra and look where he is now! If Sven had to go then Mark Hughes was a good replacement, he was a disciplinarian and this is what City needed. Apart from under Sven, City always lacked consistency and Mark would be good. But he made mistakes, he forget Sven’s era and went back a page, rather than taking what he had and making it better. Interesting to note his words on taking-over at Fulham when he said he wanted simply to improve the team and not change the team. If only he had done this at City. Due to the Boards’ unwarranted impatience and their false expectations and obviously Mark did not have the right pedigree – he was Welsh and not Italian – he was unceremoniously sacked. The act and manner of his dismissal was disgraceful, unprofessional and outrageous. In came the pre-arranged and pre-contracted Mancini. Who the hell is he most asked! What has this messiah done? Has he performed better than Mark would have under the same circumstances? Most would say, most certainly not. What is Mancini like as a manager? Is he a good manager? No; is he in control of his players? Most definitely no. Can he get the best of his players? Decidedly not. Has he a game plan, what is the shape of his team, what are team tactics, what is team strategy – all non-existent.

Let’s just revisit the last 4 matches played.

West Brom: City fielded a team to win; they lost. According to the reports City deserved to lose this match, they were poor. I did not see this match; it got very poor press.
Last week to Wigan a most unimpressive match.
Then against Blackburn, why did Mancini allow Joe Hart to race half-way up City’s half of the pitch, miss the ball and gift a goal to Blackburn? This was utterly unbelievable but it shows Mancini has no control over the players.

Can you image Joe doing this if the “Special One” had been his boss, namely Jose Mourinho? Most certainly not. If it costs City £100 million a year to run the club and they score 50 points this means that every point costs 2 million. That means Joe Hart’s blunder under the influence of his manager Mancini has cost the club £4 million. Now to Sunderland, what a disaster that was. 20+ shots and no goals. Where are the players who can score from tight positions, like Bellamy did and does and Ireland used to but they have gone to make way for super rich, huge, mega stars who like their photos taken but can they score goals [Tevez is the only exception]? And we lost the game to a stupid penalty – unbelievable – that cost City £6 million (arguably). Who pays? Will Richards, will Hart, will Mancini? They won’t but if they did this would never happen again. But I will never win this argument.

Going back to the Blackburn game, Mancini’s television summary was disgraceful when he said “dey play all deir players behind de ball, it makes it difficult for Manchester City.” He should be sacked for this statement and what it means. I can well imagine a conversation with the Chairman afterwards: “Sorrrry boss, dey play very defensive and put all der players behind de ball, and we don’t know what to do.” Chairman: “Mr. Mancini,well what about the game plan in this kind of situation?” “Errr, errr Mr. Chairman you say what game plan, wat is dis?”

That sums it up and Mr. Mancini.

If I were asked to make a comparison between Mr. Sven Erikson and Mr. Mancini I would say:

Football under Eriksson: It was like looking into an aquarium, watching the wonderful tropical fish, their rich, bright and soft colours, their movement, still one second and then moving so fast, with ease, effortlessly, so eloquent, darting in and out and around the coral, such graceful movement criss-crossing others and never touching. A beautiful sight.

Football under Mancini: It’s like looking at a field of Friesian Cows, chins touching the ground searching for grass, waiting to be serviced.
MOOoooooooooo.
MOOoooooooooo.
Perhaps the City anthem should be changed to C-I-T-Y M.. C.. the boys who say MOOoooo.

The time has come to say goodbye to Mr. Roberto Mancini. Hello, welcome back to Manchester Mr. Martin O’Neill.

Oh, by the way, I have flown over 3 million miles and recently had 4 flights with Etihad, yes Etihad (and only because of the City connection) and these were the worst, yes the worst experiences I have had for many years. There is not much you can do about this but there is the rest. Good luck in the future.

Warm regards, Terry Griffiths <terrys_gold(at)yahoo.com>

REQUEST: POINTS OF BLUE

Next meeting a week on Wednesday, 6 October, 6.30 p.m. at the Millennium Suite. Topics for discussion?

REQUEST: NEW PC FOOTBALL GAME

Readers may be interested in hearing about a brand new free PC game we are helping to launch to football fans of the Premier League and English League.

The game has just launched, receiving universal praise from all the football fans currently playing against each other. Created by gamers and grassroots football fans, Big Match Striker (you can check out and also download the game for free here: http://www.bigmatchonline.com/) challenges real football fans to battle head to head in the ultimate championship of tactics and trivia.

Football fans of all levels will need to combine the skills of chairman, manager, player in this highly competitive and sociable game, which challenges every aspect of football knowledge and strategic skills as players customise and steer their teams to league and cup glory.

The aim of the game is to take your team from lower division minnows to global super-club in a dynamic battle for titles and silverware. During each match, players are challenged on their knowledge of the latest facts and news surrounding the top four tiers of English football, as well as famous footballing moments and goings-on from the wider football world, making Big Match Striker the most up-to-date online football game.

A trailer of the game can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1oOvQ2BcmU

The game’s community website with full game features, news and download link is: http://www.bigmatchonline.com/

RESULTS AND TABLE

League table to 29 September 2010 inclusive

                            HOME          AWAY        OVERALL
                    P  W  D  L  F  A  W  D  L  F  A  W  D  L  F  A  GD Pts
 1 Chelsea          6  3  0  0 12  0  2  0  1  9  2  5  0  1 21  2  19  15
 2 Manchester Utd   6  3  0  0  9  2  0  3  0  7  7  3  3  0 16  9   7  12
 3 Arsenal          6  2  0  1 12  4  1  2  0  4  3  3  2  1 16  7   9  11
 4 Manchester City  6  2  1  0  5  1  1  1  1  2  1  3  2  1  7  2   5  11
 5 Aston Villa      6  2  1  0  5  1  1  0  2  3  9  3  1  2  8 10  -2  10
 6 West Brom A.     6  2  1  0  5  2  1  0  2  3  9  3  1  2  8 11  -3  10
 7 Fulham           6  1  2  0  4  3  0  3  0  3  3  1  5  0  7  6   1   8
 8 Tottenham H.     6  1  1  1  3  2  1  1  1  3  3  2  2  2  6  5   1   8
 9 Blackburn R.     6  1  1  1  3  3  1  1  1  4  4  2  2  2  7  7   0   8
10 Newcastle Utd    6  1  0  2  7  4  1  1  1  2  4  2  1  3  9  8   1   7
11 Sunderland       6  1  2  0  4  3  0  2  1  3  4  1  4  1  7  7   0   7
12 Bolton Wndrs     6  0  3  0  4  4  1  1  1  5  6  1  4  1  9 10  -1   7
13 Birmingham City  6  1  2  0  2  1  0  2  1  5  7  1  4  1  7  8  -1   7
14 Stoke City       6  1  1  1  4  4  1  0  2  3  5  2  1  3  7  9  -2   7
15 Blackpool        6  0  1  1  3  4  2  0  2  6 10  2  1  3  9 14  -5   7
16 Liverpool        6  1  2  0  4  3  0  1  2  2  6  1  3  2  6  9  -3   6
17 Wolves           6  1  1  1  4  4  0  1  2  3  6  1  2  3  7 10  -3   5
18 Wigan Athletic   6  0  1  3  1 13  1  1  0  1  0  1  2  3  2 13 -11   5
19 West Ham United  6  1  0  2  3  6  0  1  2  1  7  1  1  4  4 13  -9   4
20 Everton          6  0  2  1  4  5  0  1  2  0  2  0  3  3  4  7  -3   3

MCIVTA FAQ [v1011.01]

[1] MCIVTA Addresses

Articles (Heidi Pickup)          : editor@mcivta.city-fan.org
News/rumour (Alex Rowen)         : news@mcivta.city-fan.org
Subscriptions (Madeleine Hawkins): subscriptions@mcivta.city-fan.org
Technical problems (Paul)        : paul@city-fan.org
FAQ (David Warburton)            : faq@mcivta.city-fan.org

[2] What are MCIVTA’s publishing deadlines?

Deadlines for issues are nominally 6pm, Monday and Thursday evenings by email. Unfortunately we cannot accept email attachments.

[3] MCIVTA Back Issues and Manchester City Supporters’ home page

http://www.mcivta.com/ is the unofficial Manchester City Supporters’ home page. Created in 1994, it is the longest running of the Manchester City related web sites. Back issues of MCIVTA are also hosted on the site. You can also follow on www.twitter.com/mcivta to get the latest updates.

[4] What is the club’s official web site?

The official club web site can be found at http://www.mcfc.co.uk/ and the official club Twitter page at www.twitter.com/mcfc. The club also has a facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/mcfcofficial

[5] What supporters’ clubs are there?

The Official Supporters’ Club and the Centenary Supporters’ Association have merged to become the Manchester City Supporters’ Club (http://www.mcfcsupportersclub.com/). The club also recognise the Manchester City Disabled Supporters’ Association (http://www.mcdsa.co.uk/).

[6] Where can I find out about Points of Blue?

The committee operates as an interface between supporters and the club. Points of Blue appears on the club website under the “Fans” heading (http://www.mcfc.co.uk/Fans).

[7] What match day broadcasts are available on the web?

Live match commentary can be found on the club website. The Radio Manchester pre- and post-match phone-in is available on the web at http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/manchester/hi/tv_and_radio/.

[8] Where can I find out if City are live on satellite TV?

http://www.satfootball.com/pl.html provides a listing of Premier League games being shown on UK domestic and foreign satellite channels. Useful sites for North American viewers are http://msn.foxsports.com/, http://www.soccertv.com/.

[9] Do we have a Usenet newsgroup?

Yes we do: uk.sport.football.clubs.man-city is our home on usenet. If you are not familiar with usenet, a basic explanation is available here: http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,289893,sid9_gci213262,00.html

[10] Do any squad members have their own web pages?

There are a number available and direct links can be found at http://www.mcivta.com/players/

[11] Where can I find match statistics?

Statistics for the current season are available from the club site, but for a more in-depth analysis try http://www.mcfcstats.com/.

DISCLAIMER
The views expressed in MCIVTA are entirely those of the subscribersand there is no intention to represent these opinions as being thoseof Manchester City Football Club, nor of any of the companies anduniversities by whom the subscribers are employed. It is not inany way whatsoever connected to the club or any other relatedorganisation and is simply a group of supporters using this mediumas a means of disseminating news and exchanging opinions.

Heidi Pickup, editor@mcivta.city-fan.org

Editor: