Newsletter #1240

Congratulazioni to Dario, Renato, Vanes and the other Italian Blues as Zizou bows out in disgrace and we can put 4 weeks of disappointment for the majority behind us.

Meanwhile, back in Manchester the squad have returned for pre-season training and we’re still analysing the World Cup and the kits.

OPINION: ENGLAND ANALYSIS

I’ll let you in on a little secret that I learnt messing about as a youngster. I’m amused that the talking heads on the box haven’t clued in on it but then none is an ex-goalkeeper. When a player is taking a penalty watch the direction of the foot of his plant leg. Generally the penalty will go in that direction and you’ll notice Ricardo dives once the player has placed the foot of his plant leg but before the ball is kicked. There’s a reason he “seems to know which way the kick is going” as one of the talking heads said. He does.

Re England and World Cup. Taking Bridge, Jenas and Walcott was a joke: Richardson, Beattie or Ashton and Defoe should have been taken. I’m sorry but tactically Sven is an idiot. I’ve been a fan of Frank Lampard from his West Ham days and thought the England team should have been constructed around him but given his form or lack thereof the past 6 months and what seems to be irrefutable evidence that he and Gerrard can’t play in the same midfield then Lampard should have been dropped.

For tactics to work you have to marry correct tactics with correct players. 4-4-2, 4-5-1, 4-3-3 or Venables’ 4-3-2-1 doesn’t matter. What is important is that you play the correct player for the correct tactical formation. If you are going to play either a 4-5-1 or a 4-3-3 then David Beckham can’t play on the right wing. He has neither the speed nor the dribble ability to do so. Now Beckham is and has been a quality performer for England. You can play him in a 4-5-1 but he has to play inside; essentially the inside right position. His accurate sweeping passes and dead ball skills are an asset but not if he plays out on the right.

Gerrard and Lampard play the exact same position. List the top 30 players in the world and on form they are both on that list but one has to be on the bench. It isn’t about putting the best players on the field, it’s about putting the best team. Similarly, Owen Hargreaves has never made sense being picked for England in any of the positions that he’s been asked to play. But put him in the correct position and the guy was a revelation. A midfield five of Cole, Gerrard, Hargreaves, Beckham and Lennon (and it would have been SWP if he’d stayed) works as a cohesive unit. Two quality wingers, midfield ball winner, strong passer and dead ball specialist and midfielder coming through in support.

That being said, given England’s current crop of players you either play Chelsea’s 4-3-3 or 4-4-2. Take Chelsea’s 4-3-3. You are looking at a Lampard, Ballack and Makalele or Essian midfield. A holder, a playmaker and an attacking midfielder. England could replicate that with the players they have. Or 4-4-2. Sven took 4 forwards, and Rooney, Crouch and Owen have not played the 4-5-1 at club level.

This really is a golden generation for English football. I count 6 players who could be called true world class, not just very good. They are young enough to have a shot in 2010 but this was their year. This group of players should have won the World Cup. And Sven can prattle all he wants about 3 straight tournament QF but…

And Steve McClaren? Forget his contract length. England have to star in the European Championships or he’s gone.

Oh and City? Same problem. If you go out and get a Paul Mariner clone then you are playing a 4-4-2 but you have to have wingers who can cross accurately. I’ve seen no evidence that this is the plan. I don’t have a problem with Dickov or any other experienced players that get brought in. They provide a layer of quality and professionalism that is required in the Premiership. But currently it seems to me that the defence is pretty solid both from a regular and youngster standpoint. The issue remains that it doesn’t matter whether the plan is to play 4-5-2, 4-3-3 or 4-4-2, the team does not have the outside players to do any of them well.

OPINION: KITS

Can anyone tell me the reason why we have a new away kit as well as a home kit this year?

This may have been covered in other articles or asked before, but I can’t think of any reason, nor have I seen any explanation. Have the club offered any reasons?

Are we also keeping the dayglo yellow 3rd kit this year?

Bit of a worry that we’re starting to do things we criticised the Rags for doing.

Saw the kit in the flesh this weekend and it still doesn’t blow me away. The shorts look like the cotton material old rugby kits were made from, but they have a softer feel when touched and the shirt blue looks different from last year’s blue.

BLUE HUMOUR

Scenario:

Wayne Rooney is driving in a car at a constant speed. On his left side is a valley and on his right side is a fire engine travelling at the same speed as him. In front of him is a galloping pig, which is the same size as his car and he cannot overtake it. Behind him is a helicopter flying at ground level.

Both the giant pig and the helicopter are also travelling at the same speed as him. How does Rooney get out of this situation?

A. The fairground manager switches off the merry-go-round and tells him to F@&* Off

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MCIVTA FAQ [v0506.02]

[1] MCIVTA Addresses

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[2] What are MCIVTA’s publishing deadlines?

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

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

http://www.uit.no/mancity/ 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.

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

The official club web site can be found at http://www.mcfc.co.uk/

[5] What supporters’ clubs are there?

Manchester City FC recognises three supporters’ clubs: The “Official Supporters Club” (http://www.mcfcosc.com/); the “Centenary Supporters’ Association” (http://www.reddishblues.com/CSAWebsite/CSA.htm) and “The International Supporters’ Club”.

[6] Where can I find out about the fans’ committee?

The Fans’ Committee operates as an interface between supporters and the club. The Fans’ Committee has been relaunched as “Points of Blue”. It has appeared on the club website as a minor entry under “Fans Zone”.

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

The GMR pre and post match phone-in is available on the web at http://www.bbc.co.uk/england/gmr/sport_intro.shtml.

Live match commentaries and archives of games, reports and interviews can be found at http://mcfc.videoloungetv.com/do/preLogin?clubSiteCode=MCFC&CMP=AFC-003.

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

http://www.satfootball.com/pl.html provides a listing of Premiership games being shown on UK domestic and foreign satellite channels. Useful sites for North American viewers are http://www.foxsportsworld.com/named/FSW/Index/Soccer, http://www.soccertv.com/, and http://www.livesoccertv.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.uit.no/mancity/players/

[11] Can I buy shares in the club?

Yes you can: Shares in Manchester City PLC are traded on OFEX. The latest prices can be on found the OFEX web site http://www.ofex.com/ (registration required) or in the business section of the Manchester Evening News.

[12] 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/.

[13] Where can I find a list of City-related websites?

Try Wookie’s Lair: http://www.wookieslair.com/modules.php?name=Web_Links

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: