Newsletter #1830

First off, apologies for the delay in this issue. Having a rather lovely holiday in France, but where we are staying lost its wi-fi and is so remote as to have no 3G connection so I’ve been rather stymied.

That said, a lovely holiday and for our Canadian readers I attended the D-Day memorial service at Juno Beach, which was both moving and rather jolly. The banter and camaraderie amongst the vets there was a real joy to see.

Enough of ‘What I did in the Summer holidays’ and on with the show.

A thoughtful and thought-provoking player-by-player analysis of performances by Phil B is followed by a fantastic “Stat Attack” by James Nash. Some links and requests and my dad’s ‘début’ as a contributor with the ‘And Finally’, an interesting piece of news about the sadly-departed Kaziu Deyna. For the younger readers he was the first of our foreign imports (Bert Trautmann aside!) and a much respected Blue.

ARTICLE: SALUTING THE CLASS OF 2011/2012

They’ve entertained us royally, playing the best football to watch, scoring the most League goals, conceding the fewest. They’ve delighted us, thrilled us, and given us the most exciting, terrifying, happy, emotional day in our City supporting lives. Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, the Champions of England, Manchester City…

Joe Hart: (38 League apps, 13 Cup apps)
He is the base of a very strong spine of this City side and the best goalkeeper in the Premier League. Had a brilliant season, making several crucial saves, without which this title would not have been won. His sheer professionalism and powers of concentration were demonstrated by the fact that he was able to pull off match-winning saves in games where he had been largely uninvolved due to our dominance. There is still room for improvement with his kicking, but he has the correct attitude, and one can guarantee that he will put in the work to continually improve. Has the potential to be an all-time City “Great”: 9

Costel Pantlimon (0 League apps, 4 Cup apps)
No league appearances but generally did well when called upon in the Cup, particularly Arsenal away in the League Cup tie. Had a wobble in the cup tie at home to United, but overall positive. Hopefully he will be here next season: 6

Pablo Zabaleta: (21 League apps, 1 goal, 10 Cup apps, 0 goals)
The ultimate professional and highly popular all-round good guy. Never complains when rotated out of the team. His positional play and good link up play as an overlapping full back more than makes up for his lack of blistering pace. He has very good touch and rarely wastes a ball. Battles hard, brave as a lion, he has more than earned the moniker “Corazon de Leon” (Lion-hearted). He is a very good international-class right back and his consistent high standards demonstrate this. Can’t speak highly enough of this man: 8

Micah Richards: (29 League apps, 1 goal, 8 Cup apps, 0 goals)
Had an excellent season that was interrupted by injuries: very solid at right back both in defence and an exciting attacking option with his pace and accurate crossing. Filled in very well indeed at centre half when needed with one Man of the Match show, showing his versatility. Roberto Mancini has concerns about his delicate nature: “cristalli”, tapping his glass of water, being the Italian word that he used to describe him. Treated appallingly by a succession of England managers, one can only conclude that he has upset someone for his non-inclusion in the squads, because he is clearly the best English right back: 8

Vincent Kompany: (31 League apps, 1 goal, 11 Cup apps, 0 goals)
A colossus and statesman of the game. The Manchester City captain is the best centre half in the Premier League and possibly the world. An outstanding leader of men, he is commanding in the air, a good clean tackler, quick across the ground, a great reader of the game, skilful on the ball, and he uses the ball very well indeed. We really missed him when he was unfairly suspended and later injured. Scored that crucial powerfully headed goal to defeat United. There aren’t enough superlatives to describe him. So proud to have him as our captain. A City Legend already: 9 Player of the Season

Joleon Lescott: (31 League apps, 2 goals, 11 Cup apps, 1 goal)
Has enjoyed a rich vein of form over the last 18 months, which have brought us an FA Cup and The League Championship (sounds wonderful! Is even better!). Commanding in the air, quick across the ground, he has proved over a long period of time that he is a class act. Playing alongside the brilliant Vincent Kompany in a classic left foot/right foot partnership clearly helps, but there is far more to Joleon than that. In Vinny’s absence through his unjust suspension and injury, Joleon really stepped up and showed his class. Our defence missed Joleon too when he picked up an injury. Chipped in with 3 goals, and there may be more to come. “He’s top of the League” you know: 8

Kolo Touré (14 League apps, 0 goals, 6 Cup apps, 0 goals)
Chances were limited due to the brilliance of the Kompany-Lescott partnership. A good reader of the game and comfortable on the ball, but has lost his pace, and oddly for a centre back, shrinks away from aerial challenges (e.g. up against Kevin Davies and crucially at Swansea, for Luke Moore’s winner). Has probably fallen behind Micah Richards now in the pecking order at centre back but was still a useful squad player and operated well at right back when asked to fill in there: 6

Karim Rekik (0 League apps, 2 Cup apps, 0 goals)
Powerful young Dutch defender who made two brief sub appearances in the League Cup. Did well in loan spell at struggling Portsmouth, and he may be ready to play more of a part in the Cups next season: n/a

Gael Clichy (28 League apps, 1 goal, 9 Cup apps, 0 goals)
An excellent signing, he has fitted into City’s back four seamlessly. Very good indeed defensively, he reads the game very well and has speed to burn. He is decent going forward too, with his highlight being a beautiful defence-splitting ball for Agüero to score at Wolves. A top class left back and our best since Andy Hinchcliffe: 8

Aleksandar Kolarov: (12 League apps, 2 goals, 15 Cup apps, 2 goals)
Good going forward with his delivery of arcing crosses and powerful free kicks. Defensively a liability though and his lack of pace can leave our left side very weak indeed, as exposed in the home United cup tie and at the Etihad against Sunderland. Undeniably played his part in this title though, scoring a very important goal to help earn a crucial point in that same game at home to Sunderland. Always looks better when he has had a run of games, but he is well behind Clichy in the pecking order, as the run-in showed: 6

Stefan Savic (11 League apps, 1 goal, 9 Cup apps, 0 goals)
Nowhere near good enough for this level at the moment. Will he ever be? Looks nervous and can be rather impetuous: reacting rather than being proactive. Maybe a season on loan at another Premier League club will tell us, but who will take that chance? More likely that a permanent move away from here is the best option for all concerned. By all accounts there is nothing wrong with his attitude so it would be nice to be proved wrong. 4

Gareth Barry: (34 League apps, 1 goal, 10 Cup apps, 0 goals)
The surprise package of the season. He’d had a decent season in 2010/2011, but there was a suspicion that with him not getting any younger and with competition from de Jong and the younger Milner, he might struggle to hold down a place. Not a bit of it. Throughout the season Barry was a dynamic, driving presence in midfield. A key cog in the engine room. He was a superb foil for Yaya Touré and a firm but fair tackler and these two often gave us the physical edge in midfield. Another important part of the spine alongside his midfield partner, he helped set the tempo of the game. He is more progressive in his passing than Nigel de Jong, which suited the more attacking style that Mancini adopted this season and established himself in the side alongside Yaya Touré at Nigel’s expense: 9

Nigel de Jong: (21 League apps, 0 goals, 15 Cup apps, 1 goal)
Some might say that he has been affected by the fact that his contract negotiations have stalled (he still has a year left on his contract). That is unfair. When he has played, bearing in mind he is a marked man for referees, he has stayed on his feet more rather than diving in, which is intelligence, not a lack of commitment. He started the season with an injury, and Gareth Barry took his chance. Appearances for Nigel have been more sparing this season but he has still been a model professional when called upon, breaking up play and passing the ball simply. He has proved very effective as a substitute. What looks on the face if it like a defensive move has proved to be a tactical masterstroke by Mancini. De Jong’s introduction has allowed Yaya Touré to move further forward in successful Mancini changes. Hopefully we will be able to agree terms on a new contract with him: 7

Owen Hargreaves: (1 League app, 0 goals, 3 Cup apps, 1 goal)
Scored a wonderful volleyed goal on his début against Birmingham City in the League Cup, but struggled to prove his fitness and was unable to make an impact, which is a real shame. Released: 5

Abdul Razak (1 League app, 0 goals, 3 Cup apps, 0 goals)
Promising young central midfielder, who had 10 minute at the end of the Wigan match and featured in two good League Cup wins at Wolves and Arsenal. He was loaned to Portsmouth and then Brighton at end of season: n/a

David Pizarro (5 League app, 0 goals, 2 Cup apps, 1 goal)
Some neat and tidy cameos, most crucially when he came on as sub at home to Sunderland and he brought poise to our game, spraying passes to inspire a come back from 1-3 down to earn what has turned out to be a crucial point. Is returning to Roma after his loan spell: 6

Luca Scapuzzi (0 League apps, 2 Cup apps, 1 goals) Very promising when appearing on left wing in the League Cup at Wolves where he scored before impressing initially in loan spell at Oldham. Disappointed in loan spell at Portsmouth: n/a

Adam Johnson (26 League apps, 6 goals, 12 Cup apps, 1 goal)
A thrill to watch on his day, this boy has all the talent in the world to make it to the very top, and yet he is not making the impact that he should be. He can be devastating and is very skilful with the ball with an eye for a goal (6 League goals, though most of these were not significant match winning goals), but he needs to be much more consistent. Robert Mancini is not able to trust him yet with a regular rôle, which causes us a problem, e.g. Roberto was not able to rest David Silva enough when he was carrying a niggling ankle injury. Whilst there has been some improvement in the defensive side of Adam’s game, we need to see more. He would do well to look at how hard David Silva, Samir Nasri and James Milner work and what they do. The feeling is that he is not learning quickly enough, and furthermore, his lifestyle is a concern for Roberto Mancini and his staff. He needs to grow up: initially refusing to board the team bus after the League Cup win at Wolves after he had received some warranted public criticism from Mancini (who will have already tried to get the message through in private) was a sign of his immaturity. Maybe competition from a top class out-and-out winger (Silva, Nasri and Milner are top class midfielders rather than orthodox wingers) might inspire him to better things, but it could be that Roberto Mancini has already made his mind up to sell him if the price is right. Time for a reality check for Adam, or a career of drifting mediocrity awaits: 6

Samir Nasri (30 League apps, 5 goals, 15 Cup apps, 1 goal)
For six months he played in fits and starts. Sometimes brilliant (the breathtaking 5-1 win at Tottenham where his combination with Silva and Agüero and supply to Dzeko was top class), and at other times rather anonymous, but his influence grew and consistency improved as the season went on, revelling in his partnership with Silva. By the end of the season he could consider himself part of our best eleven. He was combining well with Silva, Agüero and Tévez, and was a real threat coming inside from either flank. He is very much a big game player, e.g. at home against Arsenal and Chelsea and both home and away to Tottenham. His highlights were his exquisite finish to convert Silva’s beautiful defence splitting pass to give us the lead at home to Tottenham, and his superb chipped winner at home to Chelsea. Having had a season to settle in we can expect more next term: 7

David Silva (36 League apps, 6 goals, 13 Cup apps, 2 goals)
One of City’s key players, and absolute joy to watch. You forget about a cold winter’s day when you watch this City magician at work. Always progressive in his passing, and excellent at finding pockets of space, he continually asks questions of opponents. He has a brilliant attitude to the game, and is an example to any young player. His trademark is a short incisive pass slid in behind a defender, but there is so much more to his game. His all round game is there for all to see: his superb combination play, intelligence, awareness of team mates and space, his eye for a pass and a goal (his finish at QPR away was an absolute thriller), his defensive tracking and ability to win the ball back has been an important part of his game too. Absolutely brilliant for six months before a succession of kicks on his left ankle slowed him down and his form suffered for a couple of months. Consequently our form suffered. A little rest cure saw him back to his best for the crucial run in. Another for whom the term “Legend” is entirely appropriate: 9

Yaya Touré: (32 League apps, 6 goals, 10 Cup apps, 3 goals)
The complete midfield player, this man mountain has everything that you would want. What an awesome physical power he is in midfield. it is so thrilling to watch him run with the ball. He is also a superbly skilled player, which is much to his credit given his size. He played defensive midfield, box-to-box, defensive midfield and as an attacking midfielder. He scored a healthy 8 goals in the League, 11 in total. Most crucially he won the Newcastle away match with two terrific finishes: the curling right foot 25 yarder to crucially break the deadlock and a left foot dink over Tim Krul to seal the points in a very difficult game. There have been murmurings on his part that he would like to finish his career at Barcelona – stick around and give us at least another two more years, Big Fella. Awesome: 9

James Milner: (26 League apps, 3 goals, 11 Cup apps, 0 goals)
A prodigious hard worker with a great attitude. Hasn’t got the pace of a natural winger but puts a good ball in: no better example than in the 6-1 thrashing of United where he excelled in every aspect of his game, supplying two assists to set up Balotelli’s goals: one left footed cross for the opener and another from the right for the 2nd. Can play on either flank and at right back and does so without complaining, but his best position is in central midfield. One day he may be a successor to Gareth Barry in this regard as a driving presence, because he has all the qualities to do so: 7

Sergio Agüero (34 League apps, 23 goals, 14 Cup apps, 7 goals)
Settled straight into English football, announcing his arrival with two début goals against Swansea, including a stunning 30-yarder. Works hard to close down space for defenders and always a threat with his highly intelligent movement and link up play (particularly with Silva), which frequently takes him into goal scoring positions. A consistent scorer, registering 23 League goals. Who can ever forget that late, great, exhilarating, emotional, historic winner that clinched the title? In all, he scored 30 goals, which is brilliant considering he was playing in a new country. Legend: 9

Edin Dzeko (30 League apps, 14 goals, 15 Cup apps, 5 goals)
Started off the season in overdrive with 6 goals in his first three games, including four in the thrashing of Tottenham. Suffered from being rotated out of the side at times and didn’t really find quite such a rich vein of form thereafter but, his Bayern rant apart, always maintained a professional attitude. Didn’t relish the physicality of some encounters (e.g. bullied by Skrtel at The Etihad), but still works very hard for the team – often tackling back to his own box. Has some limitations and needs good quality wide service to be at his best. Given that City don’t play with orthodox wingers, mainly playing a highly intricate passing game through the centre, this does not play to his strengths. He gives us a different option, though, and still scored 14 League goals (19 in all), including the crucial headed equaliser that gave us renewed hope on the last day: 7

Mario Balotelli (23 League apps, 13 goals, 9 Cup apps, 4 goals)
Can we trust him not to do anything daft right now? Possibly not. Is it time he grew up? Definitely. Do we want him to succeed? Of course. Mario has tried the patience of Roberto Mancini, his team-mates and the fans far too often, culminating in his suspension after a red card and dangerous challenge in the Arsenal away match. Too often he has been a red card waiting to happen. Just when it seemed like his season was over, he came from the bench to make a difference, and how! He played the decisive pass to set up Sergio Agüero for the title clinching goal. This follows on from the clever back heel that teed up David Silva to cross for Yaya Touré’s FA Cup Final winner in the previous season. He certainly does many good things, and scored 17 goals in all (13 in the League) in 32 appearances,, most importantly in helping City earn a point at home to Sunderland. Indeed, he makes goal scoring look easy (that memorable, almost nonchalant opener in the 6-1 at Old Trafford – that’s six-one) and amusing – the chested in goal versus Norwich). If only he could focus on football and keep his cool. The exit door certainly didn’t seem far away after defeat at The Emirates, but he has massive potential, wants to stay here, and Roberto Mancini wants him to sort himself out and become the player he can be. Roberto Mancini has more than earned our trust so that will do for many of us: 7

Carlos Tévez (13 League apps, 4 goals, 2 Cup apps, 0 goals)
Came back from an extended pre-season break (owing to Copa America commitments), looking rather overweight and out of sorts, and had to start early games on the bench, which he found hard to take, to say the least. His refusal to play had Roberto Mancini saying he should never play for us again and most Blues would have agreed with that. His behaviour in refusing to warm up and hence play in Munich was appalling and his walkout from the club was worse still. Three months later, he finally realised which side his bread was buttered, apologised, withdrew his appeal against his fine and Roberto forgave him. His return definitely had a positive impact on his team mates (with whom is he is popular), and therefore on results. He certainly made his mark in the run-in, setting up Nasri’s winner against Chelsea with a clever swivel and pass and his highlight being his spectacular hat trick at Carrow Road. We would quite possibly have won the League more comfortably had he stayed all season. Says he wants to stay, so let’s hope he knuckles down and give us no more trouble. Any more trouble, though, and he has to go. Maybe, just maybe he realises that he is onto a good thing here but one can never be quite sure with him. If he does stay, keeps fit and is available all season, we will have a very good chance of winning the title again and making significant headway in Europe: 6

ARTICLE: GOOD SPORT?

I thought I’d write in about the ‘interesting’ opinion passed in much of the popular press a couple of weeks ago about how Alex Ferguson was gracious with his words after United missed out on the title. Now, maybe I’ve missed something here but ‘gracious’ is not how I would have described it. Before he issued his congratulations his precise words were “They had to do it against 10 men for half an hour and they got 5 minutes of injury time to help them”.

This does not strike me as magnanimous in any way. Churlish is more the word I would use. After all, it’s not as if United ever have additional time – particularly amounts that might be seen as unreasonable rather than that resulting from 6 substitutions and a large mêlée as Joey Barton lashed out at everyone while he stomped off the pitch. Also, when was the last time United benefited from a sending off? OK, apart from against QPR when the sending off in the 15th minute helped them to a 2-0 win. Still, at least we didn’t benefit from a dodgy penalty (vs. QPR after 7 minutes) or two (vs. Villa after 15 minutes) to help us on our way. The thing that really gets me about Ferguson is his hypocrisy and this was just another crass example.

You could say that I should ignore him but unfortunately I have seen the effects of the hypocritical, win-at-all-costs mentality filtering down through junior football over the past 8 years and it is a cancer in the game.

On a lighter note, let me give a big shout out to the welsh guy who was next to me at the QPR match. He went out just before half time (presumably to go to the loo) and missed Zabaleta’s goal. When he came back he said “maybe I should have ‘eff’d off earlier”. Ironically, he also went out around the 90 minute mark and missed both comeback goals, so thanks to him for selflessly ‘effing off when his team needed him to 🙂

ARTICLE: STAT ATTACK

Here’s another one I’ve been working on… took some time to get all of the numbers filled!

I thought a special moment at the QPR game was the 44-year countdown ticker that City put on the scoreboards a couple of times after the game. City being City, one of the scoreboards had stopped working before the first instance so some may have missed it. The rumour I heard is that a steward had kicked out the plug when celebrating Sergio’s winner!

It was a simple ticker countdown, with numbers like you would see on a clock radio. The countdown was from the number 44 to 00, to signify the ending of a certain wait.

With that in mind, and too much time on my hands, I decided to do my own countdown using some related stats and personal references. I don’t promise total accuracy in this list; indeed, let me know if I’ve got anything wrong as I may post it on a blog one day.

It starts with the ticker stuck on 44…

44 The number of years since City had previously won the top divisional title in England
44 The number of points that City finished above Sunderland, the only team City did not beat in the Premier League this season
44 My age at the start of the QPR game (I felt a lot older at the end!)
44 The number of goal attempts against QPR – a Premier League record smashed
44 Stick a hyphen in the middle and you get the scoreline from the Rags versus Everton, the result that put the title outcome back in the balance, a chance that City grabbed out of their cold dead hands
44 The number of times I have watched the extended highlights of the QPR game (probably!)
44 The minute of the game against QPR in which Yaya Touré went off injured
44 The percentage of minutes that Edin Dzeko played in City league games this season
44 Stick a hyphen in the middle and you have the beat structure of the “No Limits” Kolo/Yaya Touré song
44 The percentage of clear cut chances converted by City this season, compared to 32% last season

… then the numbers start rolling down…

43 The number of years since City last conceded their title as Champions of England, to Leeds United
42 The shirt number of Yaya Touré who scored two key goals against Newcastle, to set up that final day
41 The number of goals conceded away by QPR this season, the last of which was rather important
40 The trading odds for winning the title that City drifted to on Betfair during the QPR game
39 The number of minutes-per-league-goal for City this season, compared to 60 last season
38 The number of goals scored by City in away games this season, the highest in the league
37 The number of points that City finished ahead of Liverpool
36 The number of points that Bolton were relegated on, 53 points and 17 places behind City
35 The number of years between major trophies for City, prior to the FA Cup success last season
34 The number of points won in away games by City this season, compared to 28 the previous season
33 (.33) The percentage of penalties that Joe Hart saved in the season
32 The shirt number of our striking Argentinian Carlos Tévez
31 The number of years in-between our previous two top league titles
30 The number of goals scored by Sergio “Kun” Agüero in all competitions, 23 in the league, the last of which was rather important
29 The number of goals conceded by City this season, the lowest in the league
28 The earliest minute in any league game in which City conceded a goal (QPR away)
27 The number of minutes in-between each goal chance created by David Silva, only bettered by Juan Mata at Chelsea
26 The number of BBC pundits (out of 30) who predicted in a pre-season poll that the Rags would win the title, with only 3 going for City and a special mention must go to Mark Bright for picking Liverpool
25 The price in Pounds Sterling of an additional train ticket back to London, bought in case there was a parade I could stay up for – worth every penny
24 The number of millions of pounds paid in the transfer fee for Yaya Touré – worth every penny
23 The shirt number of Marc Vivien Foe, retired in his honour – lest we forget
22 The number of changes in permanent manager that City have had since Joe Mercer last won the league
21 The age of Mario Balotelli, who already has 8 major medals to his name
20 The number seen on prematurely printed title celebration T-shirts across town
19 The percentage of possession of play that QPR had against City on the final day
18 The number of games won by City at home this season, the highest in the league
17 The number of clean sheets that City kept this season, the highest in the league, earning Joe Hart the Golden Glove award
16 The shirt number of Kun Agüero, scorer of the goal that won the Premier League – the shot that was heard around the world
15 The number of assists that David Silva got this season, the highest in the league
14 The number of games at the start of the season that City went unbeaten, winning 12 of those
13 (unlucky for some) The number of games that the Rags won away from home, easily the best in the league
12 The number of goals conceded by City at home this season, the lowest in the league
11 The number of league goals scored by City in the ninetieth minute or later
10 The number of league games won away by City this season
09 The highest number of yellow cards garnered by any one City player, Gareth Barry
08 The number of points that the Rags led City by with 6 games to go, a position which has never been turned around before
07 The longest winning streak of games in league
06 The number of months that Carlos Tévez went AWOL and yet City still won the league
05 The number of taxis I took on my gadabout trip around Manchester on the final day (and night), a personal best
04 The shirt number of City captain Vincent Kompany who lifted the Premier League trophy
03 The number of goal attempts QPR managed against City on the final day, scoring 2 of them
02 The number of goals scored by City in injury time against QPR on the final day, to win the title
01 The league position of Manchester City at the end of the 2011/12 Premier League season – Champions of England!

… until we finish on a number, the concept of which was introduced to Europe by translations of a work by an Arabian mathematician (Mohammed ibn-Musa al-Khowarizmi, since you ask)…

00 The number of shots on target by the Rags in the league game at the Ethiad
00 The number of major trophies won by the Rags this season
00 The number of points taken off City by the Rags this season
00 The number of congratulatory messages sent by Taggart to Roberto Mancini
00 The number of League home games lost by City
00 The number of bottles of beer left on sale in The Waldorf pub after the QPR victory had been celebrated
00 The number of true football fans who have said to me that City did not deserve to win the league
00 The number of times I want to have to go through the agonies of that last game again
00 The number of years since City last won the Premier League
00 my goodness, we actually did it!

ARTICLE: LINKS GALORE

Alright everyone? Isn’t it funny – utterly daft, if you look at it from my wife’s perspective – how one moment in time has reshaped our entire summer.

I promise I’ll stop doing this soon but for now I’m simply still too giddy.

Despite knowing that many of you have probably already seen these I’m going to give you a few YouTube vids that really sum up to perfection the respect our two Manc clubs hold elsewhere. The reactions of both of our opposition, in the first three vids, on the day speaks volumes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eKdbeFU4h4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iXUMUhMyh0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEuBHXFPT_E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMSLog3ihg4

Don’t know about you, but since that day I’ve become somewhat addicted to every bit of repeat footage/fan reaction/interviews/written word that I can get. I’m going to sign off with you now so I can go back and get my fix…

REQUEST: NORTH WALES BLUES

I am a disabled supporter and I use a fold up wheelchair to go to City matches (though I have now bought a mobility scooter, I hope to use next season).

I now live in Rhyl in North Wales and, ideally, I would like to find a ‘helper’ in this vicinity to travel to matches with.

I do drive and have a car, but if the person I had for a helper drove, that would be a big advantage. A person who travels to away matches (or would like to), would be great too as I travel to a lot of them myself as well.

I realise this is a shot in the dark, but I thought it worth asking.

Hope you are enjoying the summer, ready for our next challenge next season.

(Kindly forwarded by Kevin Parker, General Secretary, MCFC Supporters’ Club)

REQUEST: PANINI STICKERS

If anyone is doing a Euro 2012 Panini Sticker Album please could they get in touch to arrange swaps?

AND FINALLY… KAZIU DEYNA

Here is an item in today’s Daily Express (7 June):

“The ashes of one of Poland’s greatest players Kazimierz Deyna were placed at the Powazki Cemetery in Warsaw yesterday having been brought home almost 23 years after he was killed in a car crash in San Diego. A Polish guard of honour, officials and hundreds of fans attended to mark the occasion and remember the playmaker who died at 41. Poland coach Joanna Mucha attended a mass to initiate an all-day ceremony ending at the stadium of Deyna’s former club, Legia Warsaw where a monument was unveiled.”

I thought you could add it to the next MCIVTA; possibly any City fan going to Warsaw might be interested.

RESULTS AND TABLE

Final League table

                    P  GD Pts
 1 Manchester City 38  64  89
 2 Manchester Utd  38  56  89
 3 Arsenal         38  25  70
 4 Tottenham H.    38  25  69
 5 Newcastle Utd   38   5  65
 6 Chelsea         38  19  64
 7 Everton         38  10  56
 8 Liverpool       38   7  52
 9 Fulham          38  -3  52
10 West Brom A.    38  -7  47
11 Swansea City    38  -7  47
12 Norwich City    38 -14  47
13 Sunderland      38  -1  45
14 Stoke City      38 -17  45
15 Wigan Athletic  38 -20  43
16 Aston Villa     38 -16  38
17 QPR             38 -23  37
18 Bolton Wndrs    38 -31  36
19 Blackburn R.    38 -30  31
20 Wolves          38 -42  25

MCIVTA FAQ [v1112.01]

[1] MCIVTA Addresses

Articles (Philip Alcock)         : editor@mcivta.city-fan.org
News/rumour                      : 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/Twitter

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://www.bbc.co.uk/news/england/manchester/.

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

http://www.satfootball.com/ provides a listing of Premier League games being shown on UK domestic and foreign satellite channels. A useful site for North American viewers is http://msn.foxsports.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://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/definition/Usenet

[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] Do any squad members have their own Twitter accounts?

A list of genuine player accounts is maintained at http://twitter.com/#!/MCFC/players

[12] Where can I find match statistics?

Statistics for the current season are available from the club site, but for a more in-depth historical 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.

Philip Alcock, editor@mcivta.city-fan.org

Editor: