Newsletter #1028

Many thanks to Mads for standing in last week and ensuring MCIVTA 1027 went out safely. Tonight’s issue is brought to you in superfast time thanks to the generosity of a McV reader (see below).

We have views tonight on England’s Number One, rumours of a deal for Fowler/Cole, our left back dilemma and news on a book from the US Captain.

Some definite transfer news today in the signing of Ben Thatcher from Leicester on a 3 year deal, and Belgian goalkeeper Geert De Vlieger. Do any of our Benelux based Blues have any information on him?

OPINION

: DJ’S WORLD

I had to laugh at Wallace Poulter’s comment (MCIVTA 1027) regarding David James and his lack of preparations for the France game.

It’s not that I disagree with Walter, it’s just that if I remember rightly when the big man joined City in January he admitted that he was surprised we were so far down the league. What’s the chance of him studying video to figure out what an opposition player is going to do when he doesn’t even take the time to look at the league tables? He’s still a great ‘keeper by the way, but there’s a reason why he used to dye his hair blonde.

OPINION: NO, THESE ARE NOT ‘PROFESSIONALS’…

In response to Wallace Poulter’s piece in MCIVTA 1027, I’m afraid that the lack of what would be seen as a ‘professional approach’ in most other areas of business appears to be endemic. It certainly does not match those other businesses that rely on the ability of craftsmen whose skills are central to their overall success. I’m just finishing a long treatise (read: ‘rant’) on this that will probably find its way into King of the Kippax and so this is currently a subject that is close to my heart.

I’m not sure that I would rely on individual players to keep video libraries of potential opponents, but I certainly would expect clubs (or national associations) to do this.

Still, remember that this is “entertainment”, put on your red (or blue) nose and follow the circus, eh?

OPINION: FOWLER OR COLE (DADDY OR CHIPS?)

It has been reported that City and Blackburn have been talking about having a swap: Fowler and Cole. The only positive here would be that Cole would have a better attitude towards the game.

At least Cole has played for KK before at Newcastle, and snap!, Fowler has played for Souness whilst at Liverpool. But oh so long ago in footballing years. Let’s wait and see.

Meanwhile, Italian side Lecce are reported to be interested in our Wanchope. A gamble here, for Paulo played so well in the last few games of the season up front with Anelka; “Will Wanchope stay fit?” is the question everyone asks. Or if a true realistic offer is put on the table should we take it whilst Wanchope is still fit?

I think Wanchope wants to stay at City and repay the club for the faith put into him. He has shown the desire by putting in the extra training in the off season, and not risking further injury by not playing for Costa Rica. I think most Blues would like to see Wanchope stay and of course stay fit. Good Luck Paulo!

I trust Kevin Keegan to do the right thing under the circumstances of no cash; wheel and deal the best way he can.

OPINION: LEFT BACKS

Greetings from sunny Portugal. No money for van Buyten, then obviously no money for Nuno Valente. We now have Ben Thatcher, having got rid of Tarnat and Tiatto and being in the process of trying to get rid of Jordan. Down here there’s an excellent left back, playing cultured football, tackling hard, attacking swiftly, slide rule passes etc., everything a club like ours needs. His name: Niclas Jensen. Why oh why oh why?

OPINION: ALL NEW MCIVTA

Readers may recall that in MCIVTA 998 I made a request for an old computer to upgrade the battered old box that was sending out MCIVTA. I would like to thank the various people that replied with offers of help, and particularly to Guy Percival at the University of Manchester who supplied the machine that is now powering MCIVTA.

Tonight’s edition is the first to go out using the new PC, which will hopefully result in faster and more reliable delivery to all readers.

REQUEST: REYNA’S BOOK

Human Kinetics have just published Claudio Reyna’s new book “More Than Goals”.

The story of the United States’ greatest player.

In More Than Goals, Manchester City’s Claudio Reyna and Soccer America’s Mike Woitalla examine the complexities and demands of the sport and the commitment required to play and coach the game at the highest level. This book is part autobiography, part inside story, part social commentary and part advanced instructional guide.

These elements flow together to provide a better understanding and appreciation of the author, as well as a richer grasp of soccer’s unique appeal.

Key Features:

• Unrivalled insight into the author’s background and career.
• Tips, advice and drills grounded in Reyna’s personal experience.
• Foreword by Pelé, generally regarded as the world’s greatest everexponent of the beautiful game.

Claudio Reyna is perhaps the most prolific and successful soccer player ever produced by the US. In addition to captaining the US National Team, Reyna has played for several European clubs. He starred in the Bundesliga for Bayer Leverkusen and VfL Wolfsburg, and spent three seasons in the Scottish Premiership with Rangers where he helped the side to two SPL titles. Following an injury-hit spell with Sunderland, Reyna joined Manchester City in 2003 and is the current US national team captain.

Mike Woitalla is Executive Editor of Soccer America. He has covered the last three World Cups for the magazine and he is the only person to win five awards in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Writing Contest. He also has won two Professional Soccer Reporters of America awards.

More Than Goals will take the reader inside each level of competition and development of the most successful US men’s soccer player. The book enables both an appreciation of what it takes to excel in the sport and professional insights on how to optimise playing techniques and tactics.

More than Goals
ISBN: 0-7360-5171-6
Price: £11.95

MCIVTA FAQ [v0304.07]

[0] MCIVTA Addresses

Articles (Heidi Pickup)          : editor@mcivta.city-fan.org
News/rumour (Don Barrie)         : 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

[1] What are MCIVTA’s publishing deadlines?

Deadlines for issues are nominally 6pm, Monday and Thursday evenings.

[2] 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.

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

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

[4] What supporters’ clubs are there?

Manchester City FC recognises three supporters’ clubs: The “Official Supporters Club” (http://www.mancity.net/osc/); the “Centenary Supporters’ Association” (http://www.reddishblues.com/CSAWebsite/CSA.htm) and “The International Supporters’ Club” (http://www.mcfc.co.uk/article.asp?article=111845&Title=International+Supporters+Club&lid=Membership).

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

The Fans’ Committee operates as an interface between supporters and the club. It has its own website, http://www.mcfc-fans.com/ containing info about forthcoming meetings as well as minutes from previous gatherings.

[6] 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://www.mcfctv.com/, whilst an alternate live commentary service, hosted by Yahoo, is located at http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/foot/englandprem/cal/index.html.

[7] 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://canadatvsoccer.tripod.com/Fixtures.htm, http://www.foxsportsworld.com/named/FSW/Index/Soccer, and http://www.soccertv.com/.

http://www.foxsportsworld.com/content/view?contentId=1288602 also provides a guide to pubs in the USA showing football.

[8] What’s the music the teams run out to?

At the start of the 03/04 season it was actually a mix of two tracks: Starting with “O Verona” (from the film “William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet”) leading in to “Barber’s Adagio for Strings (Ferry Corsten remix)” by William Orbit. The first part is available on the movie soundtrack (volume 2) and the second is included on a variety of CDs such as Kiss House Nation 2000, Galaxy Hit Mix, Cream Live, Ibiza Chill and Dance Nation 4.

Currently we use a selection of different music, which seems to change each game.

[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] Acknowledgements

Thanks go to Damian Quinn, Stephen Webb, Roger Haigh, Martin Price, and Adrian Howarth for the Satellite TV info.

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: