Newsletter #1540

A big thank you to Paul R for stepping in so ably as guest editor over the past fortnight and ensuring McV went out.

Fingers crossed that this edition gets out as the thunder and lightening strikes are getting frighteningly close and I think just hit nearby!

Tonight we have opinion on Dunne, transfers both City and general, the manager and a 5-a-side update.

With Hart, Onuoha and Richards in action at the European U21 tournament in Sweden, if anyone’s out there that can give an update on performances that would be greatly appreciated.

OPINION: DUNNE NOT DONE

Just wanted to echo John Coen’s thoughts on Richard Dunne’s performance for Ireland vs. Bulgaria. He was unbelievably good. Won every header, every tackle, nothing got past him as well as scoring a great (free!) header. There was a lad from Preston (Sean St Ledger) making his competitive début alongside Dunne in central defence and honestly he may as well not have been there, because Dunne was so dominant.

This led to a very interesting conversation after the match among the learned analysts on Irish TV (Johnny Giles, Ronnie Whelan and Eamon Dunphy) about why Dunne has been excellent all season for Ireland (which he has) and not performed well for City. They were comparing him positively to Vidic, proclaiming him one of the best centre halves of recent years. Their consensus was that Mark Hughes and Dunne must not get along too well and Dunne isn’t comfortable playing for him. These analysts are particularly good at giving baseless opinion, which is usually very entertaining, but often way off the mark! However, I have to agree that for Ireland under Trappatoni, Dunne has been as steady as the previous 4 years at City. And there’s certainly not better players alongside him at international level (Kevin Kilbane at left back?!).

I for one would be gutted if he left; based on Irish performances he still has plenty to offer.

OPINION: TRANSFERS

The current transfer window does not close until August 31. City got off to a fast start by signing Gareth Barry, whom most City supporters and fans are very pleased about.

Since then things have slowed down, but we must remember the window has more than two months to go. I think that we all would agree that it is more important to get in the right players, and as long as we get them we can endure any wait.

Of course it will be better for everyone if the new players are signed soon so that the new season can be better prepared for. The players that City are about to release also need to know their futures.

I wait like everyone else on the edge of my seat for Tevez to sign for MCFC. So many conflicting reports in the media, I still keep my fingers crossed (makes typing kind of awkward). Could be at the end of June when his loan contract ends with the Rags.

Media say Santa Cruz is to have a “strict medical” at MCFC early this week; the player has been plagued with injuries to his knees – any player can be injured at any time, it’s just that some happen to be more unlucky than other players. If Santa Cruz and Bellamy both get injured at the same time that will not look too good for Sparky, and yet it could happen to any player, it’s just that we know the two players’ history of injuries, a risk I fear, but so is every other player. I would prefer to see a striker gets stuck in and go for every ball, than hold back in case of injury.

I certainly wish every player who plays for City an injury free season.

It will be a very good signing if we can sign Glen Johnson from Pompey; it looks like Liverpool will be the big danger here, being that Johnson has made a remark about Champions’ League football, they have the advantage. Chelsea let him go, so he might not wish to return; our carrot is money and a great future.

Come on you Blues! In Sparky I trust.

OPINION: PLATINI’S PLATITUDES

For those waiting on Platini’s opinion of the Ronaldo deal:

http://www.sportinglife.com/football/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/09/06/11/SOCCER_Man_Utd_Platini.html

The £80 million transfer fee for Cristiano Ronaldo has been described as “excessive” by UEFA president Michel Platini.

Real Madrid’s offer for the Portuguese winger, which has been accepted by Manchester United, follows soon after the Spanish club’s £56 million swoop for Kaka.

Platini said in a statement: “These excessive transfers are happening almost every day. These transfers represent a serious challenge to the idea of fair play and the concept of financial balance in our competitions. UEFA are working hard with clubs to establish a new set of rules as soon as is possible to clean up the system and give it a more solid and more transparent base. That is our top priority today.”

OPINION: SUPPORT

For the so called supporters of Manchester City FC who just continually run down the club, manager, and players because there is nothing ever positive for you with the club Manchester City, may I suggest another club for you to support? You will be much happier, and we won’t have to read all your attacks on everyone at MCFC.

To have some disagreement with something is everyone’s right, but to just run down everything in sight? I question your intentions as a supporter.

The word “supporter” means support not run the club down at everything you can think of. We shall all find something to disagree on, and it is fair to give one’s opinion, but be negative with everything?

Come on you Blues! In Sparky I trust.

OPINION: THE MANAGER

Totally agree with Paul Hunt’s comments (MCIVTA 1539) concerning Mark Hughes. Paul forgot to mention that, in addition, the manager is tactically bankrupt.

Just how many car park spaces are there at the Carrington training ground?

THANKS: 5-A-SIDE UPDATE

A million thanks to all who took part or helped with the MCFC Centenary Supporters’ Association sponsored, Fund Raising 5-a-side Competition on Saturday 13th June at the Platt Lane Complex.

A sunny day saw 24 teams, including an Old Boys team, sportingly battle it out for the trophies and certificates. The eventual and deserved winners were Inter-City. The football on offer was first class and the Old Boys had the class to win all their 3 games without conceding a single goal. Captain of the Old Boys, Andy May, did the honours at the end of the football.

The day wasn’t just about playing football though. It was more about supporters, the club, some Old Boys and others coming together to support a fellow Blue who through the result of a tragic accident, whilst supporting City, is having a difficult time.

Members of Carl’s family attended and gave us their thanks and an update on Carl’s slow but steady progress. Markus Rehse from Schalke 04, who has raised much for the Appeal and given much practical support to the family whilst Carl was hospitalised in Germany attended and was a much welcomed guest.

All referees gave their services free of charge. Many branches and teams taking part paid more than the entrance fee to bolster the amount raised. I got a cheque for £50 from a Blue who wanted to support the Appeal in his own way. Carl’s family are overwhelmed and deeply grateful for the generosity of so many City supporters. The bottom line is the 5-a-side raised a magnificent and much needed £988 for the Appeal.

Once again, a million thanks to all.

MCIVTA FAQ [v0708.01]

[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.

[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 Points of Blue (formerly the Fans’ Committee)?

The committee operates as an interface between supporters and the club. Points of Blue appears on the club website as a minor entry under “Fans Zone”.

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

The Radio Manchester (née GMR) pre and post match phone-in is available on the web at http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/sport/manchester_city/index.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://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer, 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.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: