Jonathan Wilson and the "Death Match"

Curbishley and the Charlton syndrome.

The ISL trial is underway in Switzerland.

Johnny Giles thinks that the Italian game is in terminal decline.

FIFA.com takes a gander at teams that remain unbeaten in league play this season.

This BBC article explains how next year’s European places will be divvied out in England.

Gretna hanging on but the end seems to be near.


The chance to focus on the Scottish game doesn’t come around too often but hard on the heels of Rangers making it to the last eight of the UEFA comes the first major final of the season. Rangers has a chance to lift a cup for the first time in three years while in the case of Dundee United it has been closer to fourteen seasons since they had something to celebrate.

The Ibrox turnaround engineered by Walter Smith since his return to the club last January has been incredible. Inheriting a team from French Coach Paul LeGuen that had lost six of twenty-three league games and been knocked out of the Scottish Cup at the first hurdle, Smith went about restoring some much needed confidence and lost only two leagues (the last two and Celtic had already secured the title) the rest of the season.

A place in this season’s Champions League last sixteen proved to be too much but after dropping to the UEFA Cup Rangers have beaten both Panathinaikos and Werder Bremen and await their fate when the draw is made tomorrow (Friday).

Rangers also lead the SPL by three points and have a game in hand over Celtic. However, of the eleven league games still to play Rangers and Celtic have to face each other three times. Both clubs are still alive in the Scottish Cup and have been kept apart in the semi-final round. But first Rangers must see off Partick Thistle in next Wednesday’s rearranged quarter final match.

Rangers may retain an interest in four competitions but Walter Smith is well aware that the Rangers faithful are unforgiving if success is not delivered in regular doses and Sunday provides an opportunity to make it one down and three to go.

It is somewhat ironic that Rangers opponents are Dundee United – the first team Smith faced on his return (a 5-0 win) and a team where he got his coaching start under the legendary Jim McLean. Smith was on United’s coaching staff when they won their first major trophy in 1980 beating Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen in the League Cup Final.

It was the first visible crack in the Old Firm’s domination of Scottish football and by season’s end Aberdeen had won the first of three league titles under Fergie and over the next six seasons Aberdeen and United became known as the “New Firm”.

The next eleven seasons would see United make it to nine domestic finals, the UEFA Cup final, as well as winning the Scottish League and coming within a whisker of a place in the 1984 European Cup Final.

But making it to the final of a competition is one thing, winning is something else and over the ten finals United won only two – the aforementioned League Cup win in 1980 and they repeated the year after.

After McLean’s “retirement” from the dugout after 22-years United went through a cavalcade of managers with a Scottish Cup win over Rangers in 1994 the only highlight. After a televised run-in with a BBC reporter in 2000 the McLean-era began to grind to a conclusion although it would take another couple of years before he sold his shareholding to local businessman and United fanatic Eddie Thompson.

Thompson soon showed himself to be a match for McLean in firing managers as he axed five managers in his first six seasons as owner. It has only been since the arrival of Craig Levein in late 2006 that a level of stability and success has returned to Tannadice.

Levein has United third in the league at the moment and they played Celtic to a scoreless draw at Parkhead on Wednesday night. There is a real sense of optimism around the club that United can at again be a force in Scottish football although the halcyon days enjoyed under McLean are unlikely to return.

But even though some level of success may be in the future for United this might be the last chance that their owner Eddie Thompson will have to see his beloved side lift a Cup. For the man who put his money where his mouth was to the tune of many millions of pounds is battling what looks to be an unwinnable battle with cancer.

Thompson has already put his financial affairs in order with members of his family being appointed to various positions within the club and Levein was appointed to a position on the board of directors a few weeks ago.

United will be taking close to 17,000 to Sunday’s final at Hampden and many will be wearing special tangerine t-shirts to show support for Thompson with proceeds going to fund cancer research.

North American connection - When I first saw Dundee United play in the early sixties they played in various combinations of black and white. So where did their present distinctive tangerine kit come from?

The year after the 1966 World Cup the United Soccer Association (a forerunner to the North American Soccer League) decided to import twelve teams to play during the summer in North America. Each team played under the moniker of their adopted North American city and Dundee United became the Dallas Tornado.

The Tornado colours were tangerine and the idea to change kit was planted back then. The switch was made in 1969 with the first British showing against Everton in pre-season friendly.(check half way down to see a United as Dallas team photo).

United’s centre half Doug Smith – a player who many considered one of the best players never to be capped by Scotland – made the Second All Star team along with some other memorable names.

Neophyte -  Question for all the Arsenal supporters and for Bobby, why did Arsenal not keep Baptista? Do they think Adebayor is better than the "Beast"?

Bobby – Arsenal didn’t keep Baptista because apart from a couple of Carling Cup performances he didn’t play very well. Adebayor is quicker than Baptista, better in the air and is younger. Baptista is more versatile than Adebayor though.

Milanfan - Just wondering what you thought about Milan’s lack of acquisitions this summer. It’s strange that they are so complacent when they were pretty mediocre in Serie A last season, that is compared to the two seasons ago, last season they went down hill and I think that they will continue to decline a bit with their aging team. They have a great starting 11 but whole bench of players that don't really add anything.

Galliani came out and stated he will acquire one of 6 superstar players. Its seems that the names pretty much won't leave their clubs. Which one do you see coming or which one do you think would be the best addition to the Milan squad? Will they go down hill with the squad they have versus other teams in Serie A and Europe getting stronger?

Bobby – Is this the same Milan that won the Champions League last season as they went downhill? I’ll wait to see who they sign before dropping in my two cents worth. There is still a long way to go before the transfer window closes.

henry14 - q1. Martin O’Neill is highly rated and has an open cheque book from Lerner, what do you think will happen if Villa do not improve, because last year they were boos when they were awful and what do you make of a coach with that money signing Harewood?
Q2 One pundit said that people are over hyping Man United signings, and he said so far the only signing that could improve them immediately is Hargreaves, Nana and Anderson will take two more years to be anywhere near very good Prem players. What is your take to such a quote?
Q3 Drogba has had two or so years saying, he wants to quit Chelsea and he wants them to match his ambition, and it pops up here and then do you see Drogba at Chelsea in the next two years given his desire to play in another league?
Q4 What do you make of Wigan signing of Sibierski and Bramble etc, should Wigan fans fear?
Q5 Who is the best Prem player ever or rather since its inception?
q6 Alan Curbishley came out to take a swipe at Fergie that he claimed Tevez had won West Ham relegation battle was that tongue in cheek and what do you make of the comments?
q7 In one word will Tevez be a United player come August 31

Bobby – A1 – A loaded question and one that is largely unanswerable. What is the definition of not improve? Does that mean the same league position as last season? Does it anticipate a full squad all season or injury ravaged? I have a question back to you – what do you make of a coach who would sign Chris Sutton when he was virtually a laughing stock at Chelsea? O'Neill's strength is getting the best out of players and he likes big strong forwards. Harewood fits the mold.
A2 – It sounds like a fairly good assessment to me.
A3 – If he has been saying for two years then why is he still at Chelsea? Actions speak louder than words and I really think you have to be careful reading things into “interviews”. As for Chelsea matching his ambition I can only think he must have his eye on the position of All-Gallatic Emperor. Who in their right mind would claim that Chelsea is a team without ambition- give me a break.
A4 – Relegation.
A5 – Best in terms of what? Influence, scoring, defending, entertainment, success. Best is not an objective term.
A6 – Managers say a lot of things when microphones are stuffed in front of them. In the bigger picture what they say almost always means very little.
A7 – Maybe.

Henry14 - What is your opinion on Sven’s signing, l do not like the man very much but he has brought cheap and quality players.

Bobby – I wouldn’t underestimate Sven at the club level given his record in other leagues but I am not expecting Manchester City to be an entertaining side this season. Bianchi is a high risk signing.

Icemonkey - What's your take on Senderos and Walcott? I would be more than willing to give Walcott a chance, but I think that Senderos must Goooooooooooooo. Maybe we could loan him to an Italian side where he would get regular playing time, maybe that would help him. If not, he should have no future with a top-four club in any league.

Bobby – Two young players that we have yet to see the best of. I would be surprised if Wenger loaned Senderos out. If he thinks he has a future at Arsenal then he will keep him and work with him daily. If not, he will let him go.

An incredible number of postings this week - thanks as always - particularly for keeping the tone civil. For the other semi final I will post a couple of stories and open it up for your thoughts pre and post game.

Meanwhile here are responses to some of this week's questions.

Realmadridccfan - 1. How do you interpret the Canadian Soccer Association's handling of trying to find a head coach for the Men's national team?

2. Do you think that Sunderland would not be going up to the Premiership for next season if Roy Keane was not the Manager? Would he be your Manager of the year in England if you had to pick a Manager of the year?

3. What is your assessment of the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup final? I thought it was quite an exciting tie.

Bobby – 1. I have a couple of questions i have asked the CSA to answer and one i receive the answers I will post a response to your question.

2) I cannot say categorically but I can safely say that Niall Quinn made the right move when - as the Chairman of the club - he fired himself as manager. My pick for Manager of the Year in England would Geraint Williams of Colchester. He replaced Phil Parkinson who skipped to Hull City in the summer – then got fired – and given the resources that Williams has at his disposal Colchester’s record this season is amazing.

3) I didn’t enjoy the second leg as much as the first. The teams looked to be more nervous than in the first game. It was still a good game to watch and some well taken penalties.

Wickedzoot - So what's the deal with Big Sam?
MeanSucka - What are you hearing about Big Sam? Is he headed to City or to Newcastle? Or will he replace McClaren?

Bobby – At the moment we have to take what has been said at face value and accept that he is leaving for his own reasons. A manager taking a break is becoming more common especially in situations where their team may have topped out. Gordon Strachan leaving Southampton and Alan Curbishley quitting Charlton are two examples that spring to mind. You can understand where they are coming from. Better to quit while you are ahead and with your reputation in tact rather than waiting around for the rot to set in. I cannot see Sam Allardyce ever getting the England job.

MeanSucka - I only hope Spain's race ends with such a flurry. It would be nice for Becks to bring a La Liga title with him to the HDC. How do you like his chances?

Who do you think would win in a match between Gretna and Toronto FC?

Bobby – It has not been the type of football that Real Madrid fans expect but they are still in the hunt for La Liga. The match with Sevilla this weekend will decide which of the two main challengers has the best shot of stopping Barcelona. I still believe Barcelona holds a significant each given the schedule they face but they have been quite unimpressive the last few weeks – particularly away from home.

Gretna would not lose at the moment unless it went to penalty kicks. In the long run Toronto FC will produce a better side than Gretna. 

Spike24 - Your question about dogs and great games reminds me of a question I've been meaning to ask. When Americans say they don't like soccer because there isn't enough scoring, soccer fans basically look down their noses on the brute and chastise him for not appreciating other elements. Then, when a 0-0 draw occurs, those same soccer fans bemoan how boring the game was. You rarely hear people complaining about a boring 3-2 match, even if the quality of play is somewhat poor or equal to that of the 0-0 draw. So, if the soccer fans look down on Americans for focusing on goals too much, how come those same hardcore soccer fans then privately complain about a lack of goals amongst themselves?

Bobby – I think you will find that the majority of fans can differentiate between an enjoyable game that finishes 0-0 and a bad game that finishes 0-0. I would suggest that what upsets them is when a game that finishes 0-0 is automatically written off as a bad game by non-soccer loving sports fans when that is not necessarily the case.

RINGO - This week’s trivia. Who are the only EPL team that have had one name and one home? And who are the only team that where admitted to The Football League without ever having played a game?

Bobby – Chelsea and I don’t know.

digity - What do you think about Man U's Park Ji Sung? In my opinion he is a very under rated player, and I’m very disappointed that he has had such a difficult season with injuries. I think he brings a lot to the team whenever he plays - he might not be as good on the ball as some of his team mates but his exceptional movement and his willingness to support the team makes him stand out. I'll be really looking forward to seeing him play next season.

Bobby – A good player who relies heavily on his conditioning.

Shoot-all-divers - When you think about the relative success Man U have had this season (regardless of how many trophies they may or may not lift), does it make you wonder if Sir Alex held on to Roy Keane a bit too long?

They won the treble in 1999 only after being forced to rebuild after losing Eric Cantona -- around whom the world supposedly revolved. We were similarly told that Keano was the heart and soul of the squad, without whom Man U would never progress past other elite clubs. Funny how Man U doesn’t seem to miss old Roy that much (at all?) and in fact seem to be prospering in his absence.

Being a DC United fan has sharpened my awareness to the issue of heroes overstaying their usefulness. We had to dump a local legend (Marco Etchevery) to win our 4th MLS title a few years ago. Now it's the same deal with Jamie Moreno. We adore the guy, but I wonder if he's holding us back.

Your thoughts?

Bobby – Eric Cantona retired in 1997 and the treble was won two seasons later. However, I don’t remember Fergie rebuilding the team after Cantona retired. Sheringham may have been signed but who else? Same goes for Keane – a rebuilt team – I wouldn’t say so. Teams mature and change constantly and as such the point you make is mute. You could easily argue that if Rooney and Ronaldo had been showing their current form 16 months ago that United would have been in contention for another treble last season with Keane in the side. Players and managers are part of a continuum – it is like claiming that Bill Shankly held Liverpool back and the proof is that Liverpool only won the European Cup after he quit.

Some might claim that United held on to Denis law to long but they were relegated the year after they let him go. Does that prove that they should have held on to him?

MasMaz - I don't know about your commitments but you should do the report on Wednesdays also, especially during Champs league weeks.

Bobby – It is a nice thought but I have other things I have to do during the week and so a regular Wednesday spot isn’t really possible.

RINGO - I notice an English team won the Scottish Third Division this year!

Bobby – The Spirit of Jock Wallace lives on!

Ulsterson - I saw that FA classic game the other night on FSC: Scotland vs. England in '79. Heart-breaker for the Tartan Army but fun to watch Dalglish, Souness, Keegan, Brooking, and the rest. I haven't seen such a rough game since I watched my Shore Road Hatchet Men (also known as The Shore Road Brazilians/Crusaders!!) in the Irish league. It was brutal at times. The ref called for an indirect kick in the box (a call option mentioned by Bobby last night...) for dangerous play/high leg, when penalty would be the call today. The old matches make it easy to see how today's rules have been adjusted to improve goal production by protecting players, which is a wise idea, but seeing how it was then, arouses contempt for the theatrics and log-rolling seen now, whenever a player is brushed with so much as the wind (and before this starts Man U bashing: they all almost to a man feign agony, foul or not)

On the lighter side, the drunken Scot who ran onto the field in the first half did look a bit like our favorite pundit. The quick little #### avoided the peelers for a bit too!! Nothing you want to come clean about Bobby???

Bobby – Sorry to disappoint but I had just moved to Canada and wasn't at the game. However, Scotland’s loss to England that day (3-1 I believe) happened to be the same day that I met my first wife. In retrospect invading Wembley would have been a better option!

Digity - Please enlighten us on the art of the assist...it is one area I feel is constantly overshadowed by the goal itself. Course, nothing's greater than a great goal, but sometimes watching that sublime inch perfect long ball or inspired through pass can make my knees weak. Scholes lob for Rooney's first against AC Milan was one of those - just mind-bogglingly (?) awesome.

Bobby – Over the last few seasons we have seen assists being recorded by more results services. I agree that it is well overdue and provides those of us who follow statistics closely with another bellweather.

Neophyte - I think you may have touched on this before...Is Van der Sar looking rather shaky of late. My confidence in him has faltered a bit. With the defense in front of him being ravaged with injury, I am not so sure of a stellar performance against the goal hungry group of Milan. Tim Howard was ushered out of Manchester and made the goat for their loss in Europe. Will Van der Sar meet the same fate as Tim if he has a less than brilliant game? At this point would you rather have Howard or VdS between the posts if you're SAF? I believe Howard has out played VdS this year...your thoughts?

Bobby – I have suggested on a few occasions that VdS’s weakness is long shots. I don’t have the stats to prove it but my observation goes back to his Juve days. However, I don’t think you can transfer Howard’s performance with Everton with how he would play with Manchester United. Tim Howard has still to prove that the can play at highest level season and season out.

Henry14 - Q1 l am a fan of Adebayor and feel he is still young because Eto’o was not a 20 goal man at 23 but do you see 25 goals in him?
Q2 - Do you feel Gerrard deserves a place in the PFA team ahead of Gilberto or Essien?
Q3 - Would Madrid sack Capello if he won the title?

Rwonfootball - What happens to Fabio Capello if Real Madrid does win the title?

Bobby – 1. I can’t see Adebayor notching 25 goals a season but 15 to 20 is definitely a possibility. Even without 25 goals Adebayor gives Arsenal a different look when he plays and on that account alone he his worth his place in the squad. 2. If you are trying to pick a balanced team then it is not a choice of Gerrard or Gilberto as they play very different roles. If you are picking the four most exciting midfield players then Gerrard would get the nod over Gilberto. Either way I could not leave Essien out. 3. Capello is gone no mater what?

Venti_vidi_vici - What did you think of the first semi final, and what are you forward to in the second semi final and what do you expect to see?

Bobby – There was some very nervous football being played today. I would hope the play is better tomorrow but with the same tension in the air. I commented on the FSR last night that Fergie might decide to go at Milan given that the United back four might be problematic. I picked a Liverpool – Milan final and will stick with it but I also accept, that just like the game today, the difference between the teams is miniscule. 

 

Premiership and Championship teams take a break from league action this weekend as the focus turns to the third round of the FA Cup. While it is at this stage when most fans turn their attention to the oldest knock out competition in the world there has already been eight rounds of action.

The search for FA Cup glory has already been passed from Jarrow Roofing Boldon C.A. to Fleetwood Town to Salisbury City and on to Nottingham Forest. In the second round Forest was potential giant-kill prey to Conference side Salisbury City. This time around they get to play the role of hunter. 

Premiership Charlton will visit the City Ground on Saturday with an ever increasing list of problems. After 15 years in charge (the first five as co manager with Steve Gritt) Alan Curbishley called time at the end of last season. Since two other managers have come and gone and Curbishley has swapped clubs with Alan Pardew who is now looking to dig Charlton out of relegation problems.

Six points from Premiership safety, without an away win in well over a year, knocked out of the Carling Cup by Chesterfield (currently in mid-table in League One), and with top scorer and potential saviour Darren Bent out for a month with knee trouble, the troubles are mounting at the Valley.

A month ago Forest would have been relishing the thought of putting one over on a Premiership side in the FA Cup but a series of set-backs (only one win in five games since beating Salisbury City in the second round replay) may have the Midland’s club worrying more about their own league form.

Forest, who finished with only nine players after Clingan and Cullip were sent off, dropped out of top two for the first time since August when they were humiliated 5-0 by Oldham on New Year’s day. While Premiership safety is the priority for Charlton, automatic promotion is vital for Colin Calderwood’s charges.

As well as missing Clingan and Cullip on Saturday through suspension it looks as if Forest will also be without Kris Commons who caught the eye in the televised second round games. The tricky forward is injured and missed the game against Oldham. Commons is out-of-contract this summer and although talks have been held no resolution is in sight. A couple of weeks ago Steve Claridge ran the rule over Commons and pinpointed his strengths and a few problems that may well frighten off Championship and Premiership teams that have shown an interest.

Neither time can boast of a stellar FA Cup record although both have won the fabled trophy. For Charlton FA Cup Final appearance came in the two seasons after WWII. In 1946 they lost to Derby County 4-1 after extra time. This final gained some notoriety as prior to the 1946 final Derby County was said to have carried a Cup-curse placed on the team by a gypsy. You can read about the curse and another oddity involving the game ball by following the marked links. (Jose and Fergie – are you ready to invoke curses yet?)

Charlton returned to Wembley the year after and again the game went to extra time but this time the London club scored the only goal of the game to beat Burnley.

Nottingham Forest won the FA Cup in 1898 by beating Derby County (see curse!) 3-1 but it took over six decades before they were to lift the trophy again. In 1959 Forest beat Luton 2-1 with goals from Roy Dwight and Tommy Wilson. Dwight (uncle to Reg Dwight or Sir Elton John as he is more readily recognized) broke his leg that day but Forest held on with only 10-men (no substitutes) to lift the Cup.

Forest returned to Wembley in 1991 but lost to Spurs 2-1. The Final was again marked by a serious injury albeit one inflicted by the injured players own rash challenge – this time it was Paul Gascoigne.

The third round draw can be found here and this is a link to the latest news from the official FA Cup website. The winners pocket around $80,000 in prize money and a place in the 4th round draw.

FSC  FA Cup  listings can be found here.

Featured Games to date.
Extra Preliminary Round        Jarrow Roofing Boldon C.A.    5-2     Billingham Synthonia.
Preliminary Round                 Jarrow Roofing Boldon C.A     5-4     Thackley F.C
First Qualifying Round            Fleetwood Town                    3-0      Jarrow Roofing Boldon C.A.
Second Qualifying Round      Fleetwood Town                    4-2      Goole AFC 
Third Qualifying Round          Fleetwood Town                    2-0      Warrington Town
Fourth Qualifying Round        Fleetwood Town                    2-0      Wisbech Town
First Round                             Salisbury City                         3-0      Fleetwood Town
Second Round                       Salisbury City                         1-1      Nottingham Forest
Second Round Replay           Nottingham Forest                  2-0      Salisbury City          

Only one of the teams that finished 11th through 15th last season showed an improvement on the previous season. Even then, Fulham could only look to an improvement of one place from 13th to 12th and that was not a true reflection of a season where the relegation zone was a constant threat.

Everton fans will be hoping that the pattern of David Moyes’ four full seasons in charge continue. It has been a yo-yo existence 2003 – 7th, 2004 - 17th, 2005 – 4th and last season 11th. Moreover, given a much-improved second half to last season the indications are that it could mean that Everton is again challenging for a top 10 spot. Last season the goal-scoring department at Goodison was simply woeful with only 34 goals – a record club low – in the 38 Premiership games. It would have been substantially less if James Beattie had not started hitting the target in December. He finished with ten goals and finally showed why David Moyes had splashed out a club record fee to sign him in January 2005.

Now Beattie will be partnered with the club’s new record signing Andy Johnson. For $17m, Everton has a lightning quick main striker who should be good for 15 goals this season. Over the last decade, the best has been Kevin Campbell’s even dozen in the 1999/2000 season.

After arriving on loan from Manchester United Tim Howard will be looking to take Nigel Martyn’s starting position between the sticks although the sometimes-bumbling Richard Wright will be hoping for the same thing. The signing of Joleon Lescott from Wolves will bolster the back four with the biggest doubt being Lescott’s dodgy knees. If he avoids injury, Lescott could turn out to be a snip at $9m.

Fulham’s manager Chris Coleman will again be one of the favourites to be the first manager sacked once the season is underway. He came under severe pressure last season as the Cottagers spend much of the season flirting with relegation. For the second straight season, it was Fulham’s inability to keep the ball out of their net that caused a problem.

Over their first three seasons in the Premiership Fulham conceded 44, 50, and 46 goals. Over the last two seasons, the total has grown to 60 and last season 58. To date is difficult to see how Coleman intends to plug his leaky back four. Twenty-year-old central defender Gabriel Zakuani has been signed from Leyton Orient while last week Frank Queudre arrived from Boro to compete for the left back position. Jimmy Bullard will add something to the Fulham midfield but without a solid defense, it might be another season spent eyeing the Premiership trap door.

Alan Curbishley has moved on from the Valley leaving Ian Dowie the challenge of getting more out a Charlton squad that seems stuck in mid-table purgatory. The last six seasons have seen league placings of 9, 14, 12, 7, 11, and 13. Relegation rarely a concern; Europe a win or two too far.

Dowie might be able to coax some exceptional performances out of the squad early on but at the end of the day, it is likely to be the same old mid-table finish. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink continues his multi-season run to retirement after being released by Boro while American Cory Gibbs will get a chance to improve a defense that tended at times to fall apart last season. Eleven times Charlton conceded three or more goals in a game.

Middlesbrough is another club under new management as Gareth Southgate moves from the centre of the defense to the manager’s office. On the face of it Southgate would appear to have the makings o####ood manager – articulate, knowledgeable, and with solid international experience. The problem with throwing him into the deep end is if he falters early on, it may prove to be terminal. Boro continue to be linked with central defenders and it seems certain that at least one will arrive before the kick off to the season.

Chairman Steve Gibson has invested millions in the youth academy and there are signs that the investment is ready to pay off with a steady stream of youngsters ready to make the next big step. It is interesting to note that in the last game of the 2005/06 season Boro fielded the first all-English Premiership starting line-up since Bradford in December 1999 and the first all-English squad since Villa the season previous.

It will not have escaped the notice of City fans that the form exhibited by the blue team of Manchester from Christmas onwards was horrible. In fact, if the season had started at Christmas Manchester City would have been relegated. Over the close season, the City of Manchester Stadium has seen 16 players either arrive or leave. As well, manager Stuart Pearce has been able to sign youngsters Joey Barton and Micah Richards to long-term deals.

The arrival of Didi Hamann on a multi-year deal will help solidify the midfield and probably allow Pearce to rotate the German with Claudio Reyna. The much-traveled French midfielder Ousmane Dabo is another addition although City fans have a right to be skeptical of foreign signings given their relatively poor track record of the years. Bernardo Corradi also fits that bill although the former Lazio and Valencia man is a big powerful forward who has in the past, worked his butt off.