Academy update.

As promised, I nipped down to the construction site of our new Academy site on Tuesday and have taken a few snaps for your interest and information.

 

 

Not a GREAT deal to look at yet to be honest. However, not only was access somewhat understandably limited…I didn’t check the flippin’ camera battery before I left the house! So I had to be both swift and selective; literally having to turn it on and quickly take a shot before it turned itself off again! I also had my mum in tow who had very reluctantly joined me before being taken to an appointment close by – I bet the Sharon, the Manchester City official Photographer, doesn’t have these problems whenever she’s out & about with her considerably larger and much better camera…

Sharon Latham

 

 

First of all, some pictures released on the WEB last year of the site…



Location

Artist impression

Tight squeeze

Even though I’d seen the artist impression above many times, I can’t get over when stood next to it just how close to the edge-corner the 7,500 (apparently) seater stadium was! It’s really squeezed in next to Manchester Road / Alan Turing Way. In fact, to me it doesn’t appear to leave much room for the planned bridge from the Etihad Stadium (over the junction of those two roads) to land at the new site. Having said that, the video below does show that the bridge soon splits off into two directions at the corner of the Academy Stadium (that's why I'm no Architect...).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the floodlights that will be used for the peripheral training pitches have been up for quite a few weeks now…

 

Opening for the 2014/2015 season, it’s not only “blue” but also very “green” from what I can recall being told last year.

• Underground rainwater recycling units (already installed)
• 3,000 imported German variety trees which, apparent, give off more oxygen that your “standard” tree
• Importing of a certain variety of butterflies (the reason, which, escapes me – high pollinators perhaps?)
• Importing of a particular type of field mice; known for its ability to help the soil in some way (I told you it was last year I heard all of this; don’t expect anything more technical than that…)
• A winter garden area in one of the buildings
• And, I’m sure, plenty of solar panels and energy saving & creating devices…

In addition, 100s of local jobs created and fantastic facilities for the local community; promoting social inclusion, health and education.

 

 

 

And finally the video I’m sure most of you have seen by now…

 

Manchester City – Ruining football since 23^rd September 2008…

 

Didn't go...

So City had their 'City Live' event (or whatever it was called) the other night. I didn't go and didn't City just know about it - I got an e-mail from them the following day asking me why! So I told them that, basically, apart from it being good for the kids, I'm sure; I saw it as something of an embarrassment. To me it smacked of the Thaksin Shinawatra start-of-season party in Albert Square in 2007 and I told them that such parties should be done AFTER the season...if there's something to celebrate. I might sound like a right old Scrooge but it just seems slightly arrogant of us to be laying on such a thing before a proper ball is kicked...

Won't be seeing...

So it's Arsenal today in our last pre-season friendly. And where will I be? Somewhere between Stalybridge and Batley on a Real Ale Trail. Missing the game hurts a bit (I'm really getting the giddy bug now) but I suppose there are worse places to be when missing the Blues on TV. Slightly hung-over, I'm sure; I'll probably watch 'that lot' against Wigan tomorrow in the Community Shield.

 

More transfer movement before we start?

All has gone a little bit quiet on the transfer front (apart from this recently-linked Willian fella) with regards to defenders. Nastasic is out for up to 6 weeks with his ankle knock and there's no news about Lescott extending his contract...likewise with (the otherwise seemingly happy) Micah Richards. No news on Kolarov leaving (booooo...) and links with central defenders from a variety of clubs has cooled off somewhat.

Scott Sinclair appears to be on his way out (that was painful watching him being paraded on stage at the City Live event) but there's a stumbling block about whether it'll be on loan on a sale. Whether it's West Bromwich Albion, Newcastle United or someone else; I think both City and Scott want a permanent move to be resolved soon.

I can't see this being my last blog before the season starts so I'm sure we'll all know more by then...

 

Predictions!

Neck on the line time! I'm not normally a big predictor of the game being, as it is, an often unpredictable sport. That's part of its great attraction, isn't it?

 

And although we appear, for the most part, to be shaking off the shackles of 'typical City' and are becoming a little less of the 'great unpredictables' that we've come to both love and often despair of down the years; predicting City is still an unsettling and somewhat dodgy pastime.

And I do this before teams have even finished strengthening and, in some cases, weakening their teams...and they have a further 30 days (to date) to complete their business.

So why am I doing it? Well although I've tried to be as logical and as accurate as possible, it's just a bit of fun really. Should Liverpool sell Suarez to Arsenal, The Gunners might well pip Spurs to 4th spot and Liverpool might not finish as high as I've said they might. Manyoo might not buy anyone other than a 28-year old Everton left-back and might, therefore, not even finish in the top 4; then again they might sign Cesc Fabregas, keep Wayne Rooney and make a challenge to retain their Premier League crown. Steve Bruce might surprise me and keep Hull City up...

You just never know...but here goes!

League fixture list for 2013/2014

August                                  Start of season prediction
Newcastle United (H)                              W

Cardiff City (A)                                         W

Hull City (H)                                              W

 

September
Stoke City (A)                                          W

Manyoo (H)                                              D

Aston Villa (A)                                         W

 

October
Everton (H)                                               W

West Ham United (A)                               D

Chelsea (A)                                               L

 

November
Norwich City (H)                                      W

Sunderland (A)                                         D

Tottenham Hotspur (H)                           W

Swansea City (H)                                     W

 

December
West Bromwich Albion (A)                      W

Southampton (A)                                      D

Arsenal (H)                                                W

Fulham (A)                                                W

Liverpool (H)                                             W

Crystal Palace (H)                                     W

January
Swansea City (H)                                      W

Newcastle United (A)                                D

Cardiff City (H)                                          W

Tottenham Hotspur (A)                            L

February
Chelsea (H)                                              W

Norwich City (A)                                      W

Sunderland (H)                                        W

Stoke City (H)                                          W

March
Manyoo (A)                                              D

Aston Villa (H)                                         W

Hull City (A)                                             W

Fulham (H)                                               W

Arsenal (A)                                               D

 

April
Southampton (H)                                     W

Liverpool (A)                                             D

West Bromwich Albion (H)                      W

Crystal Palace (A)                                    W

May

Everton (A)                                                L

West Ham United (H)                               W

W / L / D:

Won – 27

Drawn – 8

Lost – 3

2013/2014 league finishing places:

  1^st Manchester City

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

  2^nd Chelsea

  3^rd Manyoo

  4^th Tottenham Hotspur 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

  5^th Arsenal

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

  6^th Liverpool

  7^th  Swansea City

  8^th Sunderland

  9^th Southampton

10^th West Bromwich Albion

11^th West ham United

12^th Everton

13^th Norwich City

14^th Newcastle United

15^th Aston Villa

16^th Cardiff City

17^th Fulham

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

18^th Stoke City

19^th Crystal Palace

20^th Hull City

 

As you can see, these result predictions would give us 89 points - the same as Manyoo finished on last season. And although I doubt that we'll finish 11 points clear of Chelsea, I think that'll be enough for us to finish a few points clear of Jose Mourinho's side.

Going off my predictions, we'll manage to get rid of our Britannia Stadium hoodoo, thanks largely to Mark Hughes taking over form Tony Pulis (sorry Mark). We should fare a little better than recent seasons away at Sunderland but despite a change in Manager; I don't think we'll quite shake off our Goodison Park frustrations for some reason - leaving for a tense final home game?

Tottenham away will be tricky as will Stamford Bridge - both of which complete our 3 defeats of the season.

As for the Derbies...I'm getting splinters from sitting on the fence with 2 draws.

Will the league end up looking like this come 11th May 2014? Probably not...but I recon I won't be too far off. Chelsea worry me more than anyone else. Jose took over a very, VERY good squad of players and have strengthened even further. Furthermore, although some football pundits are saying that 'you should never go back'; he is a quality Manager and, crucially, has Premier League experience. If anyone is going to beat us to the Championship it'll be the Londoners.

And although I've put them 4th, if Manyoo don't strengthen in the next month, they should be very worried about Spurs. With or without Gareth Bale they'll be an improved team this season and may even push us & Chelsea all the way.

Love, love, love…

Most of us knew that it would be the case with Samir Nasri; but it would seem like Edin Dzeko is also feeling the Pellegrini love.

And, once again, Manchester City fans ‘in the know’ just knew that a change in manager and style of play – specifically bringing in at least one new winger and literally widening our options – would see a very different Dzeko to the one we painfully witnessed last season.

An all-too familiar pose last season...

But even I didn’t expect such a quick and dramatic change in the big Bosnian and although it’s “just” pre-season games I’m referring to; he looks to be on fire! And, apparently, it’s not just a change in formation / style / tactics that is suiting Edin; friendly chats and confidence-boosting words from our new father-figure manager have really boosted his self-belief.

Sharp contrast

At times last year it wasn’t just the fact that he couldn’t trap or control a ball. It wasn’t even that he just looked generally awkward and frustrated being forced to, as he was, receive the ball with his back to goal. I don't know about anyone else but he also annoyed the hell out of me with his dour demeanour...even before a ball had been kicked sometimes (Everton away in particular springs to mind).

Po-faced performances from the ‘big guy’ lead me to call for him to be ‘moved on’ in the summer towards the end of last season…and that was despite him being our top scorer with (a lowly) 14 goals; as well as with the knowledge that he WAS being played in the wrong way by Mancini.

Dzeko celebrating a great strike against Sunderland in Asia

 

But confidence and happiness in your work DOES make the world of difference and we all know that strikers in particular thrive on the “C” word. You’d never have found Roberto putting his arm around a player (apart from his pet Mario of course) and giving them friendly, moral boosting words, would you?

As much as I loved him for the success he brought to our Football Club and, in fact, I thought he was somewhat harshly treated in the end; Mancini’s failing is definitely Pellegrini’s strength.

Not the best relationship

And that strength brings me onto Samir “le-sulk” Nasri. What a player we signed when we eventually prised him away from Arsenal in what was a long, drawn-out affair. Even Manyoo fans have very recently told me that they were gutted to see him arrive at the Etihad rather than Cold Trafford.

But I just assumed that the long transfer saga was Arsenal playing hardball and/or Wenger’s understandable reluctance to see one of his best players leave. But I now wonder just how much of it was down to Samir clinging on to his father-figure Manager like a panicking child clinging onto his comfort blanket?

Samir’s first season was a very good one indeed. But as the reality of his new, cold-heated Manager dawned on him after his honeymoon period with City ended; his performances then nosed dived! Like most of the rest of the squad (again apart from mollycoddled Balotelli) working at City was just no fun at all for Samir…and, like Edin, didn’t we just see it reflected in Nasri’s performances?

 

Love, it seems, was all that these two needed and I wonder just how many of the other players will be lifted by another 10 or 20% this season; with comforting, moral-boosting words from 'the daddy' Manuel?

Pre-season almost done – not long now!

I didn’t get to see much of the Audi Cup, which is part of the reason I’ve not posted anything for almost a week. I did get to see one half of the AC Milan game…the bloody second half! What bad luck is that?! A 5-3 thriller but for all intents and purposes for me; it may as well have been 0-0.

I wish I’d have seen the Milan game not just for the shear amount of goals but because I’ve heard that Jovetic in particular had a really good game. I’ve still to watch the available extended highlights on City’s WEB site so I’ll have a look soon enough. Just out of interest, though - and for a bit of a laugh - I had a look at the 60 second highlights of the Milan game just to see how City's WEB Team managed to squeeze in all 8 goals into 1 minute’s footage. It was an amusing case of…don’t blink!

By all accounts we’re really taking shape now – looking sharp and organised (excusing the 3 goal, 8-minute collapse against Milan of course).

Any concerns?

Aguero's knee.

Nastasic's ankle
Kolarov is still at City.
The Club not bringing out a good, Manchester City-like 3^rd kit to make up for the disappointing 2nd strip.

Really looking forward to?

Seeing Negredo.

Seeing Jovetic.
Seeing Navas.
Seeing Fernandinho.
Seeing a resurgent Dzeko.
Seeing a revitalised Nasri.
Seeing us replace Kolarov with a new left-back.
The whole season!

Arsenal in Helsinki are next up for the Blues on Saturday 10^th August and I’m presuming this one is gonna be on TV somewhere. I’d say, “I hope so”…but I’m engaged in another activity that day, namely a Real Ale Trail day out with my wife and friends.

I hope Chappy’s tribute match at Edgeley Park goes well tomorrow. I was gonna go and perhaps I still should. But for one hectic-week reason or another I just haven’t got myself a ticket. It should be a crackin’ & fun day out seeing our heroes of yesteryear.

And we’re off! Sort of…

The Football League starts today! Yippee! I’ve already watched extended highlights of last night’s 2-1 victory of Sheffield United over Notts County. I didn’t bother with the Scottish Premiership, 0-0 game between Partick Thistle & Dundee United…

I don’t really like the look of Notts County’s new top…

Too barcode-like. YUK!

 

From my last posting I’ve still to take a camera down to the development site of the Manchester City Academy, in order to post some pictures for you all. I fully intend to do it on Tuesday 6^th August.

A huge "THANKS", as always, for reading!