Man City Weekly Update – Dunne, Fernandes, Robinho, Tévez, Džeko, Umbro
It is often said that a week is a long time in football, and this was certainly the case with Manchester City during the past seven days or so. There have been rumours galore, with gossip-mongers creating more havoc than Joey Barton at a Christmas party. Influential captain Richard Dunne, a four time winner of the club’s player of the year award, has been linked with a £5 million move to either Stoke or Tottenham, whilst Brazilian superstar Robinho, only signed last summer from Real Madrid, has revealed that it would be his dream to play for their arch rivals Barcelona. To my utter delight, Swiss international Gelson Fernandes has also been linked with a transfer away from Eastlands, with Fulham, Bolton and Portsmouth all apparently chasing the only footballer in the world capable of making Darius Vassell look world-class.
It has however, not been all about players departing, rather, the majority of rumours have involved incoming transfers to the Blues. The obvious names have been branded about, with City apparently chasing Franck Ribéry, Carlos Tévez and Samuel Eto’o, but there has been one player who has been consistently linked with the Blues, Wolfsberg striker, Edin Džeko. Everton defender Joleon Lescott has also been linked with a big money move to Eastlands, possibly as a replacement for Richard Dunne. In addition to all the transfer activity at the club, the Citizens recently announced a new, long-term shirt sponsorship deal with Umbro, and that will be explained in greater detail later.
Mark Hughes will to bring in quality to City, and to offload players at the right time
As previously stated, Irish international defender and food-lover Richard Dunne has been linked with a transfer to another club, with Stoke and Tottenham Hotspur named as possible destinations. Although, as of now, there has been nothing official declared by any club, it would seem that there is some substance to the rumour, with Mark Hughes reportedly keen to sign Everton centre-back Joleon Lescott. Dunne, scorer of Republic of Ireland’s goal against Bulgaria at the weekend, had one of his poorest seasons in a City shirt, but if the popular Irishman were to leave, it would, in my opinion, weaken the City squad.
As one of only a select few long-serving players at the club, Dunne’s loyalty ought to be rewarded and even if he would not be an automatic first choice, his experience and leadership would prove invaluable in the dressing room. There is a possibility however that Dunne could leave, and if this were to happen, then my replacement would be Ricardo Carvalho, who recently stated his desire to leave Chelsea in search for regular first team football.
Richard Dunne may be on his way to Stoke or Spurs
Continuing on the theme of departures, another person linked with a transfer away from the club is Swiss midfielder Gelson Fernandes, whose agent, Marcel Schmid, has revealed that there are “several” clubs interested in the services of his client. Any regular readers of this blog will know that Gelson is not exactly flavour of the month with me, because despite his unlimited amount of energy, similar to that of the Duracell bunny, he is unable to pass the ball, make or tackle or do anything useful. It therefore astounds me that any club would want Gelson in their side, but you won’t find me complaining. Bolton, Fulham and Portsmouth are all mooted to have interest in the holding midfielder, and it would please me no end if they were to take this monstrosity of a footballer away from my beloved club.
In worrying news, Brazilian attacker Robinho has increased speculation about his future at City after he declared that he would be interested in a move to Manchester United conquerors, Barcelona. Despite previously playing for their arch rivals Real Madrid before he joined City, Robinho nevertheless praised the Catalan side, and said,“the only thing I can say is that Barcelona are a great team and everybody would love to play for them.” Not one to shy away from the media eye, Robinho has often infuriated the City faithful for his actions, having previously stormed off to Brazil during a winter training camp. On his day, the Premier League’s most expensive player is a sight to behold, but despite leading the Blues’ goalscoring charts this season, he has regularly attracted heavy criticism for his lack of effort on City’s travels.
Robinho would not be the most popular player if he were to sign for Barcelona, having previously represented Real Madrid
As expected, the talk has not all been about players leaving, rather, about what performers will be arriving at the City of Manchester Stadium. Naturally, the calibre of these players has been very high, with luminaries such as Carlos Tévez, Samuel Eto’o and Franck Ribéry all among the names mentioned, but it is the first of that triumvirate who has attracted the majority of media interest. As long as the Argentine’s future at Old Trafford remains in doubt, with United unwilling to pay the money required to gain Tévez’s services, City will always be linked as a possible destination. As one of only a few clubs able to pay the £25 million fee quoted, the Blues are in prime position to land the forward, with their bargaining position strengthened by the fact that Tévez could stay in the same house as he lives in now. Add this to the guarantee that the Argentinean would be a certain starter for the club, whereas at Liverpool for instance this remains in doubt, and it becomes clear that City are in with a real chance of pulling off a spectacular coup.
Another striker linked with City is Edin Džeko, scorer of 26 goals for Wolfsburg this season. At well over six foot and powerfully built, Džeko, a Bosnia and Herzegovina international, has all the credentials to be a top signing and would certainly add some much-needed height to City’s Lilliputian midfield and attack. Blues boss Mark Hughes has a proven record of bringing in relatively unknown strikers to a club, having signed Roque Santa Cruz and Benni McCarthy cheaply when he was at Blackburn. City would, however, face competition from Arsenal for Džeko, with the Gunners seemingly looking to replace Inter Milan bound Emanuel Adebayor.
Tévez and Džeko could line up together next season for City
Finally this week, there is the news that City have signed a long-term partnership with sports manufacturing company Umbro. After several years with Thomas Cook, a change was needed, and a ten year deal with Umbro should provide that. This means that yet again, there will be a new shirt for the season, and although no official pictures have been released, many websites have displayed what they think is the new shirt. However, by and large, these are all incorrect replicas, but I think that I have found images for the three new shirts, shown below.
From left to right: the home kit, the away strip, which is my personal favourite, and finally, the third kit
Any feedback on this article would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading.
For the most part I enjoyed this article greatly, it’s good to see you found a Fernandes line. Triumvirate – is that the great word? I shall be looking it up shortly.
I must criticise one thing though. It often felt like you were just repeating yourself: “Influential captain Richard Dunne, a four time winner of the club’s player of the year award, has been linked with a £5 million move to either Stoke or Tottenham” THEN “Richard Dunne has been linked with a transfer to another club, with Stoke and Tottenham Hotspur named as possible destinations” or “Everton defender Joleon Lescott has also been linked with a big money move to Eastlands” THEN “Mark Hughes reportedly keen to sign Everton centre-back Joleon Lescott”.
It’s a minor thing, but it’s something I’d bear in mind for next time.
Also, I don’t think you can call Santa Cruz a previously unknown player, he was very well known at Bayern Munich.
And, “After several years with Thomas Cook, a change was needed, and a ten year deal with Umbro should provide that.” Thomas Cook and Umbro aren’t really comparable as shirt sponsor and manufacturer.
Looking backthis comment seems rather negative, but that’s not how I feel. I enjoyed this article and feel similar ones should make an excellent addition to the site throughout the summer.
Don’t worry about the ngeative sound that your comment conveys VJ, it’s through constructive criticism that I improve from.
Triumvirate is not actually the great word – I’ve used it in the past to describe the attacking three players in our 4-2-3-1 formation. I will give you another couple of guesses for the special word. I’m not entirely sure it’s the correct use of it, but I think it might be!!
On reflection, I agree with your point about the repetition. It should have been sorted out before publishing, so I aqpologise that it wasn’t. Perhaps that is one consequence of writing the blog bit by bit, adding a little more every day, rather than writing it all in one day. Also, with the Lescott bit, I was planning on doing a whole paragraph about him, but in the end, I felt it would just be too much.
Santa Cruz was unknown to me, but I can see your point, and you are probably correct with the Umbro and Thomas Cook thing.
Actually, I don’t plan on doing an article like this throughout the summer. After Stats on Monday, I will write a detailed season review, possibly split into two parts, similar to your idea. Also, I’m planning a UEFA Cup review, again maybe to be divided into two, along with another couple of ideas. As I’m away for a large part of the summer whilst representing Great Britain, I won’t have much time to write, so my articles will probably adopt a different outlook, with much less detail.
I’ve not heard of this Džeko before, looks interesting.
I really hope there’s nthing in the Dunne rumours – like you say, his loyalty to the club should be rewarded – if he were to go, it would appear like we are very much trying to completely buy success instead of nurturing our present talent.
I’m not mad keen on the kits to be honest, though I agree with you that the black and gold one is the most aesthetically pleasing.
nice article steven. i agree with the tevez comments….better city than the scousers….
however santa cruz and mccarthy were v.well known strikers having bad patches in their respective careers tho at porto and Bayern Munich. The Dunne comment is also valued! I mean he’s the only player who has stayed at city for more than 6/7 years( bar perhaps ireland?). United have legends in giggs scholes and neville who have been great influences on our title successes! Edin Dzeko looks like a fantastic prospect being young,tall and a great finishing record both internationally and in the league. I hope United look at him and get him for a cheap 15 mill!! to replace tevez.
lilliputian?? the words get wackier and more sophisticated!
plus its great that etihad means united in arabic… that would have been hilarious if you had UNITED printed across the city shirt! I do admit that the kits look very nice!
Was it liliputian? Which apparently means dimiutive.
Thanks both Plattsy and AK,
Don’t think Dunne will go at all, because he is what we need and I think Hughes recognises that, but I do fear for us if he leaves.
AK, the figure I’ve heard for Dzeko is about £9 million, so he could be a bargain!! YOU GOT THE SPECIAL WORD IN ONE!! VJ, I’M SURE WILL EXPLAIN WHAT IT MEANS, AND WHETHER I HAVE USED IT IN THE CORRECT WAY.
Etihad does indeed mean United, which is a worry, but just to show their committment, our owners have changed the nae of their company from Abu Dhabi United Group to Abu Dhabi City Group!!
*diminutive
I now see AK’s comment, but I did guess it for myself.
OK, well done both of you. I’m not sure whether it should be Lilliputian or Lillipute?
VJ, did you know what it meant beforehand?
“the only footballer in the world capable of making Darius Vassell look world-class” – ABSOLUTELY CLASSIC!!!!!
Tevez still looks like a chimp and I will not stop saying that even if he is playing in sky blue next season.
It would be a shame to see Dunne leave but times move on and an upgrade is necessary – if not this year, then next year. If he doesn’t leave, someone that could compensate for his weaknesses – like Carvalho or Lescott- would be nice.
To be honest, Robinho, while being a great player, is not very good away from home and causes far too much media interest in him – such as the quote above and the abrupt ending of his winter training program.
Finally, that 3rd kit is sexy. That black and gold combination is…. wel, words can’t describe the sexiness.
lillipuitian, by the way, is a great way to describe the midfield. Actually, I didn’t know that we were THAT tall
I agree with the Tévez chimp look-a-like. Someone actually merged the two together and made this: http://media.photobucket.com/image/carlos%20tevez/webbyblanco/CarlosTevez.jpg
That’s an odd way of describing the third kit! I very much like it, but would not go as far as saying it’s sexy, but each to their own!
No, I didn’t know what it meant. Now is that third kit black or a deep charcoal? It reminds me of Hull’s away kit from 08/09. I agree that it’s the best of the three, but I don’t really see why you need it, as the sky blue and white kits are far enough removed from each other for a clash never to arise.
actually on the theme of the three new kits, the black kit is the away kit and the white with red& black stripe is the third kit.
I’m afraid I disagree with nordenblue. Although in the previous few seasons, the thrid kit has always been the white one with a couple of stripes, this is, in fact, becoming the new away kit, as stated in the article.
VJ, problems could often arise because we would wear white shorts with the home kit, so it is unlikely that we could wear the away kit very often. For me, the black third kit reminds me of Portsmouth’s away strip?!?
How can we consider letting Richard Dunne go after his great performance for Eire the other night. Okay, his performances last season may not have been up to the standard of previous years, but I don’t think the circumstances were helped by Richards dip in form leading to him returning to right back and the change of other personnel around Dunne before Hughes stuck with Onuoah.
“The away kit is a nod to Manchester’s symbol of industry and coat of arms – the Apis Millifera – more commonly known as ‘the bee’. The shirt is black with yellow and gold inserts on the shoulders used to define and accentuate the upper torso.
The third kit draws its inspiration on a classic kit of the past, whilst embracing craft and attention to detail to create a very modern twist. The shirt has a black and red sash across a white base with the team sponsor located under the crest to ensure that the visual identity of the sash is not compromised. Umbro worked closely with MCFC and Etihad to ensure the design authenticity stays true.”
thats taken from the man city website so i have to agree with nordenblue and disagree with you.
Thanks for pointing that out. It will be changed accordingly, when I have time.
no problem. and apart from that, nice article
Thanks Joe, I don’t remember you commenting ever before, so it’s nice to see new people visiting the blog. Did you see it on NewsNow or somewhere else?
Noticed a few people are claiming that ethiad means united I’m reliably informed that it does not it’s derivative off the actual word
I actually noticed that, on the white kit, whether it is the away or 3rd kit, the sponsor (which, in my opinion, is very oddly placed), is missing an “I”. I, now, question the authenticity of these kits.
Colin – As I’m fluent in Arabic and many languages that are closely linked to this language, I can inform you that Etihad does unfortunately mean United. It is intended to mean ‘close-knit’ or ‘together’ but we will obviously be derided by our close neighbours for the circumstance.
Ricky, or should that be Matt – That’s a cracking shout. It is true so you may well have a point. I shall try to get to the bottom of that mystery shortly.
Well I may be wrong here, but to me it seems obvious. These kits of yours are not photos. They are very accurate graphic representations of the leaked images that seem almost certain to be genuine made by someone, most probably on photoshop. When adding the sponsor they’ve probably just made an error. I would be very surprised if these did not turn out to be the real kits.
I’m starting to agree about the fake kits possibility, so I apologise about posting the original pictures. VJ, I think you have said the opposite of what you intended to say in the last sentence of your comment.
Nope, I said what I intended to. I maintain that these are graphical representations of the real kits and willl turn out to be genuine.
Oh, I get it now. As they say in the You es of a, my bad.
Good read Steven, better than the last one that’s for sure.
As for the kits, Ricky…good spot but you are wrong! If you copy the picture into your documents, and then view it, you will clearly see that ‘Etihad’ is spelt correctly, so it must just be the layout of the article.
I looked before, and it said the blakc was the 3rd as you always maintained
However, have I won you around, and do you now trust me when I say the white is the 3rd strip 
all i will say is that robinho will stay and we will get tevev and theres a possibility we will get the utd crushing eto’o
Matt, that’s a very good handy hint about the shirt and you are indeed correct. I wouldn’t blame Ricky at all for his observation though.
To be honest, it wasn’t you (Matt) who convinced me about the shirt, and whether it was the away kit or the third strip. It was actually joe in comment 17, so
Paul – what an inspired comment!!
Fine! But I had said all along, even this morning, that the white was going to be the 3rd kit
Also, on Sky Sports News, have you seen the jacket Barry is wearing at the stadium? The sky blue, with the umbro logo and crest? It’s absolutely gorgeous, I love it!
Have you seen the new Stoke blogger? Not too impressed.
Will check it soon. What do you think of the new layout?
I have a feeling now that the new Stoke one is somebody having a joke with me. Some of the stuff he says is truly preposterous, and to say “which I thought was really good for a little team and club like Stoke” doesn’t sound like the sort of thing a Stoke fan would say to me.
I quite like the new logos, but the layout is a little busy for my liking, too much going on. It’ll seem normal as I get used to it though.
I’m not sure, because although he says that Cresswell is good and other such views, it’s purely opinion. If another City fan said Fernandes was good, then obviously would disagree, but it’s still his opinion. But I can kind of see where you’re coming from.
I agree about the new logos. I like the crest at the top instead of the club badge, but as you say, the front page does seem too busy. I’m sure we’ll get used to it though.
Liking Cresswell is one thing, but saying that him and Beattie would be a better pairing than Torres and Gerrard is clearly a joke.
Oh, I hadn’t seen that when I commented. Well that (I’m hoping) is a joke.
My new policy is to ignore 3Why Delilah in the hope that he goes away. Please join me on it.
How’s S1 coming along?
I will see.
S1 is going surprisingly well actually. I feel I know everything fairly well and have been plodding through quite a few past papers. Et toi?
Pretty much the same. I wonder if you can help we with one thing though. For two tailed hypothesis tests, do you include the value below/above the significance level or not.
EG, plucking figures out of the air:
If, with a 5% sig. level, so you use 0.025 at each the top and bottom, let’s say 0.975 falls between 13 and 14, and 0.025 falls between 5 and 6.
Are the critical regions below 5 and above 14, or below 6 and above 13?
Ooohh, good question. I’m not entirely sure about that. I would say that I’m about 70% sure it would be below 5 and above 14, but I think you should check. Sorry
Ok, thanks, the revision guide says it would be 5 and 14, but it also hints that if it was closer to 6 you’d use that.
VJ – what time you getting in tomorrow???
Fixtures out tomorrow, who do you want first? Just thought I’d share a bit of leaked information with you. You will play Arsenal at home for the last game in September.
I knew about that leaked info already, but thanks anyway.
Hard to say who we want first. Obviously, would prefer it to be at home, but not sure which team. Would it be tempting fate to say Stoke???
Toughie actually, I’m gonna plump for Hull.
How’s your personal statement coming along. I don’t think school have given us anywhere near enough help?!
Well if you’re at home against Arsenal at the end of September (week 5), you’ll be at home on the first day too.
I’m very keen for us to be away on the first day, otherwise family commitments may mean I have to miss two of our first three home games :0 For me that’s just not the sort of thing you do!
I had a go at a first draft today. I don’t think it’s anywhere near perfet but it’ll do for now. I think/hope the help comes with the next step, improving what we have already written.
Not sure about your logic for being at home first game of season. The fixture could easily throw in A, H, H, A, H. Not sure if I’ve told you this already, but there is a very interesting article on BBC Sport about how the fixture list is compiled. Quite complicated stuff, but well worth a read.
Same with me about the draft. My parents said that they thought it was quite good for a first attempt, and then they refined the whole thing!!
I’ve not read the BBC article, but I did read a similar one elsewhere, and I think it said that for the first and last six games of the season they always maintain the alternating home and away sequence. They definitely do for the first few at least. A H H would never happen.
Have you done that first section of UCAS online? If so, what exactly did you do, I registered and added my details, is that all we needed to do for now. My user name is avjetica1, as it didn’t recognise the special character on my “s”!
OK, I will trust you about fixtures. Just to let you know, when West Ham play a home game, it greatly affects Norwich, ……… 108 miles away!!! Also, there are no derbies in either the first or last weekends of the season. I was actually very interested in the whole system!!
Oh, erm, I didn’t think UCAS was up yet. I shall fill in my details shortly.
I just read that article, fascinating really. Tomorrow’s my birthday too, and I’m looking forward to the fixture release far more!
I checked the Premier League article and all it says is “Whenever possible all clubs should have an alternating sequence of home and away Saturday fixtures at both the beginning and end of the season.” – No mention of how many, though looking back, our alternating sequence for 08/09 wasn’t broken until November.
Happy Birthday VJ, though I will wish it to you in person tomorrow
As a present, I shall write an article all about you!!
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