In recent weeks the press machine has been in over drive linking Adam Johnson with more clubs than ever, quite what these rumours were based on remains somewhat of a mystery, especially when you consider that it now appears that during that period negotiations were well under way over a new contract.
When Johnson got the hook 25mins into the Champions League game with Villareal pundits all over the country attempted to conjure a crisis, the insubordination of Carlos Tevez had lit the touch paper and according to the papers the end was nigh at City, Johnson being removed was supposed to be the next stage of a spiral into turmoil. Team spirit was questioned and once again as supporters we had to read the same old rubbish about being a collection of talented individuals as opposed to a team. I think the celebrations that ensued after the 93rd minute winner against Villareal coupled with the scenes of delight and team celebration in the derby put those rumours to bed.
Johnson we were told though still remained an outcast, he was left out of the squad for the derby, and he supposedly refused to board the bus after the Wolves league cup game (a ridiculous claim that literally seemed to be based on nothing), one day he was going to Liverpool, then Chelsea, he was unhappy and on the way out despite Roberto Mancini stating on numerous occasions he was going nowhere, the end for Johnson at City was coming....except it wasn't, it was just another example of the media picking up on nothing, or dare I say, trying to destabilise the ship?
Confirmation has come today that the England wideman has signed a new 4 year deal that will see him remain at the club until 2016. I am particularly pleased with this news, I sort of fall in the middle ground with Johnson, there seem to be some supporters who think he is brilliant and some that think he will amount to nothing. I personally think he has all the potential to be one of the best wingers in Europe, if not the world, but he has to apply himself more. Mancini knows all about that particular position and if Johnson is prepared to listen to his manager and learn from him I think he can make the most of his ability. If however he is not prepared to take on board that advice and work on the defensive side of his game I can see him wasting the talent that he has.
It may not be as high profile, but the news that Pablo Zabaleta has extended his contract is something that I am just as pleased about. It is strange that a player who only appears in every third game could be so loved by the City faithful, but Zabs is just one of those players. As supporters we love someone that always gives everything they have to the cause, and the sentiment is encapsulated by the Argentine, he isn't the most technically gifted player but he never stops fighting. His versatility is also a massive asset and to have him tied down until 2015 is fantastic. It may seem strange but he is now one of our longest serving players, and I genuinely believe he could become a legend if he continues as he currently is.
It is good to see that contracts are now being sorted out, I still fear for the future of Nigel De Jong, if nothing is tied up by the end of the season I suspect he will be shown the door. The suggestion is that he rejected our last offer and there has been no movement since, he is hardly looking content with life, and you do wonder if he may have shot himself in the foot by choosing Kia Joorabchian to represent him.
It is clearly the done thing to knock Manchester City, it is impossible for some sections of the press to be entirely positive about the club. Whilst things on the pitch are going pretty well at the moment, various people feel the need to find some dirt and they aren't shy in flinging it.
City crushed Wolves last night 5-2, defensively we were a bit shambolic at times but as an attacking unit things were pretty impressive, the personel may have been different but the offensive fluidity demonstrated on numerous occasions so far this season was still present. Man of the match for me was Adam Johnson, a player that can thrill and frustrate in equal measure, last night he was good, I would go as far as to say very good, but rather than focus on this the Sky commentators and pitchline reporter felt the need to find drama and negativity, and to be honest I am getting pretty sick of it.
Johnson is a very good footballer, but he is not as great as the media make him out to be, he is certainly worthy of a place in the squad and he has a massive part to play, but this attitude that he is undroppable I do not understand. I am a fan of the player perhaps a bigger fan than other fans of the club, but I can still recognise his weaknesses as can Roberto Mancini, pundits in the press however can not. Commentators, football writers, former players and managers are wowed by his tricky feet, his excellent passing, his precision shooting, but they ignore his occasional lack of willingness to track back or the fact that sometimes he can be a touch too selfish, or that sometimes he overcomplicates situations as opposed to taking the simpler option.
Clearly in this day of modern football, not all players will be running the length of the pitch to attack and then defend, and some players do struggle tackling, but that isn't to say players can't try to improve that side of their game. That is something that Roberto Mancini is trying to instill in the player, and for me there has definitely been improvements in that side of his game over the last 12 months, the player is working hard to learn but that is being ignored.
If you were to believe what you read in the papers however, you would be lead to believe that Johnson is not rated by Mancini and that the player is heading for the exit, this despite the Italian saying in numerous interviews that AJ is going nowhere and that he personally believes the winger has the potential to be one of the best players in the world in that position. The general attitude coming from the media is that Johnson is ignored and underused, but the statistics tell an entirely different story.
This season Johnson has started 10 games in all competitions, hardly a bit part player, and last term he appeared in 43 games across all of the teams competitions, these are not the sort of figures being racked up by a player who is supposedly ignored by the manager.
The 24 year old is still learning about the game and he is still developing and this will continue to happen, many have compared him with Joe Cole at Chelsea who played far more games for the Stamford Bridge club than people realised. Many said he was ignored by the hierarchy at the and that he should move on, he eventually did move, it didn't exactly pan out for him did it....
Johnson is at the right club, with the right manager, he is an important part of the team and will play a massive part this season, maybe someday soon journalists and football reporters will actually do some research and notice how often he appears for the club.
It seems that you can't keep City off the back pages, sadly today it is still just one story that those on Fleet Street are focussing on, that is the situation with want-away irritant Carlos Tevez. Yesterday may have brought a thumping good victory and an exceptional performance from everyones favourite bad boy Mario Balotelli but there is still only one story in town.
I was hoping to have some different topics to bring together, but sadly they are relatively thin on the ground, you can normally count on the Sunday papers for some ridiculous rumours but there is really not a lot going on, so if you are sick of reading about Carlos Tevez, I suggest you move along after the first story.
Let's start with the only non-Tevez story then, and it is back to an old favourite, the future of Adam Johnson. Despite Roberto Mancini making it abundantly clear in preseason that the young winger is going nowhere, there are still murmurings about his future at the club, and it seems to be Liverpool that he is constantly linked with. To be fair this story does come from CaughtOffside.com so any shreds of credibility die right there but it's still worth having a (quick) look at. As far as I know, the website in question is essentially a blogging site for people who are 'in the know' and they really do churn out some rubbish. The moment this story loses all credibility comes when the writer claims that Johnson has been left out in the cold by Mancini, ignoring the fact that he has been injured for a few weeks and returned to the starting 11 as soon as he was deemed fit enough, quality research right there. For what its worth, the website report that Liverpool would be prepared to pay around £18million for the England international, it wouldn't be bad money because AJ isn't as good as the media hype machine would lead you to believe, but we won't sell him to Liverpool in January and nor should we.
Right, OK, Tevez then, where to begin? First up is a story from the Sunday Mirror who are reporting that he will be on the way in January with PSG and Inter Milan the most likely destinations. There is nothing particularly interesting in that but there is also a transfer fee mentioned, quite where it comes from is unclear, plucked out of the sky I would suggest, but that doesn't mean it isn't hard to agree with. They are reporting that the bids coming from Italy and/or France would be around £25million, someway short of the £40million that the club was holding out for this Summer. I think really we would be foolish to expect any more than that, and I also think they are the most likely destinations as well, throw Malaga into the ring and they may not be far off. The players temperament has ensured we will make a loss on the player but to be honest I just want rid by this point.
In the same newspaper everyone's favourite imbecile has also been talking about City, Joey Barton has branded the club that gave him more opportunities than many would and gave him the career he has today a 'soap opera', sorry Joey, are those grapes a bit too sour for you? He goes on to claim that the Tevez situation was 'only a matter of time', just like it is 'only a matter of time' before you smack a teenager again Joey?
To continue on Tevez it is perhaps strange to see the Daily Star on Sunday so firmly behind City. They reveal that the club have stopped the Argentine flying back to his home country this weekend as they prepare for a high level meeting on Monday. They go on to debunk any myths that the City squad might side with Tevez, and in particular Pablo Zabaleta, they claim these rumours are untrue and nothing more than a smear campaign being put about by certain people in the media as well as the players camp. Encouragingly they also state that the clubs owners are believed to be firmly behind the manager and disgusted with the actions of the players, lets hope that is the case.
Last by by no means least is Micah Richards who has given an interview to The People stating quite simply that Tevez was in the wrong. It has become plain to see this week that some sections of the media have struck up some sort of agenda against Mancini and been claiming that the players weren't supporting him, well these quotes from Richards certainly begin to prove that to be the fabrication that it quite clearly is. The same paper also reckon that Tevez will infact be suspended for 6 weeks and fined upto £1.5million, hearsay, but lets hope its true!
Hopefully next Sunday we will have something other than Tevez, but I expect this one to run on a little bit yet, anyway enjoy your Sunday Roasts and don't forget to check back in the week for more.
