The Starting Line-Up: What Can We Expect?

Joe Hart

Safe hands
The Shrewsbury born stopper is without doubt the best keeper in the league. Unfortunately, City's failure in European football has prevented Hart's name from being categorised in the same group that the likes of Buffon, Casillas and Neuer inhabit. 

Confidence has never been an issue for Joe and over-confidence has been cited as a reason for his 'dodgy' 2012/2013 campaign. However, despite a number of mistakes (most notably his butter fingers in the 1-3 loss to Southampton), England's No.1 picked up his third consecutive Golden Glove, so it's not all that bad. 

With Pantillimon heading to Hull, Hart will have to welcome another competitor to his starting place between the City sticks. It's a big season for the 26 year old, but I expect him to prove he's head and shoulders above the rest once again next season. (No pun intended). 

Pablo Zabaleta

Blood, sweat and tears
The man who's blood runs blue tied the knot with his second love this week, his first being Manchester, of course. The Argentine was deservedly named in the PFA team of the year and ran away with City's player of the season award after a series of whole-hearted, action packed performances for the blues last season.

Manuel Pellegrini's men are set to play with an unfamilar width next season as suggested by the recent capture of natural winger Jesus Navas which could see Zaba doing a bit more defending than attacking. Either way, we know what we're going to get from Pablo, and I doubt we'll be disappointed.

Vincent Kompany

Commandment and solidity
It's no surprise that Captain Fantastic has been targeted by a number of clubs this summer. The new rich kid on the block Monaco are said to be interested in the Belgian defender and links with Barcelona refuse to go away. Nevertheless, Vinny plans to stick with the side that he has guided to three trophies in three years with the aim of bringing more silverware to the Etihad.

It's hard to believe that our 'puny little club' owns one of the world's best centre halfs, but it's true. If it wasn't for Thiago Silva, Kompany would be number one on the list of striker's worst nightmares. Remarkably, neither were included in FIFA's world team of the year! 

Matija Nastasic

An old head on young shoulders
When the 20 year old Serbian signed for City last year as part of an exchange deal involving Stefan Savic, fireworks weren't exactly being set off in response. Who would have thought that a year later the £8million man would be considered as the best young defender in European football?

Nastasic added an essential composure to the back four, especially when Vincent Kompany wasn't present, and quickly established himself as one of the most trusted centre backs in the Premier League. With him and Vinny commanding our back four next season, Hart could be in for a quiet campaign.

Gael Clichy

Pace, experience and stamina
With so many stars featuring in City's back line last season, Gael Clichy's contribution to our incredible defensive record has gone relatively unnoticed. The Frenchman may not be entirely comfortable going forward despite his blistering speed, however, he definitely knows how to defend and rarely comes second in a tackle.

Other than Ashley Cole, it's hard to name a better left back in the Premier League and the trustworthy Toulouse born boy will be just as essential in City's back four as Vinny, Nastasic and Zaba.

Jesus Navas

Blistering pace, width and an eye for a pass
It's about time City signed an out and out winger and there's not much better on the market than the son of God. The Spaniard has possibly deterred clubs from moving for him in the past by making his tendency to get home-sick public, but that doesn't mean that clubs haven't been interested.

Although Navas is known primarily for his pace, the ex-Sevilla man also knows how to thread through that perfect pass much like his fellow Spain international David Silva. City have been crying out for a natural winger for years now and Navas, who created more goalscoring chances than anyone else in Europe last season, is the perfect man to bring in. 

Yaya Toure

Pace and brutal power
With Fernandinho now on board, Yaya won't be the only man in the team juggernauting his way through opposition midfields. The Ivorian's form fluctuated last year from absolute brilliance to disinterested lethargy, however, no one can deny that when Yaya turns it on, he's the best in the business.

His commitment to the club was thrown into question at the end of last season when his troublemaking agent tried all he could to earn Yaya a few more pennies, luckily for us, he signed a new four year contract in the aftermath which will keep him at the club until 2017. With a bit more effort next season, he could be the man that propels City to their next Premier League title. 

Fernandinho

Box to box play and a fearsome shot
The £30m capture of Shakhtar Donetsk's Fernandinho has been met with mixed opinions. Why would City spend that amount of money on a relatively unproven 28 year old who has only been capped for his country 5 times? The reason, I hear, is because he's pretty damn good.

The Brazilian blames his lack of international caps on a Brazilian bias against the Ukrainian league and has cited his desire to play in the famous yellow shirt as the main reason for his move to England. The Ashley Cole lookalike even parted with £4m of his money to make sure the move went through and Jamie Redknapp reckons he could be 'the signing of the season'!. 

David Silva

Passing perfection and pure magic
For any player, it'd be difficult to replicate the form Silva hit in City's 2011/2012 title winning campaign. He started last season with a bit of a whimper, and his happiness in Manchester was consistently questioned as his form began to slump. The Spaniard answered his critics in typical Silva fashion; with his feet on the pitch.

The second half to his season was unrecognisable to the first and he ended up knocking up a respectable 8 assists and 4 goals. With a new manager in place, especially one that speaks his language, I'd expect the Spanish magician to light up the league once again. 

Isco?

Composure, outrageous skill and all round 'unbelievable tekkers'
Anyone that has been watching the U21 Championships will know that Isco is a must buy. Both us and Real Madrid have submitted a formal bid for the 21 year old and a decision on his future is imminent after he guided Spain to yet another cup on Tuesday night.

He's cited Manuel Pellegrini as his 'footballing father' and has said he would be 'happy' to follow the Chilean to his next club. Fortunately for us fans, that club is Manchester City and it's looking likely that we'll be introducing yet another Spaniard into the squad in the near future.

Sergio Aguero

Precise finishing, speed and skill
With Carlos Tevez on his way out and Edin Dzeko's future still unclear, Sergio Aguero will be leading City's line next season. His talent is undeniable, but he'll have to improve on his slightly disappointing tally of 17 goals last season to impress his new manager.

There's no doubt that Aguero is one of the most feared strikers in world football and it's likely that he'll be given a lone role up front next season to prove how good he really is. 

City's Summer Wishlist

With the arrival of Manuel Pellegrini imminent, it's time to start thinking about transfers.

With the signings of Sevilla winger Jesus Navas and box-to-box Brazilian Fernandinho all but complete, the blues have definitely learnt from their sluggishness in the window last season. 

Anything below first place will be deemed as failure in the 2013/2014 season, but who exactly fits the bill for our title push?

Jesus Navas

Age: 27
Club: Sevilla
Position: Right Wing
Value: £17m

The Spaniard, known for his pace and dribbling abilities, created more goalscoring chances than any other player in Europe last season (76). Although his goalscoring record looks poor (1 goal in 43 appearances), the number of assists he provides is encouraging. City lacked width last season and the arrival of Navas suggests Pellegrini will adopt a more dynamic style of play.

Fernandinho

Age: 28
Club: Shakhtar Donetsk
Position: Defensive Midfield
Value: £22m

I've never seen a guy so desperate to play for City in my life. The Brazilian box-to-box midfielder has expressed his desire to play in sky blue via his personal Twitter account and has even retweeted posts sent by City fans to him! With Barry aging and Garcia seemingly not up to the task, the tireless midfielder may be a fierce asset to City next season.

Isco

Age: 21
Club: Malaga
Position: Attacking Midfielder
Value: £20m

The Spanish wonderkid has expressed a desire to follow his 'footballing mentor' this summer, but with Real Madrid in the mix, the possibility of this transfer happening is fading slightly. Many will suggest that the youngster should stay in Spain, a place he knows, and build up his experience there. Hopefully, he decides to stick with the manager who allowed him to flourish at Malaga and lights up the Premiership next season!

Edinson Cavani

Age: 26
Club: Napoli
Position: Striker
Value: £45m

Edinson Cavani is undoubtedly one of Europe's top and most wanted marksmen. The Uruguayan has alerted the likes of City, Real Madrid and Chelsea this season with 38 goals in 43 appearances, a tally that earned him Serie A's Golden Boot award. Although at first the chances of Cavani moving to City looked promising, his future, according to his father, is likely to rest in Spain.

Marco Reus

Age: 24
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Position: Striker
Value: £30m

City fans will remember the day Twitter erupted with the rumour that Marco Reus was on his way to the Etihad with Edin Dzeko going the other way. It seems that the Champion's League runner up is a dream signing for most blues and a perfect partner for Sergio Aguero. Although the move seems unlikely, we can always hope!

Pepe

Age: 30
Club: Real Madrid
Position: Central Defender
Value: £21m

He's definitely a controversial figure. Known for his tough tackling and hot headedness (usually involving Lionel Messi), Pepe is certainly an experienced defender. Whilst his abilities are unquestionable, most fans will be worried about such an unpredictable character coming into City's dressing room. 

2012/2013 End Of Season Review

Runners up in the Premiership. Runners up in the FA Cup Final. Champions League group stages. 


Ten years ago, those statistics would have scribbled an everlasting grin onto the faces of dreaming, sleeping City fans. But wake up, this is reality. To my mind, too many blues like to live in the past. Losing to teams like Norwich and Sunderland does not make us the club we are. Nor should we accept these results with a casual smile and treat the wounds with that infamous slogan; 'Typical City'. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not sitting here wallowing in an overwhelming bubble of misery. The club is rapidly making its way up the slippery ladder that is the footballing hierarchy and our success, along with Manchester United's, has made Manchester one of the most formidable footballing cities in the world. We're not doing badly, but when one compares our squad to the squad that won the Premier League by eleven points this season, there's no wonder why the 'rags' are aiming their chuckles in our direction.

Maybe the season has been a blessing in disguise. Although Roberto Mancini must be commended on the success he brought to the club, his direct style of management didn't sit well with the players. Ultimately, the decision to let him go was correct and will benefit us significantly in the future. A fruitful relationship needs to exist between manager and player. Pellegrini is known for his ability to establish this sort of relationship and he looks to be the man who will replace Mancini.

The 2013/2014 campaign will be a test of strength and desire. The players need to show how much they want that trophy back and they need to respond to whoever our next manager will be. We know big signings are coming and we know that our owners will do all they can to supply the armour necessary for the club to achieve the success we're capable of.

It's become my trademark saying, but it's onward and upwards for City, and I think every fan knows that. 

Player Of The Season
Pablo Zabaleta

The Argentine's blood definitely runs blue and we've seen that in his incredible work ethic and dedication to the club this season. The £5m defender, signed from Espanyol in 2008, has earned himself the title of Premier League's best right back this campaign and Micah Richards will have a job on his hands if he wants to regain his place in the team. 

Best Newcomer
Matija Nastasic

It can only be one man. The 20yr old Serbian walked into the squad like a veteran European defender, shutting out the likes of Joleon Lescott and Kolo Toure to cement his place alongside Vincent Kompany. How he wasn't shortlisted for the PFA Young Player of the Year award, we'll never know, but 'Nassy' definitely shone amongst Mancini's bog standard signings last year. 

Fantasy Premier League Leader
Carlos Tevez (170 points)

City's stand out performer in most games this season, Carlos Tevez has returned to footballing action in style. After going AWOL, the Argentine's effort has definitely not declined and his effort doesn't go unnoticed by the fans. 

Biggest Flop
Samir Nasri

It's a moment that will haunt him for the rest of his career at City, but the Frenchman's conduct in the wall during City's 2-3 loss to Manchester United sums up his season. Although he made a real effort to boost his performance levels after criticism from Mancini, Nasri often went missing in big fixtures and offered little to the side. Needs to step up next year otherwise his place will be taken. 

Most Promising
Jack Rodwell

His season has been plagued by injury, but the young midfielder treated the City faithful to some dazzling displays towards the end of the season. He looks to be a genuine box to box midfielder like Yaya and possesses some blistering pace (as seen in his second goal against Norwich City on the final day of the season). With Barry and Garcia likely to move on in the near future, Rodwell could find himself occupying the holding role on a regular basis. 

Manchester City v Norwich City: Match Review

MANCHESTER CITY 2 - 3 NORWICH CITY
Rodwell 28, 59                                                        Pilkington 25, Holt 54, Howson 65



Thank God it's over.

The blues ended their disappointing season with a Howson induced howler in front of a baffled home crowd. After a comfortable victory against Reading last week, Kidd's men continued their season long trait of complacency and were deservedly punished by a hungry Norwich side.

The Canaries took the lead on 25 minutes through Anthony Pilkington after some shoddy defending by the sky blues. But there was to be no complaints, Hughton's side had dominated possession and looked the more threatening out of the two teams. Unfortunately for them, Jack Rodwell was on hand to equalise three minutes later with a fine driven finish from inside the box. 

As cries and chants of 'Mancini' echoed from the stands, the fans expected City to kick on. But it wasn't to be. Inside ten minutes of the second half, Grant Holt finished off a fluent Norwich move to put his side ahead once again. City's seemingly solid defence was collapsing in the absence of Vinny and Nastasic and things began to look worrying. 

Jacky boy was having none of it. The young midfielder, giving the lethargic Yaya Toure a lesson on how to run, sped past Steven Whittaker and slotted in from a tight angle. 2-2 and the fans were hopeful of another end of season 3-2 victory.

Norwich continued to dominate the game, however, and on 65 minutes, Jonny Howson was given a guided tour into City's 18 yard box before tucking the ball past Joe Hart. Terrible defending was to blame.

And so the season has ended. A manager departed, two trophies given away. They say defending the title is harder than winning it, and that has definitely been the case this year. It's not been disastrous by any stretch of the imagination, but it's been below the standard we now come to expect from our beloved blues. As fans, it would be stupid to dwell on the 2012/2013 season, we need to look forward to new signings, a new manager and the top football we know our team can play. Next years campaign could be our most exciting one yet, and I can't wait.

#IrPellegrini

Player Ratings
 Joe Hart 6
His defenders were terrible and put him under unneeded pressure. He'll be disappointed to have been beaten three times inside the box, but ultimately, the defence was to blame.

 Pablo Zabaleta 6
Always shows plenty of attacking intent and did so again on Sunday.

 Micah Richards 6
Needs more game time if he is to hold down a regular spot next season. Generally he was solid, but put in a comical attempt to stop Howson for his third.

 Joleon Lescott 5
Had a role in all three of Norwich's goals and struggled with the Canaries attacking line.

 Aleksandar Kolarov 2
Is this really a harsh rating when he told his own fans to 'f*** off'. Was urged all game by his supporters to close down, he responded with obscenities. It's a sin to even put this man on the bench and he will go down in history as City's worst ever left back. Awful.

 Yaya Toure 5
Hardly moved apart from assisting Rodwell's second with a perfectly weighted ball.

 Jack Rodwell 8
Earned himself a call up to the England squad with a fine performance capped off by two well taken goals. Ran himself ragged and suggested to City fans that he could be the next Yaya Toure. 

 James Milner 6
A typical effortful performance from Milner. Always tries his best but did little to influence the game.

 Samir Nasri 5
Couldn't influence the game.

 Carlos Tevez 7
Vibrant performance from the Argentine who was given a standing ovation when he was substituted. Gave his fans an extended wave which all but confirmed his departure. 

 Edin Dzeko 4
Forgot he was playing.

Manchester City v Norwich City

DATE: 19/05/13

KICK OFF: 16.00pm

VENUE: Etihad Stadium

PREDICTION: 3-0

                                                                                                                                                                         

Preview

Norwich City visit the Etihad on Sunday afternoon as Brian Kidd's 'holistic' army prepare to close the curtains on a fairly disappointing season.

But at least City fans can relax. This time last season, the blues were heading into the final day needing three points to secure their first league title in 44 years.

However, I think we'd take last seasons scenario any day of the week. If both Manchester clubs end their season with victories, 10 points will be the title winning gap. So what went wrong? 

On paper, United's team looks ridiculously inferior to ours, but they played for their manager, they played for the shirt and they played for ultimate revenge on the team that broke their hearts last year. Unfortunately, we adopted a style of play full to the brim with complacency. We went into the season thinking we'd already won it. Lethargy and sloppiness saturated our style of play and we most certainly did not play for our manager. Although many fans will disagree, Roberto Mancini is to blame for a number of these problems, and that's why he is no longer here with us. 

But it's onwards and upwards for City. As we prepare to welcome proven player pleaser Manuel Pellegrini and an additional 12,000 seats into the Etihad, we definitely have something to look forward to next season. Players such as Edinson Cavani, Fernandinho and Isco have been linked with the club and could be running around in sky blue come August. It is a time of change for City, and a time we as fans must get excited about. 

Talking of excitement, seven goals were scored the last time these two sides met. Edin Dzeko netted after just two minutes and his goal sparked a flurry of attacking football that made for a phenomenal spectacle at Carrow Road. The blues finished the game as 4-3 winners, however with Hughton's men safe from relegation, Kidd's side will be expecting a much more comfortable game this time round in front of a full home crowd. 

COME ON CITY!

Line-Up

Zabaleta returns from suspension whilst Kolo Toure is ruled out due to an injury he picked up against Reading.

Vincent Kompany and Matija Nastasic were rested against Reading and could partner each other in defence once again on Sunday. City fans will be expecting their money's worth and will want to see the best eleven on show. 

Head to Head

In the last four meetings between the sides, City have knocked a staggering total of 18 goals in 4 games past the Canaries. 

Norwich last beat the blues in August 2001 with a 2-0 win at Carrow Road. Maybe a Delia Smith 'let's be 'avin' you' pre match speech will plug a leaky Norwich defence. 

Key Men

David Silva

The Spaniard looked back to his sparkling best against Reading with a skillful man of the match performance. His assist for Dzeko's goal was reminiscent of his magical 2011/2012 season and will hopefully be a sign of things to come for an all important 2013/2014 campaign.

Robert Snodgrass

The Scot will have felt aggrieved not to have been shortlisted for PFA Player of the Year. Although he would have been unlikely to win it, his performances this season have kept the Canaries firmly above the relegation places.

Fantasy Premier League Leaders

Carlos Tevez 168 points

Joe Hart 156 points
David Silva 146 points

Robert Snodgrass 147 points

Sebastian Bassong 121 points

Javier Garrido 102 points

Top Scorers

Sergio Aguero & Carlos Tevez

 

                       17                                                   17

Grant Holt

                              7

Reading v Manchester City: Match Review

READING 0 - 2 MANCHESTER CITY
                                               Aguero 40, Dzeko 88


Manchester City waltzed to second place on Tuesday night to the sound of their fans favourite soundtrack. 

Brian Kidd's 'holistic' army offered the perfect response to their woeful week with a convincing 2-0 win over relegated Reading. 

City began the game like a house on fire and could have been three nil up in the first ten minutes. Efforts from Aguero and Milner were excellently stopped by £20m rated keeper Alex McCarthy; the lack of ruthlessness summing up City's season. 

The travelling fans voiced their opinions on Mancini's sacking through song and bellowed out their trademark chant 'Mancini woah'. The team responded and on 40 minutes Sergio Aguero finished off a mesmering move reminiscent of the blues title winning 2011/2012 season. 

With the pressure off, Reading went into the second half all guns blazing. Robson-Kanu warmed up the hands of Joe Hart early in the second half and Pavel Pogrebnyak was denied a point blank header by the England stopper seconds later. The Royals continued to up the anti, doing everything to could to treat their fans to an almighty upset. And they didn't stop there. The surprisingly quiet Carlos Tevez was on hand to clear off the line from a Mariappa header that would have surely given Reading an equaliser and City were in need of another.

With 27 minutes remaining, City's leading Premier League scorer Edin Dzeko was introduced into the fray and as he often does from the bench, he scored. With two minutes remaining man of the match David Silva took out four players with a dazzling ball for Dzeko who slotted home.

Onwards and upwards.

Player Ratings
 Joe Hart 7
Looked his usual, trustworthy self and made a number of saves that will boost his confidence.

 Micah Richards 7
Attacks the flanks better than Zabaleta and frightened Reading with his pace.

 Kolo Toure 6
Picked up an injury early on.

 Joleon Lescott 7
Controlled the defence in Kompany's absence and continues to look solid.

 Gael Clichy 7
Much better than his Wembley showing. Defended well.

 Yaya Toure 8
If he'd have played like this in the final, City would have probably won. Marshalled the midfield with his skill and power which intimated Reading.

 Gareth Barry 7
The ultimate broom. Sweeped up calmly and confidently.

 James Milner 8
Whenever he plays, we have width. Whenever we have width, we look better. Our new manager, whoever it may be, needs to pick up on this. 

 David Silva 9
His skill and vision was too much for Reading and his ball for Dzeko's goal was sublime.

 Carlos Tevez 7
He can't score at the moment but you can't knock him for a lack of contribution.

 Sergio Aguero 7
The tricky South American finished his goal well but worryingly went off injured midway through the second half.