Man City Report - January 2015 Transfer Window Roundup

A little over a month ago I gave Man City manager Manuel Pellegrini advice on how to approach the January transfer window.  Unfortunately Pellegirini didn't follow my advice, so I will provide my critique after I give you an update on the six competitive (seven total) matches Man City played since my last post: four EPL matches and two FA Cup match.

Man City dropped two points at home to close out 2014 when they surrendered a 2-0 lead to Burnley to tie them 2-2.  Sadly Man City almost did the same thing against Sunderland to open 2015 but thankfully midfielder Frank Lampard notched another important EPL goal for Man City to give them a 3-2 victory over Sunderland.  Man City followed that up with a 2-1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup.  That form didn't carry back over to the EPL when Man City went back on the road to face Everton because they tied them 1-1.  Sadly that wasn't rock bottom as Man City lost consecutive home matches by a scoreline of 2-0.  Man City first lost to Arsenal in the EPL and then to lowly Middlesbrough to crash out of the FA Cup. In between home 2-0 loses, Man City won a friendly in Abu Dhabi against Hamburg.  I know Man City needs to expand their global brand and play in front of their oil barren owners occasionally to appease them but that came at the expense of the FA Cup given that Man City returned from Abu Dhabi less than 24 hours before their home loss to Middlesbrough.  That is hardly the form Man City wanted to be in ahead of their most important EPL match of the season when they went on the road to face EPL leaders Chelsea.  Man City trailed Chelsea by five points going into the match and that margin remained the same as Man City tied Chelsea 1-1 despite actually being the better side.

With the January transfer window closed, here are my updated thoughts and rankings to the roster:

2014-15 Player Rankings 4.0

1. Sergio Aguero (F, LR 1)2. Yaya Toure (M, LR 3) 3. Vincent Kompany (D, LR 2) 4. David Silva (M, LR 4) 5. Wilfred Bony (F, LR N/A) 6. James Milner (M, LR 9) 7. Pablo Zabaleta (D, LR 5) 8. Samir Nasri (M, LR 6) 9. Jesus Navas (M, LR 10) 10. Edin Dzeko (F, LR 7) 11. Joe Hart (GK, LR 8) 12. Fernandinho (M, LR 14) 13. Gael Clichy (D, LR 16) 14. Eliaquim Mangala (D, LR 11)   15. Aleksandar Kolarov (D, LR 13) 16. Bacary Sagna (D, LR 18) 17. Fernando (M, LR 15) 18. Stevan Jovetic (F, LR 12) 19. Martin Demichelis (D, LR 17) 20. Willy Caballero (GK, LR 19) 21. José Ángel Pozo (M, LR 20) 22. Dedryck Boyata (D, LR 21) 23. Sinan Bytyqi (M, LR 24) 24. Frank Lampard (M, LR 25) 25. Richard Wright (GK, LR 26)

Loaned Out

1. Scott Sinclair (M) 2. Matija Nastasic (D)

5) Wilfred Bony (F, LR N/A): I am on record as saying I would rather have kept Alvaro Negredo instead of essentially selling him in a move that was called a "loan" before the season to balance the books.  That decisions was exacerbated by all the injuries Man City suffered at striker at the end of 2014, which forced Pellegrini to start midfielder James Milner at striker since he did NOT have a healthy striker available despite being arguably the richest club in the world.  Man City tried to fix that when they bought Wilfred Bony from Swansea.  There is no doubt that Bony is a quality striker given that he was the top scorer in the EPL in 2014 when he scored 24 goals.  In fact the first two of those goals came against Man City at home to open 2014 in a 3-2 loss to Man City.  I presume Pellegrini never forgot that performance, which most likely factored into his decision to buy Bony.  Whether Bony is worth a $40 million transfer fee is another matter.  To put the $40 million transfer fee in perspective, it eclipses the fee that Man City paid to Arsenal for Emmanuel Adebayor in 2009 to make Bony's transfer fee the most expensive transfer fee of all-time for an African footballer.  That is a ton of money, especially given that Man City already have three accomplished strikers on the roster that are all currently in a collective injury/scoring drought but don't forget that Bony is off at the African Cup of Nations tournament as a member of the Ivory Coast so he doesn't even provide immediate help for Man City's striker woes anyhow.  Not only did Man City pay almost $40 million for Bony's services but Man City signed him to a four-and-half year contract worth upwards of $150,000 a week and includes a clause that pays Bony an additional $30,000 per appearance for the club.  The appearance fee seems like it is gilding the lily for Bony but I presume that "bonus" was included to somehow skirt UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules.  That is great business for Swansea given that they paid $20 million for his services just a few years ago even though selling Bony will mean Swansea sold one of the most prolific goal scorers in Europe.  Bony's 56 goals (25 EPL goals since the start of the 2013-14 EPL season) are the 5th most goal scored in Europe's top six leagues since the start of the 2012-13 season behind heavyweights Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Graziano Pellè.  Bony has found the back of the net regularly in the Eredivisie and EPL for less glamorous clubs than Man City so I expect that to continue as long as Bony can get regular first-team action. Let's hope this deal goes better than the last time Man City purchased a player from Swansea though given that Man City purchased winger Scott Sinclair for roughly $12 million in 2012 but Sinclair only made three starts and 19 appearances total over a couple seasons for Man City.  Given the lack of regular playing time, Man City loaned Sinclair to Aston Villa with an eye towards a permanent move over the summer.

9) Jesus Navas (M, LR 10): With Nasri out injured for a few more weeks, Navas is getting regular starts at winger despite the fact that his crosses have been sub-par besides his most recent outing against Chelsea.  I know that might seem like a fairly general criticism but Navas is essentially on the field to combine with the right back to provide good service to the strikers so when his crosses are sub-par, there is not much reason to play him  Unfortunately Man City doesn't really have a better option than Navas at this point since Silva thrives as a playmaker in the middle and Milner is a nice option opposite Navas on the other wing.  I wonder whether Man City need to consider something somewhat unconventional like playing Kolarov or Zabaleta as a winger as opposed to their regular spot as an outside defender.  Kolarov has played as a winger a couple of times for Man City so moving Zabaleta or him to winger from outside back might not be all that revolutionary, especially given how much they already push forward from their outside back positions.

17) Fernando (M, LR 15): The Mangala signing is clearly the biggest disappointment of the summer transfer window for Man City but Fernando is not that far behind.  That is exacerbated by the fact that Yaya Toure is playing with new teammate Bony for the Ivory Coast in the African Cup of Nations.  Given how invisible Fernando has been in place of Toure, Man City need to consider starting Frank Lampard along side Fernandinho ahead of Fernando now that they secured Lampard's services through the end of the season.  I would even rather see James Milner play in central midfield ahead of Fernando at this point. When Toure returns, Lampard can move back to his super-sub role, which will essentially relegate Fernando to spot appearances till next season unless Toure, Fernandinho, Lampard, or Milner are injured for an extended period of time.

22) Dedryck Boyata (D, LR 21): Pellegrini loaned central defender Matija Nastasic to Schalke through the end of the season.  Much like Negredo's loan, Nastasic's loan to Schalke includes a purchase option.  Apparently Pellegrini holds Dedryck Boyata in higher esteem than Nastasic, otherwise this loan makes no sense.  The structure of the loan means the proverbial ball is in Schalke's court now for how they want to proceed with Nastasic.  Unless Man City can recoup almost all of their original $20 transfer fee they paid Fiorentina for Nastasic's services, which I think is highly unlikely, I hope Schalke passes on their purchase option for Nastasic because I still think he could be a useful defender for Man City given that he is still only 21 years old. 

With the transfer window closed till the summer, Man City will have an uphill battle in the Champions League (face Barcelona in their quarterfinal home-and-home match up) and the EPL (currently in second place, five points behind Chelsea).  Check back at the end of the next international break for my updated thoughts on the squad.

Man City Report - January 2015 Transfer Window Advice for Manuel Pellegrini

Following our last check-in, Man City played four EPL matches from mid to late December and found out their opponent for the knock-out stage of the Champions League.  Unfortunately Man City drew Barcelona in the knockout stages of the Champions League for the second year in a row.  You know that you support a club that is (almost) out of problems when the biggest complaint you have is about facing another world super power in the most prestigious club tournament in the world.  This kind of challenge for Man City, if they somehow best Barcelona in their home-and-home fixtures, is exactly what Man City needs to jump from an impressive domestic club (won two the last three EPL titles) to a a true world super power.

Man City continued their winning streak since my last recap in the first of those four EPL matches with a gritty 1-0 road victory over Leicester City. Apparently winning begets winnings because Man City followed that up with a 3-0 victory at home over Crystal Palace and a 3-1 victory on the road over West Brom.  Just two days later Man City hosted Burnley armed with the knowledge that if they won, they would join Chelsea at the top of the table since Chelsea tied Southampton 1-1 earlier in the day.  Man City went up 2-0 just over a third a way through the match but somehow conceded two goals to tie Burnley 2-2 at home to close out 2014 two points behind EPL leaders Chelsea.  10 out of a possible 12 points seems great but given the competition and the fact that Man City was up two goals on Burnley at home, they really should have taken a maximum of 12 points from those four fixtures.

Man City manager Manuel Pellegrini did a ton of business in the summer transfer window to help the club balance their books to comply with UEFA's Financial Fair Play Rules, which left Man City with only three and a half strikers with EPL experience.  I say three and half because youngster José Ángel Pozo played decent up top in his first team appearances but does not look like a threat to actually score in the EPL yet so I only count him as half a striker at this point.  Injuries to strikers Sergio Aguero and Edin Džeko forced Pellegrini to start midfielder James Milner as a "striker" since Stevan Jovetić was only available as a substitute since he is (again) rehabbing an injury.  That means Man City will need some help at striker till Aguero and Džeko return.

In Pellegrini's summer business he loaned out striker Alvaro Negrado to Valencia, which was the move that I was most skeptical about.  I know Negrado had a broken foot at the time but Negredo made 11 appearances for Valencia from late October to late December: five starts and six appearances as a substitute.  Sure Negrado only has one goal for Valencia so far this season but last season he had an amazing ability to find the back of the net as both a starter and a substitute for Man City.  Since Negredo is no longeran option, let's look a Man City's other striker options to acquire in the transfer window.

The most common striker targets linked with Man City are Christian Benteke (Aston Villa), Wilfried Bony (Swansea), Mario Mandzukic (Atletico Madrid), and Paul-Georges Ntep (Rennes).  The price tag on Ntep is reportedly $10 million while Benteke, Bony or Mandzukic would most likely be three or four times that amount.  If money were no object, Man City would have just kept Negrado and possibly still even signed Bony but money is an object because of UEFA's Financial Fair Play Rules.  The other drawback to Bony is that he will be at the African Cup of Nations, which is a bi-annual tournament between the best African countries, from mid-January to possibly as late as mid-February if Ivory Coast makes it to the final.  That is exactly when Man City would need Bony's services given the injury issues for Aguero and Dzeko.  Plus, once Aguero and Dzeko return from injury it could create a locker room issue to have Benteke, Bony, or Mandzukic as the 3rd or 4th striker option depending on how management feels about Jovetić.  As a result, I would add Ntep in the hopes of buying low on a long-term prospect that can be loaned out next season to a Championship side.  My guess is that Man City ultimately adds Bony and I have no doubt that he will perform well for Man City in the long-term, I just think that is not the most fiscally responsible move.

No matter what happens at striker, Man City definitely need to extend midfielder Frank Lampard's loan from their MLS "sister" club New York City FC because Lampard has been an absolute revelation for Man City.  When New York City FC loaned Lampard to Man City it looked like it was simply a way to keep Lampard in shape before he joined New York City FC for their inaugural season in the MLS.  Instead, Lampard went on to score an number of important EPL goals for Man City including the equalizer against his former employer Chelsea to give Man City a 1-1 tie at home and the only goal against Leicester City to give Man City a 1-0 victory.

Lampard's form is something that Liverpool should keep in mind as they are trying to decide whether the extend midfielder Steven Gerrard's contract, which is due to expire at the end of the season.  Sure some teams would rather move on a year too early than a year too late but not when you are talking about a club icon that icon goes on to thrive in the same league against you the following season.  Besides Lampard's impressive form, don't forget that Yaya Toure will be away from the club for almost a month at the start of 2015 for the aforementioned African Cup of Nations.  That leaves Man City with Fernandinho and Fernando as their only other true central midfielders.  Sure the likes of Milner and David Silva could fill-in but Lampard is the perfect offensive compliment to Fernandinho or Fernando.

The last couple years Man City has been reserved in the January transfer window but they've also been relatively healthy during the previous January transfer windows too.  Whatever young play-maker is doing well is always linked to Man City because of their deep pockets but again UEFA's Financial Fair Play Rules make it too risky to try to add a winger like Ross Barkley from Everton given that his price tag would be in the $60 to $70 million range.  The price always seems to go up whenever Man City is involved because of their deep pockets.  Sure Barkley would be nice to have given that he is a better winger than James Milner, Jesus Navas or even Samir Nasri but I am actually not sure Barkley is an upgrade over David Silva so sometimes the deals you don't make turn out to be the best ones.  Given the winger depth that Man City currently possess, I hope that Man City does not make any other expensive, borderline irrational move for a guy like Barkley or even Bony for that matter despite Man City's need for a healthy striker.

No matter what Man City actually does in the January transfer window, make sure to check back for full coverage in this space.  If Man City doesn't do any business, which would be shocking to me given their lack of depth at striker and the need to extend Lampard's loan stay, make sure to check back in the space for my thoughts at the close of the January transfer window.

Man City Report - 2014 Summer Transfer Window Review

There was a ton of roster turnover for Manchester City over the 2014 summer transfer window.  Sure most of the turnover was on the younger/developmental side of the roster but the current senior roster for Man City looks slightly different than the side that won the 2013-14 Capital One Cup & more importantly the Barclay's English Premier League.  Here is a look at all the business done by Man City over the 2014 summer transfer window:

Released/Free Transfers:

Players: midfielder Thomas Agyiri (released), winger Alex Henshall (free transfer), midfielder Kieran Kennedy (released), defender Joleon Lescott (free transfer), striker Alex Nimely (released), goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon (free transfer), defender George Swan (released), and defender Reece Wabara (released).
Analysis: The fact that Nimley was released was a mild surprise given that he is only 23 years old, which is too young to give up on a striker unless there are off the pitch issues we don't know about.  Besides that, the only real notable names that made any significant appearances for the senior side are Lescott and Pantilimon.  Man City purchased Lescott in the 2009 summer transfer window from Everton for $35 million in hopes that he would be one of their two central defender for the next decade.  Unfortunately Lescott's tenure in Man City was a bit uneven given his injury issues and lack of mobility.  I am sure that Lescott would have been a great central defender in the top tier of English football in the 1980's or 1990's because of his size but size alone does NOT make a successful central defender in the current EPL.  Pantilimon was briefly the 1st string keeper last season when Joe Hart struggle but Man City are on the cusp of making a commitment to Hart so hopefully Pantilimon can get 1st team action at Sunderland.  Given that absent injury he would have seen sparse first-team action for Man City over the next few seasons.

Loaned:

Players: midfielder Bismark Adjei-Boateng (Stromsgodset for 2014), striker Devante Cole (Barnsley through January 5, 2015), defender Jason Denayer (Celtic for the season), winger Godsway Donyoh (Falkenbergs FF for 2014), midfielder Adam Drury (St Mirren for the season), striker John Guidetti (Celtic for season), goalkeeper Eirik Holmen Johansen (Sandefjord through 2014), defender Greg Leigh (Crewe through 2014), midfielder Marcos Lopes (Lille for the season), goalkeeper Billy O'Brien (Hyde for the season), defender Ellis Plummer (St Mirren for the season), defender Karim Rekik (PSV Eindhoven for the season), winger Albert Rusnak (SC Cambuur through 2014), and midfielder Bruno Zuculini (Valencia CF for the season).
Analysis: The most notable name on the list is Devante Cole because he is the son of Andy Cole.  It is way too early to tell whether Devante will be anywhere as good as his father Andy though.  One thing is for sure though, Devante would be the 5th or 6th option for Man City up front right now so hopefully he will get more playing time at Barnsley.  Besides Cole, keep an eye on Zuculini because although he is only 21 years old, I could see him blossom into a quality box-to-box central midfielder with regular playing time elsewhere for the next couple seasons.

Loaned with "Option" to Sell

Players: striker Alvaro Negredo (Valencia for the season with $40 million purchase option) and defender Micah Richards (Fiorentina for the season with $2 million purchase option).
Analysis: Bummed to see Richards go, unfortunately his unlimited athletic promise was rarely on display given all of his injury issues.  Although Negredo is often injured, it is not the reason he was "loaned" to Valencia. The reason Negredo was loaned was that Man City is doing everything in their power to comply with the UEFA Financial Fair Play rules.  When healthy, there is no doubt that Negrado gives Man City a different striker than anyone else currently on the roster.  In fact, there were various points through the first half of last season that without Negrado that Man City would NOT have been able to stay within reach of the first place in the EPL.  Man City purchased Negrado from Sevilla for $27.5 million before the start of last season and could sell him for upwards of $40 million in their loan-to-buy deal with Valencia, which will help balance their books.  Mark my words, if Man City lose Aguero or Dzeko to injury for an extended period of time, they will struggle to stay at the top of the EPL table and thus will surely miss Negredo.

Sold:

Players: midfielder Gareth Barry (sold for $3 million to Everton), midfielder Javi Garcia (sold for $19 million to FC Zenit Saint Petersburg), midfielder Emyr Huws (sold for $4 million to Wigan), and midfielder Jack Rodwell (sold for $15 million to Sunderland).
Analysis: I was never a big Barry fan.  Sure Barry is a decent holding midfielder but he does not tackle that well and gives you very little going forward so I see him as just another guy.  Seems like Huws and Rodwell were not in Man City's long-term plans even though they are both relatively young so it is nice to see them get a chance for regular minutes elsewhere.  Given how well Garcia played in place of Fernandinho in central midfield along side Yaya Toure at the end of last season, I thought Garcia was in Man City's long-term plans but clearly I was wrong because Man City sold Garcia $19 million, which means they took a slight loss on him since they purchased him from Benfica for $24 million in the 2012 summer transfer window.  With such a strong roster, turnover is inevitable and none of the players sold would get regular first team action unless Man City suffer a number of injuries.

Purchased

Players: goalkeeper Willy Caballero ($11 million from Malaga), midfielder Fernando ($20 million from Porto), midfielder Frank Lampard (on loan from MLS club NYCFC), defender Eliaquim Mangala ($50 million from Porto), defender Bacary Sagna (free transfer from Arsenal), and midfielder Bruno Zuculini ($3.5 million from Racing Club).
Analysis: Man City was only allowed to spend $82 million due to their Financial Fair Play restrictions from UEFA, which meant that every dollar that Man City spent in the summer transfer window had to be spent wisely. Time will tell how much of an impact Caballero, Fernando, and Sagna will have because there are more talented players in front of them on the current roster in Joe Hart, Fernandinho, and Pablo Zabaleta. Man City was able to take Lampard on loan from their "sister" MLS expansion franchise New York City FC because they do NOT have their first MLS match till March of 2015.  It will be odd to see Lampard in a light blue jersey as opposed to a dark blue jersey given that he played for Chelsea from 2001 to 2014. With Zuculini out on loan that leaves Mangala.  It is only fitting that Mangala joins Man City as Lescott leaves the club because Mangala looks like a much younger and athletic version of Lescott.  Given how raw Mangala is right now, it will be interesting to see how long it will take the French international to get up to speed in the EPL after playing last season in the top league in Portugal.  Long-term I would be surprised if Mangala was as much of a bust as Lescott but in the short-term I see Mangala struggling to get regular first team appearances, which is not what you would expect from a player that commanded such an expensive transfer fee.

Contract Extensions Signed

Players: striker Sergio Agüero (5 years), striker Edin Dzeko (4 years), defender Aleksandar Kolarov (3 years), defender Vincent Kompany (5 years), winger Samir Nasri (5 years), and winger David Silva (5 years).
Analysis: The players just listed are some of the most important players on the current senior roster and the core that helped Man City win two EPL titles in the last three seasons, which makes each extension look good in a vacuum but the weekly wage of each player's extension was not disclosed so I cannot comment on their dollar amounts.  I can comment on the length of their contract extensions, which is my only nitpick.  Besides Dzeko and Kolarov, the lengths of the rest of the contract extensions were five years so Man City did not stagger their lengths.  That means that the core of the roster could go through a forced turnover at the same time when those contracts are due to run out when all the players will be in their early 30's so their transfer value will be fairly low.  Given that fact, I would have signed Nasri and possibly Silva to shorter deals.

Man City's roster is now set till 2015 so it will be interesting to see how the players mesh with each other given that Man City will have a ton of matches spread over the Capital One Cup, Champions League, FA Cup, and the EPL in the last four months of 2014.  Make sure to check back during the second international break for my initial rankings of Man City's roster.

Man City Report - 38 Stats on 38 Matches for Man City's 2013-14 Premier League Title

Yesterday Manchester City, my favorite English Premier League club, won their second league title in three seasons.  For those less familiar with the EPL, there are 20 clubs in the league.  The club in the EPL with the most points after 38 matches, one home and one away against each of the other 19 clubs, are crowned champions of the EPL.  Sure clubs can catch breaks throughout the EPL season by facing clubs when they are short-handed due to suspension or injury but I love totaling points of an even schedule to crown a winner based on their total body of work almost the entire season.  In honor of City being the most successful club of the 20 in the EPL over their respective 38 EPL matches in the 2013-14 season, here are 38 facts from City's 38 matches in their memorable 2013-14 title winning season:

38: matches played with 27 (wins), 5 (ties), and 6 (loses).

37: number of goals conceded.

36: fouls suffered by left back Aleksandar Kolarov, 2nd most for the club.

35: matches started by midfielder Yaya Touré, most for the club.

34: points earned away from home in 19 matches.

33: appearances (29 starts and 4 as a substitute) by midfielder Fernandinho, which is 4th most for the club.

32: matches where points were earned with 27 wins (earn 3 points) and 5 ties (earn 1 point) for 86 points.

31: starts by goalkeeper Joe Hart.

30: points last place Cardiff City amassed in the EPL, including a 3-2 home victory over City, which was City's first away match of the 2013-14 EPL season.

29: total appearances by midfielder James Milner (12 starts and 19 as a substitute).

28: starts by captain and central defender Vincent Kompany.

27: shots on goal by Yaya Touré that resulted in 20 goals.

26: starts by midfielder David Silva.

25: changes at the top of the table throughout the 2013-14 EPL season.

24: goals conceded in 19 away matches, City scored 39 en route to 10 (wins), 4 (ties), and 5 (loses).

23: players that appeared in the EPL for Man City this season, the least amount of players used by any team in the EPL: Sergio Aguero (F), Dedryck Boyata (D), Gael Clichy (D), Martin Demichelis (D), Edin Dzeko (F), Fernandinho (M), Javi Garcia (M), Joe Hart (GK), Stevan Jovetic (F), Aleksandar Kolarov (D), Vincent Kompany (D), Joleon Lescott (D), James Milner (M), Samir Nasri (M), Matija Nastasic (D), Jesus Navas (M), Alvaro Negredo (F), Costel Pantilimon (GK), Micah Richards (D), Jack Rodwell (M), David Silva (M), Yaya Toure (M), and Pablo Zabaleta (D).

22: fouls committed by Vincent Kompany that resulted in six yellow cards and one red card.

21: consecutive league goals scored from November 2nd through December 4th, unfortunately the final one was an own goal by goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon.

20: goals scored by Yaya Touré, most for the club & 3rd most in the entire EPL.

19: times midfielder James Milner was used as a substitute, most for the club.

18: points dropped in six loses.

17: goals by Sergio Agüero in the EPL this season, 2nd most for the club.

16: clean sheets for City.

15: times midfielder Javi Garcia was used as a substitute, 2nd most for club.

14: days this season that City were at the top of the EPL table coming into the last day of the 2013-14 EPL season.

13: goals conceded in 19 home matches, City scored 63 en route to 17 (wins), 1 (tie), and 1 (loss).

12: points earned in four matches against Europa League bound Everton and Tottenham.

11: Joe Hart (GK), Pablo Zabaleta (RB), Vincent Kompany (CB), Martín Demichelis (CB), Aleksandar Kolarov (LB), Samir Nasri (RW), Javi Garcia (CM), Yaya Touré (CM), David Silva (LW), Edin Dzeko (S), and Sergio Agüero (S) were the starting 11 for City at home against West Ham in their final, title clinching match of the season.

10: players that started at least one match as a defender.

9: assists by David Silva and Yaya Touré, tied for most for the club.

8: appearances as a substitute by striker Edin Dzeko.

7: goals by David Silva and Samir Nasri, tied for 5th most for the club.

6: goal difference in Manchester Derbies in favor of City thanks to a 4-1 win at home and a 3-0 win on the road.

5: jersey number of right back Pablo Zabaleta, the unsung hero of the club this season because his impact doesn't usually show-up on the stat sheet.

4: top flight English league titles in club history: 1936-37, 1967-68, 2011-12, and 2013-14.

3: managers to win the EPL title in their first season in charge: Manuel Pellegrini (City 2013-14), Jose Mourinho (Chelsea for 2004-05 season), and Carlo Ancelotti (Chelsea for 2009-10 season).

2: goals scored (Nasri and Kompany) against West Ham in their final match of the season to clinch the EPL title, they second 102 total.

1: team at the top of the EPL table at the end of the season ... Manchester City.

#TweetBeat - City beat Crystal Palace at The Etihad

Twice earlier this month I gave my real-time thoughts on Manchester City's EPL matches via Twitter and aggregated them as #TweetBeat posts.  The first time was when City thumped Arsenal 6-3 at home at The Etihad.  Although not as impressive as dismantling then league leaders Arsenal at home, City followed up that performance with a 4-2 win over Fulham on the road.  After defeating then league leaders Liverpool at home on Boxing Day, City hosted Crystal Palace just two days later.  Here are my real-time thoughts on City's ho-hum 1-0 home victory over Crystal Palace at The Etihad:

Coming into #CityvPalace match, #MCFC has scored the most goals (53) in #EPL this season while #Palace has scored the least (12).
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 28, 2013

Bummer that @pablo_zabaleta is out for #MCFC b/c he has been instrumental getting forward down the right side this season. #CityvPalace
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 28, 2013

Despite scoring for #MCFC in his last 9 home appearances @_AlvaroNegredo_ is slightly hobbled so @EdDzeko gets the start up top #CityvPalace
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 28, 2013

#MCFC start @Dedryck_Boyata, @javigarcia06, & @JM7Foundation instead of @Kolarov13A, @Toure_yaya42, & @SamNasri19 #CityvPalace
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 28, 2013

@EdDzeko looks feisty early in the match with a couple of scoring chances but they have not resulted in goals, yet. #CityvPalace
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 28, 2013

Even with @Toure_yaya42 out, so far @fernaoficial & @javigarcia06 look like a fine pairing in central midfield for #MCFC. #CityvPalace
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 28, 2013

After a lackluster start to the match, feels like a goal is coming for #MCFC given their strong run of play the last 5 minutes #CityvPalace
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 28, 2013

@JoeHart comes out strong for #MCFC as Cameron Jerome's late challenge results in a nasty cut below Hart's left eye. #cityvpalace
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 28, 2013

@_MC29 replaces Jerome for #Palace as #MCFC continues to be the better side with just over 10 minutes left in the first half. #CityvPalace
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 28, 2013

Nice buildup by #MCFC as @fernaoficial misses the best chance of the match so far just before stoppage time of the 1st half. #CityvPalace
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 28, 2013

Hate to see #MCFC use one of only three subs on a GK but not sure how @JoeHart can see out of his left eye. #CityvPalace
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 28, 2013

@fernaoficial clearly the best player for #MCFC in the first half of #CityvPalace but still scoreless at the half.
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 28, 2013

#MCFC should bring on @SamNasri19 @_AlvaroNegredo_ or @Toure_yaya42 & slot Milner in @Dedryck_Boyata's or @javigarcia06's spot #CityvPalace
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 28, 2013

Nice to see @_AlvaroNegredo_ @Toure_yaya42 & @SamNasri19 warming up for #MCFC as @JoeHart makes another strong save. #CityvPalace
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 28, 2013

Smart decision by #MCFC to add @_AlvaroNegredo_ & @SamNasri19 in place of @Dedryck_Boyata but hate taking off @fernaoficial. #CityvPalace
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 28, 2013

Makes sense to slot Milner at RB, shades of @pablo_zabaleta, as #MCFC attempt to open the scoreline with 30 mins to play. #CityvPalace
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 28, 2013

If #MCFC want to win this match then a straight @Toure_yaya42 for @javigarcia06 should be the last sub in the next few minutes. #CityvPalace
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 28, 2013

#MCFC score for the 60th consecutive #EPL match at home as @EdDzeko slots a cool finish (9th goal in 14 starts) to go up 1-0. #CityvPalace
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 28, 2013

@Toure_yaya42 was set to replace @21LVA before @EdDzeko's goal so instead #MCFC add @Kolarov13A in place of a hobbled Milner. #CityvPalace
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 28, 2013

#MCFC best their previous #EPL scoring record of 53 goals in first 19 games in 2011-12 with 54 in 19 games so far this season. #CityvPalace
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 28, 2013

I retract what I said earlier about @javigarcia06 holding his own, @Toure_yaya42 really is the engine that makes #MCFC go. #CityvPalace
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 28, 2013

Needless challenge by @21LVA results in a yellow card, which means he will miss #MCFC next match on New Year's Day @ #Swansea. #CityvPalace
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 28, 2013

@JoeHart rightly named man of the match for #MCFC as they win 1-0 in a somewhat ho-hum performance at home. #CityvPalace
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 28, 2013

#MCFC are now 10-for-10 at home taking a maximum 30 points to open their 2013-14 #EPL campaign with a 1-0 win #CityvPalace
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 28, 2013

#MCFC is now unbeaten in their last eight #EPL matches: 7 wins & 1 draw en route to their first four match winning streak under Pellegrini.
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 28, 2013

@_AlvaroNegredo_'s 9 match home scoring streak doesn't reach 10 as @EdDzeko's goal was the difference in #MCFC's 1-0 victory #CityvPalace
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 28, 2013

#CityvPalace match stats mostly dominated by #MCFC: - 23 shots to 9 - Tied @ 4 shots on goal - 12 corners to 5 - 77% possession to 23%
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 28, 2013

A win is a win, especially given that City faced Liverpool just two days ago on Boxing Day.  Thanks to their win over Crystal Palace, City temporarily go to the top of the table pending the outcome tomorrow of Arsenal's match on the road against Newcastle.

For how impressive City have been at home in the EPL taking a maximum 30 points, they have only managed 11 points in 9 matches on the road.  City are going to try to improve on their road form on New Year's Day when they face Swansea.  Despite the early start for City/Swansea match, make sure to check my Twitter account (@CheeseheadSN) because I will do my best to live-tweet the match.

#TweetBeat - City beats Fulham at Craven Cottage

Much like I did last week for Manchester City's thrilling 6-3 victory over Arsenal, here are my real-time thoughts on City's 4-2 road victory over Fulham on the road at Craven Cottage:

Questionable free kick for @21LVA pounded home by @Toure_yaya42 on yet another amazing free kick by him to put #mcfc up 1-0 over #fulham
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 21, 2013

Free kick by @21LVA centered back by @demichelisok and finished by @VincentKompany to put #MCFC up 2-0 over #Fulham after 45 minutes.
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 21, 2013

Deserved goal for #Fulham as they pull back one on #MCFC to make it 2-1.
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 21, 2013

Makes sense to add @Navitas7 in place of @EdDzeko to give #mcfc a boost against #fulham with the score line 2-1 in favor of #mcfc
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 21, 2013

Nightmare freakish own goal by @VincentKompany makes the scoreline 2-2 between #mcfc and #fulham. Hang on for a nervy final 20 minutes.
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 21, 2013

@JM7Foundation is the only other #MCFC player worthy of getting in this match, not sure it was worth taking out @SamNasri19 against #fulham.
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 21, 2013

Great through ball by @21LVA for Jesus Navas to finish five-hole on @M_stekelenburg to give #mcfc a 3-2 lead over #fulham
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 21, 2013

Oh my god, what a ball by @_AlvaroNegredo_ to @JM7Foundation for a clinical finish to ice the match 4-2 for #mcfc over #fulham
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 21, 2013

@21LVA makes way for @javigarcia06 as #MCFC will ice a nice road victory over #fulham to set-up a huge boxing day match against #Liverpool
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 21, 2013

Great 4-2 victory for #mcfc over #fulham on the road, @JoeHart played well despite "giving up" 2 goals since neither were his fault.
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 21, 2013

City has seven matches (six in the EPL and one in the FA Cup) between Boxing Day and the close of the January transfer window.  With a full slate of EPL matches in a condensed window, City hosts Liverpool to start the make-or-break portion of their EPL schedule in hopes of winning the EPL for the second time in three seasons.  Check back over the next few weeks for full coverage of arguably the most exciting portion of the EPL calender.

#TweetBeat - City thumps Arsenal at The Etihad

For some reason Manchester City is the only team that I regularly follow that I can tweet about during their matches.  I used to write TweetBeat posts occasionally when I had some interesting interaction on Twitter but now that happens so often that it is not worthy of cobbling together a post to re-hash what occurred.  In what I hope will be the first of many posts of this manner, mostly because it involves very little effort while giving a view into my thoughts in real-time, here are my running thoughts on City's thrilling 6-3 victory over Arsenal presented without comment:

@aguerosergiokun with a clinical finish to give #MCFC a 1-0 lead over #Arsenal to ensure at least one goal in 58 consecutive home matches.
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 14, 2013

Never see @Toure_yaya42 with a sloppy giveaway as #Arsenal draw level 1-1 via a finish by Walcott against #mcfc #MCFCvAFC
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 14, 2013

Great buildup to the finish by @_AlvaroNegredo_ to put #mcfc up 2-1 over #Arsenal. Don't turn away from this scintillating match. #MCFCvAFC
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 14, 2013

An entertaining end-to-end 1st half of #MCFCvAFC that sees #mcfc rightly up 2-1 over #Arsenal thanks to @_AlvaroNegredo_ & @aguerosergiokun
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 14, 2013

Bummer to lose @aguerosergiokun but agree with inserting Navas instead of @EdDzeko #mcfc #MCFCvAFC
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 14, 2013

@fernaoficial slots his first goal in #epl to give #mcfc a 3-1 lead over #Arsenal to turn #MCFCvAFC decidedly in favor of #mcfc
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 14, 2013

If that is a PK for #Arsenal because of the "handball" by @pablo_zabaleta then they mighty as well universally enforce j-walking. #MCFCvAFC
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 14, 2013

This is Walcott v. #mcfc with #Arsenal only down 3-2 now thanks to a brace by Walcott. #MCFCvAFC
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 14, 2013

This has turned into the match of the season so far with Silva slotting the 4th goal for #mcfc to go up 4-2 over #Arsenal #MCFCvAFC
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 14, 2013

A brace for @fernaoficial makes it his official coming out party for #mcfc over #Arsenal for a 5-2 lead #MCFCvAFC
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 14, 2013

@Toure_yaya42 bags a PK at the death to put #mcfc up 6-3 over #Arsenal. Craziest #epl match I've ever watched in my entire life. #MCFCvAFC
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 14, 2013

Normally when City and Arsenal meet it is a defensive battle since only seven goals (5 for City and 2 for Arsenal) have been scored in their last six meetings.  Thanks to the City's 6-3 thumping of current league leaders Arsenal, City is the only team in the EPL with a perfect record at home amassing 24 of their 29 points in the EPL thanks to scoring 35 goals and only conceding 5 goals at The Etihad.

I hope you enjoyed the post, keep in mind these tweets were all done after pulling an all nighter at the Rosati Elf Convention (annual family Christmas) partially from hanging out late playing bags with my family and partially from being so nervous about the City/Arsenal match that I couldn't sleep.

Man City Report - City Thumps Tottenham

I was going to write a lengthy Manchester City post during the international to give an update on City's recent form but since City hosted Tottenham at the Etihad in their first match following the international break, I decided to wait for that match because I thought it would be a good litmus test for both clubs.  Before the season City and Tottenham looked like virtual locks for a Top 4 finish but going into their match Tottenham was 6th and City was 7th in the table.  That meant both clubs desperately needed three points from the match to keep their faint title chances alive.

As I covered a few months back, City spent roughly £85 million purchasing four players: midfielder Fernandinho, winger Jesus Navas, striker Stevan Jovetic, and striker Alvaro Negredo.  The jury is till out on Jovetic with injuries limiting him to a handful of appearances for City but as you will see in my updated rankings below, the other three signings were great business for City.

Tottenham went on a spending spree this summer purchasing Christian Eriksen, Érik Lamela, Paulinho, and Roberto Soldado for roughly £85 million.  So far Paulinho and Soldado have been useful but Tottenham had to expect more from the quartet given their collective price tag.

In order to balance the books, Tottenham sold winger Gareth Bale to Real Madrid for a record £85.3 million transfer fee, which eclipsed the previous record of £80 million that Real Madrid paid Manchester United for Cristiano Ronaldo. I understand why Tottenham made some of the purchases just discussed but unfortunately for Tottenham when you factor in the Bale sale it looks like they get two quarters and two dimes for a dollar.

With all of that as background, just 13 seconds into the City/Tottenham match I realized it was a great decision to delay my City update post till after the City/Tottenham match was in the books as Navas put City up 1-0 despite Tottenham kicking off to start the match due to a poor clearance by Tottenham keeper Hugo Lloris.  In the end Navas scored a bookend brace with a brace by striker Sergio Aguero, a goal by Negredo, and an own goal by Sandro in between as City went on to win 6-0.  Sandro's own goal could have easily been credited to Negredo to give City a trio of braces.  City bossed the match from start to finish to put together their best performance since Manuel Pellegrini took over as manager of City this summer.

Just to get you back up to speed since my last City post that focused on City's 4-1 drubbing of United.  City played 12 matches going 4-3 in the seven English Premier League matches, 2-0 in the Capital One Cup, and 2-1 in the UEFA Champions League.  After coming up short in their last three attempts, City qualified for the knock-out stage of the Champions League for the first time in club history.

For how well City played in the Champions League, they've been equally unimpressive in the EPL on the road with their most recent road struggles coming at Sunderland in a 1-0 defeat before the international break.  Lately City has had trouble on the road but losing to Sunderland when they were the 19th team (20 total) in the EPL is unacceptable.

Fortunately City has been borderline perfect in their six home matches in the EPL.  City scored 26 goals scored and conceded just two en route to earning the maximum 18 points at home thanks in large part to beating Norwich 7-0 and Tottenham 6-0 at the Etihad.  With all of that background out of the way, here are my updated rankings and player thoughts:

Player Rankings

1. Sergio Aguero (F, LR 2) 2. Yaya Toure (M, LR 1) 3. Alvaro Negredo (F, LR 9) 4. Vincent Kompany (D, LR 3) 5. David Silva (M, LR 4) 6. Jesus Navas (M, LR 6) 7. Samir Nasri (M, LR 12)  8. Edin Dzeko (F, LR 10) 9. Fernandinho (M, LR 5) 10. Matija Nastasic (D, LR 7) 11. Pablo Zabaleta (D, LR 11) 12. Joe Hart (GK, LR 8) 13. Gael Clichy (D, LR 14) 14. Aleksandar Kolarov (D, LR 13) 15. Joleon Lescott (D, LR 18) 16. Costel Pantilimon (GK, LR 20) 17. James Milner (M, LR 15) 18. Micah Richards (D, LR 19) 19. Javi Garcia (M, LR 17) 20. Stevan Jovetic (F, LR 16) 21. Jack Rodwell (M, LR 21) 22. Martin Demichelis (D, LR 27) 23. Dedryck Boyata (D, LR 22) 24. John Guidetti (F, LR 23) 25. Richard Wright (GK, LR 24) 26. Alex Nimely (F, LR 25) 27. Erik Johansen (GK, LR 26)

1) Sergio Aguero (F, LR 2): Named EPL player of the month in October thanks to scoring four goals in three matches and might be adding more awards in November thanks to scoring a brace en route to beating Tottenham as discussed above.  Aguero now leads the EPL in scoring with 10 goals but that is not the reason that I finally moved Aguero above Toure.  No, the reason that I finally moved Aguero ahead of Toure was Lionel Messi's request that Barcelona purchase Aguero.  Despite being injured, Messi is unquestionable the best player in the world.  Part of Messi's affinity for Aguero might be the fact that they play together for the Argentinian national team.  There is no question that when healthy, they form the most potent national team scoring attack.  That duo could go a long way towards ensuring that Argentina wins the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.  In my recent trip to South America with Cheesehead Chick we got to experience the depth and breath of the rivalry between Brazil and Argentina.  Suffice to say, if Argentina wins the 2014 World Cup in Rio de Janeiro at the Maracana, there will be no Samba dancing following the match. 

3) Alvaro Negredo (F, LR 9): Last season Negredo was one of the leading scorers in the Spanish Premier League so he obviously has a nose for goal, I just thought it would take him some time to get acclimated to the EPL before going on a scoring binge.  Instead, Negredo picked up in the EPL and Champions League right where he left off in the SPL last season.  Case and point, Negrado notched a hat-trick to help City secure a spot in the knock-out stage of the Champions League.  Aguero and Negrado are playing so well lately that absent injury to one of the two, it looks like striker Edin Dzeko could be sold in the January transfer window since Dzeko's first team opportunities will be limited to substitute appearances for the foreseeable future.

6) Jesus Navas (M, LR 6): Going into this season, City's best winger was David Silva.  With Silva out a month due to a calf injury I thought Navas might not be as effective but given his recent form, Navas is making a run at Silva for the best winger throne.  Navas combines well with right back Pablo Zabaleta to form a potent attack that not only sets up goals for the likes of Aguero and Negrado but leads to goals for Navas as well.  I really enjoyed watching Adam Johnson pick apart defenses when he played for City so I was somewhat surprised that City unloaded him to Sunderland for £10 million.  I only saw Navas play a handful of times before joining City but after seeing Navas play the last few months, the differences between entertaining wingers like the Johnson and world-class wingers like Bale, Navas, and Silva are huge so now I understand the thought process.  That goes back to the point I made earlier about Bale.  You can replace guys like Johnson obviously but you can't replace players like Bale, which is a big reason why Tottenham have struggled so far this season.

16) Costel Pantilimon (GK, LR 20): Pellegrini has handled everything besides the keeper situation during his tenure so far.  I know Joe Hart made a couple gaffes for City but he still remains England's starting keeper.  Juxtapose that with Pantilimon fighting for his first team spot on the Romanian national team with Tătăruşanu and I just don't get the thought process for starting Pantilimon over Hart.  My guess is that there is something going on behind the scenes that will never get aired in public that would make the Pantilimon over Hart decision make more sense.  In an odd twist, Pellegrini committed to Pantilimon following the international break against Tottenham but following that match Pellegrini announced that Hart will start midweek in City's Champions League match.  City already qualified for the knock-out stages for the Champions League so it will be interesting to see whether Hart or Pantilimon start this weekend in their next EPL match at home against Swansea.

One final note.  Although City are already through to the knock-out stages, they host Viktoria Plzen on Wednesday before going on the road to face Bayern Munich on December 10th.  City currently trail Bayern by three points in the table and six goals in goal differential.  Given City's impressive form at the Etihad, if they beat Viktoria Plzen by four or five goals, they have an outside chance of winning Group D to get more favorable seeding in the knockout stage if they can knock off Bayern on the road.

As the January transfer window approaches, look for more City posts for how Pellegrini and Company should handle the transfer window.

Man City Report - 2013-14 Initial Roster Finalized

As I said in my initial post about the 2013-14 campaign for Man City, there was a fair amount of turnover at the club with some big names leaving (manager Roberto Mancini and forward Carlos Tevez) and some even bigger names joining (midfielder Fernandinho, forward Stevan Jovetic, midfielder Jesus Navas, and forward Alvaro Negredo).

Just to tie up loose ends, let's look at the rest of the business done by Man City between my last post and the close of the summer transfer window:
- Loaned: midfielder Gareth Barry to Everton (source), forward Harry Bunn to Sheffield United (source), midfielder Albert Rusnak to Oldham (source), and midfielder Scott Sinclair to West Brom (source).
- Sold: midfielder Abdul Razak to Anzhi Makhachkala (source) and midfielder Denis Suarez to Barcelona (source).
- Bought: defender Martin Demichelis from Atletico Madrid (source).

With all the transfer business in the books till 2014, Man City manager Manuel Pellegrini can turn his attention to his current squad.  Feel free to comment if you disagree with my rankings or thoughts on the players highlighted below:

Initial Player Rankings

1. Yaya Toure (M) 2. David Silva (M) 3. Sergio Aguero (F) 4. Vincent Kompany (D) 5. Fernandinho (M) 6. Matija Nastasic (D) 7. Alvaro Negredo (F) 8. Gael Clichy (D) 9. Edin Dzeko (F) 10. Jesus Navas (M) 11. Joe Hart (GK) 12. Pablo Zabaleta (D) 13. Samir Nasri (M) 14. Joleon Lescott (D) 15. James Milner (M) 16. Stevan Jovetic (F) 17. Aleksandar Kolarov (D) 18. Javi Garcia (M) 19. Micah Richards (D)  20. Jack Rodwell (M) 21. Dedryck Boyata 22. Martin Demichelis (D) 23. Costel Pantilimon (GK) 24. John Guidetti (F) 25. Richard Wright (GK) 26. Alex Nimely (F) 27. Erik Johansen (GK)

1. Yaya Toure (M): With Fernandinho in the fold, some wondered if the Toure and Fernandinho could co-exist because they have such similar styles of play.  Three matches is not a large enough sample size to make any grand statements but so far so good.  How the two play together once Man City starts their Champions League campaign will go a long way towards determining whether their similar styles of play make them a long-term solution in central midfield for Man City.  It is going to be hard to knock Toure out of the top spot because he is one of best box-to-box midfielders in the world and he strikes a mean free kick too.  In case you missed it, check out Toure's fabulous free kick from the weekened to seal Man City's victory over Hull.

7. Alvaro Negredo (F): Of all of City's summer captures, Fernandinho is having more of an impact box-to-box but in the final third, Negredo has been doing his best Dzeko impression from last season with two goals in three appearances as a substitute so far this season.  Negredo's two goals ties him with Toure for the team lead in goals.  Based on early returns, Negrado looks to be the super-sub of the 2013-14 season that will get an occasional start in the EPL if Man City makes a deep run in the Champions League.  Last season Man City finished last in Group D, which was comprised of Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid, and Ajax.  This year Man City is again in Group D but looks to have a better draw: Bayern Munich (defending champion), CSKA Moscow and Viktoria Plzen.  Qualification for the knockout stage is no guarantee but the fact that players like Negredo currently can't crack the Starting XI speaks to the quality of Man City's current squad.

12. Pablo Zabaleta (D): I am an unabashed fan of all things Zabaleta but he did let the man he was supposed to be marking, Frazier Campbell, score two goals on headers en route to Cardiff City's shocking home victory over Man City.  Zabaleta took issue with man marking as opposed to zonal marking, which Man City employed under their previous manager Roberto Mancini.  Whether Man City employs man or zonal marking on corners going forward, they need to be more precise because conceding multiple goals off set-pieces is unacceptable.

22. Martin Demichelis (D): Joined Atletico Madrid this summer from Malaga on a free transfer in July and Atletico Madrid smartly flipped Demichelis for $6.5 million because despite being one of richest clubs in the world, Man City had very little depth at central defender with Kompany out  a month.  Unfortunately it looks like Demichelis will be out longer than Kompany because Demichelis suffered an injury in training that is supposed to keep him out four to six weeks.  Fortunately Nastasic returned from injury earlier than expected and Lescott is in decent form so hopefully that pair will holdup as Kompany and Demichelis heal.  That means that Atletico Madrid pocketed a cool $6.5 million for holding a free transfer for just over a month.  When I first started following Man City, $6.5 million would have been the entire summer transfer budget, now that is just an insurance deductible on central defender that might never see first team action.  Wow have things changed on the blue side of Manchester.

27. Erik Johansen (GK): If Man City had their druthers, they would have kept Wright instead of Johansen as their 3rd goalkeeper for their Champions League squad but UEFA rules preclude clubs from having more than four English players that were developed by another club.  With Hart, Lescott, Milner, and Rodwell developed by other clubs; Wright lost his Champions League roster spot to Johansen.  Since EPL rules are less stringent, Wright is the 3rd goalkeeper for Man City's EPL squad.

Man City springs back into action with two nervy road matches.  First, Man City faces Stoke on September 14th and then they open their Champions League campaign against Viktoria Plzen on September 17th.  How both of those matches go will have a big impact on my rankings.