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 - Two Trophies out of Four Ain't Bad

There is no question that Manchester City has gone through a meteoric rise since I started following them in the mid-2000's.  I originally started following City because they were the underdogs in their own town employed midfielder Claudio Reyna from 2003-07.  Despite Reyna's injury history and gaffe against Ghana in the 2006 World Cup, he is still my all-time favorite member of the United States Men's National Team.  I am not trying to take credit for City's rise but when I started following City they were owned by Thaksin Shinawatra, the disgraced former prime minister of Thailand that has lived in self-imposed political exile in England since 2008.  Just a few years after I started following City, Shinawatra sold City to Abu Dhabi United Group Investment and Development Limited owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a member of the Abu Dhabi Royal Family.  As a result money has been flowing through the blue side of Manchester since 2008, which has recently gotten them in hot water with the Financial Fair Play rules.

After City won the Capital One Cup 3-1 over Sunderland, there was an outside chance that they could win four trophies this season.  At that point I thought there was an 85% chance they won the FA Cup, 51% chance they won the EPL, & 25% chance they won the Champions League.  As it turns out, City crashed out of the F.A. Cup at the hands of Wigan, the same team that beat them in the F.A. Cup Final in 2013 even though Wigan was relegated from the EPL last season. City crashed out of the Champions League at the hands of Barcelona.  That mean the only way City could hoist another trophy this season was to win the EPL.

When City lost 3-2 to Liverpool on the road on April 13th and barely tied Sunderland 2-2 at home on April 16th, it looked like they would have to settle for only one trophy this season given the cushion that they gave Liverpool.  Thankfully less than a fortnight later on April 27th, which will forever be known as "Brace Day" on the blue side of Manchester, City defeated Crystal Palace 2-0 on the road while Liverpool lost 2-0 at home to what amounted to Chelsea's second team.  The stumble by Liverpool on "Brace Day", pun intended as a shot at Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard's gaffe to gift Chelsea a goal, allowed City to regain control of their EPL destiny.  City won their final three matches 3-2 @ Everton, 4-0 over Aston Villa, and 2-0 over West Ham to win their second EPL title in three years.  Here are my final rankings projecting their transfer value going into the summer transfer window along with my thoughts on a few of the unsung heroes of City's 2013-14 EPL Champion squad:

Player Rankings

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

5) Edin Dzeko (F, LR 8): I talked about selling Dzeko to help balance the books in my look at the January Transfer Window.  In fairness to me, at that time Aguero and Negredo were the preferred strikers while Jovetic looked like he was going to finally be healthy.  As a result, I thought City could get by without Dzeko.  Boy was I wrong.  Dzeko ended up scoring big goal after big goal in the second half of the season, which was huge given the injuries to Aguero and cold streak that plagued Negredo. I am still not sure Dzeko deserves to wear the #10 jersey for City but without his services I don't think City would have finished any higher than 3rd or 4th in the table this season so maybe that gives him the right to wear the #10 jersey for City.

10) Pablo Zabaleta (D, LR 10): This season cemented Zabaleta's legacy as one of the best defenders in club history.  At left back this season City switched between Kolarov and Clichy to keep both players fresh since City made deep runs in the F.A. Cup, Champions League, and Capital One Cup.  The thought going into the season is that City would do the same at right back with Richards and Zabaleta but Richards continued to struggle with injuries so Zabaleta pulled what amounted to double-duty relative to his teammates at left back.  Zabaleta was one of the first players purchased in 2008, just a few years after I started following City. There is no question that Zabaleta is a member of my personal City Mount Rushmore.

14) Javi Garcia (M, LR 17): An injury to Fernandino with less than a month to go in the season thrust Garcia into the Starting XI in the central midfield for City's last few matches of the season.  Earlier in the season Garcia struggled when he played extended minutes but thankfully he learned from his struggles to serve as a perfect defensive cover to Toure, which allowed Toure to push forward to create numerous scoring chances each match.  Just six months ago I thought Garcia would be a part of a sham transfer to NYCFC to help balance the books to comply with UEFA's Financial Fair Play Regulations but if  Garcia can carry his end of the season form into next season, he could push for regular playing time in central midfield ahead of Fernandinho.

20) Martin Demichelis (D, LR 21): I guess 7th times a charm given that Demichelis won two Argentine Premera Division Championships (2001-02 & 2002-03) and four Bundesliga Championships (2004-05, 2005-06, 2007-08, & 2009-10).  I've been critical of Demichelis throughout this season but there is no question that he made amends throughout the season to become an integral partner in central defense with Kompany given that Nastasic was injured for most of the season.  I know Atlético Madrid got Demichelis from Málaga on a free transfer just a few months earlier but as crazy as it sounds, Demichelis was the most cost-effective member of the team this season since City was able to purchase his services from for £4.2 million.  I am not sure that City would fetch £4.2 million for Demichelis right now, which is why he is so low in the rankings.  Much like Dzeko, if Demichelis' form did not improve in the 2nd half of the season, City would not be the 2013-14 EPL Champions.

City has to deal with the repercussions of their alleged violations of UEFA's Financial Fair Play Regulations, which could severely impact their plans to reload their already stacked squad in the summer transfer window.  With the 2013-14 season in the rear view mirror, make sure to check back in this space over the next few weeks for my thoughts on how City can navigate this all important summer transfer window.

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.

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.

City thumps United 6-1

Manchester City beat their cross-town rivals Manchester United 6-1 at Old Trafford. That's right, on the road at Old Trafford, not at home.

United defender Jonny Evans was rightly sent off when City were only leading 1-0. It was the ever mercurial City striker Mario Balotelli that broke through to cause the Evans dismissal.

As always you take the good with the bad with Balotelli. After scoring, Balotelli lifted his jersey to reveal the saying: Why Always Me? Balotelli earned a yellow card for that silly display. In Balotelli's 35 appearances for City he as been a scoring machine (16 goals) that always has a chance to get sent off (12 yellow cards and two red cards).

Darren Fletcher scored the only United goal with 10 minutes left in the match to make it 3-1. At that point every City fan started to get nervous since United has been the bully of Manchester for the last few decades.

Unfortunately for United it is a new era in Manchester. Little did we know at the time that City would score three more goals to notch their most lopsided road win in the Manchester Derby since City won 5-0 at Old Trafford on February 12, 1955.

The six goals scored is the most City have scored at Old Trafford since before World War II (on January 23, 1926 City beat United 6-1) and it also marks the most goals United have allowed in a league match since September 13, 1930 (lost 7-4 to Newcastle).

In order to tally six, almost everyone on the pitch had to notch at least one goal. The goal scorers for City were Mario Balotelli (2 goals), Edin Dzeko (2 goals), Sergio Aguero (1 goal), and David Silva (1 goal).

United has not been playing great as of late but they still had a 19-game unbeaten streak at home in the league (two short of Liverpool's record of 21 from 1972-73) to go along with a 37-game unbeaten streak at home.

City have only won twice at Old Trafford since 1974, which gives you some perspective on how rare of a feat City just completed.

The calls for City to win the league are going to get even louder now but there are still a ton of games left to play. City should enjoy the victory and relish the one quote that summed up the entire match, United manager Alex Ferguson said "It's the worst result in my history, ever."

Related Posts:
- Sunday Funday - 2011-12 Manchester City Initial Player Rankings

2011-12 Manchester City Initial Player Rankings

There is no real Cheesehead sports connection here other than the fact that I am Manchester City fan so if you don't care to get to know the current Man City squad thanks for stopping by, please check back for more regular Cheesehead sports coverage soon. Also this post is going to be far from quick so buckle up if you want a full preview of the initial 2011-12 Man City squad.

For those that decided to stick around, thank you. I explained why I pull for Man City in my running diary of Man City's FA Cup victory over Stoke City a few months back. With the 2010-11 EPL season in the books and the August transfer window closed, Man City now has their squad settled until the January transfer window opens.

As usual, Man City signed a number of high profile players* when the transfer window opened. That left Man City with a glut of talent so a bunch of quality players were loaned out** or sold*** to other clubs. In fact if you put a few mediocre Premier League players with Man City's loaned out players, that squad would probably be a mid-table Premier League side. After all those transactions, thanks to EPL rules****, Man City named their initial 25-man (actually comprised of 24 players) roster***** for the 2011-12 season. Thanks to a quirk in the rules, Man City doesn't have to name certain players****** to their 25-man roster so they actually have more than 25 players available to play for Man City between today and when the transfer window opens again on January 1, 2012.

I know that was a ton of information and we are only getting started. With all of that as window dressing, here are my initial rankings of Man City's 2011-12 squad:

#29) Abdul Razak (M, CIV) - Not much to say here so let's just keep the rankings moving.

#28) Greg Cunningham (D, IRE) - Apparently he is the left-back of the future but there are a ton of other stud left-backs on the roster so Cunningham is only going to improve through training with the first team at this point.

#27) Gunnar Nielsen (GK, FAR) - The first player from the Faroe Islands to ever appear in a English Premier League game will struggle to see the pitch this season.

#26) Alex Tchuimeni-Nimely (M, ENG) - Became the 31st Academy player to play first-team football for Man City. With all the striking options you will see below, the only way he sees the pitch for the 2011/12 season in anything other than garbage time is if Man City suffers a baker's dozen of injuries.

#25) Costel Pantilimon (GK, ROM) - The Romanian Goalkeeper of the Year in 2010 was targeted by a number of teams before the seasons (Arsenal, Inter Milan and Manchester United) but Pantilimon elected to sign with Man City.

#24) Owen Hargreaves (M, ENG) - After more years in the medical room than actual appearances for Man United, Hargreaves moved to the blue half of Manchester in hopes of resurrecting his career. With how deep Man City is across the midfield, which essentially forced Patrick Vieira to take a front office job with Man City, expect Hargreaves to make very few appearances even if he is healthy.

#23) Wayne Bridge (D, ENG) - Man City tried to sell Bridge but other clubs knew Man City was desperate to move him so talks never materialized. As a result, Bridge is still on the team despite the fact that Man City purchased two better left back options: Kolarov and Clichy.

#22) Stuart Taylor (GK, ENG) - The definition of quality back-up, especially with Shay Given sold to Aston Villa, Taylor will be called on if Joe Hart suffers an injury this season.

#21) Nedum Onuoha (D, ENG) - A young, talented defender that is going to struggle to make first team appearances thanks to the quality depth Man City has along the defensive line.

#20) Stefan Savic (D, MON) - A lower profile transfer for Man City with how much money they flash around will ultimately be a good signing for the club because Savic is a quality, young central defender that will get an occasional start depending on the health of Kompany and Lescott.

#19) James Milner (M, ENG) - Mancini has not given Milner consistent playing time, which makes it hard to evaluate whether it was a bad signing. When Milner does see the field he is sort of tweener playing as a holding midfielder sometimes and playing as a winger other times. At some point Man City needs to sell some of their players but if City tried to sell Milner in the now closed transfer window they would be selling low on Milner. I say give Milner some starts to see what he can do the pitch.

#18) Kolo Toure (D, CIV) - After being suspended for six months for taking a banned substance, reportedly his wife's weight control pills, Toure looks to rejoin the squad and fight for first team action since Kompany and Lescott have played well together in central defense in Toure's absence.

#17) Gareth Barry (M, ENG) - Some people like Barry more than I do. If Barry was predominately a right footed player he might not ever see the pitch. Fortunately Barry is left-footed so he get consistent playing time as a holding midfielder.

#16) Aleksandar Kolarov (D, SERB) - Move over Wayne Bridge, there are a few new left backs in town.

#15) Adam Johnson (M, ENG) - If Johnson got more regular playing time he would challenge Kompany for the most cost effective transfer under the new ownership regime. Unfortunately with all the other impressive attacking options currently on the roster, Johnson will be more of a super-sub than a start unless a rash of injuries strike the midfield.

#14) Pablo Zabaleta (D, ARG) - The John Kuhn of Man City does whatever Manager Roberto Mancini asks, which makes Zabaleta a quality utility player.

#13) Samir Nasri (M, FRA) - I was dead against this transfer but after watching Nasri on the road against Tottenham, may be Nasri was the final attacking piece Man City needs. One game obviously does not make a career but Nasri seamlessly combined with his fellow attacking compatriots (Dzeko, Aguero, and Silva) to absolutely torch the Tottenham defense. Hopefully that assault continues throughout the rest of the 2011-12 campaign for Man City.

#12) Gael Clichy (D, FRA) - The first of two players purchased from Arsenal before the start of the current campaign is going to battle with Kolarov for the starting left back spot.

#11) Joleon Lescott (D, ENG) - After a less than impressive start to his Man City career, Lescott started to partner well with Kompany in the center of the defense toward the end of last season.

#10) Mario Balotelli (S, IT) - The mercurial nature of Balotelli is Terrell Owens in the making. With a ton of attacking options, Balotelli is going to have to work to even make the bench let along make appearances for City.

#9) Nigel de Jong (M, NED) - The new-school Roy Keane in Manchester is a guy you love if he plays for your team but absolutely hate if he plays for teh other side.

#8) Carlos Tevez (S, ARG) - If these ranking took last season into account then Tevez would be #1 but all the drama surrounding Tevez moving to another club has limited his first team appearances so far this season. As crazy as it sounds, Tevez is going to have to work hard just to make the starting line-up for Man City this season.

#7) Micah Richards (D, ENG) - With all the impressive players on the team, Richards might actually be the most physically gifted player on the entire team. Richards routinely tests defenses pushing forward down the right flank but still somehow can track back when teams counter attack.

#6) Yaya Toure (M, CIV) - Last year's hero notched goals in the FA Cup semifinal and final to help Man City win their first trophy in 35 years. Toure might be ranked higher but after buying Nasri it looks like Toure is going to play more defensively this year than he did last year.

#5) Sergio Aguero (S, ARG) - If you would have told me a month ago the highest ranked Argentine striker would not be Tevez, I would have laughed in your face but Aguero looks worth every penny (billions of pennies actually) that Man City spent on Aguero especially following his hat-trick against Wigan.

#4) Edin Dzeko (S, BIH) - Luckily this list was not put together till after Dzeko set the Premier League on fire notching his first EPL hat-trick with four goals against Tottenham.

#3) David Silva (M, ESP) - The slightly poor man's Lionel Messi, yes you read that correctly, I am comparing David Silva to Lionel Messi. Don't get me wrong, Messi is still much better than Silva but they are similar players.

#2) Joe Hart (GK, ENG) - There is little question whether Hart should be England's #1 goalkeeper. The real question is whether he will continue to improve enough that he will be mentioned as one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

#1) Vincent Kompany (D, BEL) - Man City purchased Kompany from Hamburg for a reported £6 million, which actually makes Kompany the most cost effective transfer in Man City history given that Kompany has been Man City's most valuable player on the roster the last two seasons.

I hope you enjoyed my preview of the 2011-12 Man City squad. Check back soon for more actual Cheesehead sports coverage.


Footnotes:
* = Sergio Aguero (S, ARG) from Atlético Madrid; Gael Clichy (D, FRA) from Arsenal; Samir Nasri (M, FRA) from Arsenal Costel Pantilimon (GK, ROM) from FC Timisoara; and Stefan Savic (D, MON) from Partizan Belgrade.

** = Emmanuel Adebayor (S, TGO) loaned to Tottenham Hotspur for the 2011/12; Ahmed Benali loaned to Rochdale for an undisclosed period of time; Dedryck Boyata (D, BEL) loaned to Bolton Wanderers for the 2011/12 season; David Gonzalez (GK, COL) loaned to Aberdeen for six month; John Guidetti (S, SW) loaned to Feyenoord Rotterdam for the 2011/12 season; Abdisalam Ibrahim (M, NOR) loaned to NEC Nijmegan for the 2011/12 season; Michael Johnson (M, ENG) loaned to Leicester City for the 2011/12 season; Ryan McGivern (D, NI) loaned to Bristol City for the 2011/12 season; Benjamin Mee (D, ENG) loaned to Burnley for the 2011/12 season; Roque Santa Cruz (S, PRY) loaned to Real Betis for the 2011/12 season; Kieran Trippier (D, ENG) loead to Burnley for an undisclosed period of time; and Vladimir Weiss (M, SVK) loaned to Espanyol for the 2011/12 season.

*** = Craig Bellamy (M, Wales) sold to Liverpool for an undisclosed fee; Jerome Boateng (D, GER) sold to Bayern Munich for an undisclosed fee; Shay Given (GK, IRE) sold to Aston Villa for an undisclosed fee; Jô (S, BRZ) sold to Sport Club Internacional for an undisclosed fee; Scott Kay (M, ENG) free transfer to Macclesfield Town; Shaleum Logan (D, ENG) free transfer to Brentford; Donald McDermott (S, IRE) free transfer to Huddersfield Town; James Poole (S, ENG) sold to Hartlepool United for an undisclosed fee; Andrew Tutte (M, ENG) free transfer to Rochdale; and Shaun Wright-Phillips (M, ENG) was Queens Park Rangers for an undisclosed fee.

**** = "Each club's 25-man squad should have eight homegrown players who - regardless of age or nationality - spent three years (or a total of 36 months) in the youth system of a club in England or Wales before they reached the age of 21. Contrary to reports elsewhere, players aged under 21 can, if required, be named in the 25-man squad as a homegrown player. An Under-21 player is defined as being born on or after January 1, 1989. Clubs can use an unlimited number of Under-21 players in addition to their 25-man squad. Any player who is left out of the 25-man squad will only be eligible to play in the Carling Cup until January 1. From January 1 to January 31, clubs can make unlimited changes to their 25-man squad. On February 1 a new 25-man squad must be named to run until the end of the current campaign. If a club chooses fewer than 25 players for their squad it is almost certainly due to them having a large number of under-21 players. Clubs with fewer than 25 players in their squad are still permitted to sign free agents." (Source).

***** = Sergio Aguero (S, ARG); Gareth Barry (M, ENG); Wayne Bridge (D, ENG); Gael Clichy (D, FRA); Nigel de Jong (M, NED); Edin Dzeko (S, BIH); Owen Hargreaves (M, ENG); Joe Hart (GK, ENG); Adam Johnson (M, ENG); Aleksandar Kolarov (D, SERB); Vincent Kompany (D, BEL); Joleon Lescott (D, ENG); James Milner (M, ENG); Samir Nasri (M, FRA); Gunnar Nielsen (GK, FAR); Nedum Onuoha (D, ENG); Costel Pantilimon (GK, ROM); Micah Richards (D, ENG); David Silva (M, ESP); Stuart Taylor (GK, ENG); Carlos Tevez (S, ARG); Kolo Toure (D, CIV); Yaya Toure (M, CIV); and Pablo Zabaleta (D, ARG)

****** = Mario Balotelli (S, IT); Greg Cunningham (D, IRE); Abdul Razak (M, CIV); Stefan Savic (D, MON); and Alex Tchuimeni-Nimely (M, ENG) with others from the youth academy possibly joining the squad later in the year.