Work Begins!

We can now sit back and reflect on what has been a stressful and surprising month, we have ended the January window signing 4 players, which in the scheme of things seems to be a decent haul.

Our 1st signing came in the shape of Wayne Bridge, a decent left back who has spent most of the past 5 season struggling to stake a claim to the left back position at Chelsea. He has been up against Ashley Cole, who despite his personality, is a top class left back. Bridge hasn't had the best of starts, two slack defensive errors have led to goals. But, he is an improvement on the inexperienced Garrido and the below standard Michael Ball.

Next to join was the delightful journeyman striker Craig Bellamy from West Ham. Not being the most prolific, injury prone and ageing wasn't enough to put the determined Mark Hughes shelling out 10 million (at least) for the striker. He provides a drive and bite to the attack and pace with purpose, as opposed to Vassell. Bellamy scored on his debut a 1st for him, considering the amount of clubs he has played for. Again he has never lived up to the hype that once again, i often hear the phrase 'on his day' associated with him. I hope he has Lot's of these 'days' this season. Does he improve the side, probably yes, but I'm not sure he is the answer in a lone striker role.

Nigel De Jong made it three for Hughes, joining shortly after the Kaka deal collapsed. Nigel is a very disciplined defensive midfielder and his position really did need filling. He is the most promising from all the signings, as he is still pretty young, he has great potential and drive. He has to be the most pleasing capture more me during this window.

Finally Shay Given is our last piece of transfer business in to the club this January. He is an experienced Premier league goalkeeper and will provide more confidence and assurance in the back four. I don't agree with he statement that he is the best goalie in the league, it's simply not true, but he is a decent goalie. He does lack a bit of height and that may be noticeable in set pieces. But he will have more confidence and better judgment than the 21 year old hart.

With young Jo going out on loan to Everton, it will be a welcome chance for the lad who hasn't really been able to get used to the league under Hughes for whatever reason. I think Moyes will instill confidence in him and get him used to the league very quickly.

I, like many were hoping for a top quality player to be brought in, especially after all the talk about Kaka, villa and so on... But nothing really materialised and we ended up in a tedious war of attrition with Blackburn over a very over-rated striker. I am happy we didn't pay stupid money for Santa Cruz, to be honest anything over 8, to me is an aberration for Bayern flop. I hope Caicedo will get his chance along with Sturridge for the rest of the season. I would of been bitterly disappointed and angry if we would of let felipe go in exchange. He has great power, presence and ability, give him time and we may just have a top player in our hands.

So Hughes has now spent allot more money and has very much put his mark on the side. It is time to start performing. There now has to be a greater expectation from the club's owner that the team start performing and improve on 1 away win all season! A decent top half finish is a must, with a European place finish being pretty high on the agenda. Our form will have to improve radically if we are too do this. Losing the clubs like Stoke has to come to an end, Hughes has to eradicate what ever is diminishing the performances of the team away from home. We look like two completely different sides. Our next match is at home to Boro. It's on TV, which isn't great because expectation and pressure doesn't seem to do us any favours. It's a match i expect to win at home, a more assured back line, midfield and attack. Excuses have run out!

Manchester City Vs Wigan: Preview.

Finally we are back. The team have had a nice break and have been able to re-coup. Robinho is back and has trained all this week. Swp is a possibility, as again the Clubs medical assessment team seem to over estimate every injury. So who are we expecting to see? Wayne Bridge will make his debut finally after signing before the Forest game. Depending on SWP fitness we could see Zabaleta move up the field and Richards slot into the right back role. Nedum Onouha is back to full fitness too. We will need to be strong in the midfield, so Kompany is likely to be partnered by the less reliable gelson.

Wigan have been playing well recently, apart from their defeat to United earlier this week. We have a terrible record against Wigan and it's about time we put this run to bed. We need the results and tomorrow is a good place to start. Wigan are a big physical side, we need to be able to cope with that, and hope our attack is as succinct as it can be. Robinho will be our key, especially without Ireland and possibly SWP.

Ideally we would have a player like De Jong in to add the grit in the midfield. But as we don't Hughes has to deal with a depleted squad. The buzz around the ground tomorrow will be about Kaka, but we must not forget the immense need for results. Our season needs a boost and i would 'just love it' if we beat Wigan tomorrow.

Much Loved and much Admired: the Joey Barton Story.

"the last-chance saloon"
Yes Joey is worried about it being his last chance, now he's a changed man. Joey blamed alchohol as a convienent excuse for stubbing cigars in collegues eyes, hitting kids in the far east, recking a taxi cab and battering someone outside a Mcdonalds. He doesnt have an excuse for battering a team mate so severely he had to be taken to hospital, depsite having medical staff on hand at the training ground. Nor could he excuse his awful behaviour on the pitch stamping on the heels of another player and and outright kicking dixon Etuhu, for which he escaped any punishment.

He doesnt deserve any chance. A thug, that the game should of tossed aside a long time ago. It's ironic that his return coincides with the arrival of a footballing moron at Newcastle, in joe' i'm irish' Kinnear. The perveyor of thuggish football and long ball nonsense will find Barton right up his street, a poor passer of the ball but a good at kicking the opposition.

If platani really wants to protect the game, he needs to stop thugs like Barton from getting so many chances to shame himself and the image of the game.

Newcastle game reflection

Not a Great game as was to be predicted. City never perform against the teams they should be beating. Newcastle are a poor side and will continue to struggle under the buffoon that is 'Joe Kinnear.

We didnt really get out of the starting blocks, a whole lot of possession, about two thirds, through the whole game, yet we did nothing with it. We didnt capitalise when Newcastle rightly went down to ten men, beye took out robinho on his thigh, going through the player to clip the ball, anywhere on the pitch it's a foul, dont see why it should be any different in the penalty box. It appears that most pundits make the rules up to suit themselves. Everyone seems to forget that Coloccini tripped Micah Richards up in the box, but as he stayed on his feet, no decision at all was given.

My main critic of the Hughes in the game, was the dropping of Elano. He has been one the best players this season in creating and scoring goals. He has blossomed in his deep role and has become more physical and overall more fit. He also does a lot of work collecting the ball from the defence and carrying it up field, something Didi Hamman wont do. We missed the creative spark that aides the likes of Ireland robinho and swp.

The defence is really worrying me. Dunne is having an awful season, i have never seen the merit in having him as captain, he seems to have very limited leadership skills. He needs to find form quickly or he could find himself on his way out. Ben haim and Onouha both look out of sorts and lacking match fitness, worrying if they dont get up to speed quickly. Richards seemed to try to hard on the right and actually made SWP less effective, he is now injured, which adds another worry.
Garrido, i have given up on, i like the lad, he seems a decent footballer, but he isn’t really a left back, too often, he's caught out or skinned, he needs replacing quickly, can Glauber berti fill this role?