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It’s very cold in England these days. Well, very cold FOR England at least. All that snow and gusting northern winds makes a chilly day’s work for the men in shorts. Long socks take care of part of the leg, wicking compression shorts cover the rest. More thermal material for the chest, but what about the poor naked neck?

Enter: the snood. First seen warming the adam’s apple of Turin fashionisto Gigi Buffon (not to forget Francesco Totti’s contribution), the plush neck cozy has made an impact in active play in this year’s Prem campaign. We may have let it pass if not for the abundance of them in the City v Everton match: Carlos Tevez may have been the first to don the floppy piece of fabric for City, but in this latest game he was joined by teammates Balotelli, Toure and Silva. You’ve also got Chamakh and Nasri wearing them at Arsenal, and Maxi and Reina over at ‘pool.

For now it’s only foreign-born players from warmer climates, but given the tendency for winter to become colder in January and February, it’s only a matter of time before an englishman falls. Odds suggest it’ll be James Milner, both because of peer pressure at City as much as for him trying to disguise his complete lack of a neck.

News

Everton Earn Gutsy Win over Mancini’s Men

December 20, 2010 — by Sean

The west coast excursion continues with a stop in at Brent’s Deli (to sample their take on pastrami. Being from New York, we’ll stick with Katz’s), where lunchtime gave us a chance to check out David Moyes’ men away at the Eastlands. Early goals from Tim Cahil – off his head, as if he scores any other way – and left back Leighton Baines got the toffees off to a flying start.

What of constant disruption Carlos Tevez, you ask? Why the Argentine decided to settle his dispute by expressing his “absolute commitment” to the club, retained the captain’s armband, and started the game of course. From the mouth of Mancini:

“Carlos is a world-class player whose contribution since he joined the club has been invaluable. I am pleased that we are now able to focus on pure football matters and to be able to look forward to Carlos continuing to play a significant role in the club’s progress.”

Things now peachy keen, City entered the game facing an Everton side who hadn’t posted a win since October, and with the chance to go top of the Premiership at Christmas for the first time since 1929. Though down quickly 0-2, City’s odds took a turn back in the favor with the ejection of Everton’s Nigerian striker Victor Anichebe on sixty minutes.

Though City continued to pound on the people’s club, the defense held firm and Tim Howard managed his box with an expertise he seems to have been missing for a few months. He wasn’t able to deflect City’s seventy-second minute goal, a blindly struck effort that was moving well-wide before striking Jagielka’s leg and deflecting in for an own goal. The sky blues pressed and pressed, and Balotelli (who started with Tevez) did look like he had an opportunity late on, beating Howard and hitting the post before coming up lame and being replaced by Jo (loaned to Everton last season, and coming out to meet his former teammates for the first time since).

Everton’s desperate defending refused to fail, and after four minutes of extra time the game was called, sending Moyes and his charges into a joyous team clutch around Howard, and seeing City stuck in third position on 32 points, two points behind leaders Man United who have two games in hand.

Commentary News

Mancini Running Man City Players into the Ground

November 5, 2010 — by Sean

Manchester City have been on a lovely little losing streak of late, and the only player capable of dragging them out of the doldrums has flown off to Argentina to hide in his mom’s house. There have been all sorts of rumors flying about over Mancini’s lack of control in the dressing room. Now with an ever expanding injury list the gaffer is looking to lay blame on his physio, Jamie Murphy.

Mancini has won a key battle in his attempt to impose his authority, with the club’s head physiotherapist set to lose his first-team role. Jamie Murphy, whose relationship with Mancini is understood to have become strained, was absent from last night’s trip to Poland (ed note: refers to the embarrassing loss to Ekstraklasa minnows Lech Poznan).

Anyone remember how Tevez and others were complaining of Mancini’s training practices at the beginning of the season (double sessions, resultant joint injuries)? Remember Mancini’s fallout with his trainer at the start of the campaign, when he fired the man who kept Man City the healthiest side in all of English football though the 09-10 season? I do, though I’ll be damned if I can find the post we wrote on this a few months back.

Mancini is looking for a scapegoat, again. City used his name (and lots of cash) to attract top players from all over, but now that he can’t do anything but destroy the bodies of the multimillion dollar squad, he’s sure to be out the door. Who’s next in line at the helm of Man City?

Commentary

Is Man City that Good?

August 24, 2010 — by Sean

The answer: probably! Though Liverpool looked mostly clueless through yesterday’s meeting, it may well have been because City were seemingly everywhere, winning the majority of 50/50 balls, pushing the attack up both flanks and through the middle while meeting limited resistance, and suffocating the Reds’ front line on their counter.

Yes, Torres is still recovering and clearly doesn’t have that explosive speed we’re used to seeing from him, and yes the Mascherano drama (with him refusing to play while waiting to be transfered) didn’t help at all. But maybe it was more about Liverpool’s rigid 4-4-2—that Hodgson employed so well at the cottage—that was their main undoing. Gerrard sitting back and tasked with picking up runners through the midfield is not the best use of the man’s talents (and he’s no good at it), and Pool clearly have no left back option. Ngog and Torres at the point have absolutely no chemistry, and where was Kuyt yesterday?