Manchester City 2 - 2 AS Roma: In Praise Of Kelechi Iheanacho

A 2-2 draw. A debut goal for Raheem Sterling. A winning spot-kick scored by Joe Hart. 


(Sterling marked his City debut with a goal inside three minutes - Getty Images)

Manchester City's opening International Champions' Cup match against AS Roma on Tuesday morning was certainly worth waking up for. 

Fielding a first-half eleven with an average age of 25, Manuel Pellegrini assembled a side abundant with experience, trickery and extraordinary potential. Manu Garcia, 17, whom the Sky Sports' commentator mistook for David Silva on one occasion, glistened alongside the wizard himself, whilst Raheem Sterling silenced his numerous critics with a confident finish after just three minutes. 

Manchester born Brandon Barker, 18, Rony Lopes, 19, and Jason Denayer, 20, provided another tranquil view of the future in the second half, but it was striker Kelechi Iheanacho, 18, who attracted the most praise from exultant City supporters and impressed journalists on Twitter. 


(Kelechi Iheanacho receives praise on Twitter)

The Taye Academy product provided a sublime assist and scored a goal of his own in a typically animated performance.

Iheanacho, a Nigeria U20 international, helped his country to win the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2013 and was voted CAF Most Promising Talent of the Year in the same year. The 18-year-old claimed the Golden Ball in the tournament, scoring six times and supplying seven assists in seven games. His form earned him a move to Manchester in 2014 where he instantly made an impact with two goals in pre-season. 


(Iheanacho delivers a lofted ball into the path of Raheem Sterling for City's opener - Getty Images)

This year, Pellegrini is ready to promote Iheanacho to the first team in which he is likely to play a significant role. The Nigerian possesses strength and assurance at a level too high for the Elite Development Squad and the likely departures of Edin Džeko and Stevan Jovetić will leave space to fill up front. 

City require something fresh, something raw and something different. Iheanacho, based on his current pre-season form, will slot in nicely. 

Anfield is no place for the ambitious & Sterling's reputation should not worry City fans

As if his staggering £50m price tag wasn't enough to dissuade Manchester City from moving for him this summer, Raheem Sterling is beginning to compile his own long list of reasons for why Txiki Begiristain should opt against signing the winger. 


(Image via Getty Images)

After reports emerged suggesting the 20-year-old would tell Liverpool that he has no plans to join their pre-season tour of Asia, Sterling informed his club that he would be absent from training on Wednesday morning due to illness. 

The timing was impeccable. Ridiculous, even.

Sterling has become something of a pantomime villain ever since announcing that he would not be signing a new deal with the Merseyside club in April. He conducted an interview with the BBC without consent from Liverpool in which he nervously insisted he was not a "money-grabbing 20-year-old", and although the whole thing was a complete PR disaster, there's no reason to suggest he was lying. 

"It's never been about money. I talk about winning trophies throughout my career. That's all I talk about," he explained.

(Sterling speaks to the BBC in April - via Yahoo Eurosport)

And with Liverpool offering the England international up to £100,000-a-week in a bid to tie him to a new deal in February, his words appear to be truthful. 

If Sterling longs for silverware, a modern-day Liverpool is not the place for him. Brendan Rodger's side have not won a domestic trophy since 2012 when they claimed the Capital One Cup. Their last Premier League trophy came in 1990 and a weakened side was fielded when Liverpool met European giants Real Madrid in the group stages of last season's Champions League. The odd domestic trophy once every five or six years is not enough for a young player hungry for success and capable of improving a top-four outfit, and a lack of ambition in the world's most decorated club competition is unlikely to persuade someone like that to stay.

Liverpool had their best chance of landing the league title in the 2013-2014 season in which they threw away a healthy lead at the top of the table. Sterling starred alongside Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard in that campaign, but the devastating collapse was enough to ensure the latter two planned the rest of their careers away from Anfield. 

Even at 20-years-old, Sterling has every right to demand silverware. He is aware of Liverpool's fading influence in the Premier League and recognises that European football is likely to ignore Merseyside for the foreseeable future with Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and likely suitors Manchester City increasing in strength every summer. 

(Liverpool showed little ambition in their loss at the Bernabeu in November - via BBC Sport)

The Liverpool Echo reported this week that Liverpool have had no contact with the Blues since a £35m + £5m add-ons bid was rejected three weeks ago and the player and his agent are becoming increasingly desperate to finalise a move to Manchester. The winger's latest antics are likely to be accompanied by a formal transfer request should City fail to launch a third bid and a deal could be concluded by the end of next week.

As for Sterling's decaying reputation, why should Manchester City fans be concerned? He is showing an obvious desire to join the club for reasons other than money, he is keen to win trophies with the club and City, thus far, have conducted their pursuit of the winger in a respectable fashion. The club have bought pantomime villains in the past - Carlos Tevez joining from rivals Manchester United and Samir Nasri being portrayed as a traitor after signing from Arsenal in 2011 - and both went on to win trophies and cement their names in City's history. 

Sterling would be no different and would still represent some great business for the Blues. 

Manchester City fans have every right to be concerned with Liverpool's £50m valuation of Raheem Sterling, but alongside Sergio Agüero, he could shine once again

On Wednesday afternoon, Manchester City had a £35m + £5m in add-ons bid rejected by Liverpool for Raheem Sterling. 


(Manchester City have had two separate bids for Raheem Sterling rejected in the last week - image via Getty Images)

Reports suggest that the bid, an improvement on an initial £25m offer, could be City's last in their pursuit of the 20-year-old who has refused to sign a new deal at Anfield.

Liverpool value the player at £50m and will only consider selling their prized asset for a fee in that region, and Manchester City supporters have every reason to be concerned with the Merseyside club's demands. 

The prospect of signing the winger for a price higher than Champions League and World Cup legend Zinedine Zidane was sold for by Juventus to Real Madrid in 2001 is incredible, but it represents the massive change in the transfer market. Sterling's homegrown status certainly contributes towards a considerable portion of his value - City are in desperate need of homegrown talent - but the QPR academy graduate has not shown enough to warrant such an extortionate price tag.


(Although the market has changed considerably since 2001, Liverpool value Sterling at a price higher than Zinedine Zidane was sold for 14 years ago)

The Liverpool man, considered as a forward, has never scored over nine goals in a Premier League season and a total of 14 assists in three years suggests his creative abilities are also limited. When Sergio Agüero was signed by the Blues aged 23 in a £38.5m deal, he already had 74 league goals in five seasons to his name. The Argentine warranted his sizable price tag, but at present, Sterling does not. 

However, at 20-years-old, it is potential Manchester City are wary of in their multi-million pound offer. In 2013/2014, Sterling received the Golden Boy award from a panel of sports journalists who recognised him as the best under-21 player playing in Europe. In that season, Sterling, like a number of Liverpool players, fed on the confidence and ability of Luis Suárez and illuminated England's top division with an enchanting season-long display of raw pace and dribbling ability. In that campaign, Liverpool almost clinched the title and the 19-year-old's contributions were as important as the brilliant Uruguyan's. 

His excellent campaign understandably placed an overwhelming weight of pressure on his shoulders heading into the 2014/2015 season in which Rickie Lambert, Mario Balotelli and Fabio Borini battled for first team places up front in the absence of the perpetually injured Daniel Sturridge. Sterling was relied upon for goals and imagination, but he slumped like the rest of the team.

But alongside world class players like Agüero, David Silva and Yaya Touré, Sterling will be able to return his focus to skipping past defenders down the flank. City's play was criticised for being too narrow last term and the club are in desperate need of an exciting winger to add flavour to their attacking approach. Sterling is not a natural goalscorer, and will he will not have that burden on his shoulders should he move to the Etihad Stadium.


(Alongside players like Sergio Agüero, Sterling could shine once again - via Getty Images)

Manchester City are keen to bring in the England international to add width and pace to their ageing side. Manuel Pellegrini's team have an average age of 28.9, the oldest in the Premier League, and Sterling (20), along-with Pogba (22) and Kevin De Bruyne (23) has been outlined as a primary target in a bid to freshen up the squad. 

UEFA's Financial Fair Play restrictions will not affect City in the summer market, but that does give City the green light to fritter their money away on potentially expensive flops. Txiki Begiristain should have Adam Johnson and Scott Sinclair at the top of his mind when considering a fresh offer for Sterling, despite the Liverpool player being a much more enticing prospect than the two former City-rejects. 

Copa America 2015: 3 players Manchester City fans should look out for

Manchester City have a colourful history with South American players. 

Robinho, Elano and even the "Invisible Man" Gláuber Berti have etched their names into City folklore in the last decade, providing the sky blue faithful with some of their most idiosyncratic memories and chants. 


(Image via flickr.com)

Manchester City's South American contingent currently includes Sergio Agüero, Pablo Zabaleta, Martin Demichelis, Fernandinho, Fernando and Willy Caballero. The first four of those names, unarguably established fan favourites at the Etihad Stadium, will make an early return back to the pitch this summer at the Copa America in Chile where an ample portion of City scouts are set to be stationed in pursuit of exciting recruits for the 2015/2016 season. 

Here are three players that Manchester City fans should keep their eyes on between June 11th and July 4th. 

Roberto Firmino (Brazil)

(Image via Getty Images)

Age: 23
Club: Hoffenheim
2014/2015 league goals/assists: 7/10

With Samir Nasri likely to call time on his four-year stay at the Etihad Stadium this summer, City will need to bring in an imaginative attacking midfielder, capable of creating chances and scoring goals. 

Hoffenheim's Roberto Firmino has done both this season, netting seven goals and creating 69 chances in 33 league appearances for the German side. The 23-year-old, who prefers a free role just behind the striker, is known for his skill on the ball, but it is his versatility that may entice Manuel Pellegrini even more. Firmino has experience playing on both flanks, something only the departing James Milner can currently boast in City's squad, and with David Silva unlikely to be sacrificed in the central role, Firmino may find himself operating in wider positions should he make a move to Manchester this summer.

The Daily Star and the Daily Mirror claim the Blues are leading the race for the Brazilian and an £18m bid may be enough to prise him away from the Rhein-Neckar Arena. 


Arturo Vidal

(Image via Getty Images)

Age: 28
Club: Juventus
2014/2015 league goals/assists: 7/4

Paul Pogba's hype has cruelly cast the efforts of fellow Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal into the shadows this season. The 28-year-old came close to a £55m switch to Manchester United last summer but opted to stay at Juventus.

It was a wise choice. Juventus have gone on to claim their fourth consecutive Scudetto and the Coppa Italia this term, and a Champions League final tie against Barcelona demonstrated just how far the Old Lady have come since crisis in 2006. The Chilean's contributions to his side's incredible season should not be overlooked. From a holding role, Vidal has created 37 chances, scored seven goals and has won 45% of his tackles to help Juventus dominate Serie A. 

Although the midfielder has not been explicitly linked with a move to the Etihad Stadium, rumours suggesting he could be on the move have emerged once again. Reports claim City are in the market for a midfielder and the Chilean could be the perfect signing. 

Gonzalo Higuain

(Image via Getty Images)

Age: 27
Club: Napoli
2014/2015 league goals/assists: 18/8

It could be a big summer of change for Napoli.

A fierce argument reportedly erupted in the Napoli dressing room following their 3-1 defeat to Juventus two weeks ago which left them requiring a win on the last day of the campaign against 3rd place Lazio to secure Champions League football. Higuain was substituted at half time despite showing no signs of injury, and Benitez’s purely technical decision enraged both the player and his chairman, Aurelio De Laurentiis. Napoli lost 4-2 - a damning blow to the club's hopes of holding onto their top players this summer.

Higuain remains one of the most prolific strikers in Europe despite trading almost guaranteed success at Real Madrid for much tougher pastures at the Stadio San Paolo, but the Argentine is unlikely to settle for Europa League football next term. 

City are long term admirers of the 27-year-old and reports in Italy suggest the Blues could move for the unsettled striker should either Edin Džeko or Stevan Jovetić leave at the end of the season.

Paul Pogba: Gratitude, Gluttony and why the Juventus Stadium should remain his home this summer

The world has gone mad. A 22-year-old boy has arrested the fingertips of football journalists hailing from every single country on the planet. Hover your hands over the computer keyboards of these men and women and you'll feel rays of heat jumping from the 'P', 'O', 'G', 'B' and 'A' keys and scorching your skin. 

It's Paul Pogba mania. 


(Paul Pogba has become Europe's most wanted man this season - image via Alex Livesy/Getty Images)

The hype is understandable, but not totally justifiable. The Juventus midfielder doesn't have a particularly great record in Serie A this season. He's scored 8 goals and notched up two assists in 24 appearances for his side this term, underwhelming for a man considered to be "the next big thing", and his pass accuracy rate of 83% isn't fantastic. Statistics narrate an interesting chapter of every story, but never the entire thing. 

The truth is that football fans have an obsession with reincarnations. "The next Messi" and "the next Ronaldo" are overused titles thrown around to attract attention and get people talking. If there's a footballer that exists who people believe is going to be the next Messi, I'm probably going to click on that link and see what it's all about, but rarely do these "next" guys ever live up to the hype. I remember when Tom Cleverley was described as "the next Paul Scholes" and, well, look at him now.

According to many, Pogba is "the next Patrick Vieira". That makes you sit up, but it still doesn't explain the hype. Geoffrey Kondogbia has also been likened to the Arsenal legend, but he's not become the face of every back-page in Europe despite probably having similar amounts of ability.


(Pogba has been likened to French compatriot and Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira - image via arsenaltsn.com)

Kondogbia also doesn't have an agent called Mino Raiola. The man who famously told Zlatan Ibrahimovic to "go f*** himself" is one of the real characters on the football agent's scene. The Swedish striker describes him as a "genius" in his autobiography, explaining how the tubby 47-year-old attended his first meeting with the PSG striker wearing jeans and a T-shirt. Raiola is unconventional, but he has been involved in transfers totalling more than £400m during his 22-year career. He's one of the major reasons why Pogba's popularity has spiked this season.

It comes as no surprise to learn that many of Raiola's clients are considered to be the eccentrics among most footballers. Zlatan, Mario Balotelli, Romelu Lukaku and Paul Pogba are just four of the Italian's 26 clients, players that have been involved in transfers totalling over £200m in the last ten years, and Raiola has begun salivating over his next big pay-check as the summer approaches.

Paul Pogba is the most high-profile name available on the transfer market this summer. Juventus will not sell their man for anything less than £50m according to various reports, but they shouldn't be selling at all. Considering the fact that the Frenchman has uttered absolutely nothing in relation to his future next season, one gets the feeling that his gluttonous agent is pulling the strings in the pantomime-like saga. 

At 22-years-old, Paul Pogba already has what many young footballers fantasize over in the early stages of their careers. Juventus are an illustrious club that have appeared in the Champions League final seven times in their 117 year history. They'll appear in their eighth on June 6th, and Pogba will almost certainly feature in their starting line up. If Juventus manage to collect their third Champions League trophy in two-and-a-half weeks time, it will be their eighth major piece of silverware in the last ten years and Pogba will lift the most prestigious cup in European football a year younger than two-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo was when he first won the medal.


(Juventus will play in their eighth Champions League final on June 6th after beating Real Madrid over two legs in the semi-final - image via Alex Livesy/Getty Images)

Success, a place in the starting line up and the appreciation of a monumental fan base is guaranteed for Pogba at the Juventus Stadium, a fact his agent should be highlighting rather than shielding from his client. 

Manchester City, Real Madrid and Barcelona are believed to be the front-runners for the midfielder's signature and will offer him wages of up to £220,000-a-week to join their respective clubs, but allowing cash to guide his career path at 22-years-old and with first team football guaranteed at a thriving football club could be a horrific mistake for Pogba. 

Gary Neville called for football agents to act as advisers in a compelling discussion with Jamie Carragher on Sky Sport's Monday Night Football episode two days ago, but his hopes are false. Football agents and football players no longer operate in unison, but players must show some intelligence and think about their careers rather than their representative's lust for cash.

Pogba was regarded as a hot prospect at Manchester United, but the club could not offer him the first team football he desperately craved. Juventus came in for the 18-year-old in 2011, gave him what he wanted and facilitated his progression into one of the most exciting footballers on the European scene today. It's something the young man should remember when the transfer window opens on July 1st.

Forget the PFA, Sergio Agüero will go down as a Premier League legend

Sergio Agüero's omission from the PFA Team of the Year has got the conspiracy theorists chattering again. 

(Agüero scored three in City's 6-0 win over QPR last weekend - via Getty Images)

The Argentine was beaten to a place by Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane and Chelsea's Diego Costa. Kane deserves his spot, his transformation has been one of the most intriguing subplots of the season, but Costa probably doesn't; he's been good, but also incredibly annoying.

Personal opinions aside, what makes the PFA's choice particularly perplexing is Agüero's record this term. The Manchester City striker has outscored both of the players that beat him to a place, netting six more goals than Costa and five more than Kane. Goals are pretty important, but I'll accept that they aren't everything, which makes his exclusion that little bit more baffling. Agüero has registered more assists, more shots on goal and has completed over 30 more take ons than both of his scandalously fortunate competitors this season, but still no place. 

I mentioned above that Kane deserves his place, so I'll lay off him for the remainder of this piece, but Costa isn't off the hook. 

(A comparison between Sergio Agüero and Diego Costa this season)

Of course, it's not his fault that he was included in the team. The blame lies with the Professional Footballer's Association who seem to base their selections on what is expected rather than solid, honest statistics. Harsh, perhaps, but Kane was a bit of a nobody before the 2014/2015 campaign and his dramatic rise to the top of the goalscoring charts has been tremendous. The PFA couldn't leave the young Englishman who has defied the odds out of their team. 

As for Costa, he's notched up an impressive goal tally in his first season in the Premier League - a division famed for its muscular defenders and physicality. Nineteen goals in 24 games is an admirable return for a newbie, but does that make him more deserving of a place in the Team of the Year over a man who has scored six more goals than himself? If the PFA are operating on that logic, why was Agüero overlooked in 2011/2012 when he bagged 25 goals and scored the crucial goal in his first and City's title winning season?

I doubt Sergio has lost any sleep over the matter. Making the Team of the Year is nice, but not particularly important for a bloke earning around £200,000-a-week. The 26-year-old will be much happier scooping up the Golden Boot award at the end of the season. The reason I complain is because it would be nice for Manchester City fans to see a little recognition from the PFA for our superb little South American. 

City fans are understandably concerned about the issue, but not one of us can claim that Agüero is underrated. He's perpetually peppered with praise from the British media and receives applause from top football managers on a regular basis. Before his side's clash with the Blues back in October, Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino said that watching his fellow Argentine was "like listening to classical music composed by Mozart". Praise like that is common for the striker - people know just how good he is. 

(Agüero is no stranger to praise from the British media)

But sadly, the PFA continue to ignore his excellence. In their best three seasons in the Premier League, legendary strikers Thierry Henry, Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Didier Drogba netted 72, 69 and 61 goals respectively. Sergio Agüero's tally currently stands at 67 and with two games left to play this season, that total is likely to rise. 

Regardless of what the PFA might think, Sergio Agüero is destined to go down as a Premier League great.

Roberto Mancini is to blame for Tevez's sour Manchester City exit

Sitting at his computer last night and meeting the roar of his ungodly notifications list, Roberto Mancini had time to ponder over his capricious spell at Manchester City.

It's almost ridiculous to consider that the Italian, who ran such an iron-fisted administration at the Etihad Stadium, is now partial to a spot of social media every now and again, but he is. Last night, as Juventus claimed a 2-1 victory over Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final, Mancini dared not to click on the #Tevez hashtag. 

It has been almost four years since Mancini declared Carlos Tevez 'finished' at Manchester City after the Argentine refused to come on as a second-half substitute against Bayern Munich. The farce saturated the morning papers as journalists preyed on the striker's controversial reputation and assaulted him with tags of selfishness and arrogance. 

Ironically, it was the same man who was utterly inspirational in Juventus's tremendous performance last night. The 31-year-old scored the winning goal and provided the assist for former Madrid forward Álvaro Morata to open the scoring at the Juventus Stadium, but his enthusiastic display failed to surprise anyone. Tevez has probably been Massimiliano Allegri's most reliable player this term, which raises questions over whether Roberto Mancini was to blame for the striker falling out of love with football in Manchester.

(Carlos Tevez was instrumental in Juventus's victory over Real Madrid on Tuesday night - image via Getty Images)

Sergio Agüero shed some light on the situation in his autobiography last October, commenting on the 'short fuse' that Mancini and Tevez shared.

“I was on the pitch at the time so I had no idea what was happening on the bench in that part of the field. It was obviously very heated in the dressing room after the game and Mancini was going mad at Tevez telling him to go back to Argentina and then he told some other players to go back to their countries.

"I was sat next to Carlitos and at one point I thought Mancini was telling me to go back to Argentina! I was thinking, ‘What? Me as well? okay, I’ll go and see my family for a few days.’ Of course, he wasn’t speaking to me. As for speaking to Carlitos afterwards, he didn’t really say too much and the next day, he had gone back to Argentina as the manager had suggested and it was maybe four months before I saw him again when he came back to Carrington for a meeting.

"I believe there had been a number of fall-outs between Carlitos and Mancini in the past so this was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Tevez can have a short fuse at times, just as Mancini did, so it was perhaps inevitable that it would explode at some point."

(Carlos Tevez infamously refuses to play against Bayern Munich in 2011 - image via The Manchester Evening News)

After that infamous four month lay-off, not even Mancini could resist leaving Tevez out of the side. Tevez returned to help City win their first Premier League title in 44 years, an admirable gesture considering he had contemplated retirement after his row with the Italian.

Signed for a reported £40m from Manchester United in 2009, the man nicknamed 'El Apache' netted 73 goals in 148 appearances for the Blues and became a symbol of their newfound success. The tenacity of the former Corinthians and West Ham United forward was unmatched at the club - his effort regularly praised by smitten fans - but his relationship with Mancini falsely conveyed him as a pretentious mercenary.

Perhaps it's unsurprising that Tevez submitted two written transfer requests during his stay at the Etihad. Citing the distance between him and his two daughters as the primary reason for both requests, the club finally handed him his wish in 2013, selling him to Juventus for a measly £12m. Given the fact that Turin is only 100km closer to Carlito's beloved Buenos Aires, it's pretty clear that Tevez was just happy to be as far away from Mancini as possible.

The striker has enjoyed two successful seasons with the club he took a significant pay-cut to join. He's bagged an impressive total of 50 goals in 92 appearances and has given no concrete indication that he is keen on leaving the club. Tevez is happy, he is treated with respect by his manager, and that obviously wasn't the case in his final years at Manchester City.

(Tevez has netted 20 goals in this season's Serie A - Image via Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

On Tuesday evening, Manchester City fans watched the performance of a player who can certainly be considered as one of the top five strikers in world football at present. Carlos Tevez outshone £190m worth of talent in Juventus's 2-1 over Real Madrid, a game in which Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Sergio Ramos floundered. It was the performance of a £50m player that City sold for £12m - just £2m more than the fee they let Jack Rodwell go for last summer.

City's transfer directors have been slated for their poor business in recent years, but Mancini's irresponsible treatment of one of the best players Manchester City have seen in the last decade meant that Tevez just had to go. For once, Txiki Begiristain should not be ascribed the blame.