Welcome back to Blue Tinted Specs.

Now that the transfer window is close to shutting and now that the Premier League is returning within the next 18 days, I'm starting up Blue Tinted Specs again.

For any of you wanting to continue following my album reviews, you can now check them out on http://music-critic.org/

Manchester City have made three signings as of 19:21pm on 28th July, 2011: Gael Clichy, Stefan Savic and Sergio Aguero.

Left-back Gael Clichy has arrived from Arsenal for £7m.
The French international was introduced to the Premier League as part of Arsenal's highly regarded youth setup after being signed from Cannes in 2003. In his 8 years at Arsenal, Clichy made 264 appearances and became a favourite with the Arsenal fans.

Clichy was part of the 'Arsenal Invincibles' in the 2003-2004 Premier League season, and four years later in 2008 he was named in the PFA Team of the Season alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and former Arsenal teammate and now Manchester City teammate Emmanuel Adebayor.

In terms of honours, Clichy has helped Arsenal to the Premier League title and the Community Shield in 2004, the FA Cup in 2005 and the Champions League final in 2006.

Clichy has bags of Premier League and Champions League experience from his years at Arsenal, despite being only 25 years of age, and will provide width on the left hand side with his pace and crossing ability - something ideal for City striker Edin Dzeko.

Centre-back Stefan Savic has joined Manchester City for £6m from Partizan Belgrade.Stefan Savic is a 20 year old Montenegrin international, and is rated as one of the highest rated prospects in European football.

After making 28 apperances for BSK Borča, Savic transferred to Partizan in 2010. After impressing there, he was called up to the Montenegro international team.

Stefan Savic has played against England, in fact!

He is 6 ft 1, and has features similar to that of The Verve's frontman Richard Ashcroft.

He will wear the #15 shirt.

Sergio Aguero, a Manchester City player for real.Well, it just wouldn't be a Manchester City summer without a marquee signing. One of Europe's most sought after talents has moved club and country for a sum of £35m.

In total, 'Kun' Aguero has scored 125 goals in 290 games in total throughout his career.

Where trophies are concerned, Aguero has lifted the Europa League, the Intertoto Cup and the Euro Super Cup with Atletico Madrid, the FIFA U-20 World Cup with Argentina, and he even won an Olympic gold medal at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

His individual honours include FIFA Young Player of the Year in 2007, FIFA U-20 World Cup Top Scorer in 2007, the FIFA U-20 World Cup Player of the Tournament 2007, La Liga Ibero-American Player of the Year in 2008, the Don Balón Award: 2007–08 and the Tuttosport Golden Boy 2007.

He will bring Champions League experience and several news fans to the Etihad Stadium.

£35m is the joint second most expensive transfer deal in Premier League history, and the most expensive deal Manchester City have ever taken part in.

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Manchester City's first Premier League game will be at home to newly promoted Swansea City. Who will be the winner of that one? I will make an educated guess before the game on August 13th. But before that, a tour of Ireland and the Community Shield against Manchester United await Aguero and City.

Manchester City, 2010-2011 Season Review.

Manchester City, 2010-2011 Season Review.

After losing out on a Champions League place and a League Cup Final last year, Manchester City were eager to silence the critics this season, in what would arguably be the most important in the club’s history.

City began their season away at

White Hart Lane

against Tottenham. It was the very first Premier League fixture of the 2010-2011 season, because play started two  hours earlier than the other fixtures. Joe Hart produced one of the performances of the season to deny Tottenham an opening day goal – his impressive reflex save from Jermaine Defoe being the best.

And the opening day defence stood tall once again, as Mario Balotelli converted his first Manchester City goal to give the Blues a 1-0 win away in Timisoara in the Europa League, meaning that City would take a lead back to the City of Manchester Stadium for the second leg.

A week later, City returned to their home ground, the City of Manchester Stadium, to face Liverpool. An impressive flowing display brushed Liverpool aside. A double from Carlos Tevez and a solitary goal from Gareth Barry helped City to a 3-0 victory.

But the celebrations couldn’t last for too long as attention turned back to the Europa League. FC Timisoara visited the City of Manchester Stadium in the Europa League. Goals from Shaun Wright-Phillips and Dedryck Boyata ensured that Manchester City would be playing in the group stages of the competition.

City form in the league then took a turn for the worst when an away loss to Sunderland and a home draw against Blackburn – caused by a dreadful defensive mistake from Kolo Toure and Joe Hart – meant that City sat in 8^th position in the Premier League. However, wins over Red Bull Salzburg and Wigan Athletic put City in good positions in domestic and European competitions. David Silva and Yaya Toure scored their first goals for Manchester in each game.  But City crashed out of the League Cup at the first hurdle, losing 2-1 to West Brom.

The unbeaten Chelsea came to the City of Manchester Stadium, but the City defence lasted the battering for 90 minutes again. Carlos Tevez scored the only goal of the game to give City the three points. This game sent out a real message and made the rest of world football look up and take notice.


The end of September was signalled by a home draw to European giants Juventus. Adam Johnson’s goal secured a point for the Blues as they headed to the top of their Europa League group.

In October, wins over Newcastle and Blackpool saw City sit 2^nd in the Premier League. But once again the attention turned to the Europa League, and the visit of Lech Poznan. City won the game 3-1, thanks to an Emmanuel Adebayor hat-trick, but it was a certain dance performed by the Lech Poznan that stole the headlines in the end. And the rest, they say, is history.

Three losses on the bounce to Arsenal, Wolves and Lech Poznan saw the Blues hit their worst form of the season. City had slipped to 4^th in the Premier League, but two Mario Balotelli goals saw Manchester City overcome West Brom.

The first Manchester Derby of the season was a forgettable one. A disappointing, cautious 0-0 draw had the City fans unable to raise a smile. And the same thing happened again when Birmingham visited the City of Manchester Stadium. Another 0-0 draw, and City’s November wasn’t looking good.

Away to Fulham, City pulled off what was arguably their best performance of the season. A 4-1 win shocked pundits, due to City’s overwhelming and impressive nature. Carlos Tevez scored two, Pablo Zabaleta rifled one in, and Yaya Toure finished off a 24-pass move to give City the points. A solitary goal from Zoltan Gera proved worthless in the end, but it did slightly spoil what could have been an absolutely perfect day. A visit to the Britannia Stadium and Stoke City saw City lose a lead in the last minute, and draw 1-1.

But it was time for another City legend in City folklore to appear. In the 3-0 home win over Red Bull Salzburg in the Europa League, Mario Balotelli scored two and Adam Johnson found a mazy run through the defence to score an impressive goal. But once again, the travelling club City faced brought their own little bit of City history. Red Bull’s Brazilian striker Alan was the butt of the jokes, with his rather English-sounding name sparking immediate popularity. In fact, I’ll bet more than half of his friends on Facebook are City fans!
Wins over Bolton, West Ham, Newcastle and Aston Villa saw City rise to 2^nd again in the Premier League, and a draw away to Juventus saw City sit comfortably in 1^st place in their Europa League group. City progressed to the next round of the competition, and things were looking up heading into 2011, and another win over Blackpool and an impressive point away at Arsenal kept City in 2^nd place in the beginning of the new year.

A draw away to Leicester in the 3^rd round of the FA Cup saw Manchester City pay tribute to Neil Young – the former City legend recently diagnosed with terminal cancer. The game finished 2-2, with James Milner scoring his first goal for City, before a Carlos Tevez goal and a Joe Hart forced a replay. Before the game, Manchester City had signed Edin Dzeko in the January transfer window for a huge £27m, and he impressed on his debut in the 4-3 win over Wolves, but it was a Carlos Tevez double, and goals from brothers Kolo and Yaya Toure that won the game in the end.

Another tribute to Neil Young was paid ahead of the Leicester replay, with the City players parading the famous red and black strip before kick-off. The shirts were to be auctioned to raise money for the Neil Young Fund. City won the game 4-2, thanks to Carlos Tevez, Patrick Vieira, Adam Johnson and a first City goal for Aleksander Kolarov.

City lost away to Aston Villa in the league, and drew away to Notts. County in the FA Cup to slip to 3^rd from 1^st in the league, and have to play another replay respectively. Kolarov scored again as City drew 2-2 away to Birmingham, beat West Brom 3-0 and lost the second Manchester Derby of the season, thanks to a spectacular over-head kick by Wayne Rooney. City then went away to Greece to face Aris Thessaloniki, but the game finished 0-0. City then beat Notts. Count 5-0 in the replay, and Edin Dzeko scored 4 goals in the space of a week to see City progress in both the FA Cup and the Europa League.

City drew with Fulham at home, with Mario Balotelli scoring City’s goal. And a 3-0 win over Aston Villa in the FA Cup saw City progress to the Quarter-Finals of the competition. And a home in at home to Wigan Athletic put City 3^rd in the league. But a 2-0 loss away in Kiev saw Manchester City staring at elimination from the Europa League. But a 1-0 home win against Reading in the FA Cup set up a mouth-watering  FA Cup Semi-Final at Wembley between City and United – the third and last meeting of the season between these two sides.

City won the second leg of the Europa League 1-0, but it wasn’t enough to stay in the competition. City were out of the Europa League, and things only got worse when Chelsea strolled away with a 2-0 win over the Blues. City target David Luiz rubbed salt in the wounds with a flick on, and Ramires danced delicately through the City defence to secure the points for Chelsea. But a 5-0 win over Sunderland kept City in the top 4, and even a 3-0 loss to Liverpool wasn’t enough to knock City down in to fifth.

Just a few days later, the most important day in City’s recent history had arrived: Manchester City vs. Manchester United at Wembley Stadium for the first time ever. And it was City who came away victorious; a goal from Yaya Toure saw City progress to the FA Cup Final – their first in exactly 30 years.

Edin Dzeko scored his first ever Premier League goal in the away win over Blackburn Rovers, and gave Manchester City a 1-0 win. And goals from Nigel de Jong and Pablo Zabaleta secured a 2-1 win over West Ham. If City took two points from the remaining four Premier League games, then Champions League football would be secured for the 2011-2012. An away loss at Everton halted the celebrations, but a win over Tottenham – City’s closest rivals for fourth place – saw City’s top 4 status guaranteed. Champions League football at City – hold that thought.

And then, the FA Cup Final; Stoke City were the opponents, and Stoke City turned out to be the losers. A thumping strike from City’s Semi-Final hero Yaya Toure earned Manchester City a 1-0 win and their first major trophy win in 35 years: FA Cup glory. Carlos Tevez held the trophy aloft, the City fans cheered, and City were winners again.

City and Stoke met again in the league, and a fantastic double from Carlos Tevez and a solitary goal from Joleon Lescott gave City 3 goals and three points in their final home league fixture of the season. The City players and staff took the field to thank City’s fans for attending games in City’s most successful season since 1969.

And a 2-0 win on the last day at Bolton ensured that City would finish third in the Premier League and qualify for the Champions League group stages for the first time ever.

That blue moon is definitely rising over Manchester.

Bolton vs. Manchester City - preview.



Carlos Tevez scores the goal that won the game for City
at Eastlands back in December. At that point, it was his 10th
goal of the season. He'll be hoping to secure the Golden
Boot on Sunday afternoon. (Picture, Yahoo! Sport)



And so, we're at the final game of what has been a great season for Manchester City. With Champions League qualification, and a first major trophy in 35 years in the shape of the FA Cup, you'd think that things couldn't get much better for City. But if they beat Bolton on Sunday, or at least match Arsenal's result against Fulham, they will head straight into the Champions League group stages without needing to go through a qualifying round - where they could meet Bayern Munich or Villareal.

In the reverse fxture of this game earlier on in the season, Carlos Tevez scored the winner for Manchester City after 4 minutes. City hit the woodwork twice through Balotelli and Silva, and Carlos Tevez handed in a transfer request after being substituted.

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Bolton are on an awful run of form. Their last four games have seen them pick up no points at all, and despite a trip to the Reebok being a tricky fixture, you sense that Manchester City's recent form would be enough to carry them through this fixture without that many glitches. City have won 6 out of their last 7 in all competitions, losing only to Everton in their last away fixture.  City's away form however, to teams in and around the Lancashire area, has seen them pick up maximum points - wins at Blackburn, Blackpool and Wigan ensured that.

--

Despite being totally irrelevant to the game's events, I think Manchester City will win 3-1. Yaya Toure and Carlos Tevez (2) to score for City, and Kevin Davies to knock one in for Bolton.

My Manchester City starting line up: Hart; Richards, Kompany, Lescott, Kolarov; de Jong, Barry, Yaya Toure; Silva, Tevez, Balotelli.

Manchester City vs. Stoke: review.



Tevez runs away in triumph after his first
goal of the evening.

Manchester City 3-0 Stoke.

After the triumphs at Wembley in the FA Cup Final, it was back home and back down to Earth for Manchester City. Aston Villa's suprising victory over Arsenal on Sunday afternoon meant that a win for Manchester City against Stoke would see them rise above Arsenal into third place - meaning that a win on the final day against Bolton will take City straight into the group stages of the Champions League, without the hurdle of a qualifier.

City went into the game stressing over the fitness of David Silva and Mario Balotelli, and over the future of Carlos Tevez. But two of the three - David Silva and Carlos Tevez - started the game. The City of Manchester Stadium was full to the rafters, bar the Stoke fans, who only had 800 fans cheering them on. Understandably, due to Saturday's events.

A contender for Goal of the month.

Manchester City, brimming with confidence, opened the scoring. Silva's ball to James Milner was miscontrolled, but it bounced to Tevez, who managed to work a tight one-two with Milner, dance inside one defender, drop the shoulder away from the other and fire up and across Stoke goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen. A contender for Goal of the Month, you say? I can't disgaree.

City laid off the pressure a tad, but created chances through Yaya Toure's long drive, and Carlos Tevez's curling effort from the outside of his foot. Stoke had barely had a look in, despite managing to temporarily slow the City tide.

Carlos Tevez stepped up to take it...

The second half began, and a burst from Micah Richards drew Danny Collins over to make the sliding tackle. Richards tried to jump over the defender's leg, but was unsuccessful. A free-kick was given. Johnson's long ball seemed to have evaded everyone until Joleon Lescott arrived in front of Sorensen to make it 2-0. A brave header that rustled the back of the net sent the City fans wild, and put City's third place dreams in to the reality box.

Edin Dzeko arrived at the scene, replacing the creative Silva - a change that more or less confirms Silva's starting place on Sunday on the final day against Bolton - who didn't look the best pleased to be taken off after another good performance, despite not being at his best. Dzeko's biggest chance came when he managed to wrestle through a Stoke defender and fire his shot straight at the on-rushing Sorensen.

Nigel de Jong took a tumble around 35 yards out, and a free-kick was given. Carlos Tevez stepped up to take it. He fired the shot wide of the wall, and some how managed to bend it back in and reach the top corner. 3-0. Imagine a shooting star, and you'll be somewhere close to the path that Tevez's shot took on its way to the goal. Sorensen was beaten and City were heading towards three points.

Dzeko's shot hit the side-netting, Pablo Zabaleta left the field in a pool of blood after another clash left him needing 11 stitches, but he should be fit for the all important clash in just a few days time.

Hart 6; Richards 8, Kompany 7, Lescott 8, Zabaleta 7; Milner 7, de Jong 7; Toure 8; Silva 7, Tevez 9; Johnson 6.                         - Dzeko 7, Wright-Phillips 7; Boyata 6.

No City vs. Stoke preview.

Too busy at the moment to do a full preview, but for what it's worth, I reckon City will win 2-0.

Manchester City have won the FA Cup.

Say it to yourself: 'Manchester City have won the FA Cup'. How good does that sound?

City dominated long periods of their biggest game in over 30 years, and finally United's long-running, always haunting banner can be taken down, as City step up to the plate. Yaya Toure found the decisive blast from 10 yards to end all of the doubts over whether City can become a force in football, and finally silence the '35 years chants'.

After the final, the City players and staff paraded their own banner, stating that Manchester United's "35 YEARS" banner had to be reset or frozen. The banner read "00 YEARS" in white lettering on a black background. City vice-captain Vincent Kompany posed in front of the banner with the famous trophy clasped tightly in his hands.

Now onto the match: City began brightly, with Carlos Tevez's shot stinging the impressive gloves of Thomas Sorensen in the Stoke goal. Yaya Toure and Nigel de Jong also fired efforts just wide of the target, and a superb curling effort from Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli was saved equally as well as it was struck. Manchester City were in on goal again, as Carlos Tevez's excellently flighted ball found Mario Baloltelli in the six yard box. The Italian knocked it down for David Silva, who could only volley into the floor and see his shot bounce over the bar from five or six yards.

Stoke had offered nothing up front, and Manchester City should have been ahead.

In the second half: Manchester City started brightly again. Kolarov was played in down the left hand side, and instead of cutting back for Silva or Balotelli, decided to go for goal himself from a tight angle. The ball skewed horribly off his left foot and hit the side netting. Meanwhile, Stoke had managed to get themselves back into the game. Huth saw his header go wide, and Pennant had seen his shot blocked by Yaya Toure.

Carlos Tevez chased down a hopeful clearance and managed to play in Silva in front of goal. Silva's first touch let him down and allowed the Stoke defenders to get back and close the chance down. Manchester City managed to work another chance from the opportunity, but Tevez saw his shot deflected wide. Was it really going to be City's day?

A long ball from Etherington found Jones in the clear, but England #1 Joe Hart made sure the game stayed at 0-0, with a fine stop from point-blanc range. Stoke were really managing to find themselves a foothold in the game, and Manchester City were no longer completely on top. Were their missed chances about to come and bite them? Adam Johnson for Gareth Barry was the Manchester City change on 71 minutes.

On 73 minutes, Manchester City started a move down the right and managed to work the ball into Silva's feet, who had his back to goal on the edge of the area. His ball to Balotelli was returned with a back-hell flick to the edge of the six yard box. Balotelli stretched to get a shot away, and the ball ricocheted around the Stoke penalty area. Yaya Toure streamrollered his way through a crowd and thumped the ball hard, past the impressive Sorensen and the flailing arms and legs of every player in the box. Manchester City were one up in the FA Cup Final with 15 minutes to go.

The Sky Blues rode the Stoke storm by introducing Zabaleta and Vieira into the play. The City fans shot up in cheer at the final whistle, knowing that their 35 year wait was well and truly over. Only a club like Manchester City can produce an occasion like this, and they are occasions worth noting. Was this a watershed victory? Only time and trophies will tell. David Cameron was watching the FA Cup Final yesterday; will he be voting Toure instead of Tory at the next election?

Manchester City starting 11 ratings: Hart 7; Kompany 7; Lescott 7; Richards 8; Kolarov 6; de Jong 7; Yaya Toure 7; Barry 7; Silva 7; Balotelli 8; Tevez 7.

Manchester City vs. Stoke City - FA Cup Final: Preview.

Manchester City and Stoke City will descend from the north-west of England onto Wembley Stadium in London for the 130th FA Cup Final - the first in Stoke City's history, and Manchester City's first FA Cup Final in exactly 30 years. Both teams' routes to the FA Cup Final have seen them travel across the country, playing teams of all abilities, and win games nobody thought they would.

Stoke have beaten Cardiff, Wolves, Brighton & Hove Albion, West Ham United and Bolton on the way to their first ever FA Cup Final, while Manchester City have knocked out Leicester, Notts County, Aston Villa, Reading, and their biggest rivals Manchester United to reach the biggest game in their history for many years.


But there is one Wembley Final that Stoke City manager Tony Pulis will want to avenge on Saturday...

Back in 1999, Manchester City and a Tony Pulis lead Gillingham came to the old Wembley Stadium for the Division 2 Play-off Final. Gillingham lead 2-0 through late goals from Robert Taylor (who would go on to play for Manchester City) and Carl Asaba. Manchester City looked destined for doom, until Kevin Horlock's shot into an empty net gave them some hope. And when a long ball forward from Gerard Wiekens was flicked on to Paul Dickov, City dared to dream the impossible. Dickov fired a shot above Gillingham 'keeper Vince Bartram, and made it 2-2. City went on to win on penalties, and Gillingham hearts were broken.

City fans will like to hear this stat: Tony Pulis took Gillingham to Wembley for the first time that season, they lost. This FA Cup Final is Stoke City's first, and Tony Pulis has taken them there... could history repeat itself, or will Pulis finally take a team to glory?


--


I'm going to predict a Stoke win in extra-time. City have failed to beat Stoke since a 2-0 win in 2009 - a 2-0 win that was Mancini's first ever game incharge of Manchester City. Since then, Stoke have won one game, and there have been three draws. Stoke actually knocked Manchester City out of the FA Cup last season by beating them 3-1 in a replay at the Britannia Stadium. But the man that denied City all three points at the Britannia earlier this season may miss the final due to injury - Matthew Etherington.


Line-ups.

.......................................Hart.......................................
Richards........Kompany............Lescott.............Zabaleta
....................................de Jong......................................
..................Milner........................Yaya Touré................
.....Johnson....................................................Silva.........
....................................Tevez........................................


Subs: Given, Boyata, Kolarov, Vieira, Wright-Phillips, Balotelli, Dzeko.


.......................................Begovic.......................................
Wilkinson...........Pugh.....................Shawcross.........Wilson
..............................Whelan....Whitehead.............................
....Pennant...................................................Delap...............
.............................Walters.........Jones.................................


Subs: Sorensen, Collins, Huth, Diao, Carew, Faye, Shonton.