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**Jangle** · April 10, 2012, 01:45 PM

Bricky, HL unuh should just do the honourable thing and just bow down.....according to one fan below.

City mull humbling guard of honour should United wrap up title ahead of Etihad clash

By Sportsmail Reporter
PUBLISHED: 07:08 EST, 10 April 2012 | UPDATED: 07:43 EST, 10 April 2012

Manchester City may face a dilemma over whether to give arch rivals United a guard of honour if they have the title wrapped by the time they visit at the end of this month.

If United - who currently lead City by eight points at the top of the Barclays Premier League - have sewn up the crown by then, they may expect the special treatment when they walk out at the Etihad Stadium on April 30.

Guard of honour: Manchester City could be forced into humiliating mark of respect to rivals United if the title race is over when they meet later this month

Chelsea offered the humbling service to United at Stamford Bridge in 2007 and Sir Alex Ferguson would love to walk out in the same manner at City. United had done the same for Chelsea two years earlier.

Guard of honour: Chelsea were afforded the tribute by Manchester United in 2005 (above) while the Blues honoured champions United in 2007 (below)

There is a good chance United will have the title secured by the derby date at the end of the month.

With six fixtures remaining, United will be crowned league champions for a record 20th time should they amass a 10-point lead by the time the two sides meet. Both sides play four matches before the mouth-watering clash.

But City also face the ultimate humiliation of their fierce rivals sealing their league triumph at the Etihad Stadium, which United would do should they carry an advantage of more than six points into the game and then avoid defeat.

Implosion: Manchester City's title challenge has collapsed in recent weeks

So, if both sides earn the same number of points between now and when they are due to meet, United will be able to win the league on their rival's patch.
However, the Premier League have confirmed there will not be a trophy presentation at City's ground, even if Sir Alex Ferguson's side win the title at their neighbour's ground.

A Premier League spokesperson said: 'There are no plans for there to be a trophy presentation on April 30, should the title race be decided. The preference is always to present the trophy at a home game.'

At a canter: Manchester United are closing in on a record 20th league crown

Being handed the trophy at City's ground would have been sweet revenge for United, having been whipped 6-1 by Roberto Mancini's team at Old Trafford earlier in the season, but merely winning the league there might well be enough to make up for it.
City have only given United 2,600 tickets for the game, rather than the recommended minimum of 2,880 - because of previous behaviour of Red Devils fans at the stadium.
Travelling supporters have persistently stood up and the local safety advisory group have imposed the caution because they fear fans standing in the lowest two rows in the second tier could fall down onto people in the section below.

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I think maybe City should just bow down and pray to the Gods of English football.
- Pete, London, 10/4/2012 17:47
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I think maybe City should just bow down and pray to the Gods of English football.
- Pete, London, 10/4/2012 17:44
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If the rags have won the title by our game, then frankly Mancini should insist nee give them the guard of honour, the team need to know they have lost the title, need to feel the humiliation and hopefully next year remember the hurt and perhaps the, they won't throw it away, as frankly I believe they have done of late.
- David, Prestwick, 10/4/2012 17:41
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Bloonose, Salford, 10/4/2012 16:47, The rumour going round Manchester is that City fans will boycott the game, should United be in the position to win the title at COMS, how about you lend me your seasoncard for the day ? you will be amply rewarded , I will even purchase a programme for you.please disregard this if you sit on CB Lower. xx
- Clare Mont, SK1 3XE, 10/4/2012 17:33
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hilarious
- Andy, Toronto, 10/4/2012 17:11
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It is something that we should consider. Maybe there could another guard of honour by the referees and linesmen as well with Howard Webb sprinkling rose petals on the ground before they enter the pitch and kissing each United player on the lips prior to kick off. How about a scrificial lamb on the centre spot in honour of S'alex. Ok the lamb bits going to far but I bet Howard Webbs would be well up for this.
- Paul, Manchester, 10/4/2012 16:50
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Empty blue seats blah blah blah. Typical Nited sheep,boring and nothing else to call likkle old Citeh with.Did all you empty seat muppets ever think the reason you got put in that children's home,the reason you missus banged your best mate/dad or the reason you mates stopped phoning you to go out,is because you are seriously boring??? It would be like me going on every day about Young being a diver or Rooney saying he didn't want to play for Nited any more. No........hmmmmm must be wizzing right over your heads.......
- Bloonose, Salford, 10/4/2012 16:47
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Bluenose of Salford it's not your Cathedral the council own the Wastelands your lot just RENT it. We're the Champ20ns & your mercenaries bottled it.
- Andy Laing, Stockport, 10/4/2012 16:44
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Never. No guard of honour. If we are forced, the players should turn their back when Manure players walk by. ============ isn't that doing a Poznan? Whatever happened to that, haven't seen you lot do it in ages! - kv10, uk, 10/4/2012 15:49 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Probably as they haven't had any reason to celebrate hehe

- Paul, Here, there and everywhere., 10/4/2012 16:39
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That would be sweeet to watch !!!
- Kevin, United States, 10/4/2012 16:35

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...#ixzz1rf1VUzuH

HL · April 10, 2012, 02:10 PM

Baloteli should be used as a pure striker a center forward a poacher. The type that is continually fed balls...and does very little defending. He should spend most of his time within the 18 yd box.

Everytime i see Balotelli deep in midfield --mi blood run cole; because I know he is going to do something stupid...like he always does.

If Jose takes over as manager, then they should keep Balotelli.

As to Mancini, he made some very bad player selection decision. I like him but WINNING IS EVERYTHING!! No one remember the runner-up.

I am a CITIZEN for LIFE!!!

**Jangle** · April 11, 2012, 11:48 AM

Hey Bricky, a weh unuh go fi buy playas....Girl Scout? I never see a set a man fi bawl so....

EXCLUSIVE: When United pulled clear of City I wanted to cry... Richards reveals torment

By Ian Ladyman
PUBLISHED: 17:08 EST, 10 April 2012 | UPDATED: 18:22 EST, 10 April 2012

Amid the apparent chaos of Manchester City's Barclays Premier League collapse, Micah Richards sits on a hotel sofa and laughs a long, deep, infectious laugh.

We are talking about City manager Roberto Mancini's man-management, in particular his habit of agreeing with the criticism that used to be aimed at Richards by former England head coach Fabio Capello.

Is it - I ask - Mancini's version of tough love? As Richards considers his answer, his boyish, all-teeth grin lights up the lounge of the Manchester Malmaison Hotel.

All smiles? Richards has revealed how difficult it has been dealing with the pressure this season

'Yeh!' he laughs. 'That's exactly it. Always, always . . . tough love! To be fair, he says the same with AJ (Adam Johnson) and Joe (Hart) and other people . . . but then Vinny (Kompany) is out and he gives me the captain's armband. So he contradicts himself!

'I don't mind saying I think I should play for England. I do. But then the manager says he agrees with Capello! If he's saying it as a joke, I would have been, like, "Whatever".

'But then he was actually serious when he said it so I am, like, "Come on, gaffer . . . I'm doing well . . . give me that extra bit of confidence . . . this is your chance".

But he goes the other way. That's just his way. It's his style. I'm totally cool with it. I know he rates me, really. He's been good for me. He wouldn't make me captain otherwise, would he?'

This two-minute extract from an hour-long conversation is typical of Richards and indicative of how he has grown up. Astonishingly for a player who made his City debut six-and-a-half years ago, he is only 23.

Confident, funny and self-aware, he wants to talk and, let's face it, there's lots to talk about.
Football can do strange things to the toughest of men. At his home last week, Richards experienced something new as he watched Manchester United beat Blackburn on television.

'At half-time and at 60 minutes I thought, "You never know",' he said. 'But United do always look like they will score. So I knew it was gonna come. But when they got it and went further clear of us, I actually wanted to cry and I haven't done that or felt like that in years. Football is full of emotions. You get angry and happy but I have never wanted to cry before.

'This time I did as that is how much it means. I have been grafting so hard this season, we have played unbelievable football and to see United come like this is horrendous. It kills me. I care so much about how I play and how we do in games. If things go badly in a game, I just can't sleep.'

Richards is drinking tea and looking back at a season that promised so much and is now beginning to look as though it will deliver precisely nothing. The City full back talks positively of his team winning their remaining games, starting at home to West Bromwich Albion.

But he is not stupid enough to pretend the mountain doesn't now look rather high. Richards is adored at City, by those inside the club and in the stands. His infectious personality and a longevity that ties him to City's less glamorous past are unique in Mancini's dressing room and all the more valuable for that.

Best foot forward: Richards has been a regular for City as they chase the Premier League crown this season

He is, however, also well qualified to assess City's problems and offer an opinion on how his club can - one day - close that gap between them and neighbours United.

As we spoke last week - unbeknown to us - Richards's teammate Mario Balotelli was involved in a car crash just a few hundred yards away. On that occasion, it wasn't Balotelli's fault but, given the discord and unwanted headlines that have formed a backdrop to City's season, it appears appropriate to ask one pertinent question: Why always City?

Richards pauses. He wants to choose his words carefully. He loves his club, but clearly feels some things need to change if City are going to fulfil their remarkable potential.

STRAIGHT TALK

On City
'Someone will take the title from United
eventually, and it has to be us . . . for seven
months we've been top playing good football
but when it really matters we have taken the
foot off the gas.'

On the Champions League
'You can't play the same way as in the Premier
League or you will get exposed.

And I did. I had David Silva ahead of me, and he isn't going to track back. I'd play Silva in a different role, but I'm not the manager.'

On Capello
'I heard he thought I was big-time, hanging
round too much with Rio. What’s that got to do
with anything? I didn’t know anyone else'

'Look, the team spirit is as good as ever at City,' he said. 'I should know. I have been in that dressing room for years. 'But I know where you are coming from. If I pick up a paper four times in a week, then three of those times I will see a story about City that we could do without. When you are trying to focus on one thing - winning the league - then this is hard. We don't need it.

'There are certain things around our club that wouldn't happen at other clubs. Well, they might but if they did then nobody would know. If something happens with us, it's in the paper every day and that can make it seem like it's a constant battle. Things happen at every club. But at City we don't help ourselves. We are the only club who have a training ground that allows the paparazzi to take pictures of training over the fence. Why is that?

'Everyone has done a fantastic job so far. To be even competing with United is great but at our club certain things always seem to happen. Do these things cause us to lose a game? No, but they certainly don't help us to win any.'

It is impossible to argue with Richards's assessment. Only last Friday - a day after our interview - Mancini told a media briefing he had been complaining for two years about how easy it is for photographers to point their lenses at his training sessions.

Richards is not the only senior City player to share Mancini's concerns. Few would be brave enough to say it, though. To borrow one of Mancini's favourite words, it is clear Richards feels the club need a tweak in 'mentality'.

'We have to learn from these experiences,' he stressed. 'Someone will take the title from United eventually and it has to be us. If you look at this season you will see Man City are by far the best team to watch. But Man United grind it out. They have done for many years.

England expects: Richards hasn't flourished as expected with the national side

'I don't want to disrespect them as they have outstanding players and a great team spirit that has carried them a long way this season. But we had the best start in Premier League history and to be several points behind now is a bit gutting. If I'm honest, it just hurts.

'For seven months we have been on top of the league playing good football but now, when it really matters, we have for some reason taken the foot off the gas. When United don't play well they seem to get results. When we don't play well, we get beaten. That's the difference. Man United - no matter who are playing for them - just know that they have to get the job done. They are willing to do anything.

My toughest opponents

Gareth Bale: He made me feel an inch tall. Took me to pieces. He just doesn’t stop running. It's ridiculous.

Emmanuel Adebayor: I played centre back
against him when he was at Arsenal. He was
unplayable: fast, good technique and so fit.
Arjen Robben: Faced him in my England debut and I didn't get a minute's peace. When he is fit he is one of the very best.

'With us, it's like, "Oh . . . we have dropped some points but we will be OK in the next game". It's not the case. If you want to win the league, every single game you have to be on it. We all know how to play football but we have to approach every game as if it's vital. I won't give up on the title until we can't win it.'

Richards was born in Leeds but he understands his adopted city well. His assessment of the standing of its two football clubs is unerringly accurate. By his own admission, it seems a long time since City went to Old Trafford last October and won 6-1.

'Fergie . . . ,' said Richards, pausing. 'He's gotta be one of the best managers that I've come across because, if we had got beaten 6-1 that day, United would have been 20 points clear by now.

'We have a good mentality. We have shown that many times. But the way they came back from the 6-1 is phenomenal. That's down to the manager.'

It was on November 15, 2006, that Richards made his England debut against Holland. Manager Steve McClaren called him 'part of the new breed' while the late Sir Bobby Robson talked of him in the same breath as Bobby Moore. How odd, then, that he has just 13 caps.

'I got over-hyped,' said Richards. 'It was too soon. I wasn't half the player then I am now. I was just on adrenaline back then, a young lad throwing myself in there. My crossing was poor and so was my positioning.'

Richards has heard the criticism of his game. Capello said he attacked too much. It is clear that Capello's rather derisory view of Richards hurt a little. Why wouldn't it?

'Had McClaren been still in charge, I would have had 60 caps by now,' said Richards. 'McClaren believed in me and Capello believed in people like (Phil) Jones and (Chris) Smalling. That's the way it was and that's fair enough. They are great players.

Taking the Mik: Arteta's strike was enough to seal City's fate at the Emirates

'But, in my first year, I got second best player behind (Steven) Gerrard. So to get frozen out then was hard to take. People started to wonder if I was any good. All I have done is try and produce performances at City.

'Capello and I had one chat. He told me I went forward too much but that's the way they want me to play at City. I also did hear that he thought I was hanging around with people like Rio (Ferdinand) too much at England training, but when I was younger I looked up to Rio and when I was with England he took me under his wing.

'Another manager told me Capello had said I was hanging round too much with the senior pros. He thought I was big-time. What's that got to do with anything? I didn't know anyone else! I didn't deserve not to be in Capello's squad and that's the painful thing.

'He played (Phil) Jagielka ahead of me in one game even though he hadn't played right back for about six years. How am I supposed to take that? Then Tom Cleverley played half a good game at Wembley (in the Community Shield) and was in the next England squad. I was buzzing because Tom is my mate but what is that about? If you play well for United you will get straight into the England squad. At other clubs it's harder. I graft every week but feel I have to try twice as hard to get recognition.'

Understandably, Richards is looking forward to the summer's European Championship with some fresh optimism. He feels he has had a good season and he has. It is also clear that he is still learning.

'I hope people think I have matured,' he said. 'In the old days my positioning wasn't great. I used to use my speed to get me out of trouble. I didn't understand the game like I think I do now. I wasn't a natural defender. I was a striker as a kid. I have learned a lot but there is more to learn, of course.

'The way City play, the full backs have to bomb on. When we play with David Silva and Samir Nasri, they are not going to stay wide so sometimes as a full back you have to sacrifice defending to get forward. In the Champions League it cost us. You can't go the way you do in the Premier League.

'Bayern (Munich) away was like that. People were telling me to go and go, but against (Arjen) Robben and (Franck) Ribery you just can't do that as you will get exposed. And I did.

'We had (Philipp) Lahm bombing on and then Ribery. World-class players. It was tough. I had David Silva ahead of me that day and he isn't going to track back. Fair enough. That's not his game and he is amazing in other ways. But I was left two on one quite a lot.

'It doesn't matter how good you are, if you are playing against worldclass players, if you are not willing to wo r k , y o u wi l l g e t punished for it. If I play with James Milner on the right, I can go forward as much as I like because I just know he will run back and fill in for me. He is a dream to play with. In the 6-1 (against United) I was going forward for fun because I knew James would cover for me. Every time I play with Milner it's so easy. 'I would play Silva, still, but just in a different role. But I am not the manager!'

Team ethic: United look like they have sewn up yet another Premier League title

In February this year Richards chose to close his Twitter account after receiving racist abuse. 'I loved Twitter,' he said. 'But I was going to end up saying something that would get me into trouble. I have kept a clean nose for a couple of years and wouldn't want something like Twitter to ruin it.

'I loved the banter with the fans and the thought I was giving something back to the people who support me. But then you get people telling me to go and play for Africa. What do they mean by that? It's so narrow-minded and it's hard to take.
'I have been called the N-word, and the feeling is one of the lowest you can have, especially when I am English. If I was being a pain in the arse and was disrespecting England, then ok , I could understand the anger. But I am English. For people to say these things is hard to take.'

Richards and I met three days before City's weekend defeat at Arsenal. That afternoon not only ended City's title ambitions but also, of course, proved traumatic for team-mate Balotelli, sent off for the second time this season. The two men are contrasting characters but Richards knows how it feels to struggle with the attention that the Premier League brings.

'What happened to me at a young age was a big deal,' he recalled. 'Everything I did was in the papers, similar to Mario now. You can get carried away. I made mistakes but I learned. It's hard. When you are a footballer and black then people think "young" and "flashy", but when you have come from Chapeltown in Leeds, which is a rough area, and you are doing well and earning decent money, then you want to spend it and look after your family.

'I appreciate what I have and, when people called me flash in the past, it hurt. I read an article not long ago saying I had given up all the bling and was concentrating on my football. Forget the football articles, that was one of the most satisfying things I have ever read about myself.'
Our interview ends with Richards posing for photographs on a balcony outside the hotel. Once again he is howling with laughter. In their young defender, City have a huge asset. He is one of many reasons for the club to be optimistic, despite their recent problems. The conversation ends on a similar note to how it began.

'United used to have Rooney, Ronaldo, Tevez and Berbatov,' he reflected. 'It was terrifying. Now - if you are talking about really special young players - then they only have Wayne Rooney. But as a team they are unbelievable. They know how to win. If we can learn some of what they have then next season we will be twice the team we are now.

'And then we will take some stopping.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...#ixzz1rkMmYrDL

**Peter R** · April 11, 2012, 06:47 PM

Muadib, the book I'm reading (The Talent Code) mentions Micah Richards as the product of The International Federation of Futebol de Salao, founded in Englnad by a coach named Simon Clifford in the Leeds area. Clifford visited Brazil and did extensive research on Futsal, returned to England and decided this was the way to teach football and started his above-named organisation... apparently his teams have had a lot of success.

The rationale is that Futsal allows for many more touches on the ball for the individual player and so "deeper practice" takes place; this creates the development of myelin around nerve fibres (akin to building "muscle memory") which increases strength, speed and accuracy... I'm still reading... no myelin building up in my reading nerves

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