Fernandinho

[Neville Kneville]

While I don't want this post to sound negative, I hope the Barca guys have the ability to adapt their strategy as and when football progresses. I.e. Bayern and BVB'S more direct, pacey, attacking style just absolutely romped possession kings Barca and to a lesser extent Madrid.

What I am trying to say is I don't necessarily want them to build a team to play 'the Barca way' because over the past season or so certain teams look to have found out exactly how to play against them. Likewise with City, who already play a similar style, clubs in the PL seem to have learned how to limit our chances on goal and make us look majorly pedestrian at times.

I just hope its not a case of 'this is how we do things and that's it'.

Well be heartened by the fact that Fernandinho is nothing like a Barcelona player, nor is Cavani (another main target). Fernandinho is more of a direct player than tiki-taka style although he can pass well. It seems to me like we want to adopt some of Barcelona's principles but not copy their style word
by word.

I like what I've seen from Fernandihno and think he will be a superb asset should we sign him.


I was meaning more in general, I want to have a plan B and C available when we can't score at Sunderland and inevitably end up 1-0 down. Or games at places like Liverpool and Everton where we've regularly struggled under Mancini.

Hopefully they understand that we are not playing in Spain, & just use the principles of Barca's play allied to the physical attributes & quick tempo needed for Premier League. There's no way that teaching players to pass the ball can ever be a bad thing, provided we realise it's horses for courses, but just passing for the sake of it will not win enough games in this league.

 

[TCIB]

They will have anaylsed everything, we didn't hire these chaps in the 'hope' they know what they are doing.
They are sharp astute men who know the world of football intricately.
I trust them totally.

 

[City Raider]

managers quotes seem the usual response for assuring fans you're not letting your best players go without a fight

 

[oakiecokie]

managers quotes seem the usual response for assuring fans you're not letting your best players go without a fight

As of yet not seen Bobby do it.Hope he don`t have to either.

 

[Stoned Rose]

For those of you who don't know who he is, how he plays or what he brings have a look at this footage of him v Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the CL this year.

He was even better in the home leg but I cant find any decent footage of that.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/9619820/fernandinho_vs_chelsea_a/

I watched both games and he absolutely bossed both. Everything they did began with him. He reads the game brilliantly and can play superb passes of every range. He is excellent at 'snuffing out' to.

Bare in mind these 2 games were against a proper side in a proper competition.

I saw enough to know he's better than Barry, Milner, Garcia and Rodwell. A definite upgrade who can cut it at CL level.

Him and Yaya will eat the premier league for breakfast, dinner and tea.

I will be buzzing if we seal this deal.

Did our midfield not also boss Chelsea in almost every game we have played them in recent years ?

Ah but that's different.

Yes. However...

Our midfield bossed theirs. This guy did that on his own.

Watch the clip.

 

[g180aj]

Have some faith in our scouting set up! We will only target players that they recommend and thixi and bergeristain approve. Barcelona did alright from this set up

it cant only be me that is thinking that thixi is bergeristain i know he seems to be getting everywhere according to the papers but he is only 1 man

 

[alky313]

Sounds like a manager assuring his fans that they'll be getting top dollar. They'll announce that we spent 40m. We'll sit on our hands knowing we only spent 23.

 

[Txiki Txiki Bang Bang]

For those of you who don't know who he is, how he plays or what he brings have a look at this footage of him v Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the CL this year.

He was even better in the home leg but I cant find any decent footage of that.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/9619820/fernandinho_vs_chelsea_a/

I watched both games and he absolutely bossed both. Everything they did began with him. He reads the game brilliantly and can play superb passes of every range. He is excellent at 'snuffing out' to.

Bare in mind these 2 games were against a proper side in a proper competition.

I saw enough to know he's better than Barry, Milner, Garcia and Rodwell. A definite upgrade who can cut it at CL level.

Him and Yaya will eat the premier league for breakfast, dinner and tea.

I will be buzzing if we seal this deal.

Did our midfield not also boss Chelsea in almost every game we have played them in recent years ?

Ah but that's different.

Yes. However...

Our midfield bossed theirs. This guy did that on his own.

Watch the clip.

Great clip !! He works as hard as an Argentine (You hardly see Brazilian players that put in that much work rate).

 

[TCIB]

Appologies if already posted, saw a pm of a lad asking for this article but i was at work so better late than never :)


James Ducker, Rory Smith

Manchester City are preparing an early signal of their intent in the transfer market this summer with the club closing in on a deal for Fernandinho, the Brazil midfielder, from Shakhtar Donetsk.

City are determined to revamp their midfield as they bid to reclaim the Barclays Premier League title from Manchester United and mount a serious challenge in the Champions League and have identified Fernandinho as a leading target.

Although an agreement has yet to be reached with Shakhtar for the player, who will turn 28 on Saturday, and Mircea Lucescu, the Ukrainian club’s coach, claimed yesterday that only a bid that matched the €50 million (about £42 million) release clause in his contract would be accepted, City are confident that they will be able to sign the player for about £25 million.

“If City pay it, he will go,” Lucescu said. “If they do not, it is almost impossible, because we have no interest in becoming weaker and helping others become stronger.”

Rinat Akhmetov, Shakhtar’s billionaire owner, is a famously obdurate negotiator and the club have an unofficial policy of selling only to sides they consider to be part of Europe’s elite, a group that Lucescu hinted he does not feel City belong to.

“If there are stronger teams interested in him, I will do everything possible to help them, but at this moment I do not think Manchester City are at the same level as Shakhtar,” Lucescu said.

A key figure in Shakhtar’s march to six Ukrainian Premier League titles in the past eight years and their Uefa Cup triumph over Werder Bremen in 2008-09, Fernandinho is a defensive midfielder but his pace, passing and powerful shot also make him an asset going forward.

Admired at Shakhtar for his leadership as much as his ability, City have been tracking the 2008 Ukraine Player of the Year for more than six months and are thought to have explored the possibility of signing the player in January.

Fernandinho scored the decisive goal in Shakhtar’s 2-1 win at home to Chelsea in their Champions League group E match last October. Shakhtar qualified for the knockout stage at Chelsea’s expense, only to lose 5-2 on aggregate to Borussia Dortmund.

Aside from missing seven months of the 2010-11 campaign with a broken leg, Fernandinho has been virtually ever-present for Shakhtar since joining from Atlético Paranaense, of Brazil, for about £7 million in 2005. Scorer of the only goal for Brazil in their 2003 World Youth Championship final win against Spain in the UAE, he has won five full caps.

With uncertainty over his future as manager, it is unclear what involvement Roberto Mancini has had in the identification of Fernandinho, with recruitment being spearheaded by Txiki Begiristain, the director of football.

But having made no secret of his frustration at City’s tactics in the transfer market last summer, when the club insisted on offloading players before recruiting new ones, Mancini will be pleased about the prospect of the club looking to move quickly to secure their targets this time around.

Given that Jack Rodwell has been plagued by injuries and Javier García has struggled since arriving from Everton and Benfica respectively last summer, and with the futures of Samir Nasri and Gareth Barry in doubt, City want to provide quality support for Yaya Touré and David Silva in midfield. Begiristain is also thought to be keen on another midfielder as well as Fernandinho.

With Kolo Touré and, most likely, Joleon Lescott leaving this summer, City want two new centre backs and a forward, with Edinson Cavani, of Napoli, a target. As reported by The Times, up to 12 players could leave and about six new players may arrive as part of a dramatic shake-up.

Sergio Agüero may cause a stir at the FA Cup Final a week on Saturday. The Argentina striker is planning to wear pink polka-dot boots against Wigan Athletic at Wembley.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/sport/football/premierleague/article3753885.ece" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/sport/foo ... 753885.ece</a>

 

[Txiki Txiki Bang Bang]

Appologies if already posted, saw a pm of a lad asking for this article but i was at work so better late than never :)


James Ducker, Rory Smith

Manchester City are preparing an early signal of their intent in the transfer market this summer with the club closing in on a deal for Fernandinho, the Brazil midfielder, from Shakhtar Donetsk.

City are determined to revamp their midfield as they bid to reclaim the Barclays Premier League title from Manchester United and mount a serious challenge in the Champions League and have identified Fernandinho as a leading target.

Although an agreement has yet to be reached with Shakhtar for the player, who will turn 28 on Saturday, and Mircea Lucescu, the Ukrainian club’s coach, claimed yesterday that only a bid that matched the €50 million (about £42 million) release clause in his contract would be accepted, City are confident that they will be able to sign the player for about £25 million.

“If City pay it, he will go,” Lucescu said. “If they do not, it is almost impossible, because we have no interest in becoming weaker and helping others become stronger.”

Rinat Akhmetov, Shakhtar’s billionaire owner, is a famously obdurate negotiator and the club have an unofficial policy of selling only to sides they consider to be part of Europe’s elite, a group that Lucescu hinted he does not feel City belong to.

“If there are stronger teams interested in him, I will do everything possible to help them, but at this moment I do not think Manchester City are at the same level as Shakhtar,” Lucescu said.

A key figure in Shakhtar’s march to six Ukrainian Premier League titles in the past eight years and their Uefa Cup triumph over Werder Bremen in 2008-09, Fernandinho is a defensive midfielder but his pace, passing and powerful shot also make him an asset going forward.

Admired at Shakhtar for his leadership as much as his ability, City have been tracking the 2008 Ukraine Player of the Year for more than six months and are thought to have explored the possibility of signing the player in January.

Fernandinho scored the decisive goal in Shakhtar’s 2-1 win at home to Chelsea in their Champions League group E match last October. Shakhtar qualified for the knockout stage at Chelsea’s expense, only to lose 5-2 on aggregate to Borussia Dortmund.

Aside from missing seven months of the 2010-11 campaign with a broken leg, Fernandinho has been virtually ever-present for Shakhtar since joining from Atlético Paranaense, of Brazil, for about £7 million in 2005. Scorer of the only goal for Brazil in their 2003 World Youth Championship final win against Spain in the UAE, he has won five full caps.

With uncertainty over his future as manager, it is unclear what involvement Roberto Mancini has had in the identification of Fernandinho, with recruitment being spearheaded by Txiki Begiristain, the director of football.

But having made no secret of his frustration at City’s tactics in the transfer market last summer, when the club insisted on offloading players before recruiting new ones, Mancini will be pleased about the prospect of the club looking to move quickly to secure their targets this time around.

Given that Jack Rodwell has been plagued by injuries and Javier García has struggled since arriving from Everton and Benfica respectively last summer, and with the futures of Samir Nasri and Gareth Barry in doubt, City want to provide quality support for Yaya Touré and David Silva in midfield. Begiristain is also thought to be keen on another midfielder as well as Fernandinho.

With Kolo Touré and, most likely, Joleon Lescott leaving this summer, City want two new centre backs and a forward, with Edinson Cavani, of Napoli, a target. As reported by The Times, up to 12 players could leave and about six new players may arrive as part of a dramatic shake-up.

Sergio Agüero may cause a stir at the FA Cup Final a week on Saturday. The Argentina striker is planning to wear pink polka-dot boots against Wigan Athletic at Wembley.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/sport/football/premierleague/article3753885.ece" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/sport/foo ... 753885.ece</a>

Benat ?