Kolo Toure attacks City

LoveCity said:
The quotes are real - Dan Taylor reporting the same thing in The Guardian. Here's their version:

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Manchester City's problems with players talking themselves into trouble have resurfaced in the form of an outspoken attack from Kolo Touré in which he claims African players are the "victims of discrimination" in English football and alleges he has lost his place in Roberto Mancini's team because the club have a grudge against him for missing key matches to play for Ivory Coast.

Touré, removed as City's captain at the start of last season, also provides a withering assessment of Stefan Savic, the 20-year-old who was signed from Partizan Belgrade for £6m in the summer to provide extra competition for the centre-half places. "When you look at the performance of Savic [on his league debut] against QPR – excuse me, I'm relaxed."

However, it is when the former Arsenal captain talks about playing in next month's Africa Cup of Nations that his interview in the monthly French magazine So Foot takes a more sinister twist. Touré alleges it is held against African players who miss league fixtures because they are representing their country, stating that "it's going to get more and more difficult for us, the Africans".

"To compete in the ANC, it's catastrophic these days," he says. "Coaches no longer want to sign players because of it. I am convinced that, if I am not playing [for City], it's not only for football reasons. If it was only about the game, I'd be playing every week. I am the victim of that, and it has to be said."

Reflecting on the last tournament, Touré went on to speak of his belief that City had never forgiven him for missing almost a month of the season and not coming back as quickly as they wanted. "When I was in Angola for the ANC in 2010, the club hired a plane so that I could get back as soon as possible for a match against Manchester United [the Carling Cup semi-final second leg]. I couldn't get back in time and we lost. I believe that the club have not got past that, and I'm paying for it now."

The next tournament takes place in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon from 21 January to 12 February and Touré argues that clubs are against losing their players to it. His verdict is that "African players are the victims of discrimination".

When it comes to losing his place, a counter-argument could be made that Touré has not helped himself by testing positive for a banned substance, leading to the six-month ban that took him out of consideration until September. Joleon Lescott has become Vincent Kompany's regular centre-half partner and there is a strong sense behind the scenes that Touré's unusually outspoken comments lately reveal a player who is open to the idea of moving in the January transfer window.

Touré, never previously known as a dressing-room agitator, has talked of wanting to join Paris St-Germain and is known to have been angered by City's decision to take their own disciplinary action against him for the failed drugs test, with a six-week fine imposed. The 5-1 victory against Norwich City on Saturday was his first full game in the league this season and, though there have been four more starts in cup competitions, he has featured less than any of Mancini's three other central defenders.

Touré, however, seems distinctly unimpressed by the early impression left by Savic. "I know my qualities, I've got nothing to prove here in England, they know me here. Football's like that. It goes one way, then the other. The clubs at this level always have big squads. Look, I was the captain here. So was [Carlos] Tevez [who could join Milan in January after a complete breakdown in relations with Mancini] and he is no longer. Who would have thought that would happen?"

Mancini will be asked about Touré's comments when he holds a press conference on Tuesday to preview the crucial Champions League tie against Bayern Munich. In the meantime City's manager has learned that Aleksandar Kolarov will be out for a minimum of three weeks, but possibly twice that length, because of the groin injury the left-back suffered in the Carling Cup quarter-final at Arsenal last week. If City's worst fears are confirmed, Kolarov could miss as many as 10 matches.
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If this article has any truth to it, it is yet another case of a single player, trying to find an exit route by bad mouthing about his club so that he gets his way. There are two major situations he is quoting and in both cases, he needs to take a look at himself. Firstly - the diet pills! Whilst it might have been an honest mistake - he did wrong and quite rightly, got punished by the FA. Then - and also quite rightly, City also decided to fine him the maximum amount of 6 weeks wages. Kolo was not the victim - he was the agitator of this problem - and City would have carried on paying him full wages during his 6 month ban and fully supported him in every way.
Then for him to suggest that City also wanted revenge, going back two season, for him refusing to come back for the United/City League Cup 2nd leg -despite being knocked out of the ACN - is more delusional than even the great story teller - Tevez.

Quite simple, Kolo was the entire cause of his current situation and because he has been out of the game for the best part of 8-9 months, he has simple lost a yard and on the few occasions he has played for us recently, against Birmingham he was OK - against Bayern happened to be within 3 yards of Gomez for both goals and against Norwich, had absolutely no clue what he was meant to be doing - flapped around like a wounded bird, kept on losing possession (thank god it was to a striker who could not hit a barn door) and was an embarrasement to his team mates.

If any of the article is true, lets get £8m+ from PSG and let him go and go get Cahill
 
Until I see someone from the club confirm it I personally can't help but not believe it. It just seems out of character for the guy who's always seemed like a nice bloke.

If it's true I wonder how it affects Yaya too and it will likely step up our search for a third CB to bring into rotation (alex i'd assume)
 
The rumour is Benitez may be taking over at PSG imminently and I doubt he would want him. Kolo may have talked himself into a corner.
At the very least, the quote about Savic, who will be top drawer, are as wrong as they are out of order and will surely attract even more fines.
 
Relieved in a sense that these two will defo be playing against Bayern now. Kolo's defending is the stuff of nightmares.

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I hope Savic pins him up against the wall and says "say it to my fucking face you fucking weasel ****!"

We're almost rid of United's agent Hughes' "sabotage City" signings. Very soon we'll be a club free of complete wankers!
 
The quotes are also in the Telegraph where the rag Ogden is having a field day, doubling it up with Mancini calling Tevez stupid. If these quotes are fake, we'll pass FFP from the compensation via legal action. :P
 
LoveCity said:
This might allow Mancini to be allocated some of next summer's transfer budget early to buy a top defender? The problem is besides Cahill who really isn't that great and whose "fantastic quality" is another creation of our media, there is very little available without spending major cash.

Thiago Silva I don't think is a plausible option in January unless AC are desperate enough for Tevez they are open to a swap. Hummels MIGHT be because Dortmund are heading out of the Champions League and showed with Sahin that they are willing to sell their best players if the offer is right. Hard to think of many other plausible defenders who would improve us, I'd say Rami at Valencia is one who is never mentioned on BM who could be a good signing. He's an absolute monster.
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1) Chris Samba
2) Brede Hangeland

We'd be the fucking Great Wall of China with one of these two and Lescott+Kompany.
 
Tevez --> AC Milan --> Thiago Silva --> Man City



If Kolo's comment is true he can f*** off. I have had enough of certain individuals making ridiculous comments regarding the club.
 
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