Mancini hints at Jo future

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has told striker Jo he could still have a future at the club after all. City loaned the Brazilian to Everton soon after signing him for 18million from CSKA Moscow in the summer of 2008.Jo returned to Goodison last season but his spell was cut short in January after he went back to Brazil without permission and he was immediately shipped out to Turkey.The 23-year-old looked set to be sold with City splashing the cash again this summer but since returning to Eastlands he has featured throughout City's pre-season friendlies and come off the bench in two of their first three games this term.

Pecking order

With Robinho and Roque Santa Cruz now more likely to depart, only Carlos Tevez and Emmanuel Adebayor are ahead of Jo in the pecking order and Mancini admits he is a fan of the three-cap Brazil international."I believe Jo is a good striker," he said."I remember him when he played for CSKA Moscow and I was in charge of Inter Milan. He is a good player."Robinho's departure is not certain - Mancini has left the door open for him to stay and fight for his place - but there are several offers on the table for the Brazil star to move on before the transfer window shuts.A British record signing from Real Madrid in the summer of 2008, the 26-year-old has turned down the chance to move to Turkey with Fenerbahce.Although Robinho returned to Brazil last season on loan at his first club Santos, he has made it clear he wishes to continue his career in Italy or Spain."Robinho has two or three options," Mancini confirmed. "When he chooses we will then know where he wants to go."I have spoken with Robinho and he can stay if he works well and trains well.I have a good relationship with him. But I think he wants to play in Italy or Spain."Lazio have also confirmed their interest in signing Roque Santa Cruz, who made just six Premier League starts in his debut season at City and, like Robinho, finds himself down the pecking order.The Paraguayan striker could move initially on ! loan, wi th a view to a permanent switch."Roque is a fantastic guy and a fantastic player," Mancini added."It is possible he will leave for Lazio or another team."


International Soccer Clubs & Leagues News | Video | Commentary

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mr. Hodgson Or: How We Learned To Stop Worrying And Blame The Manager

Image
The manager has risen from club secretary to official face of the club since the creation of football teams worldwide. He has moved from the man that kept the record books to man that is larger than the football team he manages. Commentators and pundits refer to Fergusons United or Wengers beautiful, passing football. He even has books written about him. The Manager by Barney Ronay, an excellent book that discusses the rise of the manager into the modern game, unearths some of the origins of the managers image and attempts todiscuss what kind of person the manager really is. While the book wasnt ever intended to be an academic study of the merits of various tactical thoughts of managers, it does address some of the often listed character traits ofsuccessfulmanagers. When all these traits are put together, to many the manager appears to be a father figure, a scary headmaster, a politician youd like to have a beer with, or somecombination. Yet despite all this popularity, he is little mo...
Keep reading

England World Cup camps need to lose doomsday siege mentality

Image
One day last week, near the junction of Maude Street and Rivonia Road, in the Johannesburg suburb of Sandton, a line of smiling young men in shirts and shorts strolled along the pavement towards their hotel. Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben, Robin Van Persie, Dirk Kuyt, Mark Van Bommel and the rest of the Dutch squad waited at the lights until there was a break in the traffic and then ambled across the road. These were some of the best known players in the world, superstars of the game, walking along city streets on their way back from training and looking as though they did not have a care. There was no security with them. None to speak of, anyway. There were no photographers running in front of them and taking their picture. There were no girlfriends tottering along beside them. None of them wore headphones. They did not insulate themselves. They seemed at one with their surroundings. It was only a snapshot of the way the Dutch are living their lives at this World Cup but ...
Keep reading

How an American Influence Is Rubbing Off On Manchester City

Image
Manchester Citys match day experience is becoming more and more American with each new season. While Maine Road was what you could expect a typical British experience of what it was like to see an English football match in the 80s, the City of Manchester Stadium experience seems as American as apple pie. In previous seasons, City have tried to focus on improving the match-day experience. Theyve added buskers, i.e. public performers, around the ground to add to the atmosphere. And recently theyve adopted American entertainment methods such as turning down the house lights before kick-off and trying to get everyone excited for the big match. Theyve also been a pioneer in English football in their usage of American social media sites such as Facebook, Foursquare, Flickr and others to create a bond with supporters. And now for their first home match in the league for the 2010-11 season, against Liverpool tonight, theyre set to unveil two new features. Both of them have a uniquely American...
Keep reading