MAN CITY INFO VIA THE ALPS #8a

DATE Wednesday 5th October '94

Just a quick offering due to the intense speculation/ rumours re transfers, including a juicy one! Also, it's the Barnet game today so there's some team news etc.

Nb: MuEn = Manchester (United) Evening News, due to former bias?

NEWS & RUMOURS I

Tuesday

Here's some latest news from the MuEn (I must stop doing that!!)

With the Barnet game looming larger on the horizon (today), the possibility of an early exit could be on the cards with some of the latest (early Tuesday, afternoon edition) injury details.

Coton is fairly likely to miss the game after injuring his shoulder against Leeds. City are awaiting x-ray's before the full extent of the injury is revealed, but it's certain he'll be out. Along with him will be Curle, his hamstring injury is still causing problems. Rösler and Walsh are both recieving treatment for their ankle injuries and can only be ruled as possibles. The defence has some better news with Edghill resuming training after flu' and Hill recovering from his back injury (once again picked up against Leeds). Does this news fill you with optimism?

More on the possible transfer targets. So with the attention turned to Le Tissier there's a couple of other names that have crept into the reckoning. Garry Parker at Villa, but once again Horton's denying he's the player to fill the midfield rôle at Maine Road! Another target could be Steve Watson of Newcastle, he can play either midfield or defence, verstility has it's advantages! So who are City willing to part with hard earned cash to tempt to Maine Road, Bebeto, Romario, Baggio? We'll have to wait and see.

Just a snippet though, another of those, I know someone, who heard of someone, that they saw someone, who swears..... In other words is what I've heard another urban legend, well onto the news (take it as you will). A bloke at work claims that Le Tissier and Lee have been seen in some Manchester Hotel, together...... think of it what you will!! Personally I doubt it, would you come to Maine Road if you had the chance to go to the likes of Anfield, Highbury and dare I say it Old Trafford!

Wednesday

Now the MEN reckons Walsh is fit enough to be considered for the match. So here's the squad for tonights game:

Dibble, Edghill, Brightwell, Vonk, Phelan, Hill, Lomas, Flitcroft, Summerbee, Walsh, Quinn, Beagrie, Griffiths, Mike, Margetson.

Notice no McMahon; he's playing in the reserves against Blackpool tonight, so was the rumour about his bust-up with Horton over team tactics true? Here's something of interest, how many players in the reserve team do you recognise:

Walker, Kerr, Ingram, McMahon, Foster, Brightwell, Thomas, Whitley, Finney, Brown, Sharpe, (subs) Beech, Hawkins, Nurse.

I'll admit to knowing 7/8 of the names, but I've only seen Macca, Foster and Brightwell play. Not exactly the strongest reserve squad to call upon if needed.

NEWS

Here's the latest news from GMR (BBC local radio in Manchester). Hope it's more accurate than the rubbish I got off teletext last week...

• Paul Walsh will be playing.
• Uwe Rösler will not be playing.
• Steve McMahon will be playing for the reserves.
• Fans will be able to pay at the turnstiles.

NEWS

Thanks Mansfield.

At least now if City get beat they won't be on their own in the list of the shamed early knockouts. But hopefully that news from Field Mill won't encourage Barnet too much.

One of the worst things that could happen tonight is for the players to get uptight if they don't score in the first 20 odd minutes. City have got at least 90 minutes to pull the tie around and who knows even extra time. But no doubt I can imagine City making tonights game really hard work. The scenario, the game still 0-0 into injury time when Barnet concede an own goal, then it's an extra 30 minutes of of extra time, still nothing followed by City winning 5-4 on pens, any takers??

RUMOURS II

I caught the tail end of a discussion on Piccadilly Gold (another branch of local radio) which was implying that City were after Denis Bergkamp for the previously mentioned 4 million but never saw anything in the papers or heard anymore about it.

BERGKAMP?

Denis Bergkamp; a few reasons why this may not be as outrageous as it sounds. Of course we're just clutching at straws on this one!

1. Inter are out of Europe.
2. Inter are nowhere in Serie A
3. He was raised on English footie
4. His dad named him after Denis Law...honest!
5. It would certainly cost 4M to get him
6. He hasn't settled into the Italian lifestyle and seems to have upset both the Inter players and fans alike.
7. He unlike other foreigners doesn't consider himself to be partly Italian and insists that he's a North European, unlike Platt who's settled in and regards himself at home in Italy.