Former Arsenal man Samir Nasri encouraged manager Arsene Wenger to continue pushing even though the tide is against the club at the moment.

Tevez is back in the country, back in training, and apologises for his actions. Should he be given the chance to redeem himself?

It's a win-win situation for City.

1. If he gets fit and bangs in a few goals and helps us win a trophy that's good for the club.
2. If he bangs in the goals and in doing so gets himself a decent transfer in the summer then that's good for the club too, because not only will he have helped us on the field, but he'll have upped his transfer value too.
3. If he bangs in a few goals and decides his future is still at City then that's good too because we can kiss and make up with our world class striker.

As for grudges, although I got heartily sick of the whole media saga and on occasions with his eccentric behaviour, I've never really had a problem with Tevez. I think he's sometimes a rather over sensitive man, rather highly strung and not very bright, and that often results in him getting the wrong end of the stick a lot of the time in his relationships with authority figures. But it doesn't necessarily make him a bad bloke, he seems popular with his team mates for instance, and I think some of the things said about him are probably wildly unfair.

I think there have been a lot of general misunderstandings about his behaviour. Cultural differences have had a huge bearing on this.
For instance, I personally didn't have any problem with the removal of the scarves at Wembley. There's a fair chance that he probably had no idea that some people might take offence about it. I'd bet anything that if he'd known he was going to upset people he'd have kept the scarves on.
In any case, Tevez is not a City fan like us. He's a City player. He's from Argentina not Manchester. He's from a very different culture. Whilst I expect him to give his all as a footballer on the pitch, (and he always has) I don't expect him to be false and start acting like he's a City supporter. I hate it when players do that. I always feel like it's an insult to my intelligence. Let's be real, they don't love the club like we do, it's just a job to them. Clubs are just their employers. (Unless you're someone unique like Mike Doyle of course,) and Tevez has always given his all and done his job well.

I honestly think some things got lost in translation that night in Munich and the media pounced on all the confusion and blew it out of all proportion in time honoured fashion, creating the story they wanted to write. In turn this has coloured many people's view of Tevez.
And I'm sorry, but although Tevez's behaviour was out of order in refusing to warm up when told, I also think Mancini could have handled things better that night.

It seems he'd been in a foul mood even before the Tevez incident by all accounts and his "Tevez will never play for the club again" statement was wildly impulsive and as a result has meant that he has had to make a stand or lose face. It wasn't helpful and as a consequence we've lost a world class striker for a large part of the season.

I'm not having a go at Mancini, I've become a big fan of his and we all do and say the wrong things sometimes in the heat of the moment, but I think he could have shown a bit more composure and tact that night and then dealt with Tevez discreetly behind closed doors when they got home. He should have given him a good rollicking in his office, warning him about his future conduct and given him a hefty fine. That should have been the end of it and Tevez should have been the first player on his team sheet for the next match.
That would have been the best course of action for Manchester City.

I know my view won't be popular, but although he's far from perfect and sometimes gets a few things wrong, the demonisation of Carlos Tevez in certain quarters has been frankly awful to see.

I'm going to say it, I'd love to see him back playing for us.

SPIKE

It's all on there on Wiki;

Mancini's beginnings in the school team, missing Mass because the team needed him - and the Priest promising not to tell his father! His spectacular playing career and his first management position at the age of 35 (He's the same age as Lee Dixon, you know) and the fact his strength lies in building teams from the back. Some call it overly defensive, Roberto calls it winning trophies, and win trophies is what he's done. He's taken clubs in financial difficulties and won trophies, now he's at a club without financial difficulties and already an FA Cup on his mantlepiece as it were.

City's position now is due to his acumen in spotting good players, also coaching the best out of his existing squad, and bamboozling us all with tactics that seem at best bizarre, at worst, suicidal. Over-defensive, too cautious according to Maradonna, and the never less than outspoken Stan Collymore at the beginning of Mancini's tenure described City as "the most defensive team in the League, just ridiculous". So what does Mancini do in the face of all the criticism? Quietly stick to the plan and build one of the strongest offences and defences in any league, in any country.

In interview Mancini is never less than honest, he says it will be hard to win the Europa League, it will be hard to win the Premier League, but if we win all our remaining games it follows we will win trophies, he smiles, then he says he wants to win every game we play, but it is not always possible. He tells us United are the best team in the League. He never belittles another team with faint praise, he never complains about the standard of refereeing, never tells us City are brilliant, no bullshit at all, ever. Today he told journalists he fully understands their need to ask questions about Carlos, but today he is focussed on Porto "There is another three months to talk about Carlos, not today". Can't say fairer than that. As I write this, an apology from Carlos is being reported, I sincerely hope it's true, he'll have no problem returning, I'm sure the fans will respect that it takes a big man to apologise.

As for the other players, every single one appears to fully understand what's required of them, they are all eager to play, any mavericks were removed from the scene one way or another. Mancini stands four square behind any player in trouble, as long as they have their eyes firmly on the prize; that City get stronger and play better in every game. They accept they have to work hard if they want to be the best, those that disagree with his coaching ideals are out in the cold. Can't say fairer than that either.

Critics say he is too autocratic, too remote, distant. Those critics are becoming quieter as the season goes on. If Mancini keeps his nerve and carries on with his vision and reaches his goal he will silence them completely. He is passionate about football, passionate about winning, his personal fortune proves it's not about a big contract, it's about the same desire he showed when he hid his boots outside the Church as he went in to serve Mass, hoping the Priest would excuse him. He did, and I for one am very glad he did.

CLEVBLUE

Some five months, countless column inches and millions of pounds later we finally have the apology from Carlos Tevez, per the official site:

Carlos said, "I wish to apologise sincerely and unreservedly to everybody I have let down and to whom my actions over the last few months have caused offence. My wish is to concentrate on playing football for Manchester City Football Club."

Carlos has also withdrawn his appeal against the Club's finding of gross misconduct which was due to be heard by a Premier League panel in the coming days.

It is little under a week since Tevez returned to the country and headed back to the club and whilst the suggestion was that he would provide the apology Roberto Mancini demanded, until now there has been no official word from the Tevez camp.

Now that the apology has arrived, however sincere and well meaning it may actually be, Tevez - theoretically at least - seems clear to once again feature in the side, but will it be so straightforward? Putting aside any lingering ill-feeling Mancini, players and fans may have towards him the overriding concern which hasn't been written about to any degree is quite how he fits back into the side - assuming that his fitness is such to allow this.

I am currently looking at some of the offensive numbers that City have put up over the past three seasons (i.e. since Tevez arrived at the club) and whilst his influence on the side in 2009/2010 and 2010/11, the side in 2011/12 has undoubtedly progressed and moved on from a position where Tevez was the pivotal presence; as he went so did City.

This season, the additions of Sergio Aguero and Samir Nasri have broadened the style. Add in a maturing (yes, really) Mario Balotelli and goals (albeit fitfully) from Edin Dzeko and there is no longer the requirement for Tevez to hoist the side on his back an drag them over the finishing line.

At best, with only a third of the season remaining, Tevez you'd think (especially after not being named in the Europa League squad) will have to be content with a place on the bench (will the irony be lost on him) with no guarantee of minutes or involvement as City head towards the final stages of the season with the Premier League title a very realistic proposition.

Will that be enough to satisfy Tevez though? Given that he (and his camp) have little room to manoeuvre, for both his short and long term future it will likely be that Tevez has little choice but to accept whatever role Mancini has planned for him.

Essentially what the data shows is when a slip up by each team would be bad news: The pressure will be on City to get points on the board until 28th March, when their task get much harder. Slip ups by United after 7th April will be costly, whilst up to that point they will have the trickier fixtures, whereas Spurs face a tough task from now on, especially when you take into consideration the fact that they currently reside a little behind both City and United in terms of points accrued to date.

With reference to reading the graphs: the position is as it suggests, the weighted position, taken into account when one of the the three teams plays at home is league position multiplied by 1.5 to give some notion of home advantage. The cumulative positions show the positions of all remaining teams added together and divided by the number of games remaining:

On-loan Manchester City striker John Guidetti has earned a first senior call up for Sweden after scoring 18 goals in 17 games for Feyenoord this season.

The 19-year-old has become a cult figure in Rotterdam with Feyenoord fans launching a campaign to keep the striker beyond the end of this season.

He will now get a chance to build a reputation with fans in his homeland with a place in the squad for next week's match against Croatia.

Settling in to new surroundings

Watching the plebs getting frisked from the UEFA staircase

"pencil, notepad.....razor, toothbrush, hair drier, what's this square one for?....."

• Ready Steady Eddie!!!
• No photos, you daft pleb. What an embarrassment. Learn the UEFA rules you laughing stock amateur! God, what a start

• Pudge-bellied City official in ill fitting maroon jumper. Looks awry in amongst hoity toity UEFA suits. Good old City! All the wannabe's leaning into their laptops. Like Blakes Seven up here. Small note pad = deeply embarrassing. 
• Paul Simpson alert!! Ian Cheeseman!! Looking serious, just tried to sharpen my pencil, only to realise its a biro. Sitting down opposite the REAL Pros!! Alright, gents, how's it going!!
• Music: "We are Porto, we are Porto", sounds like a funeral dirge. Still checking pen/pencil for escaping lead/ink..
• Fireworks in the City end. Still party time over there then! Hope there are no UEFA pigmies chasing them up.
• Balo, Yaya, Nasri all play. Get in, get down, and get in again.
• Appear to be sitting in tv and radio area, nice man is moving me down a bit to sit with the newspaper bods. At least he's not throwing me out. See ya later, Simmo & Cheesey!.
• (At this point I appear to have attempted to draw a tiny team formation - very small notepad, remember - but it looks a little like a rorshach test with a fellow called "Sweating" upfront for us and a flock of caped bats in midfield..
• Looking through bars. pay nothing, look through bars. Oo we're off....
• 7:17 Yaya! Big Yaya. Nice to have you back, son.Floating, stinging, cruising.
• Big Argie flag...big Brazil flag. Something about the Armada. De Jong on Moutinho, tasty! Small v small and only one winner.
• Barry tidy but risky. 19 is James, not bad start. Constant Porto support. Nasri, woof woof.
• We're Not Really Here ringing out. Hulk x de Jong big splat. Silva EVERYWHERE. Alavaro Pereira EVERYWHERE. Oooer Nasri - corner.
• Big Sleepy at near post, Varelaaaaa 17 in case you didn't notice. 1-0 to the insiders. Moderate noise.Gah.
• Code red from away end! Nordic reporters studying laptops, drinking WATER so calm! Going into action. Take them out one by one. We are CITY from Maine Road.Preparing Blakes Seven tool box.
• 30:45 Clichy NOOO! Balotelli ooof. 36:00 taxi for James.
• BIG THIRST COMING DOWN. Weetabix mouth. Fernando clatters Silva. Is this gig working with Nasri? Sort of.
• HALF TIME. Where's the UEFA buffet. BLOODY VENDING MACHINE!!!! a vending bloody machine.tut and you have to put coins in it. A non-free vending machine....
• 
  
• Long punts to Balo - not paying off.
• 49:18 Richards post right side, oof. Sit down sit down, you ape, he'll shout at you again.
• 51:10 De Jong-Balo- Barry- Yaya- nice nice....Balo just saved, Atmosphere hotting up HOT level RED again, going wading into UEFA suits in a mo
• Maicon flattens Balo. City man in maroon pullover's back, nearly went headfirst down the steps. Call for UEFA teenage helper crew.
  
• 53:?? Own goal own goal!!! Under the desk punches going in in in. Paul Simpson's watching from the balcony above! Try a hard man press smile at him. Not looking. Turn round. One ONE, get in the old onion bag my son, CMON BLUES
• Yellow Kompany...yellow de Jong....yellow Barry. What the f... is happening. Its 3 card trick time!
• Filha da Puta!!! every time Harty takes goalkick.
• 62:== Hulk thru, cleared away. Clichy UP and DOWN, Up and then DOWN
• 66:00 Blues starting to get on top!!!
• 66:52 Helton running around like its last minute. HAS CLOCK STOPPED? What's going on???? Something in his tea? Amphetamines somesuch tripe. Or loaded tripe.
• 68:05 Hulk touched by de Jong, goes flying rolling. Immediate surgery needed!! Dear me, for a big lad..
• 69:05 ref playing for us.
• 70__ Looking at Yaya cruising, CRUISING around. delight to have him back.
• 72:00 Superdragões have shut up at last. COLD-THIRSTY-DEHYDRATED Vending machine now anything will do
• Yellow Nasri, dear Jesus. 78:00 Aguero for Balo. Where's Milner? All this way for a press conference. Not on bench!!!
• 79:00 Moutinho big loopy into stands. Not going for them
• 81:00 Losing hands, circulation, COLD UP HERE. Found a mint that tastes like those toilet blocks.The blue ones. Micah and Alavrao Pereira 2 BIG athletes..BOOM
• Aguero sky blue boots!!! oh no Kolarov...oh no!! - for Silva! It's over now. One one.
• 84:00 get the f*** in!!! get the f*** in!! get the f***...in!!!!!! GET THE F*** IN!!!!!!!!! Air Kissing Paul Simpson. Lips tongues, you name it. Slight ruckus in the press area, centred on....oh, me. Sit down, Sir, or we take you away. This is press area, not supporters. Where's your laptop, sonny? You do understand UEFA pressbox etiquette? So stop shouting!
  
• 86 - Kolarov you little beauty! We Are Not Really Here. People leaving all around!!
• Blue Moon now. Saw me cold in my coat. Still time for 2-3!! Yellow Richards, dear me. Refs from Turkey.
• 93:00 we win in Europe. Oh boy! Press are leaving at speed. Where to now, nobody knows. Follow the Nordics. Press face attached, dictaphone magic coming up!! "Er Paul, could I have a quick word, mate?" *fumbles with on/off switch like a complete amateur....* ...Be with you in a second.

tabloid hack begins non-football story

• Scarred Skull: "Roberto, what do you think of the racist chants at Balotelli?"
• Mancini, surprised: "I no hear nothing, bat eet ees for other people"
• Skull: "How did the racist chanting affect Balotelli and Yaya Touré"
• Mancini: "Eeer, I hear, we hear nathing on the bench, nathing, so I don't know"
• Skull's mate: "Will City be reporting Porto over the racist chanting, Roberto?"
• Mancini (looking deflated): "I don't know about thees."
• 3rd reporter: (affecting deeply disinterested voice) "So what chance you go through now?"

Mancini deals with my question whilst moustachioed interpreter waits to translate the bons mots

Paraphernalia of a true Football Man

Settling in to new surroundings

Watching the plebs getting frisked from the UEFA staircase

"pencil, notepad.....razor, toothbrush, hair drier, what's this square one for?....."

• Ready Steady Eddie!!!
• No photos, you daft pleb. What an embarrassment. Learn the UEFA rules you laughing stock amateur! God, what a start

• Pudge-bellied City official in ill fitting maroon jumper. Looks awry in amongst hoity toity UEFA suits. Good old City! All the wannabe's leaning into their laptops. Like Blakes Seven up here. Small note pad = deeply embarrassing. 
• Paul Simpson alert!! Ian Cheeseman!! Looking serious, just tried to sharpen my pencil, only to realise its a biro. Sitting down opposite the REAL Pros!! Alright, gents, how's it going!!
• Music: "We are Porto, we are Porto", sounds like a funeral dirge. Still checking pen/pencil for escaping lead/ink..
• Fireworks in the City end. Still party time over there then! Hope there are no UEFA pigmies chasing them up.
• Balo, Yaya, Nasri all play. Get in, get down, and get in again.
• Appear to be sitting in tv and radio area, nice man is moving me down a bit to sit with the newspaper bods. At least he's not throwing me out. See ya later, Simmo & Cheesey!.
• (At this point I appear to have attempted to draw a tiny team formation - very small notepad, remember - but it looks a little like a rorshach test with a fellow called "Sweating" upfront for us and a flock of caped bats in midfield..
• Looking through bars. pay nothing, look through bars. Oo we're off....
• 7:17 Yaya! Big Yaya. Nice to have you back, son.Floating, stinging, cruising.
• Big Argie flag...big Brazil flag. Something about the Armada. De Jong on Moutinho, tasty! Small v small and only one winner.
• Barry tidy but risky. 19 is James, not bad start. Constant Porto support. Nasri, woof woof.
• We're Not Really Here ringing out. Hulk x de Jong big splat. Silva EVERYWHERE. Alavaro Pereira EVERYWHERE. Oooer Nasri - corner.
• Big Sleepy at near post, Varelaaaaa 17 in case you didn't notice. 1-0 to the insiders. Moderate noise.Gah.
• Code red from away end! Nordic reporters studying laptops, drinking WATER so calm! Going into action. Take them out one by one. We are CITY from Maine Road.Preparing Blakes Seven tool box.
• 30:45 Clichy NOOO! Balotelli ooof. 36:00 taxi for James.
• BIG THIRST COMING DOWN. Weetabix mouth. Fernando clatters Silva. Is this gig working with Nasri? Sort of.
• HALF TIME. Where's the UEFA buffet. BLOODY VENDING MACHINE!!!! a vending bloody machine.tut and you have to put coins in it. A non-free vending machine....
• 
  
• Long punts to Balo - not paying off.
• 49:18 Richards post right side, oof. Sit down sit down, you ape, he'll shout at you again.
• 51:10 De Jong-Balo- Barry- Yaya- nice nice....Balo just saved, Atmosphere hotting up HOT level RED again, going wading into UEFA suits in a mo
• Maicon flattens Balo. City man in maroon pullover's back, nearly went headfirst down the steps. Call for UEFA teenage helper crew.
  
• 53:?? Own goal own goal!!! Under the desk punches going in in in. Paul Simpson's watching from the balcony above! Try a hard man press smile at him. Not looking. Turn round. One ONE, get in the old onion bag my son, CMON BLUES
• Yellow Kompany...yellow de Jong....yellow Barry. What the f... is happening. Its 3 card trick time!
• Filha da Puta!!! every time Harty takes goalkick.
• 62:== Hulk thru, cleared away. Clichy UP and DOWN, Up and then DOWN
• 66:00 Blues starting to get on top!!!
• 66:52 Helton running around like its last minute. HAS CLOCK STOPPED? What's going on???? Something in his tea? Amphetamines somesuch tripe. Or loaded tripe.
• 68:05 Hulk touched by de Jong, goes flying rolling. Immediate surgery needed!! Dear me, for a big lad..
• 69:05 ref playing for us.
• 70__ Looking at Yaya cruising, CRUISING around. delight to have him back.
• 72:00 Superdragões have shut up at last. COLD-THIRSTY-DEHYDRATED Vending machine now anything will do
• Yellow Nasri, dear Jesus. 78:00 Aguero for Balo. Where's Milner? All this way for a press conference. Not on bench!!!
• 79:00 Moutinho big loopy into stands. Not going for them
• 81:00 Losing hands, circulation, COLD UP HERE. Found a mint that tastes like those toilet blocks.The blue ones. Micah and Alavrao Pereira 2 BIG athletes..BOOM
• Aguero sky blue boots!!! oh no Kolarov...oh no!! - for Silva! It's over now. One one.
• 84:00 get the f*** in!!! get the f*** in!! get the f***...in!!!!!! GET THE F*** IN!!!!!!!!! Air Kissing Paul Simpson. Lips tongues, you name it. Slight ruckus in the press area, centred on....oh, me. Sit down, Sir, or we take you away. This is press area, not supporters. Where's your laptop, sonny? You do understand UEFA pressbox etiquette? So stop shouting!
  
• 86 - Kolarov you little beauty! We Are Not Really Here. People leaving all around!!
• Blue Moon now. Saw me cold in my coat. Still time for 2-3!! Yellow Richards, dear me. Refs from Turkey.
• 93:00 we win in Europe. Oh boy! Press are leaving at speed. Where to now, nobody knows. Follow the Nordics. Press face attached, dictaphone magic coming up!! "Er Paul, could I have a quick word, mate?" *fumbles with on/off switch like a complete amateur....* ...Be with you in a second.

tabloid hack begins non-football story

• Scarred Skull: "Roberto, what do you think of the racist chants at Balotelli?"
• Mancini, surprised: "I no hear nothing, bat eet ees for other people"
• Skull: "How did the racist chanting affect Balotelli and Yaya Touré"
• Mancini: "Eeer, I hear, we hear nathing on the bench, nathing, so I don't know"
• Skull's mate: "Will City be reporting Porto over the racist chanting, Roberto?"
• Mancini (looking deflated): "I don't know about thees."
• 3rd reporter: (affecting deeply disinterested voice) "So what chance you go through now?"

Mancini deals with my question whilst moustachioed interpreter waits to translate the bons mots

Paraphernalia of a true Football Man

The record I speak of was his goal scoring tally for the 1928-29 season when he scored 38 goals in 39 games. In recent times Shaun 'Feed the Goat' Goater almost made it but despite playing three games more he ended up with ten goals less. Still a valiant effort though from the Bermudan never the less.

The record I speak of was his goal scoring tally for the 1928-29 season when he scored 38 goals in 39 games. In recent times Shaun 'Feed the Goat' Goater almost made it but despite playing three games more he ended up with ten goals less. Still a valiant effort though from the Bermudan never the less.

Arsenal are set to increase their wage cap, which currently stands at £100,000 a week, which will enable them to retain Dutchman Robin van Persie, as well as offer more lucrative deals to top players, in a bid to finally end their trophy drought.

Arsenal look set for a seventh successive year without any success at the Emirates Stadium after they were knocked out of the FA Cup following a 2-0 defeat against Sunderland, which was their only realistic chance of silverware this season.

Arsenal Board have finally accepted that a change in philosophy is needed, and that they have to spend big like fellow Premier League sides Manchester City and Chelsea to achieve success.

Arsenal had suffered last season by sticking to their frugal policy as they lost Samir Nasri who signed for Manchester City and now is thought to be earning £200,000 a week.

Arsenal also reportedly have a massive £57 million from the summer sales of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, and with the wage cap now being lifted, the Gunners look poised to break the bank and make mega signings in the summer like long-term targets Eden Hazard and Mario Gotze.

Arsenal, and Arsene Wenger, have been known for always doing frugal business in the Transfer Market, looking for bargains and getting quality players for cheap, but recent results have not done the North London side any good, as they look set for another year without landing any silverware.

There have been cries from fans and pundits for Wenger to splurge the cash to lure big players, and to have a genuine shot at the championship instead of settle for 4th place. In news reported by Sunday Mirror, Wenger has huge transfer funds at his disposal, as huge as £57 million pounds.

This shocking revelation, which came after Arsenal were knocked out of the FA Cup following a 2-0 defeat at Sunderland, will surely not go down well with Arsenal fans. The huge transfer funds were generated due to the summer departure of captain Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona for £35 million and Samir Nasri’s £22 million transfer to Manchester City.

Arsenal’s deadline day purchases Mikel Arteta, Per Mertesacker and Andre Santos were all made with the budget already alloted to Wenger, so the massive £57 million are still untouched.

If Wenger lets go of his frugal policy, he might be able to use the huge funds to land club targets Eden Hazard and Mario Gotze, and would be in a better position to challenge for honors next season.

FC

Any thought of the current Premier League leaders not being up for this trophy was dispelled as soon as Roberto Mancini made public his team sheet. The Italian going with a strong lineup including the returning Yaya Toure and Mario Balotelli. Kompany, Lescott and Hart were again that last triangle of defense and with Barry and DeJong on the pitch as well as Silva and Nasri it meant that Porto would find it tough going forward and also succeptable to the quick counter attack.