French Revolution: How spending time in a pub led to Arsene Wenger transforming English football

Human nature dictates that a lot of people tend to judge others at face value. That said if you didn’t know otherwise you’d be forgiven for thinking that Arsene Wenger was a rocket scientist or perhaps a brain surgeon. He’s a football manager that a lot of fans must be grateful for, who commands respect. He’s the man who revolutionised the home of football and changed England’s approach to the beautiful game- making it irresistible, continental and brimming with incredible talent.

For a football manager Wenger has an impressive intellectual background. The Frenchman has a degree in Electrical Engineering and a Masters in Economics. He’s also multi-lingual, speaking French, German, Spanish, English, Italian and Japanese. Growing up in a small hamlet in France, Wenger would spend time in his parent’s pub with the local football team, FC Duttlenheim. Engrossing himself in an environment where the conversation was dominated by football: tactics, team selections and skills, made Wenger fall in love with the sport and gave him an impressive early knowledge of the game.

A lot of people may not appreciate and be aware of the extent of the impact and influence that Wenger has had within England. When David Dein confirmed Wenger’s appointment as manager of Arsenal in September 1996, he was one of the first foreign managers to arrive on British soil. Having gained experience and honours at Nancy, Monaco and Japanese side Grampus Eight, Wenger’s transformation was immediate, changing the player’s dietary routines and training sessions. The emphasis was firmly on fitness: junk food was banned with energy-sustaining food introduced. Exercise and coaching sessions to increase stamina, vitality and longevity in matches became regulatory. The senior generation of the squad that Wenger inherited from former manager Bruce Rioch, players like Tony Adams, Lee Dixon, Martin Keown, all benefitted significantly from Wenger’s new methods. As a result, their career spans were lengthened due to the vitalising fitness regimes.

Wenger has also always had an eye for spotting real unrecognised talent and spent intricate time nurturing it. The likes of Nicolas Anelka, George Weah and Cesc Fabregas were all ‘bred’ by Wenger. He is largely responsible for the foreign invasion in the Premier League, with talent like Emmanuel Petit, Marc Overmars, Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp all opting to dip a toe in the Premier League pool under the tutorage and guidance of Wenger. A chairman’s dream, he is also recognised as one of the most financially savvy managers, being one of the only bosses to make a profit on transfers.

Both Arsenal and fellow football fans alike have grown accustomed to watching the Gunners’ attractive and alluring style of football, a style coated in flair and brimming with fluid movement. This type of football has made Arsenal multiple-time winners of the Premier League, F.A. Cup and Community Shield. The side went unbeaten on their travels during the 2001/02 season and, incredibly, both home and away throughout the 2003/04 season. So it remains relatively ironic that, with Wenger’s European influence and approach, the Champions League title still remains unattainable, with Arsenal runners up in 2006.

The manager isn’t without his flaws. His composure has dissolved frequently on the touch-line and many wars of words with both referees and fellow managers have consistently landed him in hot water with the authorities. Some critics scoff that Wenger is rarely gracious in defeat, but isn’t that a sign of a perfectionist? A man who spends his life, inside and out of working hours, entirely submerged in football. A football connoisseur who is respected by managers and fans alike for improving and inspiring the game and for setting a precedent for managers from across the globe to ply their trade in England.

Perhaps he could have been a rocket scientist, I for one am glad he isn’t.

Is Rafa too reluctant to read the riot act?

Most football managers tend to have their own unique style that individualises them from the rest. Alex Ferguson is known for his ‘hairdryer’ treatment when things aren’t going according to plan. Roberto Mancini seems to be the personification of cool, calm and collected and Jose Mourinho is renowned for his designer coats worn with an arrogant swagger.

So what is it with Rafa Benitez? The Liverpool manager comes across as being a pleasant, mild-mannered individual. Is he too sensitive? Is he capable of unleashing his inner ‘hairdryer’ or is it that his calm demeanour represents his man-management in the dressing room? Is he too soft as a manager?

When Liverpool won the highest prize in European football, the Champions League, in May 2005, many players admitted that it was their managers composed half-time team-talk that motivated their astonishing comeback. Losing at the break 3-0 to AC Milan and facing final heartache in the face, the likes of Sam Allardyce, Harry Redknapp or Martin O’Neill would have been tempted to read the riot act. But Benitez offered calm words of encouragement- and his side went on to pull off an incredible Houdini act, levelling the tie 3-3 then winning the game 3-2 on penalties. Whatever Rafa said worked.

But the Spaniard’s cool temperament has been tested on several occasions. His war of words with Ferguson, where Benitez accused referees of being lenient on the Manchester United manager, prompted fans to chant about him ‘cracking up’. He also had a frosty relationship with Mourinho, after allegedly implying several times that it had been Roman Abramovich’s money that had brought Chelsea’s silverware to Stamford Bridge rather than Mourinho’s managerial skills. When two of his own players, Craig Bellamy and John Arne Riise came to blows just days before Liverpool’s crucial Champions League game at Barcelona, Benitez was furious and fined both of the unruly players.

Another issue pushing Rafa’s patience has proved to be the relationship between him and the club’s American owners, George Gillett Jr and Tom Hicks. Ongoing conflict regarding transfer funds and targets have resulted in Liverpool fans voicing their public support for the manager and voicing mass discontent towards the owners and concerns for the club’s future and available finances. When Rafa signed a new five-year deal in March 2009 he thanked the fans, saying: “With supporters like this I could never say no to staying.”

His relatively kind and almost shy manner should work in his favour- but doesn’t always. Football fans like to see personalities like Stuart ‘Psycho’ Pearce and Barry Fry bounding up and down the touch-line frenetically. Rafa’s sensitivity could be misconstrued by fans and critics alike to be a lack of passion or inability to motivate his players.

But you only need to look at his record at Anfield to be reassured: before heading out of the Champions League this season, Benitez broke both Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley’s European records of number of European matches in charge and European wins respectively. As well as winning the Champions League, Rafa’s also won the F.A. Cup, UEFA Super Cup and F.A. Community Shield. However, the prize of Premier League champions continues to elude him.

Critics scoff that Benitez’s continental style and European success (he won La Liga twice and the UEFA Cup with Spanish side Valencia) is proving to be his Achilles heel in England. One thing is for sure- don’t be fooled by the supposed serenity Rafa exudes. His passion and desire for success in football remains unrelenting- the Matador of Merseyside continues to march on.

A Bridge Too Far For Love Tyrant Terry

When you hear the name John Terry what do you think of? His tears after he missed a crucial spot-kick for Chelsea during the Champions League final two seasons ago in Moscow? His jovial celebrations, sporting a jester hat when Chelsea won the Carling Cup? Or does the mention of his name just remind you of the cheeky blue-eyed Londoner himself: the man with the passion, work-rate and desire that epitomizes his English Lion-heart stance?

Well, that’s probably covered what you used to think about him. Now, because of his alleged multiple frivolities, Terry’s name will forever be synonymous with sex scandal and betrayal. If the original crime committed wasn’t deemed so bad, the alleged details surfacing are proving to be both shameful and disgusting. The captain of the England national team, hero to millions, alleged to be having an affair with his fellow countryman Wayne Bridge’s on/off girlfriend. The so-called reformed bad boy, who had claimed publicly to have put his wild and cheating ways strictly behind him. He lied.

This man is captain of both England and his boyhood team, Chelsea. He is supposed to and expected to be the ultimate role model for children and grown adults alike. But instead of conducting his business in a respectful and admirable way, he betrayed both his wife’s trust and his team-mates. Terry plays in the Premier League, in a country where the media throng resemble a baying pack of wolves desperate to sink their fangs into a witless victim. The media are capable of making and breaking people and, after 29 years of living here, Terry should have been fully aware of this. With 2010 being the year of the World Cup, this is the last thing that Fabio Capello would have wanted from a man that is supposed to offer his country hope and glory.

There can be little doubt that on the pitch he is a born leader. It is him and his best friend Frank Lampard that provide the spine to Chelsea and England. His football should do the talking, but it will ultimately be the press and public outcry that determines Terry’s fate as both England captain and footballer. The England team is already littered with players that are tainted in controversy: Wayne Rooney, Ashley Cole, Rio Ferdinand, Steven Gerrard and even David Beckham to name a few. However none of them have ever betrayed a team-mate- and had to share the same dressing room post-apocalypse.

The moral thing to do for Terry would be to issue a public, sincere apology and to relinquish his England captaincy. To strike now before the media firestorm burns out of control and to substitute a stubborn and foolhardy approach for one of regret and contemplation. His alleged naivety, greed and treachery have caused other people monumental heartache- as a husband and father, having committed multiple adulterous sins, why should he be allowed to keep getting away with it?

The trouble is that modern-day footballers are spoilt rotten. Terry can have his pick of anything in the world. Nothing is deemed too extravagant for the player that Manchester City were willing to pay any amount for and that Chelsea compromised their already-generous wage structure to keep on their books. This time, opting to allegedly commit the most cheap and disrespectful act by having an affair with his wife’s friend and team-mates girlfriend, Terry must be made to pay the price and face the music.

GUESS WHO'S BACK...

I haven’t written on my blog for what seems like an absolute age and there are a few reasons to explain my absence.

Back in December, I was offered a job at Manchester City, working in the charities department. As a consequence of accepting the job, I decided to relinquish my role on BBC Radio Manchester’s popular City show ‘Blue Tuesday’, as I felt like I may have to compromise my new position at the club and didn’t want that to happen. I had an absolute ball on Blue Tuesday and learned so much from the wonderful team they have there. Here’s a big thank you to Sarah, Ian, Bill, Jo, Anne, Del, Stuart and of course, Lakey. The show is a genius idea, very informative, and will continue to go from strength to strength.

I’ve been very busy since accepting the role but, so have City themselves. The departure of Mark Hughes and subsequent introduction of Roberto Mancini, the dramatic Carling Cup semi final games and Robinho’s loan move- I know it’s a cliché but there’s never a dull moment as far as City are concerned. I’ll continue to blog about the club as often as I can, although I must stress that my opinions never ever represent the opinions or actions of MCFC themselves. As a freelance sports journalist my thoughts and opinions are well and truly independent from the club.

The Premier League continues to be as enthralling as ever this season. It’s going to be really tight in the relegation dogfight over the coming months. Portsmouth, with their ongoing off-the-pitch dramas and debt crisis, look like a sinking ship. I feel sorry for Pompey: I think there should be stricter rules enforced by the Premier League and the F.A. when it comes to taking over a club. Vast research should be conducted to see if the new owners are eligible before going ahead with purchasing a club. In a similar vein, I’m not quite sure how the Glazers were allowed to buy Manchester United and plough the incredible amount of debt into the club. How are they continuing to exist with the frighteningly vast amount of money that their American owners owe? Money is talking more than ever in football right now- with the rich becoming richer and the poor ending up in administration (Crystal Palace for an unfortunate example).

I’m now writing for an up-and-coming football website, http://www.thenationalgame.com . The website is really impressive: it’s packed with information and up-to-date news and opinions. My blogs will be about all things football and I will post them onto here as well, as every article I write always gets included on Football Pundette. Favourite the website though and get involved, it’s going to be very popular.

It's good to be back!

Emily

NICKY SUMMERBEE EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

“Any club I played for I always wore big shorts, always looked a bit scruffy, and ran in a lazy swagger. But I was working hard. I worked just as hard as anybody else in that team. I suppose that was just my style”

Football Pundette caught up with one of City’s most misunderstood players and asked him about his dad, his memories and his hopes for the future of a football club he holds so close to his heart.

Some may see it as a blessing, some a curse. The moment Nicky Summerbee graced the pitch after his signing from Swindon Town to Manchester City in the summer of 1994, the older proportion of the crowd became touched with nostalgia. It had been 19 years since his father, Mike, had played for the Blues and made exactly the same first transfer. Just the sight of the famous surname on his son’s shirt had fans excited and intrigued.

Playing in the same position as his hugely successful senior, Nicky was soon creating a ‘buzz’, with his wing partnership with Peter Beagrie paying dividends. But the team then-manager Brian Horton helped to create was dismantled by Alan Ball and a plethora of various managers that followed in quick succession following the club’s relegation in 1996. Nicky became disheartened and went on to play for the likes of Sunderland, Bolton Wanderers, Leicester City, Nottingham Forest and Bradford City before retiring in 2006.

FP: Did your father’s career influence your decision to become a footballer?

NS: Basically I was born with it. I went to the games with my dad and it’s just your lifestyle. Everywhere I went I would go and watch City. I was just born into it. My dad’s dad who I never met, George, used to play for Preston North End, obviously dad played and then I played so football really is in the family.

FP: When you moved from Swinton to Manchester City in 1994, was you aware of the pressure that your surname would invite?

NS: Yes I was, but what do you do, not get out of bed? You have to deal with it. On one hand it’s helped me, with my dad being able to help me in certain situations in football. But it went against me really. It was hard. It was a lot tougher than someone whose dad wasn’t famous. But I knew about it and just had to get on with it. Some people would just refer to me as Mike, I even had a journalist call me Mike during an interview. It’s something that I just took on the chin and accepted.

At the end the City fans were a bit unfair on me, but I don’t think that I helped myself. If I look back now I probably would have done a few things different. But with going to City I was always going to come up against my dad’s name; at the end it really wasn’t nice with mum and dad, but at the start there really was no problem so I don’t regret anything.

FP: You got to play with the likes of Paul Walsh, Uwe Rosler and Niall Quinn at City. What was that like?

NS: Amazing. Obviously I played with Quinn up at Sunderland as well. If they would have kept those players there at City and then built on that...I mean you had Tony Coton, Terry Phelan, Keith Curle, Garry Flitcroft, Steve Lomas and then Georgi came. If you would have kept those players, they were much ahead of their time really. But they got rid of those players and it didn’t work out.

But to play with them was great. In 1994, the season when I came, it was ideal because I was playing as a winger and Brian Horton played out-and-out wingers. So there was Peter Beagrie and I feeding Quinn and Walsh and together made one of the highest goal-scorers in the Premier League, even though we conceded a lot. It would have been nice if we would have had another year together, we probably would have matured a lot.

FP: Did you play in the Liverpool relegation game? What did you think when Alan Ball told you to keep the ball and play for a draw?

NS: I was a substitute on that day, it was awful. We were getting battered, it was terrible. We couldn’t just keep the ball for 25 minutes against Liverpool! Then Quinn came running out and said that all the other teams were winning...we thought that we had done it, we thought the draw would be enough. The final whistle was devastating. Really bad times. As a player it’s just not good whatsoever. Alan Ball was a World Cup winner. I just don’t think that he brought the best out of the players if I’m honest. He wasn’t a great manager.

FP: Is it true that you had the quickest shot in world football at one point?

NS: Yes (laughs). I did this thing when I was at Swindon called Record Breakers with the late Roy Castle. A magazine called Shoot or Match went around different football clubs and tracked the speed of shots by using a speed gun, similar to what the police use. I got to the final at BBC Television Centre in London with Roy Castle and Cheryl Baker. I think the speed of my shot was over 80 miles per hour. It was a bit of fun, a little moment of glory for me. I’ll have to dig the video out as I was only 18 or 19.

One thing I’ll always remember from that day though is shaking Roy Castle’s hand before I headed to the bar and he said to me: “Just be careful, there’s a lot of smoke up there”. At the time I didn’t think anything of that comment, but he later died of passive smoking. That really sticks in my mind.

FP: Tell us the story of your supposed race with Georgi Kinkladze on the M56.

NS: At the time Georgi had just bought a Ferrari so we parked the cars up at a hotel in Hale and went into town for a bit of something to eat. On the way back I asked him to give one of my mates a bit of a spin in his new car. So Georgi was driving and as we came out of the hotel, he took a left to go down to Wilmslow and I let him go past me. As he went past me he accelerated but the car span and he crashed into a wall. They both immediately got ejected out and landed on their feet on the road. It was awful. Georgi was alright, but as he turned round he had these scratches on his back, it looked like a bear had attacked his back. It was covered in really deep cuts.

I remember Georgi’s first game back at City after his recovery from the crash. The pitch announcer was reading the teams out and when he got to Georgi he said: “And number 10, straight from Daytona, Georgi Kinkladze!” He was just a young lad in a fast car who didn’t really know the power behind the accelerator. Looking back, it could have been a lot worse.

FP: What’s the best memory of your career?

NS: Playing for City and playing in Manchester derbies. Just to play in that kind of derby was brilliant. Away from that, I went to Wembley with Sunderland. I’ve been involved in four promotions: Swindon, Bolton, Sunderland and Leicester City as well. I’ve had some good times but bad times as well. When you look back at life as a footballer, you’re young and you don’t have a clue what’s going on. If I look at certain situations I probably would have done things differently. It’s strange when you come out of football and look back.

FP: Do you have any regrets?

NS: Not really. If anything I would have probably played to the crowd a little bit more. The first two years at Swindon I came across somebody who put the fire in my belly. At first he told me to go away and improve because I wasn’t good enough. I actually considered packing it in then and then thinking that it wasn’t the game for me. But I worked hard and proved him wrong. I really enjoyed that. To me it was a ‘me against the world’ kind of thing. I enjoyed being in that kind of situation. Sometimes you have to play at the crowd but I was never with the crowd, if the crowd go against you have had it. At the end of my career I went a bit bitter as it didn’t work out. I ended up coming out of football and not enjoying it. But the first part, which was City and Sunderland, I would never change. I’d do everything exactly the same.

FP: Did a night out in London with Melanie Sykes really cost you your Sunderland career?

NS: I think it might have done yes (laughs). It was Chris Makin, Michael Gray and I who had been invited out in London by a friend we knew in Manchester when we played Arsenal away. Melanie was friends with our friend, so we started ironing our gear on the Tuesday before the game we were that excited. We were jack-the-lads, we didn’t know any better. But that day we got beat 5-0 by Arsenal, went on the night out then at the end of the night came out of a nightclub with Melanie to be met by flashbulbs of paparazzi everywhere. Obviously they were there for her not us.

If we would have won, maybe it wouldn’t have been as bad. But it was a disaster. It was a stupid and naive thing to do. Chris and I got dropped for the next game, against Leeds, and a big rollicking. Looking back it really wasn’t a good idea. If we got beat we should have just gone home really. The paparazzi attention was all for her, but after a few drinks when we stepped out, we thought it was for us. We thought we were massive. It’s funny now, but looking back it was ridiculous.

FP: Who was the biggest role model during your career?

NS: I think I’d have to say dad (Mike Summerbee). When you go around with dad, even now, he’s respected wherever he goes. With getting this ambassador role at City, everybody comes up to me saying that they should have done it a long time ago. He deserves it, I’m so proud of him. It’s got to be dad.

FP: Do you see Martin Petrov and Shaun Wright-Phillips as the modern-day Beagrie and you?

NS: Yes. Beagrie had all his tricks, spinning one way then another. I was just direct, which probably to the eye wasn’t that attractive, but it was effective. I don’t think people realised that until I left. Any club I played for I always wore big shorts, always looked a bit scruffy, and ran in a lazy swagger. But I was working hard. I worked just as hard as anybody else in that team. Wright-Phillips has lots of tricks up his sleeve, but I was more direct, I’d whip the balls in for Quinny to get his head onto.

I like Petrov, I really do. I don’t think people know what kind of a quality player he really is. If City tried selling him, I think people would be surprised at what clubs would come in for him. He’s a very, very good player. I think United would be interested. But Shauny is great too, a fantastic player. I used to just stay out on the wing but he defends and gets everywhere.

FP: Do you think City now have got what it takes to win trophies?

NS: Yes I do. I don’t think it will happen as quickly as people are saying but they are definitely going in the right direction. I see them as an attacking force now, going forward they are a different thing altogether. One minute they can be under the hammer then turn it round and dangerously counter-attack. I think Mark Hughes is doing it perfectly; you don’t just get the winning mentality straight away. It’s a hard thing to get. I know City have drawn the last five games, but the important thing is they have only lost once. Once you get that belief and the fans know it’s there, it will come.

I definitely fancy them for Wembley this season, but I think it’s too soon for the Premier League. But that will come in time. It’s exciting times.

FP: How do you feel about City’s takeover baring in mind you are a United fan?

NS: I’m not a United fan, who told you that? No chance. I’m a City fan. 100%. Hand on my heart I’m a City fan. The takeover is good for the game as they need somebody to break into the Top Four. It’s exciting to see how they do it, it’s not just instant, it’s about how they build a team and what’s he going to do next. Who will be signed in the transfer window, it’s exciting to see. I’ve been to quite a few games this season and when you go into the ground it’s just a totally different thing altogether. The way the club do everything now is just fantastic. It’s just all there, waiting for something to happen. City are constantly in the papers and under this intense microscope.

I think, deep down, I don’t think United are happy at all, are they? That’s why Ferguson’s always having these rants. I think something will happen in the Carling Cup, I’ve got this feeling that we will meet our neighbours somewhere along the way. We’ve got a bit of a score to settle now after what happened at Old Trafford; they have got to come to City in the league and that will be something special. But as for the takeover, it’s great. I like it a lot.

FP: OPTA stats say that you had a better accuracy rate with your crosses than David Beckham. How does that make you feel?

NS: Very good! I used to really think before I put crosses in. I used to go for a percentage of crosses into a selection of different areas. The way I saw it, the more balls that went into the area, the more chance that somebody gets on the end of them and scores. That’s it really. But to get that statistic against Beckham is absolutely fantastic. That’s another claim to fame for me!

Nicky now runs Specialist Motors, to find out more visit http://www.specialist-motors.co.uk

Stan Collymore Exclusive Interview

STAN COLLYMORE EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
 

"Ferguson should be using his position of power much better than he currently does"

In a typically honest and frank interview, former footballer-turned talkSPORT favourite Stan Collymore talks to Football Pundette about his career and his views on City's takeover, cheating and Ferguson's referee issues.

FP: What made you want to become a footballer?

SC:

It started from the age of six really. I just got bitten by the bug. I was playing with friends at the age of seven or eight then playing for under 10s and 11 teams. It wasn’t the traditional route of your dad taking you to the games and living the dream through him if you like, it was just me going out and enjoying football at a very early age.

FP: Who did you regard as a role model during your career?

SC: Well there are a couple of people really. There was a guy who scouted me and brought me into the school team a couple of years younger than I should have been who I learned a lot from. In terms of a professional player, that would have to be a guy called Gary Shaw who used to play for Aston Villa. He was European Young Player of the Year and helped Villa win the European Cup in 1982 but unfortunately he suffered a bad knee injury and never really came back from that. I’d have to say it was him.

FP: You played for the likes of Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest, Liverpool and Aston Villa amongst others. What was your career highlight?

SC: I think making my England debut at Wembley. Making my Liverpool debut and scoring on it against Sheffield Wednesday at Anfield. Also a great European night when Aston Villa played Athletico Madrid and beat them 2-1. I scored a cracker at the Holte End that night which is where I used to stand as a kid. The Liverpool-Newcastle 4-3 game is high on that list too. Everybody regards that as one of the best Premier League games. It was a fantastic game for a lot of people and for Liverpool fans, including me, as I scored the third goal and then the winner in the last minute. But it would be eclipsed by my England debut. For me without a doubt, my highlight is representing my country and getting my first cap for England against Japan.

FP: You retired at the relatively young age of 30. Why was that, given your impressive goal ratio?

SC: I think I’d just had enough. I’d been playing for 22 years, since a really early age. Some people carry on until they are 38 or 39 and can hardly walk and I had just had enough. There was more reasons, family reasons, but really I just wanted a change of direction and to quit while I was still relatively fit.

FP: Your career took off at a similar time to the Premier League being launched. How do you think the game has changed since its introduction?

SC: Massively. The money involved nowadays is phenomenal. I personally broke the British transfer record at the time in 1995 going from Forest to Liverpool for £8.5 million. There’s now 24-hour football news. There’s huge intrusion by the press into your personal lives. Now in the media you have to just say what you feel rather just go along with it, you have to be honest.

I think the bigger clubs have a massive advantage: there’s only ever been a handful of clubs that have been able to win the old First Division and the Premier League, but now you see a group of five or six that probably for the next 20-so years will only have a chance of winning it. I think that’s one of the downsides.
But in terms of the upsides we’ve got great stadia now and there’s football on seven days a week. I think without a doubt the biggest single factor has been the money that clubs have had to spend.

FP: What are your thoughts regarding Manchester City’s takeover, with people suggesting the club are trying to ‘buy’ success? Do you think they have what it takes to challenge for top honours?

SC: I was at City against Burnley. Obviously defensively they look a bit flaky at the moment but in terms of City moving forward there’s no doubt that if the owners stay where they are, with the kind of financial clout that they have, City will eventually win something. It’s almost guaranteed.

Look at the situation at Chelsea: they were £80 million in debt and Ken Bates sold the club to Roman Abramovich. They went on to win two titles back-to-back and will probably win a third this season.

I think it’s unfair to clubs like Everton who are working on a budget and still manage to be competitive and they keep seeing clubs overtake them. But like I say, that is the Premier League. It’s about money. It’s about having money in the here and now and being competitive in terms of buying the best players.

Do I think it’s fair? No. It would be great to have a system where everybody has to deal with the same financial constraints so you would see a proper champion at the end of the season. But the way it is, with anybody happening upon the situation that City are in, they are almost guaranteed success.

FP: Do you think that referees are actually intimidated by Alex Ferguson?

SC: Well it’s quite topical. I think Ferguson in terms of achievement over 25 years at United he has real clout and power in the game. But again after the Chelsea game he was critical of the referee. I don’t think managers should be able to talk about anything other than their own team in both pre and post-match interviews and press conferences.

We’re struggling for referees as it is. I think 7-8,000 walk away from the game every year and we’re struggling to fill that gap. If you’re a young lad at home that isn’t perhaps quite good enough to be a professional footballer but would maybe like to be a referee who then see a post-match press conference with the likes of Ferguson making those comments, would you like to be a referee? So I think without a doubt Ferguson should be using his position of power much better than he currently does.

FP: How do you feel about the so-called ‘cheating’ that goes on in football, with the likes of Didier Drogba and Eduardo?

SC: I think it’s disgusting. I think the fact that even when I played and we had the influx of foreign players it was almost like a badge of honour for English players or British-based players to try as much as possible to stay on your feet. That’s just the way it is; cheating, diving, leaving your trailing leg in. Other people do it in other leagues and we shouldn’t condone it in the Premier League as we’ve always been straight and honest. In all honestly now, it doesn’t matter which name you pick out, there’s probably half a dozen English or foreign-based Premier League superstars that routinely cheat.

I’ve always thought that, on a weekly basis, the Premier League should come out and name and shame them and accompany that with length bans and big fines for the culprits. But Sepp Blatter said a couple of weeks ago that he’s more concerned with buying young players from clubs abroad than diving, so I don’t think it’s high on UEFA or FIFA’s agenda. But make no bones about it, it’s cheating.

FP: With so many ex-players involved in management nowadays, who do you think has made the most impressive transition? Have you ever been tempted to become a manager?

SC: I’ve never been tempted to go into management. Coaching on a level with kids where you can have the ability to help them along yes, but once you get the final product in terms of adult and you’re working with players who have their own mindset, it’s very difficult to mould them into playing the way you want them to.

Players who have made a good transition...the likes of Roberto Martinez, who played in the lower leagues and have gone on to manage Wigan Athletic with relative success. I think Gareth Southgate was a bit hard done by at Middlesbrough with all the financial restraints there. Martin O’Neill, who was a European Cup-Winner and captain of Northern Ireland, he’s gone on to have a fantastic managerial career. Steve Bruce is doing very, very well. There are plenty of them. If you look up and down the Premier League, virtually all of them have played in the old First Division as it was.

But in terms of young managers, Paul Ince has had a spell at Blackburn and now he’s back at MK Dons, I’m sure he will benefit from that experience. Without a doubt, there are managers who have played in the Premier League that will go on and have success in managerial careers.

FP: Do you think Mark Hughes is the right man to lead Manchester City to success?

SC: It will be interesting. I think him and his players have got to get used to the added expectation. At Blackburn and his first season at City there was expectation: with Blackburn it was to stay in the Premier League and with City it was to be in the top half. But now people see City as a scalp, which I think is one of the reasons why they have drawn their last five games. Teams are going to make it really difficult as it’s like a cup final for the opposition. Mark Hughes has to adjust to that. I think we’ll only tell really by the end of the season whether or not he’s a manager that can cope with that kind of pressure, tactically and mentally, to take City forward. I think the jury’s out to be honest. He’s had a decent start, he’s signed some great players, but I think they are going through a bit of a blip with five draws. I think we’ll be better placed to answer that question come January if he’s still in the job and see if he’s got money to strength with then.

FP: Is there anything you would change about today’s game?

SC: Yes. I’d introduce long bans. I’m talking eight-game bans for proven cheats. What we have in English football is a very honest and fast-paced game. I talk to fans up and down the country and the one thing they hate, the one thing that keeps cropping up, is players diving and cheating. This not just from opposition players but from their own players. That would be the one thing I would change.

Listen to Stan on talkSPORT 1089/1053 Medium Wave and follow him on Twitter @StanCollymore.

CAN I HAVE A WORD?

I haven’t written for a while as you may have noticed. But please accept my apology for the absence and I’m here now to try and dissect the action that has incurred during the past fortnight because, as always, a lot has happened.

Point to prove

The visit of Fulham to Eastlands was always going to be a tricky one in my eyes. Roy Hodgson’s team have beat City for the past two seasons in Manchester and I was apprehensive about how City would figure this time. I think I’m right to say that the first 45 was a bit hit-and-miss, although Micah Richards’ had a headed goal disallowed for reasons unbeknown to me at the time. After several further replays at half-time, Match of the Day clarified for me when I got home that Gareth Barry had impeded. A very harsh decision- if the goal would have stood the game could have had a different dimension to it.

Carlos Tevez and Emmanuel Adebayor both went close to giving City the lead, but it was defender Joleon Lescott after the break that scored during a goal-mouth scramble. Martin Petrov doubled the lead with an effort that rocketed past Mark Schwarzer and at that point, the Blues looked comfortable and set for a possible riot. But Damien Duff and Clint Dempsey both slotted past Shay Given to give Fulham a point. It was frustrating to give away a cushioned lead, but Fulham have troubled us a lot in the past, so a point is definitely better than none.

Cup delights

Brighton, Lincoln, Forest, Blackpool...teams that City have succumbed to in the past during early rounds of a Cup. I should have felt reasonably confident having seen a home tie against Scunthorpe United drawn for Mark Hughes’ side. But I remained pessimistic and a little bit nervous as the two teams kicked off.

My early doubts were firmly shrugged off with a confident and classy 5-1 victory for City. Goals from Stephen Ireland, Roque Santa Cruz, Lescott (two in two), Tevez and substitute Michael Johnson sent City flying into the Carling Cup quarter-finals. What made it all the more special was that each goal was taken so well, particularly the final goal from Johnson. I really hope he gets the chance to prove himself and to put up a decent fight into the team, but it’s going to prove a difficult task, with former Player of the Season Ireland having to settle for a substitute role at the moment.

Blackburn, Chelsea, United, Portsmouth, Villa, Arsenal and Spurs are all also in with a chance of winning the Carling Cup. I think it was essential that we got a home tie- so we have drawn Arsenal at Eastlands, but it could have been a lot worse. Arsene Wenger has a reputation of playing his kids in the Carling Cup, but he may be keen to vindicate the 4-2 defeat against City earlier in the season.

Shay saves the day

On to St. Andrews, home of Birmingham City, where the Blues from Manchester were searching for their first league win since September. But Alex McLeish’s side were stubborn and determined throughout the 90 minutes. Shay Given was forced to make a string of excellent saves, including saving a penalty from James McFadden. City seemed out-of-sorts and struggled to create opportunities in the final third but battled well and came away with a point. Vincent Kompany was playing in the heart of defence with Kolo Toure out injured and Stephen Ireland was once again introduced to the game from the bench.

Should Ireland be included in the starting eleven to provide that kind of creative influence in midfield? If so, which player should be dropped? This is exactly the kind of (welcome) headache that Hughes knew he would have to encounter and it seems like he is still tinkering with finding the right starting eleven and suitable formation to accommodate those players.

Look at the positives: City have only been beaten once so far this season, and that was by a last-gasp, much-debated goal at Old Trafford. At the moment the Blues occupy a Champions League spot in the Premier League table and a quarter-final place in the Carling Cup. Shay Given has proved to be an outstanding snip at £8 million, Nigel De Jong is both terrifying and bullish in the engine room and Craig Bellamy has become a reformed and successful character, winning praise from all angles.

Premier picks

There was a game that I watched during the last weekend that blew me away. Chelsea’s display against Bolton was simply phenomenal. Their fourth goal, including a cheeky back-heel from Frank Lampard with the slick move finished by Didier Drogba, was sublime and a testament to the team spirit and work ethic that’s going on at Stamford Bridge. Right now the Blues seem unstoppable. But Carlo Ancellotti will have to deal with the absence of several of his star players at the turn of the year with the African Cup of Nations on the horizon. With the club under a transfer embargo, Ancellotti will have to ‘make do’ with what resources he already has in West London.

Liverpool are a very interesting side right now. I mentioned in a previous column about their ‘beach-ball’ fiasco, but the club have even bigger issues right now with their imminent trip to Lyon in the Champions League possibly deciding their fate in Europe. I do rate Rafa Benitez as a manager but he has made some questionable signings and his tactics and decisions can leave a lot to be desired. The two significant players in his side are Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres- but take them out of the equation and the Merseyside team are vulnerable, exposed and unpredictable. Watch this space.

Blue Tuesday

This show is going from strength to strength and this week was no exception. Ian Cheeseman, Paul Lake and I tackled the ‘Munich debate’, regarding the appalling chants that a minority of City fans continue to indulge in. We had Kari Dodson, grand-daughter of Frank Swift on the phone and she was a revelation, offering a really touching and personal side to the subject.

We also featured interviews with Tony Coleman (pre-record) and Niall Quinn (live). Coleman has caused a lot of controversy with his forthright and opinionated views on Australia and its citizens. Quinny was excellent and refreshingly honest, talking about his ‘disco pants’, his admiration for Bellamy and his jealousy for City’s situation right now. If you missed it, head to the BBC iPlayer to ‘Listen Again’. Its well worth it I promise you.

Next week though we have a two-hour special, with Ian coming live from Abu Dhabi. We’re really working hard on content for the show and it will definitely prove to be unmissable, with the focus going on the club’s takeover and highlighting Abu Dhabi. Plus we have also just had a significant figure at City confirm that he will be on as a guest in a couple of weeks. Exciting times.

And finally...

I think the main disappointment from City fans has been our failure to really capitalise on other teams at the top slipping up. Every side in the Top Four have been dropping points and there have been plenty of opportunities to seize momentum and rise even further in the table. But there are far too many positives right now at the club and with Burnley visiting Eastlands this Saturday, there may be even more reason to celebrate come 5pm...

Emily