Friday Gossip

by Paul Handler
@Handler_MCFC

We're slap bang in the middle of the Monaco and Liverpool matches, so the City-centric media are spoilt for choice this Friday.

The inquest to Wednesday's stinging Champions League night rumbles on, there's a tactical look at Sunday's Premier League game against Liverpool featuring our so-called 'Triple S' plus your usual daily dose of transfer speculation.

First let's latch onto a shrewd through ball from the Premier League's official site, where Adrian Clarke has picked up on a burgeoning blend of talent that has been catching the eye for City.

Under the headline 'Triple-S' can end Man City's Liverpool hoodoo he writes: "Liverpool’s Suarez-Sturridge-Sterling triumvirate nearly took them to the Premier League title in 2013/14, but this season Man City’s own triple-S combination are catching the eye.

"David Silva, Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling were not in the same starting XI until mid-October, but together they have inspired eight victories and three draws in all competitions.

"The 3-1 loss to Monaco in this week’s UEFA Champions League was the first time City have been beaten when all three have begun a contest.

"Sane and Sterling help facilitate the type of football Guardiola prefers.

"They are speedy wingers who hug the touchline and push on whenever team-mates have the ball in deep areas.

"This makes the pitch feel far bigger, which is a huge help when opponents decide to press."


Over to Martin Blackburn in The Sun now, who believes City are lining up a busy summer's transfer window, with Germany man Joshua Kimmich mentioned.

He reckons: "£40m-rated Germany star Kimmich, who can play full-back, centre-half and in midfield, tops the list of players Guardiola wants to bring in.

"Guardiola gave the 22-year-old his big break last season when he was in charge at Bayern."

Elsewhere, Gael Clichy's views on the Monaco defeat are widely quoted.

In a report carried by the Daily Mail the Frenchman says: "Willy (Caballero) made a great save in the first eight minutes and I just felt that first part of the game set the momentum, and it was not for us. We tried to react but they have quality and we suffered.

"We came back strongly in the second half and could have killed the game with those three or four chances in 20 minutes but we didn't do it.

"It's a big disappointment. When we play like the manager wants we can create problems for any team and if we'd started the game like we did the second half it could have been different.

"But we have to look forward to Liverpool (on Sunday) now because the season is not finished. We can win something still this year so we have to believe and finish strongly."

Finally Sky Sports have a lengthy interview with Yaya Toure, who discusses his progress this season and the battles he's fought.

He said: "It's been very strange. I've been at City for a long, long time and I find this one very different. I have had to find something deep from inside me. I struggled at the beginning but to be honest, when you are a big sportsperson at a high level in sport, sometimes you have to put all the other things out of you and just try to express yourself, for you, the fans and the people that love you.

"I was having a lot of chats with people close to me, close family, and it was quite hard. I found it difficult but I always said I love the difficulty. I am very, very satisfied with what I've done. I've tried to work hard coming back into the team and tried to give my best to make the manager happy and let me play."

We'll have more media talk for you at the same time on Saturday!