PERHAPS the clue to what makes City new boy Elano Blumer a Brazilian with a difference can be found close to his heart.
Iracemapolis, his birth place, is a small municipality in the State of Sao Paulo that has on its coat of arms a bee and four cogwheels.
According to Blues boss Sven-Goran Eriksson, those attributes of being busy and industrious are a perfect fit with the gifted 26-year-old, who has a steel fist inside a silk glove.
Those qualities persuaded Eriksson that £8m would be money well spent on a player who has been shivering away his obvious talents in Ukraine at Shakhtar Donetsk.
There will be those who say that City fans have been waiting so long for a spot of creative genius that they will latch on to a spark rather than a flame but the manager has no doubt that Elano is the real deal.
This particular boy from Brazil doesn't favour either the laid-back style of Ali Benarbia or the more `look at me' brilliance of Eyal Berkovic - the last two playmakers to dazzle City fans in the post-Kinkladze era - instead he combines workrate, strength, quick feet and quick brain that are as handy on the edge of his own penalty area as that of the opposition.
Comfortingly two-footed, Elano is happy playing out wide, in the centre, in front of his back four or alongside an out-and-out striker and Eriksson believes that the versatile engine-room man can take the Premiership by storm.
"I think he is a fantastic player. I saw him before this summer's Copa America but if you watched those games he was absolutely incredible and if you are a great player on that stage you can play football anywhere in the world," said the Swede.
Regular
Elano's career began at Gurani FC in his homeland before a short spell with SC Internacional. In 2001 he went to Santos FC and by the following year was a regular choice for the Brazilian champions.
He helped them on the way to the 2003 Copa Libertadores final and earned another winner's medal for a national title in 2004, scoring 16 goals, before signing a five-year contract at FC Shakhtar Donetsk for around £5m.
Although Elano made his senior Brazil debut in October 2004 against Paraguay in FIFA World Cup qualifying he was controversially left out of the squad that flopped at the 2006 World Cup.
In the changes that came in the wake of the tournament in Germany, new Brazil coach Dunga made him a starter and he scored twice in a 3-0 friendly win in London against Argentina that September. He has been in the side ever since.
In both 2003 and 2004, El Pais newspaper named Elano among their South American all-stars and Eriksson is convinced he will be a huge hit in this country too.
"His versatility will be important for us," Eriksson continued. "He can play with a bit of fantasy and that is good to see. If you are born in Brazil, the technical side comes through the DNA. I don't know why.
"Elano will not always play in the position he did on Saturday at West Ham. He can also play behind two strikers, in a less attacking midfield role or out wide."
Is Elano the creative spark that City need? Have your say.
Blues get Elano buzz
August 14, 2007
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Can't wait to see him in action tomorrow night. I expect to see a few Brazilian shirts with his name on the back before long too.
A Brazilian at City, and a quality one at that.. who'd have dreamt it during last seasons monotonous nightmare?
One word about this lad, and that is 'Quality'!!!
Sven has brought in players who are comfortable on the ball, good footballers. Our team last year was ful of players who were workmanlike and but lacking in technical ability (a bit pearce like). Some of these, Hamman for eg, will benefit from Svens new regime as they can do there job and have players around them who are creative.
Once this guy is fully fit and had a good few games under his belt he is going to be a City legend. These are exciting times for us long suffering blues, our time has come. Not going to be able to sleep tonight cant wait to get to the ground tomorrow.
Foward with Frank
Never mind latching onto a spark, I'm all for hugging the bonfire!!
check wikipedia for jaskelainan.. said spotted having a medical at man city
With all these new stars was a bit worried about whether they'd 'get' the meaning of Sunday's match. However, if you're Brazilian and some numpty from the Argies is on the opposition methinks might just motivate you!
Bra-zil!! Bra-zillll!!
Thought it summed up Brazilian footballers when he got booked on Saturday. Bloke was about to hare off down the wing and Elano was chasing. After four strides he dumped the bloke on his backside. It was like ' I really can't be mithered with this'. Nuff said. Absolutely quality!
He is a top quality player!
on sunday play a hard phyical game.Ronaldo Give it him!
this guy is a genius he will show ronaldo how to play bring it on sunday
He is a genius.
If we had kept/appointed a British manager would they have known about Elano?
When we were linked with Nerry Castillo - we were all excited because he has fantastic potential. However when we heard that Shaktar would sell us one of the most promising Brazillian players in world football it was just too good to be true. It was akin to Tottenham selling Berbatov for £15m after one season at the club.
This guy is going to be very very good!
Top drawer player, Sven I do not want to see us signing overpaid English or British players, just keep signing Brazilians for me. Diego from Werder Bremen, Dudu Cearense & Vagner Love from CSKA Moscow Julio Baptista from Real Madrid please.
I think the fact that the press said we had signed a bunch of nobodies just shows how clueless they really are. The display against West Ham was one of the best from a city team that I can long remember and will remain in the mind for a long time. Also the support was phenomenal, non stop singing from beginnning to end. Lets have that on Wednesday night.
Think he will do a superb job in the hole behind Bianchi and Bolizhnov with 3 midfielders sitting in behind. Team I would play Derby with is....4-3-1 2
Schmeichal
Garrido
Richards
Dunne
Corluka
Johnson
Hamman
Petrov
Elano ( God )
Bianchi
Bolizhnov
It was a wonderful day at West Ham apart from the idiots smoking in the stand and refusing to sit down. We have had our allocation of tickets reduced in the past for these sort of incidents.
I know I'm on the wrong story here.
BUT I have just read the Thaksin 'could' face extradition story and there is no facility on it to comment.
What a load of rubbish this story is. It breifly mentions the true bits right at the very end of this NONE story.
The British government will not extradite a democratically elected prime minister to a country run by a self imposed military Junta, so the correct headline should be.
Thaksin 'couldnt' face extradition.
I notice all the media are running with this story.
The media are pathetic. CTID
mattmcfc30, Nottingham
Don't rely on wikipedia it's not reliable, check it out again now, see what I mean. It's not me thats altering it (there are others probably rags to wind us up) I go on Wikipedia to edit my lads band's page, and I will put it back. I apologise to any Bury fans out there!! I've just done it to prove a point to all blues ignore Wikipedia please.
"Eeeeeee-Lano, wo wo
Eeeeeee-Lano, wo wo wo wo.
He Samba's with the ball.
He'll swerve it round your wall."
Why would we play Hamman against derby, he is holding/defensive player and Derby won't come to attack they will sit back and hope for the point. we should go for the creative players Geo, Elano, Petrov, Ireland,in midfield with 2 from 3 (Bianchi, Bonjovi, Mpenza) up front. If we had to have defensive cover Fernandes will do (looked good against Valencia). The goalie situation needs sorting by Sunday and I agree we also need the left covering (get it sorted for Bresciano). Also let Corradi and Dickov go and bring in another CF (Crouch looks unhappy at the mickie's so he could be on the way, but would prefer Yakubu).
the elegance of Elano and Eriksson has already seen off the cockney spiv and his bunch of overpaid has beens, next up a couple of haggis chompers and their teams. Elano and Eriksson compared to Davies and Taggart is like comparing a bottle of vintage wine with a bottle of brown ale, its the vintage for me every time. Elano is destined to be one of the stars of the season, and soon his name will be on the lips of every football fan up and down the country, no matter who they support, for the sublime skill and flair he brings to these shores.
anyone know what happened to the thai kids on trail? did they make it?
MCFCYoungShawsy: You need to have a ball winner otherwise elano, petrov and geo will never get the ball in dangerous areas. Arsenal still play with gilberto in home games, chelsea played makelele in home games (when he was fit) and i think we should play hamann in home games. I would like us to play:
Bojinov Bianchi
Petrov Hamann Elano Geovanni
Garrido Richards Dunne Onuoha
Hart (if he's fully fit)
would love to see v derby:
shmeichael
nedum,richards,dunnne,garrido
elano,johnson,geovanni,petrov
bianchi, bojinov
or do u think thats too attacking.. its just that i think hammann should be rested for the derby - he needs to play due to his vast experience..
MCFC YoungShawsy. I can't believe you mentioned Kaka and Lampard in the same sentence! Kaka is in a completely different league to Fat Frank. And i'd compare Elano more to the former than the latter.
Exciting times at City and a special mention needs to given to Didi Hamman. I thought he was instrumental to us getting those valuable wins over the Easter period last season and i couldn't understand when people were slagging him off.
Hamman does a great job mopping up in front of the back four and keeping it simple. Without him Elano would not be able to play.
After watching the way he dropped his shoulder and ghosting past upson to set up the goal on saturday, i was drooling. He was dangerous everytime he had the ball. If you weren't there on saturday, he is the kind of player that will make you spill your bovril onto the person in front of you, he's that good!