The Republic of Ireland keeper, who is under contract at Eastlands until 2013, was close to joining his old boss Mark Hughes at Fulham at the start of the season when he was left out by boss Roberto Mancini.
But City, who want two top-class international keepers to ensure their bid for Champions League football is not blown off course by injuries, blocked the move.
Mancini said last night he understood Given’s predicament, vowing not to block any move in January with a switch abroad a possibility.
“It is very frustrating,” said Given. “I know whatever I do on the training pitch, I won’t be playing at the weekend.
“If I’m flying around like Clark Kent in goals, I still won’t play on Saturday. That can be demoralising. We’ll see what happens come January and hopefully, if the situation is the same, I can go on loan and get some games in.
“I’ve never said I want to leave City. I believe it’s a big club that in the next couple of years is going to do big things. I want to be part of that, but I also want to be playing football.
“I wouldn’t mind where a loan was I and wouldn’t rule out abroad if it was a good club and a good team.”
Given, who stresses he has no issues with his younger rival Hart, expected to play against Salzburg in the Europa League on Thursday and still doesn’t know why Mancini decided to stick with Hart.
“I thought I’d have played, but I don’t know what the manager’s thinking because he hasn’t told me,” said the 34-year-old. “I will keep working as hard as possible so I’m ready.
“I know people might read this and say you’re getting paid well to dive about a goalmouth, but there’s more to it than just that. You play all your career and now you’re not playing and it’s difficult to get your head around.
“I don’t want to harp on as if the world’s against me because it’s not.
“I'm not playing football but there’s worse things in life. I could be one of the miners stuck underground in Chile.”
Of Hart, who has risen to be England's No 1, Given said: “Joe’s had a fantastic start to the campaign and I said before the season it would be difficult for whoever wasn’t playing because we are both good enough.”
Given admits he has not gone knocking on Mancini’s door, saying: “I don't want to get involved in a war of words with him and, to be honest, he doesn't speak that good English.” Tweet
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Given
just shut up and get on with it, work hard and you will get a chance.
You signed a contract and unless it says you have to start every game then you will just have to bide your time.
I was watching the warm up before the last home game (blackburn) and given didn't look that up for it, he let in a few without even diving. That in inself isn't a problem but if that isan indication of the way he is training I am not suprised he isn't in the team.
get rid if he aint interested......
we only want players who want to wear the blue shirt..
We know he's unhappy and wants to move. He had the chance before the latest transferwindow closed. Either he decided to stay, or there was not a club to his statue, or simply no other club was interested in loaning him. Now he should do his job, keep up his level in training to push Hart all the way (and support him as well), and see where it ends. Time to shut it when the press asks about it.
My concern is that should Hart get injured or badly lose form, I wouldn't want to rely on Taylor.
Shay was more than happy to sign a contract so he should honour it.If he see's out the season then he will be able to move on or he will be available for any interested club.Mancini has stated he is willing to let him go in the summer so really Shay cannot ask for much more than that.
Contracts are contracts and they are an issue with me where on too many occasions they are not worth the paper they are written on. I am with Mancini on his initial statement that he wants Shay to stay until the end of the season which is fair comment because he has a job to do and losing a keeper at this stage in a season of high expectations would hinder him I'm sure sooner or later therefore Shay Given should honour his lucrative contract for the rest of this campaign and then move on.
This would be fair to everyone concerned but in the name of professionalism I hope Given gives 100% in doing so.
"I could be one of the miners stuck underground in Chile"...... yes, or one of the thousands of Mancunians who earn less in a year than you do in a week and yet indirectly pay your wages. Clear off then you ungrateful (and disloyal) s*d!!
Looking further into this article I wonder if Given's last paragraph was disrespectful sarcasm.Furthermore I also wonder has Shay got too much pride to stick around sitting on the bench he is willing to sacrifice at least two winning medals ie Europa Cup & FA/ Carling Cup?
I can understand Given's feelings and a LOAN move - WITH A RECALL CLAUSE - would be great for him and City in my books!
“I don't want to get involved in a war of words with him and, to be honest, he doesn't speak that good English.” or you're just afraid he is going to tell you he doesn't feel your form at the end of last season doesn't merit your inclusion??
He should remain & fight for his place - but, clearly, does does not have the stomach to stick it out. Spineless. He is fine when things are going his way - but, now acting like a petulant little brat.
Perhaps he'll now work @ coming off his line & dealing effectively with crosses? I doubt it - he doesn't have the tenacity or the guts.
See Ya!
This is not surprising really, but hats off to Given for how he is handling it I think. You can tell from his quotes that he hasnt thrown his toys out and it must be really frustrating- he has been a great player for us.
He neds to go on loan in January. He's Irelands number one and we need him playing for our euro qualifiers.
Good that he wanted to be at City.
In an ideal world he gets a few cup games and remains here.
Looks like he's on his way though.
'' to be honest, he doesn't speak that good English.” Let yourself down with that comment Shay. Bit of a petty swipe that.
Two into one won't go.
Joe Hart is the better overall keeper now so 'so long' Shay - all the best mate.
Let's hope we recoup the fee.
An insult to the miners in Chile. It is more dignified to be buried underground with little food or water than sit on the bench and watch the 'accident waiting to happen' every weekend , sorry England's number one..
Give it a rest Shay, we know you want first team football and of course your good enough but there again so is Hart. I wonder whether you would be prepared to take a pay cut to play first team somewhere else? I think not but you would be happy to go out on loan as long as City pay your wages a la Bellamy.
Well how about earning your wages and helping us win something by being the perfect back up, ironically something you had for many seasons at NUFC instead of continually bleating about the current predictament. It seems to me that any match comes up where Mancini might play you (Europa or Carling) you ensure he does not want to by talking to the press. Is this to ensure your not cup tied?
Flippin' 'eck there are some harsh comments on here! I suppose it's all opinions though...
Clark Kent???
CAN'T BELIEVE THE COMMENTS... When he came he was the best value signing we'd EVER made!!
He's done absolutely nothing wrong apart from having a bit of a dig at Mancini's English. He is too good to bench-warm and I totally understand his frustration. He only wants a loan move. If we put in a recall clause then let him go for a while.
Leave him alone - we are a club who look after our own!
“I’ve never said I want to leave City." the guy says, to be followed up by “I wouldn’t mind where a loan was I and wouldn’t rule out abroad if it was a good club and a good team.”
Talk about hypocrisy. Anyway, his contract is up in 2013 and he is 34. We should make a business decision now and tell him we will allow him to leave in January. But it will not be on a temporary deal, it will be a straight sale. Try to get 5mm from Arsenal and rip their hands off.
The guy doesn't care about City so get him off the books and don't give him the chance of winning anything in a City shirt. His spot in the Irish side is guaranteed (as Trappoatoni has said) so this is just an ego trip of not being on the pitch.
Now Given is a good keeper (not a great one) and he could walk into a lot of teams, but he should put himself in the shoes of Steve Harper, who's injury on the weekend ironically are leading to rumours of a return to the Toon. The guy who sat patiently for 11 SEASONS without a single word while Given was the number 1.
Closer to home, wind the clock back to January 2009 when Joe Hart was benched without deserving to be dropped because Hughes wanted a more experienced keeper. He said publicly that he respected the manager's decision, albeit privately he would not have been happy. But all this was kept in house and that he would re-evaluate things at the end of the season. We honored his request and loaned him the Birmingham, and the rest of history, but you never saw Hart every few weeks murmuring about leaving in the summer, not causing any problems. If you had to guess who the 21 yr old was and who the 34yr old was you could be mistaken.
Given is not a world class keeper, never was and never will be at his age. Rumours during his rehab suggested his age was hampering the full healing process and we will never know until he does something similar whether he will be hampered from a physical standpoint.
Time to sell and there are no shortage of decent, mature, aging international keepers in the world who would happily come in and provide competition for Joe week in week out, just as Francesco Toldo (a former Italy #1 and regarded as one of the world's best a decade ago) did when Mancini signed Julio Cesar for Inter (now regarded in a shortlist of the best 2 or 3 in the world). He got back in winners' medals and put his team and club before the ego of losing the #1 to a younger and better keeper, something Shay Given simply cannot and will not accept.
Mourinho on taking over Madrid this summer made some comments that apply right here: "any player that is not willing to fight for his place in the squad mentally doesn't think he is good enough to break into the team. I do not want players like this at Madrid". It may be harsh words but its what makes 100% sense, and "mentality" is something Mancini also stresses in his interviews. I couldn't care less if players like Given or Adebayor want to leave because its an admission they don't have what it takes to fight.
Dida (the former World Cup winner and CL winner) is a free agent after leaving Milan in the summer, Brazilian international Doni of Roma or former French international Sebastien Frey of Fiorentina (who has been demoted by the signing of Boruc from Celtic). Just 3 names of the top of my head that are at a mature age, vastly experienced in Europe (and CL football) and more than able understudies to Hart if Given leaves, players who could impart their wisdom and yet be content backups and cut it at the top level if called upon. There are more out there that would fit this profile we could find easily and at cheap cost.
Time to weed out the loser mentality and the cancers, ironic given Hughes claimed he would be doing lots of checks on players' characters prior to signing them. Unfortunately Given and Adeabyor are players who have had automatic spots in sides for most of their careers and do not know the definition of "fighting". Should not be lost on anyone that their collective medal collection doesn't actually exist.
Final note, Given's final statement about Mancini's English ability is such a cowardly attempt to mask his intentions, we all know Mancini's English is well good enough for a simple chat, and if not, use a bloody translator. No guts to speak to the manager in English so he has to instead air this to the English speaking press. Really effective way of solving a problem.
I would give him a game against WBA on Wednesday and rest Joe for the big test on Saturday. Shay Given, having signed a contract until July, 2013, (at a fat salary) should honour what he has signed. It would not harm City to allow him to go out on loan in January, providing there is an instant recall clause in any agreement, should we need him. We should never place ourselves again in the situation we were in at the end of last season. Mr. M should also put our scouts on alert to look in the lower leagues for another young Joe Hart. Any suggestions apart from Scot Loach?
Sell him back to Newcastle. Just like before the transfer window shut he is quite contrary in his comments. On the one hand he wants to be a part of City's revolution. On the other, he wants to play. Well if Hart has a nightmare run or an injury he'll get the games here but if Hart keeps up his form Given is very much the number two. On top of that, this is the second time he has dissed the manager and if I was Mancini I'd have him in the office and tell him straight, no more interviews, you can go on loan in January and you're out in the summer. We will need a number two because Taylor is not that man but we can afford to think about that over the next few months.
The last comment lets him down a bit. Shay was a Hughes man and perhaps that is where the problem started. Hart gets injured or loses form and he is in. Things could change very quickly.
Not a bad interview...until the last line.
Mercenary citeh FC.
Hows your Italian Shay, if its better than Robertos Englaish converse in Italian ,if not shut up and stop whining like a little kid, millions of kids dream about playing professional football and you have that, fight for your place man, you are a top goalie, just unfortunate that Joes a better one