BRIAN Horton is urging Manchester City to play Shaun Wright-Phillips in Saturday's pre-season friendly against Macclesfield Town.
The Macc boss voiced his sympathy for City over the transfer speculation linking Wright-Phillips with a big-money move to Chelsea, but insisted the player himself would benefit greatly from some match action.
City are likely to field their wing wizard during the two friendly games against Tranmere (tonight) and Macclesfield, with Pearce aiming to give all of his senior players a run out.
"Stuart is absolutely right when he says that it's time for Chelsea to either put up or shut up," said Horton. "Wright-Phillips is still a City player and his manager has every right to pick him for whatever game he wants. I would certainly play him tomorrow.
"Stuart will already be planning ahead, and, until he is told otherwise, Wright-Phillips will obviously be in his plans. So he needs to be fit. And the only way to get him match fit is to play him in matches.
"You cannot reach that level of fitness on the training pitch. We had a really tough training session yesterday and the players were virtually out on their feet by the end of it. It is matches that bring the sharpness you are looking for and, like every other City player, Wright-Phillips will benefit by getting a game under his belt.
"It will be a great pity if Wright-Phillips doesn't at least play some part in tomorrow's match. It's not often that our fans get the chance to watch players of the calibre of Shaun and Robbie Fowler in the flesh."
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Although it is now 10 years since Horton lost his job as manager at Maine Road, he still has close contact with the Blues - and is still immensely popular with City's army of supporters.
"I look back on my time as the City manager with great affection," he said.
"I still go and watch as many City games as I can, and the way the club treat myself and my family is wonderful. In all senses they are truly a big, big club. That hospitality will be reciprocated when they come to the Moss Rose tomorrow.
"We intend to give City as hard a match as possible - which is exactly what Stuart Pearce would want us to do. It will be a good experience for my players to pit their skills against opponents of that quality, and knowing my lads they won't be over-respectful to Stuart's team."
Horton insists that he was in no way surprised at City's on-field improvement when Pearce replaced Kevin Keegan.
"It must have been difficult for Stuart to take charge of the team in those circumstances," he adds. "It is always more tricky when you are taking over from someone you know and have worked closely with.
"But I was enormously impressed by the way Stuart went about his job. As a player he was always strong-minded, and it is pretty clear that he stamped his authority over the club right from day one.
"I don't think it's beyond City to finish high enough to qualify for Europe in the coming season. They've got a lot going for them."
Fans will still be able to pay at the turnstiles for tomorrow's friendly at the Moss Rose (3pm).
Where do you rate Horton among the past City managers? Have your say.
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Brian Who, (only joking) the man was hard done by.
I agree with Brian Horton, the whole idea of Pre-Season frendlies are to get ALL the players match fit and ready for the first game in the EPL.
SWP should not be wrapped up as if he is put on a shelf with a for sale sign on him.
SWP is a CITY player who has to be match fit just like any other player.
Come on you BLUES!
This whole SWP saga is becoming absolutely farcical. SWP is citys player. If they want to play him for 90 minutes then make him run home they can, as he is their player. I cannot believe that anyone in the press can come up with the assumption that he cannot play, in case it upsets Chelsea ( sorry, after the garbage I have been reading all summer nothing suprises me). How long now before all the tripe starts about Arsenal again as they have sold Viera.
Brian was a top bloke and a proper gent, his City... although poor at the back, we're marvellous going forward and a pleasure to watch, I'll never forget the 5-2 Tottenham match or the 3-2 win at Champions elect Blackburn, great memories prior to the Alan Ball fiasco...
Brian Horton did a fantastic job at City,he took over from the popular Peter Reid who was sacked by John Maddocks(under Swailes's orders) and then had to win over both the City fans and Reidy's loyal players.Despite having to do his job under the pressure of the" Swailes Out Lee in" era, he eventually with limited resources but to gether an attractive footballing side that included Paul Walsh, Uwe Rosler and Peter Beagrie.He eventually fell foul to the interfering of new chairman Francis Lee who wanted his own man in,had Brian been given the funds to buy some more players of his choice,who knows what could have happened.
Brian Horton is probably the nicest man in football if any of you have had the privilage to meet him you will agree. I believe that he was getting to grips with the club before being cast aside for Alan Ball.
Brian Horton had city playing the the most entertaining football I have seen them play with the exception of the first 18mths under KK. He deserved a longer crack of the whip something which I said at the time while not too many others did.
All this calling of get behind the team,stop criticising them etc is total rubbish Our club and its pathetic management structure need to told THEY ARE NOT DOING THEIR JOB IN THE RIGHT MANNER,Wardle is a pale shadow of David Bernstein our profile has sunk that low we can no longer argue against ridicule.Take for instane I believe our STRONG reserve side were outclassed by a UNI BOND side (Hyde) on Wed night and some of you muppets are saying "dont worry" and whats the big deal and all that trash. We have heard it all before after 29 years its hard getting out of habits where people or fans shrug off serious defeats,it seems Schmicaels discipline was outrageous once again but with WEAK coaches he thinks he can do what he likes and HE USUALLY does. Mr Wardle? cant you see our club is sinking into a pathetic complacent organisation where its employees are just happy to draw BIG FAT WAGES ITS TIME FOR WARDLE TO RESIGN AND THE REST OF HIS CRONIES TO GO WITH HIM.It costs me over B#1000 a seasontravelling over from N Ireland watching City but feel I'm being CHEATED all the time.
Mr Horton did do a good job, under the circumstances.
He was shown a video when he was in charge of a young portugese player by Malcolm Allison,who was doing some part time coaching for us. He chose not to sign the talented midfielder stating " I don't fancy him " The player was Figo !
Brian Horton wanted to sign for B#1 million pounds and it was all but agreed a certain Senor Luis Figo but Franny Lee said no as he'd already signed kinkladze and as tricky as kinkladze was Figo has proved consistantly to be the better all round player and before the masses of kinkladze fans come on here saying i'm wrong dont bother as the past ten years prove Figo to be on of the best players in the world.
Smashin' bloke, and unfairly tipped out in favour of squeaky Alan Ball. And then it all began to go wrong...
more importantly make sure he plays against WBA
, I will not forget a Cup match v QPR , When Nobby was the manager, one of the most exciting matches I have ever seen, with great skills and entertainment. He was sacked for internal politics
then replaced by Alan Ball ! Now I am shuddering at the memory of that man.
i have big admiration for brian horton, not only was he a throughly decent bloke but he also promoted passing flowing entertaining football when he arrived, which was a breath of fresh air following peter reid.
Its a shame Franny Lee arrived and he never got an opportunity with a big club.
I would like Horton back at City, one day in some capacity.
The best match i saw under Brian was the 3-2 away win at Blackburn. Brilliant match which was voted "live game of the seaon" by Sky sports. I also remember it was freezing !
I'm with Mark, Salford, with the Tottenham game. I was living abroad at the time and chose to fly back for this one and remember standing in the half built Kippax. It was so good Match of the Day even put us on first and fairly sure they were raving about it as the best game in 10 years. I liked Brian - he definitely fits the saying, "once a blue - always a blue!"
Whats all the fuss about Brian horton? ok he's a nice fellow but come on had he still been manager at City their derby game these days would have been against Macc and not Man u the man is at his level now,NICE PEOPLE dont succeeed at winning MAJOR trophies JUST LOOK AT WHAT SAF HAS WON!
one thing i do remember horton doing was dropping the fastest left back in the league (terry phelan) for saying he was going to kick kanchelskis up in the air come derby day...which is tame compared to what malcolm alison and tommy booth used to say they'd do to united. he resorted to playing the slowest defender in the world (david brightwell), kanchelskis had a field day...we lost...both goals were brightwell's fault.
Hang on. If SWP gets injured, we may get to keep him until January at least.
My take on the Horton/Figo story was the it was Horton who turned down the chance to sign the young Figo, as we already has one up and coming midfielder in the side - Steve Lomas. Otherwise, decent bloke who wasn't given enough time or resources.
Makes a change. Most managers would pray that Shauny DOESN'T play against their team.
And why shouldn't shaun play? He's a Man City player.
Chris regarding Figo,dont blame Brian Horton my dad tells me Tony Book reckoned Figo wouldn't make it in English football just like the same idiot said the same to Peter Swales who had first option on Ardillies and Villas after the 1978 World cup. THE REST IS HISTORY but it does make your blood boil thinking of such awful recommendations that led to years of heartache and total failure.
One of the best.
first of all brian horton wanted to sign figo but we wouldnt give him the B#1m they wanted for him.and if figo did sign for us all them years ago i dont think he would have been the player he has been over the years.
also as someone has pointed out horton wasnt allowed to sign him because franny lee had already bought kinky which im glad he did in a way because lad lad was a genius and it breaks my heart that he isnt in the prem playing fantastic football for my beloved blues because lets face it if we had some more good players at the time theres no way we would have been relagated.people still say he was a luxury but with a few more good players who knows.
secondly.brian horton got a rough deal by city by sacking him for that little pip squeek ball.brian horton was never disrespectful to ANYONE including swailes when he was sacked.the man was and still is a true gent because ive had the pleasure of meeting him about 7-8 times now and trust me he is a great fella.he never bad mouthed anyone and it proves that he still loves city by being at our games very often and thats not just watching players,he loves coming to watch city.so i hope sp does a good turn and plays a very strong team for the fella coz he deserves a good turn out( which i will be there tomoz).and remember this which sends shivers down my spine..it wasnt that long ago when it would have been a derby match city V macc lol