Mpenza settling in

Mike Whalley

February 26, 2007

CITY are ready to let the goals flow after returning refreshed from their Dubai training camp.

Boss Stuart Pearce has been delighted with what he has seen of new boy Emile Mpenza in the Middle East.

And with Paul Dickov and Darius Vassell also on the mend after injuries, Pearce is looking forward to having a full list of strikers to choose from as his team bid to finish the season on a high.

The Blues returned to Manchester boosted by the news that they had moved up a Premiership place to 15th without even playing, thanks to Sheffield Unit ed's 4-0 defeat at Liverpool on Saturday.

Now Pearce's men are looking to start upping their goal tally and push for a place in the FA Cup semi-finals.

Problems

City have had no problems finding the net during their FA Cup run - scoring nine in four games - but need a few more goals in the league, having struck just once in their last four Premiership matches. And that is where Belgium international Mpenza, snapped up following a spell in Qatar with Al Rayyan, can give the Blues a boost.

Pearce said: "In probably five days away on a trip like this, he will have got to know his team-mates as well as he would have done in a month by staying at home.

"They have been living in each other's pockets day in, day out, and he's settling in pretty well. We're just hoping he will give us a lift and do himself a favour."

Fellow strikers Dickov and Vassell also joined the Dubai trip in their bid to regain full fitness ahead of the Blues' crucial Premiership clash with Wigan at Eastlands on Saturday.

Vassell missed the FA Cup fifth-round victory at Preston eight days ago with a hamstring injury, while Dickov is pushing for a return after seven weeks out with a broken toe.

The Blues have missed Vassell's ability to hold the ball up, but the manager is cautious about rushing him back.

Pearce said: "We took some of the injured players with us, such as Dicky and Darius, and kept them involved as part of the squad as well as we possibly could.

"Paul's back in training, and with Vass, I think it has worked well not having a game last Saturday. I know myself that when you are out and there isn't a game on the Saturday, you just think: `Thank goodness for that; I've not missed one this weekend'.

Progressing

"We'll see how he gets on. He's progressing really well, but we'll have to take care, because hamstrings are very unforgiving."

The decision to go away mid-season was new territory for City, but Pearce felt it was the best way to take advantage of a free fortnight created by the postponement of Premiership matches against Chelsea and Arsenal.

"We've not done this before; certainly not over the last five or six years since I've been at the club," Pearce said. "I think it's vital that the players get a fresh environment. The main reason for going was to give the players a litle bit of a lift going into the last third of the season.

"They've been brilliant, training has been of a good standard and they've had a bit of down time on their own, where they've played golf or gone shopping."

CITY'S Premiership home match against Chelsea will now take place on Wednesday, March 14 (8pm).

No new date has yet been confirmed for the trip to Arsenal which was called off because the Gunners are in an FA Cup fifth-round replay at Blackburn on Wednesday.

What do you think? Have your say.

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Stav, Exiled Chorlton Blue (26/02/2007 at 11:27)

Thought he was goin to Barnsley.....PLEASE!!!!! Sorry for the delay of sarcasm ,only just got my computer running again.

DunstableBlue, a long way from there... (26/02/2007 at 11:45)

They'd better hit the ground running against Wigan, get early goals and then the defence had better get it's early season composure back again, otherwise it will a long hard struggle for the rest of the saeson.

Shaun, My desk (26/02/2007 at 11:55)

All four of our "strikers" have shown(albeit with very poor service) that they are not up to scoring regularly enough in the Premiership. Transfer windows have come and gone,so now we're left relying on a once good Euro journeyman who maybe injury prone,who has played very little top flight football. The fact that there are three teams playing worse than City will probably save us from the Championship. One thing's for sure it won't be anything SP and the board have done.

Pravda, Back at work (26/02/2007 at 12:04)

Brace yourselves for an avalanche of cliches before the weekend. Including them favourites 'they've put in a shift' and featuring 'they've stuck their chests out and realised,as a collective,they can do better' not to mention our old favourite 'we've not been cute enough'
Anyone taking bets on what day he starts 'bigging up' Wigan?

Johnny Hey, HeyLand (26/02/2007 at 12:11)

SHAUN!! Your comments are old and heard before. Cant you come up with anything better than that.

Corradi are playing better and better. Vas has been ok and Mpenza can only surprise!!! No point in only pointing out what we dont have!! Try to come up with some answers instead!!

Edski Vega, Notts (26/02/2007 at 12:16)

The thing with these breaks/holidays whatever you want to call them is that we always come back for them, talk the talk, have high hopes and then proceed to lose the next 3 games in a row...

Mike, Sale (26/02/2007 at 12:26)

Beat Wigan and we can start to look up again, dont win and we could be looking over oour shoulders. Charlton have Watford away on Saturday - if Watford win then I reckon the bottom 3 is decided but if Charlton win and we dont we are in a relegation scrap.

Amber, Manchester (26/02/2007 at 12:49)

I could do with a lift before going into the last third of the season and a little down time would be great, anyone fancy Dubai, i could do with improving my handicap & that shopping sounds lovely.

DJ, Chorlton (26/02/2007 at 12:52)

Pravda, besides those comments this week we will get the inevitable "upping" the opposition: Heskey still a handful, just needs a few goals to get his confidence up. Filan a solid goalkeeper. McCulloch great at ghosting in the box. Looking forward to watching Agahowa set the premiership alight. Baines the best young full back inthe country....

Some Might Say, Manchester (26/02/2007 at 12:56)

Let the goals flow is someone taking the Michael.

ted knott, droylsden (26/02/2007 at 13:03)

Its fair to say Kevin Keegan recieved a lot of unjustified criticism off the City fans especially in view of SPs record so far as our manager where a lot of people wont have a wrong word said about him,eventually SP may learn from his error riddled reign as our manager but if we did fall through the relegation trap door the consequences would be catastrophic the proposed take over would for a start fall through and with the likelyhood of the Premiership being cut to 18 clubs getting back would be alot harder and in affect the small club threat would be a reality.This Mpenza fellow was orinally KKs target around Xmas 2004 and I suspect SP affectively picked his brains after finding out Mpenza was available.I'm not sure why the deal fell through for KK whether the player wanted to come to Eastlands or not or perhaps the wages City wereoffering didn't match his figure however it could be City are his 2nd or 3rd choice but I suppose we'll never know.In essence I doubt very much SPs ability in dealing with purchasing new recruits he doesn't appear to have much pulling power as KK certainly hadI know some fans will say his signings were poor well some of them was but Benarbia,Anelka,and David James were quality players something we are short of today apart from Richards,Ireland,Barton and Dunne but these players were already here when Pearce got the managers job.Without going into details his signings have been awful.The Wigan game is now a must win game especially after Charltons performance against fellow strugglers West Ham and it certainly looks a 6 pointer one we MUST win anything less and I'm afraid the dog fight is on for our survival 10 more points and I think we will stay up.

Rix76, Notaclappynoramoaner (26/02/2007 at 13:09)

Mike, Sale, you forgot that if City reach the semis, there will only be three opponents left.

Phil, Sheffield (26/02/2007 at 15:56)

Pravda, SP platitudes about Wigan on Thursday at his daily press conference. The usual 'they're a good, hardworking side' who should be higher nonsense. He'll be trying to 'manage our expectations' to think that a draw will be a good result (emphasis on the word 'trying').
They don't teach 'spin' very well on those FA coaching courses do they?

Harry Skinters, Mid-Atlantic (26/02/2007 at 16:30)

''goals flow''

NURSE! NURSE!

bob, bradford (26/02/2007 at 17:43)

today is sad day for the blues frankie bunn as followed tim flowers to coventry.frank is an outstanding coach and a very important part of the youth and reserve set up and in my opinion is almost impossible to replace.its a shame we cant hold on to this calibre of coach
because he knows who is for the futrure and who isnt and the only thing keeping us a float is our youth

John G, chester (26/02/2007 at 19:25)

Ted Knott, you're spot on!
Anyway, Mpenza will hardly get his chance, coz we have the brilliant Corradi who SP will play until he loses both feet. When he keeps playing week in week out after what he has shown, I can't believe SP is still in this business...

www.nocomprendo.es

John G, chester (26/02/2007 at 19:26)

Nefyn blue, Stockport (26/02/2007 at 19:48)

Ted Knott how can you compare the KK reign with that of SP ? It is plain silly to suggest that both managers can be judged alike. KK dominated the board like no other manager at this club. This power culminated in the resignation of the best Chairman that this club has had, in my living memory. Such was his charisma, he persuaded the now weak and subservient board into signing a host of overpaid ageing never has beens !. That was plan A BUT no plan B. It was all or nothing tactics that have resulted in nowt !. When SP was given the job he was the only candidate suitable because no proven manager would have come into such a financial abyss and legacy of the KK reign. SP has been financially strapped of cash by this board unwilling to spend because they wanted, and still want to sell this club on. SP has been well and truly given a poisioned chalice, so much so he will be gone come the seasons end. Faced with the truth that no half decent player would come to City (of course their agents are in the know), do not be suprised that SPs buys have not set the world alight. The only players that will come to this club are old timers looking for a final payday (ie Dickov, Hamman), players without clubs ie Mpzenze and young and unproven players such as Sammaras. It is quite frankly ridiculous to suggest that KK was better than SP given the lack of a level playing field.

Stuart Pearce, Eastlands (26/02/2007 at 23:28)

I've demanded that we don't play another game this season in the hope that we will climb up the table!

European Dreamer, Wembley (It's one step nearer) (27/02/2007 at 02:00)

Nefyn Blue - I agree and disagree in equal measure with your post. Firstly may I point out that the "greatest chairman" was at the helm until Mar 03. City posted a record Â£15M loss for the year May 03 and we were Â£50M in debt which is only Â£11M less than it stood at in May 06. It is true to say that we are now paying for Keegans reign but who was to blame, Wardle, Bernstein?? Probably all of them but Mr Bernstein was the Chairman at the time. You cannot disagree that SP has also bought poorly, no matter how much he has had to spend. The reality is that JW and DM have kept us afloat with Directors loans and they now want out. Whether they get all of the money back only time will tell.

Tom Haigh (28/02/2007 at 10:27)

John G, Chester. If Corradi loses both feet lets hope Pearce does continue to play him. He may lead us on a good run of games without defeat.

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