The combative, all-action Aussie played 90 minutes for the reserves in last night's 0-0 draw against Leeds, pressing his claims for a return to duty before the Premiership season ends.
And the 30-year-old all-purpose midfielder - whose campaign had been written off - is hoping that a late surge might just extend a Manchester City career stretching back six seasons.
Tiatto has endured a roller-coaster spell with the Blues, racing away with Player of the Season honours in his first spell in the Premiership, but managing only 11 league and two cup starts in the last two seasons.
A catalogue of minor injuries and his own versatility have counted against him, but when he has been in the side City have generally played well, winning six and drawing one of the matches he has started.
His contract runs out at the end of this term, and the Australian international is philosophical about the chances of getting a new deal, plus his overall future in the English game.
"I think I have gone through the equivalent of about nine or 10 pre-seasons in the last two years," he shrugged. "It is has been very frustrating. That has been the hardest part.
"The last injury was just a small groin strain and prior to that I was fine. I was just trying to work my back into the team and waiting in the wings to get my chance.
Problems
"As soon as I felt the groin go in a reserve game I panicked a little bit. I didn't want to have problems, in that I am coming to the end of my contract and I didn't want another stint out.
"Basically I have missed nearly two years. Now I am just looking to get myself right and hopefully be involved in the last part of the season, to help the boys and help the club get away from the drop zone.
"It has been tough mentally. One minute you are getting the player of the year honours, with all the praise, and the next you are on the sidelines. But that is all part of being a footballer and you have to live with it.
"Others here have been through similar things, if not worse, Paulo Wanchope and Nick Weaver being just two of them.
"Looking at it positively, now I am over the injury problems then not playing so much for the past two years might extend my career - who knows? I am certainly keen to get back into things."
Tiatto has been given no indication by boss Kevin Keegan that he will be granted a new deal. But the player, who is equally at home in midfield or defence, has not given up hope of staying.
He added: "At the moment it doesn't look like there is much happening, and again that is part of football. Sometimes you have to move on and sometimes you stick around.
Playing
"I have been here six years and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. I am just looking to play the last part of the season and take it from there really. If I do well and get back in the side, we will sit down and have a chat. If not, it might be time to move on.
"At the moment I only have my mind on getting back playing. That's the best thing about being a footballer - getting on the pitch and enjoying yourself. If you are not playing it is hard to enjoy yourself.
"It is hard to say what is going to happen. The times I was fit earlier in the season I wasn't getting much of a chance, but you never know - things can turn around in a short space of time."
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No - He's a headless chicken !
110% all the time but 110% of rubbish is still rubbish . He'll make a good acquisition for someone in Div 1/2 eg Wigan .
Thanks Danny and Ta Ta
i am not a big fan of Tiatto but that doen't mean he can't do a useful job for us. If he can get back to fitness he can cover a number of positions and his 'nuisance' value on the pitch can always unsettle opponents. He could be just the sort of player for the relegation scrap we are in
A fully fit DT would be one of the first names on my teamsheet.
Danny Tiatto is the most underrated player in City's squad. This "headless chicken" reputation is based on about 4 or 5 individual occurances over 6 years. He's a far more accomplished player than most give him credit for and I for one would be sad to see him go and hope he gets a new contract.
danny tiatto has to be played left hand side of midfield. grit, determination, pace, aggression are all major parts of the game where we have let ourselves down this season. Midfield should be
S-WrightPhillips - Right
Barton - Centre
Sibierski - Playmaker
Tiatto - Left
Danny shows the kind of commitment required with every game he plays, if some of our current team played with half as much passion we would have cups in the cupboard.
Danny has proved in previous seasons that he loves this club and gives it his all, albeit I did watch him last night in the reserves against leeds, and his performance was a bit off to say the least, But then again hes not played a competative game for god knows how long.
Give the man a chance...
Tiatto is a hero. Give him a new contract. We need him close to the primadonnas.
Obviously nobody was at the Reserves last night. Awful new haircut Danny by the way. Ran a lot, did little, ran up many blind alleys, contributed a lot of huff and puff but not much else. Danny is now, sadly one from the past. He will not get back to the level necessary for Premiership football. Remember him from his good days, say thanks and a fond fairwell.
Danny has served us well and is a battler but at left back he gets caught out of position and as a midfielder he can't shoot or cross. So sorry Danny its thanks for your hard work but goodbye and good luck for me.
Players like Danny Tiatto are and hopefully will always be needed at City.His versitility,plus his will to win is much needed and one can only wonder where the Blues may have been had he had a clean bill of health during this season.
We need Danny back. Tiatto, like SWP and Joey always gives 200% every game, thats the attitude we need in the side. Get back Danny and fire us on to victory!
I am a big Tiatto fan and always will be for his pure 100% for the team which other players should copy.He never gives up and is like Paul Dickov in this respect.Although he has been very unlucky with injuries his attacking play has been sorely missed in recent months as he gets forward like an express train:sometimes without the ball (remember the game he stood on the ball and it flirted backwards about 20 yards?).
We will need him for the forthcoming battle to survive the Premiership.Gud on yer mate!!!
I'm sure that if Danny had of played regularly this season - fans would be calling for him to be dumped in the same way they are calling for Tarnats head during the summer clear out! He would have made as many mistakes and game deciding errors (own goals, missed placed passes etc) and we would still be in the same situation or worse! You are all hoping that he could be the spark that the club needs...instaed of facing the reality that he has become an injury liability! Sure he had his good days at Stoke in the 2nd Division and then joined us in the lower leagues and didnt look out of place but he is getting older and the injurys are effecting him more than ever. THe guy that said he would put Tiatto on the team sheet before anybody else obviously hasn't heard that we now have players called Anelka and David James. Maybe you should buy the latest copy of the City Fanzine, not the 2001 edition (thats if they sell it in the Welsh Valleys)
If Mr Fasoli is so quick to write off players after one match. I would hate to hear your opinion on Fowler and his scouse mate..........how many chances have they had. Give me Danny T anyday. We would not be in our current league position if he had been captain of our team from the start of this season.
When a player closes down another player, without winning the ball, he closes down the options for that player. That player has to make a less telling pass than he otherwise would've made. Unfortunately, if a high energy player goes around closing options for the opposition, without actually winning the ball, he may end up looking like a headless chicken. That doesn't mean he isn't a complete nuisance to the opposition.
When a player makes a run off the ball, somebody had better pick him up. If he is not very quick then whenever he is picked up he will rarely be passed the ball. He might then give the impression of running a lot to little effect. But in taking his marker away from the action, he has created space and options for other players.
An extra man in defence is useful even if he does nothing. He is in the way of shots, and as a result the shot isn't taken. An extra man in attack is useful even if he doesn't get the ball. He draws a defender and opens up space for other players. An extra man in midfield is useful even if he rarely gets the ball, for similar reasons, and even if he rarely makes a successful tackle, since he is still closing down options for the opposition.
A player who can run and run for the whole game, closing down options in the opposition's attack and opening holes in their defence and midfield will be a useful player, even if he doesn't score the glory goal, make the glory pass, the glory run or the glory tackle. Tiatto runs up the field, down the field, here and there. But unlike a headless chicken he tends to be located where the ball is, and in addition to being everywhere he puts in tackles and headers and makes telling runs from time to time. And spookily we win when he is in the side. Great player.
Stick to Tennis Mr Puma !
It's all very well running around a lot & being 200% commited but whats the point if it leads to nothing.
Carn't fault his commitment but the talent ain't there to back it up.
Sorry Danny, Premiership you ain't.
:-(
There's a lot in what you say Citizen Babbage, but you don't mention Danny's other assets - being mostly injured or suspended. I'm not sure on this one. He was brilliant for us two years ago in the prem (so a little strange to say he's not prem std) - since then he's been either injured or selected at LB, which is not his position. I think i would be in favour if he was offered another contract, but only if Weaver and Chop are released/ sold. Three sicknotes is too much.
Bob, I was, DT was dire, Team was Dire, Game was dire and it was bloody freezing.
the one thing you have to ask yourselves is can DT do a worse job than TS or even SMc on the left. i think you'll find the answer is no. ok danny isn't blessed with huge footballing talent like others in the squad but at least he uses what he's got and always gives 110%. if the likes of SMc showed as much pride and passion for the club as danny does then we would not be in the position we are in now.PS, i agree can someone take the picture of that rag down, is this suppose to show us what happens when you turn to the dark side...CTID
KK now is a very important time for you. Everyone knows about Danny's commitment for the shirt but he can also be a liability. However it is clear that the midfield does lack something. Is he better than Bosvelt? more commited than Macca? a better tackler than Reyna? more experianced than Joey? I don't think sinclair should even come in to it as we are not in a situation that he is the type of player for. So over to U KK.
I would give it 200% if I wore the blue shirt. However I'm sure everyone would agree no place in the side for me. DT has been committed to our great club, but like it or not we have moved on and so has the quality in the side. As for the comment by Andy th'Oldham, give me a break, your comment is nonsense.
I think Danny should be in our squad as we miss the way he can get the team motivated, and he is 100% committed to playing for his team and team mates. He might make the odd bad tackle, but isn't that what he is supposed to do in his position?
TAF, Sheffield. Quality in the side moved on? Anelka and SWP (at times) for sure, Fowler getting there, but would still rather have Goater and although James is prone to errors, he is at least better than Seaman. As for the rest.... Bosvelt is not as good as Horlock, Tarnat is no better than Jensen, Macmanaman no better than Huckerby on the left and Sinclair - well not worth commenting on is he?
As for Sun and Distin - average. Dunne - GARBAGE!