Now The Chief Disappoints

Another day, another City player in the news with an interview. This time, on loan Nedum Onuoha goes to the North East's Sunday Sun to talk Roberto Mancini...

23 year old Onuoha is well known around town as a big pal of the possessions flaunting Aston Villa midfielder Stephen Ireland. In truth his comments go nowhere near those of the bitter anti-City tirade Ireland launched before he'd kicked a ball competitively at Villa.

But many City fans will groan audibly at the fact that Nedum, a well educated self confessed City fan has given more copy to hacks desperate for City to fail in our ambitions this season.

That he's chosen to follow Ireland and Craig Bellamy's route of talking about themselves rather than the club they are contracted to play for's aspirations is disappointing enough. But it's the fact that he has chosen to bandwaggon their suggestions that Roberto Mancini doesn't talk to all his players that will have many across Planet Blue shaking their heads today. Quite what he expects to gain from it is anybody's guess:

'I'm in the same boat as Craig Bellamy - he (Mancini) doesn't tend to speak to certain people...some people he speaks to, others he doesn't. That's nothing against the manager, it's just the way he is.'

But it will easily be interpretated as something against the manager won't it Chief?

Once again, we have what has become effectively another City fringe player attempting (inexplicably in Ned's case) to reveal what goes on behind closed doors.

Inexplicably, because with comments like that he's playing with fire. The talented MCFC Academy graduate still has the option of a big future ahead of him at City despite repeated injuries that saw him constantly fall back down the pecking order.

Yet Mancio has so far shown this summer that he is intent upon dealing with any open discontent from contracted players by ensuring they are shown the door. A policy backed up by City's powerful Football Administrator Brian Marwood in Monaco last week.

Let alone in any business, at any football club, in any country anywhere are there bosses who spend their days talking intently to every single player?

Ned's comments smack to a degree of naiivety but also a touch of bitterness because he must know that the anti-City hacks will drool over his statements in their efforts to destabilise a City juggernaut that has been gathering pace.

As for the rest of Ned's interview there's little else of note to report save to say that he now feels wanted etc but there's no talk of what he hopes he can achieve with Sunderland this season.

Onuoha will not face City today with Sunderland due to Premier League loan rules.

File under The Headshaker Ritual.

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