January Make or Break

Uncompromising teams on the horizon alert.


Not only could January's transfer window have an impact upon our season, this month's fixtures themselves will challenge our squad to the limit.


Putting aside the reality of the opportunity to progress in the FA Cup that Sheffield Wednesday at home provides and the postponement of our upcoming er, 'double' over the resurgent Arsenal, Bolton away and Blackburn at home will be stern tests.


We owe both these sides having failed absymally to compete with them in 2006, shipping 6 goals in the process. I'd like to see City get stuck into Bolton from the first whistle on Saturday. The likes of Samaras must put themselves about and let the Bolton defence know that they are in a game. Right through the team we need to be sharp and give no quarter.


We're unbeaten in four contests now and have ditched the away curse. There is no reason why we cannot get a result at the Reebok. Fail to get in amongst them though, and a lot of recent hard work in a league which holds no margin for error with little to choose between many teams will have been undone.


Tuesday's France Football magazine (La Bible du Football) continued to speculate on the transfer window. You don't need to be a Neville-Chuckle Brother to read between the lines and see the influence of agents floating their clients names as being available masquerading as news. That said, ideally we need to bolster our squad with proven experience as well as look to the lower league potential we've discussed. For these reasons, and bearing in mind the realities of the 'there's no money, we need bargains' mantra coming out of the club, I'd consider a move for the likes of Vikash Dhorasoo, a free agent after his fall out with PSG. Uncertainty still surrounds where he'll end up and the creative midifielder, if a little lightweight, could be a useful addition; but we are talking short term measures here. On another angle, one for the future has to be Brazilian berserker Vagner Love at CSKA Moscow.


Boy, does he know where the onion bag is. If there is money available I'd go for the quicksilver striker now.


Witer: Johnny Baguette

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