Premier League Preview: Manchester City

Last Season: 1st

Pre-Season Prediction: 2nd - A focus on finally nailing down a good European display coupled with a slow start will see City lose the title to Chelsea.

Manuel 'the Engineer' Pellegrini arrived at the Etihad Stadium last summer with one aim. To fix Manchester City. Following the departure of Roberto Mancini and a disappointing league campaign Manchester City were in a state of disarray. Pellegrini however took the reins and ultimately masterminded City to the top of the pack, earning them their second Premier League title in two seasons, as well as a League Cup trophy to go with it. They scored a bucket-load of goals with Negredo, Dzeko, Aguero and Toure all scoring over 20 in all competitions but another early European exit cast a shadow on an otherwise memorable season.

City's summer business is an interesting one to assess because of the £49 million cap placed on signings after their run in with the Financial Fair Play system last season. Bacary Sagna is a particularly good signing as a second-choice right back behind Zabaleta and Willy Caballero should provide better competition to Joe Hart than Pantilimon did. Fernando is a new addition to the centre of the park although got completely overrun by Arsenal in the Community Shield. The major signing is Eliaquim Mangala who should finally provide a competent partner for Vincent Kompany at the heart of defence, a problem City have had for a number of years.

One of the major stories of the summer has been the loan signing of Frank Lampard from New York City. How much this is a signing to actually improve the squad is questionable considering the veterans age of 36. The reality is that he has been brought in to tick boxes in the necessary home-growth player category for their FFP affected Champions League squad. City have a real dearth of home-grown players and this could come back to bit them, meaning players will miss European football, potentially (but by no means definitely) creating some squad disharmony and tension. It is worth acknowledging though, that Manchester City probably have the most complete squad in Europe, let alone just in England.

That said, pre-season has been heavily disrupted by the back-log of the World Cup. Major players such as Kompany, Aguero and Zabaleta have all been missing for the majority of the summer and face a race against time to get fit for the opening day clash at Newcastle after all missing out on the Community Shield. Their 3-0 defeat to Arsenal will have been a knock on confidence to a team that is yet to really click into gear in their preparation. The Gunners completely overran a really lacklustre City side and much work still needs to be done if City are to retain their Champions status.

City are in for a rocky start. Unlike Arsenal and Liverpool there just doesn't seem to be a full squad unity. The whole Toure birthday busy-up is still fresh in the memory and it seems as though pre-season has been very lurchy, with little consistancy. What you can guarantee though, is that by Christmas City will be absolutely flying. They have a squad with incredible depth and will be in and around the top of the League all season. They've proved they can win the league though, and this season will need to be the time they make their mark on the European scene. For that reason alone, I can see them losing the title to Chelsea.

Key Man: Yaya Toure - My head told me Vincent Kompany but something just tells me that the happiness of Yaya Toure could play a huge part in how City's season shapes up. As a central midfielder, the Ivory Coast international netter 20 goals in 35 games in the League, an astonishing feat. He is a key component of the spine of the team and if he becomes unhappy again then do not be surprised if the squad goes through a turbulent phase. Hopefully this won't happen but you never know in football. It's amazing how far a birthday cake can get you.

One to Watch: Stevan Jovetic - The man from Montenegro was unfortunate in his first season at City as a spat of injuries sent him tumbling down the pecking order and with just five starts for the the Citizens he will be hoping this season will be more fruitful. Now back to full fitness and scoring for fun in pre-season, Jovetic is desperate to make his mark on the team. With Negredo out for a couple of months he may get his chance to impress, especially with Aguero not yet at full fitness either. That is all, of course, if he doesn't get shipped off to Roma before the end of the transfer window.

Best Summer Signing: Eliaquim Mangala - I must confess to never having actually seen Mangala play so I will reserve full judgement until I see him but the media seem to be pointing towards an extremely assured and competent centre-back. That said, if his former club is anything to go by we are in for another treat. Porto have recently sold James Rodriguez, Hulk, and Falcao to other clubs so are no strangers to producing some absolute gems. The question will be if Mangala can make the step up and become another on of Porto's star sales.

Sports Ladder (13th - 19th May)

UP - Arsenal - It was hard to avoid the disappointment on twitter. No more 'no trophies in nine years' jokes as Arsenal lifted the FA Cup this weekend. But whilst a significant portion of footballs more neutral fan base were disappointed, it was jubilation for Arsene's gunners, who recovered from an early slip-up to eventually beat Hull City 3-2 after extra-time. It was by no means a routine win but was certainly long over due. It's been over two days since Arsenal last won a trophy, how will their fans be coping?

UP - Rebecca Downie - It's become customary to see gymnastics success for Britain in recent years. Be it through the sterling efforts of Beth Tweddle or Louis Smith, medals have come in plenty and this week a new star arrived. Twenty-two year old Rebecca Downie this week claimed a gold medal in the uneven bars to go with her silver medal as part of the British team event. Downie is only the second after Tweddle to win a gold at a European Championships.

UP - Sir Bradley Wiggins - With the Tour de France rapidly approaching and Team Sky yet to announce who will be their leader the next few weeks will be extremely interesting. Sir Bradley Wiggins laid down his marker this week with a victory in the Tour of California. As well as becoming the first ever Brit to scoop up that particular title, Wiggins has also pushed for a place amongst the top of the Sky Team. Could be an almighty tussle between himself and Froome.

UP - Hannah Cockroft - From one speed demon to another as Hannah Cockroft climbs higher up the sporting ladder. The 21-year-old beat her own 200m T34 time with a new World Record of 30.86 to dip inside 31 seconds for the first time after taking 0.37 seconds off her last record. After success in Switzerland Hannah will now turn her attention towards August and this years European Championships as she seeks to win another gold medal. This weeks wheelie big cheese. I regret nothing.

UP - Ibrahim Hamato - If I said to you that it is possible to play a decent standard of table-tennis without any arms you would probably think I was bonkers. Ibrahim Hamato however has decided to smash this idea by playing with the paddle in his mouth! After an accident as a child resulting in a double arm amputation, Hamato has bounced back in quite incredible fashion. After years of training he can now hold a solid rally with some of the World's very best. Someone please give this man a medal!

DOWN - Plane Banners - This season has seen a lot of ups and downs in the Premier League but something which needs to go on holiday and never come back over the summer break is the introduction of plane banners. Manchester United fans are the prime culprits and this week, even after the season was over, decided to send one mocking Liverpool for losing the title. Realistically, I don't think after this season Manchester Untied fans are really in a position to mock anyone.

DOWN - Daniel Levy - I believe that Daniel Levy's ninth managerial sacking since taking charge should finally see blame directly firmly in his direction for Tottenham's shortcomings. There can be no doubt that he is a superb businessman but as Clive Allen said this week, Levy is "not a football man". This week saw Levy dismiss yet another manager in the form of Tim Sherwood and Tottenham's chairman will now be looking for another man who won't be in the job for more than two years. Change is needed.

DOWN - Stephen Lee - Sometimes the best thing is to just accept your punishment and move on. Stephen Lee didn't agree with this sentiment and this week his appeal against his twelve year professional snooker ban was turned down. This means Stephen will remain out of action until 2024 and his costs have also increased from £40,000 to £75,000 as a result of the failed appeal. Well the lesson we've all learnt from this is if you do happen to be a professional snooker player, just don't fix matches.

DOWN - Manchester City - It didn't last long did it. Just a few days after the blue half of Manchester claimed their second Premier League title it all went a bit wrong. Firstly, the Financial Fair Play committee confirmed that they will indeed suffer a $49 million fine for breaching rules as well as a reduction in the size of their Champions League squad next year. Then it emerged that they may struggle to reach their home grown player quota for next year. Louis Van Gaal must be licking his lips.

DOWN - Sepp Blatter - Qatar is in fact hot. That is the stunning revelation from Sepp Blatter this week as he finally admitted that hosting the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is in fact a terrible idea. Surprising that. Although what is perhaps more surprising is that it has taken him this long to figure that out. What this means for the World Cup we are yet to find out, although it is very likely it will still go ahead. More importantly though, is the issue of Sepp Blatter. How can we get him to just go away?

Sports Ladder (6th - 12th May)

UP - Manchester City - Well I suppose through gritted teeth I should probably congratulate Manchester City on their second Premier League title. Okay, so clearly I didn't want them to win but they did, and in some style it has to be said. Pellegrini has turned out to be a marvelous appointment, playing fast, attractive football but perhaps more importantly settling down a chaotic dressing room from the start of the season. With investment likely over the summer they will obviously be back in the hunt again next year.

UP - Michael Sam - It shouldn't have to be a story but alas it is one, and due to the nature of it's importance one I shall cover. Michael Sam this week became the first openly homosexual player to be successfully drafted into the NFL (American Football for those of you that don't follow StarSpangledHammer). He was the 249th pick of this years draft and will join up with the St. Louis Rams for this season, also becoming the first homosexual player to play a game should he start.

UP - Martin Kaymer - Well after looking like a really dangerous player a few years ago, German golfer Martin Kaymer has somewhat faded into the rough. This week, however he came back into the limelight with his first PGA Tour victory in four years with a one shot victory in tough conditions at the Players Championship. Kaymer will now be pushing on to try and secure a Ryder Cup spot. Also rising up the ladder is sports photography. I mean what a photo!

UP - Rebekah Tiler - What were you doing when you were 15? Well, whatever it was I bet it wasn't the same as Miss Tiler. This week Rebecca Tiler became the youngest ever winner of a British weightlifting title with her victory in the 69kg class. In fact, Tiler managed to lift a whopping 205kg which is not only nearly three times my weight, but also enough to have won her both the 75kg and 75+kg categories at the British championships. Certainly beats my 10kg dumbbells.

UP - Laura Trott - There is nothing in sport we love more than an absolute fighter. Now we know Laura Trott is a sensational athlete but this week really showcased her grit and determination. Okay, so she finished the Tour of Britain in 55th, but after a huge fall on the third stage the Olympic star did well just to pull herself back onto the bike. Clearly in agony not only did she finish the stage but she then repeated the feat the next day to finish the race. Now that, is true British fighting spirit.

DOWN - Ronnie O'Sullivan - Ronnie O'Sullivan really did have a stinker of a weekend. Despite feeling in the form of his life, the master managed to squander a 10-5 lead to lose the World Championship to Mark Selby 18-14 in an enthralling final. However, Ronnie was then involved in a car accident whilst travelling home from his final loss on the M1. Luckily both himself and his son, who was also in the car were absolutely fine, but it will be a week to forget for the former champion.

DOWN - Liverpool - You don't win anything by squandering a three goal advantage in football. Liverpool found that out the brutal way this week as they tossed aside a three goal lead against Crystal Palace to draw 3-3 and throw away any chance they had of really applying pressure to Manchester City. Ultimately it wouldn't have mattered as City would have won on goal difference but that result epitomised Liverpool in recent weeks. Threw the bottle in right at the end.

DOWN - Atletico Madrid - Atletico have had a simply sublime season, there can be no doubting that. Front runners heading into the final day of the Liga BBVA title race and into a Champions League final for the first time since 1997, also setting up the first final between two sides from the same city ever. But, their's team performances were let down this week by racist actions from their fans. They were heard directing monkey chants at Papakouly Diop of Levante. Modern football should certainly have outgrown this behaviour by now and it's so disappointing to still see it in the higher echelons of the game. Kick racism out of football.

DOWN - Michael Jackson - It's amazing the influence a dead popstar can have on the sporting world isn't it? Well according to Mohammed Al Fayed, the old chairman of Fulham, the removal of the Michael Jackson statue outside of Craven Cottage was the main reason they got relegated. That seems like a pretty 'dangerous' suggestion considering how 'bad' Fulham were and how (smooth) criminal their defending was throughout most of the season. Don't worry, I'll beat it after those terrible puns.

DOWN - Andy Murray - Right after I cover another disappointing week for the British tennis number one. So who did he lose to this time? Well this time it was the turn of the Colombian Santiago Giraldo to take a major scalp as he convincingly beat the Brit in two sets in the Madrid third round. Murray is rapidly running out of time to find form ahead of, first the French Open and then his Wimbledon defence. He needs to get a coach in and sharpish because he seems to be lacking direction at present.

Hart Ache: How Manchester City's Golden Boy Lost his Sparkle.

Over the last few years Joe Hart has been head and shoulders (pun  intended) over the competition both for club and country. However today he finds himself having missed three consecutive match for Manchester City and his England position under question. An evident decline in form has left the goalkeeper feeling somewhat isolated in recent weeks but I want to question how he has got to this stage, both mentally and physically and where he goes from here.

Mentally

Joe Hart truly emerged on the scene during his loan spell at Birmingham, getting placed in the PFA Team of the Season before breaking through into the Manchester City first team. In the 2010-2011 season he was, perhaps controversially, picked ahead of Shay Given, although the gamble paid off as Hart went on to collect the Player of the Season award whilst Given moved to Aston Villa in search of first team football. In the same season he also broke into the international team. After the retirement of David James a battle for the number one jersey broke out, with Hart emerging victorious. Since then his position in the England team has never been questioned. Until now.

So why this change? The simple answer lies in the lack of competition. Since that season, three years ago, he has never been challenged and therefore has slipped into the mindset that he is untouchable. Sadly this is not the case. No one has a permanent place on a football pitch, and this fact is heavily emphasised by the Iker Casillas saga at Real Madrid. Last season he played under twenty league games for the first time in his senior career and Joe Hart should be vary wary of a similar issue at City if he does not eradicate his current mindset. The shattering of this subconscious feeling of being untouchable will have been a kick-in-the-teeth for Hart, and mentally he needs to eradicate this thought quickly, and realise that to maintain his spot a constant high level of concentration and determination is required.

In blooding Pantilimon, Pellegrini is doing the right thing for Hart. His complacency has led to a decline is his concentration levels during games for both club and country and this has led to a catalogue of errors over the last year or so. With the international friendlies fast approaching, it is vital that Hodgson does the same, giving Fraser Forster and John Ruddy a chance in goal, as if it comes around to the World Cup and Hart is still in this unreliable form, another keeper will be required. However, hopefully by that point, Hart will have adapted to the situation and will regain his composure through competition with Pantilimon,

Physically

On paper, Joe Hart has been the best goalkeeper in the Premier League over the last three years, epitomised by his back-to-back Golden Glove award for most clean sheets. However, it is worth acknowledging that Manchester City have conceded the fewest goals in each of the last three seasons so a lot of credit for this has to go to the defence as well as the goalkeeper.

By studying the statistics, it is all too obvious that Joe Hart is a player in declining form. This season alone he has made 3 errors leading to goals off the back of 6 errors last year. Compare this with the 1 error over the three seasons before last and you see an issue. The other main issue in studying his decline is a huge decrease in his save percentage. In both the 2010-11 campaign and the 2011-12 campaign his save percentage was 77%, however last year this tumbled to 69%, dropping him out of the top ten keepers in terms of save percentage for the first time in his career. This season the decline has continued, currently lying at a lowly 63%. This is perhaps a reflection of the lapse in concentration as a result of mental complacency mentioned earlier. The most surprising statistic of all is that Hart claimed only 87% of aerial balls last season. This does not sound particularly poor until you compare it with David de Gea, a keeper who was constantly hounded in the press for his lack of physical presence and general weakness in the air, who claimed 88%. Make of that what you will.

It is also worth comparing Hart to the other three keepers that played every minute of every game for their team last season, Asmir Begovic, Jussi Jaaskelainen and Simon Mignolet to see how they faired in comparison. In terms of clean sheets Hart was way out in front on 18 whilst Begovic has 12 and the other two had 11, however this can be attributed largely to the defence rather than the goalkeeper. A more interesting statistic is that Hart runs out with the lowest save percentage at 69%. Begovic has 70% with Mignolet on 72% and Jaaskelainen on 76%. It is worth noting that Hart would have had the highest percentage if his statistics from any other season were used. This would also have been the case in regards to errors leading to goals but instead, Hart once again finished bottom with 6. Begovic and Jaaskelainen both made 5 whilst Mignolet made only 2. The purpose of these comparisons is to emphasise that Manchester City's strong defensive record has successfully hidden Hart's decline and it is only in deeper study that you realise the extend of his decline over the last year.

So What Next?

For me, Hart needs to get himself out of the spotlight. He has received plenty of scrutiny and negative press in the last few months and needs to stay out of the public eye for a while. Giving Pantilimon a run in goal and experimenting with keepers internationally should help take the attention away from Hart allowing him to regain focus. By keeping his head down and working hard in training he will regain both a physical and mental sharpness so that when he does get back into the starting eleven he will have less issues remaining there.

The reality is that, on his day Joe Hart is arguably the best goalkeeper in the Premier League, but it hasn't been his day for a while. This will all be a learning curve for him and will only benefit him in the long term. When he returns we will see a more mature goalkeeper, one who has gained experience from his errors and one than can potentially go down as a footballing legend but in order for him to do this he has to grit his teeth and come back fighting.

Sports Ladder (16th-22nd September)

UP - Sir Bradley Wiggins - Sir Bradley Wiggins fell a bit under the radar this year. Forced to pull of of the Giro d'Italia half-way through and with Chris Froome's victory in the Tour de France, Wiggins became a largely forgotten man. But he returned with a bang this week on our own shores, winning the Tour of Britain in style to send a warning to Froome.

UP - Manchester City - After a sketchy start to Pellegrini's reign he ignited City's title challenge, orchestrating a 4-1 victory over local rivals Manchester United. After a disappointing start this was exactly the sort of victory that the Sky Blues needed and the return of Vincent Kompany was clearly a huge boost. Is the Blue Moon rising once again?

UP - Henrik Stenson - Awkward one here as Henrik Stenson has not yet one the Tour Championship but his imperious form in recent months and lead from day one suggests that he probably will. Victory here will win him the Fed-Ex Cup and grant him an astonishing $10 million bonus. Not a bad prize fund for this years in-form golfer.

UP - Aaron Cook - It's been a rocky couple of years for poor Aaron Cook; Overlooked for the GB taekwondo team despite being World number one and a disappointing showing at the World Championships in July highlighted his rough patch. But Cook has brushed himself down and, this week, walked away with Gold in the Pan-America Open.

UP - Sebastiaan Bowier - Bowier pedaled himself into the record books this week when he broke the World Human Powered Speed record in Nevada. The Flying Dutchman recorded a speed of 133.78 kilometres an hour to claim the record by only 0.6 k/h. A pretty super-human effort from Bowier.

DOWN - Barcelona - Even the great Barcelona can have a bad day at the office, even if it does include a 4-0 victory. What was incredible about this victory was that for the first time in 317 matches that they did not win the battle for possession, having only 45% during the match. This was the first time they haven't had over 50% possession since the days of Riikjaard in 2008. Amateurs.

DOWN - Mark Webber - Poor Mark Webber really doesn't get much luck does he. Webber has been handed a 10 place grid penalty for hitching a lift with his good friend Fernando Alonso after his car broke down on the final lap. Sadly though it is illegal to go onto the race track out of a car so he was handed the penalty. Seems harsh as it was a long walk back otherwise.

DOWN - Kohei Jinno - How unlucky can you get? As Japan prepares for its second Olympics, Kohei Jinno prepares for his second Olympic eviction. Not only was Jinno unlucky enough to get evicted from his home during the 1964 Olympics, the same has happened again as he is told he has to leave in preparation for the 2020 Olympics. Something is telling me you should leave Tokyo Kohei.

DOWN - Mamadou Sakho - What is the best way to make a good impression at a new job? Probably not to break the equipment in your first few weeks. That doesn't bother Mamadou Sakho, the huge defender proving too strong for the gym equipment, ultimately breaking a machine during one of his strength tests. Nothing like laying down a marker for your teammates.

DOWN - David Haye - Boxers are known for their brutal strength and masculinity. David Haye challenged that stereotype this week by pulling out of his organised fight with Tyson Fury because of a cut on his eyebrow. Perhaps Haye should keep to verbal sparring as this is the second fight in a row he has been forced to abandon due to an injury.

Premier League Preview: Manchester City

Despite finishing 2nd in the League, Sheikh Mansour decided that was not good enough and duly fired Roberto Mancini. Perhaps this was understandable. The year before City had won the title. Since then they had made poor signings in the transfer market, lost the FA Cup final to Wigan, and finished 4th in their Champions League group. Time then for 'the Engineer', Manuel Pellegrini to enter the picture, and hopefully 'fix' Manchester City.

Their summer spending has certainly reflected the need for improvement. Last year City conceded the least amount of goals but lost out on the title because Manchester United signed Robin Van Persie, boosting their offensive ability. City's spending has attempted to counter this, bringing in two strikers in Alvaro Negredo and Stevan Jovetic as well as pacey winger Jesus Navas. Lastly, they splashed the cash on a midfield partner for Yaya Toure by signing Fernandinho. With City also shifting five players from the squad including Roque Santa Cruz (Yes, he was still at the club unbelievably), and more seemingly on their way out, they have an extremely strong squad heading into the season.

The target for City this season will undoubtedly be to regain their Premier League title but that will not be made easy by Manchester United and Chelsea who will push City to the end. Their pre-season has been far from convincing with more losses than wins but the form of Edin Dzeko will be a huge positive. A trophy is a must for Pellegrini and the City board will also want a much stronger performance in Europe after two largely disappointing seasons.

Key Man: Vincent Kompany - Kompany missed large portions of last season with a recurring injury but is still the most vital man in the City team. The linchpin in the heart of defence, Kompany, along with  Joe Hart and Yaya Toure form the unbelievably strong core of the City team. Arguably the best defender in the league, Kompany will be hugely important in City's push for the title.

One to Watch: Fernandinho - Initially I wanted to place Jack Rodwell as the one to watch, but as the summer went on I feel as though Fernandinho has become the forgotten signing at City. Despite coming from the Ukrainian League, Fernandinho is a strong signing in the midfield. A pacey player who operates as a box-to-box midfielder, Fernandinho could form a formidable relationship with Yaya Toure and is an excellent addition to the Premier League.

Best Summer Signing: Alvaro Negredo - A clinical striker with 25 goals in La Liga last season, Negredo is a strong signing for City and a symbol of marked intent for their title push. Along with Dzeko, Jovetic and Aguero, City have a hugely impressive bunch of strikers, but I feel Negredo will emerge as first choice.

Last Season: 2nd

Pre-Season Prediction: 2nd - Once again City will fall just short but to Chelsea, not to their Manchester rivals.