The Eastlands groundsman isn’t very impressed by Manu’s over-zealous knee slide celebration

The Citizens invite you to watch paint dry. Literally…

The Spoiler is a big fan of Manchester City’s smart new official site, and we certainly appreciate their attempts to embrace the world of online interactivity. They regularly update their official Twitter feed, but we can’t help but think they’re not making the best use of the ‘twitpic‘ feature.

Instead of candid training ground snaps or behind-the scenes photos from foreign pre-season tours, we get an exclusive peak at the new coat of paint on the concourses at Eastlands. Exciting stuff, non?

… And here’s the club’s new open plan offices, which are startlingly similar to most other open plan offices. 

Welsh striker suffers his 13th knee injury in six-and-a-half years

Mark Hughes has endured another blow in his difficult first season as Manchester City manager, with the news that Craig Bellamy is unlikely to play again in 2008/09.

The Welsh manager, who 55% of Spoiler readers believe should be replaced in the summer, spent £14 million on the 29-year-old striker, who started just 20 league games in 18 months at former club West Ham because of injuries.

Bellamy has scored twice in eight league games since signing but

Manchester City/Hamburg, UEFA Cup Qtr-final, 7.45pm, ITV4

Paddy Power and Bet365 are offering 3/1 on Manchester City overcoming their 3-1 deficit in tonight’s match with Hamburg, but the statistics suggest that they will have to perform out of their skins to do so. Our friends at chickendinner say:

» Hamburg have only won five of their 14 away league games and have drawn one and lost four of their five visits to fellow Bundesliga top six sides.

» Despite this, their European record is amazing. The German side have won all five of their UEFA Cup away games, scoring 12 and conceding just three. They have scored at least two in every game and kept three clean sheets.

The Citizens distance themselves from Messi/Maradona rumours

Earlier this week The Spoiler published a story from the Spanish press where Dr Sulaiman Al Fahim was quoted as saying that he wanted to work with Lionel Messi and thought Diego Maradona should be the president of a football club.

As Al Fahim was heavily involved in Manchester City’s takeover this was widely perceived as a suggestion that he wanted to see both men unite at Eastlands. However, the Citizens have moved quickly to distance themselves from the speculation, confirming in an official statement on their website that Al Fahim “holds no position at the Club”.

There was no confirmation of whether or not Al Fahim has any involvement with the owners on a consultancy basis. If he does then it seems strange that he would make comments so at odds with City’s party line. If not, then how does he intend to “work with Messi soon”?

Pretty little Dane picks the perfect moment to wear pink boots

Sorry Arsenal, the days of Patrick Vieira screaming in people’s faces and fighting all the way to victory are long gone. Now it’s all about captains who who whinge about their peers and forwards who wear pink boots.

As promised, Nicklas Bendtner was the prettiest thing at the Eastlands ball on Saturday, but his new pumps didn’t help him bag his second league goal of the season…

The bookmakers expect Mourinho to swap Milan for Eastlands

It looks like the folks at SkyBet agree with The Spoiler and its readers with the belief that Mark Hughes’ days are numbered after he received the managerial kiss of death earlier this week. They have opened a market on who Manchester City’s next manager will be and the list is loaded with big names. Here are the five leading contenders to take charge of the billionaires:

Jose Mourinho
It’s only five months since The Special One took charge of table-topping Inter Milan, yet he finds himself in the curious position of simultaneously being favourite to become the next manager of Manchester City and Manchester United. The former Chelsea boss became the first man ever to win the Premier League in his first season, but do City really want a manager who will turn their exciting young attacking talent into flair-free workhorses?

Frank Rijkaard
Two years ago, Rijkaard guided Barcelona to a La Liga/Champions League double, but his stock has plummeted since then and he was axed earlier this year after a run of just three wins in thirteen league games saw Barca finish utterly trophyless. The fact his inexperienced successor Josep Guardiola has instantly taken the Catalan club to the top spot while scoring seventeen goals in their last three home games makes you wonder where the Dutchman was going wrong.

Roberto Mancini
The Italian kindly ended Inter Milan’s seventeen year wait for the title by winning three in a row (the first of which was handed to them after Juventus’ enforced relegation and Milan’s points deduction) but his reward for such drastic over-achievement was the

Premier League, Sat, 5.30pm, Setanta Sports 1, Free £10 bet

There might not be a Sky Sport’s super-duper Grand Slam Sunday this season but this pretty enormous Saturday is probably the closest thing to it. In the morning, Liverpool face Manchester United and then, at half five, the two richest clubs in the Premier League - Robinho’s new club and the team Robinho actually wanted to join - go head-to-head. Here’s why chickendinner believe the original success buyers are going to come out on top:

1. Chelsea are the only team in the country that haven’t lost a league game in 2008.

2. The Blues have won their last four league away games and comfortably had the best away record in the league last season - winning thirteen of their nineteen games.

3. Manchester City have beaten Chelsea in just one of their previous eleven home games against them in the Premier League - although that win was the first loss of Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea career.