Reports claim there is a changing room divide at Manchester City

The Daily Mail claim that one of Manchester City’s four January signings is so frustrated with Robinho and Elano’s attitude that he has demanded that someone “sort them out”.

Considering three of those new arrivals are Wayne Bridge, Nigel de Jong and Shay Given, it seems fairly reasonable to assume that the loudmouth in question is Craig Bellamy, who despite a chronic lack of loyalty is renowned for his work-rate and dedication in training.

The mystery player is also reportedly angry that neither Brazilian has spoken to him since he joined the club. This scans with comments the Welsh striker made in December about being disappointed that vocal players Anton Ferdinand and Bobby Zamora had been replaced with silent foreigners like David Di Michele and Diego Tristan at West Ham.

Have underwhelming signings destabilised City’s huge plans?

Manchester City chief executive Garry Cook has huge plans for his club: he envisions a sky blue utopia, where folks all around the world will drive Manchester City cars to work after eating their delicious Manchester City morning cereals.

The plans for global domination, however, have taken a huge hit this week, as Kaka turned down the chance to align himself with the empire, and club linchpin Robinho has reportedly reportedly had enough of being the league’s best paid player.

When the fiesty Brazilian snubbed Chelsea at the eleventh hour on transfer deadline day, it was upon the understanding that Manchester City were to become the new Galacticos, attracting world class players, much like the one who belongs to Jesus. With his refusal to come to England and Robinho’s subsequent hissy fit, however, it seems Garry Cook is going to have to move mountains to stop his club becoming a worldwide laughing stock; a team with all the resources in the world, but no “pulling power” when it comes to bringing in top class talent.

Perhaps City’s lofty

With so much going on, it’s difficult not to contradict ones self

As you are well aware, it’s the transfer silly season, and the newspapers are all going to town to find the latest Premier League scoop. We don’t profess to be the Patron Saints of transfer prediction accuracy, but sometimes one can’t help but marvel at the ways they fill the column inches. Observe:

A headline from The Guardian, Dec 31: “Hughes says City will not pay inflated prices for players”

A headline from The Guardian, January 2: “City start spree with £10m Bridge deal”

Ok, so that contradiction isn’t really The Guardian’s fault, but here’s another one we spotted at The Daily Mail. This morning they ran with the headline:

Bridge goes so Chelsea boss Scolari moves for “Russian Ronaldinho”

That’s fine in it’s own right, but later they bumped that story down for the following:

Chelsea boss to target Fabiano using the cash from Bridge’s move to City

So, Chelsea are using the Wayne Bridge £10-12m transfer cash to buy the “Russian Ronaldinho”, and the £15m-rated Sevilla striker Luis Fabiano? They better be hoping for some hefty discounts.

(The Daily Mail’s contradiction might not have been so bad if they didn’t choose to run the two headlines next to each other)

Nine days remain until Mark Hughes starts his spending spree

With the transfer window drawing closer, the tabloids have desperately been searching for names that they haven’t already linked with Manchester City. But rather than rationing themselves to one rumour a day they have thrown all the new names into the mix at once as a special Christmas present to their loyal readers:

Kolo Toure to Manchester City
The Sun have declared Toure as Manchester City’s top £10 million January transfer target based on the fact “he seems to have been made the fall guy for his side’s stuttering season and is now behind William Gallas, Mikael Silvestre and Johan Djourou in the pecking order.” The Spoiler is baffled by this logic considering he has started more league games that Silvestre and Djourou this season and was arguably Arsenal’s best player against Wigan before picking up his latest injury.

The Spoiler Truth-o-meter: The only reason Wenger would let Toure go is if he has decided he is too injury prone and that seems unlikely.

Mark Hughes wants another four players
The Daily Mail claim that Hughes will spend £40 million next month on Marcos Senna, Wayne Bridge and his former Blackburn players Roque Santa Cruz and Craig Bellamy.

The Spoiler Truth-o-meter: Would that be good value for money?

Just two weeks remain before the transfer window is opened again

January 1 is looming large on the horizon and after the return of the Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid saga yesterday, the Roque Santa Cruz to Manchester City rumour got jealous and has now made a comeback in an attempt to steal back the spotlight. Here all The Spoiler’s favourite pieces of transfer guesswork from today’s papers:

Roque Santa Cruz to Manchester City
While some newspapers are reporting that Sam Allardyce only agreed to take the Blackburn job if he could keep the Paraguay striker, The Times go against the grain and say Big Sam wants to sell him for £20 million to raise transfer funds. They also claim that Manchester City’s highest bid in the summer was £14 million so why the logic in them offering an extra £6 million for someone who has scored less than Roman Bednar this season is flawed.

The Spoiler Truth-o-meter: If they sell, they probably won’t make as much money they could have in the summer

Gary O’Neil to Portsmouth

Eleven players who’ll probably all end up at Man City in January

With just 23 days left until the big day, footballers all over Europe are champing at the bit to leave their current employers behind, in search of lots more money fresh opportunities elsewhere. Here’s eleven stars who are likely to change clubs in early 2009, conveniently arranged into a football team in their own right…

Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus, linked to Manchester City)
Juve say they want to keep their star keeper but Buffon says they should cash in if they receive a ridiculous offer. Good news for Joe Hart’s England hopes then.

Wayne Bridge (Chelsea, linked to Manchester City)
Bridge is still behind Cashley Cole in the Chelsea pecking order and Mark Hughes wants to build a world class team. With this vision in mind, one would expect that left backs Michael Ball and Javier Garrido won’t be playing much longer.

Pascal Chimbonda (Sunderland, linked to Lyon)
The man who put in a transfer request just minutes after Wigan’s last game of the season in 2006 seems ready to jump ship again. As Sunderland battle relegation, Chimbonda again proves he has an impeccable sense of timing.

Federico Fazio (Sevilla, linked to Arsenal)
Arsene Wenger has admitted his defence lack height and could sign 6′5 Fazio to shore

World Cup Qualifier, 7.30pm, Setanta Sports 1, £10 Free Bet

Rather than just telling you why Wayne Rooney might score in Minsk, our friends at chickendinner have examined all ten likely outfield starters for England tonight and assessed each individual’s chances of scoring the opening goal:

Wayne Bridge - The left-back hasn’t scored in 21 months and his one international goal, against Iceland in 2004, was the sixth in that match.

Matthew Upson - He’s the only likely outfield starter without an international goal but his only goal in the last 22 months was an important one: West Ham’s winner against Manchester United last December.

Rio Ferdinand - Has only once managed to score in consecutive games in his career and even then only one was a first goal.

Wes Brown - Scored his first England goal at home to the Czech Republic

No more square pegging into round holes…

It’s only taken five thousand eight hundred and fifty games for everyone to twig that Lampsie and Gerrard simply can’t stand one another so would rather spend the game falling over, slicing the ball, or simply staring mindlessly into the stands than actually forming a decent partnership, so one of them has to go. On current form, that one would be Stevie G. He might be much easier to like, but on current club form, Lampsie is one of the best in the world. Perhaps Capello would be wise to consider having them playing alternate games? Food for thought. Elsewhere on Wednesday, The Spoiler would give left footer Downing an outing, if only to give the side a sense of balance. Upson can sit this one out in the dugout, pondering his stuttering display at the weekend, with Brown shifting inside, and Glen Johnson adding a bit more flair and speed to the right flank. Plus, of course, Wayne Bridge comes in for that injured little oik, Mr Cheryl Cole.

Agree? Of course you don’t. Fancy telling us why?