Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini said it is time to “change the history” of the club ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United.The men from Eastlands have not won a trophy since their 1976 League Cup triumph, while they dropped into the third tier of the league in 1998.But Mancini stated: “All my players should understand very well that this is a big moment for us.”The first trophy is the hardest but it is time for City to win something.”Saturday’s match will be City’s first FA Cup semi-final since 1981 when they beat Ipswich before going on to lose to Tottenham in a replay in the final.And Mancini’s men go into the match as second favourites, given their opponents’ fine recent form, City’s 3-0 defeat to Liverpool last time out and their loss of talismanic striker Carlos Tevez to injury.

United are chasing their first Treble since 1999. They are seven points clear at the top of the Premier League, through to a semi-final against Schalke in the Champions League and know victory over City will put them into another domestic showpiece final next month.But Mancini has stressed that his team need not be overwhelmed by the occasion, as long as they keep their heads.”I know we have improved a lot,” said the Italian. “When you build a new team you can always lose matches, like we did against Liverpool.”[But] it is the first time in a year that we played like that. And it was better to happen at Liverpool than on Saturday.”The important thing is that we don’t go there and think about the enormity of the game. We cannot afford for our heads to get full with the occasion.”When we started the season our target was to reach the Champions League and try to win a trophy.”We are one month away from the end of the season and we are in a good way. Now it depends on us – at this moment, we should be happy.”In recent encounters between the two sides, United have gained a clear advantage over their cross-city rivals, winning six and drawing one of the last eight match-ups.However, United midfielder Michael Carrick has said that he expects Saturday’s semi-final to be a “different type of derby”.”Both teams will be going for it,” the Englishman commented. “I don’t think it will be like the normal league games, which have been a bit boring at times.”This will be different. I am sure it is going to be an entertaining match.”

Only five members of the Red Devils’ present squad have won the FA Cup before, a figure that does not include Wayne Rooney, or Rio Ferdinand, who was suspended for the last of United’s 11 triumphs in the competition in 2004 thanks to his eight-month ban for failing to take a drugs test.Carrick is also without an FA Cup winner’s medal, having played in United’s 2007 losing final against Chelsea, and he is desperate for success in the competition.”The FA Cup is what I grew up with,” he reflected. “It was such a big deal when I was young to sit and watch the FA Cup final.”The tradition and the history of the thing is incredible and it has stayed with me ever since.”As we are all aware, the challenge for Manchester City is to win trophies, because they haven’t done it for a while.”Over the years, this club has been very successful at that. But there are a lot of players at United who have not won the FA Cup and that is something we want to put right.”Carrick also agreed that United deserve to start the match as favourites and added: “A lot of the lads are hitting good form at the right time, myself included.”There is still a way to go but at this time of year it is a good sign when games are coming thick and fast.”We want big games in different competitions. That is what we have at the moment and momentum can be very important at this time of year.”

(BBC Football )

 

13 April 2011 Last updated at 18:04 GMT

Tottenham begins London Olympics stadium High Court bid

West Ham’s bid defeated Spurs in the race for the Olympic Stadium

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club has launched legal action at London’s High Court over West Ham United’s successful bid for the 2012 Olympic Stadium.Spurs said it had sought permission from the court to bring a claim against the east London Borough of Newham.Newham Council arranged a £40m loan to finance West Ham’s move to the stadium after the 2012 Games.In March, Tottenham lost out to West Ham to become the tenant of the stadium following the Games.West Ham intends to convert the 80,000-seater stadium into a 60,000-capacity facility which retains an athletics track.It is believed Tottenham will ask the judicial review to consider whether Newham Council was right to use public money for the loan, and whether it went through proper processes before doing so.

In January BBC London revealed a series of potential “abuses” of the process leading up to the loan, including:

• Crucial documents explaining the bid in detail being withheld from councillors until shortly before the vote

• No explanation as to whether the council would be liable for the debt if relegation-threatened West Ham defaulted

• A “significant number” of councillors holding reservations – but refusing to speak openly because they are allegedly “afraid” of missing out on lucrative positions

• Mayor of Newham Sir Robin Wales declaring dozens of gifts from West Ham, with critics saying his impartiality has been compromised

At the time the council denied all wrongdoing.

In a statement, Tottenham said: “The club has today sought permission from the High Court to bring a claim against the London Borough of Newham (“Newham”) for judicial review of Newham’s process in providing a loan for the conversion of the Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Games

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