468 lines
17 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
468 lines
17 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
sport
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football
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teams
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manchester-city
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8514958
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-----
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# Alan Hansen: Manchester City's players are as good as Manchester United's,
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but they lack their unity
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## Sooner or later, the balance of football power will shift in Manchester,
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but despite City's FA Cup victory against Stoke, all the money in the world
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cannot buy the title-winning credentials that have been the bedrock of
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United's success in the Premier League this season.
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![Alan Hansen: Manchester City's players are as good as Manchester United's,
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but they lack their unity][1]
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Next step: Manchester City's talented squad need to replicate Manchester
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United's spirit and unity Photo: PA
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[![Alan Hansen][2]][3]
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By [Alan Hansen][4] 6:55AM BST 16 May 2011
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[Comments][5]
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For all the significance of ending their 35-year wait for a major trophy, City
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have really only done the easy part by winning the FA Cup.
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When it comes to trophies, the FA Cup is merely the icing on the cake for
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clubs in the top four because the silverware that really matters comes with
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winning the Premier League and the Champions League.
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Achieving success in those competitions is the next step for [**Manchester
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City**][6] and Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan, having pumped hundreds of
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millions of pounds into the club, will want to be winning those big trophies.
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But taking the next step is not about another lavish spending spree on five or
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six world-class players this summer.
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That will obviously do City no harm, but will it take them closer to winning
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the league or Champions League next season? Probably not.
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What Roberto Mancini's team need are the priceless qualities that have driven
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[**Manchester United**][7] to the club's 19th domestic title this season, but
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you cannot go out and buy team spirit and that winning bond that has typified
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United this year.
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## Related Articles
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* [United cast a long shadow over Liverpool][8]
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09 May 2011
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* [United ill-equipped to stifle Barca brilliance][9]
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02 May 2011
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* [Fergie's will to win takes United to brink][10]
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25 Apr 2011
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* [Hansen: Wenger must take the blame][11]
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18 Apr 2011
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* [Hansen: Berbatov still can't be relied on][12]
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11 Apr 2011
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* [Redknapp deserves England job][13]
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04 Apr 2011
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At times this season, City have had chances to go top of the Premier League,
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but on virtually each occasion, they faltered. That's not because they lack
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the players. City's players are as good as United's, but the advantage that
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Sir Alex Ferguson's men have over their counterparts at Eastlands is their
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unity, integrated teamwork and peerless ability to dig results out.
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When City fall behind in games, they tend to stay behind, but United have
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shown time and again their ability to fight back and emerge from games with
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something earned by a late goal or comeback.
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They have a camaraderie which has been forged by Ferguson and, quite simply,
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they are a team. The resilience that has won United the title is what City
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haven't yet got, but they need to find it if they are to take the next step.
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There are two possible reasons why United have emerged as champions this
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season. The first is that the others just haven't been good enough to stop
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them, but the second and most likely is that they have the edge over their
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rivals in terms of being able to get results when things aren't going their
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way. They have had some shockers away from home this season, more bad
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performances than I can ever remember, but they have come out of it all as
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champions.
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United will know, however, that City are not going to go away and, eventually,
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their neighbours will close the gap and trigger the shifting of power in
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Manchester. But there is a huge difference between finishing in the top four
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and actually winning the league or Champions League.
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To edge closer to those targets, the first thing Mancini must do this summer
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is find a centre-forward who is capable of scoring 20 goals a season.
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Regardless of what happens with Carlos Tevez, whether he leaves the club or
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stays for another year, City are still crying out for a reliable centre-
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forward.
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Over the last two years, they have spent close to £100 million on the likes of
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Emmanuel Adebayor, Roque Santa Cruz, Mario Balotelli and Edin Dzeko, but they
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have all proven to be iffy at best. None of them has come anywhere near
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hitting the heights of Javier Hernandez at United, and he cost just £6
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million.
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Mancini spent £27 million to sign Dzeko from Wolfsburg in January and his
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capture ended City's lengthy pursuit of the Bosnian. But from the first time I
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saw Dzeko play, I had my doubts over his ability to justify his price tag at
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Eastlands.
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Initially, he had the problem of arriving following a mid-season break in the
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Bundesliga and that is a hard transition to make. He will have been all over
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the place because he basically went from being in pre-season to playing in the
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Premier League. But he has been at the club for a while and he hasn't
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delivered the goals and I just wonder if he has the mobility required to
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succeed in England. He isn't quick enough and I think he will continue to
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struggle.
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City have the money to make the changes they need to make, however. They
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obviously have to consider Uefa's Financial Fair Play Regulations, but the
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money men usually find a way around these things and City's wealth gives them
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a massive chance. And the one thing Mancini can be certain of is that Sheikh
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Mansour will want success in return for his investment.
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Winning the Cup is great and it means everything to the City fans, but if the
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team are struggling to live up to expectations next season, they will soon be
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after the manager. When people pump so much money into anything, they want
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results quickly and Mancini knows that the Cup can only be the start.
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[X][14] Share & bookmark
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[What are these?][15]
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* Share: [Share][14] [ ][16] [ ][17]
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[Tweet][18]
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-city/8514958/Alan-
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Hansen-Manchester-Citys-players-are-as-good-as-Manchester-Uniteds-but-they-
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lack-their-unity.html
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Telegraph
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## [Manchester City][6]
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* ### [Sport »][19]
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* ### [Alan Hansen »][3]
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* ### [Football »][20]
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* ### [Manchester United »][7]
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* ### [Football News »][21]
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In football
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Related Partners
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* [Manchester City Tickets][22]
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In sport
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[![][23] ][24]
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### [Goodbye to all that][24]
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[![LS Lowry's true work of art in a city of football glitz][25] ][26]
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### [Lowry's work of art in a city of football glitz][26]
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[![FA Cup final 2011: Manchester City v Stoke City in pictures][27] ][28]
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### [Man City end trophy drought][28]
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[![][29] ][30]
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### [Red cards, chicken hats & kung-fu][30]
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[![Follow Telegraph Sport on Twitter][31]][32]
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### [Follow Telegraph Sport on Twitter][32]
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[X][14] Share & bookmark
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Delicious Facebook Google Messenger Reddit Twitter
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Digg Fark LinkedIn Google Buzz StumbleUpon Y! Buzz
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[What are these?][15]
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Share:
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* [ ][14]
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* [ ][16]
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* [ ][17]
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* [Tweet][18]
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* ## [Manchester City action photos »][33]
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Manchester City action photos: The best full-colour action images for
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Manchester City Football Club.
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Advertisement
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![][34]
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telegraphuk
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Please enable JavaScript to view the [comments powered by Disqus.][35] [blog
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comments powered by Disqus][36]
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## [Manchester City »][37]
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[![Manchester City Football Club][38]][6]
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[Manchester City Fixtures][39]
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[Manchester City Results][40]
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[Manchester City Action Photos][33]
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[Manchester City Players][41]
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[Manchester City Statistics][42]
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[Manchester City Tickets][22]
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Advertisement
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[PREMIER LEAGUE HIGHLIGHTS »][43]
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[1]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01896/city_1896203c.jpg
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[2]:
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http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01782/AlanHansen_60_1782899j.jpg
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[3]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/columnists/alanhansen/
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[4]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/columnists/alanhansen/ (Alan Hansen)
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[5]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-
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city/8514958/Alan-Hansen-Manchester-Citys-players-are-as-good-as-Manchester-
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Uniteds-but-they-lack-their-unity.html#disqus_thread
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[6]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-city/
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[7]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-united/
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[8]: /sport/football/teams/manchester-united/8501487/Manchester-United-v
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-Chelsea-Sir-Alex-Ferguson-will-grab-19th-title-and-will-want-to-win-it-
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again.html
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[9]: /sport/football/teams/manchester-united/8486916/Alan-Hansen-
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Manchester-United-are-ill-equipped-to-stifle-Barcelonas-brilliance.html
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[10]: /sport/football/teams/manchester-united/8471152/Alan-Hansen-
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Manchester-United-manager-Sir-Alex-Fergusons-will-to-win-is-his-greatest-
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strength.html
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[11]: /sport/football/teams/arsenal/8457470/Alan-Hansen-Arsenal-manager-
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Arsene-Wenger-has-to-take-the-blame-for-saying-second-place-would-be-
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acceptable.html
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[12]: /sport/football/teams/manchester-united/8441677/Alan-Hansen-
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Manchester-Uniteds-Sir-Alex-Ferguson-cant-rely-on-Dimitar-Berbatov.html
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[13]: /sport/football/teams/tottenham-hotspur/8424878/Alan-Hansen-Give-
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Harry-Redknapp-the-England-job-because-he-deserves-it.html
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[14]: #
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[15]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/4590190/Share-this-
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article-What-are-these.html
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[16]: mailto:?subject=A Telegraph reader thought you would be interested in
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%0A%0Ahttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-city/8514958
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they-lack-their-unity.html %0A%0AFor the best content online, visit
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[20]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/
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[21]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/news/
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[22]: http://tickets.telegraph.co.uk/manchester-city-tickets
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[23]:
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http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01898/tevez_afp_1898640g.jpg
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[24]: /sport/football/picturegalleries/8520936/Carlos-Tevezs-majestic-
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night-at-Eastlands-in-pictures.html
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[25]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01898/Lowry-
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match_1898192g.jpg
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[26]: /sport/football/competitions/premier-league/8519338/LS-Lowrys-true-
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work-of-art-in-a-city-of-football-glitz.html
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[27]:
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http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01895/cup11afp_1895830g.jpg
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[28]: /sport/football/picturegalleries/8513910/FA-Cup-final-2011
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-Manchester-City-v-Stoke-City-in-pictures.html
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[29]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01789/Mario-Balotelli-
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ha_1789974g.jpg
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[30]: /sport/football/picturegalleries/8390148/Mario-Balotelli-red-cards-
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chicken-hats-flying-kicks-and-the-odd-goal.html
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[31]:
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http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01838/newtwit_1838978g.jpg
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[32]: http://twitter.com/#!/TelegraphSport
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[33]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manci
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ty/5036892/Manchester-City-Football-Club-Action-Photos.html
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[34]: http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/imp.gif?client=ca-
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telegraph_uk_420x200&event=noscript
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[35]: http://disqus.com/?ref_noscript=telegraphuk
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[36]: http://disqus.com
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[37]:
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/mancity/
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[38]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01377/Manchester-City-
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Fo_1377158h.jpg
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[39]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-
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city/4942716/Manchester-City-Football-Club-Fixtures.html
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[40]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-
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city/4942433/Manchester-City-Football-Club-Results.html
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[41]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-
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city/5038129/Manchester-City-Football-Club-Players.html
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[42]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-
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city/4942857/Manchester-City-Football-Club-Statistics.html
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[43]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-
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league/8229445/Barclays-Premier-League-video-highlights.html
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[44]: #configurableTab_8257595
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[45]: #configurableTab_8120678
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[46]: #configurableTab_8255335
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[47]: http://jobs.telegraph.co.uk/?utm_source=TMG&utm_medium=CS&utm_campaig
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n=jobslink
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