Manchester City beefed up for bread-and-butter battle

Posted Sunday, October 03, 2010 by theguardian.com

Kolo Touré believes City are well equipped mentally and physically for Sunday's game against Newcastle.

Manchester City beefed up for bread-and-butter battle
'There are no easy games in the Premier League,' said Kolo Touré as Manchester City prepare to take on Newcastle on Sunday.

Kolo Touré has been at Manchester City for long enough to know that stirring victories over the champions count for little if they are followed by points dropped in bread-and-butter games. Newcastle at home may appear a fairly straightforward task for Roberto Mancini's high fliers, fresh from holding their own against Chelsea and Juventus, though it is exactly the sort of fixture that has tripped up City before.

"It is going to be a tough game and we will have to fight to get three points," Touré says. "It is true that there are no easy games in the Premier League. It doesn't matter who you play, even if they are not winning, you have to be at your best to win in this league. Just because we did really well against Chelsea does not mean we will not be in for a battle against Newcastle."

City are well-equipped for a battle at the moment, with players of the physical stature of Yaya Touré and Jérôme Boateng increasing the overall size of the team as well as the pressure for places, and Touré believes the club are rapidly acquiring the professionalism necessary to mount a title challenge. "It is a bit like the situation when I was at Arsenal," Touré says. "The manager has to choose players and you need to impress in training to be selected. At Arsenal we had so many great players it worked as a motivation. Training was so harsh that games sometimes seemed easier. Everybody wanted to be in the team and to build a team you had to fight for every single ball.

"That's what we are getting at City now. There is a lot of fight and competition for places, and with that comes belief. You need to be playing your best football to be on the list every week, not just on the pitch but in every training session. It can be difficult, but we are professional and we have to get used to it."

Mancini has observed that when he first joined the club too many City players appeared to look forward to days off as the highlight of the week, though he seems to have turned that culture around. "If you want to be a big club there is no time to take days off," Touré says. "It was the same at Arsenal. You can rest after games but to be champions takes a lot of energy. When I am on the pitch it is not like I am tired. We are really lucky to be footballers, I wouldn't enjoy the time off anyway. You get plenty of time off when you retire. Until then, I can work every day and it is no problem."

Joey Barton returns to Manchester City with Chris Hughton expecting him to show off a new, mature, side to his former public. Barton departed City under a cloud but returns in arguably the best form of a chequered career. "Joey has been showing his maturity this season," said the Newcastle manager. "And particularly in a very fierce game at Wolves. Joey knows where he is at the moment. He knows there are places where he will get a fair amount of stick. That's something he has to accept – and he has been able to accept. "Joey's been a big player for us," he said. "He's started this season very well. He's been fit and fully concentrated."

It helps that Barton seems to have finally shaken off the injury, particularly foot, problems that have seen him spend long spells on the sidelines over the past couple of years.

"A key factor is that apart from, I think, three days, Joey did the whole of pre-season. It's enabled him to start the season so well. Joey's in a good rhythm at the moment."