Source: Team_Talk
Hart-break for City as Fulop gets set
Manchester City have been left frustrated at the goalkeeping wrangle that has prevented them recalling Joe Hart from his Birmingham.loan spell.[LNB] The Premier League put a block on their hopes of getting Hart back from Birmingham for the final three games of the season.[LNB]Instead, Sunderland third-choice Marton Fulop will link up with the Eastlands outfit on Wednesday and is in contention to make his debut in Saturday's clash with fifth-placed Aston Villa.[LNB]The whole saga has given City a sour taste, as they are adamant the Premier League were initially supportive of their plan to bring Hart back from St Andrew's once it became obvious Shay Given would not be fit after sustaining a dislocated shoulder at Arsenal on Saturday.[LNB]Certainly City were confident enough of their ground to approach Birmingham, having also been given the impression Hart was keen to play in a trio of games - Tottenham and West Ham are the others - which could cement his place in Fabio Capello's World Cup squad.[LNB]They were then hit by a series of demands for compensation from Birmingham, ranging from Premier League prize-money to the possible effects of Hart's departure on ticket sales.[LNB]City were staggered at the claims given they made concessions to smooth Hart's season-long to Birmingham in the first place.[LNB]They then discovered the Premier League had, to their minds, performed a complete U-turn on earlier conversations, insisting Hart could not leave.[LNB]Privately, City wonder how much influence has been exerted by Tottenham and Villa, who are the other major challengers for that coveted top-four berth, and whether the Premier League feared another protracted legal battle so soon after the Carlos Tevez affair which Sheffield United were so incensed about three years ago.[LNB]The Blues moderated their language in an official statement released this evening, and are keen not to get involved in an all-out war with the Premier League.[LNB]However, they remain completely bemused about the guidance they were originally given, pointing out if the facts had remained consistent, they could not be bringing in a goalkeeper on Wednesday when a deal for Fulop could have been done 48 hours ago.[LNB]A statement from City said: "The club, with the backing of the Premier League, have been in contact throughout the day with both Birmingham City and Sunderland with regards to bringing either Joe Hart or Marton Fulop to the team on an emergency basis.[LNB]"Agreement has not been reached with Birmingham, but we anticipate that Marton Fulop will join us in training tomorrow and we sincerely thank him and Sunderland AFC for their help in this situation."[LNB]It is felt at Eastlands that Spurs and Villa will be gleeful at the prospect of City being forced to play either the untested Faroe Islands international Gunnar Nielsen or Fulop, currently Sunderland's third choice, against them in such key matches, as opposed to Hart, who on Sunday was named in the PFA Premier League's team of the year.
