Bell: Home form vital for City

14 August 2011 14:49
Manchester City legend Colin Bell has warned the Blues they must "go for it" on home soil this season.[LNB] City boss Roberto Mancini has already warned his players to beware of a very motivated Swansea team when the newly-promoted Welsh outfit visit the Etihad Stadium on Monday.[LNB]And, with Argentina duo Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero both less than fully fit after spending last month on Copa America duty, City head into the clash short of what Mancini wants, without taking into account his well-aired grievances about transfers.[LNB]However, with Liverpool and Arsenal both dropping points on the opening day, an opportunity has already opened up for City to make a flying start.[LNB]And Bell believes it should merely be the start of imposing form on home soil.[LNB]"If we are to have any chance of winning the title, we have to really go for it at home and win most of our games here starting against Swansea," said the former England international.[LNB]"I'd like to see us set our stall out and attack teams at home because we have the players to do it. I want to see us turn teams over and make teams frightened to come to the Etihad Stadium."[LNB]It was only to be expected City's ongoing transfer business would dominate until the end of the month.[LNB]Samir Nasri remains at the top of Mancini's hit-list.[LNB]It would certainly be a major surprise if the attempt to secure Nasri's services did not take a major stride forward in the early part of next week.[LNB]Whether Mancini's grand plan also involves a swap deal to get Wesley Sneijder for Tevez is another matter.[LNB]Although the City boss was disappointed by Tevez's conduct during the summer, when the controversial striker confirmed his intention to leave the club due to well-publicised family problems, he remains an admirer of the South American.[LNB]There is little doubt Mancini would use Tevez extensively if he remained at the Etihad Stadium after the transfer window closes on September 1.[LNB]In addition, City officials have been fairly strident in their insistence Sneijder does not form part of their plans considering the costs involved in prising the Dutchman away from Inter Milan.[LNB]Sneijder boasts such obvious quality that the Blues would at least offer a cursory interest should the price go down.[LNB]However, presumably, the same applies to Manchester United, who are said to be the 27-year-old's first choice and whose need is more obvious, despite Sir Alex Ferguson's faith in the young section of his squad.[LNB]For Bell, an integral member of the last City team to win the title in 1968, it is a peripheral matter compared with the bigger picture of collecting those precious first few points.[LNB]"There are a group of players that I would select every week if I was the manager," he said.[LNB]"Joe Hart, Vincent Kompany, Nigel de Jong, and David Silva would be foremost amongst them but we have many more great players besides.[LNB]"I am sure Sergio Aguero will bring something different to the table and hopefully prove just as effective as Carlos Tevez."

Source: Team_Talk