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Dzeko joins Manchester City’s angry brigade
The Bosnian striker takes his place alongside Balotelli and Tevez with a dig at United
Manchester City appear to have added yet another surly striker to their growing band of feisty forwards after signing Edin Dzeko from Wolfsburg.
His arrival wasn't quite in the same league as that of Carlos Tevez in 2009, who crossed the tracks from Manchester United, but the Bosnian did manage to announce himself with a dig at the Red half of the city this week.
The £27m-man told the press conference that he was impressed by the club's support and said: "I have heard a lot about the fans and that most of the people from Manchester are Manchester City fans."
The 24-year-old's comment is sure to inflame the rivalry between City, whose fans like to claim that they are the side that really represents Manchester, and United.
City fans, and anyone of an anti-United bent, has long used the popularity of Alex Ferguson's outside Manchester, and particularly in the south, as a stick with which to beat them.
In 2009 when City signed Tevez they hinted at the divide by putting up a huge light blue poster of the player in the city centre with the slogan 'Welcome to Manchester'.
That prompted a furious Ferguson to describe City as a "a small club with a small mentality".
And it is becoming obvious that City are intent on getting under the skin of their illustrious neighbours even if they have yet to match them on the field.
Dzeko obviously has no problem with winding up his opponents and he could become a potent addition to a strikeforce already containing Tevez and several other bad boys.
Top of the list is Mario Balotelli. The 20-year-old Italian appears to hate everyone judging from his demeanour on the field - rarely even celebrating with his team mates.
Before Christmas, when he was awarded the Golden Boy trophy for the best young player in Europe, he announced that he had never heard of Arsenal prodigy Jack Wilshere and said that the only player who could claim to have been as good as him at his age was Lionel Messi.
The fourth member of the angry brigade is Emmanuel Adebayor, who famously marked his first game against his old employers, Arsenal, by going on a rampage in which he kicked Robin van Persie in the face and stamped on Cesc Fabregas before almost sparking a riot by running the length of the field to taunt the Arsenal fans after he scored.
No wonder there appears to be no room at Eastlands for mild mannered Paraguayan Roque Santa Cruz. ·
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Manchester United's ground Old Trafford is actually in Trafford, part of Greater Manchester, although it is close to the border with Salford.
The writer of the First Post sports page (and Arsenal supporter) probably does not realise that Manchester United are based in Salford, which is the city next door to Manchester. Manchester City is based in the City of Manchester, and attracts the support of Manchester citizens. Easy.