Manchester City defender Kolo Toure has hit back at Sir Alex Ferguson's criticism of his club, claiming the Manchester United manager is "worried" by the revolution under way at Eastlands.
Local tensions have been heightened ahead of Sunday's Manchester derby at Old Trafford with Ferguson accusing City of "cockiness" and "arrogance" over the Carlos Tevez "Welcome to Manchester" poster that so amused City supporters earlier this season.
Responding to the Scot's jibes, former Arsenal centre-back Toure said: "I think he is just very worried about what's happening here."
He added: "He knows that the players we have brought here are not just top quality, but really professional and want to put this team on the top of the table. That is the mentality here.
"It's like if you are the best at school and then another boy arrives - a new boy who is really good at every subject. You don't like it, do you?"
City's 4-2 win over Arsenal in a fiery encounter at Eastlands last weekend was perhaps the first sign that the so-called 'Big Four' had become the 'Big Five', and Toure believes victory in Sunday's derby will cement his team's place among the league's elite.
He said: "Beating Arsenal was important for us but beating United at Old Trafford would really make people sit up and take notice. And that is what we want to do: to show that we mean business and that we really can be up there at the end of the season."
Toure's team-mate Stephen Ireland has also waded into the war of words raging between the cross-city rivals.
"I definitely think there's fear in their camp," Ireland told the Daily Mirror. "They know if we beat them on Sunday we could then go on an unbeaten run of 15 to 20 games and they'd be playing catch-up, which has never really happened.
"United have never had to play catch-up on City, but now the tables could finally be turning."
Comment 27 - 46 of 46
Mr. Toure or whatever you call yourself, your job is on the pitch and not enganging in War of words with other teams' Managers. You and your lot ( Adebayo, Lescott, Tevez) are mercenaries, whose only interest is the fat pocket. If you felt the same way at Arsernal, why did you opt to sign for City? What did you achieve in your last Three years at the Emirates. Days are numbered sir, and just wait till you suck your own words!!!
Heard Adebayor was seen in the Arsenal dressing room looking for shirts and shoes to bring back home....
Oh my God! City is in the big five??? Wow! So much hype for being the fifth team? We all know they are never going to be in the top of the big 5! Hahaha
FA is corrupt.......
FA is corrupt.......
FA is corrupt.......
FA is corrupt.......
Why are they corrupt?
1. They wanted Man U to win so they were keen to purnish Adebayor
2. Referee played 7 minuntes of added time instead of 4 and the FA will accept the results
3. FA does not want to see development in English soccer...hence silly rules about regulating the number of foreign playes whiles it is a fact that foreign players have contributed significantly to the success of EPL.
4. They always want to see the top 4 (uncivilised thinking) always on top of the league, and no team is allowed to buy players, even if they have their own money.
MAN U 4, MN CITY 3
WHICH TEAM IS BETTER THAN THE OTHER. CITY MAY HAVE BOUGHT PLAYERS, BUT THEY WILL NOT DO ANYTHING TO MAN U THE GREAT.
WAIT WHEN WE GET VAN DA SAAR (SP) BACK INTO PLAY. YOU WILL KNOW US BETTER
these comments from @#$% fans are so funny. they really seem to believe they have a chance of winning something. but they are just dreams of fantasy. poor old @#$%, you have to feel for them - NOT!
So sad Ade is no playing, he was seen at the Arsenal game yesterday looking for someone on the ground to kick in the face again!!!
WHIMPING FERGIE, MANU, and their DUMB FANS. FERGIE is scared of the quality in MAN City this season. So sad ADE is not playing. Hope TEVEZ is fit enough to DESTROY MANU in OLD TRAMPLE. I hope MANU's 12th player (the ref) will be asleep today. MAN CITY GO DESTROY THESE SCUM BAGS and give OLD man FERGIE a deserved heart attack. MAN CITY 2 - MAN U 0.
I just love when these mercenaries feel so passionate about their new masters. If they had as much passion for their old club they might still have been there. These are not people who their old clubs wanted to hold on to, fact is Arsenal was just happen to cash in and rid themselves of these bad apples.
Win or loose Man City will always be the "other" team in Manchester..........deal with it, we have the trophies to prove it.
I laugh at players who get into so much war of wards before big games. It often does not add to much on the pitch. Witness Rooney last season, with Liverpool.
Man city should turn up and play their best, not talk so much before a game, and surely not to talk back at another club's manager (I thought that was Mark Hughes' job). Wenger said it best of Adebayor last season: Players are paid to perform on the pitch, not talk to the press.
Shame Adebayor isn't playing (that's one player who has such a bloated perception of his own ability at the moment). Prediction today? ManU 3 ManCity 1.
VEGASMUFC, Comment 35, whow, you must one these manure supporters who are articulate , interlectual , and sophisticated, I bet you sell loads of BIG ISSUES on Deansgate, or maybe you are one of those poor souls i bump into at piccadilly station whenever I visit Manchester on business, I always feel so sorry for them. bet you also shop at Primark, when the sales ARE ON , loser manc, SCUM!
NO32BIGEDBILL
FFUK OFF YOU NNOBED
utd are a @#$% team full of scousers
Bill! You're so above it all.
Do you think your narcissism is a problem?
I think its just a different way to express the same symptom...ignorance.
hahaha havnt had so much fun laughin at the 2 most inane sets of supporter giving there opinion online like they have gotten it from a divin source unknown to man.
You all just sound like the typical rag @rse gutter snipes who make this country the $hit hole it is today.
I look at the youth of today an think why is it so bad, then come on hear and see the so called sensible adults acting like 2 year old brats who cant get what they want.
Its a game where inflated sphere is kicked about by multi millionaires with over inflated egoes, and you go on about it like you want to kill each other over it get a grip of reality and get some sense of decency, oh yeah stop using the internet as a tool to get your Nazi like opinions that noone is interested in except you to stair up hatred on the net, think its pathetic myself.
stephen ireland is nothing more than a coward
jgoconnor stephen ireland is class uu tit
Mr Ireland is well known for his lies, ask the Republic of Ireland players. He lied about both his grannies dying, he lied about his team mates pulling at his " hair " etc.
He is too embarassed to play for Ireland, but really is not good enough. Man City FC NK will be selling him at the end of the year. They have already tried to replace him with Kaka.
He would have to be attached to a lie detector if you want to believe anything said by him. Last year he said they would finish above Arsenal, not could but would!
A complete dodo - he really looks like one as well
Keep talking u load of @#$%-s! Tomoro u shall know how far u still have to go to get any from of recognition as a team!
n to the jealous scousers dont u guys have some whining to do about ur sorry as$ manager?
Goodluck for tomorrow city, Hope you put a few past the SCUM. From a Liverpool fan who knows most of Manchester and England wants you to put the boot into the arrogant b@stards.
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