UNITED KINGDOM: SOCCER/FOOTBALL: Manchester City first team coach David Platt says his team are not taking Premier League match against bottom club QPR lightly

Record ID: 837564

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: SOCCER/FOOTBALL: Manchester City first team coach David Platt says his team are not taking Premier League match against bottom club QPR lightly
  • Date: 28th January 2013
  • Summary: MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JANUARY 28, 2013) (REUTERS) ENTRANCE TO CARRINGTON, MANCHESTER CITY TRAINING GROUND MANCHESTER CITY CREST MANCHESTER CITY COACH DAVID PLATT SPEAKING TO THE MEDIA CAMERA FILMING THE NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANCHESTER CITY COACH DAVID PLATT SAYING: (On the QPR fixture) "You have got to look at their position in the League and what their recent run of form is, they don't give too much away, or they don't give too much away under Harry (Rednapp). They have started to amass points, not in a fashion where they are starting to claw people back but he is not stupid Harry, with a point here and a point there and others losing around you, then it gives you something to hold onto and when he went in there he was playing catch up against everyone that was around them and now they are there or thereabouts. I think it will be a difficult game, it always is, more so under the lights at QPR. It is a tight ground under the lights and whether the team is likely to be completely different from the cup game but as a football club they will want to bounce back." CAMERA FILMING PRESS CONFERENCE MANCHESTER CITY COACH DAVID PLATT JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANCHESTER CITY COACH DAVID PLATT SAYING: (On Manchester City form) "I think we have been ok without hit the highest that we did last season, and if you look at the statistics we have not been a million miles away from the form of last year in terms of results and points. I believe that from the beginning of December we have been very good. There has been the defeat against Manchester United but we were very good in that game, we were beaten in Sunderland but again we dominated the game in terms of position and efforts on goal, and we were good in that game as well. There is an assurance about our performances at the moment, I don't think we have hit the heights that we did do last year in terms of blitzing teams away but in many ways it is more pleasing that it has been an assurance about our performances and a control about them. Even winning 1-0 at the weekend was a controlled performance." MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM (NOVEMBER 20, 2012) (REUTERS) MANCHESTER CITY PLAYER MARIO BALOTELLI TRAINING MANCHESTER CITY PLAYERS TRAINING MARIO BALOTELLI TRAINING MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM (JANUARY 28, 2013) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANCHESTER CITY COACH DAVID PLATT SAYING: ( On Mario Balotelli): "Where are we today, the 28th or 29th? I haven't heard anything to be honest with you. I saw the speculation yesterday but he had just walked in now and I have not heard anything at all. It is a shame Robbie (Mancini) is not here as he may know a lot more than me, I don't know. As far as we are concerned he is still a Manchester City player and I don't think anything is going to happen. Reporter: "Are you aware of any negotiations"? Platt: "I am not no, I can only go off what you know and what I have seen, I know exactly the same as what you know, which I can say is speculation". MANCHESTER CITY BRANDING MANCHESTER CITY COACH DAVID PLATT LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE CARRINGTON, MANCHESTER CITY TRAINING GROUND
  • Embargoed: 12th February 2013 12:00
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  • Location: United Kingdom
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  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAB5EDXLB2PF910TKLOOED79O6F
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  • Story Text: Manchester City first team coach David Platt says his team are not taking Tuesday's Premier League match against bottom club QPR lightly. Despite being four points adrift of the rest Platt believes their West London opponents have shown improved formed since former Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp took over in November.

    "You have got to look at their position in the League and what their recent run of form is," he said. " They don't give too much away, or they don't give too much away under Harry (Rednapp). They have started to amass points, not in a fashion where they are starting to claw people back but he is not stupid Harry, with a point here and a point there and others losing around you, then it gives you something to hold onto and when he went in there he was playing catch up against everyone that was around them and now they are there or thereabouts. I think it will be a difficult game, it always is, more so under the lights at QPR. It is a tight ground under the lights and whether the team is likely to be completely different from the cup game but as a football club they will want to bounce back."
    As Platt pointed out, Redknapp fielded a reserve team in the 4-2 FA Cup defeat against MK Dons so they would be fresh to face the Premier League champions. This season City find themselves five points behind rivals Manchester United, with performances, Platt admits, below the high points of last season. City are also still in the FA Cup following a battling 1-0 win away to Stoke City on Saturday.

    "I think we have been ok without hit the highest that we did last season, and if you look at the statistics we have not been a million miles away from the form of last year in terms of results and points, " he said. " I believe that from the beginning of December we have been very good. There has been the defeat against Manchester United but we were very good in that game, we were beaten in Sunderland but again we dominated the game in terms of position and efforts on goal, and we were good in that game as well. There is an assurance about our performances at the moment, I don't think we have hit the heights that we did do last year in terms of blitzing teams away but in many ways it is more pleasing that it has been an assurance about our performances and a control about them. Even winning 1-0 at the weekend was a controlled performance."
    In the absence of manager Roberto Mancini Platt refused to be drawn on reports that wayward striker Mario Balotelli was set to return to Milan in the final week of the current transfer window.
    "Where are we today, the 28th or 29th? I haven't heard anything to be honest with you, " he said. " I saw the speculation yesterday but he had just walked in now and I have not heard anything at all. It is a shame Robbie (Mancini) is not here as he may know a lot more than me, I don't know. As far as we are concerned he is still a Manchester City player and I don't think anything is going to happen."
    When asked whether he was aware of any negotiations he replied : "I am not no, I can only go off what you know and what I have seen, I know exactly the same as what you know, which I can say is speculation".
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