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Bernardo Silva: We are really focused on improving and challenging for silverware again,”

2025-08-05T01:40:10+01:00

A great motivational talk from ol’ Bernie.

Bernardo Silva had a lot to say as he spoke to the club and told the supporters how he felt about last season and why will change in this new season.

Let’s check it out-

“Last season wasn’t what we wanted – that’s the same feeling for players as well as fans,” said Bernardo.

“But this coming season is a chance to turn the page and start again. We are really focused on improving and challenging for silverware again, something that is in the DNA of this club and this team.

“We kick off the new season with the open training session event with our fans and we’re all looking forward to it.

“Our supporters are so important to everything we do. Every game, the emotions we feel on the pitch, they feel too.

“We have had a great time together over many seasons now and we have shared these amazing moments together. We want more of them as we get ready for the new season.”

Manchester City debut the new league year on 16 August away at Wolves. Bernardo certainly understand how the fans feel and he and the squad know improvement must be had. Let’s hope we can see it as they mix the new player and old for a successful season.

Want to write about Manchester City? We’d love to hear from you

2025-08-03T10:45:00+01:00

Photo by Ross MacDonald/SNS Group via Getty Images

Writers wanted for 25/26 season

The football season is upon us once again. In less than two weeks, Manchester City will have played their first match of the 25/26 season as they look to wrest the Premier League title from Liverpool’s grasp.

Both teams have strengthened considerably over the summer and it is likely to be a huge battle between the two over the next nine months, with Arsenal also in the mix while we all laugh in unison at United.

As you will have seen, this website is undergoing a little revamp and a new platform will be established in the coming days, and we’re looking for some new writers to help us make Bitter and Blue one of the best places to come to for everything Manchester City.

We’re particularly looking for writers who can produce regular, timely pieces in the following areas:

Tactical Analysis

We want someone who has an eye for tactics. Whether it’s individual players, team tactics or a focus on the manager himself. If this is you, we want to hear from you.

Opinion Writer

We all have an opinion on the Blues, whether good or bad and we’re looking for those writers who love to give us their thoughts. Get in touch if you want to write your opinion on the Blues, the Premier League or the opposition.

Writing experience is preferred but not essential as all articles will be edited and proofread before being published, so if you want to have your voice heard, please send an email and a sample article to petec21bnb@gmail.com.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Manchester City Return to Training Ahead of New Premier League Season

2025-07-29T00:47:48+01:00

Photo by Waleed Zein/Anadolu via Getty Images

The boys are back in town!

Manchester City return to training as many questions abound.

The club showed us the new pics of the lads arriving that just really revs us up for the new season. One full of hope, excrement and curiosity as to what the new season will bring.

Questions will arise as such: Will Haaland and Marmoush play often together, what will the defensive back line look like, what new wrinkle will Pep Guardiola add to the season, the options are endless.

With it, City need to respond this season after a let down of a campaign that really showed some flaws in City’s game. New additions galore and that should make the new season very exciting.

What are you most looking forward to about the new season?

James Trafford: Where will he fit in at Manchester City?

2025-07-29T00:36:01+01:00

Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images

City agree deal to re-sign academy star

Manchester City are set to bring goalkeeper James Trafford back to the Etihad Stadium from Burnley this summer in a £27 million deal.

The CFA graduate joined the Clarets in 2023 for £15 million, but City’s desire for more homegrown players in the squad and to freshen up their goalkeeping unit has seen them agree a fee lower than his £40 million buy back clause - though he will still be the most expensive British goalkeeper of all time.

The Blues fought off competition from Newcastle United, who’ve had a torrid window - losing out on numerous targets in Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, Hugo Ekitike, Dean Huijsen and Joao Pedro (with Trafford being the latest to join that list) and having star man Alexander Isak hand in a transfer request.

Photo by Ben Roberts - Danehouse/Getty Images

This move means it’s a near certainty that we’ll see one of City’s two first choice keepers, Ederson and Stefan Ortega-Moreno, leave the club this summer.

Initially, it appeared that Ederson was the man to leave, with Galatasaray interested, but the latest reports from David Ornstein suggest that the Brazilian is staying put for the final season of his contract, with Ortega leaving instead.

If Ederson stays, you can expect him to remain as City’s number one keeper, despite Trafford’s potential and the amount of pressure online from plastic supporters to see Ederson leave.

But, if there’s a last minute change and Galatasaray do complete a deal for the 31 year old, we could see Trafford promoted to be City’s number one sooner than first thought.

Either way, I expect we’ll see him as the first choice goalkeeper from the 2026/27 season. Both Ederson and Ortega’s contracts run out next year, and it’s almost impossible that we’ll see even one of them both at the club beyond that point.

Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

And as mentioned above, City are needing to fulfil homegrown quotas with Kyle Walker gone and Jack Grealish, Kalvin Phillips and James McAtee set to follow him out of the door.

Trafford’s signing means he joins Phil Foden, Oscar Bobb, Nico O’Reilly, John Stones, Rico Lewis, Nathan Ake and fellow new goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli as City’s homegrown players, and as such it means fewer players will need to be removed from the squad in order to register everyone.

From a footballing perspective, Trafford’s signing makes a lot of sense too.

He’s similar to City great Joe Hart in that he’s tall, confident and a good shot stopper, whilst being better with his feet than the former City number one.

Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images

He will probably never be as natural as Ederson with his distribution, and has some way to go to be as good as Hart too, in terms of shot stopping, aerial dominance and communication, but has all the talent to do so and is likely to become England’s number one in the next few years or so.

He has picked up a reputation for keeping clean sheets at both Bolton Wanderers and Burnley, and whilst that’s at a lower level than the Premier League and Champions League with City, it’s clearly a part of his game that he takes immense pride in.

I don’t think he’s ready to be the number one yet. However, with a year as Ederson’s understudy to further develop, I’m certain he’ll be good enough next year to naturally take over as the new first choice goalkeeper, and turn out to be another good signing in what has quietly been a good window of incomings for City up to this point.

Photo by Alex Caparros - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images

A new look coming for Bitter And Blue in August

2025-07-24T17:00:00+01:00

Our coverage remains the same but with a new look

In just a couple of weeks, Bitter And Blue is switching to a new platform as part of SB Nation’s network-wide move to a new publishing platform. This will change the look of the site and also make it faster and more reliable on any device you use. This is an upgrade.

When you land on the site, it will look cleaner – less clunky, with more white space, a better ad experience with faster load times – but will still have all the usual articles, analysis, and news by all the folks you know.

Community discussion and content created by you will be more prominent in the new design. The best comment threads will be easy to find, and staff and commenters alike will be able to start conversations whenever they like with a brand new tool.

We’re planning on an early August reveal, so we wanted to give you a heads up. You’ll hear more from us when it’s almost here. The site will look a little different, feel a little faster, and, most importantly, have a bigger role for you, the community.

So, stick around and check it out!

Five players who scored on their Manchester City debut

2025-07-23T23:15:18+01:00

Photo by Chris Brunskill/Getty Images

A look at some players who made an immediate impact

It’s a special moment when a player scores on his debut and Manchester City have had a few debutants over the years knocking in a goal or two to get their career in Sky Blue up and running.

Some have gone on to achieve a legendary status with the club while others have left the Faithful thankful they are no longer playing.

Here are five such players that have scored on their Manchester City debut:

Niall Quinn

A bit back in time, but when Niall Quinn signed for City in 1990, the Blues, in their first season in the top flight for two years, were heading straight back down, potentially with United. The Blues were second bottom in the league with nine games remaining when Howard Kendall decided to strengthen his attack.

Quinn was surplus to requirements at Arsenal and Kendall persuaded Peter Swales to shell out £900k for the striker. The effect was immediate. Quinn did what he was brought in to do and headed home an equaliser against Chelsea at Maine Road, then scored another three to keep City up.

The striker would then play a huge role in the following seasons as City established themselves in the top flight, finishing in the top five two seasons running.

Rolando Bianchi

There was huge excitement prior to the 2007/08 season. City had been taken over by Thaksin Shinawatra and he installed Sven Goran-Erikssen as manager, replacing Stuart Pearce. The former England boss wasted no time spending the former Thai PM’s money, and Bianchi was high on his list.

The Italian striker had scored 18 goals for Reggina the previous season and the faithful could barely contain their excitement as the new look Blues took to the pitch at West ham for the opening game of the season.

It took Bianchi just 18 minutes to score his first goal in sky blue and that gave the fans an expectation of more to come. They would be seriously disappointed.

Bianchi scored just four goals between August and December and Sven decided that was enough time for him to impress and promptly loaned him out to Lazio in January, before making a move to Torino the following summer. Geovanni also scored on his debut, but he also hit the winner against United in the derby, so he was fine!

Benjani

The transfer saga that was Benjani was was just typical of City. Sven had loaned Bianchi to Lazio, but only identified Benjani as his replacement at the end of January, right on transfer deadline day. The striker was supposed to move but somehow missed two planes to Manchester and didn’t arrive for his medical until after the window had closed. Somehow, City got the deal through and he signed in February.

Benjani had been banging goals in for Portsmouth and he made his City debut in the red-hot atmosphere of Old Trafford. There was consternation prior to the match as it was the anniversary of the Munich air disaster and the behaviour of the City fans, who for years had chanted songs about Munich, was constantly being questioned. There was nothing to worry about as the faith were ‘impeccable’ as United called it and the day passed without incident.

Benjani stole the show as his debut goal sent City 2-0 up in Stretford and secured City’s first win at Old Trafford since 1974. Sadly for Benjani, it didn’t quite work out for him in Manchester and he should really have missed the third plane. Injury played its part but Benjani would only score seven goals for City in three seasons and was released by the club in June 2010.

Sergio Aguero

Nothing said ‘I’ve arrived’ like Sergio Aguero did in 2011. When the Argentine, and son-in-law of Diego Maradona, signed for the Blues for £32m, some eyebrows were raised. It also prompted one Sky Sports pundit to claim that Charlie Adam would be a better signing than Aguero.

The striker started his City career on the bench for the opening match at home to Swansea and replaced Nigel de Jong in the 59th minute, The Blues were leading 1-0 thanks to Edin Dzeko but had been frustrated by the Premier League new boys, who kept the Blues at bay throughout the whole of the first half.

It took Aguero just nine minutes to score, tapping in Micha Richards’ cross in the 68th minute. Three minutes later, the striker chased a hopeless ball and flicked it over his head for David Silva to rifle home for 3-0, claiming a goal and an assist on his debut.

With the clock ticking down, Aguero decided the finish the night in style. 25 yards out, Aguero unleashed a stunning shot that flew past the keeper to make it 4-0. The Argentine would go on to become City’s all-time top goalscorer and go out with a bang, scorign another two in his final match at home to Everton in ten years later.

Erling Haaland

City had coveted Haaland for a long time, even before his move from Salzburg to Dortmund in 2020. The Norwegian was scoring for fun in both leagues but many said Haaland wouldn’t do the same in the Premier League as it was tougher, faster and Haaland wouldn’t be able to keep up.

Humble pie was duly served and many hats were eaten as a result of these failed predictions. Haaland exceeded all expectations in his first season and showed his intentions by bagging a brace on his debut at West Ham (City love debut goals at West Ham, Gabriel Jesus scored on his debut at the Hammers in 2019).

Haaland’s first came from the penalty spot nine minutes before half time after he was brought down by the keeper. In the 65th minute, Haaland gave the City fans a glimpse of what was to come as he ran onto Kevin de Bruyne’s perfect pass to score his and City’s second.

Haaland would go on to score 52 goals in 53 appearances in his debut season, and has hit 124 so far for the club. And with him signing a new contract in January, keeping him at the club until 2034, there are sure to be plenty more goals before he ends his tenure at the Etihad Stadium.

Less than a month until the start of the season - where do Manchester City stand?

2025-07-23T22:00:00+01:00

Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images

Work still to be done for the Blues ahead of next season

We’re already less than a month away from the start of the season, but Manchester City’s squad looks very much the same as it did last season.

Kevin de Bruyne, Scott Carson and Kyle Walker (who spent the second half of last season on loan) have all left, with four new bodies through the door in Rayan Cherki, Tijjani Reijnders, Marcus Bettinelli and Rayan Ait-Nouri.

All the news ahead of this window would be on cutting down the size of Manchester City’s massive squad. As it is, the squad is in fact two bodies bigger than it was when the Blues faced Fulham on the final day of last season.

James McAtee and Jack Grealish are very likely to leave, along with Kalvin Phillips too. But City have 28 more players, none of whom have a concrete link to another club.

Ederson is the exception to that rule, with him being heavily linked with a move to Galatasaray. But he would need to be replaced, and with James Trafford by far the most likely candidate in this department, it’d fail to trim the squad down but would solve a different issue.

In order to comply with rules regarding registration next season, four non-homegrown players need to leave. Trafford is homegrown, and would mean this number cuts down to three.

Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images

This means the likes of John Stones, Nico O’Reilly, Oscar Bobb and Nathan Ake are more likely to stay than Ilkay Gundogan, Ederson, Mateo Kovacic and Manuel Akanji.

Vitor Reis and Claudio Echeverri are the most likely loan candidates. Ederson, Stefan Ortega, Gundogan, Bernardo Silva, Stones and McAtee, meanwhile, all see their contracts expire next year, whilst other players - including star names Rodri and Phil Foden, see their contacts run out in 2027.

The trimming of the squad is one improvement that needs making, but you can’t help but feel that they’re a bit short in terms of quality in other positions too.

The Blues are crying out for a good right back. Rico Lewis has had a poor season and is more suited to playing central midfield, and Matheus Nunes is a serviceable but unspectacular option playing out of position.

Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images

But the right back market is fairly sparse at the moment. Tino Livramento from Newcastle United is apparently the main target, but his club are almost certainly not willing to sell having seen their stance on another one of their key players in Alexander Isak and his proposed move to Liverpool.

Denzel Dumfries could be available, as could Wilfried Singo, but there’s no proper rumours attached to these two. And no other realistic option is a significant upgrade on Lewis or Nunes, and would potentially disrupt long term recruitment.

I’ve also personally felt for a while that City are a bit short of quality in the wing areas.

Looking in the Premier League and across, with Mohammed Salah, Bukayo Saka, Lamine Yamal, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Michael Olise and Vinicius Junior, it’s fair to say that City don’t have a wide forward of that game changing quality.

Omar Marmoush, Phil Foden, Jeremy Doku, Savinho and Oscar Bobb are all very good options, however, and will likely improve both with age and acclimatisation with City’s system.

The only upgrade on any of these players on the market at the moment is Real Madrid’s Rodrygo - but as mentioned above, City need to be selling, not buying.

It must be difficult, particularly for a new group of coaching staff, to deal with such a big squad, but the new additions have made an impact so far.

Kolo Toure, Pep Lijnders and set piece coach James French have already had a visible difference, with the Blues playing in the Club World Cup at a higher tempo, and looking much more potent from set pieces.

Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images

On the pitch, Ait-Nouri has slotted right in, Reijnders is a tidy midfielder with plenty of technique and energy and Cherki has shown flashes of potential too.

There could be a few more additions this summer, and almost certainly plenty out of the door.

But with less than a month before the start of the Premier League season and approximately six weeks before the end of the window, Hugo Viana and co are running out of time.

De Bruyne Makes Transfer Admission After Being Unveiled At Napoli

2025-07-20T12:30:00+01:00

Photo by SSC NAPOLI/SSC NAPOLI via Getty Images

Once A Blue Kev Still Wants to Play at Highest Level

Former Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne has made an emotional statement that reveals why he didn’t want to sign for another Premier League club.

The Belgian international ended his ten year stay in Manchester at the end of last season as he signed for Italian champions Napoli on a free transfer. De Bruyne was officially unveiled as a Napoli player on Saturday and broke his silence on why he didn’t sign for another Premier League club.

“I have been in the Premier League for so long and in the end I made the decision to go out of England,” de Bruyne said on Saturday. “I have done what I have done and in the end I am a Man City player for life. It was also with the way that it ended for me, I thought, it is time to find a new challenge.”

De Bruyne’s words end speculation that he was driven out of the Etihad Stadium after his contract was not renewed at the end of the season and the maestro went on to speak about continuing to play at the highest level, which is why he signed for Napoli.

“When I had the whole project in front of me and then the fact that I could play in Italy and still play at a high level was exciting for me. Napoli already are champions but they are still improving their squad. I am hoping that I can help the team grow and I will also learn from them, a new way of playing, a new competition.”

De Bruyne joins his Belgian compatriot, Romelu Lukaku, at Napoli and both will be hopign they can spearhead the Italian side to league and European glory.

King Kev signed for City under former manager Manuel Pellegrini in August 2015, a move that was initially mocked by pundits due to his time at Chelsea, where the Belgian failed to make an impression and eventually moved to Wolfsburg. His £58m move to City turned out to be instrumental as de Bruyne took the Premier League by storm, becoming one of the best midfielders in the country.

De Bruyne went on to make 422 appearances for the Blues, scoring 108 goals in the process. But it was his assists that he will be best remembered for. In 288 Premier League appearances, de Bruyne racked up an incredible 119 assists, and is the second all-time assist king in Premier League history.

He left City after a trophy-laden career that saw him win six Premier League titles, Two FA Cups, Five League Cups, three Community Shields and, of course, a Champions League and European Super Cup title and a FIFA Club World Cup medal.

De Bruyne leaves the Blues as one of the best midfielders ever to grace the sky blue shirt and we all wish him well in Italy.