Monday links

After an end of the week headline blitz reminiscent of City’s end of the year drive (the Tevez zings continue!) to win the league, this week has started out quiet, too quiet!

Unless you are “living under a rock” you would know that Manchester United and Chelsea drew 2-2 in their FA Cup quarterfinal match up. Even bigger news is the winner of that match will face City in the semifinals at Wembley.

Gareth Barry, Mr. Obvious, noted that City would most likely have to face one of these EPL giants in order to win the FA Cup for the second time in three years. If the Blues were to face Manchester United in the semifinals, it will be a rematch of the semifinal two years ago, where City beat Man U to advance to the final v. Stoke City. It will also give City a chance to end the Red Devil’s drive to winning both the EPL and FA Cup in one season.

Some positive news from the Etihad is that Captain Vinny is "close" to making a return to action. I would have to agree with RM, as he mentioned how recovery from a calf injury can take awhile. As I have mentioned in Rodwell’s case as well, it is better be 100% than coming back 85% ready. Leg injuries “ain’t nothin’ to f*** wit.”

In a bit of gossip from other teams around the league, Manchester United and Chelsea’s match starts us off! The high school preteen Benitez came out after the match and said that Fergie ignored the Chelsea manager’s pregame handshake. If I were Benitez I would have welcomed not having to shake his hand, but I’m completely biased ;).

And the final bit of gossip comes from the lower half of the EPL table as relegation fighting Reading has fired their manager Brian McDermott. Not to surprising that he got the “sack,” especially after suffering their fourth straight EPL loss, the firing was inevitable.

City has a big match this week against the always-troubling Everton, comes into the Etihad to try and upset the hot Citizens. Have a good week bitter and blue-er’s, and look out for the Wednesday Roundtable, it’s going to be a good one!

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