NdJ speaks up again

Something that Nigel de Jong is really very good at - along with his bulldozer tackles and sideways passes (not a criticism, by the way) - is saying stuff the fans like to hear. And we get another big dollop of this in Thursday's papers:

In the Independent:

"The city is blue already. I was amazed by that," De Jong said. "But now also on the expectation side and performance side, it can be blue, too. Manchester City are making a point that nothing is impossible. We can buy whoever we want and just go for the best players in the league and compete. I hope we can be the dominant team."

And in The Sun:

"Carlos is one of those people who is fighting for every inch on the pitch. He did it for United and I'm happy he's with us now.

"He can help us as a 12th man. There are not many strikers who do that, but he is one.

"It's important to have that steel, that fighting mentality. It's what Manchester City stands for, that fighting spirit."

We heard a lot of this before the derby, before seeing a very limp performance. Let's hope actions follow words for this Saturday's Vodacom Challenge final.