Tense Time for Stuart

There are likely to be more than a few anxious moments in January for Manchester City manager Stuart Pearce, because when the transfer window opens it’s odds on that he will receive serious enquiries from several clubs about three of his players – Joey Barton, Silvain Distin and young Micah Richards.

Barton has matured remarkably during the past year, both as a player and as a person, and it is widely believed that he could do a valuable job for one of the Premiership’s ‘big four’ clubs. The experienced Distain, who is having a tremendous season, is also in demand – along with Micah Richards whose rise to international honours in recent months has been nothing short of meteoric.