The January transfer window is almost upon us and talk at this stage is about who will leave the club, rather than any signings that Roberto Mancini may make.

I'll leave this post open throughout the month to post any links, news, rumours or confirmed signings.

Comment away...

Per The Guardian:

"This was the right time for me to join a club like QPR. "The manager obviously played a massive factor in my decision to come here. I've worked with him before and he always wants players around him who are open and honest.

"He wouldn't have come here if he didn't believe that there was a squad of players here that can achieve the goals he has.

"The ambition of the owners was really appealing. This is my club now and I'll give everything to help us succeed."

Having failed to ever really establish himself at the club for any great length, Onouha found himself fall even further down the pecking order under Roberto Mancini (something I wrote about previously here). Onouha had his most productive spell at City under Mark Hughes (before he spent big on Kolo Toure and Joleon Lescott) and looking at the incumbents in the QPR squad should immediately slot in to the side - although it will be interesting to see if Hughes utilises him at right back or centre back.

Onouha has always seemed to crave an opportunity for regular football and although currently at the wrong end of the Premier League table, there is potential for QPR to make progress and it could be the ideal move for Onouha to finally make good on his undoubted promise.

Having got used to the feel of Wembley in recent times City missed their opportunity to make a return there for what would have been a fourth visit in just nine months. Instead it is Liverpool who will make there visit to the stadium in its new guise (and first in total since back in 1996) as City found the one goal deficit from the first leg a step too far to overcome.

Over the course of the two legs it is difficult to argue a case against saying Liverpool deserved the victory, in truth shading both games and looking the more threatening side at Anfield - despite lacking at times the clinical touch or finish that has plauged their Premier League campaign.

Roberto Mancini sprang somewhat of a surprise with his starting line-up, opting for three central defenders (used to good effect during part of the game at The Etihad Stadium) which saw Sergio Aguero drop to the bench. At times against Liverpool this season City have struggled in the central midfield areas and rather than a move simply to bolster numbers in this area the design may have been more around utilising the full-backs (in a higher position) to create more width and stretch the play.

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The teams are in as City bid to overturn the one goal deficit from Liverpool's 1-0 victory at The Etihad Stadium a fortnight ago.

In somewhat of a surprise, Roberto Mancini has not started with Sergio Aguero, instead bringing in Aleksandar Kolarov to bolster the midfield numbers whilst Nigel de Jong returns to the side in place of James Milner:

#MCFC team to face @LFC - Hart, Richards, Savic, Lescott, Zabaleta, De Jong, Barry, Silva, Kolarov, Nasri, Dzeko #CarlingCup

— Manchester City FC (@MCFC) January 25, 2012

LIVERPOOL: Reina, Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Enrique, Gerrard, Henderson, Adam, Downing, Kuyt, Bellamy #mcfc

— Stuart Brennan (@StuBrennanMEN) January 25, 2012

Comment away...

Per The Guardian:

Balotelli has until 6pm on Wednesday to respond. Should the 21-year-old accept the FA charge he will automatically serve a four-match suspension, having already been dismissed once this season, for two bookable offences in the Premier League draw at Liverpool in November. That would rule him out of Wednesday's Carling Cup semi-final second leg at Anfield, where City must overcome a 1-0 first leg deficit to reach Wembley, and league games against Everton, Fulham and Aston Villa.

It was highly likely that Balotelli was set to face an FA charge regardless, but once the firestorm circled around him post-game then there was a real sense of inevitably that he would face retrospective action.

The merits of the FA's disciplinary procedures aside (this is a debate in itself) it is extremely difficult to argue against the decision. Whilst there are certainly angles from the TV replays that are less conclusive (and may assist in any appeal) the main replay that has been used does look damning; the motion of Balotelli's right leg not akin to a natural movement in such a situation but more a motion of kicking out at Scott Parker.

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My take on the game is here and below are some of the key numbers from the victory: