Manuel Pellegrini promises Manchester City will win trophies in style

Manuel Pellegrini, right, and the new signing Fernandinho meet the press at Manchester City's training ground. Photograph: Dave Thompson/AFP/Getty Images

Manuel Pellegrini, who has not won a major trophy in Europe, has been forced to defend his managerial record. The new Manchester City manager, who was presented to the media for the first time on Wednesday, promised a "different style" of football to his predecessor Roberto Mancini and stated he is unconcerned that Ferran Soriano, the chief executive, has revealed City's ambition is to win five trophies in five seasons.

In nine seasons in Europe, managing Villarreal, Real Madrid and his last club, Málaga, the Chilean could win only the Intertoto Cup – in 2004 at Villareal. Yet he did take Villareal to the Champions League semi-final in 2006, second and fifth place in La Liga, finished second with Real to Barcelona in 2010 with a record 96 points, and led Málaga into last season's European Cup quarter-finals. The 59-year-old, who signed a three-year deal, also claimed the league title in Ecuador with LDU Quito and in Argentina, when in charge of River Plate and San Lorenzo.

Asked why City fans should get behind him given his record, and with Mancini having won the FA Cup and Premier League, Pellegrini said: "I won a lot of trophies in South America. I think it is very difficult for Villarreal to win a title in Spain. It is very difficult for Villarreal to arrive in the quarter, semi-final of the Champions League, it's very difficult to arrive with Villarreal in the second place of the league, 10 points from Barcelona. That's my work with Villarreal. To win the titles it's impossible.

"After, in Real Madrid with 96 points, we played a whole year against a great Barcelona with [Pep] Guardiola [as coach] but we couldn't win the title in just one year. I am sure if I could continue at Real Madrid we could win a lot of trophies. And Málaga is exactly the same as Villarreal – you can't win the Champions League with Málaga or the [title]. But also it is very difficult to arrive with Málaga in the Champions League and to continue to the quarter-final. So for me with the strong squad we have in Manchester I am sure we can win trophies."

Of Soriano's ambition that City should win five trophies in the next five seasons, Pellegrini said: "Just five? I am not concerned about that. I will do my job here completely with Ferran, with Txiki [Begiristain, director of football] with Patrick Vieira also working with young players. We have to have a different style in the club and that is why I'm here.

"We will try to work and do our best and then we will see how many trophies. One of the important [factors why] I am here is the way my other teams always played. I think fans of Manchester City will see a different way to how they played in the other years. I am sure we are going to play an attractive game. We will always try to play in the opposition's [half], try to be an attacking team, do what all the other teams I worked with before did."

Pellegrini started his tenure in charge of Manchester United's great rivals by reminding the champions that his sides have previously bested them. "I have played against Manchester United twice in the Champions League with Villarreal, in both years we passed to the last 16 and Manchester United didn't so I have experience playing against United," he said. "I know that the most important thing for all the fans is to beat United and if I am here it is because I am sure we will do it This year, same as other years, Manchester City will be top of Manchester United – we will try, at least.

"For me it is exactly the same. We don't have a priority for one competition. We know we have to improve what Man City have done in the CL. But also the Premier League is important."

Pellegrini revealed he nearly took charge of City during the ownership of Thaksin Shinawatra, which ended in the summer of 2009. "I had chances to arrive before. One was to Manchester City but with the other owners, not these owners – one year before these owners bought the club. Liverpool, I was very near, after Real Madrid. It was not the right moment but now it is the right moment."

With Fernandinho and Jesús Navas joining City for a combined £47m Pellegrini confirmed there would be more signings. "We will see. I am not sure if they can arrive when we are in South Africa and Hong Kong [during the club's two and a half week tour]. We are not in a hurry. We have people and choices."

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Crystal Palace set to make £1.5m bid for Peter Odemwingie

It is understood that Peter Odemwingie's preference would be to remain in England. Photograph: Scott Heavey/Getty Images

Crystal Palace are expected to table a bid in the region of £1.5m for Peter Odemwingie on Thursday. West Bromwich Albion are keen to offload the Nigeria forward, who fell out of favour after a proposed move to Queens Park Rangers collapsed in January, although the Midlands club are hoping for a fee closer to £2.5m and would prefer to sell him overseas.

It is understood that Odemwingie's preference would be to remain in the Premier League, with Palace representing the best chance of that happening. The Fulham manager, Martin Jol, had considered trying to bring Odemwingie to Craven Cottage but it seems unlikely that his interest will translate into a formal offer.

Palace will almost certainly have to raise their bid for Odemwingie for Albion to do business, although with the transfer in everyone's best interests, it is likely a compromise will be reached.

The 31-year-old, who has 12 months remaining on his contract at The Hawthorns, has no future with Albion. He has been made to change in a separate dressing room to the rest of Albion's first-team squad while his training is restricted to individual work, away from the rest of the players.

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Sussex hit the top after Steve Magoffin repeats demolition of Somerset

Sussex's Steve Magoffin has taken 20 wickets against struggling Somerset this season. Photograph: Harry Engels/Getty Images

Steve Magoffin bowled Sussex to the top of the County Championship with a nine-wicket victory over Somerset at Taunton and then reflected on his extraordinary record against the cider county this season.

By claiming two of the final three Somerset second-innings wickets to fall after the hosts had begun day three on 197 for seven in their second innings, the 33-year-old Australian took his tally of victims against them in two Championship games to 20.

A return of four for 36 gave Magoffin match figures of eight for 101 to follow the 12 for 31 he claimed in the corresponding fixture at Horsham in May. "The ball has come out pretty well for me in two games and both happened to be against Somerset," said the modest Queenslander. "I guess opponents do think about it when you turn in a good performance, so perhaps I had a bit of a psychological advantage going into this match.

"The new ball, in particular, seamed around all through the game. And even when the shine went off, the pitch maintained good pace and carry."

Sussex were left with a victory target of only 91 after Magoffin had removed Alfonso Thomas and Jamie Overton, with Chris Jordan adding the wicket of Peter Trego as Somerset could add only 12 to their overnight score.

The visitors then knocked off the required runs for the loss of the opener Luke Wells, with Chris Nash hitting an unbeaten 61, including two straight sixes off George Dockrell, the second of them to finish the game.

Sussex took 23 points from the match to go 15 clear of second-placed Yorkshire, who have a game in hand, at the top of the First Division.

Somerset supporters are becoming increasingly anxious about the prospect of relegation a year after finishing runners-up in the Championship and it is a worry the captain, Marcus Trescothick, shares.

"Of course I am concerned about our position in the table," he said. "The quality of our four-day cricket is not good enough and we have to pick it up. The table doesn't lie. Our supporters are worried but they should understand that the players are hurting more than anyone. We are in the front line and need to make sure that relegation doesn't happen.

"This performance was not good enough and nor is my form at the moment. We all have to go away and work on quite a few things."

Trescothick admitted to making a mistake in batting first on a green Taunton pitch. And, with ducks in his last four innings, the 37-year-old former England opener is going through a rare trough in his illustrious career.

"I never expected the pitch to seam around as it did at the start of the game," he said. "I have to take it on the chin that losing the match was partly my fault."

Dockrell and the Sussex captain, Ed Joyce, joined the game at the start of the day following international duty with Ireland, whom they helped qualify for the 2015 World Cup with a tie in the Netherlands.

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Blackpool's Tom Ince drags his feet over proposed move to Cardiff City

Tom Ince celebrates one of his two goals for the England Under-21s in a 4-0 win over their Swedish counterparts last February. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA

Tom Ince has asked Cardiff City to give him until Friday to decide if he wants to join the newly promoted Premier League club.

Cardiff and Blackpool have agreed an £8m fee, rising to £8.5m, but Ince is still weighing up whether to commit his future to the Welsh club.

Ince travelled with his father, Paul, who is manager at Blackpool, to Cardiff on Monday to discuss the proposed move and get a feel for the club and the city. Cardiff felt that the talks were positive and had hoped that the England Under-21 international would agree to sign.

Ince, however, informed Cardiff on Wednesday that he has still not made up his mind. There is no indication that any other club are prepared to match Cardiff's offer for a player who will be out of contract in 12 months' time, meaning that Ince is likely to spend another season in the Championship with Blackpool if he turns down the chance to move to the Welsh capital.

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Super League to slim down to 12 teams at the end of next season

Danny Brough, left, scores for Huddersfield in last weekend's 22-16 win at Hull. The Giants are second in the table, and pushed for a 10-team format in Super League. Photograph: Lee Smith/Action Images

Super League will be cut to 12 teams at the end of next season, the clubs have confirmed.

Reorganisation of the domestic game took another step forward when the 14 Super League clubs finally ruled out a proposal to drop to 10 at their annual meeting in Bradford. It is thought just four clubs were in favour of keeping the option alive, with Huddersfield the only one to push strongly for it.

The clubs agreed last month to cut their number from 14 and ditch the current licensing system in favour of a restoration of promotion and relegation.

Now just two proposals remain up for debate. One is for two divisions of 12 with a straightforward system of promotion and relegation between the two.

The alternative is the option being pushed by the Rugby Football League which involves both Super League and a 12-team Championship being split after 23 rounds into three qualifying play-off groups of eight clubs.

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Fulham keep silent on reports that Mohamed Al Fayed may sell club

Mohamed Al Fayed bought Fulham for £6.25m in 1997. Photograph: Tony O'Brien/Action Images

Fulham are the subject of intense speculation that their owner, Mohamed Al Fayed, is in talks to sell the club to a foreign party.

Fulham would not comment on Wednesday over reports that Al Fayed was ready to end his 16-year spell at the west London club, where he has invested around £200m.

During Al Fayed's tenure Fulham have risen from the fourth tier to the Premier League although reports claim the 84-year-old is now ready to walk away after buying the club for £6.25m in 1997.

This year Al Fayed, who sold Harrods to Qatar Holdings for £1.5bn three years ago, converted £200m worth of loans he has paid to the club into equity, effectively making the club debt-free.

Meanwhile the Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer has signed a one-year contract with Chelsea, having left Fulham at the end of last season.

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Football quiz: guess the season

Today's questions will probably prompt a freak-out when you realise just how quickly time has flown by

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