Wed, Jan 03, 2007 page19

• Pearce plans trip to the Netherlands to get inside Georgios Samaras' head

  • AFP
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  Stuart Pearce is planning a return trip to the Netherlands as he endeavors to find a way of bringing the best out of Georgios Samaras.

  The Manchester City manager spent ?5.5 million (US$10.7 million) when he signed the Greek international from Herenveen 12 months ago but things have not always gone according to plan for Samaras in the time since.

  He has struggled for form but after jumping off the bench to score both goals in City's 2-1 win over Everton on New Year's Day, Samaras suggested he is finally coming to terms with the demands of the Premiership.

  

  Manchester City's Georgios Samaras celebrates after scoring from the penalty spot against Everton during their English Premier League soccer match in Manchester, England, on Monday.

  PHOTO: AP

  That, however, will not deter Pearce from going on an educational visit to watch a number of games in the Eredivise to see if he can pick up a few pointers on bringing the best out of the giant striker.

  "George is a 21-year-old playing in the Premier League for the first time in his life," said Pearce, whose side have now won three consecutive games to sit 10th in the table.

  "He can be a handful sometimes or other occasions he is just as likely to trip over the ball. He is a young man, trying to learn his trade in the hardest league in the world. He has great ability," he said.

  "That's why it is probably important for me to go back to Holland and watch the environment he has come from and learn a few things myself. In some ways, he has come on and turned the game for us. He has got fantastic aptitude," Pearce said.

  "Things in Holland are completely different. In England, maybe we have got to get on to his wavelength a bit more. We can't just expect him to get on the end of things and in some ways, he likes to play like an old fashioned No. 10," he said.

  "It's important for me to help nurture him and understand what he is about but in other ways I'm going to have to say `hey, this is what we want too. Can he give us a little bit more?'" Pearce said.

  Pearce, meanwhile, rubbished suggestions he is preparing to cash in on 18-year-old defender Micah Richards, who has been frequently linked with an ?18 million move to Chelsea.

  The City manager insists he is only concerned with boosting the numbers in his ranks, although he does not envisage that being an easy task

  "I'm not a great reader of the media," Pearce said. "But there was a story this morning that was just blatant lies, not even speculation. Rubbish. He's fantastically happy here, so is Joey Barton, so is Sylvain Distin. What we want to do is bring players in. They are not going to get their heads turned about what they read in the papers."

  "There is not a lot of money sloshing around and any cash that we do get will be coming from the chairman's pocket. I would be pleased if we could bring one or two players in," Pearce said.

  "We are acutely aware of how we need to drive this club forward and how we need to improve ourselves," he said.
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