The pre-season revelation that is Jo - a surprise dash for the twenty-five?

As is typical of any pre-season campaign, this one has been full of experiments: of formation, of players, of youth. So despite all the worries that have surfaced about City's performances (excluding yesterday's display), there is never any need to place too great an importance on the results.

As my dad said yesterday, the two teams with the worst pre-season form, City and Chelsea, could well be numbers one and two in the league this season! In recent days I saw a post on the Bluemoon Forum that reminded people of 1995. In our pre-season tour of Scandinavia and Germany that summer we won every game, and our world-beating performances filled everyone with confidence for the season ahead... We were relegated.

So, if there is not too much to be taken from the results, the big surprise of this pre-season has been the regular inclusion and success of City's forgotten man, Jo. Whatever happens with the ins and outs before September comes, our previous record signing has come off pre-season with the distinction of being top-goalscorer. Goals against Portland Timbers, New York Red Bulls, Borussia Dortmund, Valencia and a cool penalty in the shoot-out against Club America has left him looking like our most prolific striking option beyond Carlos Tevez.

Whether this is the eventual maturing of the party-loving layabout that had to be sent on loan in the interests of 'dressing room harmony', or just the fruits of a desire to work himself into the shop window, will be seen in the coming weeks or months - but a seeming change of attitude would be enough, at the very least, for us to get more out of what has been ranked up with the biggest of transfer flops.

On the evidence of pre-season, his movement inside the box is intelligent and his eye for goal is sharper than I remember it. Maybe, just maybe, Jo has decided to knuckle down and try to be part of what is happening at Manchester City, rather than wasting his young career on the basis of the good early reputation that earned him his Brazil caps and a big money move.

If, as seems likely, Roque Santa Cruz is to leave the club and Mario Balotelli is to arrive, there are grounds for him being included in the twenty-five. The bonus of Balotelli is his age - he is twenty this week and therefore would not need to be registered for the season. If we go on the basis of two players for every position, having Adebayor and Balotelli for the centre-forward role would leave a space for another player to be registered. Not many incoming players would accept being the third in line for one position (especially considering Tevez, Bellamy or a number of youngsters could also be moved in to lead the line), so Jo, with goals on his side and a point to prove, could be the man.

If there aren't any additions beyond Milner and Balotelli, I would not be overly surprised to see Jo included in the first twenty-five (that is before it is allowed to be re-adjusted in January) - and hopefully he can start repaying some of the lost years with a few Cup and European goals!