Exeter Blue I am here wrote:
Not a cat in hell's chance with the current manager and imbalanced squad, and here's why:
1) It took 4 months for sides to work out how to play against us, ie 8 men behind the ball and harry our midfield. We amassed 45 points in 18 games before this realisation became public knowledge. Since, we've managed just 26 in our last 14. Translate this latter form across an entire season (and let's face it, opposition teams are not going to suddenly forget what they've learned) and we're looking at around 71 points. That wouldn't be enough to finish in the top 4 never mind win the league.
2) 2 wins in 10 away games, and those two courtesy only of truly snivelling surrenders by Villa and Wigan. Failed to score in 6 of them.
3) European incompetence. With both Inter and City, Mancini has won just 3 of 16 away games in Europe and 2 of those were against a Villareal youth team shorn of 12 first choice players and Salzburg Red Bulls, little more than a Championship side. Given that CL money is integral to our future under FFP, I can't imagine the owners will be inspired by this record.
4) Judgement. 23m wasted on Balotelli, 28m wasted on Dzeko, 24m wasted on Milner, 16m wasted on Kolarov etc etc. Would you want any of them in the trenches with you? Chuck in Adebayor and Tevez, who both have to go for obvious reasons, and the hugely overrated Johnson, and it's clear the squad needs fairly major surgery.
5) Tactics. One paced tippy tap, reliant on full backs for width, is all we have. I have heard or seen nothing from Mancini to suggest he even acknowledges our desperate need for width, pace and players that can whip in an accurate cross. In fact, almost the opposite, as he greets every impotent, toothless defeat with a load of old bunko about how "we created lots of chances and deed not deserve to lose thees".
6) The ongoing folly of trusting Balotelli. A footballing fraud, who plays the game entirely for himself and not for Manchester City. Mancini's biggest mistake.
7) FFP - those expecting a big summer spend aren't going to get it, unless we sell big to generate funds. Balotelli, Adebayor and Tevez have to go for obvious reasons, and personally I'd chuck in Johnson, the abominable Savic and maybe Dzeko. Whatever, the first 5 named there might raise us 60m, although given the global recession that may be wishful thinking. We'd need to make that money go a long way. 2 forwards, 2 wingers, a genuinely mobile box to box midfielder and a quality back up centre half.
If we can get Mourinho then the title could be ours, although there are no guarantees. Stick with Mancini and we will win nowt. He's taken us as far as he can. And I say that as someone who likes Mancini and hates Mourinho
This sums it up perfectly. It won't be acknowledged as such because many think you should stick with a manager for the simple reason that Ferguson was given time.
We could easily have a situation where we lose 3 if not all of our forwards next season. Tevez will go and rightly so after what he did, balotelli surely has to go. Dzeko isn't good enough unless we buy Bale and Chamberlain and even then is no better than Adebayor and Aguero is wanted by Madrid so who knows.
Mancini's points per game in our last 20 games is no better than last season.
What he did leaving Balotelli on yesterday was poor management and bringing Tevez on with 7 minutes to go in a game we needed to win madness.
I will be forever grateful to him for the FA cup win but his record this season is poor and after the fantastic start we had, to win nothing is a poor return.
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