mancity1 said:
Andouble said:
I always wonder why people post such brief potential-ITK posts like the one above. Do ITK's think that the people that read this forum will in 5 months go, 'wow I remember when _______ hinted at something like that half a year ago, I should pay closer attention to what he says in the future' ?
There is a strong consensus amongst the press that if RM doesn't land the title this season he will be gone in the summer.
Personally I think that's quite absurd and extremely short sighted and smacks of Roman A disease but who knows it might occur.
He has targets and one of them may be to land the title in his second full year in charge.
As for PB's funny things I am sure he will elaborate in this thread shortly.
The press have consistently got our owners wrong.
The biggest football story of 2008 was the ADUG takeover of City. What did the press report in the 3 months before the takeover? Not a word of it. The stories of the day, you may remember, were Barry to Liverpool (which didnt happen) and Ronalso to Real (which also didnt happen - at least not that year). Top work, newshounds.
Since the takeover, various pundits and hacks have said that City was the Sheikh's toy and he would get bored and get rid before too long. Seen what's going on around Eastlands? Ain't gonna happen.
Then the press started last season by saying Mancini would be out by Christmas. In fact, we only missed out on being top at Christmas by losing to bluedippers. The 'Mancini will win the sack race' slunk away quietly into the night, and we won our first trophy in 35 years.
Now, the story of the month is that Mourinho is falling out with Real, so guess what? That's right, City are being linked with him. But given that under RM e've been top since October and have been scoring goals for fun whilst being miserly in defence, that looks a bit stupid. So the story becomes 'RM axed unless he wins league' which makes us look like Chelsea with a bad hangover.
Any sensible appraisal of the calm, dignified, respectful humility of our owners and Abu-Dhabi based board representatives on the one hand, alongside the arrogant, brutish, sneering contempt which is Mourinho's trademark, would lead most fair minded people to think there are real questions about whether the Royal Family of Abu Dhabi and the UAE would want Mourinho as the most visible figure in their (arguably) most visible product. Mourinho, the face of the Abu Dhabi Royal Family? I don't think so.
But that doesn't stop the press.
Also, unless we have a mare for the next 3 months (no evidence to suggest that) if we don't win the league it will be because we will be pipped to the post by the rags and the rags alone: in a season in which we have had our principal striker from last season on strike, we have been hampered (still) in recruitment by the ridiculous wages we are contracted to pay to the dead wood we have not yet offloaded, we have lost key players to suspensions (unjustifiably) and ACON, and we have had two months worth of dodgy decisions. We have missed out on a probable trophy (CC) by virtue of two dodgy penalty decisions at anfield and an unjustified sending-off which meant VK was not available for the first leg.
The key word when Hughes was axed was 'trajectory'. I think the trajectory of the club since Mancini took over is clear, and I think ADUG would need exceptionally valid reasons for giving up and starting again with a fresh manager, fresh team, wholesale changes in playing staff etc if we happen to miss out on the title by three points.
Papers need to fill space to sell copies. RM out/Mourinho in is good copy.
Nothing more.
