Is Mancini Going Crazy?

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

He didn't criticize Dzeko, just the usual media twisting of comments.

He definitely said that Dzeko needs to improve.

He's dead right, he does need to improve. I expected five or six goals by now. Christ, he's been here nearly as long as some of our supporters.

 

[samharris]

He definitely said that Dzeko needs to improve.

He's dead right, he does need to improve. I expected five or six goals by now. Christ, he's been here nearly as long as some of our supporters.

drum roll please.. ta boom tish.

 

[GStar]

So basically, 'Dave' is like most of us, played at grass roots, got involved a bit in the backroom (at grass roots) watches City. A lot.

No more qualified than the rest of us, yet the looking down the nose at everyone and stating "well my mates in the pub afterwards agreed with me" or "the majority of City fans i know, who go home and away, agree".

Let's be honest, look around you at the games, it's not football coaches and intelects that follow football; it's generally a lot of single pissed up bald headed men (i think Blue Moon Rising used actors to fit the stereotype a little too well!)

In short, most of us don't know what the fuck we're talking about; we'd like to see A,B,C but we don't even think how it affects X,Y,Z.

Which is fine, this is a forum, its about opinions. But when it comes to footballing topics, there really isn't any need for this self flaunting, arrogant attempted swagger, imo.

 

[Gaylord du Bois]

By the way Billy, I'll admit that you're much better than Dave for this, and have very little problem with you outside of the talking parrot routine that you have with the Mighty One.

BOOM!!!!

The king takes his first real shot...

I'll take it Billy, if you don't mind.

Forgive me if I miss anything, Madders, because your was a long post.

My experience of football, first of all. Played the game for my whole life until my 30s. At school level, university level then amateur level. Centre half for most of the time. Spend two summers as a paid football coach abroad when a student. Watched City home and away since the late 70s. Oh, and with regards to people management, I've managed lots of staff for 15 years and do right now as I own a business. Not football management, but not wholly dissimilar, especially sales staff.

I'll bat that one back and ask your experience, if you don't mind.

The gist of your question is where are City going wrong.

First of all, we are a club who has been mismanaged from the top for decades. Our recent history has been chequered by constant envious glances over the road. Now suddenly we have the key to the door. WE have untold riches. So lets start the story back in 2008 when this happened.

MArk Hughes was not a good enough manager for a club with a pot of gold. He started with a 4-3-3, with Ireland as playmaker, and went to 4-4-2 in his second season to incorporate Carlos Tevez. His signings were overpriced but he got more right than wrong. But he was ridid in his thinking, he didn't make changes on the fly and he was too arrogant. His man to man marking didn't work and he was unable to prevent us leaking goals. He should have been sacked i the close season of 08=09 ut the Sheikh was too loyal. He got it wrong.

Mancini came forward 14 months ago. He was third choice of the board but promised behind the scenes that he would prove himself in 6 months and get us in the CL. He immediately went zonal and shored us up well. But the players didn't like him and didn't like his new tactics. He varied systems but the gist was always two holding midfielders playing deep. He wasn't afraid to change systems mid-game back then and did it regularly. But it took him a while to get to know his players and he made a number of mistakes: some bizarre substitutions (IReland off for Etuhu on 70 mins at 0-0 v Lierpool springs to mind), Bellamy's form dipped as we stopped breaking quick - which is what Bellamy needs. Ade found himself increasingly recieving the ball with his back to goal -s omething which he is not good at.

5th was a disappointment as were the cup exits. We were too "Italian" in the biggest games of the season and it cost us dear. Utd stretched us and got behind us. When we attacked them they rocked but we didn't do it enough.

This season there were reasons for optimism. After experimenting pres-season we went with 4-2-3-1 which we've stuck with all season. With this formation we can hold teams or go at them, depending on the midfield. We looked solid at the back from the off but we all felt we would be stronger when Kolorv and Boateng were fit. This proved not to be the case and we still don't know our best back 4. Kompany is a dead cert, but his aprtner sould be either LEscott if we are facing an aeriel battle or Kolo if facing it on the ground. Kolorov is looking like a poor signing and Boaateng looks a centre half which give us a big formation problem:

To play without width, in the 4-2-3-1, or the diamond midfield formation, both of which are the best ones for Silva and Tevez, as "hole players", you need attacking fullbacks. We havent' got them.

Which brings me to the bigger problem. Our matchwinners are AJ who is injured, Silva and Tevez. The need the same space to play in. But Yaya is oocupying that space as the attacking midfielder. He's a square peg ina round hole there.

Of course we could go 4-4-2. But the reason it is out of fashion, in favour of the 4-2-3-1, is that teams, and City, want to dominate the midfield. So we're stuck between a rock and a hard place. We want to dominate the midfield, and that means we dominate posession, but our lack of overlapping fullbacks and width means all our play is concerntrated through the middle. The slow, passing, Italian approach allows teams to defend deep and frustrate us. It is easier to break fdown these teams by getting behind them rather than through them, There is an imbalance in our squad, especially with AJ injured, which means this is hard for us.

I could go on all day but on balance we have a great squad of players who are not being played to the best of their ability in a system and style they don't really believe in. I think the pace of change at City means we need a leader of men to inspire these players, to make them believe the vision and to instil the "winning mentality".

There are some positives and some progression, but it's stalling and I believe there will be great concerns at board level at the way this season is moving. To not qualify for CL would be a disaster. I think the target for Mancini is higher than this.

I tell you what, I'll go one step further. I don't hink he'll be at City next season. I don't think he's got to grips with English football, I don't think he inspires the dressing room and I think he's a detirmined tactician with a questionable back room staff and not enough "X FActor" to take this team to glory.

Your turn now, dont forget to start with your credentials. And please expand on your comments yesterday about SWP playing on the left ;-)

Try salt around the door.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

So basically, 'Dave' is like most of us, played at grass roots, got involved a bit in the backroom (at grass roots) watches City. A lot.

No more qualified than the rest of us, yet the looking down the nose at everyone and stating "well my mates in the pub afterwards agreed with me" or "the majority of City fans i know, who go home and away, agree".

Let's be honest, look around you at the games, it's not football coaches and intelects that follow football; it's generally a lot of single pissed up bald headed men (i think Blue Moon Rising used actors to fit the stereotype a little too well!)

In short, most of us don't know what the fuck we're talking about; we'd like to see A,B,C but we don't even think how it affects X,Y,Z.

Which is fine, this is a forum, its about opinions. But when it comes to footballing topics, there really isn't any need for this self flaunting, arrogant attempted swagger, imo.

Thanks for the "advice" but you can keep it.

I have an opinion, I post it on here, plenty agree, plenty don't.

That's the top and bottom of it. You don't "swagger" on a forum, you post. That's all it is.

If you don't like my style then ignore me.

 

[GStar]

It's not advice, it was my opinion. I've defended you before, infact i've gone on another forum before to do just that, as you well know.

It would be nice if you've practised as you preached then. Post your opinion, don't belittle others then run off hand in hand with Billy for a while when we win a couple on the bounce.

I used to join in your threads every week, they were the one place where decent debate about football took place, they've not been as good since Mancini took over though, which is a shame.

 

[JoeMercer'sWay]

Kolarov poor? I've heard it all now...

 

[Didsbury Dave]

It's not advice, it was my opinion. I've defended you before, infact i've gone on another forum before to do just that, as you well know.

It would be nice if you've practised as you preached then. Post your opinion, don't belittle others then run off hand in hand with Billy for a while when we win a couple on the bounce.

I used to join in your threads every week, they were the one place where decent debate about football took place, they've not been as good since Mancini took over though, which is a shame.

I'm on Bluemoon whether we win or lose.

With regards to my threads, maybe, just maybe, I'm frustrated as hell with certain things at the club. And certain attitudes amongst some fans.

Plenty of people still like my threads and I have an inblox full of PMs to prove it.

Truth is, some of you don't like the fact that all's not rosy in my blue garden.

 

[SWP's back]

It's not advice, it was my opinion. I've defended you before, infact i've gone on another forum before to do just that, as you well know.

It would be nice if you've practised as you preached then. Post your opinion, don't belittle others then run off hand in hand with Billy for a while when we win a couple on the bounce.

I used to join in your threads every week, they were the one place where decent debate about football took place, they've not been as good since Mancini took over though, which is a shame.

I'm on Bluemoon whether we win or lose.

With regards to my threads, maybe, just maybe, I'm frustrated as hell with certain things at the club. And certain attitudes amongst some fans.

Plenty of people still like my threads and I have an inblox full of PMs to prove it.

Truth is, some of you don't like the fact that all's not rosy in my blue garden.

Plus you are certainly not needy.

 

[samharris]

So basically, 'Dave' is like most of us, played at grass roots, got involved a bit in the backroom (at grass roots) watches City. A lot.

No more qualified than the rest of us, yet the looking down the nose at everyone and stating "well my mates in the pub afterwards agreed with me" or "the majority of City fans i know, who go home and away, agree".

Let's be honest, look around you at the games, it's not football coaches and intelects that follow football; it's generally a lot of single pissed up bald headed men (i think Blue Moon Rising used actors to fit the stereotype a little too well!)

In short, most of us don't know what the fuck we're talking about; we'd like to see A,B,C but we don't even think how it affects X,Y,Z.

Which is fine, this is a forum, its about opinions. But when it comes to footballing topics, there really isn't any need for this self flaunting, arrogant attempted swagger, imo.

he's just being himself.