Whenever the time comes, it will be a sad day when Mancini leaves Manchester City - I may even shed a tear.
We have to remember that, as fans, we owe a lot to Mancini because he has delivered the dreams that we have had for more than a generation, but delivering those particular dreams is not enough to stay. Our dreams have been reset and changed while the standards we expected have been increased. Mancini has raised his own bar higher than he can reach.
After calming down, I think because of what Mancini has delivered he deserves one more chance - and that one chance is to claw back the title from this position. But is clawing back the league from this position just papering over cracks? As Gary Neville said, problems cannot be erased in six weeks - and they certainly weren't solved during the summer.
Just like some players in our squad - Lescott, Barry, Kolarov to name three - Mancini has done his job of making us a successful domestic team in the way Hughes, Bellamy, Adebayor and Onuoha did their job of making us challengers for the top four. And just like Hughes, Bellamy, Adebayor and Onuoha, there are people at the club that need to be moved on for us to take the next step.
I just never thought Mancini would be one of the people moving on, but I fear that it has to happen. Mancini has to be given the lethal injection and sent on his way. Like I said, it will be a sad day when the most successful manager we've had since Joe Mercer walks out through the doors of the Etihad, never to return, but football is cruel, success is cruel and we must raise the standards to succeed in football.
Watching Mancini at City at the moment is like watching a long-term relationship breaking down: you know that you can do better without it, but it's where you go afterwards that is the greatest fear because of how much you've done together and the memories you've shared.
Thank you, Sir Bobby. Take a bow, you are a legend and you deserve my biggest thanks, and I want you to be the man we lift the Champions' League with for what you've done for my football team, but when I see us lifting the European Cup, I do not see you celebrating with us. Our manager in that image does not have a face, but I know for certain it is not you.
Thanks.