Kudos to Mancini "takes blame for City's Defeat"

[gio's side step]

However, the real mistake last night was this. Liverpool are not a technically gifted side (other than Suarez). They are efficient, well coached, and fit. Anfield is perhaps the worst ground in the country to go as an away side - if you start poorly. I am not advocating a cautious performance here. Absolutely not. However, the first 10 minutes should have been about control. Taking the steam out of the game. Not allowing Liverpool to set a high tempo and keep the crowd reasonably quiet other than a few huffs and puffs. We do that by keeping posession, across the back four, into midfield, back again etc, as we did against Utd at Old Trafford, and then when the pass is on, move the ball out wide to Johnson. We rushed this, had poor retention, and allowed Liverpool to dominate the midfield in the first 10 minutes - and subsequently press us extremely high.

That's why De Jong was crucial incase that happened. And Silva because he would have occupied space between the lines, thus making Lucas and Spearing sit deeper - and giving us more space in midfield.

It was a season definining 30 minutes

Yeah, we started in an awful rush, it wasn't like us at all. We allowed Liverpool to set the tempo from the start, and couldn't deal with their high pressing - even as the game went on, Hart just punted the ball forward to bypass their pressure, rather than playing out from the back as we've done all season.

What most disappointed me most, though, was the lack of movement. Without Silva and Tevez, we don't seem to have anyone with the sense to drop off and find space - there were a few times when Barry or Yaya would get to the edge of Liverpool's final third, only to find MB, ED, AJ, JM lined up on the edge of their 18 yard box.

It's hard to debate this one tactically, as we were basically fucked after twenty minutes, but I would agree with Gio - the one thing that struck me was the need to slow the game down in the early stages. Very unlike us (we do have faults in our game, but this hasn't been one of them).

It baffled me to be perfectly honest. We should be the one team in the division in terms of form on this tactically, who were capable of making sure Liverpool did not set a high tempo. Whilst giving them credit in how hard they worked and pressed us, we never created any space to settle and composure ourselves in posession. I can't recall Kompany and Lescott having the ball at their feet for more than twice in the first half - in terms of being able to spread the play, allow Barry to come and pick it up off them. It was as you say, quite direct, and a lot of naive, emotionally unintelligent rushing, trying to subtly win the second ball with no intent. Very frustrating to watch, and you could see Liverpool's tempo increasing and us getting pushed back.

When Tevez went off, there was no defending from the front whatsoever. Dzeko and Balo very rarely split their centre halves and full backs, made it far to easy for them to play it into Lucas, - at one point in the first half, Carragher had the ball, and it was Yaya who was our furthest player forward pressing. Ridiculous.

Also, tactically naive - in the sense, that Johnson got fouled and Aurelio booked after 30 mins. That means, he is only one/two late fouls away from a sending off. As a result, we should have been patient in posession and isolated Johnson one and one more against Aurelio. With Boyata overlapping. This never happened more than a couple of ocassions. Aurelio as a result, never looked in danger of committing another foul

 

[Mancrobbo]

I bet not many top managers spend five mins in a corridor talking to the coaches when 3-0 down at anfield.

Mancini did. What must the players think when they're all sat there needing some direction and the clown is outside.

I'll say it again, fergie would win the league with our squad. Sad but true

I've been posting about him not going in the dressing room since I saw it with my own two eyes in this season's home derby, and been roundly abused and called a liar.

Fucking scandalous.

Allister Yeomans reported it on five live last. It happened at Chelsea too.

Could you see Mourinho doing that? Never is the answer

 

[lee-mcfc]

ofcourse he has to take the blame who else could he of pinned it on?.

 

[gio's side step]

I've been posting about him not going in the dressing room since I saw it with my own two eyes in this season's home derby, and been roundly abused and called a liar.

Fucking scandalous.

Allister Yeomans reported it on five live last. It happened at Chelsea too.

Could you see Mourinho doing that? Never is tba answer

That's the report Ive read about also. And that it was all conducted in Italian

 

[Gelsons Dad]

I am in a minority here - but I don't actually believe Mancini believes he made a mistake. I believe it was pure sport psychology. Take the heat off the players by directing attention towards him. And to some extent it's worked. The truth is - he did make mistakes. The players made mistakes. It's called collective responsibility. To merely absolve the players of blame and take credit for it himself is bollocks.

It appeared from the telly that he changed from 4-4-2 to the more typical 4-2-3-1 after Tevez went off, although I'd need that confirmed by someone who was there.

I wonder if he was pressured by Khaldoon to look at the playing style last week, hence the formation change. He stuck with it last night and the midfield got overrun.

So could it have actually been an expression of arrogance: "I made a mistake in not following my instincts"...?

It's certainly true that we started 442 but i thought we changed to 433. The formation was definitely the mistake as we were overrun in the middle. As for why he chose to start 442. Well that's anyones guess. I recon he's been reading your advice Didders.

 

[gio's side step]

It appeared from the telly that he changed from 4-4-2 to the more typical 4-2-3-1 after Tevez went off, although I'd need that confirmed by someone who was there.

I wonder if he was pressured by Khaldoon to look at the playing style last week, hence the formation change. He stuck with it last night and the midfield got overrun.

So could it have actually been an expression of arrogance: "I made a mistake in not following my instincts"...?

It's certainly true that we started 442 but i thought we changed to 433. The formation was definitely the mistake as we were overrun in the middle. As for why he chose to start 442. Well that's anyones guess. I recon he's been reading your advice Didders.

The mistake was not 4-4-2. It was the players in that system. De Jong is critical. And Silva is critical. Take the latter as a critical example. Milner offers nothing on the left. He doesn't have a football brain. Industrious yes, but not a top player. Add to that he is naive. He wants to play more centrally we all know that, but he isn't technically minded or tactically gifted to understand the nuances of fluid formations. As a result, he wasn't occupying space between the lines (of a 4-4-2 - cutting just inside from the left), rather he wandered around like a headless chicken. Silva would have done this better, and subsequently, made Lucas and Spearing sit deeper, and exposing a youth team player tactically

 

[Balti]

Allister Yeomans reported it on five live last. It happened at Chelsea too.

Could you see Mourinho doing that? Never is tba answer

That's the report Ive read about also. And that it was all conducted in Italian

very disappointed to hear that if true

explains alot

you can often see the manager in the team. if the manager wants belief, aggression, desire in his team then that comes from the top down in my book

not platts frickin notebook

 

[Didsbury Dave]

It's certainly true that we started 442 but i thought we changed to 433. The formation was definitely the mistake as we were overrun in the middle. As for why he chose to start 442. Well that's anyones guess. I recon he's been reading your advice Didders.

The mistake was not 4-4-2. It was the players in that system. De Jong is critical. And Silva is critical. Take the latter as a critical example. Milner offers nothing on the left. He doesn't have a football brain. Industrious yes, but not a top player. Add to that he is naive. He wants to play more centrally we all know that, but he isn't technically minded or tactically gifted to understand the nuances of fluid formations. As a result, he wasn't occupying space between the lines (of a 4-4-2 - cutting just inside from the left), rather he wandered around like a headless chicken. Silva would have done this better, and subsequently, made Lucas and Spearing sit deeper, and exposing a youth team player tactically

That's it in a nutshell, as I'm posting on another thread where the blame is being laid squarely at my door ;-).

It was the personel not the system which was the problem. I started getting texts from the minute the team was announced about it. Every blue I know saw this problem.

So why didn't Mancini? Last night beggars belief. I've thought he was incompetant for a long time but even I was shocked.

And De Jong on for Balotelli? Why?!?!?!?!?!?

 

[malkie]

Tactically naive , a phrase used all too often where Mancini is concerned, however last nights performance was far worse than that, tactically clueless would be more accurate.
Seriously, given the funds that Mancini has had at his disposal the avergage man in the street would make a better fist of things than he has "managed" so far.
The way the team played last night it looked to me that there is a fundimental issue, they looked like 11 strangers, not briefed, ill prepared and not in any way motivated. Then Mancini comes along a confesses its all his fault....too right it is.
We need the right man for this project, I hope to see him in place ready for next season.

 

[HellasLEAF]

I thought the same thing as the OP. I have my issues with Mancini but it was an intelligent decision to state the blame was his in the post game interview.