Mancini Interview BBC

[K-Bo]

City's football last year was awful, we couldn't score and basically all our top players were under-performing. Mancini can't take credit for this season at all IMO. They're his signings, but to a man they are all improved under Pellegrini, at the very least from last season.

 

[birchwoodgingerste]

I respect the man and thank him for bringing in such players as the ones he mentioned. However, fact is, these very same players are playing world class football under a totally different manager. Van Persie was the reason for us losing our title? Does he really believe that? Do you? Wish him all the best, but that doesn't wash with me :)

Then maybe you don't do common sense.
Because Van Persie scored 31 goals for the rags, and without those goals they would have finished mid-table rather than champions.

People have very short memories. "These same players are playing world class football under a totally different manager." What the hell are you going on about? Don't be blinded by scoring lots of goals. Let's take a look at the points totals after 22 games in the last 3 seasons:

2011/2012 54 points
2012/2013 48 points
2013/2014 50 points

Last season was seen as an absolute disaster by many on here, and this season we are "world class." Despite the fact we only have 2 more points on the board at the same stage of the season! The season we won the title, we actually had 4 more points at this stage. But now we're world class! lol.

And please spare me the "stats don't mean anything" shite. When it comes to points on the board, that's the only stat that matters in football. More important than goals and goalscoring records, the amount of wins, and points is really all it boils down to.

Scoring 7 at home to Norwich doesn't excuse losing to Cardiff, Aston Villa and Sunderland.

We are really entertaining to watch this year, and I'm enjoying all the goals as much as anyone. But after 22 games in the season we won the title, I was utterly convinced we would win the league, I couldn't see how anyone could possibly stop us. We were solid as a rock at the back, dominant in midfield, and ruthless up front.

This season I can't say the same. Ruthless up front yes, but leaky at the back and vulnerable in midfield. It's between us and Chelsea, and if I had to pick now I'd possibly sway towards Chelsea because Mourinho is a proven winner and knows what it takes to win the title.

Mancini changed the history of this club, and for people to dismiss him now because we won a 9-0 on aggregate against an appalling West Ham, is very short sighted.

The stats point to the prem being a tighter league this season not that we are any worse of than the title winning season simples.

 

[mancity111]

I respect the man and thank him for bringing in such players as the ones he mentioned. However, fact is, these very same players are playing world class football under a totally different manager. Van Persie was the reason for us losing our title? Does he really believe that? Do you? Wish him all the best, but that doesn't wash with me :)

Then maybe you don't do common sense.
Because Van Persie scored 31 goals for the rags, and without those goals they would have finished mid-table rather than champions.

People have very short memories. "These same players are playing world class football under a totally different manager." What the hell are you going on about? Don't be blinded by scoring lots of goals. Let's take a look at the points totals after 22 games in the last 3 seasons:

2011/2012 54 points
2012/2013 48 points
2013/2014 50 points

Last season was seen as an absolute disaster by many on here, and this season we are "world class." Despite the fact we only have 2 more points on the board at the same stage of the season! The season we won the title, we actually had 4 more points at this stage. But now we're world class! lol.

And please spare me the "stats don't mean anything" shite. When it comes to points on the board, that's the only stat that matters in football. More important than goals and goalscoring records, the amount of wins, and points is really all it boils down to.

Scoring 7 at home to Norwich doesn't excuse losing to Cardiff, Aston Villa and Sunderland.

We are really entertaining to watch this year, and I'm enjoying all the goals as much as anyone. But after 22 games in the season we won the title, I was utterly convinced we would win the league, I couldn't see how anyone could possibly stop us. We were solid as a rock at the back, dominant in midfield, and ruthless up front.

This season I can't say the same. Ruthless up front yes, but leaky at the back and vulnerable in midfield. It's between us and Chelsea, and if I had to pick now I'd possibly sway towards Chelsea because Mourinho is a proven winner and knows what it takes to win the title.

Mancini changed the history of this club, and for people to dismiss him now because we won a 9-0 on aggregate against an appalling West Ham, is very short sighted.

What we do in the next 16 games is all that matters.

4 possibly 5 teams to go down to wire it could well be.

Pointless to compare managers / playing styles in a my manager is better than your shindig.

All I can say is I have delighted with the way we have performed since the new owners came to pass.

Long may it continue.

 

[supercity88]

I respect the man and thank him for bringing in such players as the ones he mentioned. However, fact is, these very same players are playing world class football under a totally different manager. Van Persie was the reason for us losing our title? Does he really believe that? Do you? Wish him all the best, but that doesn't wash with me :)

Then maybe you don't do common sense.
Because Van Persie scored 31 goals for the rags, and without those goals they would have finished mid-table rather than champions.

People have very short memories. "These same players are playing world class football under a totally different manager." What the hell are you going on about? Don't be blinded by scoring lots of goals. Let's take a look at the points totals after 22 games in the last 3 seasons:

2011/2012 54 points
2012/2013 48 points
2013/2014 50 points

Last season was seen as an absolute disaster by many on here, and this season we are "world class." Despite the fact we only have 2 more points on the board at the same stage of the season! The season we won the title, we actually had 4 more points at this stage. But now we're world class! lol.

And please spare me the "stats don't mean anything" shite. When it comes to points on the board, that's the only stat that matters in football. More important than goals and goalscoring records, the amount of wins, and points is really all it boils down to.

Scoring 7 at home to Norwich doesn't excuse losing to Cardiff, Aston Villa and Sunderland.

We are really entertaining to watch this year, and I'm enjoying all the goals as much as anyone. But after 22 games in the season we won the title, I was utterly convinced we would win the league, I couldn't see how anyone could possibly stop us. We were solid as a rock at the back, dominant in midfield, and ruthless up front.

This season I can't say the same. Ruthless up front yes, but leaky at the back and vulnerable in midfield. It's between us and Chelsea, and if I had to pick now I'd possibly sway towards Chelsea because Mourinho is a proven winner and knows what it takes to win the title.

Mancini changed the history of this club, and for people to dismiss him now because we won a 9-0 on aggregate against an appalling West Ham, is very short sighted.

This is a valid argument, and one I agree with. Pellegrini has to convert our play and style into trophies or we will look back as what could have been and history will forget us. My annoyance is that Mancini still drags up one point of argument on why we lost the title. Van Persie. And that is not true. Whilst Mancini helped us build a great side, he also was unable/unwilling to manage within financial constraints and was all to ready to play the victim and the defeatest in light of missing out on one player, who actually wanted to go to the rags over us. Whilst his goals were important, they didnt help the rags to anymore points than they achieved without him. It was our loss of form and lack of improvement that led to us losing out on the league title.

 

[br62]

City's football last year was awful, we couldn't score and basically all our top players were under-performing. Mancini can't take credit for this season at all IMO. They're his signings, but to a man they are all improved under Pellegrini, at the very least from last season.

You make a very good point in how so many players have upped their level of performance under Pellegrini.

 

[Dipsis_LTU_MC]

I appreciate Mancini for making Yaya from a defensive holding midfielder to a really scary attacking force. In Barcelona he was just a defensive midfielder who never runs forward and doesn't put much impact into attack. Mancini saw his potential in attacking. Especially I liked that tactical change Nasri out, De Jong in and then Yaya became like a striker. Newcastle 0-2 City 2011-12 season was that game when this tactical decision won the title.

 

[rastus]

Brilliant manager for us, many thanks once again Mancini

 

[bluemc1]

I respect the man and thank him for bringing in such players as the ones he mentioned. However, fact is, these very same players are playing world class football under a totally different manager. Van Persie was the reason for us losing our title? Does he really believe that? Do you? Wish him all the best, but that doesn't wash with me :)

Then maybe you don't do common sense.
Because Van Persie scored 31 goals for the rags, and without those goals they would have finished mid-table rather than champions.

Well they didn't have him in the 2011 - 2012 season yet they finished level on points with us

dont do common sense????? so you think that without Van Persie a team under Ferguson not been outside top 4 in what 20 years ? would have been "mid-table" common sense ?

 

[OB1]

Not getting RVP does not excuse the underachievement by City, with the squad that we had.

I'm sure that it would have made it much easier to win the league last season if we had had RvP, Hazard and De Rossi.

It might also have helped if Bobby had not pissed off and mishandled Mario, Edin, Hart...

 

[Shaelumstash]

Then maybe you don't do common sense.
Because Van Persie scored 31 goals for the rags, and without those goals they would have finished mid-table rather than champions.

People have very short memories. "These same players are playing world class football under a totally different manager." What the hell are you going on about? Don't be blinded by scoring lots of goals. Let's take a look at the points totals after 22 games in the last 3 seasons:

2011/2012 54 points
2012/2013 48 points
2013/2014 50 points

Last season was seen as an absolute disaster by many on here, and this season we are "world class." Despite the fact we only have 2 more points on the board at the same stage of the season! The season we won the title, we actually had 4 more points at this stage. But now we're world class! lol.

And please spare me the "stats don't mean anything" shite. When it comes to points on the board, that's the only stat that matters in football. More important than goals and goalscoring records, the amount of wins, and points is really all it boils down to.

Scoring 7 at home to Norwich doesn't excuse losing to Cardiff, Aston Villa and Sunderland.

We are really entertaining to watch this year, and I'm enjoying all the goals as much as anyone. But after 22 games in the season we won the title, I was utterly convinced we would win the league, I couldn't see how anyone could possibly stop us. We were solid as a rock at the back, dominant in midfield, and ruthless up front.

This season I can't say the same. Ruthless up front yes, but leaky at the back and vulnerable in midfield. It's between us and Chelsea, and if I had to pick now I'd possibly sway towards Chelsea because Mourinho is a proven winner and knows what it takes to win the title.

Mancini changed the history of this club, and for people to dismiss him now because we won a 9-0 on aggregate against an appalling West Ham, is very short sighted.

The stats point to the prem being a tighter league this season not that we are any worse of than the title winning season simples.

I disagree. Look at the teams we've dropped points to this season. Cardiff, Villa, Sunderland, Stoke - are they any better than the mid table / bottom half teams of the last couple of seasons? I don't think so. It's not as "simples" as maybe you first thought.

At the moment City remind me very much of Kevin Keegan era Newcastle. Fantastic to watch, the great entertainers. Brilliant going forward, but vulnerable and naive at the back. They ended up winning nothing. I think we've got too much talent in the squad to win nothing this year, but the league is the one we all want.

I stand by it, that I felt a lot more confident of winning the league under Mancini than I do today.<br /><br />-- Wed Jan 22, 2014 6:27 pm --<br /><br />

City's football last year was awful, we couldn't score and basically all our top players were under-performing. Mancini can't take credit for this season at all IMO. They're his signings, but to a man they are all improved under Pellegrini, at the very least from last season.

You make a very good point in how so many players have upped their level of performance under Pellegrini.

And yet we've only got two points more than at this stage last season. Maybe not the great revolution people think it is.