Mancini

[OB1]

I think we need to understand better exactly what this power Mancini wants is. Does he want to run the club? Conduct contract negotiations? Own the club? Run the City Store? Does he have a blueprint for the business?

I've no idea personally. The biggest clash I can envisage is if Txiki insists on adopting a particulary, rigid formation of football as mooted by the shit sheets, ie 4-3-3. I would expect Mancini wouldn't accept that.

So, other than that, I'm not entirely sure what this power is Mancini wants?

Didn't Mancini do things like choosing Sampdoria's shirts and organising their Xmas parties, or are those apocryphal tales? Point being, Mancini may (please note that I said may) be something of a control freak who would like to be in charge of anything he can get his hands on. Personally, I think he'd like absolute power.

 

[JoeMercer'sWay]

Maybe I'm just reading into it what I want to see, I'm an old fool after all, but seems to me there COULD be a good relationship built between the two?

There's absolutely no reason for Mancini not to embrace to current set up at City, and I totally agree there's no reason for him and Txiki not to have a strong relationship considering they're respective footballing background. What I do think is true though, is that Mancini's words aren't ambiguous, neither in that interview above, nor in his recent interview where he said this:

The one flicker of indignation during two hours in his company comes when I ask how he gets on with the two people above him. "Txiki and Ferran? They are not above me," he points out. "Above me there is only Khaldoon [Al Mubarak] and Sheikh Mansour."

Irrespective of whether it's true or not about Txiki and Ferran being above him or next to him, the fact that he felt compelled to say something like that highlights for me an abrasive problem with authority, which lets face it he's had since he was a player. Mancini definitely sees himself as God's gift to football, I'm sorry if that sounds like an unfair thing to say, but that's really the impression he gives. It's hard to imagine a man with an ego that big deferring to Txiki on player acquisition, or indeed for any football related matter.

That's just my take, and as you said, I might just be reading into it what suits me.

Well I think quite a lot will come down to how well Txiki does his job. I can't blame Mancini if he gets told the 3 are Hazard, Shaqiri or Sinclair and he has to have Sinclair or De Rossi, Martinez or Garcia and he ends up with Garcia. If Txiki does his job well then all 3 options should be top draw or clearly have the potential to be such, thus Mancini will be less sour about what he gets left with because the likes of De Rossi and Hazard don't want to come.

The impression I get from Barca is that even though there was a list of options Pep got pretty much who he wanted, I hope Mancini or whoever's in charge gets a similar deal to the best possible outcome(ie. some players will just not want to move here, we know that). However I still maintain from last season that Mancini had his targets, we didn't get them and it feels nobody had bothered to draw up an alternate list having scoured Europe for the right candidates which I assume Txiki would have done, thus we end up with last resorts in Sinclair and Garcia who quite frankly are of little use and not anywhere near the calibre of the A-list targets.

I only preface this by saying I hope Txiki will have done his homework and thus veto's would be over something sensible like injury records ie. "No Roberto you can't have Rodwell because he's the next Crocky and frankly a waste of money considering he doesn't do much when he plays either", that's the only kind of time I want Txiki to intervene.

 

[Anonymous]

Well I think quite a lot will come down to how well Txiki does his job. I can't blame Mancini if he gets told the 3 are Hazard, Shaqiri or Sinclair and he has to have Sinclair or De Rossi, Martinez or Garcia and he ends up with Garcia. If Txiki does his job well then all 3 options should be top draw or clearly have the potential to be such, thus Mancini will be less sour about what he gets left with because the likes of De Rossi and Hazard don't want to come.

Where it will get interesting is when whoever the manager is, says I want player X, and Txiki says no, you'll promote player Y from the academy because he's ready.

The impression I get from Barca is that even though there was a list of options Pep got pretty much who he wanted, I hope Mancini or whoever's in charge gets a similar deal to the best possible outcome(ie. some players will just not want to move here, we know that). However I still maintain from last season that Mancini had his targets, we didn't get them and it feels nobody had bothered to draw up an alternate list having scoured Europe for the right candidates which I assume Txiki would have done, thus we end up with last resorts in Sinclair and Garcia who quite frankly are of little use and not anywhere near the calibre of the A-list targets.

I only preface this by saying I hope Txiki will have done his homework and thus veto's would be over something sensible like injury records ie. "No Roberto you can't have Rodwell because he's the next Crocky and frankly a waste of money considering he doesn't do much when he plays either", that's the only kind of time I want Txiki to intervene.

Really it's all about the relationship between the two men. It'll be the most important working relationship at the club because the two men will shape the immediate footballing future of the club. I genuinely believe that had Mancini and Marwood been able to put aside whatever their gripes with each other were and worked together, maybe there wouldn't have been a need for Txiki. As you rightly point out, Mancini had his number 1 targets, and for whatever reason after those targets, nobody had decent alternatives at the money AD made available.

 

[BobKowalski]

Having managed Fiorentina, Lazio and Inter Milan, Mancini might have been expected to be more comfortable operating like his counterparts do back home. In Italy it is commonplace for managers to involve themselves only with tactics and the players at their disposal, while others do the buying, selling and contract negotiations.

The Italian, however, does not believe that method offers him the best chance of taking Manchester City forward although Cook and Marwood are liable to disagree. “For me it’s difficult because I have only been here for 18 months or so,” said Mancini. “Maybe I need to have more control of the team and the other situations. For a manager that’s very important.

“Maybe if I win the Premier League this season it will be different. It’s important for the manager to have control over the players and the medical staff and the other situations.

“It is different from Italy where managers do not have this control and I prefer the English style because if the manager loses, the manager is sacked, and for this I think the manager needs to take every decision. If he makes a mistake he pays for it.”

So, he has control over the players (for now). I think he has control of the medical staff (I'm sure he's bombed some out and got his own boys in).

Wonder what the "...other situations." are?

In terms of player acquisition, then I think most agree it should improve given the new boys; so another tick in the box.

He also speaks of accountability for his role and (reading between the lines) ensuring he is not set up to fail.

All of that seems logical to me?

Going back to Txiki, he empowered both Rijkaard and Guardiola to make the "big" decisions over players. Another tick in the box?

Txiki got in the players those two managers asked for. Another tick in the box?

Maybe I'm just reading into it what I want to see, I'm an old fool after all, but seems to me there COULD be a good relationship built between the two?

The manager/coach and DoF have to be of the same thinking when it comes to playing styles, type of players needed by the squad etc otherwise it just doesn't work and invariably one has to go.

Which brings us back to - 'can Txiki and Roberto work together?'. Irrespective of whether you want Mancini to go or stay its a valid question and given Mancini's character it is difficult to see it working. I state Mancini's character because I don't have much idea as to Txiki's character but I suspect both want the lead role in the partnership and that ain't going to happen. Maybe it can become a partnership of equals which would be great but then so would world peace.

The common theme from recent reports be it Herbert or Ogden is that Mancini staying or going will rest on his relationship going forward with the Barca duo and especially Txiki. I suspect the onus is on Roberto to make the decision and if Txiki is canny enough he will make the decision as easy or as difficult as he wants dependent on what he would would ideally like to happen.

Outside of the principal players involved no one really knows how it will pan out for certain. The press don't. We don't. This forum doesn't. All we do is guess, speculate and hope it doesn't get in the way of winning football matches.

 

[JoeMercer'sWay]

Well I think quite a lot will come down to how well Txiki does his job. I can't blame Mancini if he gets told the 3 are Hazard, Shaqiri or Sinclair and he has to have Sinclair or De Rossi, Martinez or Garcia and he ends up with Garcia. If Txiki does his job well then all 3 options should be top draw or clearly have the potential to be such, thus Mancini will be less sour about what he gets left with because the likes of De Rossi and Hazard don't want to come.

Where it will get interesting is when whoever the manager is, says I want player X, and Txiki says no, you'll promote player Y from the academy because he's ready.

The impression I get from Barca is that even though there was a list of options Pep got pretty much who he wanted, I hope Mancini or whoever's in charge gets a similar deal to the best possible outcome(ie. some players will just not want to move here, we know that). However I still maintain from last season that Mancini had his targets, we didn't get them and it feels nobody had bothered to draw up an alternate list having scoured Europe for the right candidates which I assume Txiki would have done, thus we end up with last resorts in Sinclair and Garcia who quite frankly are of little use and not anywhere near the calibre of the A-list targets.

I only preface this by saying I hope Txiki will have done his homework and thus veto's would be over something sensible like injury records ie. "No Roberto you can't have Rodwell because he's the next Crocky and frankly a waste of money considering he doesn't do much when he plays either", that's the only kind of time I want Txiki to intervene.

Really it's all about the relationship between the two men. It'll be the most important working relationship at the club because the two men will shape the immediate footballing future of the club. I genuinely believe that had Mancini and Marwood been able to put aside whatever their gripes with each other were and worked together, maybe there wouldn't have been a need for Txiki. As you rightly point out, Mancini had his number 1 targets, and for whatever reason after those targets, nobody had decent alternatives at the money AD made available.

that maybe true but despite promoting youngsters in wide roles and in defense(and Thiago in midfield) Pep was still allowed Mascherano, Keirrison, Fabregas, Villa, Ibra, Afellay, Adriano, Sanchez whilst Tito was allowed Song & Alba etc. I know that's not mostly down to Txiki but the point is that despite promoting lads Pep was allowed a lot of freedom in the transfer market, and I hope Mancini or whoever's in charge is allowed a similar luxury.

 

[Rolee]

Hasn't Mancini already proven he can work with a DOF at Inter?, I know he was friendly with Branca before they worked together but surely this shows that he's not the megalomaniac some are painting him to be?

 

[samharris]

I think we need to understand better exactly what this power Mancini wants is. Does he want to run the club? Conduct contract negotiations? Own the club? Run the City Store? Does he have a blueprint for the business?

I've no idea personally. The biggest clash I can envisage is if Txiki insists on adopting a particulary, rigid formation of football as mooted by the shit sheets, ie 4-3-3. I would expect Mancini wouldn't accept that.

So, other than that, I'm not entirely sure what this power is Mancini wants?

Didn't Mancini do things like choosing Sampdoria's shirts and organising their Xmas parties, or are those apocryphal tales? Point being, Mancini may (please note that I said may) be something of a control freak who would like to be in charge of anything he can get his hands on. Personally, I think he'd like absolute power.

Absolute power ?? what like Mou or the alchy ??

 

[BobKowalski]

I think we need to understand better exactly what this power Mancini wants is. Does he want to run the club? Conduct contract negotiations? Own the club? Run the City Store? Does he have a blueprint for the business?

I've no idea personally. The biggest clash I can envisage is if Txiki insists on adopting a particulary, rigid formation of football as mooted by the shit sheets, ie 4-3-3. I would expect Mancini wouldn't accept that.

So, other than that, I'm not entirely sure what this power is Mancini wants?

Didn't Mancini do things like choosing Sampdoria's shirts and organising their Xmas parties, or are those apocryphal tales? Point being, Mancini may (please note that I said may) be something of a control freak who would like to be in charge of anything he can get his hands on. Personally, I think he'd like absolute power.

Absolute power ?? what like Mou or the alchy ??

Not far off Jose or Taggart. Jose battled Madrid hard for control and won some early battles but has ultimately lost the war. Mancini wants a big say in how City is run. If City are not prepared to give him as much say as he wants he either settles for what he's got or moves on. Absolute power is not on the cards. Never was but he still wants the decisive say in key areas. If he didn't he wouldn't be Mancini. Its the default position for these guys.

 

[OB1]

I think we need to understand better exactly what this power Mancini wants is. Does he want to run the club? Conduct contract negotiations? Own the club? Run the City Store? Does he have a blueprint for the business?

I've no idea personally. The biggest clash I can envisage is if Txiki insists on adopting a particulary, rigid formation of football as mooted by the shit sheets, ie 4-3-3. I would expect Mancini wouldn't accept that.

So, other than that, I'm not entirely sure what this power is Mancini wants?

Didn't Mancini do things like choosing Sampdoria's shirts and organising their Xmas parties, or are those apocryphal tales? Point being, Mancini may (please note that I said may) be something of a control freak who would like to be in charge of anything he can get his hands on. Personally, I think he'd like absolute power.

Absolute power ?? what like Mou or the alchy ??

No; like Elliott.

 

[JoeMercer'sWay]

Didn't Mancini do things like choosing Sampdoria's shirts and organising their Xmas parties, or are those apocryphal tales? Point being, Mancini may (please note that I said may) be something of a control freak who would like to be in charge of anything he can get his hands on. Personally, I think he'd like absolute power.

Absolute power ?? what like Mou or the alchy ??

Not far off Jose or Taggart. Jose battled Madrid hard for control and won some early battles but has ultimately lost the war. Mancini wants a big say in how City is run. If City are not prepared to give him as much say as he wants he either settles for what he's got or moves on. Absolute power is not on the cards. Never was but he still wants the decisive say in key areas. If he didn't he wouldn't be Mancini. Its the default position for these guys.

Neither Jose or Fergie have absolute power.