cookster said:
Simple question do you think Mancini's makes the team greater than the sum of its parts?
I think we have the best squad in the league; stronger than last year with Tevez for a full season and five quality new arrivals.
Anything less than top 2 and Champs League quarter finals should be classed as failure.
Yet some people will say that your team is nowhere that strong to reach CL finals or such. I'd like to ask that people to explain me how in earth a team like Porto managed to win CL with their squad or how it's possible that some other teams (which had notably weaker team) got so far in the CL.
The truth is that many of you are downplaying your chances just because you don't have a huge (recent) history like your neighbors. It's a mentality issue.
However, City has one of the greatest squads in Europe and it will be a shame that you don't reach the second round. The way you played last year in the CL, that was a disgrace. You were outplayed by Bayern which I might accept, but Napoli? No way, neither they are more experienced, nor they have a better team. Yet they looked much better than you.
I'll give credits for that mainly your great manager Bobby who is a good manager, but nothing more than that. I personally think that he lacks authority and some basic principles. It's ok for me that he likes some players (Aguero, Tevez, Balo - similar mentality; furhtermore, Balo is Italian) more than others (Dzeko), but what I don't like are his double standards for some players. While some players get 1000 new chances, others can pack their things after they slip up one time.
I don't see him as a world-class manager, I just don't. One would say that the players need more time together to get know each other, but come on guys, who are you kidding here? The squad hasn't changed so much in the past two years. The key players are the same, yet you're playing harder as the time goes by instead of improving. That is a fact, don't deny it.
Yes, you won the Premier League, but with the oppositions you had to face in the last year, for me it was a must. You have the strongest team, but Mancini is just not good enough to create that winning mentality like Ferguson can to with rags.
I really hope that Mancini will go (not because of Dzeko, he will probably leave the club) and that someone will come who can use the whole potential of the players you have. I know that this team is capable of doing amazing things, it just needs some guidance.
cheers