Manuel Pellegrini (cont)

[mancity1]

Good to see even yourself, who is about as anti Pellegrini as it gets, can acknowledge that rather than there being a raft of a tactical fuck ups, it was more than anything a case of the players not doing themselves justice in the first 45.

I don't see myself as anti-Pellegrini. I quite like the guy and think he's a decent manager. However, a few of his decisions baffle me and I remain far from convinced that he can take us much/any further than he has done.

I wasn't very happy when he got the job his but, on the whole, think he's done quite a good job thus far and was probably the right man for the job. That won't, however, stop me from questioning some of his decisions if I feel they are wrong.

Personally I feel he made a mistake with a central midfield 2 of Milner and Fernando but we're still in it and I remain hopeful he'll get it right and guide us through to the next round.

I've said a couple of times but it's worth saying again. I thought it was at best a baffling decision and at worst an awful decision to pair those two and not play Fernandinho. Think we are in full agreement there.

With regards the idea that a manager, any manager, has taken the club as far as they can, it's a dangerous way to think when they are the current champions. There has to be IMO a fundamental breakdown in important relationships as between Mancini and the board/players. Otherwise as a club you simply never give a manager time to build anything because your standards are wildly unrealistic.

Unless a better manager becomes available.

The thing I like about MP is that he knows he is a stop gap for the next manager and I for one don't think changing managers every two to three years is a bad thing in the modern game.

He will leave with grace unlike his predecessor and not go hunting the airwaves to say how he did this and wasn't allowed to do that and despite maybe not having an FA Cup to his list of achievements will be considered in history I think as a small step forward in our managerial archive.

he has done well so far in his two years but lacks the skill set I believe to take us all the way in Europe mind you he doesn't have the cattle at his disposal who are capable of it so we must allow him and his predecessor that luxury.

We won't have Pep for more than three years tops even if we were to get him or the next world class manager that comes on the scene.

if things go awry with Chelsea as they could it won't be long for the unspecial one to become the sacked one for a second time at his beloved Chelsea and take on the Manure job.

 

[Exeter Blue I am here]

Interesting that you include Nasri playing behind Dzeko as a front 2, but you claim any game that includes Jovetic doesn't count as 4-4-2 because he's not an out and out striker.

The average position of a player on the pitch does not dictate the way he plays the game. Playing Nasri behind Dzeko results in a much different approach to the game than playing Aguero with Dzeko. If you can't understand that then there's really no hope.

4-4-2, 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3, 4-5-1. None of it really matters, what matters is how the 11 players are approach the game. If Nasri plays with Dzeko up front, he drops into midfield and gets involved in build up play. If Aguero plays, he looks to get in behind and so the midfield two are left with much more responsibility for maintaining possession and finding more difficult forward passes.

Of course I understand that Nasri and Aguero might approach the same role differently you lemon, and thank you for not insulting my intelligence. Ordinarily I might have not made the Nasri/Jovetic distinction, and loosely classified any such team selections involving either of them in an advanced role as 4-4-1-1, but in the case of the game in Rome I remembered Nasri playing a very similar role to Silva in Munich last year, where Spanish Dave was pushed up right alongside Dzeko. A trip to the UEFA website pretty much confirmed that fact, and whilst Nasri might have dropped back further on occasion than someone like Aguero, who likes to play on the front foot, might have done, overall the pattern is clear - he played a very advanced role, and 4-4-2 was the best description for the formation IMO.
All of that though is a sideshow to the main debate, which was whether Fernando is capable of playing in a 4-4-2, the answer to which is still 'yes', if you give him the right supporting cast and use him against the right kind of opponent. Quite plainly that didn't happen against Barcelona any more than it did at home to Hull, but that does not make the man 'incapable'

I think the problem we have is that when I say 4-4-2, I think of our standard formation which involves Silva and Nasri as the "wingers", which of course they aren't. Perhaps my point should be that Fernando is not suited to a 4-2-2-2, which would be a more appropriate description of our usual set-up. I will never agree that Nasri in Rome or Silva in Munich played as strikers, their average position may have been that of a striker but they didn't play the game as a striker would. I will however go for 4-4-1-1 and with a flat midfield four, which in Rome had Navas and Milner wide, I believe Fernando can function efficiently. However, in Tuesday's game we clearly played a 4-2-2-2, and so Fernando was not suitable for the midfield role. I believe on this we agree.

To summarise, I personally feel Fernando would be best at the base of a midfield triangle with at least one of Yaya/Fernandinho and one of Yaya/Silva/Nasri in the most advanced role, but accept that he can be effective in the middle of a flat midfield 4, especially if the players ahead of this flat 4 are one playmaker and one striker.

Yup, wouldn't argue with that lot. In truth, I don't think he's good enough full stop, whether it be looking the wrong way when free kicks get whipped in or turning over possession under pressure with sloppy back-passes, but having said that we hardly ever set ourselves up to suit the abilities he does have. He was excellent in Rome, very good for an hour or so at Goodison, plus one or two other games I can think of, so it's not that he's incapable. He is though limited, and City frequently look poor with him in the team, when he's given the wrong supporting cast in a 4-4-2. And that is very much Pellegrini's problem........

 

[sam-caddick]

Guillem Balague said the other day Ancelotti's future at Madrid is uncertain after contract talks have stalled and that the Madrid board - in particular Florentino Perez - doesn't think Carlo is the manager to carry the job on further after this season.

I would be definitely hope City consider Carlo Ancelotti if he leaves Madrid, his Champions League record in the past 10 years is very impressive.

 

[mancity1]

Guillem Balague said the other day Ancelotti's future at Madrid is uncertain after contract talks have stalled and that the Madrid board - in particular Florentino Perez - doesn't think Carlo is the manager to carry the job on further after this season.

I would be definitely hope City consider Carlo Ancelotti if he leaves Madrid, his Champions League record in the past 10 years is very impressive.

Would be the first manager in the modern era to have the opportunity to have a real chance at being in charge of two different sides that that won a premiership title.

Personally I think he has more chance of managing Chelsea a second time than us in the future but funnier things have happened.

 

[Andouble]

Guillem Balague said the other day Ancelotti's future at Madrid is uncertain after contract talks have stalled and that the Madrid board - in particular Florentino Perez - doesn't think Carlo is the manager to carry the job on further after this season.

I would be definitely hope City consider Carlo Ancelotti if he leaves Madrid, his Champions League record in the past 10 years is very impressive.

fantastic manager and by all accounts not a knob, either. I'd welcome with open arms.

 

[Andy Morrisons jock strap]

Tbh if we can't get Simeone or Pep then I don't really see anyone better out there yes he's fucked up a few times this season but his achievements last season should let him see out his final season next term. Got a feeling we will see Viera with the first team next season in readiness for him taking over season after next

 

[Gaylord du Bois]

Does anyone else feel that he doesn't seem able to grasp the concept of knockout football.
I know we had the Carling cup win but other than that...?

 

[George Hannah]

Guillem Balague said the other day Ancelotti's future at Madrid is uncertain after contract talks have stalled and that the Madrid board - in particular Florentino Perez - doesn't think Carlo is the manager to carry the job on further after this season.

I would be definitely hope City consider Carlo Ancelotti if he leaves Madrid, his Champions League record in the past 10 years is very impressive.

I think Paddy is lined up to take over from Manuel, we'll get a strong steer with the number of frog speakers that come in the summer.

 

[BillyShears]

Does anyone else feel that he doesn't seem able to grasp the concept of knockout football.
I know we had the Carling cup win but other than that...?

Haha. So basically he won a knock out competition without grasping what it takes to win one. Sure. Blessed/kissed with good luck.

 

[richards30]

Ancelloti would be a fantastic choice for a replacement! Great man manager and can attract top top players.