Mourinho or Mancini

[Marvin]

I don't think anyone expected us to progress from our group in the CL this season - I also don't think any of the other English clubs would have done in our group either. But what I find unacceptable is the level of the performance by the team in the competition - in most of the matches we've been embarassingingly bad.

In all competitions our players are underperforming and that has to be down to the manager. Other than the run of games at the end of last season when Tevez seemed to galvanize the team I don't think we've played to our potential since the start of last season up to Christmas. This season we struggled at the back (exacerbated by Mancini's constant tinkering) which to be fair has improved but our creativity and our final ball into the box has been lacking except against poorer teams such as Villa and Sunderland. The key players look tired and sometimes even disinterested and there seems to be a lack of effort. Players like Nasri, Ya Ya and even Silva have barely got going this season and have not made an adequate contribution - this could be down to too many games but again we should have the squad to cope with this.

Unless Mancini can turn things around quickly I can see us making the top 4 at best this season. No one on here wants us to be another Chelsea but we don't owe Mancini anything he has to show us that he can push us on to the next level - so far I don't see that happening. In fact we seem to have taken a step backward.

City have in this time introduced a new centre-back and had key defenders missing eg Richards and Clichy and last night Kolarov. So I'd suggest the defensive record is in the circumstances outstanding

In the Champions League it was appalling. The basic errors were the reason we went out. You can put that down to mancini, but I would blame the individuals involved.

I agree City's offensive play in all competitions hasn't been as good as it was. I have been saying that all season. This is where we are falling down. But some perspective we are 2nd 3 points off the top. It's hardly a crisis, and is this lack of a cutting edge down to the manager, or the form and fitness of the strikers? Aguero for me is way below the level he should be. He had a bad injury and has had South American qualifiers to cope with. Unfortunately Balotelli has also been unavailable. I'd be looking to Balotelli to take our season on to a new level. He looks the forward player with the hunger right now

 

[stan horne]

dont like Mourinho as a man or a manager but you cant argue with his record. I think we need stability at the club so would stick with Mancini for the next couple of years at least

 

[TueartsOHK]

.
(1) So the players bear no responsibility at all then?

(2) I don't mean this nastily, but you do know we are:

- unbeaten in the league this season
- in 2nd place, 3 points off the rags but with a better goal difference and we play them on Sunday
- 7 points ahead of Chelsea and Spuds
- 10 points ahead of Everton
- 12 points ahead of Arsenal
- 14 points ahead of Liverpool

Moo

(1) To some extent yes the players have to take some responsibility. But if you look at the number of key players who have not performed to their potential so far this season: Nasri, Ya Ya, Kompany, Silva, Balotelli, Aguero ... there are more..is Mancini getting the best out of these players are are all these players coincidentally out of form at the same time?

(2) Our football is pedestrian - many of our performances have been toothless. We should be points ahead of United who have lost 3 games but we've drawn games because we appear to have forgotten how to attack teams with any purpose - we're struggling to create chances and as a result we're not scoring.

 

[chesterbells]

dont like Mourinho as a man or a manager but you cant argue with his record. I think we need stability at the club so would stick with Mancini for the next couple of years at least

Why do we need stability mate? I mean in terms of our first team manager?

 

[Anonymous]

.
(1) So the players bear no responsibility at all then?

(2) I don't mean this nastily, but you do know we are:

- unbeaten in the league this season
- in 2nd place, 3 points off the rags but with a better goal difference and we play them on Sunday
- 7 points ahead of Chelsea and Spuds
- 10 points ahead of Everton
- 12 points ahead of Arsenal
- 14 points ahead of Liverpool

Moo

(1) To some extent yes the players have to take some responsibility. But if you look at the number of key players who have not performed to their potential so far this season: Nasri, Ya Ya, Kompany, Silva, Balotelli, Aguero ... there are more..is Mancini getting the best out of these players are are all these players coincidentally out of form at the same time?

(2) Our football is pedestrian - many of our performances have been toothless. We should be points ahead of United who have lost 3 games but we've drawn games because we appear to have forgotten how to attack teams with any purpose - we're struggling to create chances and as a result we're not scoring.

(1) At some point at least four of those players have been carrying injuries this season.

(2) We're joint second in the goals scored charts this season with Spuds, having scored 28

Moo

 

[Berkovic_blue]

We are not hitting the heights that we did prior to Xmas last year. I'll go as far as saying we were poor from Dec to April last year and only perked up for the last 6 games

Poor for half-a-season and still champions, it's a bloody miracle. I honestly don't know what standards some of you lot are expecting. Wins are being regularly talked down as not good enough/lucky/fluke.

How is the weather in la-la land?

bet you were bouncing when we blew that lead and let the RAGs steal a march last season - Shit happens.

Luckily for us they bottled it and we pulled through but nearly fucked things up the last day

I am now convinced that you are on crack

 

[Pam]

Poor for half-a-season and still champions, it's a bloody miracle. I honestly don't know what standards some of you lot are expecting. Wins are being regularly talked down as not good enough/lucky/fluke.

How is the weather in la-la land?

bet you were bouncing when we blew that lead and let the RAGs steal a march last season - Shit happens.

Luckily for us they bottled it and we pulled through but nearly fucked things up the last day

I am now convinced that you are on crack

Lol! First time I've laughed all day.

 

[TueartsOHK]

City have in this time introduced a new centre-back and had key defenders missing eg Richards and Clichy and last night Kolarov. So I'd suggest the defensive record is in the circumstances outstanding

In the Champions League it was appalling. The basic errors were the reason we went out. You can put that down to mancini, but I would blame the individuals involved.

I agree City's offensive play in all competitions hasn't been as good as it was. I have been saying that all season. This is where we are falling down. But some perspective we are 2nd 3 points off the top. It's hardly a crisis, and is this lack of a cutting edge down to the manager, or the form and fitness of the strikers? Aguero for me is way below the level he should be. He had a bad injury and has had South American qualifiers to cope with. Unfortunately Balotelli has also been unavailable. I'd be looking to Balotelli to take our season on to a new level. He looks the forward player with the hunger right now

I think the defence has picked up since the start of the season. Not sure I agree on the strikers though - Aguero isn't at his best but for me we're not creating the chances for the strikers. Our football under Mancini is extremely slow - we pass the ball out of defence with no speed, we have little concept of counter attacking and we have the old chestnut of little width. To make things worse we have our key players such as Ya Ya and Nasri giving the ball away cheaply and getting caught in posession. I think you can blame individuals to some extent but they're Mancini's individuals and he has to make them play for him

 

[Berkovic_blue]

I don't think anyone expected us to progress from our group in the CL this season - I also don't think any of the other English clubs would have done in our group either.

Correct.

But what I find unacceptable is the level of the performance by the team in the competition - in most of the matches we've been embarassingingly bad.

Last night, and Ajax away is not most

This season we struggled at the back (exacerbated by Mancini's constant tinkering)

Best defence in the league

The key players look tired and sometimes even disinterested and there seems to be a lack of effort. Players like Nasri, Ya Ya and even Silva have barely got going this season and have not made an adequate contribution - this could be down to too many games but again we should have the squad to cope with this.

Silva has been immense in the last few weeks actually. Nasri looks no different to last season, if anything a little "busier" with the ball. Yaya I'll give you

Unless Mancini can turn things around quickly I can see us making the top 4 at best this season.

Did you type that with a straight face? 4th at best? You CANNOT be serious

No one on here wants us to be another Chelsea but we don't owe Mancini anything he has to show us that he can push us on to the next level - so far I don't see that happening. In fact we seem to have taken a step backward.

The points tally is on par with last season's equivalent fixtures

 

[Chippy_boy]

I don't think anyone expected us to progress from our group in the CL this season

Utter nonsense. Before a ball was kicked, the entire of Bluemoon and 100% of the pundits expected us to qualify and half of them thought we were title contenders.