Negative players or negative tactics...

[Esteban de la Sexface]

I switched the telly off yesterday, when he brought on Vieira instead of Ireland...

switched it on again 30 seconds later mind.

 

[Seosa]

I switched the telly off yesterday, when he brought on Vieira instead of Ireland...

switched it on again 30 seconds later mind.

And what would Ireland have done? Based on his form this season not much, and I bet he would've struggled on that pitch.

 

[Soulboy]

I believe Mancini is doing an incredible job.

Mate, you lost it at this point for me.

By no stetch of anyone's imaginations, doubtless, including his own, is he doing an "incredible" job.

He's doing OK at best. The team are still underperforming regularly, he doesn't seem to know what his best team or system is and there appears to be unrest in the camp.

There are extenuating circumstances - he's new to this country for example - and some things are OK - we've found our best back four and look more solid.

However I don't think we've dominated a single game from start to finish since he arrived.

I can agree that he's not had long and he may get it right. But to laud him as some sort of genius is, well, incredible to me.

It's all about opinions mate.

You clearly don't fancy Mancini as manager... you make that fairly clear in your posts since he was appointed... whereas I think he's the manager that will takes us onwards and upwards.

At this point in time there is no real evidence to support either of us... only time will tell. I am willing to give him that time, and if after 18 months in charge he's "failed" then so be it.

But Mancini has been under the hammer from some since just about the first week of his appointment.

Like I say, it's opinions. I think he has done an incredible job., You don't.

But sometimes you get it wrong with your opinions, so maybe you should hold fire on those with a different view to your own... yes?

I remember at the start of the season you thought we should have got rid of Tevez... so maybe you're just jumping the gun with Mancini as well?

Just a thought.

Patience is a virtue.

Anyway, Mourinho is taking over in the summer, so all this will prove to be pretty irrelevant anyway...<br /><br />-- Mon Mar 15, 2010 11:57 am --<br /><br />

I remember last season frequently stating that Hughes wasn't up to the job... you absolutely pilloried me for that view!

Then you broke the story that Ireland had fallen out with Hughes... and you completely changed your opinion and called for the manager's head!

How can I debate with someone who clearly has such a personal agenda about one of the players, and whose support for the manager is based upon whether or not he picks Stevie Ireland!

If you look at our points total over Hughes final dozen games you will see it was nigh-on relegation form. I can't be bothered checking it out.

If in twelve months time, and another £100m spent, we are still as "boring" I might be sympathetic to the view that we may need a change of manager; but as things stand at the moment I believe Mancini is doing an incredible job.

We are favourites to finish 4th. in spite of all the doom and gloom on here. You'd seriously think we were in 8th. place to read some of the comments on here.

If you want entertainment, go to the circus.

So once again, please show me where I've said I want Mancini sacked, either now or at the end of the season? Also, please point out where it is that I've said that I want to be entertained?

I'll save you the trouble, you won't be able to find those things as I've never said them...

Do you really find it that hard to discuss the points I've raised?

All I want to know is why we struggle to impose ourselves in the first 45 minutes of matches. That's where this thread started...is it the manager, the players, or a combination of the two?

The manager. He's in charge, it's his responsibility.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Soulboy, I've never said I don't fancy Mancini as manager. Like with all of our managers and players I evaluate them on a week by week basis. That's what the forum's for. As I said in my post, he's done some good things and some bad things.

Maybe I should hold fire with my opinions? Don't patronise me please.

This is a forum for opinions.

"Incredible" PMSL

 

[Soulboy]

Soulboy, I've never said I don't fancy Mancini as manager. Like with all of our managers and players I evaluate them on a week by week basis. That's what the forum's for. As I said in my post, he's done some good things and some bad things.

Maybe I should hold fire with my opinions? Don't patronise me please.

This is a forum for opinions.

"Incredible" PMSL

Maybe the fact that managers are "evaluated" on a week by week basis is one of the problems at City! All that means is that after every defeat (and to be honest we don't have too many of them!) the managers, the players, everyone.. they all get incredible grief as if it's the end of the world.

It's not. It's a marathon, not a sprint, and If we evaluate our manager after every game then it's no wonder we, as a club, live in perpetual flux!

Have you oponions by all means, it is a forum after all, and I would never deny that... but maybe a modicum of patience would calm things down on here.

Admit it... you love the conflict that comes with being a City fan!

And yes "incredible" is the appropriate definition for me. Even if it is not for you.

He'll be gone soon enough anyway, so all we are doing is disagreeing about a dead man walking anyway... and that's a waste of time for me at least.

Time will tell.

PS The only reason I told you to maybe hold fire on an early opinion was due to the Tevez thing... it can come back to bite you on the arse!

 

[m27]

It's very true that we haven't dominated any game under Mancini from start to finish but I've learnt to trust him a hell of a lot more than a few weeks ago because the results are starting to back up his tactics.

I had no problem with him bringing Vieira on instead of Ireland because I've come to the conclusion that Stevie simply can't get into the game when coming off the bench, I've seen it so many times, and I actually thought Vieira did alright when he came on (bar getting caught in possession a couple of times) and he certainly offered something different (i.e., a defence splitting pass) than our other central midfielders.

I've stopped getting wound up at half time anymore and just try and take stock afer full time because Mancini has proved that he can turn it round during the 90 minutes, a department Hughes certainly lacked in. On another day we would have won that game 4-1 at a canter. I was more heartened after yesterday's game than I was after the turgid home win over Pompey.

I honestly think he's getting there and the players are starting to 'get it' as well. If we can just get going from the first whistle we'll start to destroy teams.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Some decent positive thinking there m27.

However, look at it another way.

I've got no stats to back this up but since Mancini's come, every time we have gone a goal behind and have pushed to try to win a game/get back on top, we have started to quickly dominate.

That's because attacking is what we do best.

Now we've got a settled back 4 we don't need to be going into games like yesterday's defending on the edge of our own box. We had no outlet except the long ball to Tevez which came straight back at us.

We should have started the game like we played in the second half. There have been countless other games where this has happened.

 

[robbieh]

I'm with Soulboy on this one.

I have seen plenty of managers come through the revolving door since Allison's second coming. And leaving aside the fact of his already substantial managerial achievements at the pretty tender age of 45, Robert Mancini has shown me things I have not seen from other managers.

The ability to read a game and have the balls to make changes. Most of the managers we have had have been quite content to let games drift.

The ability to sort out a defence that for many years has been comical. Our defending at corners and free kicks is light years away from even earlier this season.

I am totally convinced that while things are not perfect Mancini is a stronger man and manager than we have had for an awfully long time.

Given time and some of his own players I reckon even those who regret Hughes's departure and others who think the only answer to all things managerial is Mourinho will be glad we have Roberto at Manchester City.

 

[Anonymous]

Some decent positive thinking there m27.

However, look at it another way.

I've got no stats to back this up but since Mancini's come, every time we have gone a goal behind and have pushed to try to win a game/get back on top, we have started to quickly dominate.

That's because attacking is what we do best.

Now we've got a settled back 4 we don't need to be going into games like yesterday's defending on the edge of our own box. We had no outlet except the long ball to Tevez which came straight back at us.

We should have started the game like we played in the second half. There have been countless other games where this has happened.

That's the crux of the point which most people have constantly ignored on this thread. Why do we need to go a goal down and/or become desperate because we're playing a "lesser" team before we actually start to impose OUR style of play on the opposition. That's down to the way the manager sends the team out...

 

[m27]

Some decent positive thinking there m27.

However, look at it another way.

I've got no stats to back this up but since Mancini's come, every time we have gone a goal behind and have pushed to try to win a game/get back on top, we have started to quickly dominate.

That's because attacking is what we do best.

Now we've got a settled back 4 we don't need to be going into games like yesterday's defending on the edge of our own box. We had no outlet except the long ball to Tevez which came straight back at us.

We should have started the game like we played in the second half. There have been countless other games where this has happened.

I cannot argue with that at all, but Tevez up front on his own worked well at Chelsea in the 2nd half and they've got better defenders than Sunderland.

It just seems to be Mancini's way, and this was embodied by the two legs against United, that he's only comfortable going for the win when the end of the tie/game is in sight.

It's not the way I'd do it, and I'm not saying I necessarily agree with it, but I'm more than happy to trust him for the time being.