Sacking Mancini... was there even a choice?

[taconinja]

Depends on what you mean by deliver results. I suspect the next manager's targets are going to be qualification out of the group stage of the CL, a sustained title challenge, and a domestic cup. Which broadly speaking were the same targets which were set for Mancini.

I also don't see the change in manager as some sort of huge moment of transition as it was when we went from Hughes to Mancini. The current group of players are title winners and there isn't a wholesale change of the make up of the squad required. Just a bit of finessing in certain areas and more importantly, making sure we keep our best players. Aguero needs a new contract.

I think delivering results include challenging for the PL title and maintaining a challenging position in the Champions League as well with a settled dressing room. My only worry is does the squad we have fit with Pellegrini's tactical setup? If not, there's likely to be a painful few months and considering how the end of this season has played out, that might be the proverbial straw breaking the camel's back. I'm betting that we're mostly going to be positive start of next season. That includes club, squad, and fans. I just think we need to get out of the blocks quickly or it may turn into one of Those Seasons.

But I thought the whole point of this is the coach is given the players and moulds them into his tactical setup? Or have I got this all wrong?

Yes, that doesn't always work, though. Our players looked so jaded yesterday and at Wembley. I think reserving the right to be wary is not out of order.

 

[NipHolmes]

If he'd been given another year then Kompany, Yaya & Aguero would all certainly have left and probably a few others as well.

Maybe that would be a good thing. The players think they are more important than the club at the moment. Disgraceful performance. And it comes from the top.

I've supported the club for getting on for 40 years. The last couple of years have been magical. But I truly feel we have let it slip away in the last few months

Your loyalty (to Mancini) does you credit, but if you can't see that he might just have been the problem, despite all that's come out this week, well then I guess you never will.

I've not heard one word in support of him from any of the players since his dismissal, and whilst in some cases that might be down to the ingratitude of the individuals concerned, I refuse to believe that people like Kompany, Zabaleta, Lescott, Barry, Milner and Silva, who are both reasonable and widely respected on and off the pitch, should not have done so were there not significant problems behind the scenes, of which we might not yet even be aware.

I've used the old Don King maxim on here before, that if you're playing poker and you can't work out who the patsy is, it's you, but it seems relevant again in this instance, and it's perhaps something Roberto Mancini might one day contemplate. Managing by attrition, castigating people in public, lashing out when things go wrong, you will only get away with such behaviours for a short while and as long as things are going well. As soon as things take a turn for the worse though, you are left with anger and festering resentment. Mancini had to go. Even Khaldoon, who'd only recently given him a 5 year contract, saw it.

What City need to do now is get Pellegrini installed as quickly as possible, and have him press the flesh and sell his ideas to the players. A rudderless rumbling summer of discontent would be a disaster

Good post. Many are blinded by Mancini and fail to see the wood through the trees. Being happy to lose our best players to keep a manager that was so stubborn that he wouldn't use wingers and was abrasive, both were main reasons we failed this year to build on last season with performances and squad depth/options.

Absolutely sick of this love in. Manciniester City, next year we will be Manchester City again, The lovers can simply watch tapes of the last few seasons and remain content, meanwhile the club will advance.

 

[Blue2112]

I think delivering results include challenging for the PL title and maintaining a challenging position in the Champions League as well with a settled dressing room. My only worry is does the squad we have fit with Pellegrini's tactical setup? If not, there's likely to be a painful few months and considering how the end of this season has played out, that might be the proverbial straw breaking the camel's back. I'm betting that we're mostly going to be positive start of next season. That includes club, squad, and fans. I just think we need to get out of the blocks quickly or it may turn into one of Those Seasons.

But I thought the whole point of this is the coach is given the players and moulds them into his tactical setup? Or have I got this all wrong?

Yes, that doesn't always work, though. Our players looked so jaded yesterday and at Wembley. I think reserving the right to be wary is not out of order.

Oh I agree entirely, part of me thinks this can't fail in the long term but then there's a big fuck off part of me knows only too well that the judgement of many successful businessmen get clouded where football is concerned and this is Manchester City were talking about. If any club can fuck it up it's us.

 

[Anonymous]

I think one thing is for certain. If you make a power play and get everything you want, you best be prepared to deliver results. Otherwise, your neck is next on the block. If the transition doesn't go as well as planned (and no one please give me Pollyanna-style "We'll walk the league!" nonsense) and we're spinning wheels in fourth place around December, this forum, the fanbase in general, and the backrooms at the club are likely to be abbatoirs.

Depends on what you mean by deliver results. I suspect the next manager's targets are going to be qualification out of the group stage of the CL, a sustained title challenge, and a domestic cup. Which broadly speaking were the same targets which were set for Mancini.

I also don't see the change in manager as some sort of huge moment of transition as it was when we went from Hughes to Mancini. The current group of players are title winners and there isn't a wholesale change of the make up of the squad required. Just a bit of finessing in certain areas and more importantly, making sure we keep our best players. Aguero needs a new contract.

Shouldn't that be it's not a problem unless the manager is a c**t to most of them ;-)

You know the score when it comes to modern footballers, they are what they are. It's pointless expecting them to be anything different. I will say that I think we're lucky to have players like Vinny, Joe, Silva, Aguero, Zaba, Clichy etc. in our squad. It's not half as unprofessional as has been suggested this week.

 

[taconinja]

Depends on what you mean by deliver results. I suspect the next manager's targets are going to be qualification out of the group stage of the CL, a sustained title challenge, and a domestic cup. Which broadly speaking were the same targets which were set for Mancini.

I also don't see the change in manager as some sort of huge moment of transition as it was when we went from Hughes to Mancini. The current group of players are title winners and there isn't a wholesale change of the make up of the squad required. Just a bit of finessing in certain areas and more importantly, making sure we keep our best players. Aguero needs a new contract.

Shouldn't that be it's not a problem unless the manager is a c**t to most of them ;-)

You know the score when it comes to modern footballers, they are what they are. It's pointless expecting them to be anything different. I will say that I think we're lucky to have players like Vinny, Joe, Silva, Aguero, Zaba, Clichy etc. in our squad. It's not half as unprofessional as has been suggested this week.

Just want to pop in here to state definitively that I'm not one of those that thinks anything was thrown.

 

[kaz7]

Now the dust has settled a bit i am coming round to the idea it was for the best.If it had been done in the summer and explained properly and along with some exciting transfer news it would have not been such a shock to everyone,its the way its happened that has caused all the angst

 

[Blue2112]

Shouldn't that be it's not a problem unless the manager is a c**t to most of them ;-)

You know the score when it comes to modern footballers, they are what they are. It's pointless expecting them to be anything different. I will say that I think we're lucky to have players like Vinny, Joe, Silva, Aguero, Zaba, Clichy etc. in our squad. It's not half as unprofessional as has been suggested this week.

Just want to pop in here to state definitively that I'm not one of those that thinks anything was thrown.

Same here, initially I did but that was more anger and frustraation.

I've come to think that they weren't in the right place, not sure exactly why as they acheived their goal of getting rid of him but it appears obvious they weren't mentally there on the day due to all the shenanigans taking place and there was obviously more to those 24/48 hours preceeding the cup final than we're all aware of.

 

[mostonbluemark]

I watched the Reading game on a live stream and watched us turn on a pretty good performance. So, yesterday I turned up with the lad and grandson and expected a carefree performance of entertaining football given that the players wishes had come true. When I saw the team selection I thought it strange that certain players weren't playing. Not necessarily Vinnie & Nasty, but players like Silva, Clichy, Aquero, Barry. Although the latter was ably replaced by the excellent performance of Jack Rodwell. What followed was 90 minutes of non descript football. An end of season game with nothing to play for, perhaps. But what I did find mildly disquieting was the amount of finger wagging and pointing that seemed to be going on. It seemed to centre around Hart, Nasri, Milner and Yaya. I got the impression that all is still not well in the camp. I hope it was just me reading to much into this or I think Pellegrini has a lot more work to do than we envisage. Next season should be a big season for us. But I do have this awful nagging feeling I can't shake off and it has absolutely nothing to do with the change of manager.

 

[Marvin]

Maybe that would be a good thing. The players think they are more important than the club at the moment. Disgraceful performance. And it comes from the top.

I've supported the club for getting on for 40 years. The last couple of years have been magical. But I truly feel we have let it slip away in the last few months

Your loyalty (to Mancini) does you credit, but if you can't see that he might just have been the problem, despite all that's come out this week, well then I guess you never will.

I've not heard one word in support of him from any of the players since his dismissal, and whilst in some cases that might be down to the ingratitude of the individuals concerned, I refuse to believe that people like Kompany, Zabaleta, Lescott, Barry, Milner and Silva, who are both reasonable and widely respected on and off the pitch, should not have done so were there not significant problems behind the scenes, of which we might not yet even be aware.

I've used the old Don King maxim on here before, that if you're playing poker and you can't work out who the patsy is, it's you, but it seems relevant again in this instance, and it's perhaps something Roberto Mancini might one day contemplate. Managing by attrition, castigating people in public, lashing out when things go wrong, you will only get away with such behaviours for a short while and as long as things are going well. As soon as things take a turn for the worse though, you are left with anger and festering resentment. Mancini had to go. Even Khaldoon, who'd only recently given him a 5 year contract, saw it.

What City need to do now is get Pellegrini installed as quickly as possible, and have him press the flesh and sell his ideas to the players. A rudderless rumbling summer of discontent would be a disaster

Good post. Many are blinded by Mancini and fail to see the wood through the trees. Being happy to lose our best players to keep a manager that was so stubborn that he wouldn't use wingers and was abrasive, both were main reasons we failed this year to build on last season with performances and squad depth/options.

Absolutely sick of this love in. Manciniester City, next year we will be Manchester City again, The lovers can simply watch tapes of the last few seasons and remain content, meanwhile the club will advance.

If the club advances I will be happy. That is all any fan wants to see.

It seems to me that Mancini had a winning desire but that he didn't know how to handle anyone he thought was under-performing in other words he was a poor man-manager. That was seen in his reaction to defeats in important games eg At bayern Munich, at Real Madrid and in the Derby at home this season when individual players were publically criticised.

In all other respects, yes even tactics he is a really good manager.

Let's get the new manager appointed and look forward instead of picking over the bones

 

[OB1]

Still pissed off with the Cup Final though and its going to be a while before I get the taste of the shitcake that we baked that day out of my mouth. Yesterdays performance didn't help either and I don't buy the 'it didn't matter' shit. It always matters. For teams that win trophies and titles it always matters. Ending the season on a high is important. Winning the FA Cup and really ending on a high is important because when you then replace the manager it looks like part of an overall masterplan and not some fucking shambles scribbled on the back of a fag packet. The difference between looking like a smooth professional outfit and total dicks is a very fine one and and currently we look like dicks.

I'm not sure how much to read into yesterday's result but it was another example of us failing to rotate players successfully. I think that is a product of management failings and deficiencies in the playing staff. I hope it is not a complaint that we can make next season.

I agree that it always matters but even our neighbours had an usual result yesterday. Our club is in a strange place at the moment and I think it affected both the team and the crowd yesterday. I'm far more concerned about the impact on the players' mentality as regards finishing on a high etc than how the club looks but a smoother looking transition would have been a welcome bonus. Obviously, I do think it is a transition that we need to make.