So what would you all have done differently?

[KnaresboroughBlue]

As gutted as I am with the result, I must admit I am at a loss to think of anything that could have been done to change the result.

In my opinion, Mancini picked the correct side from the players available and they should have been good enough to win the game. I don't think any player played exceptionally well or badly. We had plenty of shots and possession but didn't really look like scoring.

Our main danger is through the centre but if teams defend so deeply and in such numbers the only options are (barring a piece of individual brilliance) long range shots (which were poor today) or playing it out wide. We had plenty of ball out wide but we lack anyone to get on the end of the numerous crosses.

THe Tevez substitution was strange to say the least and until I know the reason will not comment further on it but to be honest we didn't look any more or less dangerous without him.

Looking at the bench I didn't see anyone that was likely to come on and change things.

So for those who say they have supported Mancini thus far but have now had enough, could you please explain what you would have done differently to get the result.

 

[mammutly]

This is the key question people should be thinking about

It wasn't a negative performance and Birmingham defended very well.
If anything we needed more height up front, but without the option of a quality target man - RSC is just not very good - what was Mancini meant to have done?

Silva had a bit of an off day and Tevez was clearly knackered when he was taken off.

The manager set the team up to win we dominated the game. It wasn't a bad performance and all this hysteria is frankly embarassing.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

Well I wouldn't play two defensive midfield players at home for a start. I'd have played Milner centrally and played another forward who could get on the end of a cross.

Thne I'd have played with a bit more pace and urgency and got stuck into a very poor team straight from the off.

 

[LoveCity]

We were set up fine. Only two holding midfielders and one of them (Yaya) burst forward more than a normal holding midfielder does.

Problems were:

1. Going up against a 11 man defence is always difficult.
2. We lacked cutting edge and end product.
3. We still can't take set pieces to any effect at all.
4. We were missing the third forward we badly needed with Tevez and Silva due to Balotelli spitting his dummy out. If he played how he can, he would have made a difference. RSC and Jo show we do not have enough firepower at the club, despite how much we paid for them.

 

[Citizen52]

Sign Dzeko in January perhaps. Until then, God knows with Balotelli being suspended.

Disagree about RSC - he is a good header of a ball (remember the 2-2 vs Blackburn in 07/08?) by the way but he never looks sharp due to continuing fitness problems and never getting a run in the side. Unfortunately we are never going to see the best of him.

 

[somervillain]

That's the problem. It's not as simple as a manager getting his team, tactics, or subs wrong. I was happy with seeing the 4-2-3-1 with just the two DMs, I called for the Santa Cruz-for-Milner sub and switch to a 4-4-2 before it happened, and subbing Zabaleta on for Kolarov made since when you consider the latter's lack of full fitness.

The problem is bigger picture. Mancini simply doesn't have this collection of immense talents playing anything close to effective attacking football, and on days like this where the bounces don't go your way, they are incapable of forcing the issue and getting the result they need like the three actual title contenders.

If Rijkaard can be lined up, I'd now support letting Mancini go and bringing in the Dutchman.

 

[Rob The Knob]

Ok...
1) Never let Bellamy and Weiss go
2) Bought Dzeko when he had a get out clause
3) SWP and Ade on the bench (if they were fit)
4) Put on attacking substitutes

Pretty simple really. It's been hammered to death but when Mancini makes changes, I am left baffled.

 

[Tevez City]

I would play 4-4-2 with AJ - Milner- Barry- Silva in the middle , Tevez and Jo upfront

Milner and Barry in the middle may give us more fluidity .

 

[KnaresboroughBlue]

This is the key question people should be thinking about

It wasn't a negative performance and Birmingham defended very well.
If anything we needed more height up front, but without the option of a quality target man - RSC is just not very good - what was Mancini meant to have done?

Silva had a bit of an off day and Tevez was clearly knackered when he was taken off.

The manager set the team up to win we dominated the game. It wasn't a bad performance and all this hysteria is frankly embarassing.

That's the way I saw it too.

In games like that you need a bit of brilliance or luck to get a goal so the game opens up but unfortunately that didn't happen. I think Mancini picked the right team and while there were no outstanding performances nobody was too bad either. Just one of those days.

Brum just knew that we wouldn't score from crosses so packed the middle to stop us playing through them and gave us the space out wide but without a target man the crosses that came in were always going to be dealt with by the defenders.

It's a tactic we are going to face a lot at home and so we have to find a way to deal with it. Whether Adebayor or Balotelli would have made a difference I'm not sure but as they weren't available anyway, not sure what could have been done differently.

 

[Rammy Blue]

We need to be playing 4-4-2.

Playing in four lines, 4-2-3-1, is killing us as teams just sit deep and permanently outnumber us hence we rely on individual magic to create chances.