The "I prefer Mancini to Hughes" topic

[SWP's back]

How much bastarding time does it take to work out that playing 3 DM's along with only passing sideways is not the fucking way to play in the Premier league. Didn't take Hiddink or Ancelotti or even fucking Grant 2 months did it? Did their midfielders get nose bleeds every time they ventured into the oppo's half? Do they bring 11 men back for every set piece ensuring that once it is cleared you will always face another punt back in (leading to their goal last night)?????

Then his tactical nouse and substitutions last:

11 v 11 (0-0) - 3 DM

10 v 11 (0-0) - 3 DM

10 - 11 (1-0) - still 3 bloody defensive midfielders!!!!

then what does he do? Does he bring on Ireland? No, he replaces our right back with guess what? Another F-ing right back.

Did anyone else see Petrov strip down twice before being told to sit back down twice before finally being brought on with 5 mins to go? What is the point?

 

[Lancet Fluke]

but still bobby manc hasnt really done much, 5 in against the rags in 2 legs, 2 against stoke in 2 games isnt a big improvent.

It's better than 3 at home against Burnley and Sunderland, both of who are worse than Stoke. And is it my imagination or did we concede 4 against the rags over the two legs and not 5? Hughes conceded 4 in one match against them. To say the defence hasn't improved would be wrong and once Vinnie is back to partner Lescott, I'm confident Mancini will make us reasonable defensively in a way Hughes never ever would have, no matter how much cash he threw at the situation.

 

[SWP's back]

but still bobby manc hasnt really done much, 5 in against the rags in 2 legs, 2 against stoke in 2 games isnt a big improvent.

It's better than 3 at home against Burnley and Sunderland, both of who are worse than Stoke. And is it my imagination or did we concede 4 against the rags over the two legs and not 5? Hughes conceded 4 in one match against them. To say the defence hasn't improved would be wrong and once Vinnie is back to partner Lescott, I'm confident Mancini will make us reasonable defensively in a way Hughes never ever would have, no matter how much cash he threw at the situation.

Great apart from the fact that he is doing it at the expense of anything creative up the other end of the park. Sideways or backwards is the only way the midfielders know at the moment.

 

[bellamyblue]

to be honest i prefered hughes. more attacking football, a faster pace and plenty of excitment. i know we shipped a lot of goals, but still bobby manc hasnt really done much, 5 in against the rags in 2 legs, 2 against stoke in 2 games isnt a big improvent. also i cant help think our shit atmosphere is something to do with the slow and boring football we are currently playing

I feel exactly the same re:MH. His biggest downfall was that he had a brand new team to develop & made sure that the gameplay was fast & aggressive to cover a defence that was made up of players learning each others game. MH has a better record over the same period of time than Mancini has & he's now bossing a team thats now bonded & losing against poor opposition. Mancini's slow, boring, defensive style football is the typical Italian style football that he's coached before...he's tactically inept & hasn't got an understanding of the fast English game & thats why he wasn't successful in the Champs league, hence Inter brought in Jose!! They should've kept MH, as the team was very dangerous on the break & then changed for Jose at the end of the season! If he beats top EPL teams then I'll admit I'm wrong. I also don't like the way he lies through his teeth in post match interviews, at least MH told it as it was!!

 

[Lancet Fluke]

It's better than 3 at home against Burnley and Sunderland, both of who are worse than Stoke. And is it my imagination or did we concede 4 against the rags over the two legs and not 5? Hughes conceded 4 in one match against them. To say the defence hasn't improved would be wrong and once Vinnie is back to partner Lescott, I'm confident Mancini will make us reasonable defensively in a way Hughes never ever would have, no matter how much cash he threw at the situation.

Great apart from the fact that he is doing it at the expense of anything creative up the other end of the park. Sideways or backwards is the only way the midfielders know at the moment.

I agree with you to a large degree, I was just challenging the ludicrous suggestion that we aren't better defensively under Mancini. I actually just want a bit of balance, better defensively but without completely abandoning creativity. However, as far as hitting the immediate target of 4th place this season is concerned, I suspect we will have a much better chance by being as solid as we can and hoping we can nick games rather than conceding 2 or 3 every match and relying on our attackers to score bucket loads. We may miss out either way but Mancini's pragmatic approach is more likely to help us reach that goal imo. Wouldn't want the complete lack of balance to continue beyond the end of the season mind.

 

[SWP's back]

Great apart from the fact that he is doing it at the expense of anything creative up the other end of the park. Sideways or backwards is the only way the midfielders know at the moment.

I agree with you to a large degree, I was just challenging the ludicrous suggestion that we aren't better defensively under Mancini. I actually just want a bit of balance, better defensively but without completely abandoning creativity. However, as far as hitting the immediate target of 4th place this season is concerned, I suspect we will have a much better chance by being as solid as we can and hoping we can nick games rather than conceding 2 or 3 every match and relying on our attackers to score bucket loads. We may miss out either way but Mancini's pragmatic approach is more likely to help us reach that goal imo. Wouldn't want the complete lack of balance to continue beyond the end of the season mind.

But it really shouldn't take until the end of the season to work out you do not need 3 DM's when losing one nil to a side with ten men? My 8 year old nephew could tell you that but Mancini did it anyway. That is what is getting to me. How can he find balance whilst getting the very basics so very wrong?

 

[Lancet Fluke]

I agree with you to a large degree, I was just challenging the ludicrous suggestion that we aren't better defensively under Mancini. I actually just want a bit of balance, better defensively but without completely abandoning creativity. However, as far as hitting the immediate target of 4th place this season is concerned, I suspect we will have a much better chance by being as solid as we can and hoping we can nick games rather than conceding 2 or 3 every match and relying on our attackers to score bucket loads. We may miss out either way but Mancini's pragmatic approach is more likely to help us reach that goal imo. Wouldn't want the complete lack of balance to continue beyond the end of the season mind.

But it really shouldn't take until the end of the season to work out you do not need 3 DM's when losing one nil to a side with ten men? My 8 year old nephew could tell you that but Mancini did it anyway. That is what is getting to me. How can he find balance whilst getting the very basics so very wrong?

Personally I agree. I don't actually think we need 3 holding midfielders against anyone ever. I just think he has decided on playing as defensively as possible and relying on the pace and quality of Tevez/Bellamy to nick something. I don't particularly like it but then when I think back to the shambles we were towards the end of Hughes's time, I think it has more chance of working than whatever "plan" Hughes thought he was implementing. I would like to think that it is a short term plan because obviously it has massive flaws in it and there is every chance it won't see us finish in the top 4 this season let alone succeed in the longer term. If it doesn't work then he'll go the same way as Hughes in the summer and we can all have the same arguments again about another manager.

 

[SWP's back]

But it really shouldn't take until the end of the season to work out you do not need 3 DM's when losing one nil to a side with ten men? My 8 year old nephew could tell you that but Mancini did it anyway. That is what is getting to me. How can he find balance whilst getting the very basics so very wrong?

Personally I agree. I don't actually think we need 3 holding midfielders against anyone ever. I just think he has decided on playing as defensively as possible and relying on the pace and quality of Tevez/Bellamy to nick something. I don't particularly like it but then when I think back to the shambles we were towards the end of Hughes's time, I think it has more chance of working than whatever "plan" Hughes thought he was implementing. I would like to think that it is a short term plan because obviously it has massive flaws in it and there is every chance it won't see us finish in the top 4 this season let alone succeed in the longer term. If it doesn't work then he'll go the same way as Hughes in the summer and we can all have the same arguments again about another manager.

Fair enough mate and I agree with you also. Maybe we should just hug by the bar in Mary D's on Sunday before the game for half an hour.

 

[Lancet Fluke]

Personally I agree. I don't actually think we need 3 holding midfielders against anyone ever. I just think he has decided on playing as defensively as possible and relying on the pace and quality of Tevez/Bellamy to nick something. I don't particularly like it but then when I think back to the shambles we were towards the end of Hughes's time, I think it has more chance of working than whatever "plan" Hughes thought he was implementing. I would like to think that it is a short term plan because obviously it has massive flaws in it and there is every chance it won't see us finish in the top 4 this season let alone succeed in the longer term. If it doesn't work then he'll go the same way as Hughes in the summer and we can all have the same arguments again about another manager.

Fair enough mate and I agree with you also. Maybe we should just hug by the bar in Mary D's on Sunday before the game for half an hour.

Just a hug? I expect a blow job as a minimum.

 

[thepole]

How much bastarding time does it take to work out that playing 3 DM's along with only passing sideways is not the fucking way to play in the Premier league. Didn't take Hiddink or Ancelotti or even fucking Grant 2 months did it? Did their midfielders get nose bleeds every time they ventured into the oppo's half? Do they bring 11 men back for every set piece ensuring that once it is cleared you will always face another punt back in (leading to their goal last night)?????

Then his tactical nouse and substitutions last:

11 v 11 (0-0) - 3 DM

10 v 11 (0-0) - 3 DM

10 - 11 (1-0) - still 3 bloody defensive midfielders!!!!

Except if you saw the game you would know one of these "defensive midfielders" went to left back, and a winger came on, and we started playing a 442. Not to mention their goal didn't come from a set piece