The Same Old Traps

[tolmie's hairdoo]

Nicely written, articulate, but please credit fellow blues across all sections of our support, with the brains to think for themselves.

Certainly, that it may represent whatever majority.

Opinions are generally formulated well before the media get the chance to kick City when they are down.

They are formed on the field of play, there for all to see, backed up by a set of poor results in a particular competition, which has been the current topic for debate.

I don't consider Bobby a bad manager, but I certainly don't believe him to be a great one, as many seem to have already bracketed him.

I saw them same old arguments from those who could see that Hughes was delaying the inevitable, that he simply wasn't good enough for the next step.

People would cry, but you never get anywhere with sacking managers, he got us to the Carling Cup semi-final, etc.

Well, we certainly got somewhere by sacking him, an upgrade was available which helped our wealth to realise an FA Cup and Premier League title.

It's a little close-minded to suggest that Bobby is the full stop to this great story.

He's simply a chapter, a momentous one, but I think we are far from being a best-seller under his tenure.

He thrives on creative tension, an autocratic style, but even Ferguson has had to accept the realities of the modern game and adapt.

Simply my opinion, nothing more, but from what I have seen so far, there is a very strong likelihood we will end this season with nothing.

The Barcelonisation of our club, behind the scenes, I can't help but feel and even hope this whole 'project' set up for Pep Guardiola to become our manager one day.

 

[Josh Blue]

No we don't. Speak for yourself.

There have been doubts and suspicion about his true quality amongst a proportion of our fanbase since his arrival. And many of these these aren't brainless fans but knowledgeable ones. Some senior football writers echo this view.

He's stubborn, strong and single minded. No doubt about that. But that strength has a flip-side in that he is not a popular manager amongst the players. That in itself brings problems because if they aren't bought in, they don't deliver. He's also tactically awful at times: he tries to be clever and doesn't carry it off.

He won't be going anywhere for the time being, nor should he. But he will be looked at in May next year and if this season is a flop I suspect he'll be gone. That's how it should be. There's been a lot of mud thrown at him, and he's thrown a lot of mud, since his arrival and the question is: how much of it has stuck and how many brownie points did the title bring him?

I'd say he has to win the league now or he's on thin ice. But I'm second guessing Sheikh Mansour and Khaldoon here. It's tough to guage how important is the Champions League to them in the here and now, and how much of a medium/long-term view they take on it.

You couldn't wait could you. Mancini will prove you wrong once AGAIN. I remember last season you were sure he was HISTORY!

and don't second guess Sheikh Mansour and Khaldoon because you will only make yourself look like a clown.

Hahahahahahaha!!!!

I bet the Citizens won't be questioning Saint Bob, will they?

Sorry but what the fuck does that have to do with anything? Strawman.

 

[LongsightM13]

Mancini is a great manager. Deep down we all know it,

No we don't. Speak for yourself.

There have been doubts and suspicion about his true quality amongst a proportion of our fanbase since his arrival. And many of these these aren't brainless fans but knowledgeable ones. Some senior football writers echo this view.

And Mancini has made fools of these people two summers running, so they will never forgive him for it.
At what stage does repeatedly getting it wrong make a person 'knowledgeable'?
I reckon Mancini gets his hat trick in May. Will the transition from knowledgeable to brainless begin then?
Despite his track record, you only had to see his first press conference to see how hostile some 'senior football writers' have been towards him from the start. And they have never let up.
The fact he is running rings around them, their prejudices and their entrenched positions, on and off the pitch, means they are always going to gleefully stick the boot in at every little slip.
I pay no credence to a bunch of cowards, hypocrites and sycophants like Henry Winter, who are visibly afraid of an elderly alcoholic, but see no problem in using a press conference to attack a newly appointed overeas manager. Or Shindler-lites like Conn and Hattenstone, who eulogise about a bunch of attention seekers and cowards at FCUM while mercilessly slagging off a club they claim to support and a regime which is investing hundreds of millions in the city of Manchester during a recession.

 

[GaudinoMotors]

Mancini is a great manager. Deep down we all know it,

No we don't. Speak for yourself.

There have been doubts and suspicion about his true quality amongst a proportion of our fanbase since his arrival. And many of these these aren't brainless fans but knowledgeable ones. Some senior football writers echo this view.

And Mancini has made fools of these people two summers running, so they will never forgive him for it.
At what stage does repeatedly getting it wrong make a person 'knowledgeable'?
I reckon Mancini gets his hat trick in May. Will the transition from knowledgeable to brainless begin then?
Despite his track record, you only had to see his first press conference to see how hostile some 'senior football writers' have been towards him from the start. And they have never let up.
The fact he is running rings around them, their prejudices and their entrenched positions, on and off the pitch, means they are always going to gleefully stick the boot in at every little slip.
I pay no credence to a bunch of cowards, hypocrites and sycophants like Henry Winter, who are visibly afraid of an elderly alcoholic, but see no problem in using a press conference to attack a newly appointed overeas manager. Or Shindler-lites like Conn and Hattenstone, who eulogise about a bunch of attention seekers and cowards at FCUM while mercilessly slagging off a club they claim to support and a regime which is investing hundreds of millions in the city of Manchester during a recession.

Wasting your time - he's been waiting for Wednesday night for months - tragic really.

 

[Josh Blue]

Mancini is a great manager. Deep down we all know it,

No we don't. Speak for yourself.

There have been doubts and suspicion about his true quality amongst a proportion of our fanbase since his arrival. And many of these these aren't brainless fans but knowledgeable ones. Some senior football writers echo this view.

And Mancini has made fools of these people two summers running, so they will never forgive him for it.
At what stage does repeatedly getting it wrong make a person 'knowledgeable'?
I reckon Mancini gets his hat trick in May. Will the transition from knowledgeable to brainless begin then?
Despite his track record, you only had to see his first press conference to see how hostile some 'senior football writers' have been towards him from the start. And they have never let up.
The fact he is running rings around them, their prejudices and their entrenched positions, on and off the pitch, means they are always going to gleefully stick the boot in at every little slip.
I pay no credence to a bunch of cowards, hypocrites and sycophants like Henry Winter, who are visibly afraid of an elderly alcoholic, but see no problem in using a press conference to attack a newly appointed overeas manager. Or Shindler-lites like Conn and Hattenstone, who eulogise about a bunch of attention seekers and cowards at FCUM while mercilessly slagging off a club they claim to support and a regime which is investing hundreds of millions in the city of Manchester during a recession.

Well said Longsight. Excellant post. I'm afraid Deluded Daves reply won't nearly be as well thought out. Top stuff man.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Nicely written, articulate, but please credit fellow blues across all sections of our support, with the brains to think for themselves.

Certainly, that it may represent whatever majority.

Opinions are generally formulated well before the media get the chance to kick City when they are down.

They are formed on the field of play, there for all to see, backed up by a set of poor results in a particular competition, which has been the current topic for debate.

I don't consider Bobby a bad manager, but I certainly don't believe him to be a great one, as many seem to have already bracketed him.

I saw them same old arguments from those who could see that Hughes was delaying the inevitable, that he simply wasn't good enough for the next step.

People would cry, but you never get anywhere with sacking managers, he got us to the Carling Cup semi-final, etc.

Well, we certainly got somewhere by sacking him, an upgrade was available which helped our wealth to realise an FA Cup and Premier League title.

It's a little close-minded to suggest that Bobby is the full stop to this great story.

He's simply a chapter, a momentous one, but I think we are far from being a best-seller under his tenure.

He thrives on creative tension, an autocratic style, but even Ferguson has had to accept the realities of the modern game and adapt.

Simply my opinion, nothing more, but from what I have seen so far, there is a very strong likelihood we will end this season with nothing.

The Barcelonisation of our club, behind the scenes, I can't help but feel and even hope this whole 'project' set up for Pep Guardiola to become our manager one day.

Good post as usual, Tolm.

To me the mindless, non-questioning support of the manager comes from those without huge football knowledge. Which is why they are constantly getting wound up by other opinions, including those of respected figures in the game.

Nothing will happen until the summer of course. I feel he may need to win the league to stay in tenure, though.<br /><br />-- Fri Oct 26, 2012 10:46 am --<br /><br />

Wasting your time - he's been waiting for Wednesday night for months - tragic really.

Hahahahahaha

Demon Dave is back from the Dam and ready to take one for the team.

Go on kids - give it me hard. It's all my fault ;-)

 

[Aguero_Element]

Totally agree, Great post OP!

 

[GaudinoMotors]

Why go all that way hoping to lose?

 

[BlueTony]

I think (and only MYO) that we, as a group, got so used to winning at the end of last season that we expected to sweep all before us this season.

That was never going to happen due to injuries, loss of form, teams having a better game than you expect or any one of all the other reasons games are played on grass and not paper.

We will, at some time, lose to teams we should beat. But again IMO having supported City since 1968 (when I was 4) I can only look at the progress we have made over the last few years and marvel ( and hope for better to come but nobody is perfect ).

 

[crystal_mais]

I fully appreciate the job Mancini has done since he has been at the club. He has made a 40 year old man very happy and further strengthen my young children's affiliation with the club by winning the trophies. But I have said for a while I don't think he has what it takes to take us to the next level in Europe.

We need to be setting Europe alight to progress to the next stage of the clubs development. The revenue and marketing available is key to the club and future players will look at our success there.

I think RM should be given this season, but we need to be winning something. In my opinion, apart from the last 6 games of last season we have been very poor since about December (especially away from home). Teams have sussed how we play and we tend not to have a plan B. No Pace, No Width.

My loyalty is to City - if there is a better option which will improve City - I'll take it just as any manager or player would. I understand peoples attachment to the guy but lets not all forget it's City not the individual we follow.