One things for sure we fucked up big time announcing the Pep decision when we did.
We've been shit since then, 6th at best this season, another 4-5 defeats guaranteed
Perhaps you're right... but I'm not so sure.
IMO this has been coming for a long time.
Mancini was the master at pissing everyone off - his superiors and a lot of the players. He was right though a lot of times - but his interpersonal skills just made him enemies.
Pellers is the master at demotivation - no pressure, just do your best, everything's OK, and Oh, by the way, great performance but you're being subbed off to rest in our upcoming huge match; that hat trick you're working on... forget it - I'm bringing you off now to enjoy the applause of our fans.
Under Pellers our players have jobs. Put in the shift but can't wait to get home. Don't put in any extra effort... because it doesn't matter.
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I especially like Mancini as a person (judging by his loyalty to our club even after he left) as well as Pellers (handling his upcoming replacement with class) - but as managers, they're both unsuitable for a club wishing to dominate its home league and win the Champions League.
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Hard to believe we won't finish top 4 especially since we have the best "on paper" team in the league with the most depth by far.
I don't see us catching any of the teams above us.
So, to finish top 4 we'll have to outperform (or at least match since we have goal difference in our favor) ManU.
Remaining City fixtures and predictions:
Villa Home - win, Villa are essentially relegated
Norwich Away - draw - Norwich are fighting for their lives
Manure Home - win - Even Pellers can't demotivate enough to keep us from playing well enough at home to beat our arch rivals
Bournemouth Away - loss - letdown after beating Manure; Bournemouth don't want to go down
West Brom Home - draw - only because it's at home; WBA are not pushovers
Chelsea Away - loss - Chelsea are on the uptick - we are listless
Stoke Home - draw
Southampton Away - win - Southampton have nothing to play for
Arsenal Home - win - We will be fighting for 4th; Arsenal will be out of running for the league but secure for top 4; big game, we'll play well in spite of Pellers
Swansea Away - win - Swansea will have nothing to play for; we will be fighting for 4th.
Newcastle Away - draw? - Not sure about this or even when it's rescheduled for - Newcastle hare a decent side but seem determined to go down.
Wins 5 - Draws 4 - Losses - 2 = 19 points; 67 points at end of season.
67 points usually isn't good enough to secure a top 4 finish, but this season is crazy. I'd say we've got 50-50 chance of a top 4 finish.