When did it all start to go wrong?

[dancity19]

That game was described as a meaningless friendly to gain fitness levels, by many on here.

It's probably meaningless in terms of a trophy win. And at the time it may appear meaningless. But I guess if you look back - and hindsight is a great thing- it all fits. We looked so lethargic, pathetic, disinterested, compared to Arsenal who looked fitter, sharper and more up for it - and this showed and they brushed us aside.

It is difficult to place that much importance on these games at the time, for the reason you say above, but really, we have performed like that pretty much all season. There were warning signs then, simple. Anyone who was there will have been disappointed with that performance, regardless of the 'importance'.

I think the main problem is that it wasn't hindsight.
A lot of posters, were slaughtered after the Charity Shield, the Stoke defeat, and even after the 1-0 win over the rags,(always by the same people, with the same tedious insults)

We threw it away in Moscow, and then looked totally disinterested at West Ham and QPR.

A big red herring saw Chelsea lose at Newcastle and Spurs, but even then, we were struggling against Burnley and Sunderland.

I take no pleasure, but this season has been death by a thousand cuts.

Yep. agree with that - many people saw it at the time. My point is, that now surely everyone sees it in hindsight!! We have been poor from day 1 this season.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

i have never gone to any game as comfortable or as confindent with pellers at the helm as opposed to mancini. i know thats not the right thing to say on here but its the truth.

I always thought that when Colin Bell was playing, we'd never lose. Thought much the same with Mancini. With Pellers, I turn up thinking that we're back on four outcomes with each game - win, lose, draw and the City option. If we win, it'll be magnificent, if we draw I feel we should have won, if we lose I'm left thinking why did we lose to this shite outfit. The fourth option is always lurking!

 

[Paul Powers Bar]

August 2008 :-(

 

[Gray]

I think the main problem is that it wasn't hindsight.
A lot of posters, were slaughtered after the Charity Shield, the Stoke defeat, and even after the 1-0 win over the rags,(always by the same people, with the same tedious insults)

We threw it away in Moscow, and then looked totally disinterested at West Ham and QPR.

A big red herring saw Chelsea lose at Newcastle and Spurs, but even then, we were struggling against Burnley and Sunderland.

I take no pleasure, but this season has been death by a thousand cuts.

That Stoke game still rankles with me, I have not been able to get it out of my mind.

It was everything that is wrong with the team this season, tippy tappy slow build up, failure to shoot, no midfield control, no cover for the defence, great big hole right through the middle of the team, shocking corners and terrible goalkeeping.

I was hoping all these issues would be addressed after that defeat, but no we have just carried on perfecting mediocrity since that day and if Pelligrini doesn't sort it out by Sunday then top four is looking bleak.

 

[cibaman]

It's probably meaningless in terms of a trophy win. And at the time it may appear meaningless. But I guess if you look back - and hindsight is a great thing- it all fits. We looked so lethargic, pathetic, disinterested, compared to Arsenal who looked fitter, sharper and more up for it - and this showed and they brushed us aside.

It is difficult to place that much importance on these games at the time, for the reason you say above, but really, we have performed like that pretty much all season. There were warning signs then, simple. Anyone who was there will have been disappointed with that performance, regardless of the 'importance'.

I think the main problem is that it wasn't hindsight.
A lot of posters, were slaughtered after the Charity Shield, the Stoke defeat, and even after the 1-0 win over the rags,(always by the same people, with the same tedious insults)

We threw it away in Moscow, and then looked totally disinterested at West Ham and QPR.

A big red herring saw Chelsea lose at Newcastle and Spurs, but even then, we were struggling against Burnley and Sunderland.

I take no pleasure, but this season has been death by a thousand cuts.

Yep. agree with that - many people saw it at the time. My point is, that now surely everyone sees it in hindsight!! We have been poor from day 1 this season.

I dont put much store on Community Shield performances. But it did seem that we were using the World Cup as an excuse for a slow start more than other clubs. Chelsea didnt make an issue of it and made sure that they started the season well.

I think the nature of our title wins has created a culture within the club (not just the players) that thinks that only the end of the season counts, that it will all come right in April and May. We should have learned from 12/13 that you need to be still in the mix in April/May.

 

[Dribble]

That's a better balanced post which is hard to disagree with.

+1

May I add, Khaldoon should have made sure Mancini & Txiki could work together before he employed one or sacked the other which would have saved the club all the bullshit that followed.

That is what's called strong management. In defence of Mancini, he was doing just fine before Txiki rocked up & turned his world upside down. Just imagine the scenes at The Emirates or Old Toilet if Txiki had turned up there as their new DoF, what do you reckon would have been the response from Wenger or Ferguson?

It was a complete lack of respect being shown to a title winning champion manager and as history is beginning to show our upper level management & owner are not immune from making errors. Having said that, he who pays the piper and all that.......

Mancini was feuding with Marwood before Txiki joined

As I understand it, for much the same reason as he did with Tixki. Marwood was an average player and has never managed a club before, so what qualifies him to make better judgement calls on player recruitment than any experienced manager.

When results start to go tits up, its usually the manager who gets the bullet. If I were a manager I would want to stand or fall by my own decisions, not to be held responsible for those of others.

Mancini mentioned on many ocassions that he wanted autonomy over team affairs and when Cooke was here he mostly did. All that changed when Cooke resigned and Marwood stepped in temporarily. Marwood immediately started to meddle in team affairs and that's when Mancini saw his arse. Whether for better or for worse there was a upper level management vacuum and that's where our structure fell apart and internal strife begun.

I'm big on strong management and I prefer to have a strong person who is responsible for all decisions at the head, that way there is only one person to look at if it all goes well or awry.

 

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

When we brought Big Mal back, ruined our promising side, lost to Luton and spent the next 20 years yo yoing between divisions. Missed out on becoming one of the big four and all the money and kudos that CL brings.

Being the new boy into this party hasn't gone down well with the establishment and we get slapped wrists and fined for trying to break the cartel. Makes life harder.

We have done well to achieve what we have in 6 years since the takeover to be honest.

Whilst it is utterly depressing what is happening this season, whatever happens to us now and in the future, we have had 4 moments that none of us will ever forget when at one point one looked unlikely.

Typical city is well and truly back.....least it makes the final few games interesting, if not nail biting!!

 

[paulchapo]

When we brought Big Mal back, ruined our promising side, lost to Luton and spent the next 20 years yo yoing between divisions. Missed out on becoming one of the big four and all the money and kudos that CL brings.

Being the new boy into this party hasn't gone down well with the establishment and we get slapped wrists and fined for trying to break the cartel. Makes life harder.

We have done well to achieve what we have in 6 years since the takeover to be honest.

Whilst it is utterly depressing what is happening this season, whatever happens to us now and in the future, we have had 4 moments that none of us will ever forget when at one point one looked unlikely.

Typical city is well and truly back.....least it makes the final few games interesting, if not nail biting!!

I never forget reading the back of the daily mirror [these were pre internet days lol] and the huge headline ''Big Mal is back!'' and Swales talking about how we he was going to bankroll him millions to blow United out of the water. I was ecstatic.....how little i knew lol!!!

 

[Scaring Europe to Death]

I think the main problem is that it wasn't hindsight.
A lot of posters, were slaughtered after the Charity Shield, the Stoke defeat, and even after the 1-0 win over the rags,(always by the same people, with the same tedious insults)

We threw it away in Moscow, and then looked totally disinterested at West Ham and QPR.

A big red herring saw Chelsea lose at Newcastle and Spurs, but even then, we were struggling against Burnley and Sunderland.

I take no pleasure, but this season has been death by a thousand cuts.

Yep. agree with that - many people saw it at the time. My point is, that now surely everyone sees it in hindsight!! We have been poor from day 1 this season.

I dont put much store on Community Shield performances. But it did seem that we were using the World Cup as an excuse for a slow start more than other clubs. Chelsea didnt make an issue of it and made sure that they started the season well.

I think the nature of our title wins has created a culture within the club (not just the players) that thinks that only the end of the season counts, that it will all come right in April and May. We should have learned from 12/13 that you need to be still in the mix in April/May.

I don’t think it’s so much the performance, or even the result in the Charity Shield, as the attitude that begins to shape the season.

For example, when we lost to United, it helped us focus on the rest of the campaign rather than drool over beating them at Wembley the previous April. I also think, the sycophantic attitude of the media, worked against United in the long run, especially all the crap about their young players.
When we beat Chelsea, it was arguably too easy, and we weren’t quite ready for United’s blistering start.
Against Arsenal, we picked two left backs, citing World Cup fatigue (despite Giroud featuring and scoring for Arsenal). We also played our reserve goalkeeper, and two reserve central defenders, one of whom has since left the club.

Perhaps it would have made no difference, but for me the alarm bells were already sounding.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

+1

May I add, Khaldoon should have made sure Mancini & Txiki could work together before he employed one or sacked the other which would have saved the club all the bullshit that followed.

That is what's called strong management. In defence of Mancini, he was doing just fine before Txiki rocked up & turned his world upside down. Just imagine the scenes at The Emirates or Old Toilet if Txiki had turned up there as their new DoF, what do you reckon would have been the response from Wenger or Ferguson?

It was a complete lack of respect being shown to a title winning champion manager and as history is beginning to show our upper level management & owner are not immune from making errors. Having said that, he who pays the piper and all that.......

Mancini was feuding with Marwood before Txiki joined

As I understand it, for much the same reason as he did with Tixki. Marwood was an average player and has never managed a club before, so what qualifies him to make better judgement calls on player recruitment than any experienced manager.

When results start to go tits up, its usually the manager who gets the bullet. If I were a manager I would want to stand or fall by my own decisions, not to be held responsible for those of others.

Mancini mentioned on many ocassions that he wanted autonomy over team affairs and when Cooke was here he mostly did. All that changed when Cooke resigned and Marwood stepped in temporarily. Marwood immediately started to meddle in team affairs and that's when Mancini saw his arse. Whether for better or for worse there was a upper level management vacuum and that's where our structure fell apart and internal strife begun.

I'm big on strong management and I prefer to have a strong person who is responsible for all decisions at the head, that way there is only one person to look at if it all goes well or awry.

Your version of the management structure isn't correct. Marwood was always effectively our DoF except he was called 'Football Administrator' to keep Mancini happy. Which he wasn't naturally.

John Macbeath took over as acting CEO when Cook left, with him and Marwood moved to other roles when the two amigos arrived.

In hindsight it certainly seems like we fudged it after 2012's title win and just hoped that the situation would resolve itself. It's a valid argument to wonder if we should have left Mancini to run things but that's not the way the owner wanted to work as they wanted to build a longer term platform that didn't involve a new manager ripping things apart every 2 or 3 years.

Plus we'd have probably needed a whole new team!