Why is Mancini so defensive minded? Tactics and Transfers

[skybluekings]

As much as wanted Hughes out, I am missing the attacking football we played under him.
After watching the games under Mancini and his team selections which thus far, have not failed to raise an eyebrow from every City fan with each passing game, I haven't seen that attacking Top 4 killer instinct that you see in Arseanal, Utd, Chelsea when they go all out and keep pressing. We are more defensive. Sitting back and passing the ball around in defense, waiting for an opening instead of creating one.

Now he is on record in an interview saying he wants Gago and Flamini.

If he does get his way City would then have
Viera, De Jong, Barry, Flamini, Gago, Ireland in midfield. Not to mention Kompany or even Zabaleta.

Why so defensive? He was a top top striker as a player but after watching the Everton and Utd games, it would be hard for anyone to argue that the team had any attacking flair similar to the City v Arsenal, Chelsea, Utd (away) games.

We're winning! That's what's important, but if his mindset is overly defensive...what happens to Superman?
Surely, he has to rate Stephen Ireland. If not then Mancini has lost a fan right there.

It pained me to see Ireland on the bench last night and even though he has just returned from injury, the thoughts of Viera and Flamini, Gago etc makes me wonder what is Mancini doing?

2 players that for me we just can't turn our back on are Ireland and Robinho.

Ireland is the heart of City. How many current player's banners do you see at the COMS?
IRELAND IS SUPERMAN is up there all the time. Mancini would be MAD to phase or "bit roll" Ireland.

Robinho.
He took criticism beyond criticism when he joined City. Even the great Pele blasted him as a fool to come here.
Imagine how that must have felt for him that his idol and his country's icon calls him a fool for moving to City. But he came here and has never said a bad word about the club. Every interview he has spoken highly of City as if we were already a top 4 club. Yes he is struggling, but he believed in this club. Shouldn't we also believe in him?

Robinho and Ireland ran riot last season and now its seems like a DM fest at City. What in the world is Mancini thinking?

 

[jellert]

Because he's Italian :)

 

[sniff]

Thats the Italian way, never the greatest football to watch but very effective. They kill the game, hit teams on the break and through set plays

 

[Blue Hefner]

Because before he got the job we let 9 goals in, in 1 week. That form could not continue if he hopes to still be in a job next season. 9/10 will we score no matter how defensive we play so in my opinion there seems little point in going all out attack.
This is the side that scored 3 at home to burnley and didn't win and also needed 4 at home to Sunderland to win. I think the defence is a priority

 

[Wheelsy]

So defensive that we put 2 past the Rags, 3 past Wolves, and 4 past Blackburn?

 

[kiam06]

Ive been waiting all my life to get a manager at City with a bit of defensive tactical know how, please don't ruin it people by posting rubbish on here.

 

[MonsallBlue]

Isnt ancelotti (spelling?) Italian too? Look what Chelsea did to Sunderland.

We need an Italian with a good mix of the best of both worlds. Maybe Mancini is working that way for when players are back?

I prefer the way we are playing now to drawing at home to Burnley and co

 

[Graceyboy]

Is it not simple enough to see that the first thing you have to do to be successful is to stop goals being conceeded.

We seem to do it for fun in calamitous fashion.

Its his first observation

"What needs tackling first? Defense/Attack?

100% of city fans would say defense.

He is going about this task in his way - Leave it to him

Hes seen the fire power we potentially have if all are fit and available and its awesome. The problems we have had this season is defense

 

[the--dud]

As people have already mentioned it's the "Italian way".
Sit deep, control the game from deep. Launch quick and creative counter attacks when the opponent team is drawn towards you. Also of course score from free-kicks and corners when possible.

But I think there is a different reason. I'm not sure if he doesn't feel he has the right players, or it's too much of a change during a vital part of the season, or quite simply he's not certain it would work against English teams. For whatever reason I think ideally Mancini would like us to play the same 4-3-1-2 he's used at all the Italian teams he's managed. This would make us a bit more attacking I think. With playing the 4-4-2 he has to sit back to get the counter-attacking football working. Effectively he's playing more of a 4-4-1-1 with Tevez sitting deeper (almost "in the hole") and Benjani or someone as the lonely "target-man" striker. This formation will be quite defensive just by it's nature.
As people have pointed out, due to the quality of our attacking players we still end up scoring goals though!

 

[Sun Jihai's ghost]

Probably because he's come in and seen that we've been conceeding 2/3 goals per game under Hughes and wants to do something about it.

There is no reason to think that Mancini will shun Ireland from the side, so far he has given every player a chance to prove themselves and Ireland will be no different. Hughes on the other hand....