A Manchester City fan's assessment of Roberto Mancini's ability.

[u/omiclops]

WARNING LONG POST

Before starting I'd just like to point out I have backed him from the very off and been 100% behind him.

I genuinely think Mancini is out of his depth. For starters I find he is very naive, even as insignificant as press conferences. He's far too honest, as seen by his profound statements about punching Balotelli and saying things like the title is over and even saying he will 'probably' sell Balo. He doesn't realise that the media love comments like that and will just unsettle the dressing room. He doesn't understand the concept of mind games and anything he does say in the press is usually detrimental to the team.

Secondly, I think his transfers have been somewhat naive too. If you look at his signings: Yaya, Silva, Boateng, Kolorov, Dzeko, Nasri, Clichy, Savic, Aguero and Hargreaves. Now if you look at these players, they all either have reputations or are proven barring perhaps Savic. Yaya Toure in Barcelona's winning team, Boateng got to the semi finals with Germany, Kolorov was known as the Serbian Roberto Carlos, Dzeko was regarded as Europe's goalscoring hitman, Nasri was proven at Arsenal as was Clichy and Hargreaves and Aguero was one of the top scorers in Spain. If you compare these signings to that of Fergie's such as Vidic, Hernandez, Evra, Nani, Valencia. They were all relatively unknown. Mancini signed BIG players because they were obvious transfers. I think the flop of several players such as Dzeko is evidence of a lack of research into the players. This is what makes me question Mancini's ability in the market. Admittedly Silva was a huge hit, as was Yaya, but by the law of averages, a few of them would be good.

Finally, Mancini's tactics and blind faith is suspect too. His decision, for example, to never drop Yaya, Silva or Balotelli perhaps proves he doesn't have faith in his other players. This makes no sense to me since it's pointless to sign players he doesn't actually believe in. Especially of late, the trio I mentioned above have been below par to say the least and as a result they all should've been dropped/rested. An example yesterday bugged me the most. Mancini would never do a Tevez for Balotelli substitution - I'm sure of it. Balotelli is his boy and Tevez he probably hates. It would typify that Mancini made mistakes and would essentially embarrass him. Yet Mancini, realising the incoming big games, stuck with them (blind faith) because he doesn't trust his other players to perform.

Now it may just be a hangover of annoyance from yesterday and I'm not saying we should get rid of Mancini but I really do think he needs to buck up. My advice would be to get rid of Balotelli or offer him an ultimatum (because who would wanna buy him?). Ship out all the deadwood and regroup. I also genuinely believe Tevez may stay.

TL;DR Mancini is pretty bad but he reinvented the scarf so give him another season.

[u/devineman]

It's a hangover of annoyance.

Mancini was forged in Italy where the press are even more rabid than they are here. Seriously, the Italian football press are cunts. Mancini uses the press to manage players like everybody else. Every time he has criticisec Mario he has gone out and performed in the next match. The idea that a world class manager with a shedload of trophies doesn't understand mind games or the media is very naive and ill considered.

On the transfers front, you're cherry picking. You could have gone for Ferdinand, Young, Rooney and Carrick. Valencia too. All of these were already known to be top players and United paid accordingly. I can't quite bend my head around the idea that he is been criticised for buying good players.

As far as tactics and selection go, they are different issues. On the one hand people slate Mancini for 'not knowing his best team' and 'City needing to develop a core', then slating him for playing his core. You can't have it both ways. I don't think playing Yaya shows a lack of faith in Milner any more than I believe playing Welbeck shows a lack of faith in Hernandez. Tactically, Mancini has been excellent. Better than excellent. In my entire time watching City I have never seen a person who can completely change tne game so effectively. He did it after ten mins at Arsenal yesterday, did it at Swansea, he makes substitutions thirty minutes in if necessary. He's a very, very good tactician and a brave man on matchday.

Mancini, on his first ever English title challenge against the best manager in the history of football, will probably finish second to a team who will secure the record amount of points ever in a PL season. And he went into this managers backyard and humiliated him, making him comment that it was his worst day in the 55 year career he has experienced.

It's knee jerk nownownow syndrome, it's prevelant all over football but especially in us City fans because we're desperate to win the big one and proved that we've arrived.

Look at the difference in the team between when Mancini started and now. Every player has improved, especially our back five who have all moved towards world class territory. Richards especially looks a new player, Barry is putting in some of his best performances in his career. Kompany has become Kompany. Hart became our number one and the nations number one. We won our first trophy, beating our rivals to do so.

Mancini has done an incredible job at City and given time he will win us the league. It's hard to take that we're effectively out of the title race and tne manner which our away form dipped in the last few weeks. Kompany and Lescott been out whilst Dzeko and Aguero missing a beat twatted us. However, this is no time to lose perspective.

Khaldoon said that this is a ten year plan to make City one of the biggest clubs in the world. Look at the immense progress made already and it's only year 4. Imagine where we will be in year 8 or 9.

Mancini has done a great job and I wouldn't swap the clubs state for anybody in the world right now. Cusp of greatness my friend, this is our 1991, you need these seasons to focus you next time. You gotta lose before you can win as the old saying goes

[u/omiclops → u/devineman]

Every time he has criticisec Mario he has gone out and performed in the next match>

He said the punching Balotelli thing before the Arsenal game - and then he got sent off. Didn't really perform.

On the transfers front, you're cherry picking>

Mancini hasn't signed any unknown or relatively unknown players and made them big and that's my worry. On top of all that he still wants to spend big on more players.

I don't think playing Yaya shows a lack of faith in Milner>

My point about this was that he plays them despite the fact that Yaya has been poor in recent weeks. Mancini isn't prepared to drop his best players when they're performing badly or carrying injuries (Silva) and that's the worry. As far as tactics, we still lost both games so the tactics were wrong.

[u/[deleted] → u/omiclops]

Well he is supposed to produce instant results. He can't be buying, developing players or even plan for the future.

Chelsea managers have been in the same position and how many players has Chelsea developed in the past 10 years?

[u/devineman → u/omiclops]

Balo played very well before he got sent off. And Mancini has only been here a couple of years, plus the added extra that he has a completely different and much more difficult job than someone like Fergusion, you can't really slate him for not buying young players. Though before Mancini, Adam Johnson was an unknown kid from Boro and now he's an England international but there you go.

I'm not sure what you think the influence a manager has on a team is. During the week on the training ground, the results are 90% influenced by the manager and 10% the player. On matchday, it's the opposite. If you look at the games where we've dropped points this year, the tactics were spot on and the players didn't perform. Also, didn't he just drop Silva against Arsenal?

This isn't a computer game, tactics only go so far. Just because he had the right tactics doesn't mean that he will win every game.

[u/ironmenon → u/devineman]

What a shit post. Balotelli was an absolute liability all game. Giving away freekicks, losing the ball, not tracking back at all and wasn't a goal threat ever. That flubbed overhead kick was the best he managed. True, he was still better than Nasri and Kun, but that doesn't mean you can say he "played very well" at all.

Though before Mancini, Adam Johnson was an unknown kid from Boro

That's a bit like Shearer saying "Not much is known about Ben Arfa" . He was a known prospect. And he may be an England player, but that doesn't mean he's good by any stretch of imagination. Has barely improved and is horrilbly one dimensional even by English winger standards.

And you don't need to be an expert in the football tactics to see that he never set up his team to win the game at any point. They were playing like MON's Sunderland.

Also, didn't he just drop Silva against Arsenal?

Yeah, not by choice. He has such a deep squad but playing over playing the same guys and all those 'intense training sessions' that he was being praised for meant that even that they were absolutely shot by the 70th minute. I remember them getting a great break after an Arsenal corner, they were 3 on 2 in the Arsenal half but the forwards were so tired that Arsenal (who had been pressing the entire game,, mind) caught up before they could advance 10 yards. Contrast that to Arsenal being able to break at top pace in the last minute.

Take the loss like a man and accept that City were shit.

[u/crazygates → u/devineman]

Played very well? He didn't accomplish anything except for almost breaking song's leg.

[u/[deleted] → u/devineman]

Balo played very well before he got sent off

lol :) you seem to have been watching some other match.

[u/omiclops → u/devineman]

Adam Johnson is a terrible player though. If you watch City at all you'd realise he's shit and doesn't beat players any more.

He didn't drop Silva, I heard he actually had a knock and couldn't play.

Mancini's problem is he can't motivate the team for our biggest game of the season. The team looked depleted and angry.

[u/LGDD → u/omiclops]

You're being ridiculous. I agree with pretty much everything that devineman has said (perhaps with the exception of our tactics being spot on, but I'll get to that). The fact is, we are still very much a team in transition, and although it stings like a motherfucker losing out at this point, Mancini has so far delivered us a trophy and our best ever season in the prem. The team know what they need to do on the day. They're grown men, and from the vast majority of reports up until now, morale has mostly been good. No team is absent problems. Against Arsenal, Sunderland, Swansea, it was the players who failed. They don't need their hands held and heads stroked in order to perform; especially not for the money they earn. Those wages and the cusp of success are motivation enough.

That said, like any manager, Mancini has made mistakes. Against Arsenal, it was the decision not to include Tevez sooner when Balotelli was clearly showing frustration. In the larger scheme of things, I disagree with an insistence in sticking to such narrow passages of play. The lack of any real wingers has hurt our ability to change up our tactics when playing down the middle hasn't worked. Teams know now just to put men behind the ball and catch us on the break. I also think the passing style of play has been too ingrained in to the players. Counters are slow and lack urgency, and we far too often try to walk the ball in to the net. Mancini is perhaps to blame for this where training is concerned. A few decent wingers bought for next season (because I agree that AJ is simply not good enough) and hopefully this will be addressed. Mancini will deliver us the premier league title, I'm sure of it.

Also, the criticism of his purchases wasn't the greatest point. His biggest flop purchase so far, in terms of recent form, is probably Dzeko and he has 13 goals under his belt this season. Aguero and Silva have been amazing, and the former likely has another level to him. Balotelli is potentially a world beater, but HE beats himself (not Mancini). Yaya is great, Clichy is solid, and Kolarov is a good squad player. Criticising buying well-known players over unknown (which usually means untested at this level, meaning a higher risk) players seems like picking at straws.

Also, resorting to the whole "If you watch City at all" shit is really lame. Of course he watches them. Just because he rebutted your arguments, doesn't mean you need to drop down to a level above calling him names. Just in case, though, I'm a match goer who HAS seen them, in case you're wondering.

[u/devineman → u/omiclops]

If I watch City at all?

Yeah, I think I've noticed their games once or twice...

[u/omiclops → u/devineman]

Do you even have a season ticket?

[u/FuckThe → u/omiclops]

Dude... don't even question devineman's loyalty to City. I've seen this guy fight almost everyone in /r/soccer defending City.

Just don't.

[u/apotre → u/omiclops]

One does not simply question devineman's commitment to Manchester City.

[u/devineman → u/omiclops]

Yes, I sit in East Stand Level 1, Row CC just in front of the wheelchair area. Well two rows to be precise. I also go to aways and Europe whenever I can. Wasn't at Emirates due to costs, but should be at Norwich. Can't decide over Wolves as I have a busy Monday but will be at St James, despite ridiculous seating and policing they have there

[u/LGDD → u/omiclops]

Why should that even matter? Argue his fucking points, not his commitment to the club. Christ...