When it matters, he can not deliver!

[blues2win]

An FA Cup semi final is far more significant than a League Cup Semi Final in my view. Still he'll be judged on the League position this year Cups or no Cups. Fifth place and the Owners will be hot foot to Mourinho, I suspect. Frankly I won't shed many tears if we're knocked out on Thursday. If Mancini has any doubts about a particular player being racing fit after playing the two games I'd leave them out on Thursday and keep them fresh for Chelsea.

[Original Dub]

An FA Cup semi final is far more significant than a League Cup Semi Final in my view. Still he'll be judged on the League position this year Cups or no Cups. Fifth place and the Owners will be hot foot to Mourinho, I suspect. Frankly I won't shed many tears if we're knocked out on Thursday. If Mancini has any doubts about a particular player being racing fit after playing the two games I'd leave them out on Thursday and keep them fresh for Chelsea.

I fucking will - its a chance of silverware and I don't give a shit what kind of silverware it is, but that fucking banner has to come down...

Also, the final's in Dublin and I want every cunt and his brother over here for a belting weekend session in town!

[Douglas Higginbottom]

An FA Cup semi final is far more significant than a League Cup Semi Final in my view. Still he'll be judged on the League position this year Cups or no Cups. Fifth place and the Owners will be hot foot to Mourinho, I suspect. Frankly I won't shed many tears if we're knocked out on Thursday. If Mancini has any doubts about a particular player being racing fit after playing the two games I'd leave them out on Thursday and keep them fresh for Chelsea.

I fucking will - its a chance of silverware and I don't give a shit what kind of silverware it is, but that fucking banner has to come down...

Also, the final's in Dublin and I want every cunt and his brother over here for a belting weekend session in town!

If we go out we go out but it had better be with a hell of a go a la Hamburg. I think as long as we don't concede we can do it.

[blues2win]

Perfectly fair point Original Dub mate. I'd love to see us win a cup, any cup. The trouble is if we get through on Thursday it will mean another two Thursday matches before Sunday league matches. We should be able to manage that with our squad but we don't seem able to.

My order of priority is League position, FA Cup, especially since we're playing the Scum in the semis and then and only then the Europa Cup. I'm not saying we should lay down and die. Doug's right I want to see the players give it a good go but if they come up short I'll get over it a lot more than a poor loss at Stamford Bridge.

[Blue Since 76]

An FA Cup semi final is far more significant than a League Cup Semi Final in my view. Still he'll be judged on the League position this year Cups or no Cups. Fifth place and the Owners will be hot foot to Mourinho, I suspect. Frankly I won't shed many tears if we're knocked out on Thursday. If Mancini has any doubts about a particular player being racing fit after playing the two games I'd leave them out on Thursday and keep them fresh for Chelsea.

I fucking will - its a chance of silverware and I don't give a shit what kind of silverware it is, but that fucking banner has to come down...

Also, the final's in Dublin and I want every cunt and his brother over here for a belting weekend session in town!

Heard a rumour today that there's already a replacement banner comparing the number of trophies won. I just want to win something, as it looks like fun.

[Original Dub]

Fair enough, I'm definitely all for top four first and foremost and if I'd to pick between the cups I'd take the FA Cup - especially now with the United semi - but I want to see us go hammer and thongs as Doug said, like we did on that special Hamburg night... and I will be very sad if we go out.

We're on for the treble as it stands :)

[Goataldo]

An FA Cup semi final is far more significant than a League Cup Semi Final in my view. Still he'll be judged on the League position this year Cups or no Cups. Fifth place and the Owners will be hot foot to Mourinho, I suspect. Frankly I won't shed many tears if we're knocked out on Thursday. If Mancini has any doubts about a particular player being racing fit after playing the two games I'd leave them out on Thursday and keep them fresh for Chelsea.

I fucking will - its a chance of silverware and I don't give a shit what kind of silverware it is, but that fucking banner has to come down...

Also, the final's in Dublin and I want every cunt and his brother over here for a belting weekend session in town!

Heard a rumour today that there's already a replacement banner comparing the number of trophies won. I just want to win something, as it looks like fun.

Of course they'll have something planned to replace it. That's fine by me - they clearly realise they're going to have to take it down at some point soon. This could be the greatest season I've ever seen in my 33 years (and I'm still here). Totally excited by it but I feel a little sick. It's gonna be a barmy day.

[Blue Since 76]

An FA Cup semi final is far more significant than a League Cup Semi Final in my view. Still he'll be judged on the League position this year Cups or no Cups. Fifth place and the Owners will be hot foot to Mourinho, I suspect. Frankly I won't shed many tears if we're knocked out on Thursday. If Mancini has any doubts about a particular player being racing fit after playing the two games I'd leave them out on Thursday and keep them fresh for Chelsea.

I fucking will - its a chance of silverware and I don't give a shit what kind of silverware it is, but that fucking banner has to come down...

Also, the final's in Dublin and I want every cunt and his brother over here for a belting weekend session in town!

If we go out we go out but it had better be with a hell of a go a la Hamburg. I think as long as we don't concede we can do it.

Sat at the match today, thinking the same (in a rare moment of positivity). 90 minutes to get back a two goal defecit is more than do-able. My concern is that we'll concede, as they looked very good on the break.

If we win 2-0 and it goes to extra time, do their goals count double in extra time?

[carl_feedthegoat]

An FA Cup semi final is far more significant than a League Cup Semi Final in my view. Still he'll be judged on the League position this year Cups or no Cups. Fifth place and the Owners will be hot foot to Mourinho, I suspect. Frankly I won't shed many tears if we're knocked out on Thursday. If Mancini has any doubts about a particular player being racing fit after playing the two games I'd leave them out on Thursday and keep them fresh for Chelsea.

I fucking will - its a chance of silverware and I don't give a shit what kind of silverware it is, but that fucking banner has to come down...

Also, the final's in Dublin and I want every cunt and his brother over here for a belting weekend session in town!

Heard a rumour today that there's already a replacement banner comparing the number of trophies won. I just want to win something, as it looks like fun.

Of course they'll have something planned to replace it. That's fine by me - they clearly realise they're going to have to take it down at some point soon. This could be the greatest season I've ever seen in my 33 years (and I'm still here). Totally excited by it but I feel a little sick. It's gonna be a barmy day.

I think we should put up a banner as well......Munich 58...we will take it down when they do.

[Feed The Goat]

It mattered we delivered. Lock the thread it's been disproved

[john68]

@ Spartacus,
I apologise Mate, I should really have expanded on the points I was making about Marwood's role v Mancini.

It is only my opinion but I think that our owner has outlined the direction he would like his business to progress, Sheik K is his man on the spot and Cooke oversees all aspects of the day to day running of the club. I believe that Marwood being the only administrator with football experience is charged with carrying out the day to day running of football matters, with Mancini having the responsibility for the 1st team squad, it's training and game tactics, with the help of the technical staff. The big difference between Mancini's present role and that of the traditional manager in Britain, is that though he controls the direction of the team, he does not have responsibility of the general policy.
A new manager working the team in a new manner would still be a possible danger and possibly cause delay.

Hope that clarifies my thoughts Mate.
.

[the_georgian_genius]

Spartacus,
I agree totally with the sentiments of that post. That is just how a football club should be run.

But haven't we already begun doing this? Statements by the club when Marwood was employed seemed to make it quite clear that his role was to oversee football policy at the club, to bring stability and specifically to stop the club changing direction each time a manager moved on.
The policy at the time at City was made plain...To spend heavily to get the club up to the top standard and then having already invested heavily in the Academy, rely on that to a significant degree, to produce the next generation.

The recent announced City investments (training ground, school etc) were all part of that policy being made a reality.

That is why, I wonder just what the power balance between Marwood/Mancini really is. I think it is far more than just a transfer committee. It is my belief that behind the scenes, it is Marwood who calls the shots and though he has influence, Mancini is merely employed as the chief coach. Marwood's role must be defined within the club but publically, he remains a shadowy figure.

On many things, but we know where the real power lies & if it was your money, you'd only been at City 3 years, so had nothing to do with any of the past shenanigans, you'd watched the last 3 games on TV, you've spent half a billion quid with much much more earmarked, you found out that Mourinho was interested, what would you do, in all honesty?

Depends if you want long term stability or short term success.

[Kladze]

Would that make you a long term moaner, rather than a knee jerker?
Just asking so you are put in the correct pigeon hole.

Haha! Good one.

You want the truth?
In 47/48 years of supporting City I have never before called for a manager's head. Not even Ball or Pearce. But this fella has tested my patience and he has no excuse.

BTW...just for info purposes. Having got rid of Mancini, who would you replace him with and how long would you give him before chucking him out too?

and at what point would you consider that changing our manager during the last 35 years, sometime, several in one season was a bad idea and may have actually contributed to our long term failure.
Those are quite genuine questions.

I've stated elsewhere that my preferred choice would be Reikjard.
But I'll settle for anyone who sends us out with the mental attitude that we are better than the opposition and we're going to wipe the floor with them.

It's now two and a half years since ADUG started pumping BIG money into this club. I don't know about you but I expected their investment to produce, in time, a team playing winning champagne football. At present what we're getting is a flat tin of Tizer.

Hold on a cotton picking minute there chief. I'm not his biggest fan, but that post is fucking ridiculous.

We've been knocked out of the Carling Cup. So far, that's all we've failed in this season.

WTF??!

You need to try reading properly ........... chief .

I'm not, in particular, ranting on about results - though they do matter. I'm concerned with our style of play.

If we reach a cup final and scrape 4th in the league while still providing this awful, pragmatic bollox type football, I'll STILL want him sacked.

[Piccsnumberoneblue]

It mattered we delivered. Lock the thread it's been disproved

Stupot...It was the sixth round, against Reading, not the final nor semi.
Then it matters.

[King Kev]

It mattered we delivered. Lock the thread it's been disproved

Stupot...It was the sixth round, against Reading, not the final nor semi.
Then it matters.

When the whole grorund were belting out Blue Moon at the tops of their voices after the goal and I had tears in my eyes it certainly felt like it mattered to me!

[ant london]

Agreed.

Fucking hell Piccs. I was a little kid when I was taken to the 81 Final and too young to really "get it"

Last year's CC Semi mattered to me, as did the UEFA QF against Hamburg

But last night felt like it mattered more (for the right reasons) than any game in my life*


(* Gillingham mattered, but for all the wrong miserable reasons)

[Slim]

Well thank god they give a trophy for making the FA Cup semi-final, someone should get on the blower and tell the groundsmen at the swamp to take that banner down and maybe get a statue up for Mancini in honour of his triumph. Years from now people will tell the tale of how we struggled at home against a Championship side only to endure and secure victory in order to hoist aloft the "Made the Semi-Final" Cup and it will take pride of place in the trophy cabinet for all time.

We won, YAY! But even scraping through to the semi-final does not fully disguise the fact we have been dire now for months, playing awful and boring football, which would be okay if we were getting results. Not a single away win since the 26th December league or cup, including games against Aris, Notts County, Leicester and Birmingham. Says it all really.

[Piccsnumberoneblue]

Agreed.

Fucking hell Piccs. I was a little kid when I was taken to the 81 Final and too young to really "get it"

Last year's CC Semi mattered to me, as did the UEFA QF against Hamburg

But last night felt like it mattered more (for the right reasons) than any game in my life*


(* Gillingham mattered, but for all the wrong miserable reasons)

Come on guys. I went to that game fully expecting us to win. Yes it was great to have a good old sing song, and it was a joy to behold Stu having a little 'moment' with ten minutes left because we were finally going to an F A Cup semi, but now we are at the business end. Now is when it matters.
And King Kev, if you got emotional yesterday, then you better get the man size Kleenex out for Wembley. What you use them for is entirely your own business though.

[ant london]

I don't disagree with your serious (or Slim's somewhat more facetious smart-arsed) point that this is where the real business must be dealt with in the semi.

BUT the simple fact is that we have been to one semi final in any competition since 1981. Just GETTING to another (and more prestigious one than last year's CC) semi, and getting a trip to Wembley. Well, there are no prizes for that I grant you but fuck me it WAS and IS a big deal to me.

Some of you are lucky enough to have actually tasted some success previously with City. For those who haven't, just being within touching distance (and, IMO, with a real genuine fighting chance that we could do it) is a cause for excitement, massive excitement.

We've won nothing yet but fuck me Piccs, I think we really could do so.

[Piccsnumberoneblue]

So do I Ant.
But only if Mancini delivers when it matters!