When will enough be enough?

[Mark Garrett]

He brought Kolarov on at 2-1 down to play 3 at the back. Now I am not a fan of the back 3 etc but he made the call and that is not why we lost the game. We had conceded 2 goals with a back 4 remember.

Once the 3rd goal went in, he went to a back 4 again and yep Clichy at right back is ridiculous. Nobody can really put their finger on why we don't play aswell in Europe as we do in the league. It is particularly noticeable with our European away performances and results rather than at Eastlands.

Perhaps one solution for us to improve away from home in Europe, is to really tighten it up again, have less flexibility in the formation going forward and be more rigid in a way that we were at times in 2010-11 season - I am thinking of 0-0 draws at Arsenal, 0-0 in Aris, a 1-0 away win here and there, the 1-1 in Juventus. At the moment it is almost as though we feel we have to win every European away game - a draw here and a draw there is fine. In the Champions Lge aways it has been win or lose always.

[Ted Hughes]

I didn't get to see the game last night because of computer issues (wasn't on telly here). But all I will say is that I'm absolute gutted about the result but even talk of sacking current title holding manager is nothing, I mean NOTHING, short of ridiculous.

Find a copy of the game, watch it and then see how ridiculous it is. He lost the plot last night. At 2-1 down, Steve Kean would have done a better job. That's how bad it became.

Not saying he should go, but he clearly has no idea how to play in Europe. The worrying thing is he's always struggled and shows no sign of improving. Sooner or later, we are going to want to make an impression on Europe and at that point, he's in trouble.

He has earned with his results overall for us a proper chance to get it right though.

He certainly has but I get the feeling that if they kidnapped him tied him up & stuck him in a broom closet 2 days before a Champions League match, the team would improve. Not neccessarily to be fantastic, but better nontheless. I think that opinion is spreading in the football world; that he is part of the problem in the Chumps Lg.

Whether he realises it or not, & deals with it, will decide his future, probably next season as Lev says.

It's not the fact of losing or drawing these games, or the goals caused by stuipd mistakes, like last night, it's the utter chaos that is happening around it. We can be beaten but we can't descend into playing like a bunch of kids on a school playground, which happened last night after the 2nd goal & at times in both previous games.

The football pundits know Mancini went to pieces last night & they are on his case. It's not possible to argue with them, because he did. If you'd seen the team after he went to 3 at the back, you would shit; it was a total embarrassment.

He is on dangerous ground now because the press will be pushing the angle that he is clueless, we have an owner who is anxious for good publicity around the world & a new CEO with more power than the previous ones & no ties to Mancini.

Let's hope for a thumping victory at weekend to get the wheels back on the waggon.

[Mark Garrett]

Have to disagree with you there Ted. I don't think the owners could give a monkeys if the press want to criticise the club and Mancini because the media have done it thoughout his tenure. In fact at various points they have stated he is going to be sacked, when they could not have been further from the truth.

I'll reiterate we have sensible owners and no Mancini is not on dangerous ground at all and as for the football pundits - most of them think we have played 3 at the back all season when really we did it for most of Liverpool and for part of each CL games. Yes Mancini and the team should take criticism for a poor performance and result last night and the group so far but has to be taken into context of how well they have done.

Going back to my earlier point about our results in Europe and away from home especially, had a quick look at the stats under Mancini for City in Europe. The away form needless to say is why our European exploits have come unstuck - solve that, and we will improve. As I have said I think it requires us to be a bit more defensive away from home rather than always playing catch-up in matches by being too gung-ho.

European home: Pld. 12, Won. 9, Drawn. 3, Lost. 0.

European away: Pld. 13, Won. 4, Drawn. 2, Lost. 7.

European total: Pld. 25, Won. 13, Drawn. 5, Lost. 7.

Notable results.
Draws home and away against Juventus in 10-11. Beating Kiev at Eastlands 1-0.
Winning against Bayern Munich at Eastlands, beating Porto home and away to win agg 6-1. Beating Sporting Lisbon at Eastlands.

[PeterParker]

Ok, let's talk on another note then. Name managers who could do the job.

Maureen would be great, but with his conflictual attitude he would get Mike Summerbee banned from the stadium and Chappy would get sacked.

So, who can do the job? Klopp? He won't leave Borussia. Guardiola? Debatable.

The problem that i have is that i would rather say goodbye to Bobby, when things are good, rather than when he would had brought us to a level we can't go back from.

It really is so tired to have this things at almost 2 or 3 weeks, when he bottles up and looks like a clueless man.

Look at the future scenario : Win with Swansea, all is good. Late win with WHU after he was clueless, win with Ajax, all looks good, win with Spurs (because AVB is even clueless), win with Villa and then all goes to shit with Real and Chelsea, because he doesn't know how to handle them and we are back at this moment.

[bernabias_right_boot]

I'd like to know what Platt and Kidd have to with this? Surely Kidd has CL experience from his time at the scum.

[Mark Garrett]

This represents an accurate and fair analysis from the BBC Sport:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/philmcnulty/2012/10/citys_champions_league_hopes_h.html

[Ted Hughes]

Have to disagree with you there Ted. I don't think the owners could give a monkeys if the press want to criticise the club and Mancini because the media have done it thoughout his tenure. In fact at various points they have stated he is going to be sacked, when they could not have been further from the truth.

I'll reiterate we have sensible owners and no Mancini is not on dangerous ground at all and as for the football pundits - most of them think we have played 3 at the back all season when really we did it for most of Liverpool and for part of each CL games. Yes Mancini and the team should take criticism for a poor performance and result last night and the group so far but has to be taken into context of how well they have done.

Going back to my earlier point about our results in Europe and away from home especially, had a quick look at the stats under Mancini for City in Europe. The away form needless to say is why our European exploits have come unstuck - solve that, and we will improve. As I have said I think it requires us to be a bit more defensive away from home rather than always playing catch-up in matches by being too gung-ho.

European home: Pld. 12, Won. 9, Drawn. 3, Lost. 0.

European away: Pld. 13, Won. 4, Drawn. 2, Lost. 7.

European total: Pld. 25, Won. 13, Drawn. 5, Lost. 7.

Notable results.
Draws home and away against Juventus in 10-11. Beating Kiev at Eastlands 1-0.
Winning against Bayern Munich at Eastlands, beating Porto home and away to win agg 6-1. Beating Sporting Lisbon at Eastlands.

Bob is most certainly on dangerous ground, without a shadow of a doubt, if his Champions League performances don't improve and of course the owner cares about the publicity; it's the reason he bought the club in the first place.

What do you think would be the situation if Mancini was manager of Barca & they not only struggled, but became a joke in the Champions Lg ?

Where did we get our new CEO from ?

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/vie ... giristain/

I tink the owner will apreciate Bob has earned a good shot at the job but ( I know it's the star) is it so ridiculous to imagine this chain of events happening next season if we are poor in Europe again ?


MANCHESTER CITY SPARK PEP GUARDIOLA TALK BY BRINGING IN BARCELONA ALLY TXIXI BEGIRISTAIN
ABOVE: Manchester City have fuelled rumours they are looking to bring in Pep Guardiola as manager

Doubts remain about Roberto Mancini's ability to bring Champions League glory


25th October 2012
By Alicia Johnson

ROBERTO MANCINI could be heading for the exit door at Manchester City, with the Premier League champions poised to bring in Pep Guardiola's ex-boss.

According to reports on Spanish radio, former Barcelona sporting director Txixi Begiristain will join City next week.

And the move has sparked rumours that the appointment could pave the way for Guardiola to take over the Etihad outfit next summer.

Although current boss Mancini has impressed the club's Abu Dhabi owners by capturing both the FA Cup and Premier League trophy in the last two seasons, doubts remain about the Italian's ability to bring European glory.

City are unlikely to reach the knock-out stages of this year's Champions League, fuelling concerns that the former Inter Milan boss will fail to capture Sheikh Mansour's most-coveted title.

By contrast, Guardiola won two Champions League trophies in just four seasons at Barcelona.

Begiristain was an important ally for the 47-year-old during his trophy-laden spell at the Nou Camp.

And Guardiola already has another close friend in power at City, after Barca's former vice-president Ferran Soriano replaced Garry Cook as chief executive this summer.

[Sideshow Bob]

bit off topic....i never thought much of ancelotti's managerial skill, but he is doing a FAR better job in europe and he's been at the helm for less than a year...

[dazby]

We are going to be shit in Europe again next year too. But, eventually we'll get a bit of luck, the players will wise up, things will click and we won't look back. I for one, am totally comfortable with this. It's a slow build.

[mcfc1632]

if Mancini's position was at all at risk he would not have just been offered the big and long-term new deal - so when - not this year or next and only at all if we go through that period in disarray

[Swales4ever]

MANCHESTER CITY SPARK PEP GUARDIOLA TALK BY BRINGING IN BARCELONA ALLY TXIXI BEGIRISTAIN
ABOVE: Manchester City have fuelled rumours they are looking to bring in Pep Guardiola as manager

Mancini position is gonna be on danger only if he will prove himself not capable enough to have his chosen (nearly almost all, I'd better say) team developing, training and playing all the football he wants them to.

This "Ferran and Txixi making path to Pep" thingies are utter shite stirring craps.
we all know that Soriano were our main/almost sole CEO target since the day after the Onuoha family fucked Cookie.
While Txixi was the obvious best pick for a Club aiming to cover all key roles with the best available stuff, become an almost certainty since Khaldoon had been forced to look at that big hole in his operational chart, this summer.
Did this tune sound familiar to Your self-referential ears, Mate? I am almost certain that You've already heard it... ;)

In the meanwhile Mansour/Khaldoon have offered a 5 years contract to Bob, which only an idiot can consider a due reward for the title (as 10 millions in an Abu Dhabi bank accounts would have been).

Further on, as much as I genuinely love Pep - the person and the manager well before his football - I have several doubts he might easily pass by a tradition where players are used to moan for a double training session, a change of training timetable and demands for adapting to multiple styles of play. Let alone the relevant pressure stirred and hyped by the the Old Trafford mediatic Philarmonica.

Once reinstated the obvious, I repeat that if Mancini cannot teach his lions, I'll be first to call for his head and Pep would be my favourite options, granted that he can deal with all the undermining forces which revolve around this Great Club.