by carolina-blue » Wed Apr 04, 2012 1:25 pm
This Is the kind of Shit Ted Is on about , Article from the muen ( unsigned article at that) Had Ushited lost the other night, do you think this would have been written about them would it Fuck
With seven games to go, the Blues aren’t just fighting to stay in the Premier League title race.
There are some players, and maybe even the manager, who are battling for their very futures at the Etihad Stadium.
That may seem a harsh assessment as we approach the end of one of the most exhilarating seasons in City’s history, chock-full of stunning football and record-breaking form.
But amid all that positivity, there are plenty of questions to be asked, and when the club owners and management team gather in Abu Dhabi in June to review the season, those questions WILL be asked.
Mancini’s management will be under scrutiny, and so will the ability of some of his players to get City to the elite level.
Of course, the whole mood of that meeting will be very different if the Blues can gird their loins, win at Arsenal on Sunday and scrap their way back into contention.
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Between now and that crunch match at the Emirates, there are a few players who need to sit down and ask themselves if they want to be part of a bright Blue future. If they do, they need to show it on the pitch starting on Sunday.
Here, M.E.N. Sport looks at the prospects for Mancini and his players in the next month.
Manager
In some ways, Roberto Mancini has been his own worst enemy. By masterminding a brilliant start to the season, the City boss set standards which he has since struggled to maintain.
His brief was to improve on last season, but also to win at least one trophy.
There is little doubt that City HAVE improved, but if they don’t beat the odds and win the league, the Blues will end the season empty-handed.
Questions will be asked about his handling of the Carlos Tevez affair, the behaviour of Mario Balotelli, and some of his decisions at key parts of the season.
But City also have to ask themselves if they want to continue the revolving door policy which has hindered their progress for the last 25 years.
Mancini was seen as the man to take the Blues forward, and he has advanced the cause.
Now he needs to find a way of firing up his players for one last push, as in recent weeks they have not looked like a team ready to rip the doors from their hinges as they seek to catch United.
But the fact is that Sir Alex Ferguson would be a happy man if the Blues got rid of Mancini in the summer – and that says it all.
Goalkeeper
Joe Hart has established himself as the best keeper in England and has been a key factor in why the Blues are still breathing in the title race.
Now he needs to keep that focus – there are still important saves to make.
Defence
City's best back four – Micah Richards, Vincent Kompany, Joleon Lescott and Gael Clichy – is a strong one.
The problem comes when players are out, with Kompany especially being missed during recent suspension and injury.
Clichy is almost certain to improve in his second season, and Pablo Zabaleta is a tremendous player – City could do with bottling his attitude and giving a few doses to certain others.
Kolo Toure has also been a good back-up, even if he has not played as often as he would like.
It is to be hoped that Stefan Savic’s nervous appearances are down to his youthful inexperience rather than his ability.
Perhaps more than any other defender Aleks Kolarov has points to prove.
He often seems to be included for his set-piece specialisation and his attacking ability down the left, but we have not seen enough come from either facet of his play, and some of his defending has been poor.
Midfield
An area which has been City’s biggest strength for two seasons is now looking jaded and half-hearted.
It would be harsh to measure the contributions of David Silva, Yaya Toure and Gareth Barry over the displays of the last month or two, as they were brilliant earlier in the season.
But there are others who have the talent to make a difference in the closing stages of the season.
James Milner is a model pro who made big strides in the first half of the season but has been strangely under-used recently. He could be vital in the next few weeks.
Nigel de Jong was a star in Mancini’s more conservative side of last season, but needs a couple of big performances if he is intent on staying in the manager’s plans.
Adam Johnson helped rescue a draw against Sunderland as a sub, but if he is to be the answer to City’s need for pace out wide, he must show more.
Attack
Stories about top scorer Sergio Aguero being unhappy are being dismissed by City sources, and the player himself has recently expressed his contentment with life in Manchester.
That is just as well, as Aguero is perhaps the only one of the four strikers with a guaranteed place in the squad next season.
Mancini is adamant he will stick by Mario Balotelli, but a big offer from Italy would be tempting for the club – unless the youngster grows up quickly in these last few games.
Carlos Tevez’s reintroduction was always seen as a temporary measure, and there will be moves to shift him from the wage bill again this summer.
Perhaps the most intriguing question surrounds Edin Dzeko, who has suitors in Germany, Italy and Spain and has not reached his potential with City.
The situation is crying out for a hero, and any one of those four strikers could be the man.
