Squad first, Mancini tells local heroes

[cityPinoy_fc]

http://www.mcfc.co.uk/News/Team-news/2010/February/Squad-first-Mancini-tells-local-heroes?

Squad first,
Mancini
tells local
heroes

Roberto Mancini has told fans' heroes Shaun Wright-Phillips, Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha they will have to be patient as the Blues boss manages his squad for the good of the team.

The homegrown trio were all on the bench for Tuesday night's 2-0 Premier League victory over Bolton, with supporters chanting in vain for Wright-Phillips to come on in the second half.

All three could find themselves back in the starting line-up for tomorrow's FA Cup fifth-round tie against awkward visitors Stoke, but Mancini is making no promises to any of his players.

City's injury list is finally easing, and the manager said: "It's not a matter of fitting them in. We've played ten or 11 games and they have all played, but it's impossible for them to play always.

"We have 21 or 22 players when they are all fit. This is better for us, but they can't play every game. Sometimes they need to recover, and they cannot always do that in two or three training sessions.

"Yes, I heard the fans singing Shaun's name, and I am happy for him. He is a good player, but it is important that he keeps improving - not only Shaun but all the players, the whole team.


...Roberto Mancini
"Now I know all the players here very well, I know their qualities in my mind. I have to decide before a game if it is better for the team to play 4-4-2 or 4-3-3, whether to play Stevie or Shaun or somebody else. If I decide, then he plays. It's easy!

"But if we want to become an important squad we must work harder and we must BECOME a squad. One player or manager is not important, it is the club that is important, the squad that is important."

Craig Bellamy will rest his tweaked knee tomorrow and Mancini is also ready to give several Tuesday night starts a breather. He added: "We are playing every three or four days, it's impossible to always pick the same players. We are playing Stoke on Saturday and Tuesday, and they will be two very hard games."

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

SWP is one of our better players and should be getting starts ahead of likes of Barry imo.

[Im_Spartacus]

SWP is one of our better players and should be getting starts ahead of likes of Barry imo.

Except for consistently being as poor as Barry maybe?

[BlueSince72]

SWP needs to pick his game up....he's giving the ball away far too much. IMO it may cost him a place in the World Cup squad.

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

SWP is one of our better players and should be getting starts ahead of likes of Barry imo.

Except for consistently being as poor as Barry maybe?

Well we will just disagree on that.

[Im_Spartacus]

SWP is one of our better players and should be getting starts ahead of likes of Barry imo.

Except for consistently being as poor as Barry maybe?

Well we will just disagree on that.

k

[Original Dub]

SWP is one of our better players and should be getting starts ahead of likes of Barry imo.

I agree.

[andy_aston]

hi everyone first post been a lurker for a while but finally registered.

i agree with both sides of the agrument, we can't expect all our players to start every game as there coming thick and fast but we should be playing swp and johnson on the wings whenever possible as these two are our best attacking threat with the ball at their feet.

there is no need to be playing 3 dm at home as we should be taking the game to whoever it is were playing.

[TrueBlue82]

I agree totally with Bobbys comments there. its about the squad, players have to realise that they wont be starting every game.

[Im_Spartacus]

I agree totally with Bobbys comments there. its about the squad, players have to realise that they wont be starting every game.

Taking that a step further, hopefully coming out with stuff like that will mean players are on their toes, and know they HAVE to perform when they come in, or others are hungry to take their place.

Its good to hear that it sounds like he won't have favourites

[Mark (Blue Army)]

The squad definitely comes first so i agree with Mancini on that, but i still think SWP should be involved, he scares the shit out of defenders when he's running at them.

[CTID Hants]

The squad comes first, bigger than any player.........

Not rocket science.

In short he's challenging the players to prove him wrong?

Don't get me wrong i am as much an Ireland and SWP fans as any.

I love watching these two play (when they play well, not muscled out of the game or played out of position) but some games just won't suit them.

[ant london]

We should never have sold Richard Dunne