The mancityfans.net football forum

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17570030


It’s not the first time Bob has criticized his players in public. However, the whole establishment and media are at war with us not to win this championship. At this crucial time of the season, our players should be protected by the manager and the whole City board, regardless of their actions on and off the pitch. Mancini’s comments that he trusts Tevez and doesn’t trust Mario is just a very stupid statement. We all know what both Mario and Tevez contributed this season. There’s no doubt that Tevez tend to care, think and contribute more on the pitch than Mario. However, his old days of chasing everything that moves aren’t written anywhere near the skies anymore. Sergio is injured with the unknown. Dzeko’s been rumoured for summer exit due to his poor form, which Bob didn’t dismiss in the press conference. So we left with Mario, who is the only 100% fit striker that is capable of scoring wonder goals. He started the riots at Old Trafford and secured us a late 3 points against Spurs among other things. I agree that he wasn’t on the score sheet lately, but the whole team had an average poor form anyway. In Mario’s mysterious world, one can only imagine what crazy thoughts or actions such comments would bring.
There was this story on the Mail the other day where Bob supposedly barked at Mario and kicked him to train away from the squad. The false and stupid story was based on few photographs. Allan Hanson said the other day that he doesn’t believe Mario will ever start a game again this season. Isn’t obvious that everyone is trying to unsettle Mario, and along comes Mancini with such comments. Mario is a hot-headed, young, talented and vulnerable player that needs our protection. To dismiss/ignore his contributions and importance to the club and say publicly “Yes I trust Tevez but I never trust Mario” is just wrong. Tevez may be mature and trustworthy in Bob’s eyes, but we need Mario more than Tevez right now.

It is ridiculous, I'm not sure what his plan is, all I know is if he unhinged the dressing room and fucks up the league he will be in the dole que.

Man City ate the biggest thing in world football at the moment with all eyes on us, what is he playing at!?

Pretty obvious what he's trying to do re Mario. It's a direct challenge to him to prove that he can indeed be trusted.

He previously stated that he would probably start him for the remaining 12 games to lead the line as he could rely on him

Then Balotelli acted like a dick

So, he's trying the opposite tack.

I have no issue with it whatsoever...good man management IMO

ant london wrote:Pretty obvious what he's trying to do re Mario. It's a direct challenge to him to prove that he can indeed be trusted.

He previously stated that he would probably start him for the remaining 12 games to lead the line as he could rely on him

Then Balotelli acted like a dick

So, he's trying the opposite tack.

I have no issue with it whatsoever...good man management IMO

I have a feeling that it is attempt at man management aswell.I think Bobby knows how to play these two.

Rag_hater wrote:

ant london wrote:Pretty obvious what he's trying to do re Mario. It's a direct challenge to him to prove that he can indeed be trusted.

He previously stated that he would probably start him for the remaining 12 games to lead the line as he could rely on him

Then Balotelli acted like a dick

So, he's trying the opposite tack.

I have no issue with it whatsoever...good man management IMO

I have a feeling that it is attempt at man management aswell.I think Bobby knows how to play these two.

100% sure it's his attempt at man management.It needs to work this time as he has been trying this and all sorts of stuff for a long time. If he does start Mario for the remaining games is he putting all his eggs in one basket and taking a massive gamble as one ex City player said to me last week?

If Mario is as commited and plays as well as he did in training yesterday we will have no problem against Sundarland.

In my opinion, If he does start Mario for the remaining games then we wont see the title.

I just dont trust him and never will. He is a constant liabilty and will always be. Id rather start Tevez if not Dzeko, then bring Balo on in the second half if needed, or replace Tevez when he is tired.

If he still starts with Balo, he should be cautios and all the time ready to make a quick sub. (Tevez, Dzeko in), not waiting for 60th min or even more.

Everybody knows Mario is liability, but Mancini's comments were completely unnecessary to say to the press, just as his Munich press conference.

Bluemoon16 wrote:Everybody knows Mario is liability, but Mancini's comments were completely unnecessary to say to the press, just as his Munich press conference.

That depends, if Mancini gets the same reaction from Mario that he got last season for the cup semi and final as a result of this public criticism then he'll be praised for his man management.

"Munich press conference"? Do you mean the post match interview he gave in the heat of the moment?

Ernm this thread is completely over the top in, in my opinion.

Mancini has managed mario for how many years? Is it really common opinion that he may have forgotten everything he knows about mario and ruined everything?

Reading doug's training reports, it doesnt seem that anything has been unhinged at all.

Mancini may just know what he's doing re: man management. Weird.

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:<null>

Yh I meant the interview. In Munich he could have just walked off without talking to the press. And when asked whether he trusts Mario the same way as Tevez, he could have just said, we are a team and we all trust each other. Very simple answer, unless he's up to something as you suggested. [/QUOTE]

Also, by saying nobody trusts Mario, Bob's giving justification to any player choosing not to pass the ball to an unmarked Mario and go for a selfish impossible solo effort.

Douglas Higginbottom wrote:

Rag_hater wrote:

ant london wrote:Pretty obvious what he's trying to do re Mario. It's a direct challenge to him to prove that he can indeed be trusted.

He previously stated that he would probably start him for the remaining 12 games to lead the line as he could rely on him

Then Balotelli acted like a dick

So, he's trying the opposite tack.

I have no issue with it whatsoever...good man management IMO

I have a feeling that it is attempt at man management aswell.I think Bobby knows how to play these two.

100% sure it's his attempt at man management.It needs to work this time as he has been trying this and all sorts of stuff for a long time. If he does start Mario for the remaining games is he putting all his eggs in one basket and taking a massive gamble as one ex City player said to me last week?

If Mario is as commited and plays as well as he did in training yesterday we will have no problem against Sundarland.

Glad to see the above folk echoiing my immediate thoughts/reaction to this.

Anyone who thinks Bob is some scaredy knee-jerk panic-merchant, blowing his mouth off like a scared id in a playground fight, really should stop reading the 'papers and listening to bullshit.

Bluemoon16 wrote:Also, by saying nobody trusts Mario, Bob's giving justification to any player choosing not to pass the ball to an unmarked Mario and go for a selfish impossible solo effort.

i doubt mancini is saying the same things to his players as he is to the press,managing mario is almost impossible,as mourinho found out,maybe he needs a shock like this to accept he is a pro footballer and only one of a squad, right now he cant be trusted on or off the field,so maybe its time for a new approach

The person who is most likely to know how Mario will react to a statement like this is Mancini. Which is probably why he said it.

Dameerto wrote:The person who is most likely to know how Mario will react to a statement like this is Mancini. Which is probably why he said it.

Yes, this ^. Bob knows our lovely idiot better that anyone and i might say, he is the only person in football that Mario really respects. I've seen him many times looking down when Bob was shouting at him and not confront him, like he usually does, that's why i think Bob wants to motivate him. The only problem is that i don't like the way he decided to do that, using the rag loving press to put Mario back on track.
Imho, he knows talking and talking again with Mario, eye to eye, won't have much effect, so he tried something different. Really hope that this doesn't backfire at him.

I don't understand the fuss about Mario recently. He's had a couple of iffy games but I didn't notice him doing anything particularly wrong compared to anyone else.

I've given him an absolute slaughtering on several occasions when I thought he was fucking about but I just think in recent games he tried stuff & it failed. I didn't see anything worthy of extra criticism, he just wasn't great; 21 year old in 'dip of form' shock.

From a neutral perspective, an ex rag mate of mine (he's seen through them & had enough) thought City were absolute shite v Stoke apart from Balotelli, who, in his opinion, was the only player on the pitch to do anything remotely resembling football other than Crouch's goal. He described one run as 'genius' & thought the other City players were below his standard.

It's not what I'd have done, however, he clearly knows Mario much better. In every piece I've ever seen written about them, it's clear there is a bond between them. Even Mario's agent said they're like husband and wife.

If Mancini thinks it was the right thing to do then we'll have to trust him. We'll find out if he was right in the next few hours. Somewhere inside Mario is a quality footballer just trying to get out. If it emerges for the rest of the season, the title would be ours.

I'd also agree with Ted that although Mario hasn't done much of quality, his work rate recently has been much better. Even the free kick against Lisbon was as a result of him tracking back. I can live with poor form if the effort is there as the form will eventually return.

I agree about Mario not being as bad as what's been portrayed lately. The Chelsea game he was acting like a tool, giving out to his team mates over everything, Bob rightly hooked him for it. That aside he's been putting himself about quite well, the Stoke game he was kicked from pillar to post and didn't rise to it.

But it's Mario, and haters are going to hate. I've never known a City player to polarise opinion as much. Maybe the reason for that is the media beat us over the head with the line ' you either love him or you hate him'. I don't do either, I just want him to do his best for the club I love.

Bluemoon16 wrote:http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17570030


It’s not the first time Bob has criticized his players in public. However, the whole establishment and media are at war with us not to win this championship. At this crucial time of the season, our players should be protected by the manager and the whole City board, regardless of their actions on and off the pitch. Mancini’s comments that he trusts Tevez and doesn’t trust Mario is just a very stupid statement. We all know what both Mario and Tevez contributed this season. There’s no doubt that Tevez tend to care, think and contribute more on the pitch than Mario. However, his old days of chasing everything that moves aren’t written anywhere near the skies anymore. Sergio is injured with the unknown. Dzeko’s been rumoured for summer exit due to his poor form, which Bob didn’t dismiss in the press conference. So we left with Mario, who is the only 100% fit striker that is capable of scoring wonder goals. He started the riots at Old Trafford and secured us a late 3 points against Spurs among other things. I agree that he wasn’t on the score sheet lately, but the whole team had an average poor form anyway. In Mario’s mysterious world, one can only imagine what crazy thoughts or actions such comments would bring.
There was this story on the Mail the other day where Bob supposedly barked at Mario and kicked him to train away from the squad. The false and stupid story was based on few photographs. Allan Hanson said the other day that he doesn’t believe Mario will ever start a game again this season. Isn’t obvious that everyone is trying to unsettle Mario, and along comes Mancini with such comments. Mario is a hot-headed, young, talented and vulnerable player that needs our protection. To dismiss/ignore his contributions and importance to the club and say publicly “Yes I trust Tevez but I never trust Mario” is just wrong. Tevez may be mature and trustworthy in Bob’s eyes, but we need Mario more than Tevez right now.

Apart from anything else in this thread, that's the most profound and accurate description I've come across, re the current media campaign against us.

It's no less than wartime style propaganda so well done for encapsulating it so graphically.

Two goals today, the second being particularly well-taken. These are the facts. I'll take the same next week.