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On last Tuesday's 'Blue Tuesday' (which, unfortunately, is not as good as it was when Paul Lake was on it) it sounded to me that Ian Cheeseman said that it was player power that made Mancini decide to play Hart instead of Pantilimon for the FA Cup Final.

If my ear'oles didn't deceive me, is he right? Were the squad against Costel?

frankswift wrote:On last Tuesday's 'Blue Tuesday' (which, unfortunately, is not as good as it was when Paul Lake was on it) it sounded to me that Ian Cheeseman said that it was player power that made Mancini decide to play Hart instead of Pantilimon for the FA Cup Final. If my ear'oles didn't deceive me, is he right? Were the squad against Costel?

I always thought it was the other way round ???

frankswift wrote:On last Tuesday's 'Blue Tuesday' (which, unfortunately, is not as good as it was when Paul Lake was on it) it sounded to me that Ian Cheeseman said that it was player power that made Mancini decide to play Hart instead of Pantilimon for the FA Cup Final. If my ear'oles didn't deceive me, is he right? Were the squad against Costel?

You're right on both bits. I was amazed, too and I wonder if it was everyone or just some who leaked complaints to the press. Possibly same sources as whoever leaked Hart had been dropped for Norwich.

If it happened, you wonder how Pants felt about the squad and why he'd have signed an extension.

frankswift wrote:On last Tuesday's 'Blue Tuesday' (which, unfortunately, is not as good as it was when Paul Lake was on it) it sounded to me that Ian Cheeseman said that it was player power that made Mancini decide to play Hart instead of Pantilimon for the FA Cup Final.

If my ear'oles didn't deceive me, is he right? Were the squad against Costel?

Costel would have played in the cup final but if you remember a few days before it was leaked that he said he wanted to leave at the end of the season. Mancini then had no choice but to pick Joe. He couldn't pick a player that was committed to leave the club could he....................

I find that hard to believe. Mancini doesn't seem like the type to give in to player power, if it is true then it didn't really work did it? The players hardly tried a leg that day.

Surely Burt is right? To say 3 days before the match you want to leave is pretty bad form.

I don't believe it for one second - Mancini did what he wanted (to the exclusion of reason sometimes) with player selection. THE reason as I've said all along was the media story containing quotes from him saying he would consider leaving to get regular football just a few days before a major cup final that he was expected to feature in. Bob had every right to bench him because it was a stupid error of judgement and monumental bad timing by Lemons.

Dameerto wrote:I don't believe it for one second - Mancini did what he wanted (to the exclusion of reason sometimes) with player selection. THE reason as I've said all along was the media story containing quotes from him saying he would consider leaving to get regular football just a few days before a major cup final that he was expected to feature in. Bob had every right to bench him because it was a stupid error of judgement and monumental bad timing by Lemons.

That is basically what I said mate. Once he had aired his views, Mancini had no option other than to bench him and anyone who misses that point is pissed up.