Manx Blue wrote:Ted Hughes wrote:Manx Blue wrote:Is this all Mancini's fault? Ultimately No.
From a tactical point of view, yes.
The first goal tonight was in my oppinion Nasri and Barry's fault. Nasri didn't come back quick enough, and Barry, as the ball was a leg stretch away, was too fucking lazy to make the effort. Yaya was also ambling back which didnt help
Second goal was a mixture of Yaya, Lescott and Barry (I think). The third goal off Clichy was unfortunate.
Yes Mancini can be castigated for this obsession with going three at the back, but ultimately the players are professionals and should be able to adapt quickly to changing scenarios. I mean is going three at the back really any different to making adjustments quickly when going down to 10 men on Saturday?
All players want to be at a club playing Champions league to further their international ambitions. But do ours have the appetite, zeal and tenacity to go that step further, that extra mile, into the latter stages. I sadly, think not.
Finally, and its not an excuse, this is the group of death. Did any of us really think this would be easy. If we can win our last three games, and Borussia beat Real on their patch, we go through....simple. We dug ourselves out of one trough in April and May and climbed that Mountain...maybe it can happen again.
West Brom was a much tougher game than tonight.
The team we see in the Champion's League is not City & would not finish in the top half of the Premier League.
Players should still be able to adapt Ted....do you not agree there?
Absolutely, but imo we had done that in the 2nd half. Neville hit it spot on in the commentary, we had started to play with much more energy and push up, like we do in the Prem. He was saying that we should just play our game & we'd batter Ajax. The goal was a cock up but imo it was not decisive. We could easily have got back and won that game just by continuing with what we were doing, then chuck Tevez on later.
Mancini took away any chance we had of winning in a fit of mentalness.