by ant london » Sun May 12, 2013 8:59 pm
I think Ross best expressed my sentiments on this one.
There just invariably is no "nice" way to get rid of one manager and sack another. Realistically, in terms of quality/reputation/profile we are looking at maybe a pool of 20 guys worldwid who we would really be interested in. It's the same as players. There is just invariably no way that you can feel out, discuss, negotiate something like that with the incoming manager and/or his club before that leaks out and then ppl put 2 and 2 together and get the facts about what is going to happen.
I am absolutely certain that the club were going to fire him last year if Aguero hadn't scored and I think he knew that was going to happen hence the AS Monaco or Roma or whoever negotiations from his side. But we then won the league and he's a hero and he gets a new contract.
There no nice way to do this. Abramovich in some ways did the "nice" thing with Benitez which was to clearly manage Rafa's expectations and supporters expectations and have a planned management change. But then everyone says Roman is a cunt because he's not giving Benitez a fair shot at winning the job for keeps.
Now there are those of us who can clearly remember that he had somehow managed to fuck up managing us to what should have been a cakewalk of a league title in January.
I do not know why he cannot seem to prepare and motivate the team for what should be "gimme" games. I know there are no walkovers in the PL but under Mancini we have repeatedly fucked up in some games which were bankers. Add to that the two abject CL campaigns, the fallout with Tevez (which, let's face it, could at the time have cost the club over twenty million quid in lost asset value), his (in my opinion) absolutely piss poor man management on numerous levels and I can see why the club want a new man and I can agree with them.
I, like Ross, don't particularly care how they do it (and, frankly, I'm sure that when Roberto is enjoying an espresso at a pavement cafe in the autumn sunshine in Rome several million Euros richer and once his wounded ego has repaired itself won't care too much either, he knows how the modern game works and he's a tough character) as long as the new guy is a clear and tangible upgrade.
I want to see the new man bring out improvements in those who could do a lot better (either by virtue flat performance standards, age or lack of opportunity/injury) and by that I mean:
Hart
Nasri
Rodwell
Guidetti needs to be given an extended run in pre-season and then he should either be in the first team squad proper next season or we should sell him.
Dzeko we either have to have the players and deploy a system that suits him or he should also be sold.
I'd like to see us more regularly try some of the youngsters next season too...i think some seem almost ready Rekik (has he been injured btw not heard of him for ages? Or is he out on loan) Lopez, Pozo too when he's fit
