Is it possible for the Count to get the sack?

[PeterParker]

Absolutelly do not want that, i think he is our best manager in 20 years.

But is his job in danger? Almost out of the Champions Cup and almost certain from Europe, out from the Cup and a huge distance from the leaders, plus very very weird games and this just in 3 months in the new season.

Our board is known for their cerebral decisions since they came here and every manager we changed, it was for the better. The Sheik and Khaldoon brought just two managers, while Sparks was here since our previous owner and still, the guys gaved him 1 and a half year.

So, looking at how are things right now, can we expect something like this if things don't get better soon?

[Peter Doherty (AGAIG)]

Not till the end of the season, unless the players openly down tools.

[Tesl]

My gut feeling tells me they won't easily get rid of Pelligrini, and we'd need a total collapse worse than this for that to happen. I don't want to see him go either.

I'm no football analyst, but I find it difficult to pinpoint what the problem is with us right now. It just seems like nearly everyone is playing bad, looking really nervous and can't pass a ball properly anymore.

Someone in another thread described Chelsea as "robotic", and that is exactly how I see them under Mourinho. My view on this season from the start has been that Chelsea will definitely get 90 points, the question is whether we can get more points than that to finish above them. Already at this point I just don't see it, I think its going to end up being a very boring season for everyone.

Hopefully we'll take the FA cup seriously and have a real go at winning that one.

[nottsblue]

Is it possible? Yes, managers get the sack all the time

Will he get the sack? Really hope not and I doubt very much it would be during the season. What he did last season should not be forgotten and imo should buy him at least 18/24 months grace. Yes, we are not doing as well as hoped but there is a lot of football still to be played and I still believe if a side does get more points than us they will be champions. Second would hardly be a disaster, especially if the FA Cup was on the mantlepiece.

Lets see how the season pans out first

[stevefromdonny]

It might help us if we finished bottom of champs league, just prem and fa cup to play for.

[Wooders]

I think its plausible - always got the feeling he was a stop gap until someone really high profile like Pep came along. However, after 2 cups last season it would seem a lottle kneejerk
IF Simeone is available in the summer i would be conflicted though

[Cocacolajojo1]

I don't think so PP. Soriano has gone on the record to say 5 trophies in five years and progress in the CL (if I remember correctly) and Pellegrini has already taken two trophies and taken us to the playoffs last year. However, the exception would be if he lost the dressing room. I mean, then it it's a matter of either replacing the manager or the players and the latter option is clearly not economically feasible. However, Khaldoon managed to get the team to accept Mancini despite what seemed to be several breakdowns so I don't see why the same couldn't be done for Pellegrini if a rift was to occur.

So no, I don't think so. But that's just me trying to be rational. As soon as respected execs and CEO's enter football they tend to go all emotional and machiavellian. Or they were perhaps always like that but in the real business world there are checks and balances that generally stop them from acting out. I don't know, and if the club's ticket office is a window into how the functionality of the club's general infrastructure (despite all the investment), then despite all appearences the club is still being run like an amateur outfit. And then, well, yeah, I guess Pellegrini could be fired for basically anything, like being better of pointswise than last season.

[Crossie]

I hope not, the owners must surely realise we won't win something every season...

Or am I being romantic and infact that is what they want ?

Even Fergie has seasons where he didn't win anything and that was before the mega investment clubs happened.

For me there is no rush. We've won everything but the champs league. That could take years for any manager because it's tournament football and at several points you have to have luck. Why not wait it out during a period of stability in the club?

Although Manuel has dropped a few bollocks in the last year and a bit, and his transfers are still a little questionable at this stage, I have full faith we are well looked after with him, kiddo and Ruebens.

[Nigels Tackle]

I hope not, the owners must surely realise we won't win something every season...

Or am I being romantic and infact that is what they want ?

Even Fergie has seasons where he didn't win anything and that was before the mega investment clubs happened.

For me there is no rush. We've won everything but the champs league. That could take years for any manager because it's tournament football and at several points you have to have luck. Why not wait it out during a period of stability in the club?

Although Manuel has dropped a few bollocks in the last year and a bit, and his transfers are still a little questionable at this stage, I have full faith we are well looked after with him, kiddo and Ruebens.

are they really his transfers?

[craigmcfc]

I hope not and I think there are only 2 potential reasons why it could happen. Firstly a total collapse leaving us out of all cup competitions and struggling to qualify for the Champions League.

The other option is that City get a very positive hint from Pep Guardiola that he would like the job. If this happens I don't think it would matter how successful we are this season, the change would happen.

[Piccsnumberoneblue]

No it isn't. It would make us look stupid and rightly so.

[Cocacolajojo1]

I hope not, the owners must surely realise we won't win something every season...

Or am I being romantic and infact that is what they want ?

No I think you're sensible. We can't know what Sorriano and co wants at the moment but if a victory every season is what they expect, then they are to quote pics, stupid.

[bayblue]

We are third in the league FFS.
Lots of threads on this forum about "media agenda". Why do our own supporters fan the flames.
Let's get behind him and the team not encourage pure speculation.

[MilnersJaw]

i hope not. I thought he got his team right yesterday, not sure about the subs but had been waiting to see ferd and fand start together. too bad some players let him down.

[Beefymcfc]

Not a chance. The management team need to have a good hard look at what is happening and then get this turned around. Maybe it's a matter of changing our games shape and bringing a couple of players in in January but the over-riding factor is that we have the players to win games, there just seems to be that spark missing.

One worrying thing is that Pellers said he picked the team from data provided by the medical/physio staff. Surely that's not the way to select the team, even if they're fucked.

[Jon London]

I think it can be over analysed but we every team has to have at least two match winners i.e. players that create a goal from nothing or produce world class clearances or saves. Last season we had Aguero, Nasri, Toure, Dzeko, Kompany, Negredo, Silva, and even Navas for spells. This season we have Aguero, Lampard, Silva (in fits and starts) and for one game Jovetic. Thats been it. Coupled with the fact Fernandinho's rubbish twin is now playing for us.

I still think we can have a crack at the League and the Champions League but we have to win our next 8 games on the trot which is a big ask.

[blues2win]

I'm sure the owners are looking for him to do this season and next. Pellegrini hasn't brought his family over so he probably has that in mind as well. All roads lead to Pep after that. His contract with Bayern is up then and I would be very surprised if the hierarchy aren't determined to get him. It's all very well sacking a manager but you have to consider who to bring in so I don't see any chance of the Count being sacked mid season and not much chance of him going at the end of this season absent a complete implosion and failure to make the top 3 or 4.

Having said that I'd be surprised Khaldoun and co aren't as disappointed with the season so far as City fans. Pellegrini needs to pull his finger out.

[Ted Hughes]

If we were to sack Pellegrini, then presumably we would also sack Guardiola in his 2nd season, if he was under penalities for squad numbers in the Champions League, restricted re transfer budget & had won the double in his first season, scoring a record number of goals ?

Tbh, I like Pellegrini, but as with Hughes & Mancini, I don't actually care whether these blokes get the sack or not, provided it is right for the club & done at the right time, in the right way. If Pellegrini wins the league & we sack him because we already have a deal to bring in Guardiola, I don't care, so long as that's the plan.

But sacking him outside the plan, & sticking some character in, just purely out of revenge for not doing as well as we would hope, is Swales territory. Some City fans would do that, because basically they are the same kind of clueless kneejerkers as Swales himself & like Swales, never learn any lessons about anything.

I like to hope that many City fans have learned from the past & realise that you have to have some kind of plan behind what you do, not just react short term, to events on the pitch. If the season is shit, plan for next season. Don't just react in order to placate a few loud mouthed idiots.

No matter who the manager in the future, & how good he is, & how good the players are, we will have seasons where it goes tits up. It's happened to Baconface plenty of times, & it's happened to Mourinho.

Barca & Real came 2nd & 3rd in a two horse race last season.

[getdressedmctavish]

Watching yesterday, any manager who came in would face the same problem, as Ted pointed out in another thread. We play through Ya Ya. He is the guy who picks up the ball and starts the moves. The other central midfielders don't appear to be able to do that. Even against a poor QPR team, Ya ya was ineffective further forwards. He was much better deep,but in deep CM he wont track and he is out of form, even though he is still better than the alternatives. Even when in form, teams particularly in the chumps know that stop Ya Ya, stop City. And they do and more clubs will get the picture. And we're not helped by his inability to deal with this,by either going down convincingly or brushing people aside in the way we know he can.So, we need to be evolving a new system. How do we do that with Ya Ya in the team? Difficult. Who are we looking to as alternatives? Fernandinho, Frank?Ask yourself how much sense either makes. We will get better when Silva comes back.But it is probably too late for the chumps league, and Chelsea are settled in a highly effective style which seems certain to win them the premiership. The question is, what is the management team doing and thinking about this problem?Has Pelligrini got the nouse and authority to deal with it or is he a lame duck. Player wise who are we looking to bring in given that Ya Ya is a totally original one off and we will have to build our playing style afresh Managerwise,can we afford to wait 18 months for a maybe Guardiola who I expect would meet similar difficulties. I suspect these are the issues exercising the top brass' minds.I think they may make a move earlier than we think. Be sure of one thing, they will have no loyalty to Pellers because it will be a hard nosed business decision.And people saying "oh well, lets win the FA cup" is it as easy as that?

[City64]

Watching yesterday, any manager who came in would face the same problem, as Ted pointed out in another thread. We play through Ya Ya. He is the guy who picks up the ball and starts the moves. The other central midfielders don't appear to be able to do that. Even against a poor QPR team, Ya ya was ineffective further forwards. He was much better deep,but in deep CM he wont track and he is out of form, even though he is still better than the alternatives. Even when in form, teams particularly in the chumps know that stop Ya Ya, stop City. And they do and more clubs will get the picture. And we're not helped by his inability to deal with this,by either going down convincingly or brushing people aside in the way we know he can.So, we need to be evolving a new system. How do we do that with Ya Ya in the team? Difficult. Who are we looking to as alternatives? Fernandinho, Frank?Ask yourself how much sense either makes. We will get better when Silva comes back.But it is probably too late for the chumps league, and Chelsea are settled in a highly effective style which seems certain to win them the premiership. The question is, what is the management team doing and thinking about this problem?Has Pelligrini got the nouse and authority to deal with it or is he a lame duck. Player wise who are we looking to bring in given that Ya Ya is a totally original one off and we will have to build our playing style afresh Managerwise,can we afford to wait 18 months for a maybe Guardiola who I expect would meet similar difficulties. I suspect these are the issues exercising the top brass' minds.I think they may make a move earlier than we think. Be sure of one thing, they will have no loyalty to Pellers because it will be a hard nosed business decision.And people saying "oh well, lets win the FA cup" is it as easy as that?

The one major reason we are way below the levels of last season under Pellegrini is the fact that we rely heavily on playing through Yaya as you have stated , Yaya this season however has been abysmal so far ............ Pellegrini needs a plan B or Yaya needs to fucking start performing , either will do and we will be fine again . Guardiola won't be available for quite a while , maybe next summer so our owners have a lot of sorting out to do .