BobKowalski wrote:Bluez wrote:I suppose the fairest way to determine how they are getting on would be to compare what did each of them do with the same squad? Mancini has pretty much added nor one, nor has anyone been sold.
Made even more interesting by teh fact that Manchinis first 4 games were fairly easy and included a cup game against lower league opposition and his 5th game was the first real test.
Also Hughes first 4 games were fairly easy and included a cup game against lower league opposition and his 5th game was the first real test.
In Hughes 1st 5 games he kept 4 clean sheets and the in the stiff game against Arsenal, we hammered them (the 4-2 score line flattered them)
In Mancini's 1st 5 games he kept 3 clean sheets and in the first stiff test against a team who were 4 points off the relegation zone we got hammered, completely played off the park.
So as I am behind Manchini as he is now our manager, I guess my point is after 5 games, this is a really stupid thread. Manchini still has to prove himself in te English league.
That said full points for Ted's post, although those it was directed towards won't even realise just how hypocritical they are.
Except it isn't. Comparable that is. Hughes first 5 games were after a full pre season and a previous 12 months at the club. He had a fully fit squad of players to choose from (bar RSC) all fired up and ready to go with some players making their debuts and obviously keen to make an impression.
Mancini was parachuted in mid-season and had to hit the ground running with players missing either through injury or playing in ACoN. Not to mention he was holding training sessions with an unknown group of players in the snow and ice of the big freeze and with a squad of players that had conceded 3 goals a game in their last 3 games with games coming up that we were expected to win and win well. So no it isn't comparable. In fact I will use the 'Hughes gambit' and say that we can only judge Mancini and Hughes when Mancini has a full squad to chose from (bar RSC) and/or has had a full season and/or has got his own players which ever is the quicker.
But yes this thread is laughable - I mean 9 of you idiots voted for Hughes and yes Mancini has only being here 5 minutes so it is way too early to judge although the fact he is not wedded to the words 'obviously' and dynamic' makes him immediately preferable to Hughes - that and Hughes inability to manage a football team. Obviously.
I do detect a desire to hold some peoples feet to the flames over Mancini and come any faltering of form and it will be 'poll heaven' on here all them kicking off with the theme 'well we sacked Hughes to get top 4 so...' and yes that is true. ADUG saw the chance of getting top 4 this season and couldn't see it happening under Hughes, but then blind f**king Pew could of seen that so ADUG don't get prizes for spotting the bleeding obvious.
But top 4 arguments aside I do think we should be giving the new guy a little bit of slack when he hits a few bumps on the way. Which he will. Although god help him if we don't get to the CC final. This place and the media will be full of people insisting that if we had kept Hughes we would have got through and that Hughes was 'on the brink of cracking it' and so on. Actually give it a few months and Hughes will the greatest manager we ever had without actually achieving anything. Which if you think about it is quite an achievment :)
that's more or less how Hughes got the job in the first place, by being touted as greatest young manager in Britain without actually having achieved anything. That's the head start you get in media for being a rag legend. Some people seem to read too much Daily Mirror.