HOW DO YOU SLEEP?
When Roberto Mancini was appointed as manager of Man City, I made the following comments: –
Vaunted foreign coaches like Ramos, Eriksson and Scolari have all found the going tough and have paid for their failures but of course the likes of Wenger and Mourinho have proved themselves to be wildly successful. How will it all turn out for Mancini and Man City? Will Mancini be able to withstand the scrutiny and the pressure? Will his players be able to?
Initially, Mancini appeared to be the man to bring City to the next level as his wealthy employers hoped with four straight wins. But the honeymoon period is well and truly over.
First, Craig Bellamy was reportedly involved in a clash with Mancini over training methods. Then, Carlos Tevez had to go home to Argentina to attend to his prematurely-born daughter. Now, after being knocked out by Stoke City in the FA Cup 5th Round and a poor run of Prem results, Mancini seems to have lost the dressing room and his position looks threatened.
The rumour is that if Man City does not get into the top four at the end of the season, Mancini will be sacked and yet another manager will be brought in. Madness!
The reason why former manager Mark Hughes was removed was that City owners were not confident that Hughes could deliver on the top four target (given Hughes’ own modest managerial record) and thus, Mancini – who has a enviable record in Serie A – was appointed.
So why would Mancini’s employers not give him more than six months and with players of his own choosing to prove himself in the Premiership? Maybe, its because whilst the City owners may be good at making money from oil, THEY HAVE NO F–KING CLUE HOW TO RUN A FOOTBALL CLUB!
Of course, with 12 matches to go and only goal difference currently separating City from 4th spot, Champions League qualification is still possible but with the pressure mounting on Mancini and his players, that achievement may be a bridge too for City this season.