We’ll have a full breakdown of the transfer market dealings for City plus my thoughts on City’s performances while I was away within the next twenty four hours.
kartik
Feb 012010
Manchester City is taking baby steps towards asserting itself as a big club. Another step occurred today at the Riverside, where a watered down City side survived Boro 1-0 to advance in the FA Cup for the first time in three seasons.
Shay Given was not tested until the last ten minutes of the match, as Robert Mancini’s tactical changes continue to impress at the back. For those critics, who point to the level of opposition, I would clearly state that the sort of opposition that ran through City under Mark Hughes (Burnley, Hull, Bolton, even Scunthorpe to a certain extent) are now being thoroughly outclassed under Mancini.
Tactically, Mancini got it right, although in the first half Benjani was isolated up top, playing as a target striker with nobody to play off of. The spine of the City side was very strong today, and that showed as the match wore on and the Blues asserted control.
City’s youngsters were a mixed bag: Vladimir Weiss struggled while Dedryck Boyata was outstanding.
Match Ratings:
Given 6
Zabaletta 7
Richards 7
Boyata 8
Garrido 7
Weiss 5
Kompany 6
DeJong 6
Sylvinho 7
Petrov 8
Benjani 7
Barry 6
Tevez 7
Bellamy 7
Dec 292009
Let me be upfront and honest. I do not like British managers being replaced with foreign ones. I also do not like players from the British Isles being replaced by players from the continent, Africa or North America. Call me a traditionalist, but I believe the fabric and character of English football has been hurt by a foreign invasion. Not that I am against all foreign players, but I do support the 6 + 5 rule and believe it could ultimately help the English game.
All of this having been said, I am an admirer of football tactics and a supporter of Manchester City Football Club. That puts me in the awkward position of understanding that the sacking of a Welsh manager and replacement by an Italian manager was probably the best move the club could have made from a footballing perspective.
City’s shape at the back and spacing in the attack have looked more organized and consistent throughout Mancini’s first two matches than at any time this season under Mark Hughes (even when the side was winning in the first month of the season). Additionally, under Hughes their always seemed to be a desperation on the squad- a chip on the shoulder type play rather than quiet, efficient confidence.
Hughes’ City teams often lost their shape for large portions of the match and tactical changes came late. Last season this was a regular occurrence as Hughes was “burdened” with players inherited from Sven Goran Eriksson. But two of these players, Javier Garrido and Martin Petrov have now been re-integrated into the squads plans under Mancini, who is an Eriksson disciple.
Hughes did plenty of damage by selling Verdan Corluka and Elano, both significant Eriksson signings while replacing them with the less capable Pablo Zabaletta and nobody in Elano’s case. When asked about why his City side looked more capable than his England teams, Eriksson famously quipped that with England he didn’t have Elano.
Yet, for Hughes, Elano was a expendable part. Martin Petrov was as well, and would have undoubtedly been dealt this January were Hughes still the manager. Petrov provides the Blues the type of the attacking width and intent that Arjen Robben used to provide for Chelsea and currently provides (while healthy) for Bayern Munchen.
If Mancini continues to play a variation of the 4-4-2 diamond, this setup is enhanced by Petrov’s presence. In fact, the discarded winger could be the most important player in the new City setup.
The criticisms that Mancini has merely beaten Wolves and Stoke are meaningless to me. The reality is that, City drew with similar quality sides four times in the last two months of Hughes tenure, including twice at home. In each of those matches, City spent significant time looking like a desperate side on the back foot. In Mancini’s first 180 minutes as City manager, the Citizens have generally appeared in control.
I have a great deal of time and sentiment for Mark Hughes. However, City’s ownership absolutely made the right choice in sacking him and bringing in Roberto Mancini.
Dec 232009
Roberto Mancini has made quick assessments about the City squad according to published reports. My thoughts are found at Set Piece Analysts.
While the above may seem like an attention grabbing headline, those of us who have supported this club for a longtime know that nothing is ever easy at City. Switching managers mid season has already led to a player revolt and the hiring of a manager with no Premier League coaching experience. (And only four matches as a player).
In other words, Garry Cook and Brian Marwood have begun the process of City rediscovering its recent history and becoming a relegation fighter again. City’s 29 points are only 12 clear of the relegation zone, which is a similar position to where the Club found itself in the 2006-07 season under Stuart Pearce. That season, City escaped relegation by all of three points.
Cook and Marwood evidently want to tempt high profile Continental targets to Eastlands, but who is to say any would choose City over let’s say Inter or Lyon, and furthermore, how can Continental players be trusted to fit into an English team in the dead of winter? The acclimation to the English game is nearly impossible for a target brought in during the January window. That’s why Hughes wisely spent his time focusing on English based targets, who would play the game the right way.
City’s form prior to the Sunderland match 11 points from 10 league matches was almost relegation form. Included in that stretch were home draws against Burnley, and Hull as well as Derby draws versus Wigan and Bolton. All four listed teams are relegation fighters this season. Without Mark Hughes ability to rally his team spiritually, all four matches could very well have been loses which resulted in six point swings against City. Hughes may have been tactically inept at times, but his force of personality allowed City to escape several matches the side should have lost, with draws.
While Richard Dunne did not appeal to “fans” in China and India whom Cook seems to be concerned about, he certainly appealed to those in the Northwest that supported City have been through the relegation wars. It is highly possible that with a star laden team on big contracts, that City will simply wilt after this managerial change.
Roberto Mancini will need to use every trick he has in his management repertoire to keep this side afloat. Relegation may not be looming, but a bottom half finish is looking likely as the Cook/Marwood revolution takes the building blocks Sven Goran Eriksson and Mark Hughes built, and trashes them.
