by mcfc1632 » Wed Aug 11, 2010 10:19 pm
I had thought that this was obvious from the moment Mancini brought PV in - he was not good enough for our 1st team squad then - he certainly is not now - therefore being a regular 1st team player cannot be what it is about - so it must be that in the pressure situation Mancini found himself in January - and now - he looks to people he knows and trusts to be his 'colleagues' in this high-pressure environment.
He has recently brought in 'mister potato head' and Lombardi into the management team for the same reasons - he was able to bring his man from ACM (PV) in January on a free to bring some support into the dressing room - this can be the only reason and it does indeed make a lot of sense (PV will probably stay on after next year in a coaching team role) - we would probably all do the same - and for those that have been in senior management positions - I bet you have.
So it did not cost money - so that was OK - the only issue then is does it mean some exclusion for a key player in the 25 man squad - 'cos if it does I would rather PV was named in the Europa squad only.
But this still confuses me - and I think that we are in danger of 'going off one one' because of recent press reports - is there really a 25 man squad problem??
I posted the bit below in the Bellamy thread and I think it shows that we are allowing the media to successfully sow discontent:
"But also - I cannot really see the 25 man squad issue - I think that he will be in - unless causing shit at this key time when every player should be concentrating on the start of the season - pushes the manager against him. Allowing for the under 21s to not have to be counted, would not the squad look something like:
Given, Hart,Taylor
Bridge, Kolarov, Richards, Zabaleta, Toure, Kompany, Lescott, Boateng,
A Johnson, Silva, Wright-Phillips, Milner, Barry, de Jong, Toure, Vieira, M Johnson,
Adebayor, Jo, Tevez, Robinho, Bellers
Personally, I would take Taylor out of the squad and just go with 2 keepers - come on here - the 25 man rule is until January - 4 months!! - and it makes provision for emergency back-up - especially for the keeper situation - I would put Taylor in the Europa league spots and he can be drafted in come January if there is a problem
I know it is conventional wisdom to have 3 keepers - but it is a (potential) waste of a spot for me - given the emergency rules - obviously only cut him if we are stuck for space.
So before Bellers is out, Taylor is gone - then M. Johnson, then probably Robinho, then possibly Jo - then possibly SWP, then possibly Zabs - is this all because he has 'not been told'?? - well I guess these other players have not been told either."