IS Bobby Mancini THE MAN?

[Swales4ever]

My very personal opinion, Beefy Mate, is a big YES about Your question.
Providing that next year's Team will be fed with a very top deep-lying box-to box (just name a younger Vieira, a Xavi Alonso clone or the original one, in my biggest dream) and a stably effective playmaker (sadly the occasion to get W. Snejider for few money went too early - I'd like to have a worth try with the Lyon's Pjanic).
I have a feeling You are not far to agree with me... :-)

You're not far wrong my friend. I think our biggest failing this season was not to get cover for Stevie and the now far-away Elano. We miss that creative/incisive midfield player who changes defence into attack. However, it's not just that area that needs strengthning. For a few years now we have struggled with the back 4 due to players in and out of the squad, ie. a settled back 4, so I think it is a priority to either get this sorted with the current players or moreover, bring some top quality robust ones in. That would negate the need to play 2 DMs.

Oh, and yes, Pjanic is a good shout but in my eyes he is just a little too young for the role and from a far inferior league; not enough games under his belt to really show himself as yet.

Sorry Beefy, I disagree re. back four to be a priority issue.
Imo, we have already the 2 best starting CBs of the whole league in Vinnie/Joleon and whereas Kolo might sometime result a little unsure for the top sake I won't trade him with none of the England Int.nals just to say. Plus Boyatta is young and need to learn but he's already more than a very good prospect, as the Club was wise and quick to acknowledge with the new deal.
Slightly different area is FBs, where I may agree we are not currently already at the top and the reason why we still struggle sometimes as an overall defensive system: I do rate Micah's potential very very high and I fully expect Mancini to do his best as a good coach to sort him out. On the left Wayne is second best of the league and occasionally Joleon might be a luxury spare where, on the opposite route I'd like to see and test Kolo who might result impressive.
So, I do agree we need to get some good inforcements in the wake of a new season of different challanges, but I'll be perfectly confortable to start any CL game with a back of say Micha/Kolo - Vinnie - Joleon - Wayne.

I do insist the very priority in order to step City further is the possibility to line a very top deep-lying alongside GB who can sustain a pace PV has not more, while dictating whether to rise tempo with deep passing or tiring opponents with a proper ball circulation and possession.
Then, I may even agree that the final finished product might provide for only one holding midfielder + 2 wingers and a playmaker, but It might only come after a long trail of strenghtening (tactical/confidence/self believe/seniority) of the whole package that shall last for a couple of seasons.

Like I said mate, we have to sort our current back or bring some more robust players in. Don't get me wrong, I think we have sorted most of it, we just haven't got the combination right as yet. But you are right, we miss that AM who forces the play, especially with the players we have up front.

Cheers Beefy. I am never far from sharing Your views on football.
Courtesy of many of Your posts I did learn a lot about City... :-)

[ronk]

that's wishful thinking. you'd be in a gimp suit within an hour of meeting me if i skewed that way.

cheers

Not if I was in one already.

That would still be within an hour.

[Swales4ever]

Antti & OD Mates.
Just had a quick call from the Marquess of Queensberry who asked me to advise he's tired and might not attend refereeing Your contest... :-)

C'mon Guys, if mancini OUT and the Self Special Clown IN, who the hell might face him at Fan Forum if You both Gentlemen get Your Egos tired to death during training?.... :-)

Cheers.

[johnny crossan]

Johnny Crossan,
We started watching city around the same era and you are correct in what you say about every manager ultimately being slaughtered by the fans (except Mercer and remember that Sven also had some support from fans at the end too).

I disagree with your assertion that Mancini is undeniably a great manager...not yet anyhow, not for City. It is far too early to make such a definitive judgement. He hasn't held the post long enough, nor has he proven his worth sufficiently at City, nor in the Prem for him to deserve that accolade as yet. Though time will tell and at some point, he may well do so. I sincerely hope so.

Personally, I still hold the view that we need a long period of stability at the club. A time when the whole club can pull together in the same direction. We have needed that for a long time. I was supportive of Hughes because I thought he would improve us. I was unsure if he could have finished the job, but i felt that he still needed more time to push us on. Now that he has gone, I am supportive of Mancini.
I sincerely hope he is given the time to take City to the heights, not only in England but also in Europe. We live in hope.

Very pleased to hear from a battle hardened supporter of your vintage. Most of the ones who started watching with me are sprinkled around rose bushes now.

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

Oh dear..... another one born few years before Stone Age.

[johnny crossan]

Oh dear..... another one born few years before Stone Age.

Your time will come too Sonny Quinn

[john68]

Oh dear..... another one born few years before Stone Age.

Your time will come too Sonny Quinn

Ignore the children Johnny....they have much to learn....:-)

Go easy on Antti though, the poor lad is Finnish and weeeeeell! we all know what that means. A sort of waiting area for Samaritan's customers who haven't been attended to to yet....Sad really...but a nice lad all the same...just misunderstood...:-)

[gillie]

Oh dear..... another one born few years before Stone Age.

Your time will come too Sonny Quinn

Ignore the children Johnny....they have much to learn....:-)

Go easy on Antti though, the poor lad is Finnish and weeeeeell! we all know what that means. A sort of waiting area for Samaritan's customers who haven't been attended to to yet....Sad really...but a nice lad all the same...just misunderstood...:-)

PMSL.

[Beefymcfc]

Definately now for me. He's just had them lose in the CL, what more do you want?

[BlueinBosnia]

Anyone with even a modicum of intelligence would recognise that there has been no vendetta against Mancini. There have been people who felt that the decision to sack Hughes was wrong, some who felt that Mancini's appointment was wrong and others who felt his tactics have been wrong at times. This does not mean they are conducting a vendetta against him.

I voted no for Mancini, not because of any particular feelings about him, but because the vendetta against the previous manager from one or two of our celebrity posters on here pushed me in that direction. Since that I haven't bothered to change my vote because it is immaterial. Mancini is here and, so far, has done a half decent job and he has my full support.

Couldn't have put it better myself.

I voted 'no', and will stick with it until the end of the season. If we finish 4th, next season I'll be down as a 'maybe'.

[johnny crossan]

Anyone with even a modicum of intelligence would recognise that there has been no vendetta against Mancini. There have been people who felt that the decision to sack Hughes was wrong, some who felt that Mancini's appointment was wrong and others who felt his tactics have been wrong at times. This does not mean they are conducting a vendetta against him.

I voted no for Mancini, not because of any particular feelings about him, but because the vendetta against the previous manager from one or two of our celebrity posters on here pushed me in that direction. Since that I haven't bothered to change my vote because it is immaterial. Mancini is here and, so far, has done a half decent job and he has my full support.

Couldn't have put it better myself.

I voted 'no', and will stick with it until the end of the season. If we finish 4th, next season I'll be down as a 'maybe'.

Belgium or Bosnia, it's not far enough for nitwits like you. What on earth have the Hughes Inners on here got to do with it?
Use your brain.

[BlueinBosnia]

Anyone with even a modicum of intelligence would recognise that there has been no vendetta against Mancini. There have been people who felt that the decision to sack Hughes was wrong, some who felt that Mancini's appointment was wrong and others who felt his tactics have been wrong at times. This does not mean they are conducting a vendetta against him.

I voted no for Mancini, not because of any particular feelings about him, but because the vendetta against the previous manager from one or two of our celebrity posters on here pushed me in that direction. Since that I haven't bothered to change my vote because it is immaterial. Mancini is here and, so far, has done a half decent job and he has my full support.

Couldn't have put it better myself.

I voted 'no', and will stick with it until the end of the season. If we finish 4th, next season I'll be down as a 'maybe'.

Belgium or Bosnia, it's not far enough for nitwits like you. What on earth have the Hughes Inners on here got to do with it?
Use your brain.

I simply didn't think Mancini would be the man when he got the job. Partly due to inexperience in the Prem, partly due to the way his contract had been organised (which showed that the owners/their advisoers didn't have 100% confidence in him), partly out of a belief that we were going to adopt a chop/change approach to management, a la Chelsea, and partly because of the bullshit he exhuded regarding his 'love' for the English game (which he claimed stemmed from his 5-week stint at Leicester). Also, at the time of his appointment, I thought he was no great improvement on Hughes, which I still believe. The choice of 'no' over 'maybe' was also in part out of contrariness, due to being pissed off by the 'Hughes Out' vendetta. I'm man enough to admit that. But I did have other reasons.

Nevertheless, he gets my full support while he's in the job, and my opinion of him has become slightly more positive. The general consensus on here 2-3 weeks ago was that he wasn't going to get his contract renewed. Now, after tearing apart a relegation-threatened team in half a match, that notion is nowhere to be seen on the board. Also, at one point, there were only 10 of us (people, not percent) in the 'no' category. Without a massive increase in voters, this rose to approx 70 in a 2-week spell following the defeat to Hull. It's now slowly starting to slip back down.

I reckon (and am starting to hope) Mancini gets his contract renewed next season. However, I voted this on my initial feelings, and am staying like that. Other people may want to use this poll as a swingometer, but I'm keeping my original decision until the end of the season.

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

Anyone with even a modicum of intelligence would recognise that there has been no vendetta against Mancini. There have been people who felt that the decision to sack Hughes was wrong, some who felt that Mancini's appointment was wrong and others who felt his tactics have been wrong at times. This does not mean they are conducting a vendetta against him.

I voted no for Mancini, not because of any particular feelings about him, but because the vendetta against the previous manager from one or two of our celebrity posters on here pushed me in that direction. Since that I haven't bothered to change my vote because it is immaterial. Mancini is here and, so far, has done a half decent job and he has my full support.

Couldn't have put it better myself.

I voted 'no', and will stick with it until the end of the season. If we finish 4th, next season I'll be down as a 'maybe'.

So you can't use your own intelligence but make your mind up according to what other people thought of previous manager? That's very intelligent. Certainly at very least "modicum of intelligence" involved somewhere there.

Didn't you just other week say that you don't even watch the games these days? Do you think that's honest basis of forming any sort of opinion?

[BlueinBosnia]

Didn't you just other week say that you don't even watch the games these days? Do you think that's honest basis of forming any sort of opinion?

No. I said I don't bother rearranging things around games any more (travelling, meetings, work, meeting up with the missus, rugby training, etc). I've still watched about 50% of Mancini's matches live, another 3 or 4 at a later date, and extended highlights (ironic name for some) of most of the rest. I watch every weekend game unless I have an impending deadline or a rugby match. Or we play Stoke.

I gave a far fuller reason a few minutes before you posted. Wonder why didn't you quote that?

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

Didn't you just other week say that you don't even watch the games these days? Do you think that's honest basis of forming any sort of opinion?

No. I said I don't bother rearranging things around games any more (travelling, meetings, work, meeting up with the missus, rugby training, etc). I've still watched about 50% of Mancini's matches live, another 3 or 4 at a later date, and extended highlights (ironic name for some) of most of the rest. I watch every weekend game unless I have an impending deadline or a rugby match. Or we play Stoke.

[highlight]I gave a far fuller reason a few minutes before you posted. Wonder why didn't you quote that[/highlight]?

Because it wasn't there when I started answering your post (had to do bit of work while typing that reply).

Fair enough, you have every right to your opinion. Forming your opinion according to what some random people thought about previous manager is nothing short of bizarre though. Basically that would make you more interested about your own ego than what may (or may not) be good for the club.

[Beefymcfc]

Didn't you just other week say that you don't even watch the games these days? Do you think that's honest basis of forming any sort of opinion?

No. I said I don't bother rearranging things around games any more (travelling, meetings, work, meeting up with the missus, rugby training, etc). I've still watched about 50% of Mancini's matches live, another 3 or 4 at a later date, and extended highlights (ironic name for some) of most of the rest. I watch every weekend game unless I have an impending deadline or a rugby match. Or we play Stoke.

[highlight]I gave a far fuller reason a few minutes before you posted. Wonder why didn't you quote that[/highlight]?

Because it wasn't there when I started answering your post (had to do bit of work while typing that reply).

Fair enough, you have every right to your opinion. Forming your opinion according to what some random people thought about previous manager is nothing short of bizarre though. Basically that would make you more interested about your own ego than what may (or may not) be good for the club.

Fucking hell Antti, what's all that about. The bloke gave a very concise resaon for his vote. What you are sayinng there can also be applied to yourself!

[BlueinBosnia]

Fair enough, you have every right to your opinion. Forming your opinion according to what some random people thought about previous manager is nothing short of bizarre though. Basically that would make you more interested about your own ego than what may (or may not) be good for the club.

Partially allowing it to affect my vote (which I admit) has nothing to do with me forming my opinion. FFS this is an internet forum, and I can vote how I feel on a poll, without it really reflecting on how I operate in the real world. If I'd voted 'yes', purely on the basis that he's won stuff in Italy, would you be trying to delve into my psyche?

I'm not changing my vote until the end of the season, because that was my vote, on how I felt when I voted, and I'm sticking with it. Just like when you stuck with wanting Hughes out after the first 3 games of the season.

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

Fair enough, you have every right to your opinion. Forming your opinion according to what some random people thought about previous manager is nothing short of bizarre though. Basically that would make you more interested about your own ego than what may (or may not) be good for the club.

Partially allowing it to affect my vote (which I admit) has nothing to do with me forming my opinion. FFS this is an internet forum, and I can vote how I feel on a poll, without it really reflecting on how I operate in the real world. [highlight]If I'd voted 'yes', purely on the basis that he's won stuff in Italy, would you be trying to delve into my psyche?[/highlight]
I'm not changing my vote until the end of the season, because that was my vote, on how I felt when I voted, and I'm sticking with it. Just like when you stuck with wanting Hughes out after the first 3 games of the season.

No, but that would be football matter. I wouldn't blame you if you had questions about his football and you voted no either.

And I was ready to change my mind regarding Hughes after Portsmouth and great start he had last season.

[BlueinBosnia]

Fair enough, you have every right to your opinion. Forming your opinion according to what some random people thought about previous manager is nothing short of bizarre though. Basically that would make you more interested about your own ego than what may (or may not) be good for the club.

Partially allowing it to affect my vote (which I admit) has nothing to do with me forming my opinion. FFS this is an internet forum, and I can vote how I feel on a poll, without it really reflecting on how I operate in the real world. [highlight]If I'd voted 'yes', purely on the basis that he's won stuff in Italy, would you be trying to delve into my psyche?[/highlight]
I'm not changing my vote until the end of the season, because that was my vote, on how I felt when I voted, and I'm sticking with it.

No, but that would be football matter. I wouldn't blame you if you had questions about his football and you voted no either.

I simply didn't think Mancini would be the man when he got the job. Partly due to inexperience in the Prem, partly due to the way his contract had been organised (which showed that the owners/their advisoers didn't have 100% confidence in him)... and partly because of the bullshit he exhuded regarding his 'love' for the English game (which he claimed stemmed from his 5-week stint at Leicester). Also, at the time of his appointment, I thought he was no great improvement on Hughes, which I still believe.

Football enough for you?

[btajim]

And I was ready to change my mind regarding Hughes after Portsmouth and great start he had last season.

Last season? Hughes had an awful start. 4-2 at Villa, a couple of wins and then form which eventually took us to 18th in December. You can't forget throwing away a 2 Goal lead at Home to Liverpool or that awful 1-0 defeat to a Striker-less Everton! I wasn't ready to throw my support / throw my Seasoncard at him until he'd had the chance to shape a Team. It's exactly the same with Mancini. I'm happy with many things - yet not truly convinced about the man. And 4th or 5th won't necessarily be the banker. I want to see how we got there.