Who'd Be A Football Manager!?

To be a football manager in this day and age certainly is no easy task, just ask Roberto Mancini. Calls for his head are deafening less than a year into his tenure. In fact after the same amount of games into the season Mancini’s City would be trailing Sven’s City by a mere 4pts.

Season W D L F A Diff PTS Manager

1. 2007 8 2 3 16 13 3 26 SGE
2. 1967 7 1 5 25 16 9 22 Mercer
3. 2009 5 7 1 24 17 7 22 Hughes
4. 2010 6 4 3 15 10 5 22 Mancini
5. 2005 6 3 4 15 11 4 21 Pearce
6. 1994 5 4 4 24 20 4 19 Horton
7. 2003 5 3 5 22 18 4 18 Keegan
8. 2002 5 2 6 14 19 -5 17 Keegan
9. 1992 4 4 5 14 13 1 16 Reid
10. 2006 4 4 5 10 15 -5 16 Pearce
11. 2008 4 2 7 26 20 6 14 Hughes
12. 1936 3 5 5 24 22 2 14 Wild
13. 2004 3 5 5 14 13 1 14 Keegan
14. 1993 3 5 5 12 13 -1 14 Reid/Horton
15. 2000 4 2 7 15 24 -9 14 Royle
16. 1995 1 3 9 5 22 -17 6 Ball
    
    Above is a table showing each of the previous first 13 games to each Manchester City start to a Premiership season since the Premiership started as well as the Championship winning seasons of 1967/68 and 1936/37. Currently, as in the regular table we are fourth behind only Sven, Joe and Mark Hughes’ second season.
    Interestingly we are closer to our best start than we are to Chelsea in the current Premier table.
    You will notice two things from the table, we have conceded less goals than all the other seasons (significantly less in some seasons) and our defeats so far are joined with Svens season, and the great start we had that year and only eclipsed by the start to last seasons campaign, but remember all the draws that go around?
    Results on the pitch, for the most part, have been good when you step back from the media stained light that is currently being shone on Mancini and the team. Pretty much the only disappointing results we have had so far would be the defeat against Wolves and possibly this draw against Birmingham. Compare that with the ‘disappointing’ results of previous season starts. Last season we already had lost to United (attacking gave us 0pts, tight at the back gave us a point this season). Then there were draws at home to Hull, Burnley and Fulham which was the start of the end for Hughes.
    Or the season before when we had already recorded losses at soon to be relegated Middlesboro and Bolton. We also drew at Newcastle (also to be relegated) and Hull City.
    Even the dream start we had while Sven was spotted with disappointments, losing to Blackburn and shipping six goals to a rampant Chelsea side.
    Even the great Joe Mercer and our Championship winning season started off inconsistent to say the least. In the first 13 games of that season we lost to Sunderland, Stoke and Southampton. (This was on the back of a poor finish to the previous season also, picking up only six wins from the beginning of December to the end of the season).
    My point is that the displays on the pitch may not be of the highest standard but the table doesn’t lie. We are fourth and we have been reasonably tight at the back. Some pundits say that City haven’t scored for two league games, well we also haven’t conceded a goal for three! The media see we are fighting among ourselves and they latch onto the poisonous atmosphere. Remember United also haven’t won for two league games but they are labeled as ’undefeated’ where we get the ’still looking for a win’ label.
    We all know we have talented players here that can win games and score plenty of goals when they are on fire, it just hasn’t clicked yet. On the plus side we do have, and have proved over past games, that our defense is tight. There are positives in the City season thus far, please do not let the media and so called ’analysts’ persuade you it is doom and gloom, it is not. If this is a blip to our season then consider where we are during this blip and you will see understand why there is so much negative attention put on Mancini. They are scared, because if we can be fourth and within touching distance of the top three during a period that has seen us go on a run of draws interrupted by the single win against West Brom then just imagine what could be when we become a well oiled machine!

CITY v SCUM (Nov 10 2010)

For a City fan you know that derby games against Manchester United have had their fair share of ups and downs for us over the seasons. Recently we have witnessed the superb performances of City only to be denied by late, late goals from United, as well as the ruining of the 50th anniversary of the air disaster by City when we beat them on their own ground 2-1. The first time we had actually done that since 1974 and, combined with the 1-0 win earlier in the season, it was the first double we had completed since 1970.
In 1975 you had the 4-0 win against them in the League Cup fourth round but even celebrations of that were marred by the fact that Colin Bell was carried off early in the first half. He was never to be the same again and ironically nor were City. In fact in 20 derby games from that day to the glorious day in 1989 City only won 3, all at home. United won half of the games played and scored 30 goals to our 19. That all led up to the game that is now known as the Maine Road massacre, when United were beaten 5-1 by us, their noisy neighbors. However that was not a signal of a change for us during the 1990’s in fact it was to continue in Uniteds favor with City struggling even to keep a manager for more than a season as theirs just got older and more purple! However then came the 2000’s and King Kevin Keegan, whose hatred of Ferguson and United went back to his time as Newcastle manager and that now famous rant on camera.
It is funny how patterns emerge in football because in that first season back in top flight football saw us on a three game losing streak before then picking up a win away to West Brom and then that final derby at Maine Road, the 3-1 win and Shaun Goaters 100th City goal (that seem familiar anyone). Follow that up the next season with an improvement of 4-1 in our new stadium and things looked good. In fact since we have been in our new stadium the derby results have been slightly better with us winning 5 of the 17 games, (our away form has been our downfall with actual stats at CoMS have us winning half the games).
But that is all in the past and we gear towards another 90 minutes (or if they are losing or drawing, another 96 minutes). This City team, with Tevez, Silva, Johnson and co certainly now have one of the better lineups we have seen for a while in a Manchester derby, while the old threats from United are just that, old. Giggs and Scholes were once the ones to fear, but no more. Sure they still have the ability to punish you but the fact is United in recent years have lost Ronaldo, they have lost Tevez and they have not replaced them with real quality. Sure Berbatov can pop up for the occasional goal but he scores for a few games and then he is done for a long time, and he has his quota for the season! Rooney is a real threat to us but should be injured and not be on the pitch. But the most dangerous person of all that wears the United colors is of course their manager, Alex Ferguson. He scares referees into allowing extra time to be played where there was none, he berates referees, linesmen (and yes I call them linesman!) and fourth officials to the extent that he decides if a foul is a foul. However even the Emperors powers are fading because he is losing his ability to use mind tricks on people. This week for example, he has come out complaining he doesn’t have fit players to pick from, that his whole squad is ill. That may have worked in the past but I suspect that a full strength eleven will be on the pitch at Eastlands and all that will do is allow you to explain away your inevitable loss to Obi Wan Mancini and us noisy rebel scum! Tick tock Mr F, tick tock!

Ressurection Of The 'Typical City'

When you talk about Manchester City you talk about ups and downs of a loyal fan base. The relegation to the old second division in 1998 followed a year on by one nail biting fight back at wembley. City fans will back then would tell you ’That’s typical City’. Just over a decade on and we are now a few weeks into our ninth successive season in the top flight of English football. The most consistent we have been since our promotion back in 1966 when we went 17 straight seasons before relegation.
Now that doesn’t mean we have been consistent in our results. Go to any seasons fixture list and you will be met with either a win or tough draw to a so called ’big four’ club followed by a defeat to a team destined for relegation. Either that or you will see we narrowly avoid relegation while also progressing to the latter stages of the domestic cup competition.
We have witnessed having a player sent off at half time in a cup competition while already 3-0 down only to win the game 4-3! That same season we also beat Manchester United 4-1 and followed that with a loss to a finally relegated Leeds Utd. We are probably the only team to have an ex Prime Minister as our chairman. Who was previously overthrown in a coup and is now currently in self imposed exile as he and his wife face jail if they return to their home country! But again if you asked the regular City fan they would again remind you that was just typical City!
But now that tag of typical city was meant to have been exorcised and with our new found millions, cups a plenty were promised to be flowing in. The backroom staff even invested in copious amounts of Mr Sheen for the occasion! However silverware has eluded us for another two years and elimination from the League cup after only the first game closes the door on that particular avenue for silverware. However we are currently topping our group in the Europa league. (For those of you who do not know what the Europa league is, just think of it as the special school for European teams. Whoever wins it will get nothing more than a pat on the head and a well done while eyes turn to the more handsome, smarter big brother of a competition, The Champions League). However the Europa league is still a competition and a win on Thursday will see us become more assured of our passage through to the knockout stages.
We do not go into the match with the best of preparations however. As most of you will know we suffered a defeat against Arsenal, although for 85 minutes we were playing a man down in the end the result does not tell the whole story as City fought all the way against what are a good passing side. No the real disappointment came on Saturday when the mighty, free spending City fell down 2-1 to newly promoted Wolverhampton Wanders. This despite going 1-0 up initially. The performance after the opening goal was a disgrace with Mercer and the recently departed Allison probably turning in their graves at the shower on the pitch. Infighting between Adebayor and Kompany didn’t help along with pictures in the tabloids a few days earlier of a couple of City players out drinking. All this along with the rumored altercation between Tevez and boss Mancini is not good for the progression of our team.
And although Gareth Barry today came out to say there is no rift within the team the evidence for the most part doesn’t back up that thought. It is clear however that Mancini needs to regain control of the team in every aspect. He has clearly stated a couple of times his concern for the ‘drinking culture’ so wouldn’t it be in line to now fine players heavily for disobeying the clubs directives? It is also ok to drop players or for players to lose their place for such a display. Gareth Barry was one of the players at the centre of the drinking allegations and he has not been up to a good level consistently for the club. We have a number of players warming the bench so replace him.
The bottom line is we can ill afford to change our manager again. It will take time and a few egos will have to be brought into check, Mr Santa Cruz please listen. We still have time to correct all the underlying problems at the club because despite the lows of the past two weeks, we have been through worse and in fact are still fourth in the table. We are still top of the Europa league and have yet to enter the FA Cup. We may have lost against Sunderland, Arsenal and Wolves in the league this season but the truth is only one of those did we come away ashamed of the performance. As I said earlier, we were down to ten men after five minutes against Arsenal and Sunderland scored from the spot late on after we dominated the first half. The fact is after 10 games last season we only had two points more than we do now.
Have no doubt though if Mancini doesn’t get control of the team and quick and this blip turns into an extended slide down the table then I am sure he will be replaced by Christmas and we will have to start all over again. The team has been expensivly assembled and it is now time for the players to show the world they are worth the money.