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This has been a rather tough week for the high and mighty. The Ivy League teams bit the dust, and so did the masters who held the helm. While Di Matteo bid a heartfelt goodbye to Chelsea for which he holds “deep and unreserved passion”, City’s fall from grace might have Mancini’s cushy chair up on an auction table.
Mancini, however, feels that his position remains unthreatened due to the fact that Manchester City has been in the running for trophies that matter, only for the past two seasons. Expecting a win prior to that is crazy, says the manager of one of the biggest spending clubs. Man City’s departure from the UEFA Champions League two years in a row has been nothing short of disappointing; in fact, Jose Mourinho expressed his surprise at the fact that despite the quality of players that City boasts of, they haven’t managed to do anything spectacular in the Championship.
Mancini’s expensive purchases have gotten him the top spot on the domestic table but they don’t seem to hold ground against the European strongholds. Mancini attributes the lack of superior performance to the “strange and difficult” nature of Champions League; he also admits that despite a pricey line up, City still have over six European teams that are far more superior in terms of skill. What is rather appalling is that City have gotten progressively worse- their last Champions League campaign looked more whole-hearted than the lack luster game against Madrid when they succumbed after leading the board with a score of 2-1.
While Chelsea’s Roman Abramovich seems to believe that handing out pink slips to managers and inviting change helps the performance of his team, City still seems unfazed by the early exit. Di Matteo realized that winning trophies at Chelsea didn’t guarantee longevity at the club but Mancini seems to have his poker face practiced and perfected.
However supportive the club owners maybe of a manager who brought home a title after a tedious wait of forty four years, Manchester City and Mancini need a plan and fast. With the current state of affairs and the measly three points that the club has garnered from five games, the Europa League seems like a dreamy aspiration; Borussia Dortmund aren’t an easy lot to subdue.
Mancini and his team need to recall the fervor with which they played the second half against Madrid; the sense of urgency, spirit and most importantly as a cohesive entity. City also plays the part of a drifter, they seem to concede far before the final whistle blows, while that maybe passable in Premier League games; European teams aren’t so forgiving. What Manchester City need is to stop the concession of goals that would otherwise never find the back of the net; Maicon’s lethargy proves to be fatal for the team. While Sinclair, Garcia and Rodwell seem like underperforming buys, David Silva seems to be the only ace performer on the squad. Maybe it’s time for Mancini to scout for more able players or regret his decision to not pursue Rossi and Martinez.
Too much might be expected from City due to the depth of their pockets but when the return on the dough doesn’t sparkle, the cushiest chairs falter.
