City need to 'pep' up for Mancini
By Dave Walker
Manchester City are no different from the
overwhelming majority of teams in the world in that they would love to play
like Barcelona and emulate the success of the Spanish giants.
Unlike most teams though, City have
appointed the top executive team of Ferran Soriano and Txiki Bergiristain. The
duo that, along with President Joan Laporta, led Barca to their glorious recent
history.
The Catalan connection is destined to take
City to the ‘next level’ in their meteoric rise under the ownership of Sheikh
Mansour. The big question is whether ex-Barca boss Pep Guardiola – presently on
a self imposed sabbatical in New York – is destined to join to make it a
Manchester-Barcelona 1-2-3?
Guardiola was the architect of Barcelona’s two most recent Champions League triumphs, achieved against a backdrop of dazzling displays of mesmerizingly beautiful football.
Contrast this with the somewhat underwhelming Champions League CV of City boss Roberto Mancini. The Italian who has transformed City’s on-field fortunes with the help of the Abu Dhabi off-field fortunes, has never been beyond the last eight of the prestigious competition as a manager.
The match up with Ajax at the Etihad Stadium could set the seal on a desperately disappointing CL campaign and see City fail to progress beyond the group stage for a second consecutive season.
For those who continually seek to undermine
the City ‘Project’ it offers the opportunity to malign a Manchester City
manager revered by the overwhelming majority of the fans.
City’s lamentable revolving door policy of
dispensing with under achieving managers looked to have stopped after Mancini’s
FA Cup success was followed with the Premier League title in May.
It’s preposterous to think Mancini may be
at risk as his team sit just two points off the top of the domestic table and
remain unbeaten in 16 games.
Conversely, it does seem credible to
contemplate Guardiola replacing the popular Mancini when viewing Group D of the Champions League. City sit rock bottom on a solitary point after two defeats in Madrid and
Amsterdam and a fortunate home draw with Dortmund.
If ever there was a ‘must win’ game, this is
it for City. If – and if is such a big word – they can start with three points,
then who’s to say they can’t achieve mission improbable and grab wins at home
to Real Madrid and away to Borussia Dortmund?
It’s a big ask, but who’d have bet on two
goals in added time on May 13? City have the players for the big occasion. They
have a winning mentality but alas, thus far, they haven’t enjoyed collective
success in Europe.
The absence of playmaker extraordinaire
David Silva is a massive and continuing blow. The loss of Micah Richards, Maicon,
Jack Rodwell, James Milner and Joleon Lescott certainly doesn’t help.
But cometh the hour cometh the men and the
likes of Samir Nasri, Yaya Toure, Sergio Aguero, Mario Balotelli and Vincent
Kompany have to step up and see off the Dutch threat. Here is a chance for City
to move one step closer to redemption. They undoubtedly have the personnel to
get the job done.
City’s capitulation in the Amsterdam ArenA
is still a source of puzzlement and exasperation. 1-0 up and looking
comfortable they just turned off and allowed Ajax to look the part. The Amsterdam outfit are well off the pace in the
Eredivisie - they’re nothing special - and
it’s about time City hit top form.
A returning Zabaleta and a probable
starting berth for Javi Garcia enable Mancini to freshen things up and finally
show Europe the strength of the English champions.
Barcelona have long been regarded as the
benchmark for European success. If City can possibly emulate half of their
achievements it’d be a sky blue heaven and even sweeter still if Roberto
Mancini remains at the helm.
Player watch
Gareth Barry vs Christian Eriksen
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| Photo 1: Michael Regan/Getty Images Europe Photo 2: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images Europe |
Eriksen was the architect of Ajax’s win a
fortnight ago because City failed abysmally to shut him down and quell the
creative source for the Dutch champions.
Mancini will be going all out for the win
but rather than throw caution to the wind he can deploy the vastly underrated
Barry to deprive Eriksen of time and space.
Determined and combative, Barry can nullify
the threat and leave it to City’s match winners to get the job done.
(c) The Sky Blue View 2012
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