Part I can be read here
Part II
Manchester City
The Citizens have hit the blues. Excuse the pun. But there is a strange lack of excitement at Eastlands in the aftermath of Mark Hughes's sacking.
Isn't the prospect of a coach that has won 3 Serie A titles on the trot and innumerable cups in a managerial career that has spanned all of just 10 years, including an 18 month hiatus, mouth-watering enough for an arrogant lot that is stealing players left, right and the middle of the park by offering them golden eggs?
Roberto Mancini's reputation precedes him. There is no doubting his managerial capabilities. The only question is can he manage in England? Here's an excerpt from "Can a Foreign Manager survive the BPL for dummies" guide book
a. He must know the language.
Roberto Mancini has had a stint as a Fox (a career as one in the box). He has been in England for weeks learning the language. He will get there in about a month's time.
b. Can he handle the pressure of the job? The constant scrutiny by the press? The insatiable demands of a lunatic owner?
He was in Italy, where the shelf life of a manager is shorter than tzatziki and the media are as ready to pounce on your inexcusable tactical switches as they are on your regrettable bow tie. And to cap it off, he worked for Massimo Morati who didn't like it that his team had romped to the Scudetto 3 years running. What a shame!
c. Can he handle overinflated egos in the dressing room?
He has worked with Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Nuff said.
So, if all fingers point in the right direction, why are the Citizens not fully convinced about this appointment?
For one, they are as clueless as the owners as to where City should be come the end of the season. I think if they hang on to where they are in the league (mathematically, they could be sole claimants of the 6th place) and even go out at the semi-final stage of the Carling Cup and R3 of the FA Cup, this season would be a blooming success. Hughes was getting it flaming right! Only 2 losses this year and in the hunt for all competitions still. Theoretically, they are just 9 points adrift of league leaders Chelsea. And to top that, Manchester City was providing all the entertainment on the pitch. Their matches are great to watch. Goals and drama galore.
So who is to say that Mancini won't suffer the same fate as Hughes by the end of January? City could be
- converting those draws to losses,
- out of the Carling Cup at the hands of their town rivals
- in the bottom half of the table
the possibilities are there? Suddenly, feeling the love of the oil is something that is scaring the people in the blue half of Manchester.
For the rest of the league, they couldn't be happier. Especially Tottenham and Villa. Sure Redknapp was feeling for Sparky and all, but underneath that cover he'd be rubbing his hands in glee.
People in the league do not like Manchester City's new found wealth. There is the jealousy. There are far more prestigious teams in the league that the Arabs could have bought back then (Newcastle, Liverpool, Arsenal are just some examples) but they pinned the donkey's tail on Manchester City and so the romance began. The dart could have fallen on any team any the whole league knows it.
But the jealousy did not make most of us hate City. It's the arrogance that followed their purchases. They went and unsettled players, some that were loved by their clubs fans, some that needed a brochure to be sold. And Sparky didn't do naught to douse this feeling.
He pranced around Wenger's technical area like a show horse, allowed the Sky Blues to construct a cheeky poster of Carlos Tevez, and showed Sir Alex, the man who made Sparky a legend, no respect in trying to buy Ronaldo and eventually buying Tevez.
As a Red Devil in flesh and blood, I am happy Hughes got dumped the way he did. You do not go from being an Old Trafford legend to trying to unsettle the club that made you who you are. Sir Alex has many former players and members of his backroom staff working in the premier league and outside it, managing some top clubs. And all of them show the gaffer the respect he deserves. Except Mark Hughes. Hope this teaches you a lesson in humility Sparky. United till you die.
The Sky Blue faithfuls are starting to see through the cracks that appear when a man with a hen that lays the golden 'ostrich sized' eggs by the hour, takes over the helm. And that's keeping them as disappointing and nervy as their cross town rivals are on their squad's title ambitions.
This is only going to get better for one side of Manchester come January.
Until then, bring in the beers.
Showing posts with label Manchester Derby. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Manchester Derby. Show all posts
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
The Best Derby Ever
Or so it was called by Sir Alex Ferguson. Strange since he had said otherwise not more than a week back. He felt United's matches against Liverpool were the "real derby" while against City it was just another match.
But we have to take his word for it. This has by far been the greatest Manchester Derby ever. The game was flooded with headlines - Tevez's return to OT, Owen celebrating as one with Stretford End, the time added on, Foster's mistakes, Given's miraculous saves, Rooney's scoring streak... it just didn't end.
Of the many talking points, here are few that really leaves one pondering.
1. City are serious title contenders.
City did on Sunday what Champions have done always. Manchester United made 3 defensive errors in all of the 100 minutes played on the weekend. City scored 3 goals. And I bet you this, Craig Bellamy will not top of the pecking order when all strikers are fit. There is quality all over the park. There is depth on the bench. They almost pulled off a result without coming within a country mile of what their capable of. And there are a hungry bunch of lads (except Tevez, Bridge, Robinho and Sylvinho) who have not won any trophy of note with any team.
The pace at which this team hits you on the counter attack is awe inspiring and the Top 4 are under serious threat by the riches being brought in by the Arabs. Now what is left to see is their ability to bounce back from a bad result. That is what Chelsea and United have done exceedingly well for the last 5 seasons, and it is here where Liverpool faltered and lost the championship to United in 2008-09.
2. Sir Alex remains one of the shrewdest managers of all time.
There are two reasons to back this argument. One, there is no stadium in the world where the match would have ended in the 97th minute after 4 minutes of allotted time. The referee's reasoning was that City took 1 and 1/2 minutes to celebrate their goal and then a further 30 seconds for a substitution. But there was no doubt that it was Fergie whispered these sweet nothings into the referee's ears so that extra time was given. Arsene Wenger calls this Old Traffordish.
Two, Sir Alex was right to have not insisted on Tevez staying. There is no doubt, if Sir Alex wanted Tevez to stay, things would have worked out a while back and there would have been no drama of the summer transfer season with Tevez going to the dark side of Manchester. Berbatov showed Tevez "how to trap a ball and keep it while your teammates get there". Tevez just couldn't do that. He was at his harassing best and produced a goal from it (City's first equaliser), but could not hold on when surrounded by the United defenders while Berbatov took kicks, shoves and a lot but kept hold of the ball even though he was surrounded by 3 defenders at a time. Also, Tevez can't dream of finishing the way Owen can. Both of them were presented with similar chances on either end. Tevez managed to find the post, Owen the back of the net. Michael Owen, welcome to Manchester.
3. Giggs can still play... for a few years.
Years fell like dead skin as Ryan Giggs showed what a masterclass he still is. He provided 3 assists and if Berbatov's finishing was slightly better, he would have provided at least 2 more. Even United's first goal was largely thanks to him picking up Evra's cunning run. Sir Alex will want to clone this man just to have a younger version who can do the same work for many years to come. There are many players that people call living legends, but Ryan Giggs is truly above everyone. His reading of the game and ability to execute is unparalleled and in Sir Alex has the perfect manager, who will save him for the big games so he can be at his very best when it matters the most.
Having taken all this in, I am very happy about the fact that my United is coming back to its haunting best. They played some appalling and boring football last year (although they won a lot, so who's complaining?). Sunday was an example of how they played in the year they won the Champions League. Hopefully this is just a sign of things to come.
Until then, bring in the beers.
But we have to take his word for it. This has by far been the greatest Manchester Derby ever. The game was flooded with headlines - Tevez's return to OT, Owen celebrating as one with Stretford End, the time added on, Foster's mistakes, Given's miraculous saves, Rooney's scoring streak... it just didn't end.
Of the many talking points, here are few that really leaves one pondering.
1. City are serious title contenders.
City did on Sunday what Champions have done always. Manchester United made 3 defensive errors in all of the 100 minutes played on the weekend. City scored 3 goals. And I bet you this, Craig Bellamy will not top of the pecking order when all strikers are fit. There is quality all over the park. There is depth on the bench. They almost pulled off a result without coming within a country mile of what their capable of. And there are a hungry bunch of lads (except Tevez, Bridge, Robinho and Sylvinho) who have not won any trophy of note with any team.
The pace at which this team hits you on the counter attack is awe inspiring and the Top 4 are under serious threat by the riches being brought in by the Arabs. Now what is left to see is their ability to bounce back from a bad result. That is what Chelsea and United have done exceedingly well for the last 5 seasons, and it is here where Liverpool faltered and lost the championship to United in 2008-09.
2. Sir Alex remains one of the shrewdest managers of all time.
There are two reasons to back this argument. One, there is no stadium in the world where the match would have ended in the 97th minute after 4 minutes of allotted time. The referee's reasoning was that City took 1 and 1/2 minutes to celebrate their goal and then a further 30 seconds for a substitution. But there was no doubt that it was Fergie whispered these sweet nothings into the referee's ears so that extra time was given. Arsene Wenger calls this Old Traffordish.
Two, Sir Alex was right to have not insisted on Tevez staying. There is no doubt, if Sir Alex wanted Tevez to stay, things would have worked out a while back and there would have been no drama of the summer transfer season with Tevez going to the dark side of Manchester. Berbatov showed Tevez "how to trap a ball and keep it while your teammates get there". Tevez just couldn't do that. He was at his harassing best and produced a goal from it (City's first equaliser), but could not hold on when surrounded by the United defenders while Berbatov took kicks, shoves and a lot but kept hold of the ball even though he was surrounded by 3 defenders at a time. Also, Tevez can't dream of finishing the way Owen can. Both of them were presented with similar chances on either end. Tevez managed to find the post, Owen the back of the net. Michael Owen, welcome to Manchester.
3. Giggs can still play... for a few years.
Years fell like dead skin as Ryan Giggs showed what a masterclass he still is. He provided 3 assists and if Berbatov's finishing was slightly better, he would have provided at least 2 more. Even United's first goal was largely thanks to him picking up Evra's cunning run. Sir Alex will want to clone this man just to have a younger version who can do the same work for many years to come. There are many players that people call living legends, but Ryan Giggs is truly above everyone. His reading of the game and ability to execute is unparalleled and in Sir Alex has the perfect manager, who will save him for the big games so he can be at his very best when it matters the most.
Having taken all this in, I am very happy about the fact that my United is coming back to its haunting best. They played some appalling and boring football last year (although they won a lot, so who's complaining?). Sunday was an example of how they played in the year they won the Champions League. Hopefully this is just a sign of things to come.
Until then, bring in the beers.
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