Manchester City have just experienced their most successful season for 35 years - but how does Roberto Mancini follow it? Here, M.E.N. Sport's Mike Whalley assesses the season ahead for the boss of the Blues.
Expectations
Mancini knows the bar has risen this season.
“We need to forget about what we did last season, because last season has finished,” he said last week.
And the City manager is correct. A mere repeat of last term’s performance, which saw the Blues finish third in the Premier League and win the FA Cup, will seem a bit of a disappointment.
Mancini certainly would not be satisfied with that. He wants a sustained Premier League title challenge this season and a good run in Europe too.
The Blues have spent in the region of £400m over the last three years to turn themselves from mid-table also-rans into serious players. Now is the time to make the next step.
Potential problems
Balancing the demands of a Premier League title bid with a Champions League push sounds like a wonderful problem to have.
But Mancini is acutely aware of the danger that, in chasing two huge targets, he risks falling short in both.
For all the money spent, City’s manager still isn’t totally happy with the make-up of his squad.
He wants more pace and thrust in central midfield, hence his desire to sign Samir Nasri, and would not say no to a winger either.
Much has been made of City’s need to keep their spending in check in order to comply with UEFA’s financial fair play rules.
But the Blues manager is having to play another tricky numbers game as he finalises his squad.
His determination to ship out Craig Bellamy, Emmanuel Adebayor, Wayne Bridge, Nedum Onuoha and Roque Santa Cruz – added to the possibility of losing Carlos Tevez – could yet leave him light on players for a demanding campaign.
As it is, Mancini will probably be unable to name a full complement of 25 senior pros in his Champions League squad, due to UEFA’s insistence that at least four spots be set aside for club-trained players.
Micah Richards, Vladimir Weiss, the out-of-favour Onuoha and the likely-to-leave Shaun Wright-Phillips are the only over-21 players at City who meet the UEFA requirements on club-trained players, in that they all spent at least three years with the Blues between the ages of 15 and 21.
The lack of experienced Academy graduates need not in itself be a problem – Chelsea’s Champions League squad last season, for instance, had only 20 senior pros, while Arsenal’s party for their forthcoming two-legged play-off against Udinese has been bulked out with youth players.
But it will give the City boss less room for manoeuvre when it comes to squad rotation.
And Mancini has cited an ability to chop and change his side around as crucial in his bid to keep them fresh throughout the campaign.
Tactics
Mancini has promised to be more attacking this season, stating that City need around 10 to 15 extra league goals if they are to be serious title contenders.
His formation, though, is unlikely to be hugely different to the 4-2-3-1 line-up that took the Blues to third place in the Premier League.
Nigel de Jong’s influence as the main holding midfielder will once again be crucial in giving City a solid base, while Mancini will be hoping that Vincent Kompany’s late error in the Community Shield – which led to Nani’s winner – was nothing more than a bit of pre-season rustiness.
Sergio Aguero’s arrival is set to add an exciting dimension to the attack, although exactly where he plays is likely to be dictated by what happens to Tevez. Mancini has the option to use Aguero as his main man up-front or in a deeper role as a second striker.
Biggest challenge
The one-man funfair that is Mario Balotelli promises to keep Mancini on his toes again this season. But while keeping the brilliant-yet-exasperating Balotelli in check would stretch the patience of any manager, Mancini faces an even bigger test in the boardroom.
The Blues boss has not been averse to taking his dissatisfaction with chief executive Garry Cook and football administrator Brian Marwood into the open in recent months.
Mancini has made clear that he hasn’t always felt fully-supported in terms of his squad-building requests.
It is a risky strategy – one designed to give the Italian a greater power base at City, but one that depends entirely on success on the pitch.
As long as he keeps the trophies coming, Mancini will be able to get away with such acts of insubordination. In fact, he seems to be banking on it. It’s an attitude that may just take the Blues to the top.
What do you think? Have your say.
Manchester City special: Onwards and upwards
August 11, 2011
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City have the squad but just need the determination, belief and work ethic to continue their development.
Got to the bit 'potential problems'. And stopped reading .
More negative city articles from the MUEN
In all fairness I believe it was a relatively balanced article. And yes I'm a city fan, I just don't walk around with blue tinted glasses on.
Although the last part about percieved friction with the board and management are being played up a little here.
BBC reporting Nasri on verge of joining City for £23M. Hope it's true and then that just leaves us to buy a winger with real pace and we're set for the season. Tick Tock.
Job done it seems for Nasri.....him and fabregas were the catalyst for all good things at arsenal like iniesta and xavi at barca......so hopefully him and silva will prosper.
It means we can play keep ball but I'm sure we'll have some bozo in the stand shouting 'launch it' every 5 minutes.
Be nice to reach the last 8 of the chumps league and consolidate top 3 place. We will need some luck and mostly injury free to our best assets but I'm more than hopeful we will deliver.
If we are to belive what is set out here, there could be a reckoning coming. The board have so far as we know provided all the funds asked for apart from Etoo.
Whilst Sparky made some strange signings, some came good. If he had had that much support how different would things be?
TM has brought us some success, whilst Sparky might have been on course.
Joe Royle once said that the Manager's name is in chalk on the door at City.
Not all of RM's signings have paid off either.
If there is prblem with personnel - do what stores do with uneanted stock - discount them heavily and let others take them. A pity about Bellamy, he was great ofr us when it counted, so we should buy him out and let him go that way. Bridge & Santa Cruz could go for free - just like that. It would not surprise me if Adebayor had a role to play if Real Madrid do not want him.
I cannot see Balotelli making it in the premier league, there will be some who will taunt him and get him sent off.
Why are we looking for a right winger when we have Johnson & SWP? It is the creative area we need in midlfield, not wings. If Silva gets clogged we could be in trouble - presumably that is what is behind the Nasri attempt.
If Ned wants to stay and be a squad player so be it.
If we keep buying in talent, the academy will not believe it is worth staying and we could lose other talent. Sturrdige did reasonably well at Bolton last year, but we will see whether that was a loss this season.
RM needs to ecognise that there must be a limit to investment on the field. What the owners are doing locally is excellent and is good for Manchester. They have bought the old Clayton Aniline factory, when used to visit in the 50s and 60s the air was awful.
We need to appreciate the owners for what they are - investors in our future.
Mancini is right to face up to Marwood and Cooke....Adebayor/Bellamy/Bridge/RSC are all problems that they created....just like Robinho......and now Tevez....and he has every right to insist that they sort them out....
The problem with players that Mancini wants rid of stems from the policy of keep changing the manager. If City were to sack Mancini this season then we'd probably have a new manager wanting rid of 3 or 4 of Mancini's signings. This is why stability is so important. As it stands then the club has to back Mancini in what he wants as his squad for this season and then he has no excuses if he fails (which he won't). If we get Nasri (as appears likely now) plus a winger with real pace to supplement AJ then we should have a squad capable of competing on 3 fronts (Carling Cup will be sacrificed again). For those that won't leave then I'm afraid it's going to be a long lonely winter and maybe they'll have a rethink about taking a drop in wages to play for someone else come January.
25 Man Champs League Squad:
Goalkeepers - Hart, Taylor, Pantilimon
Defenders - Richards, Kompany, Lescott, Clichy, Zabaletta, Kolarov, Savic,
Midfield - Silva, Y Toure, A Johnson, Barry, Milner, De Jong + Nasri + Cerci
Forwards - Tevez, Balotelli, Dzeko, Aguero
Additional - Nimley, Cunningham, Weiss.
For the PL add K Toure once he's completed his suspension.
His determination to ship out Craig Bellamy, Emmanuel Adebayor, Wayne Bridge, Nedum Onuoha and Roque Santa Cruz – added to the possibility of losing Carlos Tevez – could yet leave him light on players for a demanding campaign
Apart from Carlos the other 5 players did nothing positive for City last season likewise with Vlad who was loaned out. Since then new players have bcome into the football club to compensate. We have to support the manager and his judgement and decision to retain or sell players he does not believe are good generally for City.
Football is a business these days and has to work within the constraints placed upon it, which I think Mancini fails to realise at times. He should, of course, have the final say when it comes to player acquisitions though. But Cook & Marwood should be left to identify the players that are suitable for the role the manager wants the player to fill (with the help of the scouting network we have in place). I think it's only in England that a manager coming in expects to locate and sign his own players, where as on the continent the manager comes in and works with what he has.
One of the reasons we now have this problem with surplus players is because the manager we doesn't like them (for whatever reason) and we can't move them on because of high wages, etc. No football club can continue to be run in this way because all they/we are doing is hemorrhaging money year on year. A coach should come in and work with what he has and maybe add a couple of players once he's moved a couple on.