Liverpool legend Alan Hansen has criticised Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini for wasting money on players over the summer, and he's laid the blame for City's lacklustre performance in the Champions League straight at the feet of the fiery Italian.
In his column for The Telegraph today, Hansen accused Mancini of sending out 'negative vibes' to his players, and argued that his players look 'bereft of confidence', and lack the 'necessary expertise to pose a threat to the elite sides'
Hansen also savaged Mancini's tactical decisions and dealings in the transfer market. He scathed:
"Last summer already has the look of a missed opportunity, and that failure in the transfer market has been exposed much more in Europe.
"None of [Mancini's] summer signings has had any impact, and to have wasted money on players who don’t make the first choice line-up is inexplicable.
"The system is changing from one week to the next to the point where the players look confused, and for a side still unbeaten in the Premier League, it is frightening how short of quality City have looked".
City appear to be fair game for ex-Liverpool players, and this is not the first time Hansen has attacked Mancini. A few weeks ago, the BBC pundit slammed the City Boss's ill-advised defensive tinkering:
"I’m staggered a manager who won the title by playing with a consistent, flat back four has now opted to go for three at the back, with one of those – Pablo Zabaleta – not even a recognised centre half. City ought to have targeted escaping from the traps swiftly to push ahead of Manchester United".
Mark Lawrenson also got in on the act after City's last minute loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League. Speaking to the BBC, Lawro slammed Mancini's defensive decisions, and argued that the Italian did not do enough to fix some very obvious problems. He observed:
"I cannot believe that Mancini did not identify that both Marcelo and Cristiano Ronaldo were running riot against Maicon, who looked seriously short at right-back.
"I also don't understand why he gave a debut to Matija Nastasic instead of picking Joleon Lescott. Nastasic looks decent but it still felt odd. Tactically Mancini got that completely wrong and did not do enough to address it".
There may be merit to Hansen and Lawrenson's points, but the bottom line is:
* City are the only unbeaten team in the Premier League.
* For all their much-vaunted defensive issues, they have the second best defensive record in the division.
* They're only 2 points off the top of the table.
Liverpool fans would kill for this kind of 'frightening' lack of quality after a 'failure' in the transfer market...
Jaimie Kanwar
In his column for The Telegraph today, Hansen accused Mancini of sending out 'negative vibes' to his players, and argued that his players look 'bereft of confidence', and lack the 'necessary expertise to pose a threat to the elite sides'
Hansen also savaged Mancini's tactical decisions and dealings in the transfer market. He scathed:
"Last summer already has the look of a missed opportunity, and that failure in the transfer market has been exposed much more in Europe.
"None of [Mancini's] summer signings has had any impact, and to have wasted money on players who don’t make the first choice line-up is inexplicable.
"The system is changing from one week to the next to the point where the players look confused, and for a side still unbeaten in the Premier League, it is frightening how short of quality City have looked".
City appear to be fair game for ex-Liverpool players, and this is not the first time Hansen has attacked Mancini. A few weeks ago, the BBC pundit slammed the City Boss's ill-advised defensive tinkering:
"I’m staggered a manager who won the title by playing with a consistent, flat back four has now opted to go for three at the back, with one of those – Pablo Zabaleta – not even a recognised centre half. City ought to have targeted escaping from the traps swiftly to push ahead of Manchester United".
Mark Lawrenson also got in on the act after City's last minute loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League. Speaking to the BBC, Lawro slammed Mancini's defensive decisions, and argued that the Italian did not do enough to fix some very obvious problems. He observed:
"I cannot believe that Mancini did not identify that both Marcelo and Cristiano Ronaldo were running riot against Maicon, who looked seriously short at right-back.
"I also don't understand why he gave a debut to Matija Nastasic instead of picking Joleon Lescott. Nastasic looks decent but it still felt odd. Tactically Mancini got that completely wrong and did not do enough to address it".
There may be merit to Hansen and Lawrenson's points, but the bottom line is:
* City are the only unbeaten team in the Premier League.
* For all their much-vaunted defensive issues, they have the second best defensive record in the division.
* They're only 2 points off the top of the table.
Liverpool fans would kill for this kind of 'frightening' lack of quality after a 'failure' in the transfer market...
Jaimie Kanwar
I think big mistake Mancini is making is preferring Balotelli over Dzeko and he is repeatedly making this mistake again and again.
ReplyDeleteTrue that
ReplyDeleteHansen's an idiot.
ReplyDelete+1
ReplyDeleteeh I think signing Balotelli was his biggest mistake and then he just compounds it more by playing him...
ReplyDeleteBalotelli is going to get Mancini the sack eventually, i personally think letting De Jong go was a huge mistake. Ok he wanted first team football but when him and Toure were in the middle teams found it hard to break them, this season they are leaking goals and making mistakes far too often.
ReplyDeleteI think his biggest regret would have been not signing De Rossi Mancini has been desperate to get him since he took the City job and if he had got is man things would have been a lot different.
Anyway less about City more about LFC P.S. Mark Lawrenson is a plonker
The word on the streets is that Falcao arrives in January from Atletico Madrid with Balottelli going the other way. Plus, Guardiola and Neymar next summer.
ReplyDeleteI agree with much of the article but, a big but, City are unbeaten and still in second gear with the season only just started.
To be fair, City have different standards to us these days.
ReplyDeleteI think Nastasic has done fairly well in such a short, as a young new player. Watched a bit of him back in Serie A and he has played in 3-man defence systems before, so quite reasonable for Mancini to opt for him over Lescott. Didn't look like he was totally at sea at the Berneubeu. Better prospect than Savic, from limited viewing.
They may have not improved the team much with their summer spending but it wasn't as if it was a weak side that needed a lot improving to it anyway (although beyond the first XI they needed options I guess). That is a quality first XI they have. I think the main problem, imo, is the constant switching between tactics, especially in CL where most of the critics have based their claims on. For that, Mancini deserves some criticism. Some managers like Mourinho do a better job of getting their players to switch systems effectively, whereas Mancini, to date, finds it hard. I didn't rate his Inter in CL at all, tactically they never looked a force under him in that competition. In relation to CL, Mancini hasn't been impressed at all at Inter and now City. For that, he deserves criticism. Yes, its a tough group but that doesn't excuse wishy-washy performances from a side that has that level of quality. In relation to PL, there isn't much to criticise but in relation to CL, Mancini has to do much better.
On another City-related issue, don't know why on earth Mancini keeps on bothering with Balotelli. Watched them against the Hammers, apart from a moment here and there, he disappears so much from games. Don't know why Aguero was benched for Balo, unless it was a fitness issue. Hansen likes to target him and to a certain extent, Balo (and Mancini in relation to his faith in him) certainly warrants criticism. Don't know how on earth he made the Ballon D'Or list, considering he was a mere squad player last season. The most surprising name on that list.
This the same Guardiola who has said he wants to manage chelsea? and the same Falcao who is apparently set for chelsea also? i think you have your blues mixed up mate
ReplyDeleteI think Rooney is the most surprising name on that list myself, how he gets on that list is a complete mystery to me
ReplyDeleteI agree that his inclusion is surprising, as aside from scoring 27 league goals in one of the top leagues, he and his team didn't do much, in terms of silverware as well as getting knocked out of CL early. Pique was very poor last season, Masch was better at CB than him last season. But Balo, for me, is the most surprising. One decent game at Euros and being a squad player at a league winning side, he barely did anything individually.
ReplyDeleteI would have put in Kompany instead of Pique. Cech's performances in CL were outstanding. At least one of the Dortmund boys deserved a mention, whether it be one of the centre backs, Gundogan or Goetze. Vidal was brilliant in his first season at Juve, what a signing. Juve's central midfield, in terms of form, one of the best around last season.
I hope Falcao gets a top 3 spot. What a finisher he is. If any player has been worth watching Europa League for in the last few seasons, it is this man.
Why all the cryptic headlines? Doesn't head in.
ReplyDeleteFalcao is pure quality, and i agree southampton are slightly out of their depth
ReplyDeletewww.sexyschoolgirls.com
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone here really think that Mancini fears getting sacked?
ReplyDeleteInstant millionaire multiple times over?
He takes the blame every time they lose, stating that he didn't prepare the team properly. He's begging for the sack in my opinion.
Take a nice sabbatical, then take a job somewhere the weather is nice, where the food and culture are palatable and where the media isn't as easily manipulated.
City have achieved nothing based on teamwork. It usually only takes one of their myriad of overpaid superstars to turn it on for a few minutes to beat most teams in a mediocre Premier League.
They essentially have about 4 or 5 Suarez's.
Imagine if we had frontline of Tevez, Torres, Suarez? Tactics wouldn't matter a hoot
Missing out on Agger was a big mistake for City. As a Liverpool fan, I am glad about it but City could have taken that opportunity.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason, all English clubs are not prepared to recognise quality foreign players in Premier league. They are ready to spend millions for the players in other leagues who may or may not perform here.
Liverpool did similar mistake too. We could have done with Demba Ba but we bought Borini.
Torres?...
ReplyDeleteAnd nobody in the league has a Suarez except us, he is on a different planet to 99% of the players in the premier league, and thats doing everything on his own, could you imagine him with real quality around him???
in fact scratch that Suarez is on a different planet to everyone in the premier league, he just needs help and so far we have let him down, hopefully that will be corrected in january
ReplyDeleteBalotelli has the raw materials to be one of the best in the world and Mancini wants to harness that power. I don't think it will happen due to his attitude which I can't see changing enough.
ReplyDeleteHansen and Lawro are merely stating one of life's golden rules - if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Mancini has enough quality at his disposal that he can afford to tinker. Either he's been lucky or he knows he can afford to tinker. I go with the latter.
Bab management or knowing your own onions? If Mancini want's to change his team style, who is Hansen to argue, sat in his comfy chair? Hansen was my idol btw.