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Been an interesting couple of weeks. The Mancini honeymoon has been well and truly over, although you can lay that directly at the feet of a lack of player acquisition in January, the Red Tops and associated low lives were starting to agitate for Mancini's removal and then this... Chelsea 2-4 Manchester City and it wasn't that close.
To say that this opens up the league race would be something of an understatement. Ten games to go and the top three clubs have three points between them. Each club has five home and five away fixtures left with the mouth watering visit of Chelsea to Salford on April 3rd. What hasn't been generally commented upon is just how much easier Arsenal's run in is for the title.
The average league position of Manchester United's last 10 opponents is 9.5, for Chelsea it is 10.7 and for Arsenal an eye opening 12.2 with games against four of the current bottom five. How Saturday's shocking injury to Aaron Ramsey impacts the Gunners remains to be seen, but the league title is very much there for the taking.
Back at City and the victory over Chelsea should remove the heat from Mancini that the press were starting to stir up. Now of course the Daily Mail has about as much credibility as Gordon Brown at a Pro England rally but their muck racking was bound to have some impact. Whether Mancini remains the manager at the end of the season is debatable. Even if the goal of 4th place is attained Jose Mourinho seems pretty certain to be available.
Old Purple Nose shows no signs of leaving United and Liverpool's finances make Anfield an unlikely destination for the Special One. Which leaves City if the Inter manager wants to return to England. Would City's management team be so ruthless as to get rid of a manager that guided City into the Champions League? It remains to be seen and City still have to attain such a place in the final standings, something that still seems unlikely given the erratic form of late.
That being said City have the lowest number of league loses in the Premier League. It's a brutal run in for the club with Arsenal, United and Villa three of the last four games with the possibility of a re arranged Spurs fixture looming as well. About the only thing that seems certain is that the league and the final place for the Champions League will probably go down to the last game of the season.
Comments
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Posted by BlueExile on 02/27/2010
Good post.
One thing though, the rags reside in Trafford.
I am one of the only few who come from Salford and am proud of the fact.
Wallace Reply Aha...
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Posted by matt on 02/27/2010
Hi Wallace, was looking forward to return, your timing is impeccable!
In an unfortunate way, the Ramsey incident could be the catalyst for Arsenal to mount a real title challenge. Well done to them for going on to win the game.
My reading re: Mancini is that he would have to fail in order to lose his job. Mourinho is an incurable tease, and City would have to be doubly sure of landing him, and still have a fall back position before they even started on the process of removing Mancini. And I'm not convinced that Mancini would risk joining a club that wasn't favourites to win the championship, one that would (in that case) have done for at least one very qualified manager. Even if Mourinho leaves inter this summer, he is not above using us as a stalking horse.
From my perspective, even before today, I felt that another change this summer would be ridiculous, whilst the present incumbent was doing a demonstrably better job (in terms of points accrued) than his predecessor.
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Posted by BlueExile on 02/27/2010
Should have said one of the few blues from Salford.
Wallace Reply Knew what you meant
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Posted by BlueExile on 02/27/2010
I really think Jose will come.
It is a perfect scenario for him. Point to prove and a bottomless pit of money.
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Posted by chuma on 02/27/2010
the bandwagon fans are back! Wallace you should be ashamed of yourself!!
Wallace Reply Nah... combination of being in New York for the annual Toy Show and not having much to say. There's only so many times you can say "city lost (or drew) today because they got rid of Elano and didn't buy an attacking midfield playmaker in the January transfer window."
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Posted by punxybrewster on 02/28/2010
The only positive I was expecting to have was Tévez's return. Let's hope that after today Bellamy is able to find his early season form again and carry us into the Champions League. Also, how hard of a man is Zabaleta for getting up and carrying on after getting his skull cracked by Drogba?!
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Posted by MCFC Texas on 02/28/2010
4-2, delighted, I hope JT is proud of himself by upsetting England's WC 2010 build up and offering the rags a chance at regaining the Title with his inept performancies and childish " I'm me take it or leave it haircut ". Well done CITY. A Bridge too far for Chelski I'm afraid !!
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Posted by lex on 02/28/2010
Mancini has certainly tightened up the defense. I no longer feel a sense of dread when the ball goes into the box...
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Posted by Jim Kanichirayil-Chicago on 02/28/2010
This must be what it means to be a City fan. Win against teams that you should lose to, and sleep walk through maudlin performances against substandard competition. Obviously the win was a massive one, I am more intrigued about how galvanized the team appeared to be. Tevez and Bellers going at Terry was especially fun to see. I think Terry was a little surprised that Tevez went at him...
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Posted by micky-2-times on 03/01/2010
The verdict on Mancini is still out. Is he improving the team, not sure? If City don't finish 4th he will be on his way and Mourinho will come in. Its a bit tricky if City do finish in 4th. Also if liverpool don't finish 4th, Benitez, Gerard and Torres will leave. Mourinho would never go there, not his style. There was so little link up play in the Chelsea game, the goals comming from mistakes really. They don't call him Hilarious for nothing. What an enjoyable game though, a sweet win.
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Posted by blues indiana on 03/03/2010
projected points:
4.man city 72
5.tottenham 69
of course projected being the operative word, I think Mancini will stay given a fourth place finish. If sheik monsour and his people deal with Mourinho in the same blundering manner that they did business in January (Mariga), the special one may be scared off. But of course, if Jose has a point to prove in England, by god he's gonna do it. I mean, the man is hardheaded enough to smack a kid who insulted his daughter at school. In some ways I respect that aspect of Mourinho. I could see his stubborn must-win attitude boosting city's level of play as a unit and giving us that special something any squad needs to challenge for top honors in England and Europe. Mancini has been there and done that dance as well, but for some reason he seems so bewildered in England. I can see Mourinho coming over the summer and I can see it working beautifully, granted he doesn't take the ownership for a bunch of knuckleheads.
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Posted by PJS on 03/05/2010
Wallace - you are probably on the money about a lot of things being decided on the last day of the season, and not just 4th spot. We're talking title, Europa League spots and also who gets relegated. This has been the most exciting (actually wrong word....i mean most intriguing) Prem League season to date.
Its easy to do point projections and look at respective draws of rivals but its futile at this point. All we know is destiny is in our hands, personally i think Liverpool are still favs so it would be a miracle if Mancini does deliver that 4th spot.
You pointed out that we have a hard draw (not as bad as Spurs). But as a City fan, would we prefer to be playing more AWAY games vs teams in relegtion spots in the last 2mths of the season or HOME games vs teams higher up. We're the only undefeated team at home and beaten all top 4 teams bar Liverpool this season.
After Sunderland and Fulham, 6 of our 9 games will be at Eastlands and thankfully they are games we'll be "up for"
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Posted by Alex on 03/05/2010
Perhaps City could look at buying Elano back after the World Cup. He's had a poor season in Turkey and could really act as our Xavi Alonso (holding midfielder with a superb passing range) that we really seem to lack. He'd be available for less than 8 million pounds.
Adebayor and Tevez up front, with Elano De Jong/Barry Johnson and SWP/Bellamy and the back 4.
Thoughts, Wallace?
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About
Wallace Poulter is an award winning video game producer, designer, industry consultant and writer. He has been a football fanatic since the day he moved in next door to Brian Clough. "Cloughie" being the acknowledged genius that he was promptly moved out and went to manage Derby. A serviceable senior school left-back in his youth, Poulter played one season of Sunday league football as a striker proving conclusively that he was a serviceable senior school left-back! Today Poulter remains involved with football as a licensed referee and most recently as a consultant on a Football MMO.
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