ESPN Soccernet - Correspondents - Manchester City- Mourinho Looking Pretty

Posted by Wallace Poulter on 05/30/2011

Funny how things turn out. This next season is shaping up to be a very interesting one and the spectre of Jose Mourinho is going to hover over the Premier League for the entire season.

First, some observations. Mourinho has, I think, one more year at Madrid. He'll either win the Champions League, which would be my bet, or Barcelona continue to dominate. Either way I believe Mourinho leaves the Bernabeu and returns to the Premier League.

Meanwhile Fabio Capello will leave the England job after the 2012 European Championships. Harry Redknapp of Spurs is the current favourite for the position as long as his court case on revenue related charges doesn't cause the FA to get wet feet.

Also in London are, if not a sleeping giant, then a sleeping minnow with a boatload of money; Queens Park Rangers. Neil Warnock led QPR to the Premier League amongst persistent rumours that he would get the axe once the club made it back to the top flight. There remain all kinds of intrigue, it appears, with the QPR ownership, but when you have one of the top ten most wealthy individuals in the world, Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, as part owner then there is an opportunity to compete more than most Premier League clubs. QPR have rather sensibly built slowly and surely since they were taken over four years ago, however should they wish then this club can crash the top seven. Warnock probably gets a year, if that, to show he's the correct person for the job.

Which brings us to City and Roberto Mancini where we might just see a little of the Mark Hughes syndrome. Hughes it seems to me was, and is, a good manager but the suspicion has always been that he doesn't have the ability to take a club to the next level and be a great manager. I continue to believe that the dismissal of Hughes was the correct decision although the circumstances in which it occurred were quite disgraceful. Unlike Hughes, Mancini was perceived, correctly it turns out, to be a manager that could get the club to the next level of winning a trophy and qualifying for the Champions League. But here's the Hughes syndrome. Is Mancini good enough to take City to the level of winning a championship and the Champions League? Mourinho is, this we know for a fact after his work with Porto, Chelsea and Inter.

The City ownership were ruthless when they perceived that Hughes was not the correct manager. It is quite conceivable that the same fate could befall Mancini if circumstances dictate. And Mourinho being available is one of those circumstances.

And let's not forget United in all of this. Alex Ferguson has to retire at some point and the United manager will be 70 before the end of the year. The Scot has earned the right to leave on his own terms, but if we are brutally truthful there is a presence about their club that will demand a certain level of replacement. Given a choice I think Mourinho would prefer to be based in London, but the lure of United or City's riches may be enough.

Spurs, QPR, Manchester City and Manchester United all with money, all potentially in play when Mourinho makes the decision to return to the Premier League. Heck if Abramovich would swallow his pride you could throw Chelsea into that mix as well.

It's going to be an interesting year and there's 10 weeks before it starts.

Follow ESPNsoccernet's Football Correspondents on Twitter

Comments

Posted by The Archivist on 05/30/2011

Hello Wallace. Yes, there is a boatload of money behind QPR, but why is it that they may let Taraabt go to another club? Is it possible that they will try to stay up next season on a bare-bones budget and then maybe splash the cash before season 2?

Given that Mourhinho has won his power struggle with Valdano, why would leave Real at a time when Perez is reportedly going to attempt to re-structure the hierarchy to give him more power than any other manager in La Liga, if not more power than all the other managers combined?

I have to take issue with your description of City's management as "ruthless" re the sacking of Hughes. I think it was pretty obvious by the end of Hughes' first season, and certainly early in his second, that he was not going to be able to succeed at MCFC, and that ownership were a bit soft in staying too long with him.

If you think Mancini cannot take us any further, exactly why do you believe this? Just wondering...

Wallace Reply mancini seemed to wilt under the Champions League pressure when at Inter which is my only concern.

Posted by micky-2-times on 05/30/2011

Hi Wallace, yes the Premier League needs Mourhinho, just not at city. I admit I was a huge admirer of Mourhinho, but after the circus of the past few moths at Real, do city really the Chaos that comes with Mourhinho. Martin O'Neill is the man for the job. He can bring stability and create a team, a winning mentality to the club.
Mancini, fair play for doing the business this season, but can you really see city compete in the CL, Aris Salonika and Dynamo Kiev are hardly top quality.

Posted by Sam on 05/30/2011

Fair assessment as always Wallace. As an Inter supporter I was overjoyed with the way Mancini bought us back into the trophies after a long drought. He proved more than capable in the league but as you mentioned seemed to struggle in the pressure cooker of knock out CL football. Often his tactics were off and he was unable to make the vital changes needed to turn the game around as Mou could when the team were in a bind. He was also unable to give the team that 'super' winning mentality. The belief that no matter what the scoreline your team can still win. This to me is the most important thing Mou bought to Inter. That said Mancini, particularly this season looks to have grown and it is interesting that Inter began their cycle of winning, culminating in last seasons treble after Mancini led us to the Coppa Italia. Could he repeat this with City?

Wallace Reply Your observation is exactly why I think there may be reservations about Mancini within City when it comes to CL success.

Posted by bluevalentine on 05/30/2011

Wallace, you seem to be at the spearhead of the myopic Mancini doubters. Mancini and the board have given many fans the best season in living memory and I think we owe him the decency to be allowed to get on with Phase 2 of the game plan without stupid carping. What good does it do to tout Mourinho at this point?
If you analyse the season, he made only one major mistake - he, and the team, got it wrong for the Kiev away tie. Apart from that, we got from Mancini what it said on the tin.

Wallace Reply Oh dear, I hope that's not the perception. Let me be clear. Mancini did an absolute blinder of a job this season. I don't care how much money you have, you can't just buy instant success; a team must come together. I believe Mancini got City into the CL one year ahead of any reasonable schedule.

Posted by Jimmy Harris on 05/30/2011

Interesting as ever, Wallace. I'm interested to know more on what you think of QPR. Can they really attract the sort of names needed to challenge for top seven? And as for Taarabt, surely they would not sell him after he's been so on form for the club, especially in the most recent season?

And as for Mourinho, in the hypothetical situation that he did come to City, would that mean a total revamp of strategy taking us back to a similar position as when Mancini started? Ie changing the Inter Diamond and players bought to fill it to something more of Mourinho's liking?

Many thanks and look forward to the coming seasons' blogs.

Wallace Reply QPR have shown no indication that they are going to open the vault, but it is, for example, the most logical place for some of the better West Ham players to end up.

Mourinho would add maybe three or four players and be successful at City.

Posted by Ste on 05/30/2011

Interesting read Wallace. What I believe Mourinho could bring to City is that 'vs the world' mentality to try and bind together the whole squad and get the best out of the players
But, as a whole I am quite hopeful that Mancini can continue to take us forward.

Posted by Brenden on 05/30/2011

Wallace, Far too often in the Prem. clubs are throwing the baby out with the bathwater when it comes to managers, ie. Chelski/Ancelotti. When a manager begins at a team he never has the players he wants to implement his style of play, and must first find those players and then convince them and all the other player to buy into his system. I believe this is where we are at now, Mancini has some of the players he wants and most of the team seem to believe in what he's doing and are playing accordingly. As great a manager, motivator, magician that Mourinho may be if you put him at Wolves tomorrow they are still not a CL club. Look at the success of Old Purple Nose or even Wenger, they have been allowed to build teams and develop a style of play and winning tradition. Hopefully the brain-trust at City will allow Mancini to do the same.

Wallace Reply I'm in agreement with this. While some of the tactics of Mancini frustrate me he is I believe one year ahead of any reasonable schedule.

Posted by Jerry on 05/30/2011

Hate to change subjects, but you have mention a veteran striker to replace the inevitable departure of Carlos Tevez. Would Dimitar Berbatov be someone in mind as the replacement?

Wallace Reply Funnily enough no, although the player I want to occasionally partner Balotelli would work equally well with Berbatov.

Posted by bluevalentine on 05/30/2011

Fair comment Wallace, sorry for giving you a dig!
Micky TT - Martin O'Neill??? Hang on, remind me, what's his track record in Europe? A good manager for sure but you can hardly rank him with Mou or Mankers for that matter.
I hink the two 'Ms' go about it different ways. Both are good coaches. Jose is a motivator and a man manager, whereas Roberto doesn't seem to gve a stuff about man management - if people are high maintenance (Bellamy, Adebayor) he ships them out. His strength is in organisation. He turned a team with a massive 30-odd year old reputation for flaky defending into a fortress, then set about the midfield and up front.
I firmly believe if the Premiership was, say a 44 game leauge we would have won it, such was the solidity and ability to carve out results towards the end of the season.

Posted by Stan on 05/30/2011

I agree that City came together remarkably well - and much sooner than I anticipated - given the amount of change in the squad. Silverware or CL, City fans would have been thrilled with one or the other this season. Instead, they got both.

But to win the Prem and push for the Champions League crown, ManCity has to step up not just one level but two or three. That's Mancini's task now, and he'll be going up against the deep pockets of Chelsea and ManU and a revived Liverpool. That's just in the Prem.

Questions about whether Mancini can achieve CL success seem fair. It's his job to silence them. You can tell he recognizes it, which is why he's pushing for still more substantial spending this summer.

Posted by Andrew from Brentord on 05/30/2011

QPR will go straight back down because for all their wealth, they are in a complete meltdown behind the scenes.

Mourhino will be available at the end of this season and Mancini will need to take us a little higher than 3rd and probably win another trophy. But he will only have got his team the way he really wants it by then and one would hope that if he is successful in doing that, he will stay on. I would have thought Mourhino will be back in the PL but hopefully not at City. If and when Fergie goes, I am not sure that Mourhino will be the man to replace him and such is Ferguson's influence on United that I am not sure the next one or even two managers will be successful just as Frank O'Farrell and co struggled there when Sir Matt Busby retired. Mourhino will most likely turn up again at Chelsea where he has patched up his differences with Abramovich.

Posted by Martin Nazimek on 05/30/2011

Wallace,
Its been a great season for CITY. Did not even think 3 was possible. If city want to get rid of mancini, jose is the ONLY manager I want in. If they get rid of mancini, there is nobody out there I trust to do a better job then mancini thats even available to come in. Thats why I say jose is that ONLY person. I like that under mancini we learned to win those sloppy 1-0 matches on the road. Next season should be even brighter. My goal for next season is to challenge in champions league, but the kicker is to still remain in champions league position when its all said and done. i fear we will do a Spurs and be 1 and done in the champions league. If we compete in the league and in champions league then we are very close. CTID

Posted by Grayson on 05/30/2011

QPR getting Jose? That's not going to happen. Porto to Chelsea to Inter to Real Madrid, then to QPR?? Not happening.

Honestly, I don't think City have the allure to get Mourinho, and he hinted as much in an interview earlier this year. City can throw tons of cash at him, but I don't see him coming back to the Premier League for any teams other than the old big 4 (man utd chelsea ars liverpool).

But, you never know. He really wanted funds to buy more strikers this season at Madrid, and didn't get what he wanted. Maybe the open checkbook would be tempting.

But, Mancini should be backed for another year or two. If City finishes top 4 again, I think he should be safe, as long as he doesn't crash out of cups or have a bad end of season form and give away a top 2 spot.

Wallace Reply Actually I think that would be the allure of QPR to a guy like Mourinho. Having proved he can do it all in Portugal, England, Italy and Spain the only things left are to take someone who you wouldn't expect to win anything (apologies QPR Fans, I remember the Gerry Francis days - great teams) or a national team to the world cup.

The reason I think Mourinho doesn't go to United is it is an impossible job. Jose as Rafa was a mug for following Mourinho at Inter so would Jose following Old Purple Nose.

Posted by Mick on 05/30/2011

Wallace you refer to "City's riches" surely as FFPR compliance gets stricter the club's extravagant spending will be clipped and outgoings will have to brought more in line with income. City are lagging behind the traditional top 4 teams in terms of their income from shirt sales etc. City already pay OTT on transfer fees and wages it will be a harder job for Mourinho to spend as he would like at City. It is all very well having rich backers but will the club be allowed to spend it?

Posted by Drew on 06/01/2011

Off topic question:

As I read some of the transfer rumors, I have noticed that while other teams are going after young players who are on the verge of stardom such as Hazard, and Neymar(both I would really enjoy seeing play for City) we are linked more with established players. I realize that we are in a position where we must continue to add players who can help us now as we continue our quest to be amongst the world's best teams, but how far away do you think we are from being established to the point where we invest in some of these talented 17 and 18 year olds who we wait on to achieve their full potential?

Wallace Reply One more season. The team needs to add experience to the squad for next year and then can start to add in the final component which will be the youth players.

Posted by Bala Jibrin on 06/22/2011

Pls jose mourinho should remen at madrid for now till 2013 befor he will think of coming back to England.

Post your comment

Name:

Email Address:

Comments:

characters left