Another Drab Performance

Mancini, Mancini, Mancini.. Your "proven" way of defensive soccer does not work. Getting players behind the ball all the time. Having no service for David Silva and Edin Dzeko. Playing Yaya Toure out of position among other things.

I watched the Chelsea and Manchester City game, I understand that the game is being played in Stamford Bridge and you want to start defending the game first. However with the money that is being spent at Eastlands, the fans and owners want an attacking brand of football. There is no reason why this should not be happening.

I could count about three players who had adequate games in the circumstance. Unfortunately there are all defensive players (De Jong, Kompany, and Lescott). Dzeko didn't have the proper service and David Silva didn't have the correct movement of his players around him. It is frustrating to those that are in the side that they can't do more.

Bringing on attacking players once you have to chase the game isn't the correct option. Waiting until 10 minutes left in the match to bring on attacking options rarely gives you results. Meanwhile, Chelsea becomes proactive and brings on attacking players while they are still in the 0-0 stalemate. Drogba supplies the free kick for David Luiz to score on. Ancelotti out-coached Mancini on that front.

Carlos Tevez could have been a big difference to this game. Dzeko doesn't seem to me to be able to put the team on his back and carry them through a game. He needs proper service to score goals. Tevez makes most things out of absolutely nothing. I can't blame Mancini for that because Tevez couldn't play due to an injury.

I understand punishing Balotelli for getting a needless red card in their Europa League tie on Thursday. He can still turn the game on its head given the starting opportunities. Granted, they run the rest of him becoming hot-headed and getting another red-card but I think these are some of the chances that needed to be made to become a top four side.

I don't know if a top-four finish will be able to save Roberto Mancini. They peaked too early this season and I do not think that he has the respect of the players on the team. Players aren't going to believe in their manager if their manager doesn't believe in the ability of the team to win.

Then again, what manager out there will be able to maximize City's potential???

James Milner Doesn't Fit In

(Digging for Gold, Aye? Don't worry Man City will give you enough cash)

The England international is a talented player and I can't blame anyone for wanting to buy this player however I looked at Manchester City's lineup on Saturday and thought about any other places that he could be place and I just do not see him getting many games. The midfield and forward line is all but crowded. The only way you could play him is if you play a 4-5-1 and Milner in a wide-role or an attacking midfield role. Who are you going to take out?

Okay if you decide to play him centrally. Then you'll have to take out either Yaya Toure or Nigel De Jong because they do the exact same thing. Or if you wanted to keep both of the field, you'd have to slot Gareth Barry in the left back role. He could do that in emergency circumstances but I doubt that he would love to make that a permanent role.

Milner could be a creative force that is needed in that central midfield spot. When you have hard workers as Toure and De Jong, you'll need that player who can express their creativity. I think on that part Milner could potentially be better than Barry. But you can't have all four in the midfield. I mean you could but if you played that midfield in a 4-4-2 formation I highly doubt that it would work. There needs to be some creativity down the middle.

Plus, if you would play a 4-4-2 then you would leave one of the following out of the lineup. David Silva, Adam Johnson, Shawn Wright-Phillips, Mario Balotelli, or Emanuel Adebayor, and I forgot Robinho. As a manager, you cannot leave that kind of talent on the bench especially when it comes to flair and creativity. Two or three of these guys (with Tevez) could lead Manchester City to the Premier League title. I don't think Milner could do that for you. He is a decent player but I don't think he'll make a splash. He just be one of the squad players in my opinion and within a year, he'll be asking to go to Manchester United or Arsenal (where he could actually be used).

And like I said in the post before in order to have success, you have to be able to maintain the egos in your club. You have to coddle to some of their needs. I don't know about Milner's but some of the players above (Balotelli, Ade, and Robinho) will need that coddling and that'll cost Milner some game-time. Love it or hate it, it's still how this game works.

You cannot play him out-wide in a 4-5-1 or a 4-3-3 for those players above. The only player he might be better than is SWP if anyone on that list but I wouldn't trade a David Silva, Adam Johnson, or Mario Balotelli for him. I think I would take my chances on them. So where does that leave him? Pretty much out to dry. Of course he'll get his chances to show his worth and I don't mind if he proves me wrong because I am not blaming him for making his decision, I am more on the head-scratching side of why Manchester City decided that they needed this player. I think they were perfectly fine after getting the likes of Yaya Toure, Jerome Boateng, and David Silva. Any other team would love that type of summer transfer season but not Manchester City. They want to creative their own FIFA 11 soccer team that could potentially alienate players on the team and no team needs that in the rough and tough Premier League...

All He Needs is a Father

It is official. "Super" Mario Balotelli has taken his talents to Eastlands and joined the big-spending Manchester City club. Everyone has taken their shots at the young man. He has been a thorn to almost everyone's side ever since he came into the senior side for Inter Milan. However are these shots taken at the 20 year old unwarranted? We know of his antics but let me ask you something, was he this bad while he was with his current manager Roberto Mancini at Inter? I don't know maybe you can shed some light on that.

I think that this kid needs to be loved by others. While he was with the Special One, the Special One takes an impersonal approach towards his players. If you aren't performing to his level, he will sit you immediately. You won't get many chances and he will also try to "inspire" players by calling out players in the media.

Young players usually take two approaches to this:

1) Let this humble you and realize that you need to do the work in order to get the results.

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2) If the young player is brass enough, he'll shut down on his manager and his team when he feels like he's been done wrong. And start spouting off to media himself.

We can guess what approach Balotelli took to this.



Mario Balotelli needs a fatherly hand on his shoulder. Jose Mourinho didn't give that to him. He berated him and berated him until Balotelli ignored him altogether like that little kid who ignores his parents for a couple of days expecting them to coddle him and say that everything is going to be alright and he's special. When Balo didn't get that from Jose and his "brothers' were ignoring Balo too, Super Mario decided to throw his toys on the ground and said that he didn't want to play with them anymore. It isn't right and he could have done everything different but you remember as a kid trying to get your parent's attention by doing bad things and when the parents ignored him, you just kept on doing bad things until either you realized you're in the wrong or you get yourself in serious trouble. Or that daughter who wants attention from their parents and then end up being a stripper.


For obvious reasons, that boy doesn't need to be a stripper but he does need a fresh start and a "father" who would truly understand him and will coddle to the needs of the young prodigy.

I believe that Roberto Mancini is the right manager for him because he knows the kid and has grown up with him. So he knows the right buttons to push, he can berate him in one instance but tell him that he loves him and he's done a good job. That is what Balotelli needs, he needs a balance that he hasn't had in a long time. Of course people need constructive criticism but when they've done well, they need to be told they've done well.

It seems soft I know but you have to coddle egotistical emotions because they are humans and they need to feel the love like everyone else. Balotelli throughout all his stupid decisions is one of the most talented youngsters out there. He can reach that potential to be one of the greats but he needs that father figure that will put him in check but at the same time see his worth...