Luis Suarez: Can He Be Tamed?

Luis Suarez is now a name that the majority of football fans around the world now know since his move to Liverpool from Dutch champions Ajax in January 2011. However, the impression that he has left on many is not always because of the goals he scores and how he plays in the match. He has been involved in controversial incidents several times since his move to Anfield, and seems to have finally decided it is time to call time on his Liverpool career. But the incidents that Suarez has been involved in could be a big reason why clubs may not want to bid for the Uruguayan, as he has proven hard to handle, and takes bad press with him everywhere.

The early impressions we got of the 26-year-old when he first signed on at Liverpool were good, after he scored on his debut against Stoke City. He was even the club’s record signing at £22.8m at one point, until Andy Carroll signed on at Liverpool for £35m later that day. In his first half a season with the Reds, he scored 4 goals in 12 league games, and contributed heavily in Liverpool going from 12th in the Premier League on the day he signed, to 6th by the end of the campaign.

With English fans having got their first taste of Suarez in the 2010-11 season, the next year was to be his first full campaign with Liverpool. After winning the Copa America in the summer with his national team Uruguay, it was then a controversial domestic season for the striker. In October 2011, he was accused of racially abusing Manchester United’s left-back Patrice Evra in the meeting between the two sides at Anfield, which finished 1-1. The saga between the two continued for over two months until Suarez received an eight-match ban in late December (extended to nine after making an obscene gesture towards the opposition fans in a match at Fulham’s Craven Cottage). However, despite the incident, Suarez scored 11 goals in 31 league games at Anfield as his club finished eighth. On the bright side, Suarez did win his first piece of silverware in England in February, winning the Carling Cup at Wembley after a penalty-shootout win over Cardiff.

Now with many fans of the game having turned on Suarez for the alleged racist incident, he began his third season with Liverpool by signing a new long-term deal with the Merseyside club. In terms of controversial events, Suarez’s 2012-13 season remained largely uneventful until late April, in which he was filmed biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic during the match, which was not spotted by the referee, and allowed Suarez to continue playing, meaning he scored a 97th minute equaliser for his side to ensure a share of the points. However, many believed that he should have been sent off and shouldn’t have been able to score Liverpool’s second, and as such he was punished by the Football Association, being given a ten-game ban, even longer than the one he received for the alleged racist incident the season before. Despite this incident, the 2012-13 season was his most successful in England, scoring 23 in 33 in the league.

With four of the ten games in Suarez’s ban already served, he is widely expected to leave the club in the summer, with Real Madrid and Manchester City having both been touted as possible destinations for the controversial Uruguayan. There is no doubt in my mind that Suarez has a lot of ability going for him – that’s been clear to see just at Liverpool and Ajax. He would easily get into almost every time in the world, with just a few exceptions such as Barcelona. But the lingering problem with Suarez is the controversy and media criticism that stays with Suarez everywhere he goes, which could be the biggest flaw as to whether a club would sign him or not.

I feel that if a club was able to fully control Suarez’s attitude, then they would have under their control one of the finest current strikers in world football. A prime example of where this has happened is with Mario Balotelli, now of AC Milan. Unimpressive in his last few months with City, with his attitude a constant problem whilst he was with the Blues, the Italian striker moved to Milan in January, and hasn’t looked back since. He scored more than a goal a game for the remainder of the season, and also seems to have greatly matured from the controversial figure that he was at City. If a club was able to do with Suarez what Allegri has done with Balotelli in the last few months, then they would have tamed a fine talent.

One of the clubs linked with the Uruguayan in recent times is Manchester City, who have been linked with a move for Suarez for over a year now. City are looking to strengthen their squad after losing out in the race for the Premier League title last season, and Suarez could be the exact player to partner Sergio Aguero up front. With City having apparently missed out on Suarez’s Uruguary strike-partner Edinson Cavani, they could be set to make a £35m offer to take the Liverpool man. With a new manager in place, Manuel Pellegrini, the club may feel that they have the capabilities to control Suarez’s attitude, and make him an integral part of the side. However, Suarez has spoken of his desire to leave English football (citing the media scrutiny against him as the reason), meaning a move to the Etihad could be unlikely.

The club that has been most heavily linked with signing the 26-year-old is Spanish side Real Madrid, regarded by some as the biggest club in the world, despite having finished runners-up in La Liga in 4 of the past 5 seasons. They won the title in 2011-12, before relinquishing it to Tito Vilanova’s Barcelona side a year later. Jose Mourinho was sacked by the club at the end of last season, and is yet to be replaced, although Carlo Ancellotti is the overwhelming favourite. With Gonzalo Higuain set to leave the club this summer, Suarez is thought of as the replacement for the Argentine, in a £35-40m deal, although whether they could control his attitude remains to be seen.

So, will anyone ever be able to tame Suarez? There are very few people who doubt his ability as a player, and if he sorted his attitude out on the pitch, it would just enforce how good he is. In my opinion, one thing is for sure: whoever controls him has picked up a very good talent, and will be an integral part of whoever he signs for. He doesn’t deserve all the criticism he gets from the media, as another player of a similar calibre wouldn’t receive the same level of abuse from the press, but because of the incidents Suarez has been involved in, the media will pick on him. If I was him, I would use that criticism to drive myself onwards to succeed, and prove all his doubters wrong.

FM13 says… what happens if City get their targets

With the transfer window in full swing already, and rumours already flying around the football world, many are wondering what effect various players would have were they to join the clubs that they’re being linked with. Lots of big players such as Edinson Cavani and Cristiano Ronaldo are being linked with moves, and it will be interesting to see how these moves develop.

After a disappointing 2012-13 campaign, Manchester City are being linked with many players as they bid to mount a serious challenge to regain the Barclays Premier League title this season. Many names are being tossed into the hat, such as the afore-mentioned Cavani and Spanish international Isco, as players City could make a move for, so I have decided to take on an experiment to see what will happen if the reported transfer action happens. I have used the Football Manager 2013 Editor to move the players City are likely to sign into the club, and moved the players who are likely to leave to the clubs they are highly being linked to. So, with a new manager, Manuel Pellegrini, how does Football Manager 2013 City will do this season.

Transfers I Made

Players Sold

These are the three main players that I moved out of City in the Editor. All are being linked with moves away from City this summer, and the clubs that they have moved to in the images are the ones rumoured to be favourites to sign each player. Kolarov has been unpopular with a lot of City fans for a while now, with inconsistency being a big part of his playing style, as is the same with Edin Dzeko. Carlos Tevez could also leave the club, due to him only having one season left on his contract, and City could be keen on getting some money for the Argentine instead of leaving on a free next summer. I also moved Scott Sinclair to Everton, as he has been linked with a move to the Toffees in recent days.

Players Bought

These are the three biggest players that I moved to City in the Editor. Isco has been heavily linked with a move to City in recent weeks, with some reports even suggesting that a deal has been struck between City and Isco, and should be included in the experiment based on the speculation. Edinson Cavani has also been closely linked to a move to City this summer as they look to redevelop the strike-force, with City allegedly having been in talks with the Uruguayan’s agent for over a year now. Robert Lewandowski has been linked with moves to both Manchester United and Bayern Munich for weeks now, but in recent times Manchester City have reportedly joined the chase for the Polish striker, and I have decided that he should also be included in the experiment. Stefan Radu has also been moved to City, having been linked with a move to City since last summer now, and with Kolo Toure having left the club already this summer, could prove a good signing for City. Marco Reus has also been moved across in the Editor, as it is rumoured he is to be included in the Edin Dzeko deal.

So, those are the transfers that I moved in and out of City. But what transfers did manager Manuel Pellegrini make?

Transfers Pellegrini Made

Transfers In

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As we can see, Pellegrini made just two signings in the season, firstly signing Marek Hamsik from Napoli for a club record of £40m, which I think is a very good signing, given how well he linked up with Edinson Cavani in Naples. In the January transfer window, City only made one more signing, that of Zacharias Faour from Malmo, in Sweden. City are actually close to signing this player in real life too, but I couldn’t find him in the game, so was unable to move him in the editor. He is thought of as one of the best prospects Sweden currently has, and for £1k, is an extremely good signing for the Blues.

Transfers Out

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There wasn’t too much activity on the outgoing market for City either, just a few loans out of the young players, showing City were keen to keep their team together, but build for the future and let the young players gain valuable experience.

So, we’ve now seen the transfers from both me and Pellegrini. But transfers mean nothing if they don’t work together well. So, how did Manchester City do in the Barclays Premier League, Capital One Cup, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League? Did the transfers pay off? Let’s find out!

Competitions

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Barclays Premier League: Manchester City only lost six league games throughout the season, whilst winning 27 and scoring 79 goals to win the league by 13 points ahead of second-placed Chelsea. The Blues also finished a massive 27 points ahead of Manchester United, whilst both Jose Mourinho and David Moyes were sacked in November by their respective clubs. Mourinho was replaced by Luciano Spalletti, whilst Moyes was replaced by Mourinho at Old Trafford.

The FA Cup: Manchester City beat Bristol Rovers and MK Dons in the FA Cup, before being knocked out at home to Chelsea in the 5th round. A disappointing performance from City after they had reached the final the previous year.

Capital One Cup: Manchester City started off with victories against Barnsley, Burnley, and Hull City to set up a meeting with Southampton in the semi-final. In the first leg at St. Mary’s, City secured a 3-1 victory, before sealing a 7-1 aggregate win with a 4-0 home win, to set up a final date with Manchester United. Despite Ashley Young giving the Red Devils the lead, goals from Aguero and Cavani turned the game around to give City the win.

UEFA Champions League: Manchester City were drawn into a group with Barcelona, Galatasary, and Spartak Moscow in the Champions League, and despite only winning three games in the group, were able to qualify for the knockout rounds at the third time of asking, only to be drawn against reigning winners Bayern Munich. After a 1-1 draw at the Etihad, City fans must have been cursing their luck, but couldn’t have believed their eyes when they somehow secured a 3-0 win at the Allianz Arena. In the quarter-final, they were drawn against Manchester United, and hopes were high after a 3-2 win at home in the first leg. However, United prevailed 2-0 in the second leg to secure progression.

So, a much improved season for the Blues then. A double of trophies, with the Premier League and Capital One Cup both making their way to the Etihad, with the new and improved squad. Manuel Pellegrini proved to the doubters that he is good enough to manage City. So, to conclude – have the transfers worked? Yes. Should City buy these players in real life to succeed? Yes. Are they likely to join? Yes. It’s looking like a bright future for Manchester City.

Manchester City’s Possible Summer Transfers, 2013-14

Manchester City target Isco

With the transfer rumours already flying around the world this summer, and several deals already done before the window is officially open, the summer is already the hottest topic in football. Some of football’s biggest names are being linked with moves around Europe, including Edinson Cavani, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Wayne Rooney. But as always in the transfer window, you always wonder “is this true? Is it paper talk?” There’s always the sense of excitement when the rumours say you’re close to signing a player who’d be great for your club, or the sense of dismay when one of your key men is linked with a move away. Throughout the transfer window you’ll see many emotions: joy, sadness, curiosity are just a few. You can never predict what’ll happen in the window, and that’s what makes it one of my favourite parts of the year.

After a disappointing campaign last season for Manchester City, many people are predicting the Blues to spend big to try and regain the Premier League title. Indeed, that’s what’s happened so far at the Etihad, with both Sevilla’s Jesus Navas and Shakhtar Donetsk’s Fernandinho joining the club so far for a combined fee of around £45m. They also have a new manager, Manuel Pellegrini, as they look to rebuild and progress more as a club. But the team definitely still needs some improvements to get to the best it can be. But who should those players be?

Creativity definitely needs to be added to the midfield after a lack of it at many points last season. Fernandinho and Navas both bring this to the club, but the midfield still looks incomplete, and could do with a couple more midfielders to finish it off and make the City midfield look formidable. A more consistent goalscorer is also important, as that is something City were without last season. Carlos Tevez started well, but faded out throughout the campaign, whilst Dzeko’s performances were inconsistent at best, and Sergio Aguero failed to live up to the highs of the 2011/12 season, meaning that if City want to win the league again they will need that goalscorer.

As well as transfers in, we need to have a think about who could be leaving the club too. There’s some obvious ones, like Aleksandar Kolarov who simply don’t have the quality to play for the club. Maicon and Scott Sinclair have both ultimately failed since signing from Inter Milan and Swansea City respectively last summer and should be offloaded to allow the wages to be spent elsewhere. Of course, Kolo Toure has already sealed his move away from the club, having agreed to join Liverpool when his contract with City expires. These players are players that City could easily survive without next season, and are easily replaceable.

However, Edin Dzeko and Carlos Tevez have also been linked with moves away from the club this summer, Dzeko with a move back to Germany (with Borussia Dortmund noted as favourites) and Carlos Tevez being linked with moves to both Italy (most notably AC Milan and Juventus) as well as his native Argentina. Dzeko has been largely inconsistent since joining from Wolfsburg in 2011, and has left some City fans calling for him to be sold, despite being the Blues’ top scorer last season. Tevez only has one year left on his current contract with City, and has previously expressed a desire to end his career back in South America, meaning City could sell in order to get some of the investment they paid for him back.

If those two strikers do leave, there obviously needs to be a replacement, as that would leave City with just one striker, Sergio Aguero. For me, there is only one replacement: Edinson Cavani. The Uruguayan striker, who plays for Napoli, has caught the eye of many of Europe’s biggest clubs since joining his current club in 2010. In all competitions, the 26-year-old has scored 104 goals in just 138 games for the Partenopei, which is a very good tally in any league across the world, and shows the quality that Cavani possesses. Last summer, Cavani was linked with a move to City, which never materialized, but this summer, speculation has intensified, with City once again linked, along with Chelsea, and Real Madrid. Chelsea have allegedly pulled out of the race now, leaving just City and Real, with City apparently the favourites. He would provide that consistent goal-scorer to the Blues’ side, and be a key part in their title challenge.

With Dzeko apparently set to join Borussia Dortmund this summer – with some sources in Germany already claiming he has agreed a deal – there could be a switch set to happen the other way, as part of the Dzeko deal, and that player is Marco Reus. The left winger rejoined the club last summer from Borussia Mönchengladbach, and has impressed for BVB  in this past season. With City having already signed Jesus Navas, a right winger, Reus could be exactly what City need on the other side, and with Dzeko supposedly having his heart set on a move away from the Etihad, this deal for Reus is looking more and more likely.

Next season, the centre-back pairing for City looks set to be Vincent Kompany, the captain, and Serbian youngster Matija Nastasic, who impressed after signing from Fiorentina last August. These two players are both well-liked by the City faithful, and I for one am confident in their ability to be big parts of our season in 2013-14, as we look to regain the title. But what happens if one of them gets injured? We’ll still have Joleon Lescott as backup, but he was pushed out of the side by Nastasic at the start of the season, and now many are unsure he has the quality to come into the City side and be part of a title-winning side. So, we need a new defender instead. In recent times we have been linked with Stefan Radu of Lazio, who we were also linked with a move for last summer, but never came to anything. He has made nearly 120 league appearances in the last five years for Lazio, as well as 14 for his national side Romania, and may well be good enough to come into the City squad and play an important part when required.

Also being heavily linked with a move to Manchester is Isco of Malaga. The attacking midfielder has been linked with a move away to some of Europe’s biggest clubs after impressing in both La Liga, and the UEFA Champions League this season. Despite reported interest from Real Madrid, City are thought of by many as clear favourites for Isco’s prized signature, and is exciting many Blues fans with his recent performances in the European Under-21 Championships. Rumours emerged on Saturday that Manchester City have reportedly agreed terms with the Spaniard, and he will join after the Championships have finished (the final is on Tuesday 18th June). Of all the players City have been linked with in recent weeks, Isco seems the most likely of all, and seems to be only a matter of time before he puts pen to paper.

Transfer windows are sometimes nearly the most important parts of a season – they can be the time that decides a title or decides who will be involved in the relegation dogfight. Last season, City didn’t take advantage of the window, failing to make any big deals, missing out on the key ones such as Robin Van Persie, and it showed throughout the season as they failed to win any trophies. This season, if City want to regain the title under Pellegrini, they will need to be more clinical in their transfers, and that has already started with the two captures this summer. There’s still over two months until the competitive season starts again, so City need to take advantage of the chances they have, and make the right signings to get back on top. This could be a very good year for City, but only if the transfers are right.

Zacharias Faour and Pressure On Our Other Young Stars

Zacharias Faour, 15 year old Malmo striker

Recently, Manchester City clinched the deals for Fernandinho and Jesus Navas, two of the biggest signings so far this summer, and showing that Manchester City are trying to begin the rebuilding process after the disappointing campaign at the Etihad Stadium. I was very pleased to see we signed those two players. However, they did overshadow another signing for City, Zacharias Faour from Malmo, for around £400k.

The 15-year-old is thought of as one of the biggest talents that Malmo possesses, and has caught the eye of some of Europe’s biggest clubs in recent times. Real Madrid and Juventus were all tossed into the hat as contenders for his signature, as usual, but as were Manchester City, now big enough to be linked with good young talents. The most iconic part of this story is when I found out that Faour had been labelled “The Next Ibrahimovic” by many in Sweden. That’s a huge tag to live up to, with Ibra being one of the best players that Sweden have ever had, and one of the best current strikers in world football. If Faour is able to live up to this labelling, then City have made a great signing, but if not he joins a long list over over-hyped players, which would be very unfortunate.

I don’t see the point in putting pressure on young players in the way that people have on Faour at such a young age. At that stage in a player’s career, you need to be nurturing them to improve, not likening to them to stars of the game. It adds unnecessary pressure to the player as they try and focus on reaching that potential to fulfill the expectations of fans, even if they might not actually have the potential that people think they do. It can also make the player get ahead of themselves, thinking they’re better than they are, and damaging their careers. This is because they don’t put enough effort in, as they feel they’ll have it all made for them, and effort is one of the key aspects for a young player.

Another example of pressure being put on a young player, and then him being unsuccessful in his career is Freddy Adu, the Ghanaian-born, American international attacker. He signed a professional contract with DC United, of the MLS when he was just 14 years old, back in 2004, and made nearly 90 appearances by the end of 2006, catching the eye of many around the world. He was traded to Real Salt Lake in early 2007, and made 11 appearances before making his big move that summer, to Benfica of Portugal. He was thought of as one of the best young talents at the time. However, he only made 11 appearances in four years at the Estadio da Luz, spending most of his time out on loan as clubs like Monaco and Belenenses. He transferred back to America in 2011, to Philadelphia Union, and has made 35 appearances since then, but will be disappointed he didn’t live up to the initial hype. He’s still only 24, so has a long time left in his career, but it looks like he will be nothing more than MLS-level in his playing days.

Obviously, it isn’t good to see young players fail to fulfill their potential in their careers, especially if they have potential to be one of the best players in world football, which is why I think it’s key we don’t put these tags such as “next Ibrahimovic” on them. I can’t explain how much I rate Ibrahimovic as a player, even if a lot of others don’t. He’s got to have something about him if he’s managed to get into teams such as Barcelona and Juventus in his career – not just anyone can get played in sides like that. He’s also been an integral part of Sweden’s side over the last decade, once again showing his ability. His attitude on the pitch might not be to everyone’s liking, but he’s proved to the majority of football fans that he’s good enough to have that attitude.

My point is, it will be very difficult for Faour to live up to the hype in Sweden. It would be very difficult for anyone to live up to that standard, but Faour is a 15-year-old who is unknown to many. How can we possibly know he’ll be that good? He may well have the potential to live up to that speculation, but at this early stage there is no need to put the label on him that he then has to live up to. He’s got years ahead of him before he’s at the level where he’s able to prove that he’s that good, just let him develop now before labeling him. We’ve seen too many players’ careers end up unfulfilled because of over-hyped speculation, and it has to stop, or we’re going to lose lots more young talents.

That’s not to say that the excessive hype is the only thing that prevents these players from succeeding. The players themselves, and their clubs will play a big part. Firstly, the players need to have the mental attributes to make it, with determination and work-rate key in this. They need to be determined to succeed, even when they’re knocked down, and they need the work-rate to progress as a player (ability-wise too). Secondly, the clubs play a big part. The coaches need to be good enough to mentor the player on the pitch, and off it, to make them succeed later on in their careers. The management also needs to let the youngsters have a chance to prove themselves in the first-team, not just buying older, proven players instead of giving the younger players a chance.

A combination of things is required for young players to succeed in their careers, and I’ve talked about them all so far. Mentality, realistic expectations, and supportive clubs are those three. I think that’s why clubs like Barcelona consistently produce good youth players. They build in a good mentality into the players at a young age – the mentality that they have to work hard to get where you want to go – and keep drumming that in. The facilities are club like that are excellent too. You hear about the La Masia academy, and it’s produced some fantastic talents. Lionel Messi, Xavi, and Andres Iniesta have all come through in recent times, as well as many others in the current side and throughout history. In England, we don’t really have this as much, and it shows in our unsuccessful youth sides. We should be taking examples from these types of clubs. Some already have in England, but now it’s time for the other clubs to take knowledge, and maybe, just maybe, England can have a much more successful future on the international stage.

Manuel Pellegrini – Our New Chilean

Earlier today, Manuel Pellegrini’s long-awaited appointment as the new manager of Manchester City was announced by the club, with Pellegrini becoming the permanent successor to Mancini, the last manager. The Chilean has signed a three-year deal with the Blues, putting an end to the recruitment process for City, and allowing Pellegrini to start implementing himself at the club.

It’s taken over a month for City to appoint a successor to Roberto Mancini, who was sacked on the 13th May, two days after losing the FA Cup final to Wigan Athletic, which put to bed any hopes of a trophy for City, in what was a largely disappointing campaign for the Blues, failing to defend their league title, going out of the Champions League in the group stages for a second year running, and failing to win either of the domestic cups on offer in English football. After winning the league title in such dramatic fashion in 2011-12, the board decided that a trophy-less season was far from good enough and removed Mancini from his position on the day Manchester United were having their victory parade to celebrate regaining the league title.

I agree with the board and many others that last season, we were simply not good enough, especially domestically. There were too many occasions where we struggled to break down smaller teams, or struggled to win crucial games (most reputably the FA Cup final) because the tactics didn’t work. At the very last, we should have been able to win the FA Cup last season, especially after reaching the final, but on the day we didn’t turn up, and many of the players didn’t put the effort in. Because we didn’t show up on the day, we struggled to break down Wigan, and they eventually, deservedly, got the win.

However, Mancini didn’t deserve the way he was treated by the board. I’ve heard all the “he wasn’t liked at the club” business, but even so, no manager deserves to get that treatment. The board consistently failed to reassure Mancini of the security of his job, even when news broke the day before the final that City officials had allegedly met with Pellegrini to talk to him about taking over from the end of the season. It was the eve of the biggest day of the season for City, and the least that the hierarchy at City could have done is deny the rumours (even if they were true). It was like the board had given up on Mancini already, as if he was a lost cause. They forgot what he did for the club in his time here almost, becoming a legend to the Blues faithful just one of those. I will miss Mancini, as I’ve said many times before. But what I’ve also said before is that I think City wouldn’t progress much more as a club with Mancini at the helm. He didn’t succeed in Europe with either City or Inter Milan, and that’s something City need to be focusing on now, going as far in Europe as possible.

So, Mancini was sacked, and here’s his replacement, Manuel Pellegrini, who was highly-anticipated to be announced as the new City boss, even before Mancini was sacked, and heavily linked with the job from when Mancini was sacked onwards. Pellegrini even revealed a couple of weeks ago that he had a verbal agreement in place with City in order for him to take over at the Etihad, showing that he was two things. Firstly, the clear favourite for the job. Secondly, the man that the City hierarchy believed was the right one to take us forwards. For most since then, it’s merely been a matter of when he joins, not if.

Many of the critics of City have been doubting Pellegrini’s credentials, and whether he is the right man for City. I have to agree with them, he’s never won very much as a manager. You can’t deny it, it’s a fact. But, also take a look at the other teams that the Chilean has managed. Real Madrid are on that list, one of the biggest and the best teams on the planet. Not just anyone gets to manage them, showing he must have some quality if they chose him as their manager.

Even when I say to other people that Pellegrini managed Real, they say he failed because he bought £200m worth of new players into the club in his sole year at the club, and left trophyless. He also posted the second highest points total Real Madrid have ever had, with 96 points from 38 league games, only losing four games throughout the season, and finishing just three points behind Barcelona, and 25 ahead of third place Valencia. Even for Real Madrid, that’s no mean feat, and shows that Pellegrini can do it on the big stage. He also brought some very good players into the Real Madrid set-up, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benezema, and Kaka, some of the best players in the world. However, thanks to finishing trophyless for the campaign, Pellegrini was sacked, and replaced by Jose Mourinho.

After leaving Madrid, Pellegrini joined Malaga, one of the up-and-coming teams in Spain, in 2010. In his first full season, he finished 4th in the league with 58 points, which was just enough to get Malaga into the Champions League for the first time, via the qualifiers. A 2-0 victory at La Rosaleda against Panathinaikos was enough to seal the qualifiction to the group stages for Malaga, where they were to face AC Milan, Anderlecht, and Zenit St. Petersburg. A tough group for your first time in the competition, but Malaga managed to go undefeated throughout the six games, winning three, and drawing three, winning the group with twelve points. In the round of 16, Malaga were drawn against Porto, and despite losing the first leg 1-0, were able to turn it around to win 2-1 on aggregate. Malaga’s journey came to an end at the quarter-final stage against Borussia Dortmund, the eventual runners-up, but for first-timers in the competition, they did brilliantly.

So, we know Pellegrini has pedigree. But what will make him succeed at City? It’s important he does so, to salvage City’s reputation as a side able of winning cups, but there needs to be something different to last season, to make us succeed. The big thing for me is transfers, which is very important for a side that wants to succeed. It was our big problem last season, we missed out on the key players like Van Persie, and didn’t buy anyone good enough instead of them, meaning we weren’t good enough this year.

The rebuilding process has already started for City this summer, buying Jesus Navas from Sevilla and Fernandinho from Shakhtar already in the window, and we’re shaping up to by more stars. We’ve been heavily linked with Napoli’s Edinson Cavani, one of the world’s finest strikers at the moment, alongside Isco, who played under Pellegrini at Malaga too. Pellegrini certainly needs to bring in a new striker this summer, as a lack of a prolific goalscorer last season was one of the things that cost City, and with both Edin Dzeko and Carlos Tevez being linked with moves away from the club, a new striker is a must.

Many have doubted Pellegrini’s credentials, and whether he has enough ability to manage City successfuly, in recent weeks, and in reality, all you have to do to answer that question is look at his history. The semi-finals and quarter-finals of the Champions League with Vilarreal and Malaga respectively is no mean feat, and neither is gaining 96 points in La Liga. He’s proved his critics wrong before, and will be eager to do it all over again here at City. I think he will have little trouble proving to his doubters that he is capable, and I will be watching very closely as his reign with the Blues begins.

Roberto Mancini: Never Forgotten

The 13th May 2012 was a day that will be forever etched into football folklore. Manchester City sealed their first title for 44 years after a 94th minute goal in the final game of the season from Argentine starlet Sergio Aguero smashed the ball past Paddy Kenny to seal the win. This was to be Roberto Mancini’s second trophy in his second full season at City, and one which would make Blues fans around the world fall in love with him.

Exactly a year onwards, 13th of May 2013 was one to forget for many City fans. In the early evening, their biggest rivals Manchester United were conducting the victory parade around the city to celebrate regaining the Premier League title. This was bad enough on the anniversary of City’s title victory. But then, something even worse happened. At around half past 10 on the night of May 13th, an official statement was released by the club confirming that Mancini had been relieved of his role as manager, coming two days after a shock FA Cup Final defeat to Wigan at Wembley. The timing came as a shock to the football world, who widely expected him to stay until the end of the season.

Despite City’s failings in the 2012-13 season, where they finished far behind rivals United and failed to win any of the other domestic cups, or even pass the group stages in the Champions League, the Italian Roberto Mancini will also be held closely in the hearts of fans for the success he brought to the club. In three and a half years at the Blues, he broke City’s trophy-less spell, and finally brought the league title back to City for the first time in 44 years. Anyone who does that deserves praise, and will endear themselves to the fans, which is exactly what he got. The fans at the Etihad will never forget the hard work and dedication Mancini showed whilst still at the club.

It was never always smooth sailing for Mancini at the club. Throughout his reign at the Citizens, the media always seemed to be out to have a go at Mancini despite all his accomplishments. This was particularly noticeable in the days leading up to his sacking. The day before the FA Cup final, rumours were broken in Spain that Malaga boss Manuel Pellegrini was set to replace Mancini as City boss at the end of the season. This seems too much of a coincidence, colliding with the cup final like it did, trying to overshadow City’s big day like this. Following the cup final which City lost to a deserving Wigan team, the majority of newspapers and other news sources were littered with reports that Mancini was set to be sacked within 48 hours, putting these stories on a continuous loop, as if they were trying to push him over the edge. Hardly seems fair in my opinion to treat a manager with such high pedigree like the media did.

It’s not just the trophies that Mancini won the club that meant the fans fell in love with him. It was the style of play that he had the players playing. Ok, it might not have always worked, as we saw this season, but at times the football that the City players were demonstrating was beautiful to watch, and some of the best in England. City fans have been through so much of the bad times for so long, to be able to see some of the best football in the country being played by some of the best players in the world in the sky blue of City is something to die for. Not many managers would be able to bring that style of play to City, but Mancini managed it, and he should be heralded for that.

However much City fans are hurt by this news, myself included, we have to face up to the fact that this was unfortunately inevitable. After the poor season City have had in terms of trophies, there was always going to be a high risk that the hierarchy at City would deem the progress made during the competitive season insufficient, and move him along to replace him with a new man. But after the Cup Final defeat, Mancini complained about the lack of support given to him over the speculation that Pellegrini was in line to take the reins for the 2013-14 season. I can’t tell you how much I agree with this point (the club should have quashed the rumours when they started in my view), there is no way any manager can make comments like that and get away with them, so I’m afraid this was always going to happen, be it sooner or rather than later.

The lack of support Mancini received from the board in regard to the safety of his job is one of the things that really annoys me. Even if they had made up their mind on if they were going to relieve him of his duties, they still should have denied any speculation. After all he did for the club, that is the least he deserved. I mean, come on, this is a guy who’s won you two trophies in three and a half years. Don’t you think that deserves as least some some sort of recognition? However, instead of stopping the speculation, the board somehow add more fuel to the rumour mill. Allegations were made that they had met with representatives of Manuel Pellegrini soon before the cup final, which fueled yet more speculation a deal was close to being done. The prolonged silence from the hierarchy at the Blues also showed a sense of reluctance from the senior members of the club to assure Mancini of his position, showing they probably had plans to replace him once the season was up. All this sums up one thing for me: the board handled this wrong. They’ve far from covered themselves with glory with the way they treated Mancini, and it’s shocking how badly supported he was by the owners.

But despite all this, Mancini still stayed. It’s difficult to think why if I’m honest. I certainly wouldn’t be able to stay! He could easily have resigned and let that be done with it, what with all the negative media attention and such. But he still stayed. And I can only think of one reason: the fans. He knows how much all the City fans love him, and that was enough to persuade him to keep going. Maybe being sacked has disillusioned him with the club, and maybe he’s forgotten just how much all the fans here love him. And that is why I hope that somehow, somewhere, he has read this, because I want him to remember us. We will always remember him for what he did for us, and I want him to remember the support we showed him all through his reign.

Forza Mancini.

Manchester City: What Happens Next?

When Sergio Aguero’s injury time winner won Manchester City the league in May 2012, many people in football expected City to improve the squad in the summer, and build on the league title by winning another in the 2012-13 season. But being beaten to key signings such as Robin Van Persie and Eden Hazard by Manchester United and Chelsea respectively, as well as failed tactics and poor seasons from several of City’s key men have left the Blues’ season in ruins. Big rivals United managed to seal the Premier League title with five games to spare, having led for almost the entire season, with star striker Van Persie powering them to their 20th league title.

Perhaps City fans can take some consolation from the fact Sir Alex Ferguson has decided to call time on his United career, and is to be replaced by Everton’s David Moyes at the end of this season. Ferguson has been in the United hotseat since 1986, and guided United to 13 of their 20 league titles.

In my opinion there is one big question that most people are asking about City now: “will Mancini be sacked?” In the age when managers seem to be sacked within a few months of being hired, it does seem likely that this is what will happen, but you never know in football. Mancini has been at City since December 2009, when he replaced the sacked Mark Hughes. In the three-and-a-half years since he joined the Citizens he’s won them their first trophy for 35 years (the FA Cup in 2011), and also their first league title since 1968 after their dramatic win over QPR on the final day last season. But what now? This season he’s got his transfers all wrong, the tactics all wrong, and severely damaged his chances of still being at the club next season.

If City’s hierarchy do decide to terminate Mancini’s contract, they will have to appoint someone proven in his place to take the club forwards. So who could it be? Here are some of the candidates I think could be in line for the role, and the pros and cons of each:

Jose Mourinho – despite Mourinho’s apparent desire to rejoin former club Chelsea, I still think he would consider a move to City if the opportunity arose. City are now one of the biggest clubs in England, with some fantastic players that any manager would love to manage. I also admire Mourinho as a manager (well, the tactical side of him anyway) too. He’s managed to win the Premier League before and league titles in three other countries, alongside two UEFA Champions League triumphs in his career. However, I see one massive flaw: he alienates the dressing room. At Real, he’s managed to turn many of the club’s key players against him, which is a bad situation to be in as a manager. This is why I don’t want him at City, as he could disrupt the balance we have going on.

Jurgen Klopp – the name Jurgen Klopp is now one of the most well-respected managerial names in Europe. He’s been in charge of Borussia Dortmund since 2008 and in that time has won successive Bundesliga titles, which is difficult in any league, but when you’re up against sides like Bayern Munich, it’s even more respectable. This season, Klopp has also managed to guide his team into the final of the Champions League, where they will face bitter rivals Bayern at Wembley. However, on the domestic front, things have been much less glamorous. His side lie 20 points behind Bayern, who have been dominant in all competitions this year. 20 points, even for a league as unpredictable as the Bundesliga, is a huge margin, and is the reason I don’t want him at City if Mancini leaves. I have to acknowledge that he is a very good manager, but if we sack Mancini for finishing so far behind, then why should we appoint Klopp who finished even further behind?

Manuel Pellegrini – the Chilean manager Manuel Pellegrini is the candidate that I think is most likely to be given the job at City if Mancini leaves us. Pellegrini has built up his reputation as a manager over the years, including a spell at Spanish giants Real Madrid, and Argentine juggernauts River Plate. The 59-year-old has been involved in football for going on 40 years now, so obviously knows his stuff. I wouldn’t mind him as manager, although my pressing concern is that he seems to not really be a big winner of trophies, which is what City want now, not to be sitting in mid-table trophyless. Still, he has never really been at a big club long enough to judge, so maybe if he was given the chance at City, he’d be able to succeed.

One of the few high points of City’s season this year has undoubtedly been the FA Cup run which has lead City to the final against Wigan. I’m writing this on the eve of that final, so I don’t yet know the result, obviously. I’m not Italian, I’ve not match-fixed it. I think we’ll win the final, as you’d expect us to against a Wigan team struggling for form and fitness, but this is football, and you just don’t know what will happen. The thing is though, even if City do win the Cup tomorrow, will it really save Mancini’s job? Don’t get me wrong, I’d absolutely love to see him stay with us, but I can’t see the board keeping him after the performance in the league this season.

That is why I feel that whoever is in charge of the Blues next season, winning the title and bringing it back to the Etihad is absolutely crucial. We definitely haven’t deserved it this season, so we need to be able to show how well we can bounce back and win it next season, to prove that these players are good enough, and that our title in 2012 wasn’t a one-off thing.

One thing that could help in City’s quest to regain the title is David Moyes’ move to United. No manager will successfully be able to take the United job and immediately replicate what Fergie has done. I think there will definitely be a transition period when United aren’t as good, and won’t win anything whilst they’re settling into the new manager. This could open the door for City to snatch the league title relatively unchallenged next season, provided we make the right signings this summer.

Let me just get one thing straight: I want Mancini to stay with us at City. He’s more than proved himself capable of being a successful manager, with a league title, a domestic cup, and another final to look forward to, so why should we get rid of him because he’s had one bad year? Everyone has bad seasons. When United don’t win the title, they haven’t sacked their manager. They’ve stuck by Ferguson all these years. If we sack manager after manager like we used to do, we’re going to get a Chelsea-esque reputation, which is never a good thing to have. The reason we’ve been so poor this season I think is due in part to the poor signings we made last year, while the other big teams were beating us to the signings of RvP and Hazard, we were chasing after the likes of Sinclair. Not going to bode for a good season, that isn’t. So I feel that if Mancini is given the proper backing to go out and make the signings that he wants this summer, the title is ours next year.