Hats off to both Roberto Mancini and Alex Ferguson for seizing the top two slots in this year’s Premiership title race. In the end Mancini’s unstoppable force beat Ferguson’s immoveable object – but, my word, what a season!
Mancini deserves praise for maintaining a cool enough head to make the crucial calls that eventually led to his team scoring the two injury time goals they needed to win the title. The Italian must also be lauded for finding ways to reincorporate two troublesome – but undoubtedly talented – players into his side: Carlos Tevez and Mario Balotelli… the latter of whom had been told earlier in the season that he would never play for City again.
(Then, of course, Tevez had to ruin it yesterday by holding aloft a cardboard sign scrawled with “RIP Fergie” during City’s big-bus victory parade – a monumentally mean-spirited act that we can only hope Mancini addresses with the same kind of skill he applies to matches.)
Ferguson, in his game, got the result he needed – but control of the Premiership was out of his hands. The 2011 to 2012 United team was – by their admittedly high standards – sub-par. City were the more talented team, and given the way Fergie set up his team to defend, defend, defend in the Manchester derby two weeks ago, he clearly understands that point. But as Kevin Keegan and a host of other managers will attest: below standard or not, Ferguson’s teams are relentless. And that speaks to his management style.
Overturning an eight-goal deficit – six of which came in City’s two victories over the Reds – was never a realistic possibility. All they could do was win their game. Professional as always, United went out and did just that. They were about to steal the title until five minutes after the season’s regulation time had ended. Like I said – relentless.
In many ways, despite the new champion, the season proved what we already knew: United are still the Premiership team to beat. We just didn’t know you had to beat them twice.
Management ups and downs
Promotion:
Williams F1 team
For having their first win for 132 races (the last one was back in 2004!) on no less an occasion than the day after Frank Williams’s 70th birthday.
Relegation:
Lewis Hamilton
For getting himself shunted to the back of the grid for failing to return to the pits – after blowing the competition out of the water in qualifying. Rules, dear boy… rules.
Image of Roberto Mancini courtesy of katatonia82 / Shutterstock.com
One Response to Clever Mancini management wraps up Premiership in style
I’m afraid I disagree. I think Sir Alex done a far better job with a lot less and whilst Manchester City came out top in a fantastic ‘clash of the titans’, the season should have been finished and Man City winners by a country mile had Mancini been able to ‘man manage’ more effectively.
The antics of Balotelli and Tevez would not have been tolerated in the Man Utd dressing room and their exile and omission from the Man City team undoubtedly let Man Utd back into the race.
That they felt they could behave in such a manner (and this was endorsed by the manager through his allowing them back into the squad, even if desperate and depleted in resources) vindicates their behaviour and must be demotivating to those around them.
Taking nothing away from the incredible season Man City had to win the title race, I think Mancini could still learn a few things about ‘managing’ these high paid athletes; creating synergy and strategy and creating a team cohesiveness that will endure throughout a whole season.
The manager must balance the needs of the team; the desired objectives and goals and the needs and desires of the individual and I think Man City are currently unbalanced. If Mancini can redress that balance, next season should be even hotter!
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