DEC 26 — I said it at the start of the season in my first article of the new season – from summer transfer madness to opening day gladness and I have been proven right. The Arab owners of
The Abu Dhabi-based conglomerate must have long realised that Hughes was not the man cut out for their big dreams, but just had to bide their time while looking for potential replacements.
The verdict was that “City had lost faith in Hughes' ability to deliver the fundamental change required to meet their targets”.
They gave him enough time and, with the budget he was given, Hughes was delivering well below par. So, I don’t see what the fuss is over his sacking too. It’s happened under worse circumstances at other clubs which were English-owned.
They could have handled it worse, like other clubs previously, releasing a statement from the board supporting a beleaguered manager then having his head just a week or two later. Everyone could easily guess that this was coming, especially after all those draws, and the pathetic loss to Tottenham Hotspur last week.
Time will tell if former Inter Milan manager Roberto Mancini is the man to take City to the next level. For the moment it looks like City may have some potential problems by appointing a manager who does not know the land, league or language. But the risk is worth it if the owners are looking for a manager with a winning mentality and knows how to handle a team full of talented individuals.
Besides, City's new manager is used to pressure, specifically in the form of a wealthy owner who wants success ‘yesterday’. In 2004, Mancini became the 12th manager of Massimo Moratti's tenure as Inter Milan president. That tenure began in 1995. You do the math.
Moratti, an Italian oil tycoon, is not a man who suffers average results gladly, as the likes of Marcello Lippi (sacked after the first game of the 2000/1 season), Hector Cuper and Alberto Zaccheroni will tell you. He got through four managers in 1999 alone.
Therefore, that Mancini lasted four seasons at Inter should tell you that he does well with men of power and ego. However, in a (relatively) strange new land, the challenge becomes greater.
The Italian could hardly have wished for a cushier start. It's Stoke City at home to kick things off. A team which still haven't really sorted out their away problems, Stoke will have to address a recent slump which has seen them without a league win from their last four matches.
Stoke have got a reasonably good defensive record but Mancini has players who can break down the most stubborn of defences in the likes of Carlos Tevez and Craig Bellamy. City will deliver Mancini’s first win in England on Boxing Day.
League leaders Chelsea face a tricky away tie against fellow Blues, Birmingham City. Chelsea seem to be running out of gas lately – just one win from their last four league fixtures – but you have to go back to 1980 for the last time they were defeated by the Midlands club.
However, Birmingham City are the Premier League’s in-form team currently, unbeaten in nine matches with five wins out of their last six matches. Hence, Chelsea’s visit could be the right time to create an upset.
Even if it might be difficult to get all three points but certainly they are capable of holding Carlo Ancelotti’s men to a draw. Birmingham will take heart from West Ham United’s battling performance last weekend. Any handicap given by Chelsea will make Birmingham City a good bet if you are so inclined.
When Chelsea slips yet again tonight, Manchester United (MU) and Arsenal will be looking to pounce tomorrow. Both teams have let opportunity slip lately by not having taken advantage of Chelsea’s bad form.
The Gunners are suddenly back in the title race after having been written off just three weeks ago. With MU still having some defensive injury worries and Chelsea looking vulnerable, Arsene Wenger's men have built a lot of self-belief since that 3-0 home loss to Chelsea.
If the players continue to stick to their guns and capitalise on their recovery in recent weeks, the Arsenal could go full throttle till the end of the season to carry the Barclays Premier League title in this still very open season.
Arsenal face a crucial test against Aston Villa tomorrow. Villa are one of the teams poised to break the top four and are currently level on points with Arsenal though having played a game more.
Villa are on a great run, second only to their neighbours Birmingham City, with four victories in a row. If they win at the Emirates Stadium, they will equal their longest ever run set in 1996 and repeated in 1998. Not so good for Gunners fans is the fact that Villa are the only side to have never lost at the Emirates Stadium since Arsenal moved there at the start of the 2006/07 season.
This match also sees the best front line (Arsenal with 44 goals scored) against the meanest defence (Aston Villa with 14 goals conceded). It's certainly going to be an interesting afternoon in North London. With Villa’s confidence level at a season high, having beaten MU at Old Trafford two weeks ago, I have to concede that it will be difficult for the Gunners to get all three points. A draw is the most likely result.
Later on Sunday, Hull City host MU, who are looking to bounce back from that humiliating defeat to Fulham. After a dismal start and changes off the pitch, Hull look to be possibly turning their season around.
They have lost two of their last three games, but both those defeats were against top-four opposition, Arsenal and Aston Villa. They went through November unbeaten and lie 16th in the table ahead of the Boxing Day fixtures.
MU are four points off the pace after December defeats to Villa and Fulham, but have won the last five encounters with the hosts. Bad news for MU is that they still have a depleted backline.
According to Ferguson, "there is no light at the end of United's injury tunnel”. If so, Hull may even have a better chance of defeating the champions on Boxing Day than back in May when they faced a reserve team that at least contained a recognisable back four.
Hull boss Phil Brown is another manager who has no class, like the thug who managed Manchester City until last weekend.
So, I will make another bold prediction and state here that, regardless of tomorrow’s result against the defending champions, Hull will be relegated at the end of the season . . . but not before Brown is given the sack, just a week after his chairman expresses confidence in his ability to keep them in the Premiership.
Finally, Liverpool supporters may have to stop making jokes about their players being such good Santas, handing out goals and points to opponents this weekend. After all, they are favourites against Wolves tomorrow.
I wonder if Mick McCarthy will be as generous as he was to MU by leaving out more than half his first team, or will he think that he has more of a chance against the poorly-performing Reds, than he had against the Red Devils.
Comments
Please refrain from nicknames or comments of a racist, sexist, personal, vulgar or derogatory nature, or you may risk being blocked from commenting in our website. We encourage commenters to use their real names as their username. As comments are moderated, they may not appear immediately or even on the same day you posted them. We also reserve the right to delete off-topic comments