The Rich Also Cry Mancini

It’s all fun and games until the City starts to fall apart and Manchester City may well need to check its excesses before it self-destructs owing ironically to its most potent weapon, near limitless wealth. Having been bought over by Sheikh Mansour, Manchester City has transformed into a feared adversary in the transfer market especially and more importantly on the pitch, though the latter remains arguable.

In any case, the oil riches have elevated City from mid-table obscurity under the likes of Steve McLaren and Sven Goran Eriksson to the lucrative top quarter of the league as well as Champions League football courtesy of its 3rd place finishing last season. This, coupled with high profile players being signed at will and pampered with wages pushing the line of absurd, certainly the club’s stature has improved surreally.

All that could however lead the club back to obscurity, given a more celebrated one, what with the pampered players such as Carlos Tevez and more recently Mario Balotteli giving the world a peek into the illusion that clouds the air at the Eastlands. Unfortunately, rather than trim its excesses, it may well be a fine manager in Roberto Mancini that will bear the repercussions while the brats stay on.

Mancini is known for being an excellent manager especially when it comes to resource management if I may put it that way. The Italian, since his managerial debut with Fiorentina, holds a record of reaching at least the semi-final of a Cup competition in every season he has managed a club. This includes Coppa Italia triumphs – in his only year at Fiorentina, at Lazio as well as four consecutive times at Inter Milan – as well as reaching the UEFA Cup semi-final with Lazio and winning the FA Cup last season at City.

Therefore his managerial abilities, tactic wise, remains very sound in my opinion but the other side of his abilities is in question. I believe Mancini’s main problem is being exposed to an obscene amount as transfer budget right after six seasons managing in a debt-riddled Serie A. He left Fiorentina with the club then perilously close to bankruptcy, Lazio was heavy in debt in the two otherwise successful seasons he spent at Rome and Inter Milan’s finances can be described as secure when he reigned at the San Siro and became their greatest manager in three decades with a complete lock down of the Italian league and cup titles.

So being able to thrive with little resources, Mancini was employed under the assumption he would properly manage a complete opposite of what he is used to. Alas, it has been a mess so far off the pitch and the level of ego at a club that pays at least £140,000 weekly to at least seven first team players with six more not far behind in earning at least £90,000 weekly leaves much to desire when it comes to the individuals being a team.

Egos then will see more players than not advocating to be left untouched in the first eleven at all times, some for all 90 minutes at all times even as Balotteli’s attitude seems, leaving dear old Mancini with the headache of what to do with; for example, his front line that at the moment comprises unsettled Carlos Tevez and Emmanuel Adebayor, Edin Dzeko, Balotteli and new arrival Sergio Aguero without forgetting David Silva…

From the above, Adebayor can be left out seeing as he is determined to force a move away, one less source of migraine for Mancini there. And moving on, one may argue having good depth but there are times, a lot of times, when it is individual brilliance that rescues City from an embarrassing situation in a match as Tevez, Yaya Toure and maybe Silva can testify from last season’s performances. City surely can’t hope this would be the case all the time.

And in all this, Mancini still wants to add two players to the squad as quoted to stating last week and you start to wonder if there is a script at City…