Manchester City’s Roberto Mancini: More Money More Problems
In the space of just a few fateful days, Manchester City have exited the Europa League and seen their Premiership pipe dream doubted. Relative to the huge investment made by Sheik Mansour, there’s inevitable conjecture about Roberto Mancini’s Eastlands future, but what does Serie A Weekly make of the Italian’s time in England – unmitigated failure or not?
As a player Roberto Mancini enjoyed a stellar career spent mostly in Sampdoria’s iconic shirt. Together with Gianluca Vialli, the duo helped ‘il doria’ amass a clutch of Coppa Italia crowns together with Doria’s only scudetto in 1991. A stint with Lazio concluded Mancini’s playing career (aside from a short lived spell at Leicester City) and with immediacy, Roberto embarked upon a managerial career starting at Fiorentina.
Mancini endured a tumultuous time with a ‘la viola’ beset by financial difficulties. That said, despite just one year in Florence, Mancini captured silverware in the form of a Coppa Italia title before leaving Tuscany for the blue half of Rome.
Along with successful UEFA sorties, Roberto’s love affair with the Coppa Italia continued as he secured yet another tricolore. During this period, Lazio were too like Fiorentina, hamstrung by financial problems and Mancini’s ability to deliver success while overcoming a lack of funds caught Inter’s attention.
In 2004 Mancini was recruited by Massimo Moratti to revive Inter Milan’s fortunes. In four, fabled years the tactician rewarded his president’s considerable investment with a magnificent seven trophies – comprising of scudetti, yet more Coppa titles, and Supercoppa Italiana – critically however; no Champions League or UEFA Cup glories.
A tumultuous fourth term with the Nerazzurri saw relationships between Mancini and Moratti deteriorate; the latter lost patience at the formers inability to garner European success and inevitably, the two parted ways by ‘mutual’ consent. Then, after twelve months of kicking his heels; Manchester City surprisingly hired Mancini to supervise their cash fueled ascendancy into ‘super club’ status.
From the outside looking in, laymen observers understandably equate cash to success – but have they got it wrong? For a team with no financial boundaries, surely silverware is preordained?
Despite the disproportionate war chest, fashioning a team from a host of newly acquainted nationalities, footballing sensibilities and indeed egos, could be considered a poisoned chalice. Satisfying an abundance of talent, thrust together in what has been a relatively short space of time would test any manager, although in this regard Roberto hasn’t helped himself.
No doubt compelled by a need to spend, Roberto has not been shy in this regard. From a pool comprising of Toure, Kolorov and Silva, it may ultimately be Mario Balotelli who proves Mancini’s most costly acquisition, in more ways than one.
Mancini showed faith when signing the erratic Italian, but sadly the Azzurri star has been more of a curse than blessing while at Eastlands – a feat perfectly encapsulated by last week’s misdemeanour in City’s most important game of the season. Needing a handsome win against an accomplished Dynamo Kiev, Mario Balotelli needlessly earned himself a red card to handicap Mancini’s men and once again cast himself, and indeed his manager, as arch villains as City crashed out of the Europa Cup.
Now, with the defeat to Chelsea making a fourth place in the Premiership a tough ask, and with a difficult FA Cup semi-final against Manchetser United ahead, Sheik Mansour faces a prospect whereby he earns little interest from another season of considerable investment – which leaves Roberto Mancini in a wholly unenviable position.
So, does all of this make Mancini a poor manager? The honest and simple answer is no.
Bar a manager of Mourinho’s might, few coaches would have struggled to coalesce City’s disparate collection of talent. Teams should evolve over a period of time and new players added with strategic purpose. In City’s instance, the profound cash reserves have enabled a Gatling gun approach where a host of ‘names’ are sourced almost indiscriminately from equally disparate territories.
Where Mancini is vulnerable (along with old adversary Carlo Ancelotti), is in working for a new breed of club owner – an owner who is schooled outside of the game but very specific about their club’s objectives and impatient about achieving them. One senses that tangible desire to become the next AC Milan or Real Madrid but without the awareness about the time taken for such legacies to manifest.
Britain’s media are wise to the persistent turmoil within City and are always looking for the latest Eastlands drama. Whether it’s Tevez, Balotelli or more recently Kolo Toure, Mancini has endured an eventful tenure off the pitch, and where it matters most, the media have been no more understanding. If City play well, it’s to be expected from the world’s wealthiest club, if they fail, it’s because Mancini is guilty of negative, stereotypically Italian tactics; or his side are handicapped by under performing an undisciplined megastars.
In all probability the marriage of Mancini and Manchester City is destined for divorce – with Mancini’s temperamental stepchild Balotelli, an undoubted catalyst to the separation. And while Mancini reportedly possesses a ‘dressing room temper’, he has handled media duties with decorum and would leave England with respect intact, if not the warmth reserved for the more enigmatic Ancelotti.
Notwithstanding the inescapable association with Lazio, Mancini would compliment a team of Roma’s ilk – the established infrastructure of talent and the financial means by which to carefully enhance the squad. Roberto’s palmares is punctuated with Coppa and scudetto triumphs, the silverware Roma crave with much greater regularity.
Will Mancini to Roma materialise? Highly unlikely – but away from the fantastical world of Manchester City, Roberto has the experience and credentials to improve the fortunes of a peninsula side – and in all probability, he’ll be available to take that opportunity sometime soon.
