Tinkering the european problem?

The dust is settling on a 2nd straight poor showing from City in the Champions League as yet again the best the Blues can hope for is 3rd in the group.  Whilst the draw both times has hardly been kind to the club but 3 wins in 11 games so far is a grim stat.  People have pondered and puzzled as to why City have struggled some pointing out rightly it took Arsene Wenger and Alex Ferguson a few attempts to get past the group stages.  Others have pointed out poor Champions League form played a part in Roberto Mancini getting the sack from Inter Milan.

 Whilst planning this blog I must admit I seemed to recall a lot of squad changed as each European game week came and went and that curiosity lead me to look at the starting 11's for each game.   It shows 2 or 3 changes every game sometimes a few more. Below is a list of both seasons Champions League starting 11's

11-12

Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott, Kolarov, Yaya Toure, Barry, Silva, Aguero, Dzeko , Nasri

Hart; Richards, Kompany, K Toure, Clichy; Barry , Y Toure; Aguero, Nasri, Silva; Dzeko

Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott, Kolarov, DeJong , Yaya Toure, Nasri , Silva, Johnson , Dzeko

Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Savic, Clichy, Yaya Toure , De Jong, Nasri, Silva , Milner, Balotelli

Hart, Kolarov, Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott Milner, Silva, De Jong, Y Toure, Dzeko , Balotelli

Hart, Savic, Clichy, Lescott, Kompany, Barry, Y Toure , Silva , Nasri, Aguero, Dzeko 

12-13

Hart, Maicon, Kompany, Nastasic, Clichy, Garcia, Yaya Toure, Silva, Barry, Tevez, Nasri

Hart, Zablaleta, Kompany, Nastasic, Clichy , Yaya Toure, Garcia, Nasri, Silva, Aguero, Dzeko

Hart, Richards, Clichy, Lescott , Kompany, Barry , Milner , Yaya Toure, Nasri, Aguero, Dzeko

Hart, Zabaleta, Clichy, Kompany, Nastasic, Garcia, Barry, Y Toure, Nasri, Tevez , Aguero

Hart, Maicon, Kolarov, Zabaleta, Nastasic, Kompany, Yaya Toure, Silva, Nasri, Dzeko, Aguero 

True injuries play a part and of course there was Carlos Tevez's infamous bust up in Munich last year.  But for a team trying to find it's feet in the competition it can't help not knowing for definite who your playing partner will be.  There is also new players bedding in whilst in the Premier League things have been a touch smoother the constant changes to the starting 11's cannot have helped in Europe.  True with an easier draw I might not have come to this conclusion but given how hard the groups have been the tinkering cannot have helped especially  when trying a new formation as the blues have this year with 3 at the back some games.  

With a settled side I do wonder if the club will do better if they qualify next year time will tell, but another poor showing and it could lead to pressure on Roberto Mancini's job despite the domestic success we have enjoyed.

My kid blues and me!

Some of you may well know me I'm the writer of this blog Robert Allen I'm 34 years old and am a Manchester City fan always have been always will be.  That love for the club despite me now living in Chester has passed on to my two sons Connor aged 11 and Lucas aged 6 we proudly sit together in Block 134 of the Family Stand.  We enjoy going to games and cheering on City.

Bar the fact both boys do look a lot like me that's where the similarities end.  You may ask why so I'll explain.  Aged 8 I started attending games at Maine Road on a regular basis, I loved being stood on the Kippax about 15 yards past half way towards the North Stand End peering through the railings was my spot and most games it would be the same faces stood round me cheering on the likes of Kenny Clements and Paul Power etc... I even went away a fair few times back in them days going away was an experience the abuse hurled from the home team fans and the "modest facilities" most away ends had were a sight to behold.  I've endured 4 relegation's I've celebrated one 3rd tier playoff win and one 2nd tier title.  I've seen many managers come and go some did well some well lets just not got there! 

I've even seen 2 club saviours come and go in the board room.  Through it all my love for City didn't diminish any excuse to go to a game and I'd take it even if amazingly in the 3rd tier getting tickets to Maine Road wasn't that easy.   I saw us roll over 4-2 at Sheffield United as Brian Gayle did what a lot of ex blues always seemed to do and score against us. I saw Christian Negouai punch the ball into the net V Rotherham.  Following City played a part in making me the man I am truly believing try your best and if it doesn't work out just keep trying no matter how low you go.

My boys well they are well use to the facilities modern stadia give them.  True there is still the banter with opposition fans when you go away but the chances of a fight are a heck of a lot less, true we see a  lot of the same faces sat next to us week on week. They've seen 3 managers and 2 chairmen.  Connor started coming to watch with me on a regular basis during Svens season in charge City were still City 2 steps forward 3 back then 1 forward again but then things began to change.  It began with Thaksin and although City finished 10th there were definite signs things were improving till the last weeks when it was clear Sven was a goner . Little did we realise our saviour was infact broke there had been rumours but they were always flatly denied in the media by Thaksin.  To be fair knowing he was in trouble who he sold to the Club to was the key.  HH Shiekh Mansour and his chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak did get behind then manager Mark Hughes and despite improvements it wasn't happening fast enough,  Hughes got the push and in came Roberto Mancini.  I don't think anyone could have foreseen what was coming.

 Narrowly missing out on the Champions League in his first half a season Mancini in his first full season clinched Champions League Football and won the FA Cup the first major trophy I'd seen us win.  In his 2nd full season despite getting the "magic" 10 points City dropped out of the Champions League in the group stages City had dominated in the league.  Then a huge drop off and suddenly United were clear....then amazingly City not only pulled it back but clinched the title in the last minute of the season.  So to the boys their outlook being shaped by the club is keep striving to be the best and with effort and commitment you will get rewarded so different to my own above.

They've only known a club on the up, its doubtful they will suffer so many relegation's in the same time as I did and seeing a City captain lifting a trophy could well become a sight we and the rest of the world have to get used to!  I am a tad envious cheering on the likes of Aguero and Kompany, but am enjoying the journey with them that's why they were delighted to go and see the Premier League trophy as much as me it meant every bit as much to them.  It's a great time to be a kid blue but you know I wouldn't swap it as I do see this current period as reward for my love of the club and I'm glad I have my boys with me.  What an amazing time to be a kid blue though!

 

Proud of the effort

Everything seemed set for the fairytale City winning and Villarreal holding Napoli.  Indeed City did finish up beating Bayern Munich 2-0 though sadly the score was mirrored in Spain as two second half goals put Napoli through.  Speaking to a few fans I got the impression people knew it was a tough ask but IF we were to go out then at least do it with pride and that's exactly what happened thanks to a lovely strike by David "Merlin" Silva and a coolly finished Yaya Toure goal

It has been a learning experience for Roberto Mancini and the squad one which no doubt they will learn from .  There is little doubt mistakes were made in earlier games but just like City's rise from the ashes no journey is ever smooth.  For me the defensive tinkering did play a big part in the reasons we now are in the last 32 of the Europa League but surely it won't be too long before the Champions League music again blasts out of the Etihad PA system.  That said I can't see any reason why we don't push to win the Europa League.

Ironically all week I'd read United fans goading about us facing "Thursday nights on channel 5" well it appears lady luck wasn't smiling on them either as despite them needing to simply draw they lost and crash out with a worse record than City.  It would appear the players have caught the fan bug of simply believing turning up was enough or were they too busy looking at us as appears to be their life at the moment (yet we are the obsessed ones don't you know)  They are a good side but no where near as strong as they once were there simply isn't the strength in the squad they once had.

City meanwhile can take pride in their first ever Champions League becoming the first English side to win in Villarreal and even reaching the 10 points which if you believe the pundits is good enough to qualify.   Roberto Mancini learnt a lot during his first 6 months and used that too guide City to a record Premier League finish and a first major trophy in 35 years.  No doubt he will have learned much from this Champions League campaign and be eager to guide City further next season.

Wednesday City dine at Europe's top table!

Manchester City fans have been known for gallows humour.  the infamous "Alan Balls a football genius" at 6-0 down when playing Liverpool, to replying to taunts of "going down going down going down" with "so are we so are we so are we"

The arrival of Shiekh Mansour City fans dared to dream as big money signings came and the club went from mid table in 08-09 to narrowly missing out on a Champions League spot in 09-10.  Last season the thing many fans had dreamed of but dared not think could happen did, not only did City win the FA Cup they also finished 3rd in the Premier League ensuring automatic qualification for the Champions League group stages.

The draw could have been kinder but Bayern Munich Villarreal and firstly Napoli face tough games when they arrive at the Etihad Stadium.  Just to hear that Champions League Anthem been belted out of the PA at 7:40pm will ensure win lose or draw City are amongst Europe's elite I like many others simply cannot wait!