So the rumour mill is in full swing. Liverpool are in crisis - we all know that - especially after the terrible performance on saturday that saw Liverpool lose their 7th game of the season to bottom of the league Portsmouth and now sit an incredible 14 points from Chelsea at the top of the English Premier League. One of the main issues this season for Rafa has been the injuries to his two star players. El Nino and Stevie G. Now the injury to Gerrard could actually become a crisis as it seems that Gerrard needs an operation to rectify his groin that has cut back his usual ability to make the difference for the Reds week in week out. Obviously, Gerrard now has the FIFA World Cup in his sights (if he can get beyond Europa League victory) and wants to get the operation in now so that he can get it sorted and be fully fit for the match on June 12th in Rustenburg against the USA. To me that makes perfect sense - mind you I am an England supporter. However, Rafa must be sensing the chop from up above. With Mark Hughes not doing enough at City after losing just 2 Premier League matches and getting the club to its first semi-final in 28 years he must really be feeling the heat - and thinking his American bosses might also get the trigger finger. The last thing he needs is Gerrard to take two months out and face the prospect of a midfield of Lucas, Dossena, Spearing and Benayoun. With or without Torres, it will be tough to cope with no Gerrard, Mascherano (always suspended) and Darren Anderton...sorry Alberto Aquilani. With the developments at Eastlands, there must be an increase in pressure on club owners. In a world where commercial success is changing the requirements and expectations of club supporters - never has the term glory hunter been more relevant - the stakes are much higher for a manager, and it seems that they are even higher for the owners who now demand instant success. I read something interesting this morning by Mark Bright who posed the question of how long away are we from players being sacked for giving a series of poor performances? It is clear that boards and club owners and therefore managers need to clarify what is deemed by success. Looking at Mark Hughes release via the LMA it seems that the goals that were agreed with his owners at the start of the season were still very obtainable and I am sure that Hughes would of strengthened his defence in January, but it still was not enough. It seems that his targets and his owners were actually very different. But what a chance for Mancini. He has turned up in his tailored Italian suit and taken over a squad bursting with attacking talent, sitting in a great position in the league and already in one cup semi-final. If he approaches the task in hand with the same kind of rigour as Capello has done with England then he will achieve the UEFA Champions League ambition of his billionaire owners. All he needs to do is identify the problem and fix it. England were individuals and now they play as a team. Man City can't defend for toffee, let alone 3 points, so the best signing Mancini could make, he has made with Brian Kidd. If he can focus his role as a defensive coach and calm City's nerves from any kind of pressure then they could really kick on in the New Year - especially as United, Arsenal and Chelsea will all be back in battle in the UEFA Champions League. It will be very interesting to see who he signs in January. I am sure there will be at least two big signings made to reinforce the defence and the midfield probably as many as four, again in the same area of the team. Given, Barry and Bellamy have been superb and depending on the way Bellamy takes to his new manager (after Sparky apparently personally contributed to the transfer fee to sign him). The worst move the Mancini could make could be to add yet more options to his attack. For his apparent faults Hughes has got all his front players flying and scoring goals (apart from Robinho that is) and I have never seen Craig Bellamy play better or more consistently. In Tevez and Adebayor / Santa Cruz the team possess a potent spearhead, and if Robinho turns up (probably not till the snow has gone away) then they will score goals no problem. Who knows what will play out over the coming weeks and months, if Mancini fails to get to grips with the ego of his squad then come May both Mancini and Rafa could follow Hughes to the JobCentre. The game feels like it is on the verge of going crazy, and I expect lots of cash to be spent this January and I would say there are only 3 managers safe in their job Fergie, Hodgson and Wenger.
Tuesday, 22 December 2009
Rafa the next to go..
So the rumour mill is in full swing. Liverpool are in crisis - we all know that - especially after the terrible performance on saturday that saw Liverpool lose their 7th game of the season to bottom of the league Portsmouth and now sit an incredible 14 points from Chelsea at the top of the English Premier League. One of the main issues this season for Rafa has been the injuries to his two star players. El Nino and Stevie G. Now the injury to Gerrard could actually become a crisis as it seems that Gerrard needs an operation to rectify his groin that has cut back his usual ability to make the difference for the Reds week in week out. Obviously, Gerrard now has the FIFA World Cup in his sights (if he can get beyond Europa League victory) and wants to get the operation in now so that he can get it sorted and be fully fit for the match on June 12th in Rustenburg against the USA. To me that makes perfect sense - mind you I am an England supporter. However, Rafa must be sensing the chop from up above. With Mark Hughes not doing enough at City after losing just 2 Premier League matches and getting the club to its first semi-final in 28 years he must really be feeling the heat - and thinking his American bosses might also get the trigger finger. The last thing he needs is Gerrard to take two months out and face the prospect of a midfield of Lucas, Dossena, Spearing and Benayoun. With or without Torres, it will be tough to cope with no Gerrard, Mascherano (always suspended) and Darren Anderton...sorry Alberto Aquilani. With the developments at Eastlands, there must be an increase in pressure on club owners. In a world where commercial success is changing the requirements and expectations of club supporters - never has the term glory hunter been more relevant - the stakes are much higher for a manager, and it seems that they are even higher for the owners who now demand instant success. I read something interesting this morning by Mark Bright who posed the question of how long away are we from players being sacked for giving a series of poor performances? It is clear that boards and club owners and therefore managers need to clarify what is deemed by success. Looking at Mark Hughes release via the LMA it seems that the goals that were agreed with his owners at the start of the season were still very obtainable and I am sure that Hughes would of strengthened his defence in January, but it still was not enough. It seems that his targets and his owners were actually very different. But what a chance for Mancini. He has turned up in his tailored Italian suit and taken over a squad bursting with attacking talent, sitting in a great position in the league and already in one cup semi-final. If he approaches the task in hand with the same kind of rigour as Capello has done with England then he will achieve the UEFA Champions League ambition of his billionaire owners. All he needs to do is identify the problem and fix it. England were individuals and now they play as a team. Man City can't defend for toffee, let alone 3 points, so the best signing Mancini could make, he has made with Brian Kidd. If he can focus his role as a defensive coach and calm City's nerves from any kind of pressure then they could really kick on in the New Year - especially as United, Arsenal and Chelsea will all be back in battle in the UEFA Champions League. It will be very interesting to see who he signs in January. I am sure there will be at least two big signings made to reinforce the defence and the midfield probably as many as four, again in the same area of the team. Given, Barry and Bellamy have been superb and depending on the way Bellamy takes to his new manager (after Sparky apparently personally contributed to the transfer fee to sign him). The worst move the Mancini could make could be to add yet more options to his attack. For his apparent faults Hughes has got all his front players flying and scoring goals (apart from Robinho that is) and I have never seen Craig Bellamy play better or more consistently. In Tevez and Adebayor / Santa Cruz the team possess a potent spearhead, and if Robinho turns up (probably not till the snow has gone away) then they will score goals no problem. Who knows what will play out over the coming weeks and months, if Mancini fails to get to grips with the ego of his squad then come May both Mancini and Rafa could follow Hughes to the JobCentre. The game feels like it is on the verge of going crazy, and I expect lots of cash to be spent this January and I would say there are only 3 managers safe in their job Fergie, Hodgson and Wenger.
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