"No, I don't think I will have failed. We want to finish fourth and that is what we are working for. But we have improved a lot in the last five months and we must improve more if we want to be a good team. I think the owners can see that."
It is a bit late for it now but, when asked about not finishing fourth in today's press conference, this is what Mancini concluded. City could have taken some of the pressure off themselves by taking this media line earlier in the season. Yes, the goal is fourth, but a European place of any order would represent progress.
Of course, the main reason there is this fixation on fourth is because of the money City spent over the summer - money that the press decided represented the owner's ambition for Champions League football. But the pressure escalated upon the sacking of Mark Hughes. This was understandable: 'if Mark Hughes was not doing enough, what exactly were the owners after' was the general thinking. The sacking itself, which I think has benefited the team, set a precedent for impatient thinking - so that the initial displeasure at Hughes' sacking turned into an acceptance of it: 'Yes, Hughes wasn't doing enough, Mancini must do better.'
Fourth place started to be talked about at every press conference. It is fine to have this target and it has proved to be a realistic target, in so much that we are still fighting to achieve it, but the pressure to finish fourth has largely been self-created.
The benefits of finishing fourth are obviously huge enough for the club. Champions League football would be a great experience for a growing force in the Premier League and qualification would make City more attractive to the best players in the world. But, this is really only our first season with the full benefit of the money. Things are evidently looking up. If we don't get Champions League football this year, it is only a matter of time before we do. City are in a period of transition and, to use the old cliche, we cannot expect success over night - we can get it, but we shouldn't expect it. It takes time to build a team capable of challenging for top honours.
City are almost there this year - a fact which makes this a successful season regardless of how it ends - and obviously I hope, as much as any other City fan, that we can do it this season in the remaining three games, but it will be far from a failure if we don't. We are here faster than I would've expected and it is clear that we can look forward to further progress in years to come.
I think fourth came into our thinking because it was the target set for mancini by the owners. Actually, fifth or sixth place is a good finish and has sent a message to the "top Four"
ReplyDeleteClevblue. I remember, in Mancini's first press conference, him saying that fourth was his own target and not the board - and that he hadnt discussed a target with the board. Maybe this was the arrangement, but I dont think Ive ever heard anything from the owners about fourth. Maybe I jst missed it.. I blame the media!
ReplyDeleteErr, cast your mind back to the start of the season will you and Hughes, after a little spree was told a top six finish was expected. How can Mancini finishing fifth or even sixth be a failure??!! He's working with someone elses vision of a good team with only one permanent (Johnson) and one loan (Viera) player that are actually his own men!
ReplyDeleteI suppose I, like pretty much every other City fan, have been caught up in the frenzy that has been largely produced by the media and, I admit, I am guilty of expecting a top 4 finish. HOWEVER, taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture, with 3 games to go, champions league still a real chance and a spot in the Europa league almost guaranteed, reality has kicked in and I am so, so happy with the progress we've made... mind you, win the last 3 games and I will well and truly be over the blue moon!!!!
ReplyDeleteThis all sounds like an awful lot of backtracking in my view. There is a huge difference for us between a fourth and fifth finish. Fourth represents a fantastic season. Fifth is only ok. Come on City!
ReplyDeleteReally don't agree with that, Wooderbeen - City are going to finish in Europe - when did that last happen, other than through the fair play award? They're playing well, much harder to beat and have improved throughout the season. I think 5th or 6th is a fantastic season. And the foundations are now there for even greater success next season. Can't wait.
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