betting
Manchester City
By David, BettingExpert.com | Edited
Does money equal success?
Big spending City have been the club to splash the most cash during the summer transfer window. Star players have joined those already in the City ranks with the aim of making the blue side of Manchester the brightest part of the city. Will it be enough or will there be need of time before a revolutionary Mancini manages to impose his work ethic and defensive antics on the group, preferably without clashing with the players?
Coach: Mancini
Tactics: 4-3-3
Players In: David Silva, Milner, Y. Toure, Balotelli, Kolarov
Players Out: Robinho, Bellamy, Garrido, Ireland, Onuoha, Caicedo
Current Probable Formation: Hart, M. Richards, K. Toure, Kompany, Lescott, De Jong, Y. Toure, G. Barry, A. Johnson, Milner, Tevez
Uncaring for club debts or the Financial Fair Play mode advocated for by Platini and which will come into effect in a few months’ time, the richest club in the World has bolstered an already decent squad leaving it in Mancini’s hands to decide what is surplus. What will be done with the extra players grumbling on the sidelines? Rich clubs don’t have time to hear the muttering. What matters are results. But does the money spent mean that they will be getting return on investment yet?
Mancini seems convinced he can get what the owners are
asking for, and that is a Champions League placing and perhaps a go at the
title. Realistically, though, Mancini has already made it clear that there is
need for the establishment of a 
winning culture at a club that has well and
truly forgotten about what facial characteristics success has. After all 34
years is a long time and the new generation of City fans have grown up
considering their team whipping boys and victims of the invincible Ferguson
armada, destined to maybe disillusion fans with mid-table decency but never
quite a campaign to remember.
The very rich Sheikh Mansour who took over has changed all this and given the whole lot of City spectators enthusiasm and the hope that they can finally look at city rivals United from above downwards. Just have a look at the newcomers and their track records. Wouldn’t you have wanted to see those big name signings head your team’s way? Even United fans bit their lips at seeing the likes of David Villa, Yaya Toure, Milner, Kolarov and Balotelli join Mancini’s growing squad.
Perhaps the team may have grown a little too much to handle now. 39 players in the first team are not what Mancini would call an ideal number to work with. Of course it does provide cover for those inevitable injuries, although there are doubts as to who can really replace Tevez at the moment in case he gets to spend a few weeks on the sidelines. Nonetheless, the rule usually goes that the bigger the number of players fighting for a place in the first team, the bigger the fighting between them will be.
Mancini himself has a track record of misbehavior from his
days as a football player. He does not bite his lip often and in his career,
spanning from Sampdoria and Lazio to his coaching spell at Inter, he quarreled
with referees, team directors, 
players, assistants, colleagues and whoever
thought he could have the last word against him. His spat with then Juventus
coach Capello in the dugouts when both were managers in Italy is famous for his
non-caring attitude at the fact that he was being filmed live and at how he
shut up the stubborn Capello. That may be determination but his lack of
flexibility can also be his downfall. Since his arrival in Manchester he has
had bust ups with a few players, notably goalkeeper Given, who today is not a
starter anymore, and Bellamy, who was loaned out to Cardiff City. His increased
training time for a group of players used to taking football less of a
profession and more of a well-paid semi-hobby, did not go down well with most players. The Italian’s maniacal approach on tactics and the importance of
defence have not been a plus point in his favour either with players like Tevez
feeling the pressure of having to fend for themselves in attack as others were
instructed to first and foremost watch out for the opponents’ runs.
There is no denying that Manchester City have got one of the most fearful squads on paper. Goalkeeper Hart, who went on to replace the marginalized Given, has got what it takes to become a number one. In defence the Italian has probably got the biggest problems of abundance with a line-up that includes Kompany, Kolarov, Lescott, Kolo Toure, Micah Richards, Bridge, Boateng and Zabaleta. Most are also versatile enough to cover more than one role so one may well expect some frequent reshuffling.
The centre of midfield should be handed over to a trio that can both provide cover for the three forwards and who can also control the distribution of the ball, seeing that the opponents see less of it. Barry and Yaya Toure have both characteristics and with their level of excellence they should be a permanent in Mancini’s first eleven. De Jong has got great qualities in stealing the ball back from the other team but as his flying kick in the World Cup final shows he has little consideration as to how he does that. If he can make a killer move like that in a World Cup final and not mind the consequences then how many times will he be on the stands due to red cards waved in his face? Vieira and youngster Michael Johnson will be waiting on the sidelines for their turn.
The attacking positions will be three with two of them going to quick wingers capable of skipping past opponents and setting up City’s main man Tevez. At times it may be Adebayor and at others Balotelli but surely no one may think of a strong eleven without Tevez at the centre of City’s attack. As for the flank players Mancini will have a very fine selection. David Silva, Adam Johnson, Milner, Wright-Phillips and if need be Balotelli can all provide those runs which are supposed to make Manchester City lethal, especially on Mancini’s favourite scheme – the counter-attack.
Predicted finishing position: 3rd
It is still unclear whether the blue side of Manchester can join its red counterpart in the Champions League next season but they do have the players to break into the top four. The doubt revolves around how weak the competition will prove itself to be and whether Mancini can keep the group from disbanding as he tries to impose his beliefs and his stubborn attitude on the players. It will not always be rosy but somehow Mancini should deliver that target top four spot in the end.
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