“I am not angry, i am disappointed” the some what cliched words all of us would dread to hear from our parents were the sentiments echoed from Roberto Mancini after Man City’s defeat on Sunday. Mario had been on a mad-one at the Emirates destroying an entire title campaign within ninety minutes and if you were listening to Alan Green he was also responsible for the economic downturn, last summers riots, the petrol price increase and for it raining. Obviously last last statement is facetious, he isn’t responsible for City’s demise or the rest of it but Mario does have a few questions to answer and a few things to change. Personally i was in agreement Mancini’s paternal statement, for the first time since he has been in England i’d felt let down by Mario.

Since his arrival in England Mario has lit up the Premier League. His swagger and attitude on the pitch a stark contrast to our homegrown established stars. The prowess of Cantona, the explosivness of Henry, the passion of Ginola and the lunacy of Asprilla, Mario showed signs of encompassing all the things we love in foreign players. Unfortunately for Mario, off the pitch, his relatively eccentric side is exploited by the press, sometimes to his benefit but mostly to his detriment.

However, amidst the chaos, Mario managed to show his humility when he famously revealed his “why always me” t-shirt a sign to many that he didn’t court controversy, rather, it found him. Something we came to find out was true to a large extent when he was interviewed by Noel Gallagher, many of the most famous story’s turned out to be the usual tabloid lies and Mario was actualy a fairly tame guy, after all most of us his age get up to far worse things on a weekly basis on Friday and Saturday nights. As much as his personality is the reason we like him so much it can also be attributed to his recent and sudden downfall.

This country’s footballing culture is very far removed from the individual, the mercurial talent who does what he wants. In Italy the crazy man with an artistic gift is revered, Mancini himself an example. In England it’s all about the collective, the lads, the team spirit, a reason we have failed to produce many 10’s and properly utilise them when we have. For this reason many within the game have been of the Hansen school of thought, “he’s no world beater”.

However Mario’s form in the new year has largely silenced his critics, in a time when Dzeko has proved he’s not for this league and Aguero has started to feel the strains of his first Premier League season. This form is a necessity because with the circus that follows him he is one on-the-field slip up from being berated in the back pages. Unfortunately for Mario his effots have been lost amidst his teams dip in form, this, combined with some of his actions on the pitch in the last couple of games has lead to his critics come roaring back in an attempt, as i can see, to end his career in England.

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