Look at The Premier League and all is fine and dandy for Manchester City. For the Citizens nothing could look sweeter; they sit top of the highest tier of English football, five points ahead of their long-running rivals, with a goal difference that nearly doubles the second best, United’s, and nobody has scored more and only Newcastle have conceded less.
You could argue it only gets better for City too for they have begun to carry their domestic form over into Europe, they’re into the quarter-finals of The Carling Cup and the weekend brings them QPR.
However, when all is going well, cracks in the face of the club are well concealed by results and delight and this is not healthy at all. Three separate incidents at the club have sparked disdain, furore and confusion.
Last week an interview with Damien Johnson shown on Friday Focus and aired as part of the BBC’s Saturday show, Football Focus, saw Emmanuel Adebayor at unease when it came talking about Manchester City, “I have a good understanding with Mr. Wenger, Mr Mourinho, Mancini thing doesn’t work out as well because I think we all see what is happening about Manchester City on T.V right now.”
Presuming that the former Togolese international is referencing the much covered Carlos Tevez public affair, it seems that the Argentine may have a leg to stand on, even if he does refuse to warm up on it. Whilst fans and the football world alike seem to have already drawn Tevez as the football mercenary that wrongly refused to warm up, it may be the case that a heavily strained relationship between Tevez and Mancini could be a more vital factor than first thought, with Mancini as the perpetrator.
In the same topic of conversation in the Johnson Adebayor interview that the striker mentions, “I think we all see what is happening about Manchester City on T.V right now,” he goes on to comment that he, “doesn’t want to talk about it (his time at City)” and described the startling difference between his past two Premier League managers with an indirect faux paus, “He knows how to talk to players, that’s what Harry has got more than anyone else.”
If internet rumours that started circling in October 2010 over a four letter fracas between Mancini and Tevez, with Mancini telling Tevez to “f**k his mother”, are to believed, then a strained relationship is comprehensible; and we all know the internet can be the catalyst for controversy – think John Terry’s race row. Apparently this isn’t the only foul-mouthed torrent of abuse Mancini has fired off at players; in that now-famous clash in Munich, Mancini barked the orders “f*ck off back to Bosnia” to Edin Dzeko, moments after telling Carlos Tevez to make haste to his respected homeland.
Now you may say, “Tevez man up,” after all the Bosnian did, since scoring five goals, however those goals only came after a brief spell of no involvement with Manchester City’s playing squad, bar two minutes at the end of City’s 4-0 demolition of Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park.
Very interesting read and i believe you make some very valid points. Will be interesting to see how City re-act when the odd result goes against them and who will be next to feel the wrath of the Italian!