Season Preview - Manchester City

Manager – Roberto Mancini

Stadium – Etihad Stadium 47,726

2010/2011 – 3^rd

As is now the norm with Manchester City, they began last season with great expectations. A top four finish (at the least) and an end to their 35 year trophy drought were the understandable targets Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and Chief Executive Garry Cook had set Manager Roberto Mancini for the upcoming season, one in which he failed to disappoint. After spending in excess of £400million on new recruits since the Abu Dhabi United Group took over the club on transfer deadline day back in 2008, huge amounts of pressure and responsibility is placed on the man brave enough to take charge of this lucrative yet precarious position. With the Premier League being Mancini’s main priority it was evident as City fell at the first hurdle of the League Cup, losing 2-1 to West Brom at The Hawthorns. The Europa League was another high profile competition Mancini’s men were involved in but despite positive results in the group stage finishing top they only managed to reach the round of 16, losing to Dynamo Kiev 2-1 on aggregate. It wasn’t all doom and gloom as City were still going strong in the FA Cup and the league, both of which couldn’t really have turned out better for the Citizens. City’s results planned out pretty similar both halves of the season. There were a few minor bumps along the way with unwanted draws and losses but being top at Christmas and winning five out of the remaining six games to finish the season in 3^rd (their highest finish since 1977, claiming a Champions League place for the first time) gave little for the City faithful to complain about; and the small matter of an FA Cup winners medal, beating rivals United in a memorable semi-final along the way to end a 35 year wait for silverware, was the icing on the cake for the fans who had been through much heartache for the past three and a half decades.

Highlights of 2010/2011 – Final league position and FA Cup Winners were the outcomes of a very successful season and assured everyone that the team had more or less gelled as a winning unit.

Lowlights of 2010/2011 – Carlos Tevez handing in a transfer request halfway through the season cast doubts over the strikers’ long term future and disrupted goings on at the club which could have turned into a disaster. General nuisance of the mystery that is Mario Balotelli.

What to expect in 2011/2012

Can they take it one step further? With the success of last season, Mancini has all but cemented his position as manager, gaining the trust of the fans and the board, more or less. But the wrong set of results and a Champions League exit can all change the fortunes of a man sitting on top of the world…and a huge amount of money. But those are just nightmares in the otherwise dream state Mancini finds himself in. Keeping hold of talismanic striker Carlos Tevez will prove to be Mancini’s toughest job this summer and it is anyone’s guess whether he will still be playing for the club come September 10^th when they play host to Wigan. After the Corinthians bid fell through it is now up to Europe’s elite to try and take on the little Argentine with Inter reportedly leading the chase in a possible swap deal involving Eto’o or Maicon. Whatever happens, City will hope this saga will not drag on as much as that of Cesc Fabregas and his proposed move to Barcelona. With the acquisitions of Stefan Savic and Gael Clichy, City have bolstered their defence even more when it didn’t seem possible. Savic will more than likely provide back up for Kompany, Lescott and Toure at centre back and Clichy will certainly give Kolarov a run for his money at left back, providing pace and enthusiasm going forward and solidity on the back foot. At 25 years old Clichy could prove to be a more than decent signing at £7million. High profile names have come and gone the last few summers at Manchester City and this year proves to be no different. The capture of Sergio Aguero has broken City’s transfer record and is this summers’ stellar signing, so far. Costing City £38million, they can expect a real star in ‘El Kun’. A true professional of the game, playing to win at the highest level and not for money, or so he claims, Aguero is Maradona’s son-in-law and carries that reputation with him. He is the kind of player who can make a difference, light up the pitch with his pace and skill and can prove to be a real hit with City and the Premier League. Only exciting times lead the way for Mancini to follow and guide his squad of stars into right now.

Signings –

Costel Pantilimon, Poli Timisoara - Undisclosed

Stefan Savic, Partizan Belgrade - £6million

Gael Clichy, Arsenal - £7million

Sergio Aguero, Atletico Madrid - £38million

Other potential signings –

Samir Nasri, Arsenal - £22million

Wesley Sneijder, Inter - £35million/part of Tevez deal

Samuel Eto’o, Inter - £20million/part of Tevez deal

Maicon, Inter - £16million/part of Tevez deal

Gary Cahill, Bolton - £17million

Leighton Baines, Everton - £18million

Cesc Fabregas, Arsenal - £35million

Luka Modric, Tottenham - £30million

Juan Mata, Valencia - £22million

Departures –

Jerome Boateng, Bayern Munich - £11.5million

Shay Given, Aston Villa - £3.5million

Jo, Internacional – Undisclosed

Michael Johnson, Leicester – Loan

Shaleum Logan, Brentford – Free

Patrick Vieira – Retired

Other potential departures -

Carlos Tevez, Inter/Real Madrid/Juventus/Barcelona/Chelsea - £50million

Craig Bellamy, Celtic/Bolton/Blackburn/Fulham/Sunderland/Cardiff/Everton - £5million

Shaun Wright-Phillips, Bolton/Sunderland/Wigan/Fulham – £6million

Emmanuel Adebayor, Tottenham/Real Madrid/Blackburn/AC Milan - £12.5million or Loan

Wayne Bridge, Newcastle - £5million

Roque Santa Cruz, Blackburn – Undisclosed

Possible Starting XI

4-2-3-1

Hart

Richards, Kompany, Lescott, Clichy/Kolarov

De Jong, Barry

Johnson/Milner, Toure, Silva

Aguero

If Nasri is signed

4-2-2-2

Hart

Richards, Kompany, Lescott, Clichy/Kolarov

De Jong, Toure

Nasri, Silva

Ageuro, Balotelli/Dzeko

Alternative, If Tevez stays

4-1-2-3

Hart

Richards, Kompany, Lescott, Clichy/Kolarov

De Jong

Silva, Toure

Aguero, Tevez, Balotelli

Second String XI

4-4-2

Pantilimon

Zabaleta, Savic, Toure K/Boyata, Wabara

Milner, Barry, Suarez, Johnson

Dzeko, Adebayor

Prediction

3^rd/4^th

With their current squad, City may find it difficult to cope with challenging for the premier league title and their first season in the Champions League. This is coming from inexperience In areas throughout the team but they have more than capable players to achieve these goals and in Mancini, have a multiple title winning manager who thrives on such pressure to deliver. If they are to fight for that Premier League Crown, City will have to beat a very strong Manchester United squad, an ever increasing Liverpool team and the experience of Chelsea to it. Mancini will have to be a little less defence minded this season and be more daring. They are more than capable of seeing off top sides with the little wizard Silva providing through balls to Aguero who is prolific anywhere inside the box. With a tall and strong defence, City should be covered if this new attacking style has some flaws in it. Gareth Barry may have to be sacrificed to watch on the side lines where it will be hard to fit all the £100+k salary stars onto and keep them happy for that matter; another possible problem Mancini has become so accustomed to over the past 19 months. Overall Mancini has a very strong side with an equally nice blend to it, in all areas that are capable of challenging for the highest honours in England and across Europe; it’s just a case of whether he can push on from last season’s success and lead city into a new era promised to the excitingly anticipating fans who have waited so long for days like these to come.