Was Mancini’s City More Exciting Than Pep’s?

[Inigo Montoya]

Been very impressed with his Italy side with players who are hardly the first names you’d think of for a world or European XI. Was wondering what observers think seeing as we all love to see Pep getting stick on here.

 

[Pep's Suit]

I think between August and December 2011 that was the most beautiful football City ever played but when they lost at Chelsea he became scared and switched to more pragmatic football again.

 

[The Corinthian]

Mancini didn't have the same luxuries Pep had whilst at City (although he did have many other luxuries).

 

[Pexbo]

Pep’s teams are brutally effective and score a lot of goals but they can be incredibly boring to watch. Most of their goals are carbon copies of each other with cutbacks in the box dispatched from 10 yards.

 

[Pep's Suit]

Anyway, Mancini's still a good manager and I would love to see him at Arsenal or Everton or Spurs. I think that's his level but overall he's definitely one of the most successful managers of last 20 years.

 

[rotherham_red]

Been very impressed with his Italy side with players who are hardly the first names you’d think of for a world or European XI. Was wondering what observers think seeing as we all love to see Pep getting stick on here.

I think initially it was pretty dour, with De Jong and Barry in their double pivot, but once Yaya hit his stride and was joined by Aguero and Fernandinho, it got markedly better.

Pep has his own way of playing and for me, it's a bit of a marmite style. Even at his undeniable peak at Barca, I didn't really like the style of play and found it pretty boring with 10s of passes in the middle of the pitch before they even thought of going further up the pitch. It wasn't for me, tbh.

 

[Inigo Montoya]

Mancini didn't have the same luxuries Pep had whilst at City (although he did have many other luxuries).

Do tell: masseuses, powder?

 

[The Corinthian]

Do tell: masseuses, powder?

Parking spot.

 

[HerbT]

Speaking as a City supporter, I think Manchini produced the more exciting football but Pep produces the more effective football.
I preferred Mancini for the heart rate but prefer Pep for the slickness and trophies.
Mancini = a highwire act
Pep = Ballet

When Pep finally wanders on his way I’d love to have Bobby Manc back again.

 

[Inigo Montoya]

Parking spot.

That’s underwhelming but maybe he’s a man with basic requirements

 

[Dancfc]

Wasn't Mancini known for being pretty defensive at City?

At one point he subbed off Tevez for Barry while 0-0 at home to Birmingham.

 

[Inigo Montoya]

Speaking as a City supporter, I think Manchini produced the more exciting football but Pep produces the more effective football.
I preferred Mancini for the heart rate but prefer Pep for the slickness and trophies.
Mancini = a highwire act
Pep = Ballet

When Pep finally wanders on his way I’d love to have Bobby Manc back again.

I think the destruction of Utd at OT was the most complete I’ve seen, I know we didn’t help ourselves by going all out to win but I’ll readiily admit that it was the most exciting

 

[HerbT]

I think the destruction of Utd at OT was the most complete I’ve seen, I know we didn’t help ourselves by going all out to win but I’ll readiily admit that it was the most exciting

Conversely, Ole has Pep’s number big time.
I’d be happy to have Mancini for the Utd games and Pep for the rest :-D

 

[Pep's Suit]

Wasn't Mancini known for being pretty defensive at City?

At one point he subbed off Tevez for Barry while 0-0 at home to Birmingham.

He liked his very narrow 4-2-3-1 but tried to evolve it.

 

[GlasgowCeltic]

Wasn't Mancini known for being pretty defensive at City?

At one point he subbed off Tevez for Barry while 0-0 at home to Birmingham.

Often made subs like that to push Yaya forward, usually worked because its Yaya

 

[1950]

I think initially it was pretty dour, with De Jong and Barry in their double pivot, but once Yaya hit his stride and was joined by Aguero and Fernandinho, it got markedly better.

Mancini was sacked before Fernandinho arrived at City.

Pellegrini's City (in his first season) was the most 'exciting' by far.

 

[rotherham_red]

Mancini was sacked before Fernandinho arrived at City.

Pellegrini's City (in his first season) was the most 'exciting' by far.

Ah my bad, I realised that after I posted it but forgot to edit the post to reflect.

 

[cyberman]

This City is boring but its better.

 

[horsechoker]

Pep's City remind me the Matrix line about they've become exceedingly good at rebuilding the matrix.

 

[Bepi]

Pep’s City tenure just made the bookies more rich than ever: City are perennial quadruple winners, inevitably coming short for one reason or another. In spite of that, every single season they are touted as the pinnacle of the game, with even more punters banking their house on them (especially in the CL) and losing.

Sure, City’s peaks are probably the highest you can witness globally, but they are also as fragile as glass and you can always sense a disaster in waiting. How much £££ will they need and how many more world class players to make Pep the tinkerer sure no other team can spoil his party at crunch time?

Mancini and Pellegrini started from a lower baseline and have comparatively more merit than Guardiola, in City’s development and progression imho.

 

[Pep's Suit]

Pellegrini's first season was built on Mancini's solid defence and Fernandinho was approved by Mancini before January '13. When Pellegrini had to make that team his own and sign his own players he was absolutely terrible (vetoed Dybala and chosen Bony instead etc.). He was so bad City were close to fire him in summer 2015 and Txiki even talked to Tata (and probably Benitez and Jorge Jesus as well). However, changing managers for only one season before Pep arrived was too risky in their opinion.

 

[Bilbo]

Depends what you are into. I personally find Pep's football a tad dull to watch but its undeniably effective and when they click (like a lot of teams to be fair) its a joy to watch.

I'll always prefer those sides that try to get the ball forward quickly though and Italy have been a joy to watch so far, albeit against limited opposition so far.

 

[Zen86]

Pep more or less personifies modern football; boring but effective.

 

[footballistic orgasm]

Can someone explain to me how the team that often scores the highest number of goals in Europe, and creates the highest number of goal occasions can be boring to watch?

Because they keep the ball from the opposition? Well isn't it up to the opposition to get the ball back then and also keep it better?

 

[padr81]

Mancini's City played nothing like current Italy. I love Mancini and have been saying he's underrated but his style was easily the least attacking at City since the takeover. Also easily the most balanced.

His Italy team is the stylistic exception and a case of him reinventing himself to suit his players.

 

[tjb]

This City is boring but its better.

2018 City was fun to watch

 

[tenpoless]

"WAS GOAL"

That itself makes him and his team 2x more exciting than Pep's.

 

[Nevilles.Wear.Prada]

Someday some coach will come up with a system to beat Peps way of playing. Mancini's style had more variety. I say this mostly because he was more of a likeable personality.

 

[adexkola]

Can someone explain to me how the team that often scores the highest number of goals in Europe, and creates the highest number of goal occasions can be boring to watch?

Because they keep the ball from the opposition? Well isn't it up to the opposition to get the ball back then and also keep it better?

They need to be more imperfect

 

[Amar__]

Pep’s City tenure just made the bookies more rich than ever: City are perennial quadruple winners, inevitably coming short for one reason or another. In spite of that, every single season they are touted as the pinnacle of the game, with even more punters banking their house on them (especially in the CL) and losing.

Sure, City’s peaks are probably the highest you can witness globally, but they are also as fragile as glass and you can always sense a disaster in waiting. How much £££ will they need and how many more world class players to make Pep the tinkerer sure no other team can spoil his party at crunch time?

Mancini and Pellegrini started from a lower baseline and have comparatively more merit than Guardiola, in City’s development and progression imho.

I share similar thoughts.

I said last year that if Pep doesn't win CL, I'll find Mancini more succesfull for City, simply because he turned losers into regular Premier league winners, and that was when Fergie was around. They were never even close before him, as we've seen with us, just sashing money won't return you back to winning ways, winning trophies is very difficult, especially with team that doesn't know how to win trophies.

Pep took good City and turned them into an excellent team in a worst PL period, impressive but not that much. Losing against Chelsea in CL final says a lot.

 

[Judas]

Was better.