Manchester City News 24/7Writer: Lincolnsmariner 
Date:Sunday December 20 2009
Time: 11:00PM
UK time is: 23:44:32
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Top Four Or Failure
The harsh dismissal of Mark Hughes came as a huge shock following the seven goal thriller at home to Sunderland.
Manchester City is still in the early stages of development following the take-over and our massive summer spending spree. It will take time to get to the level we are aiming at and changing managers during this transition phase could set us back.
Roberto Mancini is not the first choice of managers for the 'Hughes Out!' brigade, nor is he a manager with Premier League calibre. What the man does possess however, is three Serie A titles, all be it in a time where the nearest competitors were awful.
Manicini simply has to deliver, or we are back to square one. It is top four this season, or a new manager next. The owners have shown their cards, now they must play them.
I for one am quite bewildered at the decision, especially considering the work Hughes did off the pitch in bringing the club in line with the best ones around. Can Mancini build a club, or just manage the players in it?
Either way, we will be a laughing stock if the man cannot perform on the pitch. I hope the Italian can deliver, or we may regret the day we lost one of the best up-and-coming British managers around.
Will the decision to hire Mancini backfire? Is the minimum requirement top four now? Have your say NOW!
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Your Comments
if as Sparky said in his statement it was top 6, then now the goalposts have invariably moved to top4 and a cup final, (hopefully) and no doubt the owners will back him with pots of money to spend....... and it's another year of transition again, if we don't get there.... will we ever learn?
cityman51
He was, and always will be, a united man. Seriously, i've never understood why you lot never seemed to mention it! Your new bloke is a wannabe Mourinho who won't take you to the next level. You need a Hiddink, or a Mourinho.
jinkin jimmy dimmock
jinking jimmy,two words MATT BUSBY!
mcfcirish
Mancini will have to deliver Champions League football. The owners shouldnt have sacked Hughes if he cannot. This is a MASSIVE decision, I hope it is the right one.
eighthsin
Failure it is then!, surprising really cos buying barndoor and kolo for 40 mill you really had the football world convinced that you knew what you were doing. Honest guv. Hughes was always well out of his depth and we all look forward to the megalols that Mancini will provide as English is blatantly his first language :). This is where the wheels really come off. Watch those mercenary egos run riot. Dear oh dear man Sourty how the not so mighty will fall further. Happy xmas!
nikolaijns
Agree failure and a few wanting out by end of season.
TeddyLyon
I think its pretty clear from looking at case studies of villa, spurs, everton and fulham how you improve: build slowly.
The best managers outside of the top four look to buy players with something to prove/who want to be there, buying from the better players from below to improve the team you currently have. City players (with exceptions) do not look hungry. Adebayor and Robinho look like theyre doing you a favour by turning up. You have to ask what kind of players are looking to leave successful clubs for one lower down the pecking order.... It also looked like some of there signings were to prove a point Robinho ("look, we can attract top players"), Tevez (do one over united), Adebayor (taking a first team player from a top 4 side), Barry (compete for signings with liverpool, England int.) rather than them fitting with how he wanted the side to work. Still think Hughes is a good manager though, his time at Blackburn proved that. Someone is going to get a good manager out of this decision...wonder if liverpool swap him for Rafa, Hughes has proved extremely capable at mid table level (lol).
Joshtottenham
Incidentally spurs were in my list as more of a how not to do it (until recently) before anyone gives me flak. Im also aware that everton are low down in the table right now, but their injury list over the last 18 months has been horrific.
Joshtottenham
No offense, but you're being a little overly dramatic. And, I can't believe you're 'shocked' by this. It was just a matter of time. Who didn't know that? Hughes is a good manager, but hardly irreplaceable. Mancini is a questionable choice for one simple reason - no Prem experience. That aside, he's more accomplished than Hughes and it's a little early to proclaim he's not Prem calibre. Let's see what he can do. One simple fact is that Hughes was underachieving and the owners reacted. If Mancini can get City to defend, he'll have accomplished more than Hughes did.
Teddy_KGB
lol Josh... this build slowly approach from Spuds is the one where you spend nearly as much as us? In the time we spent 220 million you spent 180 million.
MCFC_Goatboy
Tbh, Ted, Mourinho never had Prem experience when he came to England.
Johnny Baguette
Rome WAS NOT built in a day!
Merlin
Top four this year - forget it. How can he get the angry guys on side unless he drops the lazy ones who are apparently not able to be managed by Hughes? He cant win. This press conference is going to tell us all we need to know. If his English is not coherent, he is screwed, and so are we. If Rocky starts up front against Stoke, then he might know what he is doing. If Rob and Ade are straight back in, again, we are screwed. They'll give him five games effort and then revert to type. With the other squads out there, top six would be a miracle in these circumstances.
DarthGonzo
A big ask is the top 4 - it can be done but we need to start putting a string of wins together
Thaibluefan
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