Why Oh Why Has Mancini Recruited David Platt?

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has recruited his former team-mate David Platt who, as from 1st July 2010 became City's first-team coach.

Chadderton-born Platt, who began his career at Manchester United and is known to have been a fan of the Old Trafford club told the official MCFC website...

'Obviously Roberto was a major factor in me coming here - I've known him for 16 years and he was instrumental in taking me to Sampdoria.'

'When the phone call came it wasn't a difficult decision - I'm joining a club with great resources, a good strategy and good project to really challenge for things, coupled with a manager who I've got a great deal of respect for.'

Platt, 44, who has been out of football since losing his job as England Under-21 boss in 2004 continued...

'I had an opportunity to go back into management at a lower level and you think long and hard. But when you're at big games the adrenalin kicks in, you want to be a part of it.'

Platt, who had a nightmare as Nottingham Forest's player-manager between 1999 and 2001 finished off by saying...

'For me it's a different role now - as a manager, the buck stopped with me. I have an opinion and I'm quite happy to voice it, but Roberto makes the decisions here.'

'We had one or two rows when we played... hopefully we won't be having them this time!'

Teams managed

Sampdoria - 1998 - '99
A controversial stint at the former Italian giants ended after only a few months at the helm following other clubs protesting that Platt did not have the appropriate coaching qualifications for managing in Serie A. Platt resigned before Sampdoria were relegated to Serie B.

Nottingham Forest - 1999 - 2001 (player manager)
He was manager at the City Ground for two seasons, but had little success despite spending several million pounds on players who did not perform well and in doing so plunged the club into debt.

Platt's tenure at Forest was marred by disagreements with several experienced, long-serving players, leading to them being isolated from the first-team picture and subsequently released by the club.

He is still hugely unpopular with many Forest fans who blame him for the club's decline on and off the field during the 2000s, which culminated in relegation to the League One.

England U21 - 2001 - 2004
Platt was appointed manager of the England U21 in July 2001 and during his stint managed to guide the team into the 2002 European championships, but two-years later the team failed miserably to qualify for the next major international competition.

Jobs for the boys?

Oh why oh why has Roberto Mancini recruited David Platt?

England video clip

A brief clip of when David Platt played for England.

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