Manchester City’s worse fears were confirmed in Matchday 5 of the Champions League after their 1-1 draw with Spanish giants Real Madrid.
They had just been knocked out of the group stages for the second successive season.
It was by no means an easy group containing the league champions of England, Spain, Germany and Holland, however, after winning the English Premier League, many expected that City would be able to rise to the challenge and survive into a maiden knockout phase. How wrong they were.
They laboured to a lucky 1-1 draw at home to Dortmund and lost to Madrid at the Bernabeu in a highly entertaining affair thanks to a late goals from Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Back-to-back games against Ajax meant maximum points was a must, but City managed just one as Frank De Boer’s men taught them a lesson at the Amsterdam Arena and City could only salvage a 2-2 stalemate at the Etihad Stadium.
Now, they must win against Dortmund to have any chance of qualifying for the Europa League. These are indeed testing times for City, at least in Europe.
With the way UEFA coefficient points work, City must start shaping up on the continent or face the prospect of being sucked into a vicious cycle. As teams go deeper into the Champions League, they accrue more points.
The more points gathered each season based on European performances, the more chance a team has of being protected in the Champions League group stage draw, as they are placed in a higher pot.
Consistent performers in the elite club competition such as Barcelona, Mancheser United, Chelsea and Bayern Munich are among those in pot one having demonstrated consistency in the competition by virtue of titles won and finals reached etc.
On the other end of the scale, those that constantly under perform will be placed in the lower pots such as three or four where the chances of drawing the “group of death” are much higher.
Man City drew Bayern Munich, Napoli and Villareal in last seasons group of death as well as being in this season’s group of death. If City want to truly become an elite European force, they must start performing in the Champions League.
The fact that they did not have European commitments like Chelsea, for instance, in the latter stages of the season to distract them from their Premier League games was a welcome blessing in disguise, but it is a reality the very top teams have to deal with year-in-year out.
City are yet to be exposed to such demands and responsibilities, and this a huge concern going forward if they can’t even advance from the group stages.
Mancini has done quite a good job in my view in the nearly four years at the helm of one of the continent’s emerging powers. He has delivered trophies and managed the many egos at the club quite well through tough disciplining and strict management, like typical Italian managers.
He has had an endless supply of funds so success is expected, but it is easier said than done. Having developed a core group or spine consisting of Joe Hart, Vincent Kompany, Yaya Toure, David Silva and Sergio Aguero to rely upon to take the fight up to the other teams when the heat is on, he has perhaps established the most important aspect of a football team, its identity.
Last season’s title winning team was characterised by the flowing, attacking football that slaughtered teams at home and away with an avalanche of attacking options proving to be much too much for many teams, including their greatest rivals and defending champions at the time Manchester United, who were dealt a hammering at Old Trafford in 1-6 loss that was described as a seismic day in English football.
Mancini had created a team that was water-tight at the back and capable of ripping teams to shreds offensively on the break and by playing attractive attacking football. However, the next step in Manchester City’s transformation from Premier League also ran to global powerhouse is to start performing in the Champions League and building its own history in the competition.
Winning it is another matter altogether, but consistently going deep in club football’s most prestigious competition is a precursor to an eventual triumph in the competition as experience and credibility builds.
City can look at Chelsea and see that the West London outfit were in the same situation as City 10 years ago, and with consistent performances in the competition they have a great pedigree now having gained much respect which ultimately played a big hand in their deserved triumph last May.
As much I have been a fan of Mancini in the way he has handled the difficult job in front of him on the blue half of Manchester, his European record does read a sorry tale and does not augur well for City supporters who dream of their team’s name being etched onto the hallowed trophy.
Mancini has a reputation of being somewhat of a Cup specialist having reached the final of the Coppa Italia five seasons in a row from 2004-2008 and having delivered FA Cup glory in 2011 with Manchester City.
Having won four Serie A titles in a row with Internazionale from 2004-2008 and delivering a maiden Premier League title last May with the blue half of Manchester, there is no denying his credentials and quality. However, one of the main reasons for his dismissal at the San Siro was his very poor European record that did not impress owner Massimo Moratti.
With two quarter-final appearances in 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 with Internazionale and two Round of 16 exits in his final two seasons at the helm of the Milanese club, this is a poor record that the Manchester City hierarchy must pay strong attention to.
Back to back group stage exits attests to Mancini’s struggles on the continent, albeit two very difficult groups had to be overcome.
The harsh reality is that if performances in Europe do not improve, then City will continue to draw difficult groups getting sucked into a vicious cycle as punishment for their continental incompetence.
With the squad that is at his disposal, there should have been no excuses second time round this season if inexperience was the reason for the early exit last season.
With the money that has been invested in recent years, failure in the premier club competition is not an option and continued failure will harm City’s attempts to grow and truly establish itself as a major European force, not too mention the humiliation and shame each poor performances brings to the club and its reputation.
In order for that next step to be taken, a bold bid to bring in the likes of a Pep Guardiola or Jose Mourinho or even a Rafael Benitez or Frank Rijkaard, who have proven European track records, would be a natural succession plan after the foundation work made by Mancini domestically.
Subrasub
Roar Guru
He certainly would be but i don't think he will. I remember watching that game thinking City were gonna cause a real upset and set off a warning shot to the rest of the teams in the competition but obviously the class shone through with the late goals from benzema and ronaldo. I completely agree that if they had won that game at the bernabeu, then they would certainly have laid down the foundations for progression into the knockout rounds with the belief that would have been gained. Silva and Nasri have been transformed into inverted wingers at city and being that pirlo type pillar in midfield whose always available and whose able to direct traffic is not something that comes naturally to them. At valencia and at arsenal/marseille respectively, silva and nasri were very much crafty and tricky wingers with pace, flair and an eye for goal but they just seam to be too loaded in attack with attacking players up top especially with tevez and aguero dropping so deep al the time which i feel unsettles the balance of the team. It's almost as if sometimes theres no midfield at all and just the defence and attack with no linkage. Gareth barry seems to be the closest conductor city have at their disposal at the moment. Javi Garcia could potentially play that role but he has hardly played. perhaps going for a toni kroos or nuri sahin would give city greater balance in midfield who are able to control the tempo of the game.
Subrasub
Roar Guru
With the astronomical transfer fees paid to land some of the stars they have on their squad and the pay packets that continue to eat into the owner's wallets Manchester City are a completely different case altogether. Arsenal took time to make an impact in the champions league simply because the premier league was overshadowed by the strength of Serie A and La Liga during the late 80s and throughout the 90s. Arsenal were never buying trophies. Mancini has an awful european record that cannot be overlooked. Tough groups they may have been over the last two seasons, however they should have made a better fist of it at the very least instead exiting so meekly. I mean qualifying for the europa league is out of their hands for crying out loud. Just look at Chelsea. As soon as they had the money to build a squad that could compete at the top, in the 2003-2004 season they made it all the way to the semi-finals in the first go. It has not taken Chelsea anytime to settle into the champions league arena having consistently gone deep. Manchester City's progress is alarming to say the least with the quality in that side.
Stephen Smith
Guest
Humiliation & shame? What rubbish. Fact is, City are only just learning to compete in the Champions League, as any club needs to do, millions to spend or not. It took Arsenal the best part of a decade to get qualification out of the group stage. Mancini has done an excellent job in turning an under-achieving club into one that wins honours. The Champions League will take more time, but to get rid of Mancini in favour of one of the others mentioned (Benitiez - ugh) is unnecessary. As is the piece.
Alan
Roar Guru
Guardiola would be nice. City screwed up their Champions League campaign when they lost to Madrid in Spain. To squander a 2-1 lead with five minutes to go and lose 3-2 was a huge blow to City's morale and they did not recover. Had they won that game, I think it would have given City the belief to go on and qualify from a very tough group. I think City is also lacking a genuinely creative midfielder like a Xavi. They have some fine wingers in Silva and Nasri but they do lack a conductor. Toure is a great player but he is more a defensive midfielder in my opinion.