2012/13 season finished

It seems the general consensus for this season, to put it mildly, was not successful. I would slightly disagree as finishing 2nd does (believe it or not!) actually merit a good slap on the back. On the other hand failure to relegated Wigan in the FA Cup deserves a punch to back of the head. Another failure in champ league was again, desperate (although I will argue to the hilt about the ridiculous group City were placed in 2 seasons running!).

For me it was more the past few months which have really been disappointing. Dropping points from the start of the year signaled the title was relinquished with no further challenge. We held onto the FA Cup for redemption but a piss poor performance killed off any remaining silverware and the axe duly fell on a helpless Mancini, therein finishing the season disillusioned.

Mancini thanks fans with advert in the MEN

Maybe we should have thought better? City just about won the title last year, remembering the all too familiar final day dash. But that was won on goal difference. Winning it created huge - and justified - optimism, but alarms should have been raised (and infact quite vocally were by Mancini) by the transfers, or lack of, that took place in the summer window following the title winning season.

So City were def up against it. The hacks can spin all they want about City's shit challenge to their title defence, but looking at it now it does seem that without the extra push of decent transfers (by that I mean people other than Scott Sinclair and Javi Garcia) City were again going to have to try and go toe to toe with Utd and nudge their nose in front of the line, but they just couldn't do it again.

Although as I say finishing 2nd is a decent shout and I will take an away victory over the rags at the swamp as the standout league moment for this past season. I will not take any standout moment from the Champions League campaign......and will try to erase the FA Cup from my memory forever!

Going forward, its all change. Not just for City with a new manager/backroom staff to employ and player movements etc going on, but for Utd with Moyes; Chelsea with possibly Mourinho; and Arsenal with all their mooted money that they are saying Wenger can spend. Not to mention Liverpool's steady revival and Spurs' consistent top 4 threat. It will probably mean an even more challenging season for 2013/14.  Does this compound this seasons general failures even more thinking of what lies ahead for next season?

Certainly expectations will be duly checked, City will hopefully get a breather by the press with all eyes on how Gollum does with the rags and Mourinho will also bring a distracting special one circus to proceedings. I would like to think that the focus shifting to other main challengers and a renewed impetus under the new man (Pellegrini it looks like) will let City go about their business in an under-the-radar confident manner.

Take your pick of which one you find most distrurbing

Consistency though is the key. City can play exceptional football, best in league BY FAR at times, but only once in every few games. Some new exciting signings and a new manager to bring a consistent performance mentality, will build optimism by the end of the summer. No one really knows how any of the teams that have finished top four this year will look like and play come next season. So pure speculation will permit for the next few months. Let's just hope Pellegrini hits the ground running and we have a couple world class players snapped up to get excited about.

Worst hangover ever......then Mancini is sacked

I didnt want to write anything for the first couple days after the cup final as was completely gutted, was grieving and didnt really want to revisit it. Waking up sunday morning I felt completly shit from drink and kept wincing at the thought of that ginger nut Ben Watson rising past Rodwell to head in a late winner.

City were so poor it was unbelievable. There was probably only one or two possible goal scoring chances they created. Uncharacteristic and the oppositie of what I and pretty much every other pundit, fan and netural obsever thought would happen. Why?! WHY?! Raging mate. Will take a while to get over this defeat me thinks. Well done Wigan and all that though......

Anway as I gave myself the oppertunity to wait until today to type up about the final, we are now faced with a second tsunami of media/public City tongue wagging following the confirmed Mancicni exit last night. Yes it's not fair on Roberto and I'm not pleased with the timing and handling (yet again circa Mark Hughes) of his departure but I am not severly wounded by him going or in complete uproar.

The guy has had almost 4 years in charge. We won the FA Cup and Title during his reign. Maybe if we won the FA Cup again on Sunday I would be feeling differently but I am fairly ambivalent about it all. He's had good run and I'm now interested to see what the next Abu Dhabi owner backed man can do.

Because that's just it! Mancini was the new owners first manager. Everyone is freaking out about him going 'Ferguson created a Dynasty..... City have sacked a manager that has brought them success...... No Stability.....no loyalty.....ruining football!'. What is this the first time that a club has EVER done this? No. Chelsea, Spurs, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Byrn Munich, AC Milan etc etc change managers with varying regularity. I mean ffs, City have had 20 different managers in the whole Ferguson era!

So before City's money arrived with their new owners, managers were changing hands. Hughes, Sven, Pearce, Keegan...... Again, Roberto has had 3 and half very good years in charge but if its time to go then fair enough. Get over it. I'm excited about what lies to see where new man can take us. Obviously no one can say what the team will be like come next season. But right now I don't want to watch/talk about football for a long time yet!

Dzeko is a donkey/City B-team

The last couple premier league matches against Swansea and West Brom respectively have flown by rather quick. Probably because there was a solitary goal between both games and City did not produce their best football in either encounter therefore not causing much to linger in the fans mind. Certainly I will not be casting my eye back to these late league games at the end of the season - word is unexceptional.

Ultimately though, it is 4 points gained. It should have been the maximum of 6 points, however Mr Edin Dzeko spurned an open net in South Wales to miss (yet another) glorious goal scoring opportunity, which has been somewhat of his trademark during his time with the Citizens. It is harsh to say he has not been a complete success, as I can remember a couple games where his goals have been important in securing 3 points in league matches, but ultimately there has been far too many times when he has just not cut the mustard.

Mustard?!

75 games - 29 goals. Good but not what his potential when he first arrived a couple years ago would suggest as great. Time for Edin to move on and I think we all know it.

As I eluded to in a previous post, I had thought these games before the FA Cup final on Saturday would be a nod to the squad for staking their participation in the final. Giving fringe players a chance to show what they can do so Roberto has a head scratch in his selection against Wigan. So last nights game against the baggies had a bit of a 'B-team' feel to it. Guys we haven't seen get regular starts getting the go ahead both to keep the 1st team starters fresh for the final but also serving as an opportunity for them to prove themselves and force their ways into Mancini's plans.

City stumbled to a win. Looked fairly mad-cap in the last 20 mins but it secured another home victory and has guaranteed chimp league footy for next season. So bravo, lets now forget these silly league distractions and just look forward to what is the pinnacle of our season on Saturday.