Two bust ups with his players in as many days, it for sure won’t be a simple season off the pitch at Manchester City.
On Monday morning instead of Manchester City’s superb victory over Chelsea dominating the headlines, it was a petty fallout between manager Roberto Mancini and former captain Kolo Toure.
The row was over Toure giving his winner’s medal away after being unhappy at not making it onto the pitch. Then a day later the row between Mancini and Adam Johnson made the news, with the two having an argument prior to the Community Shield after the winger was left out.
Clearly balancing the egos of players who feel they should demand a first team place was never going to be easy.
There will likely be more fallouts along the way this coming season. Emmanuel Adebayor and Craig Bellamy were two to fall foul of Roberto Mancini after he first arrived, and last season it was Carlos Tevez and Mario Balotelli.
The difference with the latter two is they were accepted back into the fold, as they were deemed necessary to the manager’s winning formula.
The reigning Premier League winning manager though is no angel himself. A trawl back through tales of his time in Italy as a player leads you to the conclusion he has in fact mellowed.
His fiery side was evident as he clashed with Sir Alex Ferguson on the touchline as City clinched their memorable and ultimately decisive 1-0 win over their rivals at the Etihad at the end of the season.
The trick for City fans is not to worry, and accept there will be fallouts and arguments along the way this season.
Roberto Mancini is evidently not shy of putting a rocket up the backside of his squad’s pampered stars, and showed last season he doesn’t care who the player is, star man or not, he won’t shy away from confrontation if he feels it necessary.
It is part of what makes him a winner, having that drive and passion to win, and is what has got him and Manchester City to where he is today.
He will do what he thinks best for the team. When he cast Tevez aside last Autumn it was because he was becoming a disruptive influence and was sulking generally about his lack of game time. When the Argentine’s head was right, then he brought him back.
With Mario Balotelli, Mancini was happy to indulge him until he became a liability with his performances, and again when he got it together he was invited back into the fold.
Manchester City have been hotly tipped to win the Premier League this season, and on the pitch they are fully expected to have much of it their own way. Off it, if the start of the season, and last season too is anything to go by, then there could be fireworks.
Who will be next to cross him? It could be anyone, but we tell you one thing, Adam Johnson and Kolo Toure won’t be the last this season.
All of this is no slight on Mancini, it is just a fact of life under his management. So long as City keep winning, his tough approach may not win him friends, but it is not a manager’s job to be popular after all.
image: © Mafue
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