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Roberto Mancini defends tactics after Micah Richards comments

Last updated on .From the section Footballcomments264

Roberto Mancini gives instructions to Micah Richards
Roberto Mancini gives instructions to Micah Richards

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has defended his tactical switches after Micah Richards raised concerns about playing with three centre-backs.

Richards claimed Mancini's decision to switch from 4-4-2 during the Champions League defeat at Ajax killed City's chances of claiming victory.

But Mancini said: "If you are a top player it is not important what system you use.

"If you don't understand a system like that, you cannot play for a top team."

City were leading 1-0 through Samir Nasri in Amsterdam before goals from Siem de Jong and Niklas Moisander swung the game in favour of the Dutch champions.

Mancini then instructed his players to switch formation in a bid to rescue the Group D game.

But home midfielder Christian Eriksen scored to seal a 3-1 victory to leave bottom-placed City facing an uphill task to reach the last 16 after taking one point from three games.

Afterwards, Richards admitted the Premier League champions were uncomfortable with the three centre-back formation, saying they preferred to play 4-4-2.external-link

Mancini added: "What Micah said is not important. He answered a question. I understand people want to write about it, but to me it doesn't matter.

"Maybe Micah doesn't know because it was his first game for two-and-a-half months."

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264 comments

  • Comment posted by U14398633, at 12:31 26 Oct 2012

    City need to spend more money.

  • Comment posted by James, at 14:10 26 Oct 2012

    Another day, another BBC football article completely misquoting someone to create a story from nothing

  • Comment posted by whatwentdown, at 13:55 26 Oct 2012

    Why has no-one mentioned Ross Turnbull's Champions League medal?!

  • Comment posted by Plain Speaking, at 13:45 26 Oct 2012

    BBC are mis-reporting what Micah Richards said post match on BBC FiveLive.
    Richards hasnt experienced playing 3 at the back, (which Mancini has been trying to introduce since pre-season), because he has been injured for months.

  • Comment posted by U10805575, at 12:58 26 Oct 2012

    @3

    You mean apart from Lampard, Terry, Cole, Bertrand, Hargreaves, Carrick, Scholes, Brown, Ferdinand and Rooney?

  • Comment posted by RJC, at 12:35 26 Oct 2012

    @3 Chubby Pandas

    How recently are you looking? I'm sure Lampard, Terry and Cole all got Champions League winning medals last season and they're English

  • Comment posted by wirral18, at 14:13 26 Oct 2012

    What I would like to see is a top ex player come out and defend the use of zonal marking. I am in complete agreement with Neville in that I don't see the reasoning behind it.

    Anyone like to promote it on here?

    Zonal marking means someone smaller than you can get a run on you, doesn't make sense. Stay with your man and make sure he doesn't beat you to the heade.

    Simple

  • Comment posted by Mark, at 12:43 26 Oct 2012

    Some sympathy for Roberto: stick too rigidly to one formation and it's a case of "crap manager, no plan B'; try differing strategies/formations to allow for differing circumstances and it's a case of "crap manager, confusing his players with unfamiliar tactics". However, we do seem to be going backwards rather than progressing in Europe and he has to accept responsibility for that.

  • Comment posted by Adrian Chiles, at 12:34 26 Oct 2012

    Pretty sure Micah only said that the players prefer 4-4-2 and not that the switch to 3 at the back "killed City's chances of claiming victory"

  • Comment posted by Stephen Marsh, at 01:45 27 Oct 2012

    245: does that come as a surprise? Most of your comments are just idiotic. Why bother mate? talk football ( if you know anything about it), cos your 'banter' ain't funny....

  • Comment posted by Sheffield Andy, at 14:48 26 Oct 2012

    @77 Zonal marking should work if players actually did it properly. The idea is that if you mark a man you will both be running towards goal so he has the advantage. With zonal, if you mark the 6 yard box, the keeper should claim it inside and if its outside the 6 yard then the defenders are attacking the ball. At no point should anyone not be attacking the ball. It is either keeper or defender

  • Comment posted by boils, at 12:31 26 Oct 2012

    Mancini was wrong.

  • Comment posted by U15480446, at 13:26 27 Oct 2012

    Does anyone think the players at City have respect for Mancini? I would say no. There is no mutual respect between himself and and team and without that they will win nothing this year. Most city players are great footballers but not great professionals. Look at Wenger and Fergie neither of them stand for such behaviour and it all started witb the Tevez affair

  • Comment posted by one pump chump, at 12:55 27 Oct 2012

    you bring a bunch of superstars to a club like man city who have no worldwide reputation, no glorious history they simply dont care enough about the club to muster up the stomach for a fight...if it was barcelona not man city they would be expected to graft and uphold long established traditions....they are only there for the money not because they respect city.

  • Comment posted by U3244992, at 12:02 27 Oct 2012

    Mancini's problem is that he hasn't got control of his players. There was the Tevez debacle last season and the ongoing problems with Balotelli but also several incidents of players remonstrating with the manager when substituted and throwing tantrums. Now Mancini has to contend with his players criticising his tactics in the media. He's proving weak in managing the egos and that can be fatal.

  • Comment posted by rockandhardplace, at 11:35 27 Oct 2012

    Saw a Man City supporter on holiday so far up his own end it was laughable. He came down to breakfast saw a QPR guy (yep these bozos wear their emblems on holiday) and said thanks for the title. Everyone looked amused. When it was pointed out how lucky they were, he went into a stroppy fit. Love to see his face now, priceless.

  • Comment posted by U15480446, at 02:35 27 Oct 2012

    I do respect the fact that City won the league last year BUT that is when they were still unknown to the football world as a team and not a group of individuals with talent. Now City face the real test like United, Arsenal and Chelsea when people know who they are and what they are about and guess what.............They are a long way off.
    Mancini does not even know how to control his players.

  • Comment posted by SPUD, at 23:58 26 Oct 2012

    More drivel being spouted.
    Give credit to Ajax and accept the fact that Mancini and players both have to take some responsibility for performance. To say Mancini is a bad managert and city just mercenaries is nonesense. Bad managers do not overturn 8 points deficits to win the league and while money has been spent, what is bought has to be managed. Mancini is a good manager - not great.

  • Comment posted by Jammy-, at 22:55 26 Oct 2012

    @236

    I think you're mad bro

  • Comment posted by GunnerStorm, at 21:05 26 Oct 2012

    I agree with Mancini that a defender cant play for a top team if he isn't able to adopt into a 3-4-3
    However Micah made a point that he didn't have the experience of changing into that formation, so why change it if its a massive risk.
    It would probably have been important to keep it level at 1-1 until the 70th minute, sub Micah off for an experienced defender and then adopt a 3-4-3 to try to win.

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