Early Mancini criticism particularly disappointing

When Mark Hughes was sacked just before Christmas, a decision that in itself was viewed as the correct one by most, albeit awfully carried out, the 4-3 victory over Sunderland saw us jump into the top six, having sunk below Birmingham after the awful result at White Hart Lane the previous Wednesday. We stood six points behind Aston Villa in fourth, four behind Spurs who occupied fifth position, and had amassed only ten points from a possible thirty.

Under Roberto we've rarely played well at all in the league, spells of good possession against Wolves and Blackburn about as good as it's got. The eight games we have played, however, have yielded an admirable sixteen points, admittedly against sides who all occupied places in the bottom half of the division at the time. We've also managed to avoid potential banana skins at two tricky lower league grounds, and given the best team in the country a good test over two legs.

It's especially saddening then to hear that some sections of our support have already decided that the Italian isn't the man to lead the club, all of seven weeks into his tenure. There seems to be this view amongst some fans that we're a club renowned for all-encompassing, flowing football, and that because we've spent a few bob on players we should be royally entertained each and every week by a side resembling the Harlem Globetrotters. Nonsense.

Credit where credit's due, under Hughes we did sometimes play quick, incise, clever football, at home, when we felt like it. Maybe my memory's fading in my old age, but i don't remember that being ever week, even most weeks, and for every fluid performance there were two that could more accurately be described as completely spineless.

Also, those performances generally stopped with the end of last season, as the new signings forced an often change in formation and the addition of Carlos Tevez, plus several injuries, effected the progress of Stephen Ireland. With two or three exceptions we were only slightly less pedestrian under Hughes this term as we have been under his replacement.

Good sides are generally built on good defences. We don't have one, but we have players there who have been amongst the best in their positions in the country at some point. Though we've not looked a great deal less wobbly in that respect since Roberto's arrival, especially not over the last couple of weeks, you don't need a degree to work out that six conceded in eight is an improvement on twenty-seven in seventeen.

Stats don't tell the whole story, of course. The age old defensive problems are still our Achilles heel. Injuries don't help, but a general lack of organisation and discipline are in part down to the previous manager choosing a captain with limited leadership abilities. The goals we do concede tend to come from our own errors, and distribution; the age-old problem with previous defences, dealing with crosses, and giving away needless free-kicks in dangerous positions continue to haunt us. These are things that take a while to work on, a few set-piece tactics on the training ground aren't going to turn us into a tight defensive unit overnight.

The main beef of fans, though, from what i can gather anyway, is the opinion that Mancini's not getting enough out of us in an attacking sense by playing formations too negative. I'm not sure that's the case. We have to remember that Roque Santa Cruz is still about as much use as a chocolate hairdryer whilst not fully fit, Craig Bellamy's been injured, and more recently, Carlos Tevez away on family matters. We've also loaned out two wingers.

So far as i can see, Roberto has experimented with formations and systems, much more than the previous boss did, and i find it quite amusing that some of those slating him are those most vocal about the likes of Martin Petrov 'needing to pull his finger out', or Stevie Ireland being, a couple of recent assists aside 'not a shadow of his former self'.

I think we have to learn to appreciate that the entire mentality of an Italian manager is different to that of an English one. The days of Serie A sides being watertight defensively might be over, but there's no doubt that the tempo of the game is different, and the overall focus is less one of entertainment and more one of efficiency. Under Mancini we've generally been efficient, and that's all we can ask for during these early stages.

If we labour to a 1-0 win over Liverpool on Sunday i'll be over the moon, i'm sure most if not all of us will. It's a must-win game, in my opinion, not even a 'must not lose' given Liverpool's much easier run-in. Berto's call to arms earlier this week was spot on, and that goes for after the game, too, irrespective of result or performance. Now's the time to be pulling together, not arguing amongst ourselves or getting on the back of the new boss. We're better than that.

Like it or lump it, in deciding to change manager, the board, assuming there's nothing to rumours of Mancini's time here being no more than a seat-warming session for a certain Portuguese gaffer, which i don't believe for one second, have ended one regime and started another. Roberto, then, must be judged after a lengthy enough time period, and with the team he assembled, not Hughes, nor anyone else. Those on his back already need to have a look at themselves.