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The 2011/12 Premier League Title Race: Manchester City

With the “Big 2” clubs in the Premier League dealt with, we turn our attention to the chasing pack, so to speak, and assess whether or not they can be considered serious challengers for this season’s Premier League title. The first of clubs in this bracket to scrutinize is Middle-Eastern powered monster that is Manchester City.

 

In the relatively short time in which Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan has been controlling the club, Manchester City have done what a lot of doubters thought money alone was not able to do. After an unstable first 18 months under the guidance of a thoroughly unsuitable candidate for the task in Mark Hughes that saw the Citizens display some erratic performances that ranged from the absolute sublime to the downright ridiculous, Manchester City had achieved a 10^th place finish and were coasting into mid-table mediocrity when the Sheikh’s axe fell and Hughes was replaced by the highly-rated Roberto Mancini. Since the Italian took charge at the now Etihad Stadium, he has implemented a style of football that saw City steadily improve to finish 5^th in the 2009/10 season. And after some rather more functional summer recruitment than the previous marquee signings that had gone before, including Yaya Toure, David Silva and James Milner, Mancini’s men continued to improve throughout last season and achieved what had surely been the first priority of the new regime, third spot and Champions League football for this season. That along with winning the FA Cup for the first time since 1969 proves that the blue half of Manchester is definitely on the up and up.

 

The problems that Mancini now faces in pushing on to the next level of challenging for the Premier League title hinge on a couple of factors. The first is exemplified by the recent actions of the juvenile Mario Balotelli. With the size of Manchester City’s current first team squad coupled with the caliber of the players being left on the bench week in, week out with one or two troublesome characters thrown into the mix means that Mancini’s man-management skills will be pushed to their limits this season. Unless he can get some of them out on loan before the transfer window shuts, he could have his team’s season sabotaged by restless and frustrated superstars who want a game – and want to let everyone know about it. The second major problem the Italian faces this season is that, now that he has lead his team to the promised land of the Champions League, unless he can take the competition by storm at the first attempt, will the owners be satisfied at an apparent stand-still in progress and will he find himself looking over his shoulder for a potential replacement.

 

One area that has to be taken into consideration when assessing Manchester City’s credentials as challengers for this season’s Premier League title is the “Carlos Tevez Factor”. It is obviously no secret that the industrious Argentine wants away from the Etihad Stadium and if someone can match Manchester City’s valuation of the player and prize Tevez away, can his newly recruited compatriot fill the void? Perhaps a more fitting question would be can anyone? There is no question that Sergio Aguero is quality striker, and with a record of 75 goals in 175 games in all competitions for Atletico Madrid he would score plenty of goals in any team. But can he (or anyone) bring the same work-rate, commitment and team ethic that a focused Carlos Tevez provides for his team? The answer, in short, is that Tevez is one of a kind in world football today and any other striker coming into the side long term would mean a complete restructuring of strategy and approach that would more than likely set Roberto Mancini and his 18 months of progress back a huge step and result in Manchester City finding themselves unequipped to seriously challenge for this season’s title.

 

Verdict: As long as Mancini continues to be given the time and space he needs to do the job and his side can adapt quickly to life after Carlos Tevez, which will be no easy task, 2011/12 could be the season that the Sheikh gets his hands on the silverware he set out for 2 years ago.

Prediction: 1st

 

Next Up: Arsenal…