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After the first part of this article, the subject of change came up, with reference to Mancini adapting his style to suit the PL.

We clearly play in a far more positive style than we did this time last year. Except, that is, in the games against top four opposition, when we seem to revert to that very negative style that was the norm in his first ten months. A style that drove me and a lot of other City fans mad.

I've no evidence for this, but I'm convinced something happened around November time behind the scenes. There was a lot of talk of player unrest and the results were indifferent. Players were grumbling. Tevez had a well publicised row with Mancini about negative tactics and him being the lone striker. Mancini came under a lot of pressure at that time, people were pointing out that his points total was no better than Hughes's when he got the sack and Mancini himself was maybe (?) close to getting the push at one point.

However, after the Birmingham 0-0 bore at home when the team were booed off the pitch, the shackles seemed to come off and the football became noticeably more free- flowing. He allowed his midfield players in particular more freedom to get forward. Of course there has been a down side and we have conceded more goals, but we have also won a lot of games, most of them in style and now we are close to the top of the league.

I really think he realised he was on the edge last November/December and there was a definite change in philosophy. He surprised me, because I didn't think he was a manager for turning. I admire him for it.

I'm still not totally convinced by him, but I now have a lot more respect for him than I used to. He certainly isn't the clown that I once called him.

~SPIKE~