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Following on from the one-trick Pony posting

I've come to the conclusion that Mancini just doesn't favour players with pace. Otherwise he would have acquired one or two just to give us an option. He also doesn't like wingers. At least not the old fashioned type who get to the byeline and get good crosses in. He prefers his players to cut inside all the time. That's why he plays left footers on the right and right footers on the left. This does allow the full backs to occasionally get to the byeline, but ours aren't generally good enough to get decent crosses in. Take Micah, for instance, he has the pace but no final product and Kolarov can cross a ball, but has no pace.

I think it has become obvious by now that no matter how many of us cry out for it, a fast build up goes against Mancini's philosophy. It isn't going to happen. He will stick to his principles. He likes us to pass the ball sideways and backwards in our own half and build up very slowly.

Football to Roberto is like playing chess.

It has it's positive side because we retain possession for long periods (on our good days) and don't concede a lot of goals. I personally can't see that style alone ever bringing us success in the English Premier League. It's crucial that we are able to change things, particularly when we go behind and are chasing the game.

We have lost so many points this season due to our inability to change the way we play effectively. In short, to be successful we need options. We need to be more versatile.

He's had three transfer windows to make our squad more versatile. He's had the chance to inject some pace. He hasn't done it. The only conclusion I can draw is he doesn't want to. He's happy to play his game of chess. He obviously thinks it will prevail.

I hope I'm wrong, but I think it will eventually prove to be his downfall.

~SPIKE~