A diversion from transfer speculation as the official site today announced that Roberto Mancini had added David Platt to the clubs coaching staff.
Mancini said of the hiring:
"David brings a wealth of experience to his role as coach here at City and he will enhance what is already an excellent team at the club. We had a great relationship as team mates many years ago and I know he will make an important contribution to the club."
Having David here at the start of pre-season training was an important factor, and I am very pleased that the coaching team will be in place as we prepare for the start of an exciting campaign."
Platt and Mancini of course go back to their playing days at Sampdoria in the early-mid 1990's where both were under the tutelage of one Sven-Goran Eriksson. Like Mancini, Platt moved into management himself - albeit less successfully - with a spell in club football with Nottingham Forest before taking the England under-21 job during Eriksson's reign in charge of the senior side.
Judging by the initial reaction to the news on Twitter, the move has not met with a great deal of approval but I think it is an important hire for Mancini.
When he was appointed as manager at the club, he did not bring a backroom staff with him (apart from the hiring of Brian Kidd which you would have to say was the club rather than Mancini's decision) and of course the team that Mark Hughes assembled was also dismissed en masse. In addition, from what I understand Brian Kidd will not be sidelined as part of the decision to bring Platt in.
Often when a foreign manager is appointed to a position, they do generally bring someone on board who has a knowledge and familiarity of the club and the league (something Jose Mourinho has done at both Chelsea and Inter) so Platt could well be an important buffer for Mancini and the players.
Of course, one should not confuse Platt's coaching abilities with his managerial record and don't forget that this will very much be Mancini's set up and with Mancini making the decisions.