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Happy Birthday Mancini, You sexy man!


Mancini! Whooah!

Mancini! Whooah!

He came from Italy

To manage Man City!

Mancini! Whooah!

Mancini! Whooah!

Some people have likened the Country of Italy to a lady's leg in high heels. If this is the case then on the 27th November 1964 our savior was born right, slap bang on her sexy calf muscle, in Lesi.

Mancini played for four clubs over a twenty year period but spent the majority of his career at Sampdoria, where David Platt also played for two years during Mancini’s time. During his playing career he picked up the Serie A title with two different teams, Lazio and Sampdoria.

He also won the Coppa Italia six times with the same two, Supercoppa Italiana twice and the UEFA Cup Winners Cup twice, again once with each two. He also picked up the UEFA Super Cup once with Lazio while picking up a World Cup bronze medal in a game won by Italy while playing England. The English goalscorer that game? David Platt!

As a manager, pre Manchester City, he has been just as successful. Serie A winner three consecutive times while boss of Inter. Four time Coppa Italia winner, once each with Lazio and Fiorentina and twice at Inter with the Supercoppa Italia also picked up twice while at Inter.

Sunday the Italian celebrates his birthday while in charge of his 72nd league game at the helm at City.

Over that period he has masterminded 43 wins (that is a 60% win ratio) with a goal difference of plus 80! He has already pushed City up to a top three finish for the first time in City'sPremiership history and first time in the top flight since Tony Book was in charge, the season after we won our last trophy. Speaking of which he delivered us success in the FA Cup which was the first cup success of any sort since 1976 and the first in that particular competition since 1969.

The Italian has been breaking records all through his tenure so far and you feel that he has only just begun. He has experience in Europe and that has lifted City from qualifying for the Europa via fair play to qualifying for the Champions League via league position and no play offs! It has been a sharp learning curve for City and this and the previous Champions League campaigns reflects that. Despite this he still has an overall 53% win record in Europe with City. Two season’s ago our Europa League progress was the furthest we had got in European competition for decades.

I spoke about Roberto masterminding the FA Cup victory two seasons ago and of course the Title in the last campaign but what is not thought about is where we were as a club pre-Mancini and where we currently find ourselves.

All told, Mancini has been in charge for 159 competitive Manchester City games and has won exactly 62% of them, while losing 17% and drawing 21%. Despite being criticised as a defensive minded coach City have currently scored over 314 goals in all competitions and only conceded 146.

That is a difference of 168 goals, average almost two goals a game and conceding just under a goal a game. With these stats combined with the progression we see at City (top of the League expected rather than eighth hoped for, FA Cup and Community Shield win, Champions League participation oh and of course we are Title holders!) the future may be bright, and it is certain to be Blue!

Happy Birthday Roberto Mancini !!!