While I agree Mancini can be a very clever tactician, he can also be incredibly predictable as well as obstinate. When a team has to chase a game, one of the more effective ways to break down the opposition is to get to the byline at speed to get behind the defense. This can be achieved by direct wing play or players making diagonal runs, something I have rarely seen from City under Mancini’s reign. My point being is that he over elaborates far too often, and his insistence on solely using wingbacks to provide width is risky business against teams playing an aggressive high pressure system (something the author astutely has remarked upon here as well). The bottomline is Mancini has to shoulder the blame on this performance. These are his players playing his tactics. He cannot keep throwing the players under the bus for his mistakes. For all my frustration with the man I do not want him to get the sack but for that to happen he needs to evolve tactically and find a series of systems which utilize width and pace as well as improve his poor man management skills. Rant over