The last thing we need right now

is for the fans to lose faith in our manager - especially with talk of the conceited egotist Jose - who would only stay for a couple of seasons and then be off to pastures new. Cripes - I know we don't want to lose the Prem race and we are out of both cups but FFS - the Rags are out too - is there talk of firing SAF - or did they give him several years before he brought the titles in? I agree - we've had some dire results recently - don't know whether its down to red cards/absences abroad, the Tevez saga and/or poor tactics by the boss man. We certainly shouldn't be talking about changing partners and dancing with someone else at this stage. Flashback to the 6-1 drubbing of the Rags - and we thought Mancini was God. I think to a large extent we've been unlucky with ref's decisions, sendings off - retrospective red cards. No excuse to lose to Everton, I agree - but I don't agree that Bob's a dead man walking. Has Chelsea's boss man made great strides - or even the crass Dogleash - all that money spent and where are they in the league. Arsenal have floundered - its us and the Rags - and maybe Spuds - hopefully Bob will plan a little better.

I have the utmost respect for you guys who travel to the hinterlands to watch City away on a freezing cold night and I certainly respect everyone's frustration and disappointment with recent performances. I was gutted to go out to Liverpool. Maybe Bob learned some lessons - that somebody who is a grafter like Bellamy - might just have done a job for us.

I agree wensdi that we shouldn't be talking about replacing him, I don't want Mourinho, and I don't think there's anyone else really out there we could get and it be an improvement. That aside, he deserves this season on the back of last season alone and I am a firm believer that the key to long term success is committment to one single manager.

But, I do think Mancini has made his bed this season, he is the manager, he has the expertise and I trust him, but he has made several key desicions that if I were in shoes, would have done something completely different (hopefully we'll see why he's a paid professional and I am not come May).

Namely; not taking cup competitions very seriously. With all the emphasis clearly put in the league it is vital that he delivers.

At the start of the season our target was probably not to win the league, but as the season progresses, expectations change, so do targets. The only way we will lose the title is if we throw it away, it is ours to lose, and if we bottle it questions have to be raised as to his management - our players should be going out there chomping at the bit in the position we're in, fact is, past month or so they've looked the complete opposite (bar second half FA Cup really).

Do people not remember that Fergie took the rags down at the beginning of his reign? You have to take the rough with the smooth and let him form his tactics and get familiar with the English game,and it is no good saying he has had 2 seasons.Fergie has had 25,there is a difference.
To change the topic,I have just been watching the Bolton-Arsenal game which is being officiated by that idiot Foy,how does he get away with some of the decisions?Even the commentators said he was a joke,but I bet he will still be
getting top games to referee,and the FA think that they know what is going on!!

Sorry coolenglishbob, as much as i'd like to agree Fergie never took the rags down at the begining of his reign. ...Would like to see Mancini given at least another season, not sure how patient our owners are and what effect the FFP rules the Tevez episode are having but IMO he will come good... come to think about it he's probably the best Manager we have had for a long long time.

I think the problem is that what started as 'a bad day in the office' with the West Brom game, has continued to form a rough patch, and the concern now is that the team appear to be regressing.

Obviously it's difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel (albeit we have been in much longer and much darker tunnels over the years!), but do you see us turning up against Fulham at weekend and putting 5 past them, whilst playing with real swagger and intent? I don't, I can see us stuttering and having to grind out results right up until the end of the season. That's the situation we're in. Hopefully I'll be proved wrong and we'll switch it back on, but hey, would it really be City if we did it the easy way?

We were always going to have a few teething problems this season, CL being a learning curve etc, and we will improve year upon year I have no doubt. However, the way we hit the ground running at the start of the season highered expectations, it probably didn't do us any good, would probably be better off if our form was reveresed and we were now in the ascendency, but here we are. Cries for the manager to go at this stage are barmy, but there are legitimate concerns. Thats my op on the issue anyway.

Rubbish reffing by Foy tonight again - Vermaalen yellow card and yet it was clearly Mavies who dived - commentators said it was a joke and he got everything wrong. What a balls up.

As one of our esteemed posters has said - we'll be trucking by March. Almost levelled against the Rags with 10 men. Mancini will learn from his mistakes - he's not as arrogant as some managers. Hope the players get a good bollocking - and hope RM gets his team selection right match by match.

I'm also a believer in sticking with a manager. We look at Chelsea with all their chopping and changing of management and all that happens is they backslide. Since they fired Mourhino, they've had what, seven managers, and they're just getting worse and worse. We've seen it ourselves as well. It doesn't work.

Now if we were scrapping our way out of relegation after Bob splashing £200k on players, I'd be thinking differently. But we're not. We're on top of the league and we've just had a bad month. We shouldn't be looking to give Bobby the chop for being on top of the league.

As for the cups, I hardly think we can blame Bobby for being dumped out of the FA Cup. Foy is the one we should pour the scorn and vitriol on.

There is no way anyone should even think of getting rid of the manager
Mancini will produce over time. He is too focused not to

Unless he & the players pull their fingers out though this season we are going to finish 2nd or even 3rd. It is ours to lose & for the past few weeks we have been doing a very good job of gifting it to the rags. Hopefully Sat against Fulham will be the start of a turn around. A bit of fair refereeing & a bit of luck wouldn't go amiss as well !