Player power at the Hart of Mancini's exit: Clash with City's goalkeeper was beginning of the end for sacked Italian manager

By Ian Ladyman for the Daily Mail

Published: 17:30 EDT, 14 May 2013 | Updated: 17:50 EDT, 14 May 2013

Roberto Mancini sealed his fate with the Manchester City players when he publicly criticised Joe Hart in Real Madrid’s Bernabeu Stadium as long ago as last September, it can be revealed.

Mancini is coming to terms with life as an ex-City manager after being sacked two games before the end of the BarclaysPremier League season late on Monday night.

As reported by Sportsmail, the Italian’s fractured relationship with his own players was at the core of his dismissal from the Etihad Stadium and Mancini never had a chance once he had taken on England goalkeeper Hart in the wake of a Champions League defeat in Spain last autumn.

Sacked: Roberto Mancini was dismissed by Manchester City, largely because of his argumentative nature

Informed on the way in to his post-match press conference after City’s 3-2 defeat that Hart had told TV cameras that his team-mates had no excuses, Mancini deliberated over whether to respond.

Then the City boss told reporters that Hart should ‘stay in goal and make saves. I am the judge, not Joe Hart’. It was this comment that City’s players took as a betrayal of one of the dressing room’s most popular players and, from that point on, there was no way back.

City were at Reading on Tuesday night playing their penultimate Premier League game of the season, having already made it clear Mancini will not be missed. Staying in London following Saturday’s FA Cup final defeat, several spent much of the time sending messages to reporters outside trying to find out if their manager had been sacked.

One message from a first-team player simply asked: ‘Is it time to put the champagne on ice?’

Key man: Goalkeeper Joe Hart was among those to feel let down by the Italian

Criticised: Mancini was unhappy with Hart's comments after the defeat at Real

All of this may seem very strange, given that players such as Hart, Vincent Kompany, Gareth Barry and James Milner had won virtually nothing before Mancini guided City to an FA Cup win in 2011 and the Premier League title a year later.

Sadly, though, it just tells the story of how much Mancini was struggling to keep relationships going at every level at City by the time he was dismissed rather cack-handedly this week.

In their statement on Monday night, City spoke of their desire to adopt a more ‘holistic’ approach, a responsibility that will fall partly to Chilean coach Manuel Pellegrini once he signs a contract in the next two weeks.

The club were understandably lampooned for such peculiar language, but it was their way of pointing to a lack of togetherness and communal direction felt at the club during the latter half of Mancini’s three-and-a-half years.

Successor? Malaga manager Manuel Pellegrini is expected to replace Mancini

City certainly do want to develop a sense of continuity throughout all levels of their football — from the youth set-up to the first team. They describe it as ‘one house of football’.

That, though, will continue to be primarily the responsibility of sporting director Txiki Begiristain. Pellegrini — when he arrives — will be the first-team coach.

What City will hope to be rid of is the sense of exclusion that they feel Mancini built around his coterie of a dozen or so technical staff.

Certainly the approach Mancini took towards medical matters during his time at the club alarmed senior executives.

Volatile: Mancini also regularly clashed with Mario Balotelli, one of his most expensive signings

Almost permanently dissatisfied with the medical staff, Mancini is understood to have interfered relentlessly with the treatment of his players, sometimes shunning the conventional methods of City’s experts to send players off to Italy for treatment with physio Sergio Vigano, an old friend in his mid-70s.

Three club doctors came and went during Mancini’s time at the club, as did physio Jamie Murphy,  but still he never felt comfortable.

One of the saddest moments of City’s celebrations moments after winning the Premier League in their own stadium a year ago came when Mancini chose not to shake the hand of club doctor Phil Batty as he walked down a line-up of staff on the way to collecting the trophy.

All top managers have arguments, of course. It’s what drives many of them. At City, though, they simply felt Mancini had too many and even chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, the man who hired and supported the former Inter coach throughout, could not persuade him to adopt a more diplomatic approach. Khaldoon was informed on more than one occasion by City players that Mancini was unpopular. 

Grazie: But the City fans who made the trip to Reading were keen to remind the Italian of their gratitude

Some players even wanted the Italian out in the wake of last May’s title triumph, something that will  surprise even the most hardened and cynical football observers.

Certainly City will be more careful and more rigid when it comes to the appointment of Pellegrini.

The current Malaga coach will not be allowed to bring so many staff with him — Mancini even brought in a chef — and his role will be far more clearly defined.

We will not know for some time if Mancini has learned any lessons in recent months. It would appear City certainly feel they have.