Mancini to join Ferguson in leaving Manchester

Monday's back pages all share one common theme: both Manchester clubs will have new managers within the space of a few weeks.

 

"It's goodbye from me... and it's goodbye from him" is the back page lead in The Guardian, with outgoing Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson in tears, and Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini looking anguished.

The Daily Mirror has a similar back page splash beneath the headline "Goodbye to Manchester", while The Times's headline is "Ferguson's tears, Mancini's fears".

Every single paper reports that Mancini will be fired this week, with Malaga boss Manuel Pellegrini being lined up to replace him.

Despite the ubiquity of the story The Sun still tries to claim it as an exclusive - though their claim to have Mancini's reaction to being "knifed in the back" is at least unique.

"It is the sly way it has been done which has left him feeling bitter," the paper claims, saying that Mancini was given the news on Sunday afternoon, and that it came as a huge shock following a cordial dinner with club chiefs the night before the FA Cup final.

"It was not until mid-afternoon yesterday Mancini found out his fate second hand," the paper reports.

"And even then nobody from the club had contacted him face to face to either confirm or deny speculation. Soriano and director of football Txiki Begiristain have secretly been negotiating with Malaga boss Manuel Pellegrini behind Mancini’s back for weeks.

"Meanwhile, Mancini had been dealing with the pair over transfer targets for next season and believed he had their full support. He was also convinced Al Mubarak was fully behind him.

"A source close to Mancini said: 'All the dealings Roberto has had with Al Mubarak and Begiristain were positive. He believed unless they were playing the most divisive game then he was their manager for the long term. There is a real feeling he has been knifed in the back.'"

The Times reports that, "Mancini could be dismissed as early as today with no guarantee that he will still be in charge for City’s Barclays Premier League match away to Reading tomorrow night."

The Mirror, meanwhile, claims Mancini will get a year's wages as a pay-off, and reports that successor-in-waiting Pellegrini will meet City bosses on Thursday to negotiate the last few elements of the deal.

It is worth pointing out that Pellegrini has this morning denied that there is any agreement with City - but last time all the papers were this unanimous on this big a story, they were proven right within hours. That was just last week when news of Alex Ferguson's impending retirement broke the night before the club confirmed the news.

As to why Mancini is going? The Mirror claims that there is literally nobody left who wants him to stay: "City chiefs have concluded Mancini does not have what it takes to advance the club in Europe and that a change of manager is needed if they are to make a serious assault on the Champions League. The players are also unhappy at his man-management and the 48-year old will be given his marching orders once a severance package can be agreed."

Pellegrini will be a snap for City considering his £2m release clause, the Mirror adds, and the Premier League runners-up, "will move for the Chilean with the minimum of fuss and ensure he is in position for the club’s pre-season tour of South Africa and the Far East."

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Everton give Moyes winning Goodison send-off

Premier League, Goodison Park – Everton 2 (Mirallas 6, 60) West Ham United 0

 

Everton marked David Moyes's last home game as manager with a comfortable 2-0 win against West Ham United at Goodison Park thanks to two goals from Kevin Mirallas.

The hosts were dominant from the outset in Moyes’s penultimate game and it was of little surprise when Mirallas gave them a sixth minute lead.

While they dominated the rest of the half they were unable to add to their advantage with Victor Anichebe passing up a pretty presentable opportunity half way through the first period.

Mirallas then doubled his side’s advantage with an hour on the clock as the Toffees continued to dominate but Jussi Jaaskelainen was in inspired form as he denied the third goal the home side's play merited.

Andy Carroll, roundly booed throughout, almost halved the deficit late on but his header came back off the post and Everton closed out a win that ensured Moyes’s men finish above neighbours Liverpool.

No trophies arrived on his watch but Moyes came into his 426th Premier League game as manager of Everton knowing that a victory over West Ham would ensure the Toffees a second successive top-flight finish above Liverpool - something they've not achieved since 1937.

He has restored pride and competitiveness to one of England’s most esteemed clubs and was afforded a rousing send off from the home faithful for his 11 years of service.

His captain, Phil Neville, however, was denied a Goodison swansong by a knee injury but, that aside, Everton were full strength for their penultimate game of the season, so Moyes named an unchanged side from last weekend’s Merseyside derby.

If Moyes was concerned that the weight of emotion would bear heavily on his side he had need not as the Toffees immediately set about pinning back a rudderless West Ham United side.

And there were just six minutes on the clock as Mirallas finished off a flowing team move involving Leighton Baines, Leon Osman and Marouane Fellaini to give the home side the advantage their early supremacy had merited.

Osman, who had been afforded far too much space in midfield, almost added a second with twelve minutes on the clock when he showed a great sleight of foot to escape the clutches of Winston Reid and draw a save from Jaaskelainen.

While Osman’s opportunity had an air of difficulty to it, Anichebe should have doubled his side’s advantage with 23 minutes gone, but, having found himself onside and only seven yards out, the Nigerian international lacked composure and lashed an effort straight at Jaaskelainen.

The Hammers were abject for much of the first half but the advantage of utilising a direct style of play is that it can produce chances from very little.

And that was the case on the half hour mark when Matt Jarvis found Kevin Nolan early on the edge of the box, but Tim Howard was equal to the former Newcastle man’s volley as he pushed it wide of goal.

Despite that chance, Everton’s superiority was never in question and Fellaini was denied by a last ditch block from James Collins on 37 minutes as the hosts re-established their dominance.

Considering the extent of Everton’s excellence, Allardyce will have been happy to go to the interval just the one goal down.

The West Ham manager made a tactical switch at the interval with Carlton Cole entering the fray but, while the attacking nature of the switch was to be applauded, the decision to go from a five man to a four man midfield was puzzling considering the home side’s utter command of the area during the opening half.

Unsurprisingly, the Everton supremacy continued and although their second was fully merited, it was unlucky that the superb Collins was the man whose attempted last-ditch challenge deflected the Mirallas effort past Jaaskelainen in goal.

Jaaskelainen and Collins were the only players who emerged from an abject performance with any credit as first the keeper and then the Welsh international turned efforts from Osman and Steven Pienaar around the post.

The Hammers rallied late on with Joe Cole drawing a smart save from Howard in the Everton goal on 79 minutes before Carroll headed against the post with only four minutes left to play.

It was fitting though that the Toffees managed to keep a clean sheet, and a win next weekend over Chelsea would see Moyes sign off having garnered 66 points – Everton's highest tally in the Premier League era.

MAN OF THE MATCH:

Kevin Mirallas – A constant threat getting in behind West Ham, and capped a superb performance with a brace.

PLAYER RATINGS:

Everton: Howard 6, Coleman 7, Distin 6, Jagielka 6, Baines 7,Gibson 7, Mirallas 9, Osman 7, Pienaar 8, Fellaini 6, Anichebe 5. Subs: Hibbert 5, Jelavic 5, Oviedo 5.

West Ham United: Jaaskelainen 6, Demel 5, Collins 7, Reid 5, O'Brien 5, O'Neil 5, Diame 4, Nolan 5, Collison 4, Jarvis 5, Carroll 5. Subs: Noble 5, J.Cole 6, C.Cole 5.

 

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Reaction to Sir Alex Ferguson's final match at Old Trafford

Reaction after Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson's final match at Old Trafford, a 2-1 victory over Swansea City.

He will retire at the end of the season.

Ferguson: "I decided at Christmas. Cathy's sister died. She had lost her best friend and she has been isolated. For 47 years she has been the leader of the family. She has made a lot of sacrifices for me. It was difficult to keep it a secret. Sometimes we nearly blurted it out to the family and we told our sons in March but my brother didn't know until Tuesday. I wanted to tell the players first and also my staff. Unfortunately there were rumours going around on Tuesday so we started to speed it up a bit."

Ryan Giggs, veteran Manchester United midfielder: "Sir Alex just said play the game and not the occasion. He wanted to win the game, wanted it to be an entertaining game and for us to do the things which he has wanted us to as a manager. The memories of him that stick out are when I was younger. When I was 13 playing for Salford Boys and looking to the sidelines and there was Sir Alex Ferguson watching."

Nemanja Vidic, Manchester United captain: "It will be strange not to see him in the dressing room. This is a big club and will always be a big club but it is sad after so many years, without him is going to be sad. Even on the last day he wanted to win the game. He told us this is the mentality you have to have when I go, always fight, always want to win."

Michael Carrick, Manchester United midfielder: "It's been an emotional day for everyone. It was a strange feeling and it's been like that all week. It was a special, special day. Even in the changing room he tried to keep it as normal as possible but in the back of your mind you were thinking this is the last one. With the reception he got, it was amazing."

Robin van Persie, Manchester United striker: "It's an unbelievable day but a sad one as well. I had the honour to work with him for one year and it's been an unbelievable year. He's made such an impact on me. He may be the greatest manager ever and he's such a nice person."

Paul Scholes, retiring Manchester United midfielder: "It's been a good day. We've won the game, that's all that matters. We'll celebrate tonight and hopefully in more years there will be more trophies for these players. Today it was just nice to get through the game. I thought Sir Alex handled it well, he spoke really well and he has done a fantastic job here."

Michael Laudrup, Swansea City manager: "It is a special day. It is one thing that a manager in a big club stops, but this is a lifetime not a small era. It is incredible. I have a lot of respect for Sir Alex to have so many years in the same club, so unique. It is a lifetime."

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