When Roberto Mancini awoke on Saturday to reports that he is set to be replaced as Manchester City manager by Manuel Pellegrini, the Italian must have hoped for one last show of defiance in the FA Cup final.
A comprehensive victory over Wigan at Wembley would have been the ultimate two-fingered salute to the club’s Abu Dhabi-based owners if Mancini does indeed lose his job.
Mancini could have claimed with some justification that ending the club’s 35-year trophy drought by winning the 2011 FA Cup, then landing City’s first English league title in 44 years last season and securing another FA Cup to make it three trophies in three years would have been enough to remain in charge at Eastlands.
But instead his team responded to the threat to their manager’s job by delivering a lacklustre display and trudged away from Wembley on the receiving end of one of the great Cup final upsets as Ben Watson’s stoppage-time header gave underdogs Wigan a 1-0 victory.
Not since Wimbledon’s infamous Crazy Gang shocked Liverpool in the 1988 final has there been such a stunning Cup final result and it is likely to serve as the final act of Mancini’s City career.
Txiki Begiristain, the City director of football, was seen meeting with Pellegrini’s agent Jesus Martinez in Madrid last month and reports on Saturday claimed the Malaga manager has agreed to join City, who are said to be willing to pay the four million euro release clause in his contract.
Mancini was seen standing pitch-side deep in conversation with City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak before kick-off and, whether or not his future was the topic, the Italian’s stony-faced expression for much of the afternoon suggested the writing was on the wall.
This dismal defeat only increased the likelihood of Mancini being removed in the close-season.
Mancini clearly still has the support of the 30,000 City fans who streamed up Wembley Way and launched into numerous chants to back the man who helped make their team a serious force in English football after years of under-achievement.
It seemed Mancini was determined to do everything in his power to show he was still the right man for the job as he sent out the strongest possible starting line-up, which meant Costel Pantilimon, who had played in all five of City’s games on their road to Wembley, was dropped to make way for England goalkeeper Joe Hart.
That ruthless move may have been a sign of Mancini’s desperation and perhaps another indication that his man-management skills leave something to be desired.
During the course of a frustrating campaign, the former Inter Milan manager has grown increasingly exasperated as City crashed out of the Champions League in timid fashion and then surrendered the title to Manchester United with only minimal resistance.
That angst at City’s failings has manifested itself in a row with captain Vincent Kompany over the Belgian’s decision to play for his country after missing games for his club and a threat to “punch” the inconsistent Samir Nasri.
Against that backdrop it was maybe not entirely surprising that City’s players hardly seemed to be busting a gut to rescue their beleaguered boss.
Instead it was Wigan, languishing in the relegation zone 40 points behind second placed City, who dominated, with the clever movement and dribbling of Callum McManaman a constant menace to Mancini’s defence.
It was another incisive surge from McManaman that prompted a rash foul from Pablo Zabaleta in the 84th minute, earning the City right-back a red card for his second booking.
There was worse to come for Mancini as Jack Rodwell, surprisingly sent on for Carlos Tevez, lost Watson at a corner in the final moments, allowing the Wigan midfielder to head the goal that may well signal the start of a major upheaval at Eastlands.
Wigan pile on misery for Mancini
