Mancini ready to wield the axe

Roberto Mancini is ready to wield the axe on his misfiring Manchester City stars for this weekend's FA Cup fifth round tie with Leeds.

The City boss was furious with his team after their 3-1 defeat at Southampton as they fell 12 points behind Manchester United in the Premier League title race.

And Mancini insist he will only select players he believes are ready to roll their sleeves up for the cause.

"I am sure we will change that, because I will change players next week. I only want players who are ready for the fight in the last 12 games," he told the Manchester Evening News.

"I am very angry with a lot of my players, and very disappointed at the performance, because it is impossible to play the way we did.

"We didn't fight for every ball. We can't always win by playing well - that is normal. Sometimes we play well and win, but you also need to be able to win because you fight for every ball, and fight against an opponent who also wants to win the game.

"Every team that plays against us treats it like a Champions League final, but we should know this, it is normal.

"We now have 12 games left, (we) need to do well in the Premier League, and we have the FA Cup - there are games left and we can do better. We need to finish the season the way we did last year."

Carlos Tevez should be available against Leeds after missing the St Mary's defeat because of a family issue.

Defenders Matija Nastasic and Kolo Toure also missed the trip to the south coast after late returns from international duty.

Mancini branded the fixture demands caused by the internationals "ridiculous" but he spared his defence - which included midfielder Javi Garcia playing as a makeshift centre-back - from criticism.

"The fixtures are ridiculous sometimes, as we played on Saturday and then had six players who came back on Friday, and five who came back Thursday night. Sometimes it is impossible," he said.



"Nastasic came back Friday and Kolo came back three or four days ago - plus the last time Javi Garcia played there, he played really, really well.

"On Saturday we played well in defence, but the problem was that we didn't give the defenders any help. They were left to play alone, and we conceded two goals the like of which I have never seen in my life."

Mancini still has title hope

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini insists the title race is not over despite his team's 2-2 home draw with Liverpool.

The situation could have been worse for City in the Premier League clash at the Etihad on Sunday had Sergio Aguero not scored 12 minutes from time to rescue a point.

"Last year we recovered eight points in six games so I don't know why it can't happen this year," said Mancini.

"They have to play in the FA Cup and the Champions League so the season is long - three months - and we are confident. It is enough to recover three or four points in three games.

"For us it is important to play the derby two or three points behind and we have time to recover these points. We didn't play like we had in the last month but we are confident.

"Two years ago Chelsea were nine points behind and when they went to play at Old Trafford two games from the end they were only two points behind.

"I don't think this is finished but probably now we have to win all the games but if not then 11 or 12 games. But in football this can happen sometimes."

Edin Dzeko put the hosts in front before strikes from Daniel Sturridge and Steven Gerrard turned the game in favour of Liverpool.

Mancini felt aggrieved that play had not stopped in the build-up to Sturridge's goal after Dzeko was challenged by Daniel Agger.

He said: "I think Liverpool played a good game. We conceded two goals, stupid goals for me.

"But before the first goal there was a big foul - if it had happened with us, probably there would have been a red card.

"Instead, the referee and linesman did not see anything. In the end, though, I think it was the right result."

Asked if he felt Liverpool should have put the ball out when Dzeko was left on the turf by Agger, Mancini said: "Probably, because after this foul I think there were several seconds (before the goal).

"I think so, but this can happen. I think it was a foul and should have been a yellow card. The rules are the same for everyone always."

Mancini has summer targets

Roberto Mancini admits he is already in the process of drawing up summer transfer plans at Manchester City.

Roberto Mancini has revealed his admiration for Liverpool striker Luis Suarez.

It is being suggested that City are plotting an elaborate spending spree, with it likely that there will be a number of comings and goings at the Etihad Stadium.

Mancini is said to have been left frustrated by the club's failure to land their top targets during the last two transfer windows, and he is now looking for considerable backing.

He is confident he will get that, with City having already identified those they will be setting their sights on.

Mancini said: "It's difficult in January to find really good players for us.

"Clubs don't want to sell now, but maybe they will in the summer. We need to work now, so that it is not like last year.

"Last year we didn't work well. It's important we start now. Now's the time we can close in on some good players for the summer.



"I have meetings with Txiki (Begiristain) every week and we talk about the summer.

"It will be easier to get players in the summer if we work hard, well and quickly now.

"You can't start looking at players in May because all the good ones are gone and it becomes impossible."

Mancini has been linked with a move for Suarez in the summer as he looks to bring in a replacement for Mario Balotelli.

Suarez will come up against Mancini this weekend and the City boss is a big fan of the Uruguayan forward.

"Suarez for me is a top player," Mancini said. "I like him because he is strong and he works hard.

"For me, he is one of the best in England."

Asked if he would like to sign Suarez, Mancini laughed: "Suarez? But he plays for Liverpool.

"Yeah I like his quality. He has quality and he is strong."

Suarez recently pledged his future to Liverpool saying he would stay at Anfield even if they fail to qualify for the UEFA Champions League.

Mancini standing by Balotelli

Roberto Mancini has dismissed his training-ground altercation with Mario Balotelli as "nothing special".



The Manchester City manager was pictured angrily confronting his striker during training on Thursday, raising new questions over Balotelli's future at the club.



But Mancini told a press conference Balotelli will not face disciplinary action and the incident will not spell the end of the 22-year-old's Eastlands career.



He said: "We were playing a game and Mario kicked his team-mate. I told him to leave the pitch, he said 'no', and I took his shirt and pushed him from the pitch. That is what really happened - nothing special, no fight.



"These are things that can happen, usually between players. This was different because I wanted him to leave the pitch for what he did against another player."



Asked whether he would now look to sell Balotello, Mancini said: "No, no, no, no. This is not important - it doesn't change my thoughts on this.



"I will give him another 100 chances if possible, if I think he can change. I am here for this. Sometimes I am upset with him, but I give him another chance, sure. He is 22 and he can make a mistake."



Mancini has more often than not backed his fellow Italian despite a series of high-profile incidents - on and off the pitch - since the striker's 2010 arrival from Inter.



The manager did question Balotelli's future after a sending-off at Arsenal last season, but he was back in the fold by May and set up the Sergio Aguero goal which secured City's first league title since 1968.

Mancini clashes with Balotelli

Misfit Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli and manager Roberto Mancini were involved in a furious training ground bust-up today.



The City boss was seen to grab, shove and gesticulate wildly at the striker as the pair clashed in front of stunned team-mates at the club's Carrington base.



The 22-year-old Italian striker was then seen being restrained and led away by a member of staff, believed to be Massimo Battara, in shocking scenes as City prepared their FA Cup third round clash with Watford.

Mancini reacted furiously following a tackle from Balotelli on a team-mate said to be Scott Sinclair, once again putting the Italian's future at the club in doubt.



One onlooker told Sky Sports News: 'Mancini ran at him - he was furious,' said the onlooker. 'He grabbed hold of him and appeared to try and throw him on the floor.



'It looked like Mario was too strong and he couldn't get him down. Then all the coaches ran in to separate them but Mancini was having none of it. He kept trying to break free and have a go at him again.'



After the incident, Balotelli drove off in his camouflage Bentley GT. He has a history of irritating his manager, leading to much speculation he will be sold.



When Balotelli was sent off against Arsenal last season, his furious manager intimated that it was the end of the line for the striker.

After that game Mancini said: 'I can continue to play with Mario on the pitch. Every time, we risk one sent off, like today.'



Then asked for how long he would put up with the striker's antics, he said: 'I am finished. We have six games and he will not play in the next six games (because of suspension).'



Other incidents which antagonised his manager include the time he was caught throwing darts at youth team players at the training ground and him staying up late before the Manchester derby - after letting off fireworks in his house.

The drama comes just after former team-mate Zlatan Ibrahimovic claimed Balotelli offered City the best chance of retaining their Barclays Premier League title.



He believes Mancini should continue to take the rough with the smooth and persist with the precociously talented striker.



'If you ever spend any time with Mario then you love Mario,' said the 31-year-old Swede, who has been no stranger to controversy himself during a 13-year career at the highest level.



'Even though he is not always the easiest player for the coach to manage, speak to any of his old coaches like Jose (former Inter and current Real Madrid boss Mourinho) and they will tell you when you work with Mario you always have a smile on your face.'



Ibrahimovic, who has netted 18 goals in just 16 games for Paris Saint-Germain this season, believes that Balotelli can inspire City to claw back the seven-point lead Manchester United currently hold over them in the title race.

'He is a special player and a special talent,' added the former Milan, Barcelona and Juventus man. 'When Mario plays like he can he will hurt any team in the world.



'Manchester City are already a way behind Manchester United in the Premier League – but if any player can retain the title for them it is Mario. All the class that Manchester City have I would still say Mario is the most capable.'

Ibrahimovic - who scored a stunning long-range overhead kick against England in November - also revealed that he helped Mancini to nurture Balotelli when the trio were together at the San Siro.



'I tried to help Mario because it is true he does sometimes make decisions in the moment – but that is his personality,' he added.



'Roberto will know the same as me that the way to get the best out of Mario is to love him. That is what he will react best to – and if they can get Mario playing at his best then Manchester City still have a big chance.'

Mancini expects to lose Yaya

Roberto Mancini expects key midfielder Yaya Toure to leave Manchester City for the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa in January.

The City manager had wanted to retain Toure's services during the early part of 2013 but has confirmed the midfielder is keen to compete in the tournament.



Toure is expected to join up with the Ivory Coast squad following the Premier League club's third round FA Cup tie on January 5.



Mancini said: "I think he will go to the African Nations Cup after the Watford game."



Toure was involved in the 2012 competition when the Ivory Coast reached the final before losing to Zambia on penalties. Next year's competition runs from January 19 to February 10.



Meanwhile, Mancini believes skipper Vincent Kompany has only a 'two per cent' chance of being fit for Saturday's trip to Newcastle after he suffered a groin injury against Manchester United last Sunday.



And while City will give the Belgium international every chance of making the trip to St James' Park, Mancini doesn't expect him to make it.



"We will try but it is difficult," said Mancini. "Probably two per cent chance."

City head to the North-East six points adrift of United following last weekend's game at the Etihad Stadium.



Yet despite that 3-2 defeat, Mancini insists he has total belief in his squad, and that City actually proved themselves to be the superior side no matter what the result.



"We showed that we were better than Manchester United," said Mancini. "But they have more experience than us and it is not a problem to them when they fall behind.



"We need to work hard but we can recover this position. By February everything could have changed."

Mancini: Mario not for sale

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini insists he has no plans to sell maverick forward Mario Balotelli.



The striker was substituted in the early stages of the second half in City's 3-2 derby defeat to Manchester United on Sunday, sparking criticism from his manager.



Mancini accused Balotelli of wasting his talent and stressed that these performances could not continue, leading to reports that the former Inter Milan man's time in Manchester was up.



But the Etihad boss has moved to calm speculation by highlighting the player's quality and confirming the Italy international will not be transferred.



"Balotelli is not for sale," Mancini told Sky Sport Italia.



"Mario is a City player, he is loved by the fans and the management. He has been an important player for us.



"A player of his quality should think exclusively to his work and his family, he has talent and he cannot blow it as he is doing.



"Our paths may separate if I change team, but he will remain at City."



Serious



Meanwhile, Mancini says he is also not planning to leave the Etihad Stadium but admitted to missing life in his homeland.



"I'm fine at City," said the Italian. "I work in a very serious club and in England it is easier to work. There is a project and we have done a great job in two years.



"I feel really good, but it is clear that I miss Italy because home is always missing."



Asked about the prospect of coaching the Italy national team, he added: "It is still early and [Cesare] Prandelli is doing well."



Speculation



Mancini also dismissed speculation linking City with a move for midfield duo Daniele De Rossi of Roma and Wesley Sneijder of Inter.



Asked about De Rossi, he said: "We tried to get him in the summer, but it ended there. I think that he now remains at Roma. I do not think he will leave."



Regarding a possible move for Sneijder, Mancini added: "We have never contacted him. Wesley has great quality, but we have other players in that role, like [Samir] Nasri and [David] Silva."



But the City boss was more forthcoming when asked about AC Milan forward Stephan El Shaarawy, the current top goalscorer in Serie A.



"I really like El Shaarawy," said Mancini.



"He is really good player who has seen an incredible improvement. He can become a great champion. Will he be coming to City? No, he's at Milan."

Mancini - United are title favourites

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has labelled arch-rivals Manchester United as title favourites heading into this weekend's derby.



Mancini regularly compared his team unfavourably to United - and even wrote off their title chances at one point - only for them to pip their neighbours to the Premier League crown last season.



He denies that was a tactic to motivate his players and insists City, who now trail United by three points at the top, will be the underdogs at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.



Mancini said: "We can't change the history. We are here (for) only two years, playing together, and they are used to playing this game for the title race for 20 years.



"This is normal when you play against a team that won everything in the last 15 years.



"You can't change this in two or three years and you need more time. For this reason, they have a small advantage."



When asked specifically about this season's title battle, Mancini said: "In this moment United are favourites but the season is long.



"They were a strong team and (then) they bought (Robin) Van Persie and (Shinji) Kagawa. They put another player that scores 25 goals into the squad."



Last season's Manchester derbies had a significant bearing on the destiny of the title.



City's remarkable 6-1 win at Old Trafford gave them an extra edge in a race that was ultimately settled on goal difference.



Their victory at Eastlands in April then pulled them level on points at the top with just two games to go.



Had United won that night, City would have fallen six points behind.



That is a scenario that also faces them this weekend, albeit with much more of the season remaining.



Mancini said: "They can lose - they have three points more. We have three points less and we can't lose.



"But it is a derby, everything can happen, like last year. I think they are better than us in this moment but a derby is a derby.



"It is not the season because we have seven months after but it is important."



Van Persie has added considerably to United's attacking armoury since his £27million summer move from Arsenal.



The Dutchman, who hit a remarkable 37 goals last season, has already struck 13 times for United.



The 29-year-old was reportedly of strong interest to City but opted for Sir Alex Ferguson's side.



City's own strikers have failed to match their standards from last season but Mancini claims missing out on Van Persie is not something that bothers him.



The Italian said: "No. In this moment, it is in the past, this.



"We have good players. If we improve this situation - in this moment we don't score a lot of goals - I am sure if we continue to work we can improve."



City, who hope to have playmaker David Silva back after a hamstring injury, go into the derby on the back of more European disappointment.



Their dismal campaign in the Champions League came to a sorry conclusion on Tuesday as they were beaten by Borussia Dortmund to miss out on a consolation spot in the Europa League.



There is a feeling that their failure to make the second-tier competition could benefit them in their domestic title defence but Mancini is not ready to acknowledge that yet.



He said: "Probably in February, March (it) could be because the difference is if you play Champions League you play Tuesday and Wednesday and you have three or four days to recover.



"If you play Europa League you don't have time to recover. You play Thursday night and after the game travel, then you play Sunday.



"This can be difficult but now we are upset for this (to be out)."



Despite being pitted in a tough group, the Champions League failure - in which City claimed just three points from six games - was a huge disappointment.



Mancini tried to make light of suggestions he is now under even greater pressure to defend the Premier League crown.



He said: "I don't know this. You need to ask him (owner).



"I am happy with my job in two years here.



"I think that when you work and when you beat a team - sometimes you can have also a difficult moment.



"You can't win all the games and sometimes you can lose important games like in the Champions League, but this is normal for being on the top for a long time.



"Also Ferguson won his first trophy after seven years and his first Champions League after 14 years. I have another 12 years to win a Champions League!"

Mancini upset at Euro exit

Roberto Mancini has hit out at Manchester City's inability to qualify for the Europa League after Tuesday's 1-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund.



A second-half strike from Julian Schieber was enough to see off the Premier League champions, who finished bottom of Champions League Group D without a win and with three points from six games.



Mancini insisted that he told his team to go out and win and ensure they remain in European competition in the New Year.



"Yeah, we wanted this (to qualify for the Europa League) but we have to score." Mancini told Sky Sports.



"Tonight we tried but we are missing more players. We had chances but in this moment we can't score, if you don't score it's difficult to win."



Elimination from Europe could be a blessing in disguise with City currently three points behind rivals Manchester United as they attempt to defend their Premier League title but, when put to Mancini, the Italian was keen to focus on an underwhelming Champions League campaign.



He added: "In this moment we cannot think about this, we should think that we are not in the Europa League and for this we should be disappointed.



"Clearly, this can help us for the Premier League because we don't play in the Europa League but we want to play in it, it was our target tonight."



Mancini highlighted the improvement of opponents Borussia Dortmund in this season's competition from last year and drew comparison with his own side, adding that City side can make a fresh impression next term.



"Champions League is really difficult and strange," he added.



"Borussia Dortmund went out of the group last year in fourth position like us, and this season they can win the competition."

Mancini concentrates on Dortmund

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini is not being distracted by Sunday's derby against rivals United.



City play their must-win Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday but Mancini is not looking any further than the European tie.



The 48-year-old coach admits his side will have to beat one of the 'best teams in Europe' to hold any hope of continuing their participation in European football in the New Year.



A spot in the Europa League is the only obtainable prize after City failed to win any of their previous five games in this season's Champions League Group D.



Mancini quashed reports he could play a weakened side, with a full set of strikers travelling to Germany, however he will be without injured pair Yaya Toure and David Silva.



"Mario Balotelli is here and he can play. So can Edin (Dzeko), and we have other strikers in (Carlos) Tevez and (Sergio) Aguero. Yaya (Toure) will not play," Mancini told reporters.



"We are not thinking of the derby this weekend. We have a difficult match coming up here and we brought all our players except the injured ones.



"Borussia Dortmund are currently one of the best teams in Europe and we have a difficult match ahead of us."



Mancini believes the club should not be embarrassed by their second consecutive early exit in the competition, adding that Dortmund and fellow group D opponents Real Madrid are more deserving of progression, and City must now look to future challenges.



He continued: "In the Europa League you play on Thursdays, so that's a bit tricky, but we still want to make it and will try everything to go through and then go as far as possible there.



"We are disappointed because we wanted to reach the second round. But I believe that there are times when there are teams in football that are better than you and you have to respect that.



"We have to accept that Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid played better than we did and we'll have to try again next season. But it was not an embarrassment."

Mancini calls for City show

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini insists it is important for his side to show what they can do against Real Madrid.



The Spanish giants arrive at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday aware that if they avoid defeat it will end City's interest in this season's Champions League.



Mancini admits there is real pressure on City, but claims they need to embrace big games.



"When you play an important game like this against Real Madrid, there will be pressure but you want games like this. It is important for us to do a good job," he told Sky Sports News.



In theory City could still finish level on points with Real and Borussia Dortmund but he admits this is an unlikely scenario.



"It is possible but I don't think that Real Madrid will not beat Ajax at home, or Dortmund. It was a difficult group when we started and now it is very difficult because we did mistakes in the first two games," he added.



Mancini was asked once again about his troubled front-man Mario Balotelli, who is being strongly linked with a return to Italy, but the City boss remains a huge fan of the 22-year-old.



"Mario, outside the pitch, is a fantastic guy," he said. "Sometimes he doesn't understand which is your job, and how his job is important for his life, but I hope for him that he can understand this quickly."



Mancini even feels that Balotelli has the potential to be as good as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.



"Now he is 22 but life can go quickly and I hope he can improve everything because as a player he could be like Cristiano and Messi," he said.



"If he understands that to be like this you should work hard, your mind should be always on your job, not on the other things that are not important. I am very sorry for him for this.



"He has everything to be one of the best players in the world."