ROBERTO MANCINI HAS strongly denied accusations that English Premier League champions Manchester City are in crisis, with the Italian saying he deserved “respect” for his work at the club.
City have scored half as many goals at this stage in the league as they did at this point last term and trail leaders Manchester United by two points, while they are staring down the barrel of a second successive Champions League group stage exit.
The club have yet to win in this season’s competition, with just a solitary point gained from their opening three group games — a home draw with Germany’s Borussia Dortmund – ahead of Tuesday’s visit of Dutch giants Ajax to Eastlands.
Meanwhile the arrival last week of Spaniard Txiki Begiristain as City’s director of football strengthened a Barcelona connection which began when City made Ferran Soriano their chief executive.
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Inevitably, it also led to speculation Pep Guardiola, currently taking a year out of the game after phenomenal success at the Camp Nou, was being lined up to replace Mancini.
Reports in the British press last week suggested Mancini had been close to joining Monaco towards the end of last season when City trailed United in the race for the title.
But he insisted Monday he was going nowhere and pointed to three trophies in two years — the Premier League title, the FA Cup and the Community Shield — as proof he was repaying the lavish investment by the club’s Abu Dhabi-based owners.
I don’t understand why you continue to ask me (about a move). Why? This is finished. I stay here because I work here. We won three trophies in two years.
“I am polite because I answered your questions. Every year I can have two or three new situations where I can go. When you have a new team, the strong work is the first two years,” Mancini added.
“We won three trophies in two years, you should have respect for this, for me, for the club.”
Mancini is set to be without several players for the visit of Dutch champions Ajax, with Joleon Lescott, Micah Richards, James Milner, Jack Rodwell, David Silva and Maicon all expected to miss out through injury.
The manager bemoaned his side’s bad luck so far this season with injuries and a difficult draw ahead of the game with four-times European champions Ajax, which is a must-win game for City if they are to qualify for the last 16.
“We have this problem with some important players injured but when you have this problem, it is a time that all the players can put more on the pitch.
“This is the last chance for us.
For us, it is the second year in Champions League. Probably we need more experience as a club, as a team, not as players because we have players who have played in the Champions League many times.
Also, sometimes you should be lucky because every year the group is very difficult. Also, we did some mistakes against Madrid and Ajax.
Absolutely class. The man had so
Much natural ability. Hasn’t been too many like him in the last 20 years. Really enjoyed looking at those scores again.
he broke my heart but fairs fair what a footballer!! standing on the hill that day was a master class in what is great in football pity we were on the recieving end
Thank you for a good honest comment. It was a mighty battle that day, and I’ve a funny feeling that history is about to repeat itself this year. Maith an fear.
Some lads them Kerry boys alright! nobody else fit to lace their boots!
Dermot Earley probably the toughest and most genuine midfielder in the last 20 yrs and Ciaran McDonald without doubt one of the most naturally gifted forwards of the past 20 yrs. Neither of them good enough for Kerry according to Conor Phelps!
The list of brilliant players who never won All Ireland’s but who’d have walked onto any Kerry team you like in their prime is pretty long in my humble opinion and if it doesn’t include the pair mentioned above, well you don’t know much about Football!
Mr Phelps you’re either somewhat of a tool or your just taking the piss, I sincerely hope it’s the latter!
This could be the year.
Dublin and tyrone are very young.
Kerry’s team are getting old, cork have lost a few to injuries and retirements and don’t think Donegal are good enough to win 2 in a row.
This could be mayo’s year and I wouldn’t begrudge them it
Mayo will win Sam this year and that’s coming from a Galway man, we don’t begrudge ye a win
Like ye do to us. I backed Mayo last year too and only for those two early goals by Donegal ye
Would have won it. Andy Moran was a big loss that day but ye are better off without Mortimer
Or any big egos like him on the team.
When my husband was a child, mayo and roscommon played in castlebar. Mayo beat them. Some roscommon fans on there way home stopped there car at his house came into the garden took his football off him and drove away. He still laughs about it.
No thanks, I’d imagine I’d be picking bits of your keyboard out of my face and what not. Maybe you should channel that agression into winning something beyond the Connaught championship instead.
From a cork man…I’d love to see mayo win one, give em at least one, they had the gumption to coin(steal the tune) MMMAaaayyyo, mmmmmmaaaaaaayyyyyyyoooooo, Sam macguire’s coming home to MAYOO. Brilliant.
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Ciaran McDonald was an exceptional player to watch.
Absolutely class. The man had so
Much natural ability. Hasn’t been too many like him in the last 20 years. Really enjoyed looking at those scores again.
The chap was gifted
Balla is in Roscommon! end of lads!
Hey, balla is in mayo! You’re not taking that one! Ballaghadereen is different…
we call it Balla out my way because we can’t get our tongues round the full name! still in Roscommon! haha!
I always wanderd what you called the boy from mayo that pingd pionts over from mad angle’s pure class.up derry!!!!
He wouldn’t have made it on to the Kerry team.
he broke my heart but fairs fair what a footballer!! standing on the hill that day was a master class in what is great in football pity we were on the recieving end
Thank you for a good honest comment. It was a mighty battle that day, and I’ve a funny feeling that history is about to repeat itself this year. Maith an fear.
Some lads them Kerry boys alright! nobody else fit to lace their boots!
Dermot Earley probably the toughest and most genuine midfielder in the last 20 yrs and Ciaran McDonald without doubt one of the most naturally gifted forwards of the past 20 yrs. Neither of them good enough for Kerry according to Conor Phelps!
The list of brilliant players who never won All Ireland’s but who’d have walked onto any Kerry team you like in their prime is pretty long in my humble opinion and if it doesn’t include the pair mentioned above, well you don’t know much about Football!
Mr Phelps you’re either somewhat of a tool or your just taking the piss, I sincerely hope it’s the latter!
If any county deserves a Sam now at this stage it has to be Mayo.. but seriously the head on Finnerty!
The only team that deserves the All Ireland is the team that wins it. Up Mayo
Very true, the same could be said for Kildare and Dermot Earley who retired today.. to the victors the spoils!
This could be the year.
Dublin and tyrone are very young.
Kerry’s team are getting old, cork have lost a few to injuries and retirements and don’t think Donegal are good enough to win 2 in a row.
This could be mayo’s year and I wouldn’t begrudge them it
What’s so good about Sam is you have 5 or 6 possible winners and another 2 or three not too far away.
The Kerry boys went to ground this year. There isn’t a word out of them. Bí cúramach, they could come like a train………….
Finally, I’ve been waiting weeks for The Score to do Mayo.
And this is the best post you can come up with?
Positives: Stoicism. Defiance in the face of defeat. Faith that we will reach the promised land.
Negatives: Facing teams in green & gold in the All-Ireland. That combination of colours has a hoodoo on us. Kerry, Meath, Donegal.
he never played against donegal
Eh sept 2012 ring a bell?
i get it scutterpumps, there all a bit slow around here.
Please God let Mayo win Sam this year!!!! I’d love my Dad see that happen!! Amen.
I’d have thought we’d have been in with a shout this year but John Duggan backed us this week to win the all Ireland… feck it anyway!
Are ya any relation to Andy yourself.
Nope!
Mayo will win Sam this year and that’s coming from a Galway man, we don’t begrudge ye a win
Like ye do to us. I backed Mayo last year too and only for those two early goals by Donegal ye
Would have won it. Andy Moran was a big loss that day but ye are better off without Mortimer
Or any big egos like him on the team.
To win just once…
Let’s hope we go one step further this year and lift Sam.
What about the curse of ’51?
Not much of that curse left now so hope ye bring Sam home to west this year!
When my husband was a child, mayo and roscommon played in castlebar. Mayo beat them. Some roscommon fans on there way home stopped there car at his house came into the garden took his football off him and drove away. He still laughs about it.
I don’t think I had as much craic as I did with any other fans than Mayo ones. Always good banter before and after a match.
Your bottlers!
It was pure bad luck last year, Mortimer quit and moran injured. Rarely has there been a day that there wasn’t at least four points in either of them
Would you like to take a trip down to Mayo and say that to a lads face! :)
No thanks, I’d imagine I’d be picking bits of your keyboard out of my face and what not. Maybe you should channel that agression into winning something beyond the Connaught championship instead.
Will Galway beat Mayo?
No way! C’mon the Tribes!
Why do mayo people plant potatoes?…. So they can have something to pick up in september
1 sign your from mayo- ya can’t drive or park -ahhjahaha!
@Brendan, you look like you couldn’t drive a nail. :)
Tough crowd !
Need to see a Donegal one!!!
Your sister is your wife
Mayo won’t win any all Ireland’s, not now or never, massive bottlers, UP GALWAY
From a cork man…I’d love to see mayo win one, give em at least one, they had the gumption to coin(steal the tune) MMMAaaayyyo, mmmmmmaaaaaaayyyyyyyoooooo, Sam macguire’s coming home to MAYOO. Brilliant.
Not to mention without a ballycastle man closest they came was 1996 with madden in goal!
if he wasn’t watching the big screen it would have been a different story!
26. You have no sense of humour..
Only because my great grandmother was a finnerty? But what a ledge!
Sue ramsbottom is the best ladies football ever
After Mayo beat Cork in league game i shouls have backed them for All-Ireland. Class yday,
Not t