Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has no doubt he can handle the pressure of the title race, having experienced far tougher with Inter Milan.
Questions have been asked of City and Mancini’s ability to meet the lofty expectations they have set for themselves as the battle for the Barclays Premier League crown heats up.
City have led the table since October but have been unable to pull clear of arch-rivals and champions Manchester United.
Defeat at Everton on Tuesday left them top only on goal difference and came at the end of a disappointing January in which they also lost at Sunderland and went out of two cup competitions.
Mancini remarkably accepted all the blame for the Goodison Park loss, admitting he had underestimated David Moyes’ side and not prepared his team properly, but, after delivering three titles at Inter Milan, insists he is far from losing his nerve.
The Italian, whose first Inter scudetto ended a 17-year title drought at the club, said: "There doesn’t exist a place like Inter Milan, where you can really be under pressure. After Inter Milan, you can manage every team.
"Inter Milan has a big history like United. When you are a manager there you have a pressure every day, every minute. After Inter Milan you can’t have pressure.
"It was really important for me, the experience with Inter Milan.
"Inter are a top team and you need to do everything well every day, every game.
"All the journalists and all the newspapers say the manager has made mistakes every game.
"It is so different from here. So, for this reason, after that, you can’t have pressure."
Mancini said some weeks ago that his side would be on course for the title if they emerged from their tough January programme — when they would be without Yaya and Kolo Toure due to the African Nations Cup — unscathed.
That has not been quite the case and the situation has been compounded by a series of costly refereeing decisions and suspensions for Vincent Kompany and Mario Balotelli.
Yet Mancini believes if his team can just hold firm their position could be a lot stronger in a few weeks’ time.
He said: "We knew December and January would be crucial months because we were losing important players to the African Nations Cup and could have players injured.
"I didn’t think we could have players banned for four games — but this can happen.
"I said if we are on the top after January we would win the title — but not without problems. It is not easy to beat United.
"It is important for us to stay on the top now for this difficult moment.
"If we are on top after this difficult moment, what has happened with us in January can probably happen to other teams. Every team has a difficult moment."
Aside from their title challenge, City’s season continues to be dominated by the Carlos Tevez saga.
The striker, who has been in his native Argentina without the club’s permission since November, failed to secure a move away from the club in the January transfer window.
That has raised the possibility that the 27-year-old could return to Manchester, although he is rumoured to be preparing to play in a testimonial in Argentina this weekend.
Mancini claims he does not know what the current situation is but has admitted the player could play in the Premier League again, if he proves his fitness.
Mancini said: "In my mind, now, I have only one situation — Barclays Premier League. Other situations are not important.
"If Carlos comes back here and is fit, maybe it is possible. If not, we go forward with these players."
Mancini has also long maintained that Tevez should apologise in order to be reintegrated into his squad and he added that that remains the case.
He said: "Carlos has known this for four months, from when I spoke with him in my house one week after Munich."
a d v e r t i s e m e n t
This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Saturday, February 04, 2012
