City need to give Mancini the boot

Roberto Mancini is not an easy man to work out. After listening to his strange comments after Manchester City’s defeat at Arsenal yesterday evening, you had to conclude he is not an easy man to work for either.

Last week, Mancini criticised Mario Balotelli for his performance against Sunderland, deploring the lack of professionalism he showed in arguing with his team-mates and stating that City certainly would have won had Sergio Aguero, rather than Balotelli, been available to play.

Yet when he picked his team to face Arsenal at the Emirates, he again chose Balotelli ahead of Edin Dzeko and Carlos Tevez. He was rewarded with one of Balotelli’s worst performances since Mancini signed him for £25 million two summers ago.