Mancini no Prince Charming as City panto gets ugly

Christmas may be another six weeks away but panto season seems to be an open-ended affair at Eastlands where the numbers auditioning for the role of lead villain far outstrip the availability of those qualified for the role of white knight.

It used to be that we shook our heads at the antics of the players — at Carlos Tevez’s strop on the bench in Munich and Mario Balotelli’s ever-expanding rap-sheet — but you know the screws are really coming loose when the manager is emitting signals that point to the same dysfunction and sense of entitlement.

Roberto Mancini’s antics this week, which included a self-righteous rant at the press conference before their Champions League game against Ajax, his eyeballs-out tirade at ref Peter Rasmussen and the altercation with a cameraman, were further proof were it needed of the rot that afflicts the current champions of England.