Robinho urges City to think big

ROBINHO does not feel Manchester City will win anything until they change their small-time mentality.

The £32.5m British record signing was part of the City side that lost Sunday’s Manchester derby at Eastlands, slipping to within three points of the relegation zone.

Few expect them to stay there, particularly once manager Mark Hughes has been shopping in next month’s transfer window.

But Robinho feels it is the minds of City’s players rather than the personnel themselves that need to change.

“City have good players but the mentality of a small side,” Robinho said. “They are content with just finishing fifth or sixth. They are content with little, thinking just a draw might be good enough.

“They lack the mentality of champions. I have learnt that being second is worthless so I want to inspire a winning mentality.

“You can only be content with winning. Maybe I have changed this a bit but now City have a project to become big, the mentality has to change.”

It is widely anticipated Roque Santa Cruz and Lassana Diarra will be joining from Blackburn and Portsmouth respectively in January but Robinho is calling for more.

“I have suggested Kleber, the Santos left back, Thiago Silva who plays at centre back for Fluminense, who’s been playing very well.

“But at this moment the team needs to improve the defence.

“You have to start from the bottom, the defence, and then you fix the attack.”