Mancini backs loan gambles

MANAGER Roberto Mancini has defended his decision to allow three senior Manchester City stars to leave on loan in January but now bemoans a lack of bodies as a reason for some of his side’s more stuttering performances in recent times, including their 2-0 first-leg defeat to Dynamo Kiev in the Europa League last-16 clash last week that they must try and correct tonight.

Emmanuel Adebayor, Wayne Bridge and Roque Santa Cruz all departed Eastlands in search of regular first-team action, along with three of the younger members of the City squad who were given first-team exposure in the Carling Cup earlier in the campaign.

Fixture congestion has certainly mitigated against City of late but Mancini is adamant he has not been the architect of his own downfall.

“If there are some players who want to leave because they wish to play every game, it is difficult,” he said.

“Should two or three players leave the club, you could buy two or three more. But we didn’t think four or five important players would get injured in the space of 20 days.”

Shay Given, James Milner and Adam Johnson have all been sidelined for extended periods, with a succession of minor injuries to be taken into account as well.

In addition, Kolo Toure is suspended indefinitely pending an inquiry into his failed drugs test, robbing Mancini of another valuable option.

“When you become a top club you should have 25 players available in every game,” he said.

“If you watched the game between Manchester United and Arsenal in the FA Cup, United changed eightplayers.

“When you play every three days, you need to change five or six players, minimum.”

In fact, United manager AlexFerguson changed six. It could also be argued that if Mancini had made more use of his squad earlier in the season, when he kept using the same group of players, the disaffected ones might have been encouraged to remain in the fold.

In addition, FA Cup draws against lower league opposition in the form of Leicester and Notts County helped fill what should have been a spare couple of midweeks with replays.

City have been left to play seven midweek fixtures out of nine since the middle of January and one of theothers was reserved for international matches.

Little wonder victory tonight could be regarded as something of a double-edged sword.

“If we win and reach the quarter-final, we are playing twice a week until the end of the season,” he observed. “This could be a big problem.”

Not that Mancini is prepared to countenance defeat at this stage, even if a Kiev side marshalled by a resurgent Andriy Shevchenko look set upperfectly to hit their hosts on the counter-attack at Eastlands. Shevchenko scored the opener in his side’s 2-0 victory over City a week ago and is clearly now a man the Blues have to watch very carefully if they are to stand a chance of reaching the last eight.

“Shevchenko seemed to be leading by example,” said defender Vincent Kompany. “He was not just captain because of what he achieved in the past, he was one of the best players in their team.”

All the more reason to lament the absence of Johnson from a City point of view, who has started training after almost two months out with an ankle injury but will not be considered until after the international break.

“We do not have another player like Adam,” said Mancini.

“When he is on the pitch, he can change a game, just by the way he plays.”

The most obvious alternative is Shaun Wright-Phillips, although for much of the year he has been troubled by a back complaint that has restricted his availability.

Meanwhile Dynamo Kiev skipper Oleksandr Shovkovskiy insists the key to overcoming City’s vast wealth tonight will be good, old-fashioned teamwork.

Although the visitors can boast the talents of legendary striker Andriy Shevchenko, the scale of City’s resources means that other attributes will have to be called upon in addition to talent.

“I don’t feel as though myself, or any of my team-mates have anything to prove. We have demonstrated our skills already,” said Shovkovskiy.

“We all know Manchester City have a very good financial base and that they have some great players.

“But tomorrow is not about their stars. Tonight is about how we do as a team. That is how we intend to play against them and use our spirit to its maximum effect.”