Mancini blames Liverpool for Balotelli red

MANCHESTER CITY manager Roberto Mancini accused Liverpool’s players of getting Mario Balotelli sent off during yesterday’s heated 1-1 draw at Anfield.

Substitute Balotelli was given his marching orders in the 83rd minute following a second yellow card for elbowing Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel — 18 minutes after the Italian had come on.

But while Mancini agreed with referee Martin Atkinson’s decision to book the 21-year-old for pulling back Glen Johnson, he accused Liverpool’s players of pressuring the official into producing a second yellow.

“I think so,” said Mancini when asked if he thought Skrtel had made the most of the incident.

“My impression is he gave a free kick and didn’t want to give the yellow card, but after all the Liverpool players went there...

“I’m disappointed with him [Balotelli] for the first yellow card but not for the second yellow. For me, the second yellow was not a yellow card. In fact, I don’t think he wanted to give a yellow card.

“I have said many times Mario can do everything.

“We can’t change him in one month and today he didn’t deserve it.’’

There were claims after the match that Balotelli had damaged the door of the visitors’ dressing room but Mancini denied any knowledge.

“I don’t know this. If he damaged the door he pays — like his house,” said the Italian, referring to the recent fire after a firework was let off at Balotelli’s home.

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish insisted Balotelli had no one but himself to blame for his third red card in a City shirt since joining in August 2010.

“Balotelli got himself sent off,” said Dalglish. “Sometimes you get yourself sent off.

“Sometimes you look in the mirror you get the answer. Sometimes he doesn’t help himself and others, and then maybe he doesn’t get the leeway.

“But I don’t think any of our boys influence the referee in any way, shape or form.”

Despite the end of their seven-match winning league run, City increased their lead over nearest rivals Manchester United to five points at the top of the table.

“It is a good result because in the last 10 minutes we played with 10 and it is difficult here,” added Mancini, whose side are back in action against Arsenal tomorrow in the quarter-finals of the League Cup.

“Joe [Hart] saved two or three situations but even with 10 men we had a big chance with David Silva. It is very difficult to play Liverpool.”

Liverpool, who are also in action tomorrow at Chelsea in the quarter-finals of the League Cup, climb to sixth in the table after eight games unbeaten in the league.

“I couldn’t have asked for much more in terms of commitment and how we went about the job,” said Dalglish, who also paid tribute to Wales manager Gary Speed, whose sudden death at the age of 42 was announced a few hours before the game.

Dalglish signed Speed when he was Newcastle manager in February 1998.

“Gary was a fantastic footballer and more importantly a decent fella. There will be a lot of people saddened by what has happened,” he said.