Pulis helps heap more pressure on Mancini

Roberto Mancini apparently laughed when Alex Ferguson took a leaf out of his psychological management manual with that carefully measured barb about desperation late last week.

But it was surely the Manchester United manager who would have been sniggering to himself in his armchair on Saturday night, as the unmistakable signs of pressure were clear to see in the face of the usually urbane Italian.

The gloves are off as the title race approaches the business end and there was more than enough evidence that Ferguson’s opening round of mind games did have the desired effect.