Mancini takes aim at strikers

West Ham United 0 Manchester City 0

At this exact stage last season, Manchester City had scored a remarkable 36 goals in 10 games. This season, it’s 18 in 10. And, while that ratio is still impressive and has kept them within touching distance of the top, it is a stark 50% drop-off that has started to have an effect. City have only scored once in their last two games, including a 0-0 draw at West Ham on Saturday. For their manager, it may be at the root of even bigger problems too.

In an Upton Park corridor, Mancini gave a surprisingly long and frank elaboration on his team’s issues, but in a markedly casual manner. Remarkably, as his team approach their fourth Champions League game badly needing a win against Ajax tomorrow to stay in the competition, Mancini claims they are “not ready” to win Europe’s elite competition. While all of this may just be a motivational tool similar to his comments during last season’s title race, the nature of his argument suggested something deeper.