Mancini concedes title after comical collapse

Southampton 3 Manchester City 1

On Saturday, nine months on, Roberto Mancini’s side repaid the favour.

Back-to-back draws had made this trip to Southampton a must-win fixture for Roberto Mancini’s side, already nine points behind their cross-town rivals before a ball had been kicked.

Of course City found themselves eight points back last April, before United’s unexpected capitulation set up arguably the most memorable afternoon in their 132-year history.

But after losing here, even Mancini admitted any hopes of retaining their crown have been left dead in Southampton’s coastal waters.

Most galling of all, however, is that all three goals in this embarrassing defeat were completely self-inflicted.

United’s surrender of the title last season took just over a month — City’s incredible implosion took just 48 minutes.

The Italian manager described his side as “worse than poor”, which was perhaps a little kind.

Mancini also suggested that “only two” of his players showed up for the occasion. It was difficult to tell who he meant.

It certainly was not Joe Hart, the England goalkeeper, who inexplicably spilled a Rickie Lambert strike in the 22nd minute, allowing Steven Davis to slide in the hosts’ second goal.

Hart was a cornerstone of City’s glory last season but so erratic have his displays been this season that Mancini rejected the idea that such a mistake was “out of character”.

But the 25-year-old was not helped by his defence, who failed miserably to contain Southampton’s front four, spear-headed by the superb Lambert. City did not concede during January, they have now let in five goals in their past two games.

Javi Garcia was drafted in at centre-half, alongside Joleon Lescott, with influential captain Vincent Kompany out with a calf problem. The Spaniard was horribly out of position in the seventh minute when Jay Rodriguez burst onto Jason Puncheon’s through-ball. Hart managed to save the former’s effort, only for the latter to slide in the rebound.

It was the start of a difficult afternoon for Garcia, the €18.7m summer acquisition from Benfica. In the main, he is yet to justify such a big fee and, despite a tireless shift here, simply could not contain Lambert and co.

Garcia was Mancini’s biggest buy of the summer, in which he spent just over €60m on the likes of Garcia, Jack Rodwell and Scott Sinclair. Across Manchester, Ferguson spent a third of that on Robin van Persie. The transfer market was the first hurdle for Mancini to clear, and he failed.

He said: “It’s normal the year after as champions could be difficult.

“But probably because we made some mistakes in the summer and we didn’t improve our team properly. Now we can do nothing about that.”

Of course Mancini is culpable for transfer market errors, and even more questions of the manager’s position will be asked should he fail to add to the FA Cup and Premier League he has secured during his tenure.

But, frankly, some of City’s players should know better. Gareth Barry, who arrived back in June 2009 in one of Sheik Mansour’s early splurges, ended any hopes of a City comeback with a comical own goal just after half time.

The visitors had threatened to claw a path back into the game when Edin Dzeko started and finished a textbook counter attack six minutes before the break. But all hope was extinguished with one swish of Barry’s boot, which sent Lambert’s low cross sliding past the helpless Hart.

Mancini, who is confident he has the backing of the club’s owners, added: “When you play football and you are a top player, you should take your responsibility. Always. It’s not always the fault of the manager.

“The players should take responsibility — if they have big balls. If not, they can’t play in a top team.’’

And what of Southampton? Overwhelmed by the impact this result had on the top of the table, the sub story here is their quiet ascent away from the bottom. This win, the first for new manager Mauricio Pochettino, leaves Southampton seven four points clear of the relegation zone.

Ferguson said Pochettino’s new-look Saints turned in the best performance of any visitors to Old Trafford this season and on this showing, they should earn another Premier League trip there next year.

And, thanks to them, that journey will be surely to face the reigning champions.