More of the same now, says Mancini

[Mark (Blue Army)]

Mr Cool Roberto Mancini has told his celebrating City slickers that results like yesterday's cracking 4-2 victory at Stamford Bridge should be regulation for a gifted Blues squad.

Mancini gave his smiling stars an extra day off after two goals each from dynamic duo Carlos Tevez and Craig Bellamy ripped apart Premier League leaders Chelsea's unbeaten home record.

But the manager, charged with hoisting City into the Champions League elite for next season, refused to be carried away by the outstanding performance and result of the weekend.

He had assured a team short of Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor that they were still more than capable of wrecking Chelsea's proud home record to follow up December's 2-1 triumph at City.

Roberto insisted: "For us, winning at Chelsea should be a normality - win there, win at Liverpool ... if we want to be a top team, that is how it should be.

"I spoke with the players before the game and told them we had a very good chance. We were playing at Stamford Bridge, a fantastic stadium, but we have a good team, very good players. Why should we not win?"

He added that his confidence of an upset had not been dented during a first half in which the title favourites hogged possession and threatened far more than Frank Lampard's opener.

The boss reckoned: "It is normal - we were playing at Stamford Bridge, and you have to defend very well. What is important is the score at the end of the game ...

"We conceded the first goal, but that's also normal against Chelsea. We equalised before half time and then the second half was a fantastic performance."

City face tricky matches at Sunderland and Fulham before the next home game with Wigan. Mancini added: "I don't know if we will finish fourth but we have a good chance. It was important to win at Chelsea - we needed the three points."

mcfc.co.uk

[Moonchesteri]

Yes please, I'd gladly take 4-2 wins every week. ;o)

[eastlands-lostboy]

Its more than I expected

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Of course we want more of the same , RESULTS that is , I think we all take that as a given but I am not sure about that quote of:
""We conceded the first goal, but that's also normal against Chelsea. "

Being realistic if he thinks it's normal to concede the first goal against Chelski or teams like them I am just a tad worried.

[Bojinov's left foot]

I was worried when Mancini said the performance at Stoke in the Cup was better than the one at Chelsea.

[Beefymcfc]

Of course we want more of the same , RESULTS that is , I think we all take that as a given but I am not sure about that quote of:
""We conceded the first goal, but that's also normal against Chelsea. "

Being realistic if he thinks it's normal to concede the first goal against Chelski or teams like them I am just a tad worried.

Don't worry too much Douglas, it is actually normal to concede the first goal to Chelsea, just ask many teams that have been there. The point that we came back and went onto win must not be overlooked.

PS. We went 1 down to them at our place as well. Good to see eh?

[BobKowalski]

I was worried when Mancini said the performance at Stoke in the Cup was better than the one at Chelsea.

I think Mancini has deveoped an obsession about Stoke. I also think he is pissed that we didn't win. He thinks we should have won. They planned it, picked the personnel for the match - "all those over 6 foot take one step forward please" and we should have buried those first half chances. We didn't, paid the price and Mancini is brooding over it.

Not sure why you are worrying over it though. He's just looking at it from a different perspective.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

I was worried when Mancini said the performance at Stoke in the Cup was better than the one at Chelsea.

I think Mancini has deveoped an obsession about Stoke. I also think he is pissed that we didn't win. He thinks we should have won. They planned it, picked the personnel for the match - "all those over 6 foot take one step forward please" and we should have buried those first half chances. We didn't, paid the price and Mancini is brooding over it.

Not sure why you are worrying over it though. He's just looking at it from a different perspective.

Different perspective lol ok I see. I am not a great worrier really but more of a realist and the realist in me says that going one down to top teams is not a good idea.I hope this result doesnt suggest to him it is :)

You are as good as your next game. Chelsea has gone and we must take all the positives and confidence to play Sunderland and Fulham and get at least 4 points preferably 6.

As for the Stoke performance being better than against Chelsea there isn't a doubt that in the first half it was Against Chelsea we were dire even if that was part of the masterplan. Trouble is that winning matches is all about scoring goals. We did it at Chelsea with some help but at Stoke they wern't so generous and we lost. C'est la vie.

[getdressedmctavish]

Two words, Doug, "Carlos Tevez"

[Kladze]

I was worried when Mancini said the performance at Stoke in the Cup was better than the one at Chelsea.

Why worried? Mancini is right that we were better at Stoke.