Extra strikers not the answer, explains Mancini

[Mark (Blue Army)]

Roberto Mancini admitted that he shared the frustration of City supporters as the Blues were held to a second goalless draw in three days at the City of Manchester Stadium.

Birmingham left with a Barclays Premier League point after holding out to repeat the 0-0 scoreline from the midweek derby, and although City remain fourth in the table there were boos from home fans.

There was also a howl of protest around the ground when manager Mancini withdrew skipper Carlos Tevez towards the end and replaced him with midfielder Gareth Barry as City battled to break Birmingham down.

But the Blues boss said: "We were pushing players into the box, and Carlos has had a little injury for two or three weeks. I thought that if I took him off and put on another player, there was a chance to score.

"Do you think that if I put on four strikers we will score four goals? That's not football. All supporters are like this, here and in Italy. They think why not put on two, three, four, five strikers?

"If football was like that, I'd put ten strikers on the pitch! But it's not. We had 17 chances. In the first half we played too slowly, but in the second we played good football but didn't score. It happens."

Mancini lost Emmanuel Adebayor with a heel injury in training, leaving Roque Santa Cruz and Jo to provide the attacking options on the City bench. He said: "I am also frustrated. because I want to win.

"The supporters are unhappy but we played 100 per cent and had a lot of chances to score. we have this problem, finding it difficult to score, but it is important that we did have the chances.

"We must improve on this - when we have a chance, we must score. If we don't, then it is a problem. We've had this problem since the start of the season. If Carlos Tevez does not score a goal, we don't have another player to score a goal. We had Balotelli injured and now banned, Adebayor injured, but we must continue to work."

mcfc.co.uk

[Beefymcfc]

Thanks for clearing that up Mancio, I'm just wondering what the answer is because you don't seem to have it.

Must Improve - No shit Sherlock!

[Abu Dhabi]

Glad he came out and put this to bed. Alright then, next match please.

Edit: haha beefy

[LookMumImOnMCF.net]

If Carlos Tevez does not score a goal, we don't have another player to score a goal.

Shame he's had no money to change this.

[CitizenYank]

If Carlos Tevez does not score a goal, we don't have another player to score a goal.

Shame he's had no money to change this.

Amen. Finally, some good sense.

[StrikeAnywhere]

we cant fucking score becuase when ever a cross comes into the box a) its about inaccurate as a blind man pissing with no hands or b) we have little midgets in the box or not even near the box!

[john68]

If Carlos Tevez does not score a goal, we don't have another player to score a goal.

Shame he's had no money to change this.

Very glib. Maybe you have forgotten that in the summer we actively tried to sign several world class strikers. Money had no part in this, nor the amount we have. If you don't manage to get all your targets in the summer, you are then stuck with what you have., no matter how rich you are. I expect to see us chasing thse top strikers over the next few weeks. When we are then allowed to buy.

[Blue Since 76]

If Carlos Tevez does not score a goal, we don't have another player to score a goal.

Shame he's had no money to change this.

Very glib. Maybe you have forgotten that in the summer we actively tried to sign several world class strikers. Money had no part in this, nor the amount we have. If you don't manage to get all your targets in the summer, you are then stuck with what you have., no matter how rich you are. I expect to see us chasing thse top strikers over the next few weeks. When we are then allowed to buy.

He might have wanted some new strikers, but we didn't get them. We've still got Tevez, Ade and Mario and, I suspect, any prem team would take them off our hands.

If the Sheikh said no more money, do we just give up, or is a manager and coach's job to manage with what you have and coach them to improve? You can't decide the only solution is to play without a striker and moan that Mario got himself, rightly, banned

[Pretty Boy Lee]

If Carlos Tevez does not score a goal, we don't have another player to score a goal.

Shame he's had no money to change this.

Very glib. Maybe you have forgotten that in the summer we actively tried to sign several world class strikers. Money had no part in this, nor the amount we have. If you don't manage to get all your targets in the summer, you are then stuck with what you have., no matter how rich you are. I expect to see us chasing thse top strikers over the next few weeks. When we are then allowed to buy.

He shipped out Bellers and Robinho and may as well force Ade and RSC to wear t shirts with the slogan "cunt for hire" for how much respect he's shown them.

If we have no strikers it's his fault!

[bluej]

Strikers not the answer, explains Mancini

Roberto Mancini admitted that he shared the frustration of City supporters as the Blues were held to a second goalless draw in three days at the City of Manchester Stadium.

Birmingham left with a Barclays Premier League point after holding out to repeat the 0-0 scoreline from the midweek derby, and although City remain fourth in the table there were boos from home fans.

There was also a howl of protest around the ground when manager Mancini withdrew skipper Carlos Tevez towards the end and replaced him with midfielder Gareth Barry as City battled to break Birmingham down.

But the Blues boss said: "We were pushing players into the box, and Carlos has had a little injury for two or three weeks. I thought that if I took him off and put on another [strike]player[/strike] defensive midfielder, there was a chance to [strike]score[/strike] not concede.

"Do you think that if I put on four strikers we will score four goals? That's not football. All supporters are like this, here and in Italy. They think why not put on two, three, four, five strikers?

"If football was like that, I'd put ten strikers on the pitch! But it's not. We had 17 chances. In the first half we played too slowly, but in the second we played good football but didn't score. It happens."

Mancini lost Emmanuel Adebayor with a heel injury in training, leaving Roque Santa Cruz and Jo to provide the attacking options on the City bench. He said: "I am also frustrated. because I want to win.

"The supporters are unhappy but we played 100 per cent and had a lot of chances to score. we have this problem, finding it difficult to score, but it is important that we did have the chances.

"We must improve on this - when we have a chance, we must score. If we don't, then it is a problem. We've had this problem since the start of the season. If Carlos Tevez does not score a goal, we don't have another player to score a goal. We had Balotelli injured and now banned, Adebayor injured, but we must continue to work."

mcfc.co.uk

[johnny crossan]

If Carlos Tevez does not score a goal, we don't have another player to score a goal.

Shame he's had no money to change this.

Very glib. Maybe you have forgotten that in the summer we actively tried to sign several world class strikers. Money had no part in this, nor the amount we have. If you don't manage to get all your targets in the summer, you are then stuck with what you have., no matter how rich you are. I expect to see us chasing thse top strikers over the next few weeks. When we are then allowed to buy.

Amen. Finally some good sense.

[Original Dub]

If Carlos Tevez does not score a goal, we don't have another player to score a goal.

Shame he's had no money to change this.

Very glib. Maybe you have forgotten that in the summer we actively tried to sign several world class strikers. Money had no part in this, nor the amount we have. If you don't manage to get all your targets in the summer, you are then stuck with what you have., no matter how rich you are. I expect to see us chasing thse top strikers over the next few weeks. When we are then allowed to buy.

Amen. Finally some good sense.

Delighted with everything?

[LookMumImOnMCF.net]

If Carlos Tevez does not score a goal, we don't have another player to score a goal.

Shame he's had no money to change this.

Very glib. Maybe you have forgotten that in the summer we actively tried to sign several world class strikers. Money had no part in this, nor the amount we have. If you don't manage to get all your targets in the summer, you are then stuck with what you have., no matter how rich you are. I expect to see us chasing thse top strikers over the next few weeks. When we are then allowed to buy.

Stop making excuses for him. People defending him are becoming tiresome.

If he hasn't bought strikers it's his fault.

[Dameerto]

That would imply he conducted the negotiations.

[Steve]

In other teams, midfielders score aswell

[gaudy]

come back darius,all is forgivin!

[Bridge'srightfoot]

Oh yes how silly of us. How can anyone not realise that taking off one of the most prolific strikers in world football off for a holding midfielder who's scored about 3 goals in 70 odd games in a game we need to win is a positive attacking move? Sorry Mancini.

[Ted Hughes]

In other teams, midfielders score aswell

This is a key point imo. If you take Tevez out of the equation, how many goals do the rest of that team score on average over their careers? Letting go of players like Bellamy & Robinho, who score 1 in 3 & replacing them with players who score 1 in 8 is obviously weakening the attacking potency of the squad & was asking for trouble. Hopefully he will rectify his mistakes in Jan.

[bluej]

In other teams, midfielders score aswell

This is a key point imo. If you take Tevez out of the equation, how many goals do the rest of that team score on average over their careers? Letting go of players like Bellamy & Robinho, who score 1 in 3 & replacing them with players who score 1 in 8 is obviously weakening the attacking potency of the squad & was asking for trouble. Hopefully he will rectify his mistakes in Jan.

I'd love to see Milner given a go in the midfield 3 as I reckon that would go towards solving some of the problems going forward, Yaya and Barry are just too slow to go back and forth and De Jong is the defensive foil.

[Ted Hughes]

In other teams, midfielders score aswell

This is a key point imo. If you take Tevez out of the equation, how many goals do the rest of that team score on average over their careers? Letting go of players like Bellamy & Robinho, who score 1 in 3 & replacing them with players who score 1 in 8 is obviously weakening the attacking potency of the squad & was asking for trouble. Hopefully he will rectify his mistakes in Jan.

I'd love to see Milner given a go in the midfield 3 as I reckon that would go towards solving some of the problems going forward, Yaya and Barry are just too slow to go back and forth and De Jong is the defensive foil.

Don't understand why Milner is always played out wide. As a wide player, he's been mostly average during his career. It's only since he moved to the centre that he became talked about as a future top England player & as being worth money. Any Villa fan will tell you he's wasted playing wide. There are about 40 other better wide players we could have signed if that's what we needed. It would have been better for him & us to leave him at Villa if we're not going to give him a run of games in his best position.