Mancini ready to wait for winning hand

[Mark (Blue Army)]

Roberto Mancini believes that a game of patience is the right card to play in tonight's Europa League bid to trump Dynamo Kyiv's first leg lead at the City of Manchester Stadium.

City's aces trail 2-0 from the trip to Ukraine a week ago, but the Blues manager refuses to give up on a quarter-final place despite the growing pressure on his hard-pressed and injury-reduced squad.

He said: "I don’t think that we should start the game trying to score, score, score - I think that we should play our game and not concede a goal. This is very important.

"We can score two or three goals at any moment. It’s not important to score after five minutes or half an hour. It’s important we play as a team, very strong. Dynamo Kiev will play on the counter-attack and we need to pay attention.

"It’s important that our supporters will be very close with us, like they were in the Reading game. After that we can play our game. I don’t think we have to score after one minute ... we just have to play our game."

City's boss will also be relieved to see the international break offer some of his players a breather following Sunday's Barclays Premier League showdown with champions Chelsea, not least workaholic skipper Carlos Tevez.

Captain Fantastic, who has not been selected for Argentina's squad, has hit a dry scoring spell, with just one goal in his last nine City appearances after firing 20 in his previous 26 games.

Mancini said: "I think Tevez, like the other players, needs to work in the next week because in the last 45 days it was impossible for us to work, and when you can’t work, it’s difficult.

“It isn’t only Carlos whose sharpness has suffered, all the players have. Because if we had 20 or 23 players when we play four or five games in two weeks, we would be able to change six players every game.

“We don’t have that option and when you can’t train it’s difficult to keep the same level for one month or 45 days. That’s the same for all the players, not only Carlos.”

mcfc.co.uk

[Mike J]

theres a surprise. he'll probably wait untill the 80th minute and then start attacking.

[Nigels Tackle]

theres a surprise. he'll probably wait untill the 80th minute and then start attacking.

.... when he'll take tevez off and bring vieira on...

.....we may score from a corner if paddy's on though!

come to think of it, it's st paddy's day - maybe vieira should start???

[Crossie]

Way to go to drum up the crowds passion.

We dont do things that way at City Roberto.

[ENIAM NAM]

Absolutley the right tactics in this game.

We could go all guns blazing and get 3-0 up and they would still only need 1 goal to go through.

[brite blu sky]

Absolutley the right tactics in this game.

We could go all guns blazing and get 3-0 up and they would still only need 1 goal to go through.

we have to get 3-0 up first though dont we.. just sayin'

[carl_feedthegoat]

Absolutley the right tactics in this game.

We could go all guns blazing and get 3-0 up and they would still only need 1 goal to go through.

Or..we could go 3 nil up then play the Mancini preferred way and defend?

[Green & Blue]

Mind games, i reckon we will start all guns blazing.

[Blue in the face]

Mind games, i reckon we will start all guns blazing.

I agree G&B. Why would he tell his plans in a press conference?

[Wooders]

fuckin idiot - thats us out then - when you go 2 nil down you don't start worrying about not conceding another one

getting a bit sick of this guy now to be frank

[Green & Blue]

Mind games, i reckon we will start all guns blazing.

I agree G&B. Why would he tell his plans in a press conference?

Exactly no manager goes out and gives his gameplan to the media.He's just sitting back and letting the media soak it up

[Wooders]

we're going out lads - he's softening the blow for us

if we romp home tonight I will gladly return to this thread with egg all over my face - can't see it happening though

[Kladze]

Mancini's right inasmuch as we can't go TOTALLY gung ho and then let one in on the break - then we'd have to score four.

But if his gameplan is to plod our way to a two or three nil victory I've a feeling I'll be back here later with plenty of complaints.

[BobbyJ1956]

One goal this evening, on 7 minutes or on 70, and the game is boiling. And even if Kiev score, don't forget Hamburg got an away goal last time City had to come from behind and City still fought back and so nearly pulled it off. Elano really got them (and himself) going that night. Who tonight will do what he did?

[sweeneymcfc]

he has to go for it
get a feeling from what mancini is saying that top 4 is far more important to him though especially seeing as that is what his job primarily depends on

[aaron bond]

fuckin idiot - thats us out then - when you go 2 nil down you don't start worrying about not conceding another one

getting a bit sick of this guy now to be frank

I agree. I hate being 3rd in the league, in the semi finals of the FA Cup and last 16 of the Europa League.

What a shit time to be a City fan...