Roberto Mancini says Manchester United will slip up in title race
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini is confident rivals Manchester United will drop points to keep his side in the Premier League title race.
After City drew 3-3 with Sunderland, United will go five points clear at the top if they win at Blackburn on Monday.
"I think on Monday United will probably do a draw," said Mancini. "Eight games is enough to do two draws. United can arrive in a difficult moment.
"Until we have a point to win this league we will try 100%."
The result leaves City second on 71 points with seven games left, while United lead on 73 points with eight to play.
But the Red Devils have won only two of their last eight league visits to Ewood Park and Mancini predicts they will falter again.
"It is hard but we have another seven games," stated the Italian. "Until we have a point to win this league we will try 100%.
"We have done some mistakes in the last games but also United can arrive in a difficult moment. It is important we are there.
"Before the derby [on 30 April] it is important we recover two points.''
Mancini described the Sunderland match as a "crazy game, very emotional" after City came from 3-1 down to snatch a point.
Sebastian Larsson slotted Sunderland ahead before Mario Balotelli - who Mancini claimed he might have substituted after just five minutes - equalised from the penalty spot.
Nicklas Bendtner headed the visitors back in front moments before half-time and Larsson tapped in his second after the break.
But after Balotelli and Aleksandar Kolarov had argued over who should take a free-kick, Balotelli hauled City back into contention on 85 minutes and Kolarov made it 3-3 with a fierce strike a minute later.
Use accessible player and disable flyout menusDraw 'feels like a defeat' - O'Neill
"I think it is the correct result, a draw, but we didn't do a good performance," Mancini commented.
"I am happy only for the last 10 minutes, for the other 80 minutes I am unhappy because we didn't play very well. I don't know why.
"In the first half we were flat and in a game like this, that is very important for us, we can't be flat in the first half.''
Looking ahead to next Sunday's trip to Arsenal, Mancini added: "I'm sure that we will do better than today.
"We missed [striker Sergio] Aguero and for this reason I am disappointed. I hope he can recover for the next game.''
Sunderland boss Martin O'Neill suggested there was plenty of life in the title race yet.
"City are a top-quality team," he said.
"There will be twists and turns before end of the season and United still have to visit us on the final day of the season."
Roberto Mancini is booked in for talks over a lucrative new contract
ROBERTO MANCINI is booked in for talks over a lucrative new contract in the summer which will secure his Manchester City future.
The Etihad boss – whose title hopes suffered a bodyblow yesterday in a 3-3 home draw with Sunderland – has been forced to contend with erroneous reports in the past few days that Jose Mourinho had agreed a deal to replace him at the end of June.
Former Chelsea manager Mourinho moved swiftly to shoot down the latest rumours stating: “Me to Manchester City? That’s impossible.”
The Portuguese, who is closing in on the Spanish title and seems set to reach the Champions League semi-finals, is likely to extend his stay at Real Madrid into next season.
Mancini, who still hopes to beat Manchester United in the race for the Premier League, sees his contract run out in the summer of 2013. He has been laid back over his future but his Middle East paymasters are pleased with the job he is doing and have no plans to replace him.
That will be the case even if City are outgunned by United for the title and finish the season trophy-less.
Their faith will be endorsed with the offer of a new contract worth £5million a year – probably extending his stay by another two years.
Manchester City are ready to sanction the sale of Mario Balotelli this summer after manager Roberto Mancini finally lost patience with the striker during the 3-3 draw with Sunderland. The Sunday Times
Mancini: I wanted to take Balotelli off after five minutes
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini claimed he might have substituted striker Mario Balotelli after just five minutes of his side's frustrating draw with Sunderland today.
The enigmatic Balotelli may have scored twice but Mancini was frustrated by his fellow Italian's performance as City surrendered two potentially vital points in the title race.
Rivals Manchester United could now move five points clear at the top on Monday and the situation might have been worse for City had they not hit back from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 with two late goals.
It has been another eventful week for Balotelli, who turned up unannounced at an Inter Milan press conference on Monday and Mancini said yesterday he could not be trusted.
When asked if he thought about taking Balotelli off this afternoon, Mancini said: "I thought this after five minutes but in the end he scored two goals.
"He didn't play well. In a game like this the strikers should be the difference - but not in the last two minutes, in the minutes before.
"A player like Mario or (Edin) Dzeko should score two or three goals in a game like this.
"In this moment we need Carlos (Tevez), a striker who can do different. I want this."
Balotelli equalised for City from the penalty spot in the first half but later showed frustration when he appeared to argue with Aleksandar Kolarov over who should line up a free-kick with Tevez.
Mancini said: "On the ball it should be Mario and Ali - after they decide who shoots.
"But it can happen in a moment like today, things like this. It is the last time."
Tevez is still not fit enough to start and was again on the bench while top scorer Sergio Aguero was missing with a mystery foot injury.
Mancini again refused to elaborate on the nature of the Argentinian's problem, although he said some theories in today's newspapers are "not true".
He said: "We missed Aguero and for this reason I am disappointed. I hope he can recover for the next game."
Mancini insisted the title race was far from over.
He said: "I think on Monday United will probably do a draw and we are always three points behind.
"It is hard but we have another seven games. We have done some mistakes in the last games but also United can arrive in a difficult moment. It is important we are there.
"Before the derby it is important we recover two points."
City were pushed back throughout by a hard-working Sunderland side, who scored twice through Sebastian Larsson and once through Nicklas Bendtner.
Mancini said: "I think it is the correct result, a draw, but we didn't do a good performance.
"I am happy only for the last 10 minutes, for the other 80 minutes I am unhappy because we didn't play very well. I don't know why.
"In the first half we were flat and in a game like this, that is very important for us, we can't be flat in the first half."
Sunderland had already beaten City once this season and manager Martin O'Neill felt they deserved to do so again.
He said: "I thought we played brilliantly today and am obviously disappointed to have dropped some points.
"But first of all, they have won 15 consecutive games here - and we are the first team to take some points off them - and they are also second in the league, so they are a very good team.
"They are never out of the match because they have so many match-winners.
"I think we got a little bit tired, maybe after the exertions and the disappointment of Tuesday night.
"We seemed to put that aside and performed excellently (at first) but it was a combination of both Manchester City fighting back and us getting tired."
O'Neill was unimpressed with the award of a penalty against Craig Gardner for a foul on Dzeko.
He said: "I thought initially the referee was going to book their player for diving - but I should have known better.
"Referees have a really difficult job but I spoke to the referee in the tunnel at the end, and I assume he must have seen it since, and he said it was definitely a penalty.
"That confused me a bit. I didn't think it was and the replays will show that."
Getting cocky could end up costing City the title - McGrath
Paul McGrath believes Manchester City should have cruised to the Premier League title this season.
But the ex-Manchester United legend claims they hit the rocks after Roberto Mancini’s men got ‘cocky’ when they were five points clear.
“With the team City have they should be walking the title now – especially given they were five points ahead at one stage,” said McGrath. “There’s a cockiness that comes in, but as Sir Alex Ferguson knows, you’ve got to fight right until the finish line is crossed.
“There is an enormous pressure on them though, and in average games that they’d probably win nine times out of 10, they’re suddenly at this time of the season so wound up knowing they can’t lose a game that they’re afraid to play. This means some players don’t want the ball and they end up with draws instead of wins.”
Having played in and watched some of the best United players in the past three decades, McGrath thinks that if Ferguson won the title with the current crop, it would be an incredible achievement.
“They have had some great results, that great Arsenal win for example,” he said. “But I don’t think United are half the team they were, honestly. Player wise, they’ve had teams in the past with magnificent players all over the park, now they’ve got kids they’re training up and obviously a few will go on to be great, but they’ve thrown a few of them in a bit early.
“That’s what makes Alex Ferguson so good coming into a title race. He could write the book on it.”
OTHER BOLLOX
Manchester United have lined up a £15m deal for PSV Eindhoven midfielder Kevin Strootman, who has been described as "the new Roy Keane". Sunday Mirror
Tottenham are in pole position to land Argentinian defender Julian Velazquez from Independiente in a £4m summer transfer. Metro
Liverpool are ready to make summer moves for Barcelona's young striker Cristian Tello, Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha and Atletico Madrid defender Alvaro Dominguez. Caughtoffside
Arsenal have clinched the signing of German striker Lukas Podolski for a fee of £10m, with the 26-year-old agreeing a five-year contract at around £80,000 a week. Sunday Mirror
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp thinks Swansea counterpart Brendan Rodgers should have a big role to play in the future of the England team. Sunday Telegraph
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson plans to give Michael Owen, who has made six league starts in almost three years at Old Trafford, a pivotal role in Manchester United's title push. Mail on Sunday
Ferguson, meanwhile, believes Wayne Rooney can reach 40 goals this season. The striker currently has 31 for club and country. The Observer
Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher says manager Kenny Dalglish deserves more patience in his rebuilding efforts at Liverpool. Sunday Telegraph
Preston manager Graham Westley has accused four of his players of leaking sensitive team and tactical information to Sheffield Wednesday on the eve of the League One game between the sides, which North End lost 2-0. Sunday Telegraph
David Beckham, who played on loan for Preston before making it big at Manchester United, will pay tribute by video to North End legend Sir Tom Finney at his 90th birthday celebrations next week. Sunday Mirror
more later ....
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