Roberto Mancini thanks Manchester City fans

The former Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has taken out a full-page advert in the Manchester Evening News to thank fans for their support in his three and-a-half years at the club.

The Italian, who won the Premier League title last season – the club's first since 1968 – and the FA Cup in 2011 and Community Shield in 2012, has received widespread support from City's fans following his sacking last week and appears to have been highly appreciative of their affection.



Above a picture of the manager standing in front of fans with the FA Cup, Premier League title and Community Shield, appears the message: "Manchester City Supporters 3 unforgettable years." Below is written: "You will always be in my heart, ciao, Roberto Mancini."



The Málaga manager, Manuel Pellegrini, is the favourite to succeed the Italian, who "failed to achieve any of [the club's] stated targets this year," according to City's board in a statement confirming Mancini's dismissal last week.

City sack Mancini

Roberto Mancini has been sacked by Manchester City a year to the day since delivering the club's first English title in 44 years.



City failed to back their manager over the weekend as the build-up to Saturday's FA Cup final was overshadowed by reports linking Malaga's Manuel Pellegrini with the job.

City were beaten by Wigan at Wembley, and that disappointment alongside an unconvincing Premier League title defence and a second successive failure to get beyond the Champions League group stage, means Mancini's time in Manchester is up after three-and-a-half years.

The club's owners also spoke of a desire for a more "holistic approach" in a statement which read: "It is with regret that Manchester City Football Club announces that Roberto Mancini has been relieved of his duties as manager.

"This has been a difficult decision for the owner, Chairman and Board to make and it is the outcome of a planned end of season review process that has been brought forward in light of recent speculation and out of respect for Roberto and his extensive contributions to the football club.

"Despite everyone's best efforts, the club has failed to achieve any of its stated targets this year, with the exception of qualification for next season's UEFA Champions League.

"This, combined with an identified need to develop a holistic approach to all aspects of football at the club, has meant that the decision has been taken to find a new manager for the 2013/14 season and beyond."

Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said: "Roberto's record speaks for itself and he has the respect and gratitude of owner Sheikh Mansour, myself and the board for all of his hard work and commitment over the last three-and-a-half years.

"He has clearly also secured the love and respect of our fans. He has done as he promised and delivered silverware and success, breaking the club's 35-year trophy drought and securing the title in 2012.

"I would like to personally and publicly thank him for his dedication to the progress that he has overseen and for his support and continued friendship."

Brian Kidd will be in charge for the final two games of the season and the post-season tour to the United States, but the focus now will be on Pellegrini.



The Chilean, a former Villarreal and Real Madrid boss, is an odds-on favourite for the job but denied on Sunday night that a deal to take over is already in place.

United vs. City | Preview

Kick-Off 20:00 at Old Trafford

Team News :

Man United team news:

• The likes of Wayne Rooney, Nemanja Vidic, Rafael, Jonny Evans and Paul Scholes should all be fit ahead of the derby on Sunday as they continue to recover from injuries.


• Darren Fletcher is the only player who will definitely miss out and the lack of form from the wingers will mean that the wide berths are most hotly contested.


• The likes of Cleverley and Jones are likely to be in competition for a place alongside Carrick, while Welbeck could be played on the left.

 Man City team news: 

• Manchester City have no fresh injury concerns for their trip to Old Trafford.

• Samir Nasri will hope his display last weekend will have earned him a start over Milner, though the England international usually starts in these big matches.

• Jack Rodwell misses out but should be available for the FA Cup semi-final with Chelsea next weekend.

Match Fact

City's 6-1 win in last season's corresponding fixture was United's heaviest Premier League defeat, and the first time they had conceded six at Old Trafford since 1930.

This is the 165th Manchester derby in all competitions. Manchester United lead by 69 wins to City's 45, with 50 draws.

Sir Alex Ferguson and Roberto Mancini have met 11 times as managers. Ferguson has won six to Mancini's four.

United Stats:

Manchester United have won 50 of a possible 54 points in their last 18 Premier League games (W16, D2).

Sir Alex Ferguson's side are the first team in English top-flight history to win 25 of their first 30 league games of a season.

They need 19 points from their remaining eight matches to set a new Premier League record for most points (96).

City Stats:

Manchester City have taken just 11 points from the last 21 available.

City have eight points fewer than they did at this stage last season.

Roberto Mancini's side have conceded 26 league goals, five fewer than any other top-flight side. They have also kept an unrivalled 14 clean sheets.

Mancini: We can win

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini say his side are the equal of local rivals Manchester United, despite the fact they are well off the pace in the fight for the title.

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini say his side are the equal of local rivals Manchester United, despite the fact they are well off the pace in the fight for the title.

Second-placed City trail Premier League leaders United by 15 points ahead of Monday's derby showdown at Old Trafford but Mancini refuses to accept their inferiority.

"We know we can beat them because they are not better than us," he said. "This is sure, 100 per cent.

"We deserved to win the game at the Etihad (in December, which United won 3-2 with a stoppage-time winner). Like them, we are a strong team. There is no difference.

"We are young as a team and we don't have the same importance like United yet.

"The history is very important. We can't do this in two years but maybe in 10 years."

And Mancini thinks the gap between the Manchester teams would be smaller if other teams put up more of a fight against Sir Alex Ferguson's side.

"No one plays well against United, because they only play with fear," said the Italian.

"Every team that plays against them plays very soft, because they think this game is difficult, and they can't beat them. Their mentality is poor.



"They think they can do nothing, but it is not true. If you play strong against United, you can beat them, like they can beat us."

Mancini: Zenit rumours false

Roberto Mancini has laughed off suggestions he could be on his way to Russian club Zenit St Petersburg if his tenure at Manchester City comes to a premature end.



Zenit are reported to see the Italian as the man to replace Luciano Spalletti under whom the club are third behind CSKA Moscow in the domestic league table.

Mancini insisted he did not fear the axe if he failed to defend the Premier League title and lose it to their cross-city neighbours Manchester United.

He signed a five-year deal to stay in the Etihad Stadium hotseat last summer after delivering City's first league title in 44 years.

"It is cold here I think St Petersburg is (colder)?" he said. "It is absolutely not true."

Mancini also rejected the theory of Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger that a lack of English representation in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 1996 was a massive "wake-up call" for the Premier League.

"Last year Chelsea won it and this year English football has three teams in the quarter-finals of the Europa League," said Mancini. "For three or four years English teams have won, or been to the final. For one year, other teams have done it.

"When I read this thing about English football being down I thought it was stupid.

"It is impossible to win every year. This reaction is like Italy where if you win one game you are the best team and if you don't it is a disaster.



"This is football. If every year the same teams win, football would be like other things. Football is good for this. Every year things can change."

Mancini hints at Dzeko exit

Roberto Mancini will evaluate the situation if Edin Dzeko asks to leave Manchester City in the summer, but will only allow him to leave if the price is right.



Dzeko is the club’s joint-top scorer this season with 13 goals but 18 of his 35 appearances have been as a substitute and he is reported to be growing tired of his lack of starts.



Reports have linked Dzeko with a return to the Bundesliga, while the player himself has made it clear he would like to play in Germany again, and Mancini admits he would be willing to listen to offers for the 26-year-old if he expresses a desire to leave.



“Edin is an important player for us. At this time we have not spoken about the transfer market as there are still 10 games to go,” Mancini told Sky Italia.



“But in June anything can happen. If a player asks me to leave, we will evaluate the situation, this applies for all players.



“Dzeko for me is a great player. In Italy he could score more than 20 goals a season. But he would cost €20million, maybe more.”

Mancini upset at Euro exit

Roberto Mancini has hit out at Manchester City's inability to qualify for the Europa League after Tuesday's 1-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund.



A second-half strike from Julian Schieber was enough to see off the Premier League champions, who finished bottom of Champions League Group D without a win and with three points from six games.



Mancini insisted that he told his team to go out and win and ensure they remain in European competition in the New Year.



"Yeah, we wanted this (to qualify for the Europa League) but we have to score." Mancini told Sky Sports.



"Tonight we tried but we are missing more players. We had chances but in this moment we can't score, if you don't score it's difficult to win."



Elimination from Europe could be a blessing in disguise with City currently three points behind rivals Manchester United as they attempt to defend their Premier League title but, when put to Mancini, the Italian was keen to focus on an underwhelming Champions League campaign.



He added: "In this moment we cannot think about this, we should think that we are not in the Europa League and for this we should be disappointed.



"Clearly, this can help us for the Premier League because we don't play in the Europa League but we want to play in it, it was our target tonight."



Mancini highlighted the improvement of opponents Borussia Dortmund in this season's competition from last year and drew comparison with his own side, adding that City side can make a fresh impression next term.



"Champions League is really difficult and strange," he added.



"Borussia Dortmund went out of the group last year in fourth position like us, and this season they can win the competition."

Mancini concentrates on Dortmund

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini is not being distracted by Sunday's derby against rivals United.



City play their must-win Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday but Mancini is not looking any further than the European tie.



The 48-year-old coach admits his side will have to beat one of the 'best teams in Europe' to hold any hope of continuing their participation in European football in the New Year.



A spot in the Europa League is the only obtainable prize after City failed to win any of their previous five games in this season's Champions League Group D.



Mancini quashed reports he could play a weakened side, with a full set of strikers travelling to Germany, however he will be without injured pair Yaya Toure and David Silva.



"Mario Balotelli is here and he can play. So can Edin (Dzeko), and we have other strikers in (Carlos) Tevez and (Sergio) Aguero. Yaya (Toure) will not play," Mancini told reporters.



"We are not thinking of the derby this weekend. We have a difficult match coming up here and we brought all our players except the injured ones.



"Borussia Dortmund are currently one of the best teams in Europe and we have a difficult match ahead of us."



Mancini believes the club should not be embarrassed by their second consecutive early exit in the competition, adding that Dortmund and fellow group D opponents Real Madrid are more deserving of progression, and City must now look to future challenges.



He continued: "In the Europa League you play on Thursdays, so that's a bit tricky, but we still want to make it and will try everything to go through and then go as far as possible there.



"We are disappointed because we wanted to reach the second round. But I believe that there are times when there are teams in football that are better than you and you have to respect that.



"We have to accept that Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid played better than we did and we'll have to try again next season. But it was not an embarrassment."

Mancini calls for City show

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini insists it is important for his side to show what they can do against Real Madrid.



The Spanish giants arrive at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday aware that if they avoid defeat it will end City's interest in this season's Champions League.



Mancini admits there is real pressure on City, but claims they need to embrace big games.



"When you play an important game like this against Real Madrid, there will be pressure but you want games like this. It is important for us to do a good job," he told Sky Sports News.



In theory City could still finish level on points with Real and Borussia Dortmund but he admits this is an unlikely scenario.



"It is possible but I don't think that Real Madrid will not beat Ajax at home, or Dortmund. It was a difficult group when we started and now it is very difficult because we did mistakes in the first two games," he added.



Mancini was asked once again about his troubled front-man Mario Balotelli, who is being strongly linked with a return to Italy, but the City boss remains a huge fan of the 22-year-old.



"Mario, outside the pitch, is a fantastic guy," he said. "Sometimes he doesn't understand which is your job, and how his job is important for his life, but I hope for him that he can understand this quickly."



Mancini even feels that Balotelli has the potential to be as good as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.



"Now he is 22 but life can go quickly and I hope he can improve everything because as a player he could be like Cristiano and Messi," he said.



"If he understands that to be like this you should work hard, your mind should be always on your job, not on the other things that are not important. I am very sorry for him for this.



"He has everything to be one of the best players in the world."

Six miss Swansea visit

Manchester City playmaker David Silva is one of six players absent as Swansea visit the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

Silva continues to struggle with the hamstring injury which has kept him out for the past two games while defenders Pablo Zabaleta (hamstring) and Maicon (foot), midfielders Javi Garcia (thigh) and Jack Rodwell (hamstring) are also missing.

Another midfielder, James Milner, also sits out through suspension after his sending-off at West Brom last weekend.

Swansea boss Michael Laudrup has no fresh injury concerns when he takes his team to Manchester City.

Laudrup could shift midfielder Michu in attack again after he claimed his sixth goal of the season when employed as a striker in the win over Wigan, but Danny Graham is an option as well.



Midfielders Pablo Hernandez and in-form Wayne Routledge look set to keep Nathan Dyer on the bench, but Swansea have no serious injury problems