Mancini: Teams In The Premier League Are Scared Of Us
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Manchester City Manager Roberto Mancini: The Other Teams In The Premier League Are Scared Of Us
Italian is looking to challenge for the title this season
Roberto Mancini believes that the Premier League’s big clubs are scared of the excessive spending of Manchester City.
City’s deal for Lazio defender Aleksandar Kolarov has pulled their summer spending to about £80 million, with big money moves for James Milner, Mario Balotelli and Fernando Torres still possible before the Premier League season begins.
Since Mancini took over at City seven months ago, City have spent more than the top 14 Premier League clubs combined.
Mancini thinks that other teams are fearful of the improvements that City have made, and the Italian believes that his team can challenge for the Premier League title.
"Are they scared? I think so. At the moment only Manchester City are buying players,” Mancini told The Sun.
"But that is normal because Manchester City want to improve and the other teams are just big teams who would like a lot of people.
"All the other teams are trying to put pressure on us because for 10 years there were only four teams challenging for the title.
"This year, there are five. I think all these teams over the years have spent a lot of money.
"Manchester United, Tottenham, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool but now City do. There isn't a difference."
Mancini hopes that City’s ambitious approach will help the club achieve their main goal of winning the Premier League this season.
"We have a big opportunity to win the league if we believe in ourselves and do our jobs. We have improved as a team.
"It depends if we can put together a team in the short time available. In my experience, I know after the World Cup in every country there can be a different situation in the league.
"If you remember a few years ago Manchester City were in the Championship, then it is clear every year we must improve.
"Last year, we fought for fourth place until the penultimate game against Tottenham - the aim this year is to try to win the Premier League. That must be our target.” -
Patrick Vieira: Manchester City's Summer Spending Won't Be Popular
Former France star is confident that he will be fit for the season opener
Patrick Vieira believes that Manchester City’s extravagant spending will inspire opponents to defeat them, and that the team must learn to deal with the animosity that they face this season.
City are on the verge of surpassing the £100 million mark in the transfer market for the second straight year, with the £18 million signing of Aleksandar Kolarov from Lazio putting their amount spent at £78 million.
Roberto Mancini’s side are also interested in expensive moves for Aston Villa midfielder James Milner, Inter Milan striker Mario Balotelli, and Wolfsburg hitman Edin Dzeko before the Premier League begins next month.
Vieira believes that all of the spending that City are doing in pursuit of a Premier League title will make other teams dislike them, and try that much harder to defeat them week after week.
"We have to get used to everyone disliking us. That is the way it will be every single place we go,” Vieira told The Guardian.
“People will want to beat us for all the wrong reasons. But that is what we have to deal with. “We have to go out on the pitch with confidence and overcome the difficulty and show we are strong enough to do it."
The former Arsenal star struggled through an injury-plagued campaign at City last season, but the Frenchman is confident that he will be ready to face Tottenham in the Premier League opener at White Hart Lane.
"It has been a good couple of weeks for me and important not to miss any training.
"The first game is against Tottenham, but my Arsenal ties are all in the past. It will be really difficult because last season we lost against them in the important games and it is a vital first game.
“I am expecting an interesting reception but I love that so it is not a problem." -
he's right LOL. He can buy a dream team if he wants.
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As Real Madrid has shown, buying a dream team and making it work effectively are two mutually-exclusive concepts.
Simply put, Man City has too many stars fighting for limited places. Certainly there will be discontent when some of these stars can't even make it to the substitutes' bench.
And for all of their glitz, their backline is still weak as hell. They're so busy overcrowding the midfield and attack with overpriced players when a few solid defenders is what they really need.
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I don't think their backline will be weak anymore... Jerome Boateng is actually very good and he can play anywhere at the back 4 positions... Left, Right and Centre. I just wondered how come no other clubs spoted him earlier and they were lucky they bought him before the WC... Cos he really came rather cheap at $10.5m only...
Yaya Toure is another one if needed can slot in to the centre-back position without any problems... And with this Aleksandar Kolarov now taking over their problem left side, They might improve by a lot... And also the likes of Lescott, Richards, Kolo Toure might improve during this times as well in order to get into the first team... In short, they are spoilt for choice...
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Originally posted by zocoss:
I don't think their backline will be weak anymore... Jerome Boateng is actually very good and he can play anywhere at the back 4 positions... Left, Right and Centre. I just wondered how come no other clubs spoted him earlier and they were lucky they bought him before the WC... Cos he really came rather cheap at $10.5m only...
Yaya Toure is another one if needed can slot in to the centre-back position without any problems... And with this Aleksandar Kolarov now taking over their problem left side, They might improve by a lot... And also the likes of Lescott, Richards, Kolo Toure might improve during this times as well in order to get into the first team... In short, they are spoilt for choice...
Then it's really a question of how well they can settle in and work together, then.
If the individual players are reasonably good, then they have to learn to play reasonably well together. Defence was the weakest part of Man City in the past two seasons. Only time will tell whether this new defensive lineup can pull itself together.
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Originally posted by zocoss:
I don't think their backline will be weak anymore... Jerome Boateng is actually very good and he can play anywhere at the back 4 positions... Left, Right and Centre. I just wondered how come no other clubs spoted him earlier and they were lucky they bought him before the WC... Cos he really came rather cheap at $10.5m only...
Yaya Toure is another one if needed can slot in to the centre-back position without any problems... And with this Aleksandar Kolarov now taking over their problem left side, They might improve by a lot... And also the likes of Lescott, Richards, Kolo Toure might improve during this times as well in order to get into the first team... In short, they are spoilt for choice...
agree, they are buying quality and it is only time b4 they gel.
and once then, it will be difficult to stop them.
football these days are measured by strength of team, managers and importantly, their finances.
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well chelsea had all the big egos and stars but they still made it. Wah i envy mancini la.....we all can only suck thumb and play Championship manager or football manager. But here this guy can play the real thing and he has loads of cash......just like CM or FM. heh heh
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Bollocks
