Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini wants to end trophy drought
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has expressed his desire to end his club’s 35-year trophy drought by winning silverware in the ongoing 2010-11 season.
The Citizens manager also insisted that the club has the strength and depth to cope up with the upcoming crucial fixtures.
Mancini said, “We have a big chance of winning something. The next 20 days are very important because we play tomorrow against Aston Villa then the following week in the Europa League. We have two options. If we win one trophy it will lead to more trophies.
This is important for our team. When I accepted this job I knew it was difficult but it is a big challenge and I believe we can win a trophy.”
The Citizens won their last trophy back in 1976, when they defeated Newcastle United by two goals to one to lift the League Cup.
Manchester City, who are currently placed third in the current Barclays Premier League table, will face in-form Aston Villa in the knockout round of the FA Cup on Wednesday.
Roberto Mancini’s side has already defeated Aston Villa in the Barclays Premier League earlier in the season when http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Mario-Balotelli-c23937 scored a hat-trick to thrash the Villans by four goals at Eastlands.
However, the City boss believes that it would be quite impossible for his team to repeat the same feat. Mancini feels that Aston Villa have improved a lot under http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Gerard-c14664 Houllier and have been performing extraordinarily recently.
The Citizens, who are aiming to qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the next season, are favourites to win the ongoing Europa League. Roberto http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Mancini-c23323’s men finished first in their Europa League group which included the likes of Juventus, Salzburg and
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Lech-Poznan-c39779. City easily overcame Sparta in the round of 32 of the competition and are now set to face Dynamo Kiev.
Roberto Mancini bemoans the long injury list and claims that Manchester City players are feeling the effects of a jam-packed schedule.
He said, “It is better we have all these games because it means we are still involved in every competition. Everything is important for us. But our problem is having players injured. When you play every three days you cannot work, only recover with perhaps
a light session. We are tired here (in our heads) because when you play every three days and use the same players it is very difficult.”
Manchester City midfielders, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Micah-Richards-c25259 are expected to return against Aston Villa after missing the recent Fulham stalemate due to injuries on the weekend.
However, the Citizens will be without the services of their defensive leader http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Shay-Given-c33284.
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