Roberto Mancini vows not to quit Manchester City
Manchester City’s underwhelming start to the season continued last night after a disappointing 3-1 Europa League defeat against Lech Poznan, but under-pressure manager Roberto Mancini insists he won’t walk away from the club.
Reports of growing unrest inside the dressing room, combined with a series of less than impressive results, has led to increased speculation that the Italian will soon be forced out of the club. However, Mancini is adamant that he’ll only leave Eastlands if sacked.
"For me it is totally clear, I will stay at City until they fire me," the Italian told French magazine So Foot. "I've seen the owner Sheikh Mansour two or three times and we have a good relationship.
"I also have very frequent contact with the president, Khaldoon Al Mubarak.
"We speak three or four times a week and he often comes to training."
City currently lie fourth in the Premier League – although at the same stage last season, Mancini’s predecessor, Mark Hughes, had amassed more points with the club – but the recent run of defeats, particularly the result against Wolves last Saturday, has put question marks over the former Inter Milan manager’s credentials.
With the club’s big-spending owners looking for a swift return on their investment - meaning a place inside the Champions League places come the end of the season - it’s widely-expected that Mancini will be axed by Christmas unless their consistency improves.
Despite the rumours beginning to circulate, the cultured Italian remains unfazed and believes his previous experience will hold him in good stead for the remainder of the season.
"As a coach I've taken teams that weren't winning such as Fiorentina, Lazio and Inter (Milan) and I've won," he added.
Man City travel to West Brom this weekend, before taking on fierce rivals Manchester United in the much-anticipated Manchester derby next Wednesday evening.
Two wins in those matches would certainly ease the pressure on the 45-year-old, but another two defeats and Mancini needn’t wait until Christmas before beginning the search for a new job.
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