Source: Daily_Mail
Man City 2 Stoke 0: Petrov and Tevez gets Mancini era off to winning start
[LNB]Roberto Mancini strode into The City of Manchester Stadium on Saturday looking every inch the kind of continental manager beloved by football's dilettantes. [LNB]With a stylish, short, dark blue overcoat and handsome mane of lovingly-arranged hair, he has the peacock strut of a Jose Mourinho. [LNB]He even made his Manchester City scarf look elegant. Whether he can manage like Mourinho remains to be seen but doubtless chairman Khaldoon al Mubarak and chief executive Garry Cook congratulated themselves on the aesthetic appeal of their appointee. [LNB] New era: Pertrov scores the first goal of Mancini's reign[LNB]For now at least, all is again well in the world of Manchester City. [LNB]A calamitous eight days following the sacking of Mark Hughes endedwith a comfortable victory, meaning a potentially hazardous openingmatch was successfully negotiated. [LNB]To boot, the new Italian manager was greeted by a thunderous roar ofapproval when introduced to City's fans, who proved less attached toHughes than some of the players.[LNB] Mancini said: 'I was very happy with the fans' reaction. Mark wasa fantastic player and manager and was very popular here in England. Iam not popular here but I am popular in Italy! I loved the crowd, theatmosphere was beautiful and the players are responding. I'm happybecause they were fantastic. [LNB] [LNB] Double top: Tevez scores City's second in acrobatic fashion[LNB] [LNB]'Stoke are a good team, who work hard. It was important we didn't concede and we played well.' [LNB]Despite the appearance of goodwill, Mancini did have to put us righton what might have been perceived as potential areas of conflict. [LNB]There was the axing of Hughes loyalist Craig Bellamy for Robinho,who might generously be described as a mercurial talent and less kindlyas a man who appears to believe it is not just the team that shouldrevolve around him but the entire world. [LNB]'Bellamy is my friend!' said Mancini, diffusing an explosivesituation before explaining how the glut of fixtures made it necessaryto rest City's best player of the season for this decisive matchbecause of the troublesome trip to Wolves tomorrow. [LNB]Those who thought Robinho had done little to justify his inclusion were also put right. [LNB]'For me he played well. It was just that he was tired and I wanted to change him,' said Mancini. [LNB]A win vindicated all and at the whistle Mancini embraced his playersone by one, including Bellamy, who offered a warm handshake.[LNB] Five changes had been made, but only Bellamy and Micah Richardscould have said to have been dropped, with Joleon Lescott, ShaunWright-Phillips and Roque Santa Cruz all nursing injuries. [LNB]There was a new tactical approach, City alternating between 4-3-3 inattack, with Martin Petrov joining Carlos Tevez and Robinho, and 4-4-2in defence, with Petrov dropping and Gareth Barry moving left. [LNB] Point to prove: Robinho did little to justify his place in the starting line-up[LNB]Yet there was scant evidence of improvement in defence, despite thedouble training sessions in the week. After £220million spent in 18months, City still have a rotten back four. [LNB]When Danny Collins played in a speculative ball on 20 minutes, Kolo Toure allowed it to drop for Tuncay. [LNB]With just Shay Given to beat, further ridicule loomed for City buttheir luck held: Tuncay shot straight at Given and saw his effortparried . [LNB]For Stoke manager Tony Pulis it was the turning point. 'That was the most important chance for us,' he said. [LNB]'If we had gone one up, it would have been interesting to see howthey would have reacted and not just their players, but the supportersas well.' [LNB]But Stoke had their own defensive aberration in the 28th minute whenCity produced a slick passage of play, with Stephen Ireland moving theball to Tevez, whose run bewildered Stoke's defence. [LNB]That said, he was allowed to cross too easily and even after Robinhomade a total hash of the pass, Stoke allowed Petrov to race in down theright unmarked and tap the ball in at the far post. [LNB] [LNB] [LNB] Job done: Mancini celebrates three points[LNB] [LNB]On the stroke of half-time, a second, well-worked goal followed.Pablo Zabaleta played in the ball and Barry lost his marker to nod itgoalwards.[LNB] Tevez reacted smartly, stretching acrobatically to connect anddirect the ball past Thomas Sorensen. Nevertheless, the arrival ofStoke's 6ft 4in Robert Huth induced panic in City's back four eventhough he played at right back. [LNB]From set-pieces the German was rarely picked up and on 63 minuteshis flick-on from a free-kick was brought down superbly by JamesBeattie, whose excellent volley was well saved by Given. [LNB]From the corner, Huth again rose highest, this time directing hisheader wide when he should have scored. City were wobbling but acollapse never came. [LNB]For now, Mancini's men stand solid. We shall see how long they can remain that way.[LNB] [LNB] [LNB] [LNB] Sacked Hughes tells his Man City loyalists: Go and win the title for me!Andy Townsend's Boot Room: What can City do with £14m turkey Toure?MANCHESTER CITY FC
