Mancini vows City will strengthen squad

26 April 2013 13:16

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini said Friday he is confident the club will act quickly in the transfer market this summer after a disappointing season which has seen them cede their title to rivals United with a month to go.

United's title triumph was confirmed with their 3-0 victory over Aston Villa on Monday and they lead City by 16 points going into the weekend.

Mancini's side have an FA Cup final against Wigan to look forward to but in the league they have made an underwhelming defence their crown.

The Italian manager has frequently discussed his anger at the club failing to sign the players he wanted after winning the league and he is sure those errors will not be repeated.

Mancini said: "I think that when you build your team you need to start like in this case, we are in the end of this championship, we have time, but not a lot of time. We should have our targets in mind.

"You should move very quickly. We didn't do this last year. We moved so slowly. We lost the players that were our targets to improve our team.

We should have moved more quickly.

"It is important to build your team from the basement, when you start in the market you need to buy important players that can help you.

"They deserve to win this title because they won a lot of games in a row. The crucial moment was when we played QPR, Liverpool, Southampton.

"That moment we had big problems with our players injured. We lost key points. United have more attitude than us, as a club, as a team."

Although Mancini is keen to start his transfer business quickly, he insists now is not the time to discuss whether Carlos Tevez or Gareth Barry, who each have a year left on their contracts, will be getting new deals.

But he has confirmed that Kolo Toure will be leaving the Etihad Stadium this month.

He added: "In the moment, it is important to finish well the next five games. It will not be easy. Now this is more important.

"It is important for every player to have the chance to play. Kolo is at the end of his contract, if he has the chance to go to play and we can help him.

"He is a good guy, a serious professional player and fantastic man. If we can help him we are happy."

Mancini is hoping to have several players available again for Saturday's match against West Ham.

Spanish forward David Silva is set to return from a hamstring problem that has kept him out since the 2-1 win at Manchester United on April 8.

Sergio Aguero is also fit again and James Milner is set to return from a hamstring injury of his own. Mancini could also include Jack Rodwell after yet another hamstring problem.

But defender Micah Richards, who returned after seven months out with an ankle injury in the 1-0 win over Wigan earlier this month, is set for a spell with the reserves to improve his fitness.

Mancini meanwhile believes that Luis Suarez's 10-match ban for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic is too severe.

The City manager feels that such offences, along with bad tackles and other incidents of serious foul play should receive four to six-game suspensions and he thinks that Liverpool's Suarez has been harshly dealt with.

He said: "Sometimes they take a strange decision for me. If you want my opinion, this is strange. Ten games I think is too much. This is my opinion. I don't know if this is worse than other tackles or situations.

"Not this. I think that five, six games was enough. This is my opinion. I don't work for the FA. Maybe, one, two or three games more could be correct."

Source: AFP