James Milner and Roberto Mancini presented a united front on Wednesday night, dismissing talk of disquiet at Manchester City.
Successive defeats in the Barclays Premier League have led to reports of rows between key players and dressing room dissatisfaction. Milner is one of the players implicated for his recent on-field disagreement with Yaya Toure but insists that destabilising stories are only helping to forge City's siege mentality.
"When we see nonsense written in the papers it pulls us closer together. When it seems like the whole world is against you, that is when you pull together," said Milner.
"These things will make us stronger as a football club. You go through times when things aren't quite right and it's important to keep things right off the field.
"I've been at Newcastle and Leeds where the press seemed be outside the training ground whenever you drove in. We can't control what's off the field, we can only control results.
"(Having on-field disagreements) says we're very hungry to win football matches. We'd be worried if there wasn't that hunger because we're desperate to win trophies.
"In changing rooms up and down the country you'll see people disagreeing but it's forgotten as soon as you step off the pitch. We're a tight group."
Mancini, reacting to claims he had fallen out with the Toure brothers Yaya and Kolo - both of whom have been left in Manchester with minor injury complaints - was also clear.
Asked if he was losing the dressing room, the Italian said: "It's not true, it's false. But if there's someone who wants to write these lies then I'm very happy for them. But no, it's not true."
Source: PA
