Source: Man_City
Tevez on right track
Roberto Mancini believes City have helped to make Carlos Tevez a better player. And the Blues boss feels the privileged few at Eastlands on Saturday may just see two of the world's current best three strikers go head to head when he pits himself against United's Wayne Rooney. Mancini did not want to talk on Tevez's reported comments that he feels the manager is driving his players too hard by putting on double training sessions. But City sources believe Tevez's gripe was simply an everyday workplace grumble on the player's part - and that the striker's inspired form is proof that the training regime is not doing him any harm. Mancini himself feels that Tevez has blossomed this season - and will get even better over the course of the next year or so. He already rates the 28-goal man alongside Rooney, and just behind Lionel Messi as the best strikers on the planet. He said: "Carlos is already an important player for us, but he could improve over the next year. He has already improved this year, because he has never scored 28 goals before. "I am happy about that, and when you pick the top players, you pick Rooney, Messi and Tevez. "Messi is the best at the moment. But Carlos and Rooney are very, very close." Mancini has only been at City for four months, but this will be his third Manchester derby - and he says the stakes are much higher than normal. But he is keen to remain above the City fans' desire to land a double whammy, by reinforcing their own chances of Champions League football, and giving United's title hopes a kick in the teeth. Difficult Mancini says he is only interested in his own club's fortunes: "It is important that we only want to win for us. We have our own target, and it is not important that we win to stop United winning the title. It is better to focus on ourselves and not other things. "It will be a difficult game for both teams, but it is important that we continue to play as we have done for the last month." The Italian also refused to get carried away by City's remarkable scoring form, racking up 14 goals in the last three games. "My old manager told me it's better to win five games 1-0 than to win four games by 5-0!" he said. "It is always a difficult game against United, and if we win it 1-0 that will be fine by me - I am not sure Sir Alex will agree. "This derby is bigger than normal. It is different to those in the past, as it is so close to the finish of the season with us playing for fourth place and United going for first position. "It will be different but I think it will be a good game." ROBERTO Mancini was speaking at a Barclays coaching session. Throughout the 2009/10 season Barclays Ticket Office gives fans the chance to win a pair of free Barclays Premier League tickets every 90 minutes. Request a receipt from any Barclays ATM to enter or visit www.barclaysticketoffice.com| Submit Comments| Comments (49)| PrintWhat's this? Emaildel.icio.usDiggredditFacebookStumbleUponNewsvineGoogle BookmarksNetscapeTechnoratiWindows LiveYahoo! MyWebMa.gnolia
