Source: Team_Talk
Mancini: United still above City
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini accepts his team still have ground to make up on arch-rivals and champions Manchester United.[LNB] City meet their neighbours in the Community Shield at Wembley on Sunday at the start of a season in which they hope to challenge for the Premier League title.[LNB]But Mancini's expensively-assembled FA Cup winners finished nine points behind champions United last term and the Italian sees them as the benchmark.[LNB]He said: "Manchester United at the moment are on top.[LNB]"They are a strong team, they won the Premier League and have bought four or five good players.[LNB]"I think we are very close but at the moment they are above us."[LNB]City have again added to their squad over the summer, most notably by paying a club record £38million for Argentina forward Sergio Aguero.[LNB]Defenders Gael Clichy and Stefan Savic have also been recruited along with goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon.[LNB]United manager Sir Alex Ferguson says he welcomes City's challenge because it prevents him becoming complacent.[LNB]Ferguson, who himself has signed three players over the summer, said: "I thought maybe they would spend more this summer and that may still happen - they may still sign a couple more players.[LNB]"We get this almost every year when clubs around about us buy, and that's how you view the importance of winning the league these days.[LNB]"Chelsea had this great spell of buying when Jose [Mourinho] first went there and we accepted that challenge.[LNB]"It's good to accept challenges, it keeps the complacency away from your door and we carry on as best as we can."[LNB]In terms of Sunday's encounter, Ferguson is likely to make his team selection based around planning for the start of the Premier League season next week.[LNB]He told a news conference at United's training ground: "I have always viewed the Community Shield as a stepping stone to the first game of the season.[LNB]"It's very easy to get emotional about this type of game but I don't think we will be changing our policy."[LNB]City will start with Aguero on the bench while last season's top scorer and talisman Carlos Tevez is still on leave following Argentina's Copa America campaign.[LNB]That situation has done little to quell speculation over the 27-year-old's future.[LNB]Mancini said: "We said he needed to come back on August 5 with Zaba [Pablo Zabaletta] but it was my mistake because I told him come back on August 8.[LNB]"Carlos comes back on Monday because he has 21 days after the Copa America."
