Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has promised more silverware this season. City have seen their Champions League quest end at the group stage and they have fallen six points behind Manchester United in their Barclays Premier League title defence, but Mancini remains confident.
The Italian is hopeful of overhauling their neighbours to retain the title while he is also focusing on a repeat of the 2011 FA Cup success. The 48-year-old said: “I think we will win. “We have two targets and I think if we work better than the first six months and we forget what we did last year we have more chance to win the league.”
Mancini, who was appointed at the Etihad Stadium three years ago this week, has grown accustomed to success during his managerial career. In each full season in charge of Fiorentina, Lazio, Inter Milan and now City, he has earned tangible reward in terms of a trophy or a Champions League place. He said: “I always win. I can’t do nothing about this! “I think one season with Lazio we didn’t win anything but our premier target was to take the Champions League and we got into the Champions League.” Aided by the huge investment of the club’s Abu Dhabi-based owners, Mancini ended City’s 35-year trophy drought with that Wembley success in 2011 and they are now well established at the top level of the domestic game.
Mancini signed a five-year contract last summer and his challenge is now to maintain that success. He said: “I think that is very important for us. “We started to win two years ago and every year we won a trophy. “It could be that in some seasons you can’t win the Premier League but if you win the FA Cup – I think it’s important to keep this habit. “For us, it is important to win a trophy every year. If we continue to do it this way, it will be good.”
Mancini feels one of the most important triumphs of his time in charge has been to establish a winning mentality at City after a generation of under-achievement.
He said: “I think it was one of the most important achievements for us. “We work for this but we need to improve. “It is easy to arrive on top but it will be more difficult to stay there for a long time. This is the big challenge for us.” Mancini, who met media to preview this weekend’s clash with Reading, was asked how he might view his position in another three years. He admitted his time at the club could be cut short if results go against him but he is confident he has the support of the hierarchy.
