It is turning into an intriguing battle for the final Champions League position in the Premier League and Roberto Mancini is fully aware of what is at stake.
The Manchester City boss was given the remit to qualify for the Champions League and started like a train in his pursuit of that success. However, Saturday’s defeat at Hull was a rude awakening for the Italian who has quickly won over the City fans and he knows they will need to get back on track quickly if they are to bring the holy grail of Champions League football to Eastlands next season.
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What were your thoughts on the performance at Hull?
We didn't play very well. We know Hull at home is a different proposition, they played well. We started the game very, very slowly and there were things I didn't like because the pitch is the same whether we play at home or away. If we want to make the top four, we must win away and we must fight. We must be aggressive away, not like the first half.
You are always looking to add to your squad – would you like to sign 19-year-old Mario Balotelli from Inter Milan?
I'd gladly take him right away. Mario is potentially a world-class player, especially considering his age as he already changes a game. I don't know about his current behaviour, but I've never had reason to complain when working with him.
Patrick Vieira made his debut for you at Hull – how big an influence can he be?
I know Patrick wants to go to the World Cup and for this reason alone I feel he can be very important for us over the next three or four months. He is a big player, both on the pitch and in the mind. We lost two games recently, against Everton and Manchester United. They were both very different games and at Everton I felt we were tired. But Patrick is so experienced maybe we would not have lost those games if he had been in the team.
Kolo Toure was given the captain’s armband by your predecessor Mark Hughes – will that remain the same now that you are manager?
I want my team to have many captains out on the pitch, but only one player can wear the captain's armband - and that is Kolo. He is a very important player for us and a very good leader so I am very happy for him to continue.
