Robinho blasts City mentality

Samba star wants team-mates to aim higher

Last updated: 2nd December 2008

Robinho

Robinho: Lofty ambitions

City have good players but the mentality of a small side.

Robinho
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Manchester City's Robinho believes his team-mates need to think like champions if they are to ever win the Premier League title.

While the 24-year-old acknowledges Mark Hughes' side have the ability to challenge for honours, he feels they are lacking mentally when it comes to challenging their rivals.

Robinho believes that rather than being happy at accepting a top-six finish in the league table come May, his colleagues should be disappointed at such a lowly placing.

Big things are expected from the Eastlands outfit following last summer's takeover by the Abu Dhabi Group, although it has proved a season of frustration so far with the team just two points clear of third-from-bottom Sunderland.

Small team mentality

"City have good players but the mentality of a small side," said the former Real Madrid star. "They lack the mentality of champions.

"They are content with just finishing fifth or sixth. They are content with little, thinking just a draw might be good enough.

"I have learnt that being second is worthless so I want to inspire a winning mentality.

"You can only be content with winning. You need to want to beat Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool.

"Maybe I have changed this a bit but now City have a project to become big, the mentality has to change."