Mancini targets top four

Italian to take time before deciding on January signings

By Peter Fraser   Last updated: 21st December 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Mancini targets top four

Mancini: Wants a long stay

I think, and hope, to stay here for many years and I want to win many trophies.

Roberto Mancini
Quotes of the week

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New Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has set himself the target of finishing in the top four of the Premier League before winning the title next season.

The former Inter Milan boss was appointed on a three-and-a-half-year contract on Saturday as Mark Hughes was sacked only hours after a 4-3 victory over Sunderland.

Mancini is City's 17th manager in 20 years after Hughes paid the price for failing to meet goals that had been agreed with the club's mega-rich owner Sheikh Mansour.

City aim to have achieved a total of 70 points by the end of this season, but Mancini believes UEFA Champions League qualification is also possible before then turning attentions to winning the league in 2010/11.

"I believe in my position," he told a press conference shown live on Sky Sports News "I think that I can do a good job because we have good players."

Sympathy

He added: "My target is to arrive in the top four. That is my target, I think it is possible.

"Next year we want to win the Premier League."

Hughes was only offered 18 months in charge of City after leaving Blackburn, but Mancini expects to have a long career in Manchester.

"I think, and hope, to stay here for many years and I want to win many trophies," he said. "City has great supporters and I hope we do a good job for them."

He added: "My job is to work hard every day to improve the play, to improve the victories. This is all."

Rebel

Mancini took training with the City players, who did not rebel against the sacking of Hughes, according to City chief executive Garry Cook, for the first time on Monday.

"I told them to believe in ourselves and they are great players and we can win if we work hard every day," he said.

When asked about possible January signings, he added: "I want to see this week the players and after we'll make a decision."

Mancini expressed sympathy for Hughes, but is now looking forward, saying: "I'm sorry for Mark but when we start this job, this situation is possible.

"My job is a manager. I stayed in Italy for four years and I won seven trophies.

"At the end of the season they sacked me. This is our job. I don't want to look back."

Comments (66)

Nick Gray (Sunderland fan) says...

Mancini will taste defeat in large portions unless his appointers break the bank to be the best. It¿s no good buying average players which has been the case as their fees confirm. When they buy a Messi or a Ronaldo then football will sit up and take notice. Until that day finally arrives they are simply a very good Premiership team without one truly World Class Player.

Posted 16:16 22nd December 2009

Mc donald Mkwezalamba says...

Money alone does not buy success. What Man city lacks is patient, 2 or may be 3 more seasons would do for them.

Posted 14:26 22nd December 2009

Pete Rykowski says...

I'm still not sure why Hughes was sacked? Their points target for the season was 70 and he already has 29 in mid December!?! I think football takeovers are becoming less about football and more about power and greed. Just take a look at Pompey, two takeovers this season and they still can't pay their players!!

Posted 13:56 22nd December 2009

B Ismail (Arsenal fan) says...

Sorry for Hughes to go. May be he's not the right guy to match the owner's ambitions, but neither is Mancini. He'll be a big flop in PL, he's overhyped. He's won one title by a court ruling, the next with Juve in second division and Milan docked 15 points from the start, then the third was won when Italian footbal was at its lowest point. If the sheiks think that this is a man who can outperform the likes of SAF, Wenger or even Steve Bruce then they have to think again.

Posted 11:46 22nd December 2009

Andy Lewis says...

Being a Liverpool fan, I think the sacking of Mark Hughes and appointment of Mancini has come at the worse possible time for Liverpool. For Rafa ( and to a lesser extent Fergie and Ancelloti ) sunday was a good day to under perform. Unfortunately it has deflected notice of the further inadequacies of Rafa and the board. This is the man who guarenteed 4th spot before being beaten by Pompey, also before that game he declared Liverpool could still win the title. I'm sorry Rafa, and all those who still offer support to him, but your time is up. If the yanks are in it for the long term it's time to back another horse. Put some money where their mouths are and rid LFC of the Raf' pack, get in a new manager ( Mourinho, Hiddink ) and give him money to spend. They have to put money into the team to get any sort of return, if they don't the side will stagnate, the likes of Gerrard and Torres will leave and we will be left with players the ilk of Lucas and Babel

Posted 11:14 22nd December 2009

Chris Allen says...

To quote Bruce Willis in Die Hard " Is it my imagination or did things just get worse?" Mancini looked bewildered by the circus around him (I like him already!). Cook looked surprised to hear the words coming out of his own mouth. His table slapping was as half-hearted as a Eurostar train service. Expected him to mention fluffy snow. But then again he is a sheikh's puppet as much as Hughes was, so must'nt be too scathing (shame). At least Hughes is a football man with integrity. Cook looks like an insurance man who is flogging a product he doesn't believe in. I'm sure he used to deliver football coupons to my dad every Thursday night in the seventies. If Mancini misses top 4, will Cook and Marwood go as well! Hughes made mistakes, if you have the best keeper, you shouldn't be conceeding so freely. Our defence had more holes than Phil Taylor's dartboard. Selling Dunne was a mistake, was that Hughes or Cook ("T-shirts inn Beijing). Why buy a truck load of forwards but have no cover at the back? We flirted with Terry like a bumbling randy suitor, when he decided he could make enough money conducting Stamford Bridge stadium tours we put beer googles on and got anyone who wanted a tickle...sorry Lescott you try. If Bellamy and Given want to go, I reluctantly admire their loyalty to Hughes.What a player Bellamy has been, snapping and snarling like Katie Price on discovering the world has run out of fake tan, love him. Bellamy would run through fire for Hughes, Robiniho wouldn't break sweat in a sauna. We will end up with trophy players (no trophies). Hughes will come back a very good manager but not excellent., 2 defeats , 1 in Fergie time and a first semi-final since dinosuars roamed was not sackable in the real world. Merseyside or Bolton beckon. He wont starve this Christmas, so my sympathy is limited. You have to remember City is run by people with obscene wealth, if they want their own man, that is their choice.

Posted 10:34 22nd December 2009

Ian Smyth says...

Garry who? The Premiership is going to follow in the way of the economy over the next couple of years because of people like Garry Cooke and the owners of MCFC. They have absolutely no interest in football or the good of the game. Sure enough, football is big business for now. To the fans, its our life, our passion, our sport. Maybe it wouldnt be such a bad thing for football to suffer a financial collapse. Nobodys like Garry Cooke would be out of our game and maybe we could get back to grass roots football, local lads representing local clubs, british/irish managers playing British football. Lets rid our game of the cancer of foreign money/investors.

Posted 10:14 22nd December 2009

Ben Ten (Hearts fan) says...

Why can't they sack him, he has spent millions on defenders and has a worse defence than Birmingham. And millions on players that have done nothing. He had to go, top 4 is do-able this season provided (like last season) that Villa fold and Spurs don't keep their run up.

Posted 10:12 22nd December 2009

Abhish Bhattacharya (Manchester United fan) says...

17 Managers in 20 years, I guess that sums up the story thus far. They will pernially remain an underachieving club, unless they learn from their neighbours, winning league tittles requires stack loads of cash but also patience, stability & consistency..

Posted 09:50 22nd December 2009

Zeus Dormer (Manchester United fan) says...

Not totally unrealistic but is this what City and the mega rich arabs are looking for. Buying a squad of so called over paid stroppy superstars and win a league, is the Blackburn Rovers and Chelsea way. The first season, if it starts well, could land them a league win, possibly a second but after that things full apart. Players who are club cult players can't be replaced, there are no youth players brought up within the system, no club ethos. Look at Chelsea, doing well this season but it can also be argued that United just haven't been playing as well as they have in previous years. Terry, Carvalho getting on a bit and Lampard with a youth system that so far has produced Mancienne. Looking at United we have an endless flow of youth players who can master the way United play and only recently have shown signs of being over stretched. United are there again and have a good chance of winning with the sale of influential players and over 10 injuries at present. Chelsea are beyond their best, Blackburn who? and City going on to make the same mistakes. IF city win the league it wont be beacause of hard work, United will reclaim the title and carry on their domination.

Posted 09:33 22nd December 2009

David Buey says...

Of course he will say 'top four' he has to as this is what the owner, board and fans want to hear! Personally I hope they fail....not for the fans....but for the money men there who believe they have the right to not only buy into our game but buy success and overnight at that!

Posted 09:32 22nd December 2009

Pruk Rattnasirivilai (Chelsea fan) says...

Roberto Mancini seems to be the answer for City since those star players need a big manager to control them and Mark Huges isn't one. Mancini is a big name manager due to his trophies, but is he really that good I am not so sure. I am not surprise that he won trophies with Inter, considering the team he has which were more greater than the others in Series A. Finally I think he can win trophies for City with this kind of cash they have in the bank, but I don't think it will happen in 2 years time.

Posted 08:07 22nd December 2009

Jezza Jezza says...

I have to say I doubt his credentials as a manager as when he managed Inter I beleive that Juve were relegated and so lost alot of their top players and he was sacked as he could do no good in the champions league...top four target is way offf...think they will be lucky to finish top 6 as already the rumblings of player unrest are surfacing...will not be able to attract top players in transfer window as no europe so will have to pay them huge salaries to get them which will again breed resentment amongst top players need a very special manager to get the best out of players earning 150 k per week and I am afraid he is not the man

Posted 07:10 22nd December 2009

Clive Levy (Manchester City fan) says...

Maybe Mancini is the man we need to bring back the glory days of Mercer/ Allison . Then the team had flair and was a pleasure to watch . We have the forwards and a decent midfield but he has to get the defence sorted. Lets hope the owners give him long enough .

Posted 04:22 22nd December 2009

Safdar Latif says...

I think man city will be in top four as they are already on sixth on league tables and still a big round starting after new year where the league turns into different form. Man city got top players and they are commited doing best as robinho is not only player on attack as he got backup.

Posted 03:01 22nd December 2009

Paul Baker (Derby County fan) says...

Top 4 this season,win the title next season.Of course Mancini is going to say that sort of thing,its not like he is going to say the truth and admit his newly aquired club are a shambles at the moment and CANT do a top 4 this season and they most definately WILL NOT win the title next season.In your dreams Mr Mancini,there is more chance of me winning the lottery than City winning the Premiership next season,PERIOD.And he knows it!

Posted 02:38 22nd December 2009

Craig Mcleod (Middlesbrough fan) says...

Let's get real here - Mancini won 3 titles on the trot - one of which was awarded in retrospect when Juventus had been caught match fixing, the next of which was won when Juve had been relegated (a punishment for the same offence) and AC Milan and Fiorentina had had points deducted. He didn't make an impression at all in the Champion's League. This is clearly a catastrophic appointment by City, he only really excelled in Italy when all the good opposition had been removed. Unless there's suddenly a match fixing scandal over here where Arsenal, Chelsea, Man Utd, Aston Villa, Tottenham and Liverpool get caught and punished, City can dream on of a top four finish and the title next year!

Posted 02:16 22nd December 2009

Kezzer Kezzer says...

I hope City fall on their arses.....indignant players,taking the cally....sorry for Hughes....what do the new owners know about football...? Mancini will get fired...sooner or later...like the players....its all about money...not tradition,not a love of MC.....hope Hughes goes back to MC with another team....and wins!!

Posted 02:11 22nd December 2009

Fionan Direen (Aston Villa fan) says...

Let's put mancini's achievements into context. He won titles in a poor italian league a few years ago, 1 of which was by default. But he never managed to get a team with players like ibra, chivu, maicon and others beyond the last 16 of the champions league. Surely anyone can see that he is not top class. He is the best city could get because city can't attract the big time managers like hiddink and mourinho. I don't feel bad for hughes because he spent around 200million there and didn't produce the results. His biggest mistake was offloading dunne, and ultimately it was that lack of judgement which cost him his job. City's loss is villa's gain!

Posted 02:09 22nd December 2009

Frank Walmsley says...

I was disappointed when Sven left. He also had the right credentials but failed to deliver that season. I think that the people in charge should have given Hughes until the end of the season. I also think that City have the talent for a top four place but the defence is actually worse these days. That's been our achilles heal. As for saying no way and what a joke, remember that City have only lost two games. If we had won all the games we drew, we would be top of the league.

Posted 00:56 22nd December 2009

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