Mancini not feeling the heat

Former Inter Milan manager Roberto Mancini insists he is not feeling the pressure of guiding Man City to a first Premier League title.

City boss insists pressure is nothing compared to Inter

Former Inter Milan manager Roberto Mancini insists he is not feeling the pressure of guiding Manchester City to a first Premier League title. City's 1-0 defeat to Everton on Tuesday allowed champions Manchester United to move level on 54 points after they beat Stoke City. Expectations to deliver silverware at the Etihad are sky high following heavy investment from owner Sheikh Mansour and City can ill-afford to let their league form slip after bowing out of the Carling and FA Cup. However, the 47-year-old spent four years in charge of Inter prior to working in Eastlands and the Italian remains of the firm belief working at Giuseppe Meazza has proven invaluable experience.

Pressure

"There doesn't exist a place like Inter Milan, where you can really be under pressure. After Inter Milan, you can manage every team," said Mancini. "Inter Milan has a big history like United. When you are a manager there you have a pressure every day, every minute. After Inter Milan you can't have pressure. "It was really important for me, the experience with Inter Milan. Inter are a top team and you need to do everything well every day, every game. "All the journalists and all the newspapers say the manager has made mistakes every game. It is so different from here. So, for this reason, after that, you can't have pressure."

Crucial

City have been hindered by the absences of Yaya and Kolo Toure due to the Africa Cup of Nations and Mancini was under no illusions the opening months of the New Year would be tough. The leaders also lost Vincent Kompany due to a four-game ban while Italian striker Mario Balotelli was given a four-match suspension as well after being found guilty of violent conduct for catching Scott Parker's head with his boot. "We knew December and January would be crucial months because we were losing important players to the African Nations Cup and could have players injured," he continued. "I didn't think we could have players banned for four games - but this can happen. "I said if we are on the top after January we would win the title - but not without problems. It is not easy to beat United. "It is important for us to stay on the top now for this difficult moment. "If we are on top after this difficult moment, what has happened with us in January can probably happen to other teams. Every team has a difficult moment."