City needs to tighten up: Mancini
League leaders miss chance to move 3 points clear of United.
SUNDERLAND:
Roberto Mancini has warned his title-chasing Manchester City they need to understand there is more to football than attack after being caught out in a 1-0 defeat at Sunderland.
Premier League leaders City remained on top but only on goal-difference alone after South Korea’s Ji Dong-Won struck deep in injury time on Sunday. Their loss was compounded by the knowledge that a win would have put City three points clear of Manchester United after the champions’ shock 3-2 loss to Blackburn on Saturday.
“In the last 15 minutes I almost lost my voice shouting at the defence to hold their line and concentrate,” said Mancini. “We seemed to want to attack with 10 players and that’s impossible.”
City face sixth-placed Liverpool, fresh from a 3-1 win over Newcastle, at home today.
Rooney fined over night out
Meanwhile, Wayne Rooney has been fined the equivalent of a week’s wages - approximately £200,000 - by the club for a night out over the Christmas weekend.
Rooney was dropped by United ahead of their loss to Blackburn, officially because of fitness concerns. But several British newspapers reported that the star was punished for a below par training session on December 27 after a Boxing Day evening out with wife Coleen and teammates Jonny Evans and Darron Gibson.
QPR sign Macheda on loan
Federico Macheda has joined QPR on loan from Manchester United until the end of the season. The 20-year-old Italian striker becomes Neil Warnock’s first signing of the January transfer window.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 3rd, 2012.
Roberto Mancini has warned his title-chasing Manchester City they need to understand there is more to football than attack after being caught out in a 1-0 defeat at Sunderland.
Premier League leaders City remained on top but only on goal-difference alone after South Korea’s Ji Dong-Won struck deep in injury time on Sunday. Their loss was compounded by the knowledge that a win would have put City three points clear of Manchester United after the champions’ shock 3-2 loss to Blackburn on Saturday.
“In the last 15 minutes I almost lost my voice shouting at the defence to hold their line and concentrate,” said Mancini. “We seemed to want to attack with 10 players and that’s impossible.”
City face sixth-placed Liverpool, fresh from a 3-1 win over Newcastle, at home today.
Rooney fined over night out
Meanwhile, Wayne Rooney has been fined the equivalent of a week’s wages - approximately £200,000 - by the club for a night out over the Christmas weekend.
Rooney was dropped by United ahead of their loss to Blackburn, officially because of fitness concerns. But several British newspapers reported that the star was punished for a below par training session on December 27 after a Boxing Day evening out with wife Coleen and teammates Jonny Evans and Darron Gibson.
QPR sign Macheda on loan
Federico Macheda has joined QPR on loan from Manchester United until the end of the season. The 20-year-old Italian striker becomes Neil Warnock’s first signing of the January transfer window.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 3rd, 2012.