Talk of splits in the Manchester City camp is nonsense, says Milner

Posted Thursday, November 04, 2010 by theguardian.com

Talk of splits in the Manchester City camp is nonsense, says Milner
Roberto Mancini, manager of Manchester City, and James Milner face the media in Poznan

Poznan is famed for its picturesque old town square, the Stary Rynek, its international trade fairs and the vibrancy of its university nightlife. A few Manchester City players are partial to a student party but it is safe to assume Gareth Barry and company will not be taking the opportunity to reprise exploits in St Andrews where, looking slightly tipsy, they were filmed drinking with undergraduates.

Instead it was a chastened City party that flew into this one time capital of ancient Poland seeking to confirm their position as Europa League Group A leaders and stress their unity in the face of recent adversity.

Two Premier League defeats against Arsenal and Wolves have prompted a deluge of reports about not just minor off the field indiscretions but furious busts-up between City players, along with mounting rumours the squad would like to see the back of Roberto Mancini, their workaholic Italian manager.

"When it seems the whole world is against you that's when you pull together," said James Milner, City's England midfielder last night. "When we see nonsense written in the papers it pulls us closer together. These things will make us stronger. We've discussed it all with the manager and each other. We're a tight group."

If it seems a siege mentality is building, doubts about the players' private views on Mancini linger. Milner though did his best to dispel them. "It's just another story, where it comes from, who knows," he said. "When you look at the manager's record, he's obviously a top manager; we are very lucky to have him. The club is set up for us to be successful and every single person here is desperate to win trophies."

The same went for the recent rows, most notably involving Emmanuel Adebyaor and Vincent Kompany and Milner and Yaya Touré. Adebayor said he had merely been proving that "passion is our only crime" and Milner's explanation was along the same lines. "It says we're very hungry to win football matches," he said. "We'd be worried if there wasn't that hunger. You'll see people disagreeing in changing rooms up and down the country but people read a lot into it because we're Man City."

Sitting alongside him Mancini, resplendent in trademark blue and white scarf, was asked if the players were no longer behind him. "No it's false, it's not true. If there's someone who wants to write these lies then I'm very happy for them," he said.

In-between shrugging off questions about disputes with players – the latest reputedly being Kolo and Yaya Touré – who were left behind in England to work on their fitness – Mancini said Carlos Tevez was due back in Manchester today and may be fit to face West Brom at the weekend.

Not surprisingly there was a world weary quality to his demeanour. The former Internazionale manager had told an Italian news agency he was doing the "dirty work" of changing City's mentality, and that despite the job being "tiring" and English newspapers "resorting to fantasy" he has no immediate plans to return to Italy. "I've got work to do here," he said.

While City are not in quite as much turmoil as Lech Poznan – who yesterday appointed José Mari Bakero as their coach in the wake of Jacek Zielinski's sacking after the Polish champions slipped to 14th in the Ekstraklasa – Mancini could do without a third straight defeat amid this city of stern Prussian architecture.

Lech Poznan (4-5-1; probable): Burci; Kikut, Bosacki, Arboleda, Henriquez; Pesko, Injac, Stilic, Wilk, Krivets; Rudnevs.

Manchester City (4-4-2; probable): Given; Richards, Boyata, Lescott, Bridge; Wright-Phillips, Vieira, Barry, Johnson; Adebayor, Balotelli.

Referee P Vink (Netherlands).

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