Managers prepare for match of the season

Cool Mancini keeping calm

The heat is on for Manchester City — but Roberto Mancini can’t feel any pressure.

City head to Old Trafford tonight knowing if they can avoid defeat in their Carling Cup semi-final decider with United, a first Wembley cup final appearance since 1981 will be theirs.

For Mancini, it would mean Blues immortality barely a month into the job. For City as a whole it would represent a millstone pulled away from their neck.

But Mancini is refusing to get sucked in. He has a clear idea of where City are heading.

“I played football for 20 years and I managed at other clubs.

“I hope it is possible that in the next year we can be among the best five or six clubs in the world. But to achieve this we must work. We cannot make mistakes.”

Mancini will appeal to his players to keep their heads in what is certain to be an intense atmosphere.

He knows the prize will be worthwhile in the end.

“We must change the history of this club. We want to change the history,” declared Mancini, who intends to name Emmanuel Adebayor on the bench and Kolo Toure in his starting line-up if the defender confirms his fitness following an early morning arrival from African Nations Cup duty with the Ivory Coast.


Fergie: It’s not about money!


Sir Alex Ferguson insists money will have no bearing on tonight’s Old Trafford Carling Cup showdown.

While the Manchester derby cannot accurately be described as the princes against the paupers, it certainly feels that way given the number of negative financial stories that have seeped out of United lately.

Not that Ferguson believes it will make a scrap of difference to the highly–charged atmosphere.

“This has nothing to do with anything other than it is a local derby and it is a semi final.” said Ferguson.

“It doesn’t matter if they had no money or little money. It is a route to the final and it is going to be a different game. I am certain the atmosphere will be fantastic.”

Ferguson must decide whether to take a gamble and challenge the violent conduct charge lodged against Rio Ferdinand — they have until 6pm tonight to appeal — knowing the Football Association have the power to add further games onto the three–match suspension that will be imposed if they decide the Red Devils have manipulated the regulations purely to allow their £29million defender to face City.