Kompany has tunnel vision

Vincent Kompany knows better than to expect Manchester City's detractors to give them an easy ride this season.

City emerged from a difficult week to record one of their best victories of the season at Fulham last Sunday.

It allowed manager Roberto Mancini to score a notable triumph over the man he replaced, Mark Hughes, as well as allow his team to move within three points of the Premier League summit.

As Mancini pointed out in the aftermath, it is not a bad situation for a club supposedly in crisis, particularly given City's likely buying power in January.

Yet Kompany is not surprised by the criticism.

"We are professionals and we are clever enough to know that not a lot is going to be given to us," he said ahead of tomorrow's trip to Stoke.

"We have big players and strong characters in this team and it is probably part of what we have to go through this season.”