After watching his overpaid Manchester City squad falter in three of their four competitions, Roberto Mancini is feeling the pressure of being deeply involved in the Premier League title race - and he's desperately trying to divert it.
Which Manchester manager will laugh last? Everybody knows that Sir Alex Ferguson loves to get himself involved in managerial mind games with his closest title rival, which has always seen Manchester United able to overcome that test.
So, Mancini is trying to do his best impression by saying that United can go the rest of the season undefeated and pip City for the title - but that's just his poor attempt at trying to jinx their Red rivals.
There are 14 games left in the 2011/12 Premier League season, but the Italian could be onto something, though. The Reds have already played Arsenal, Chelsea and Newcastle United twice, so they only have games against City and Tottenham after they play Liverpool this weekend. If they get the desired result against their most-rival on Saturday, then it could catapult to their 20th league triumph.
Mancini stated, "Manchester United can win all their games - they are strong like us. For this reason I don't think we can think about the other teams. It is important to be at the top at the moment - this is very important."
United are currently trailing City by two points and have a significant deficit in the goal differential column, mainly due to the 6-1 setback against the noisy neighbors at Old Trafford in October.
Now, the battle for the remaining 42 points, including a crucial six-pointer at the Etihad Stadium, will more than likely ultimately decide the destiny of the Premier League trophy. The Reds should be confident of winning that game since they have beaten City twice already this season - in the FA Community Shield and FA Cup with 3-2 scorelines.
Mancini knows that United usually kick into gear around this time of year and he would have loved to have more than just a two point advantage in the race, so there's a reason why he wants to shift the pressure across the city - but Ferguson won't let it happen.
However, the Blues boss contradicted himself, because he said, "It is important that we stay top and don't think about the other teams." Even if he was successful in trying to forget about United, the press would constantly remind him of them - he's never going to escape the overwhelming pressure of the English media will have over him.
You have to give Roberto Mancini an A for effort, but he's got 14 games left to save his Manchester City managing career - and beat out Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United for the title.
Quotes from in this article were taken from Soccernet's Mancini wary of United potential.
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