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ESPNsoccernet: England | |
Monday, December 20, 2010
Mancini rues missed chance 曼奇尼懊悔错失良机
Roberto Mancini said Carlos Tevez's decision to rip up his transfer request was the only piece of good news to emerge from a disappointing night for Manchester City as they lost 2-1 to Everton. | Roberto Mancini could only look on as his defence fell to pieces in the opening 20 minutes (PA Photos) | | • Jolly: City celebrations put on ice
• Tevez withdraws transfer request
City had the chance to move top of the Premier League after their title rivals saw their games cancelled due to the adverse weather conditions. Victory at Eastlands would have ensured City were top on Christmas Day for the first time since 1929.
However, early goals from Tim Cahill and Leighton Baines left City with an uphill task and, despite a red card for Victor Anichebe and Phil Jagielka deflecting the ball into his own net, Mancini could rely solely on the Tevez U-turn for comfort.
"It was important news but it was the only good news from this evening," he said. "It is very important for everyone: the club, the squad, for him. The situation has been cleared up and everything has gone in a good way.
"It was important that we stopped talking about this situation. We are happy about that."
The hosts' evening took a further turn for the worse by the end as Mario Balotelli limped off and Kolo Toure was dismissed for two yellow-card offences in stoppage time.
"The sending-off was fair, but we are frustrated," Mancini added. "We lost the game in the first ten minutes.
"We had a big chance to go top after 81 years. It was a fantastic thing, but now we must restart. The season is long but we must understand that we cannot sleep when we play."
Mancini was particularly annoyed with the length of time Pablo Zabaleta was off the pitch receiving treatment following a clash of heads with Cahill. Everton exploited the space down the left flank to double their advantage.
"It is impossible for one player to spend eight minutes in the dressing room," Mancini said.
"He should have been back more quickly or we should change the player. I thought he would have been back after one or two minutes."
For David Moyes, it was a very satisfying evening as his side ended a seven-match run without a victory.
"The resilience and competitiveness of the team were excellent," he said. "When we went down to ten men, I thought the evening was going to become even longer but we did a great job.
"They were resilient and stuck to their task. It was the art of defending; blocking shots, getting in the way of things. And the goalkeeper did well, making some terrific saves."
Moyes will now hope for better in the bread-and-butter fixtures for a team that has now taken points off both Manchester clubs and Chelsea this season.
However, he must hope for good news on the injury front after Jagielka limped off with a thigh problem.
"He was struggling all week with it and was a doubt before the game, but he played his part in getting us through most of it," he said. |
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