Roberto Mancini right man for City, says Platt

[DexteR]

Manchester City first-team coach David Platt believes manager Roberto Mancini still has the support of the club's owner Sheikh Mansour and chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak.

Mancini's position has been the subject of speculation after City's disastrous Champions League campaign and Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Everton, which leaves them 15 points behind Premier League leaders Manchester United.

And while City fans have remained constant in their backing for Mancini, who signed a new five-year contract last summer, the club's powerbrokers have kept quiet about his future.

City appointed the former Barcelona CEO Ferran Soriano as chief executive last year and brought in Txiki Begiristain, another from the Camp Nou, as sporting director, prompting talk that Pep Guardiola was a target for the club. After the Catalan chose to go to Bayern Munich next season, Malaga manager Manuel Pellegrini's agent claimed he had talks with City.

But Platt, a former team-mate of Mancini's at Sampdoria, insists the City boss retains the club's backing and said the Italian, who has lifted four league titles and five domestic cups as a manager, is a natural winner.

"There is an appreciation of Roberto from the supporters and the owners," Platt said. "The expectancy levels of Roberto Mancini are a lot higher than what people think.

"If people want to talk about rumours and negatives that is up to them. We can't stop that. If people want to do things like that, they can.

"All I know is that during his career he has won things. That is what his focus, desire and intensity is about. He won't stop wanting to win things."

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should be kept for atleast one more season