Mancini needs to stand firm

One defeat can go a long way to derailing a season and Roberto Mancini now appears to have a big task on his hands to make sure that doesn’t happen to Manchester City.

The manager says Carlos Tevez refused to come on as a substitute in the 2-0 Champions League loss at Bayern Munich, with the pictures appearing to back up his claims.

Tevez himself has said his stance was “misunderstood” and that he was “was ready to play”, but few will accept his response to the incident, especially the City fans.

To say Mancini was furious would be a massive understatement, never has the previously unruffled Italian looked so animated. Even pundits like Lee Dixon were shocked.

Instead of brushing the incident under the carpet, as some managers would have done, the City boss let his feelings be known. Mancini told a press conference that “if I have my way, he will be out. He’s finished with me.”

Tevez has made it plainly clear that he wants to leave Manchester, as soon as possible, with the unenviable position of having to live away from his young family, but is there any excuse for this latest issue?

It is another tick in the box for those people though who feel City are a team of top-class stars just thrown together, with no unity in the camp, let’s not forget this is not the only incident this season. With Man United bowling over the opposition domestically, City can’t let things slip.

Remember Mario Balotelli being hauled off in pre-season after his ridiculous back-heel attempt in America, while Edin Dzeko showed his anger at being substituted at the Allianz Arena.

Whatever anyone thinks of what happened in Munich, one thing seems certain – it’s the end of the line for either Tevez or Mancini at Eastlands. The City board have to give the manager their full backing or risk seeing the club’s trophy hopes dashed this season.