Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini this week hit out at his players for “forgetting” to play football during “the last two weeks,” which have seen the big-spending club’s EPL title chances recede.

City were also fortunate to remain in the FA Cup, which now represents their major opportunity of silverware this season, after needing a late equaliser against League One strugglers Notts County last weekend.

And the club were involved in a topical row about sexism after one of their directors was refused access to the players’ tunnel at County, allegedly on gender grounds.

 

Meanwhile, City’s main transfer activity, after the £27m arrival of striker Edin Dzeko, has been the off-loading of players, including out-of-favour Togolese frontman Emanuel Adebayor.

Mancini was speaking after City twice lost the lead in drawing at EPL strugglers Birmingham City this midweek.

The Blues also lost 1-0 at Aston Villa and are now eight points behind EPL leaders Manchester United, who have a game in hand over their fellow Mancunians.

And the Italian supremo said: “We played well for the first 50 minutes and then we forgot to play. We should try to play football again and in the last two weeks we have forgotten this.

“We must change our mentality, stop conceding goals and work harder in training.”

Dzeko’s first goal for the club came ten minutes from time against County, as City were staring a 1-0 defeat and shock FA Cup exit in the face. The Eastlands replay will take place on Sunday February 20^th, the weekend of the fifth round.

City communications director Vicky Kloss was allegedly denied access to the Meadow Lane players’ tunnel by a Notts County steward as she tried to speak to Mancini after the game.

City have made an official complaint to County, who claim that Kloss was refused into the tunnel because she did not have the right pass. City say that a male junior colleague of Kloss’s was admitted without being asked for accreditation.

Adebayor was City’s highest-profile departure during the January transfer window, joining Spanish giants Real Madrid on loan until the end of the season, with Real having the option to buy the 26-year-old in the summer.

Adebayor said there were not a “lot of things wrong” at City but that Mancini “doesn’t have any confidence in me any more.”

City host strugglers West Bromwich Albion in the EPL this coming Saturday afternoon.