While Manchester City have spent a fortune in an attempt to shake up the Premier League’s monopoly there are some things money can’t buy – and that’s stabilising the off-field issues that threaten to derail their quest for a top-four spot.

From Wayne Bridge’s grievances with his England team-mate, to Emmanuel Adebayor’s bullet hell in Angola, not to mention Carlos Tevez’s family problems in his native homeland, there are things in life that won’t go away by throwing money at it.

City’s toothless attack was exposed in their dire goalless draw with Liverpool and they badly missed the 100% commitment from Argentine Tevez. Without him there to make things happen out of nothing, Roberto Mancini’s side looked ordinary.

Perhaps the Italian’s scarring from the last time he faced the Reds as manager – he was Inter Milan boss and suffered a 3-0 aggregate drubbing in Europe two years ago – came into his thinking as he set City up to be too cautious.

And what happens when a cautious side meets an outfit who are so cautious that the very mention of the word attack sends their manager into a coma? You get the insufferable torture that was served up at Eastlands on Sunday.

At this rate nobody deserves fourth. But somebody will have to finish there so lets hope one of the teams in contention realise that the task really isn’t as daunting as it’s made out to be, let loose and play without fear. Then they will truly deserve a place in the Champions League.

Their riches may not be able to prevent adultery, murder or a premature birth but by having a bolder attitude, City can do everything they can to help ease their players’ personal strife and allow them to perform on the biggest stage of all next season.