Big-spending Manchester City had mixed recent fortunes on their Cup travels, with impressive Europa League progress in contrast to their early Carling Cup exit.

And despite a fine Carling Cup display, Ireland international goalkeeper Shay Given is to be allowed to move from Eastlands in search of regular first-team football.

Meanwhile City boss Roberto Mancini has issued a warning to his squad to keep their disaffections with the club and his management private after a series of recent outbursts from former and current players.

A much-changed City line-up departed the Carling Cup at West Bromwich Albion, although Mancini responded to criticism of his team selection by insisting that he had no regrets about his choices.

Under-fire Brazilian striker Jo scored his second City Cup goal inside a week, after finding the net in City’s 2-0 Europa League win in Salzburg six days previously, to give Mancini’s men the lead at the Hawthorns.

But only a string of Given saves kept the lead intact until half-time. And two Baggies goals in three early second-half minutes saw City depart a competition many saw as their best hope of their first silverware under the wealthy Abu Dhabi ownership.

An unrepentant Mancini said afterwards: “I don’t regret making the changes. I have big problems at the moment and we couldn’t take any risks.

“If I had more players available it would have been a different team, but when you play Chelsea on Saturday at 12.45, the time to recover is very short.

“They would need a minimum of three days, so to play this game would have been dangerous.”

 

He stressed: “We wanted to win. That is why we had four senior players on the bench.” But he added: “Saturday is more important. The FA Cup is more important. The Europa League is more important.”

City overcame north-west rivals Wigan Athletic 2-0 in the EPL at the weekend, with goals from captain Carlos Tevez and summer signing Yaya Toure.

After the game, Mancini addressed the situation with Given, who has been edged out of the team by man-of-the-moment Joe Hart.

Mancini admitted Given was free to leave Eastlands in the January transfer window, saying: “I respect his decision and if he wants to leave he can.”

But the Italian insisted that having decided not to leave City last month Given should give his all to the cause until his departure. He added:

“I understand his frustration but I need that Shay stays here (until January) and puts in 100%.”

Mancini also had a message this week for players publicly sharing the disaffection with the club. He said:

“I want a mentality like at Manchester United and Chelsea where players understand why the manager has to make changes. I played football and I understand why players who are not chosen are unhappy.

“But if we want to win something, to become a top team, its going to be impossible if every few days a player does an interview saying: ‘Oh, I’m not playing’.” Mancini complained.