Manager Roberto Mancini’s first year in charge of big-spending Manchester City ended with the sort of form that got his predecessor Mark Hughes the sack, as City fought out two dire goalless draws in front of the Eastlands faithful.

Mancini, who had been talking up City’s EPL title chances, said last week that Champions League qualification, even via fourth place, was now City’s target.

Meanwhile, injuries to England international goalkeeper Joe Hart and concerns over young Italian striker Mario Balotelli have added to the manager’s woes.

A defensive line-up battled to a 0-0 against an almost equally uninspired Manchester United last week.

But whereas sharing the spoils with their city arch-rivals was by no means a bad result, repeating the “feat” against a Birmingham City side with a lamentable away record was…lamentable.

And the crowd turned on the Italian supremo when he replaced the team’s most incisive attacking threat, Carlos Tevez, in the closing stages when the team were supposedly chasing victory.

 

Mancini was forced to defend his tactics after last Saturday’s bore draw, which still left his side “on-target” for their coveted fourth Champions League spot.

He said: “I’m frustrated too. I wanted to win. I don’t want to draw,” before trying to explain his late substitution of top-scorer Tevez, claiming the Argentine had been suffering with “a little injury for two or three weeks.”

Indeed, Tevez pulled out of Argentina’s midweek victory over Brazil with a recurrence of the “dead leg” of which he has been complaining.

Mancini added: “I felt if we took that player off we might have more chances to score. But if you think if I put four strikers on, we will score four goals, it is not true.

“I must think like a manager. We can play wide, get the ball into the box, then we can score.”

City had been more impressive in victory at West Bromwich Albion on the Sunday before the Manchester derby, Mario Balotelli scoring both of the game’s goals in the first half.

But the controversial 20-year-old showed the downside of his game and his character by getting sent-off after an altercation with West Brom’s Youssof Mulumbu.

Balotelli received a three-match ban, with City’s EPL trip to Fulham this Sunday the third of those games.

The undoubtedly-talented youngster also suffered racist abuse as he played in Italy’s 1-1 “friendly” international draw with Romania this week.

Despite that, though, he is being linked with a move to Serie A giants Milan, the club he has always supported, despite playing for Milan’s city rivals Inter.

International duty led to keeper Joe Hart’s back spasms, which he suffered in training with the England side before their 2-1 Wembley outclassing by France.

Hart remains a doubt for the Fulham game, despite the injury not deemed to be too serious. Shay Given, who played 90 minutes for Ireland this week, stands by for his first EPL appearance this season.

Meanwhile City’s medical staff believe Tevez will be available, despite the afore-mentioned leg injury.