Platt defends City boss Mancini

Roberto Mancini is not cracking up under the pressure of Manchester City’s problems and speculation over his future at the club.

That was the message from his assistant David Platt when he stood in at the manager’s weekly press conference to dismiss concerns over the Italian’s state of mind.

It followed Mancini’s angry reaction to a question before Tuesday’s Champions League draw with Ajax and his rant at match officials afterwards over the decision to rule out a late Sergio Aguero effort and dismiss Mario Balotelli’s penalty claim.

Mancini also berated a television cameraman who got too close to him after the 2-2 draw, which almost certainly killed off City’s hopes of progressing.

Last week, amid fresh rumours that Pep Guardiola is being lined up to replace him, the City boss caused a stir by revealing that he had been in contact with “seven or eight clubs” before signing a new contract in the summer.

However, Platt launched an impassioned defence of his old friend yesterday, insisting his behaviour is nothing out of the ordinary and that Mancini has not changed since their playing days together at Sampdoria in the mid-1990s.

“He’s fine,” said the former England midfielder ahead of Sunday’s home match against Tottenham. “People make a great deal out of it but it’s not the first time he’s reacted in that way.

“As a player he was completely like that. Once he’s on the training pitch, if things don’t go well for him he has this fire in him. He doesn’t snap. He has this fire in him and that’s what he believes in.

“He’s not cold, he’s not manipulative in any way. It’s not, ‘Oh, what’s going on here, how can I stop this, what can I do?’. He wears his heart on his sleeve.

“‘If he’s got something to say he’ll go and say it, but he doesn’t bear grudges.”

Platt defended Mancini’s behaviour before the Ajax game, saying: “He didn’t rant and rave, even though that was the way people wanted to say it. He was quite firm on something because that’s what he believed. But it’s gone the day after.”

On the after-match outburst, he added: “Why wouldn’t the manager of a football club be frustrated? Why wouldn’t we all be frustrated?

“Players are frustrated, supporters are frustrated, staff are frustrated.

“Robbie has gone on to the pitch and spoken to the referee. As he comes back, he turns around and has a camera in front of his face for 30 yards.

“He speaks in English and says that basically it’s enough now. People then want to start almost exaggerating the incident.

“I don’t think he is the first manager to go on to the pitch. If you go on to the internet you’ll see he has done it before.

“He wears his heart on his sleeve. We can sit here and drag it on for another three days but that’s what seems to be happening to us at this moment in time — half voices, half truths.

“Stories that are probably big enough to go one day are actually lasting a lot longer than that. For what reason, I don’t know.”

Despite City’s lamentable form in Europe, talk of player unrest and the Guardiola rumours, it should not be overlooked that the English champions remain the last unbeaten team in the Barclays Premier League going into the Spurs match.

The two meetings between these clubs last season produced 11 goals and City have been lifted by the news that playmaker David Silva, out of action for a month with a hamstring injury, could return to the squad along with Joleon Lescott.

“There are positives,” said Platt. “We could just put up the league table if we want. I’ve been involved in worse crises in my life.”