Man City: 5 Problems Stopping Mancini From Winning The Champions League
If Mancini wants to mount a challenge on the biggest competition in Europe, these are the issues he needs to address first
1. What To Do With Yaya Toure
By far and away the most effective attacking weapon City had in Madrid, the Ivorian is one of Citys top players, if not the top player at Eastlands. He brings much needed strength, power and directness into the City midfield but Mancini gets caught between using his presence and physicality as part of the screen in front of the defence, with the pace Yaya has when breaking forward, as shown a couple of times on Tuesday. That game was a perfect example of the Yaya problem: starting off in an advanced role, looking to close down Xabi Alonso, the big ex-Barcelona man did not see enough of the ball to be an attacking threat. He was also too far away from Gareth Barry and Javi Garcia who tried admirably but were simply overrun by an attacking lineup of Reals class. Without the man mountain of Toure, City were passed round and through too easily. Mancini has started Toure in deeper positions this season, most notably in the Community Shield match against Chelsea and the game at Anfield against Liverpool, only to be forced into pushing the no.42 forward in search of a goal. With Nigel De Jong sold to Inter Milan, and Garcia settling in, Citys midfield looks defensively a little weak. Jack Rodwell might well be the long term solution but it is too early to expect so much from the England man, and on reflection a trip to the Bernabeu might have required a more defensive outlook given the group is so tough.