Roberto Mancini made a winning start to life as Manchester City
manager as the Blues put a turbulent few days behind them by beating
Stoke City.
Martin Petrov and Carlos Tevez supplied the first-half goals that
marked Mancini's coronation.
Yet the Italian would also have been aware it took two brilliant
Shay Given saves, the first to deny Tuncay when the sides were still
deadlocked, and another to turn away a ferocious James Beattie effort
when the visitors were enjoying their best spell, for City to consolidate
their place in the top six - and edge to within three points of
third.
Even for a club as well versed in shooting themselves in the foot
as City, it has been a pretty torrid week, seven days on from Mark
Hughes` dismissal.
Mancini has already been asked to do the same for City as he did
at Inter Milan, top spot the expectation next term after a fourth-placed
finish this.
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