csconstantine.com

{ Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini was happy with his side’s 5-0 demolition of Notts County in their FA Cup fourth round replay at Eastlands today and declared he was targeting a place in the final of the competition this season.

“The cup in England is very important, for us it’s important to try and arrive in the final if it’s possible. This is our target,” he told reporters.

Two goals from Patrick Vieira followed by strikes from Carlos Tevez, Edin Dzeko and Micah Richards sealed City’s place in the fifth round where they will face Aston Villa. However manager Mancini admitted his side didn’t perform to the best of their ability in the first half.

“I’m happy, when you play every three days it’s difficult to play very well always 100%. In the first half Notts County played very well.”

Despite City dominating possession in the first half it was County who came closest to opening the scoring early on as they struck the post through Karl Hawley, and then Alan Gow forced Joe Hart into a save down low to his left.

“We had more chances in the first half and didn’t score, but this is football,” he added.

“It’s important when we score we continue to score if it’s possible, and try to win every game.”

City welcomed back Mario Balotelli after his recent spell on the sidelines and Mancini was pleased with his striker’s 60 minute performance before he was substitute. The Italian insisted the striker’s knee was ok despite the occasional limp from the player.

“It was our plan [to bring him off], we said before the game for him only 60 minutes because it’s the first game he started after injury,” he continued.

“We want him to available for the next three months , we want him at 100%.

“Sometimes when he shoots and he scores he doesn’t touch [his knee], when he shoots and he doesn’t score he touches the knee.”

The introduction of Tevez for Balotelli sparked City into life and the Argentine was involved in City’s third and fourth goals, scoring one and creating the other for Dzeko. It was Tevez’s 50th goal for City and his manager was full of praise for the former Manchester United forward.

“He is a fantastic player,” he admitted.

“He scored a goal that changed the match. When we start to play he scored a goal and had an assist, he changed the game.”

City now have a home tie against Aston Villa in the fifth round and victory in that game will see them at home again against either Everton or Reading in the quarter-finals, but Mancini remains focused on getting past Villa before worrying about potential last eight opponents.

“The next two games are not friendlies,” Mancini insisted.

“It’s important they’re at home but we played before against Aston Villa. Aston Villa’s a good team at the moment and maybe after if we beat them we [will] play Everton. We never win against Everton.”

There were two notable absentees from the City squad with neither Sean Wright-Phillips or Shay Given involved but Mancini explained this was due to injury and nothing else.

“Shay Given has a problem in his shoulder,” he explained.

“The same that he had last year, next week he goes to the doctor in London and maybe he’ll need surgery. Sean Wright Phillips had a problem with his back, I hope he could be ok for Thursday.”

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