A failure to take chances saw City crash out of the FA Cup in extra-time, with the harsh dismissal of Emmanuel Adebayor by card happy Steve Bennett in the second period giving Stoke the advantage. The pressure will be turned up on Roberto Mancini even though he can hardly be blamed for the squandering of numerous chances.

The manager was true to his word in selecting a physically strong line-up – particularly at the back – to combat Stoke’s style. Micah Richards came in at right-back, and there was a real surprise with Nedum Onuoha coming in alongside Joleon Lescott, while Vincent Kompany moved into midfield.

The diminutive de Jong dropped to the bench, while Zabaleta added a competitive edge to the right flank. With Craig Bellamy on the left and Adebayor continuing his improved form, we were able to dominate the opening period.

It was a marked contrast to early siege of last week, with a subdued Stoke unable to get past Kompany, never mind our back-four. All that was required was for City to take their chances.

Barry missed an early one. Onuoha saw the ball land at his feet from a corner, but stabbed it wide. Adebayor played in both Ireland and Bellamy. Stevie took a first touch in his stride but then saw his shot blocked.

Bellamy had no excuses. With only Sorenson to beat, a poor first touch made for an easy save. The complete lack of form between Ireland and Bellamy became increasingly apparent as a promising start, crucially, wasn’t capitalised on. We could have had four by the interval, but went in with none.

Stoke could only get better, and during the second half they started lobbing trademark high balls into our box. The defence was holding firm, but our passing became very sloppy. Simply keeping the ball in play seemed to be beyond several players of supposedly superior technique.

As a consequence, Stoke were allowed to gain some momentum and the substitute Kitson duly scored after playing a one-two, with Bridge not getting tight enough.

Trouble appeared to be in the offing, but we responded almost immediately with Adebayor setting up Bellamy to rifle home. The Welshman’s celebrations, like his performance, seemed muted.

It was Adebayor’s sending-off which really provoked Craig and from then on he looked dangerous. Had he shown this fire in the first half we might well have been ahead and able to see out the tie.

The law really is an ass if Adebayor is banned for three matches. Had he seen red for a terrible challenge, then yes. For punching an opponent, yes. But some of the three match bans we see now are for trifling offences. It happened last season here to Wright-Phillips. Vieira’s flicked foot was inconsequential, deserving of a one match ban at most for retaliation.

With the game against Tottenham due to be rearranged we might not see the Togolese striker till March 29th! Just when he was looking good.

Later, we saw Huth put his arm across Bellamy in a more deliberate way than Adebayor did. The referee gave nothing. At the weekend Fuller stuck his boot into Jamie O’Hara’s groin with more aggression than Vieira showed, yet there was no ban for him. Did Tony Pulis ask for “parity” after these offences? The seemingly arbitrary nature of three match bans is infuriating.

Meanwhile, City comfortably saw out normal time, and in retrospect this was when they should have gone for a win. Unfortunately Santa Cruz was still looking off the pace so a cutting edge was absent. That the next goal went to Stoke therefore shouldn’t have been a surprise. It was still a disappointment.

As in the game at Eastlands, a Delap throw did for us and this time Given was clearly culpable – coming and failing to get the ball. Following on from his clanger at the Britannia Stadium last week, the Irishman is having a poor run.

The contrast between the attacking substitutes of Kitson and Tuncay, and our own Santa Cruz couldn’t have been greater, as the Turk matched his team-mate’s skill and hunger in claiming a well-taken goal. The way he slalomed round defenders and produced a finish was an object lesson to Wright-Phillips, Bellamy and Ireland.

Roque missed a golden chance to pull a goal back with seven minutes of extra time remaining, and there went any lingering hope.

Roberto Mancini:

“I think we dominated the match for long periods.

“We had six or seven chances to score a goal up until Emmanuel was sent off.

“When a striker is being closely marked he wants to make space for himself and this kind of thing can happen – I thought it was a yellow card at the very worst.

“But football is a strange game because we didn’t score when we were on top and then something happens later that completely changes the game.”

To see this season’s hopes of silverware ended at the Britannia is bitterly disapointing and it’s difficult to remain objective. If we do then Mancini can’t be blamed for his selection and tactics going into this game. The defence was solid, moving Kompany into midfield was nearly a masterstroke, and we created enough chances to have the game wrapped up by half-time.

The defeat can be put down to a failure to take chances, a poor passage of play when our passing was woeful, and a refereeing decicion which showed we didn’t have “that bit of luck you need in the cup”. Having said that, we still failed to beat Stoke in three attempts and that doesn’t look good for Roberto.

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Richards – A whole-hearted display where it was good to see him getting forward after the sending off. Unfortunately Micah’s ability in the final third didn’t match the enthusiasm to get there. 6

Bridge – Wasn’t tight enough on Kitson for the first goal and had a nightmare with his passing. 5

Onuoha – A surprise to see him back, and a welcome one. His calmness in the face of Stoke’s attacks wass a welcome contrast to Toure. 7

Zabaleta – A typically committed performance on the right of midfield before switching to left-back in place of Bridge. We know he’s not creative, but he did his job in keeping Stoke in check. 7

Lescott – Once again solid in defence. His return to the side and return to form shouldn’t be overlooked. 7

Kompany – Commanding in midfield during the early stages, when we should have killed the game. Gave his all throughout. 7

Ireland – Another disappointing showing. Failed to take a chance in the first half and wasn’t able to make any telling passes despite having the space to do so. 5

Barry – Another who missed a first-half chance and failed again to deliver telling passes when we needed them. 6

Adebayor – Beautifully played in both Bellamy and Irland during the first half, and came close to scoring himself with a long-range drive. Looked the man most likely for City until the referee intervened. 7

Bellamy – Biggest culprit of the first-half misses. Nothing was going right for him prior to scoring. Finally looked fired-up after Adebayor’s sending off. 6

Subs:

Wright-Phillips – Provided an attacking outlet down the right flank, but was another who ran the ball out of play with a frustrating frequency. Can hardly expect a pay rise with that habit. 6

Santa Cruz – Stoke subs, Kitson and Tuncay, came on looking hungry and scored. Roque on the other hand still looks off the pace – seven months into the season. Another who missed a good chance. 5

Sylvinho – Could give lessons in how to pass to a team-mate to some of our supposedly creative players.

Man of the match: Vincent Kompany.

http://www.itv.com/sport/football/facup/livevideo/default.html

Teams:

Stoke: Sorensen, Whitehead, Shawcross, Huth, Collins, Lawrence, Whelan, Diao, Delap, Sidibe, Fuller.
Subs: Simonsen, Beattie, Kitson, Pugh, Amdy Faye, Sanli, Davies.
Man City: Given, Richards, Onuoha, Lescott, Bridge, Zabaleta, Ireland, Kompany, Barry, Bellamy, Adebayor.
Subs: Taylor, Wright-Phillips, Santa Cruz, Garrido, Sylvinho, De Jong, Boyata.
Referee: Steve Bennett (Kent)

A game that had threatened to be tempestuous didn’t disappoint, with City fortunate to come away with a point after going behind to 10 men for the second season running at the Britannia Stadium. Last season this fixture saw a desperate City performance and this wasn’t any easier for those blues who witnessed it.

City’s starting line-up didn’t inspire confidence with Bridge and Wright-Phillips, the best two performers on Saturday, both starting on the bench. Apparently, Wayne’s knee couldn’t take another game in such a short space of time and Wright-Phillips wasn’t 100% fit either.

Richards came in at right-back and his physical presence was much needed as City conceded a host of throw-ins, corners and free-kicks in the opening period. With our defensive midfield trio of de Jong, Vieira and Barry, we were hopelessly deep and narrow.

Adebayor and Santa Cruz failed to gel as a partnership, with Roque looking well short of form and fitness. In between the defensive midfielders and the strikers was the lone creative spark of Adam Johnson. It was to much responsibility for the new signing, particularly with the poor pitch and close attentions of Stoke defenders.

For the opening 20 minutes, Johnson was barely involved as we allowed Stoke to pummel our goal. They managed a couple of chances, but in fairness the zonal defending just about held up. The Wearsider started on the right flank, which left us unbalanced, particularly without Bridge’s energy on the left.

The unmistakable figure of Vieira was often the centre of attention and the Frenchman soon drew the wrath of the Britannia crowd with a petulent boot into the groin of Whelan. It wasn’t much, but it was unneccessary and Wright-Phillips got a retrospective three match ban for less when we played here last season.

As the first half wore on, City started to string a few passes together, but with Johnson’s crosses failing to find the strikers, there was still little to cheer. Barry sliced one chance wide, while Santa Cruz fluffed a Johnson cross that did find it’s target.

Half-time came as a relief. It was to be hoped Stoke had thrown their best at us, and a couple of tactical changes by Mancini would see us pull a result out of the bag. It didn’t quite go like that, but we did get a potential break just before the hour mark.

Amdy Faye misjudged a through-ball and Adebayor looked to be getting away, when the Stoke captain brought him down. The linesman saw the offence and Faye was off. City finally started to press forward with some determination and Wright-Phillips was introduced for Garido.

This resulted in the high risk gamble of moving Barry to left-back. Given the problems Fuller had been causing us before, it was no surprise to see him target the England midfielder. This came to a head when a clumsy challenge from Barry saw them both go over in the area. Fortune smiled and the referee waved play on.

Memories of last season came flooding back however when the 10 men of Stoke took the lead. A poor pass from Johnson conceded possession to Whelan and the former City youngster hit a hopeful shot goalwards. Our normally reliable shot-stopper failed to get his body behind it, and Given conceded the worst goal of his City career so far.

The situation was now as desperate as City’s tactics. Balls were going into the Stoke box, but to little effect. The crosses weren’t good enough, there was no playmaker capable of a subtle pass, and the forwards looked unable to get the better of the Stoke defence.

Zabaleta came on for Richards, who presumably was feeling the strain of his recent injuries. Neither of the two right-backs showed sufficient ability to pick a pass with Zabaleta in particular conceding needless possession at a crucial stage in the match.

Eventually a lofted ball was flicked on by Adebayor for Barry to send a shot onto the post. He did well to adjust and knock in the rebound.

City were now going flat out for the winner, but still lacking guile. Petrov came on for Johnson, but once again failed to make an impact.

With five minutes of injury time signalled, there was hope of a United style winner, but this is City. Somehow in the final minute we found ourselves defending a Delap throw. Stoke threw the big guys forward for one last time and Shawcross nodded the ball in. Personally I felt Shay had been pushed in mid-air for the kind of foul that is normally given these days, but others thought the goal should have stood.

To lose in such circumstances would have been catastrophic. Despite moving up to fourth, a point still may not be enough for us to hold on to a Champions League place.

Roberto Mancini:

“We should have got it down the channels for Shaun or Adam, but too often we played it down the middle.

“We were too quiet at times and we had some good chances to win this game.

“We made mistakes but in the end we got a goal when we needed it. But this was two points less than what we wanted. Fourth is not a bad position, but it would have been better with a win.

“Now we must recover, I hope we can come back and win in the cup next week but tonight, we should have looked for two more points than we got.”

The Liverpool game now looks like a must-win given our remaining fixtures. We can be thankful that it will be a different type of game, and one our players should be more comfortable with. Rafa Benitez will no doubt have noted how we struggle when teams get “in our faces” so we should expect the kind of game they normally reserve for United.

For next weeks return to the Britannia, it’s to be hoped Kompany is available and selected alongside Lescott – the one player who came out of this fixture with any credit. In midfield, it’s time to ditch the defensive trio of Barry, de Jong and Vieira from the Mancini masterplan. Our Italian manager has a lot of work to do, and no more room for error.

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Yes they can. Having conceded to a Delap throw on Saturday, minds should be even more focused now. It ought to be remembered this was the first time Mancini’s zonal defending has been found wanting. Previously it has been very effective, particularly in the defending of corners which had become chaotic under Hughes.

Roberto Mancini:

“I think you will see a different game tomorrow night. On Saturday we played well in the first half, but we couldn’t find a second goal after taking the lead.

“The second half we were so-so, but we didn’t play too badly. We just made the mistake of conceding a throw-in from which they scored.”

The probable absence of Kompany is the biggest concern for a game at the Britannia. While it would be a major shock to see Mancini take Toure out of central defence, there is definitely a strong case for playing the more imposing Onuoha alongside Lescott. Boyata’s aerial strength is another option, but playing the teenager would leave us lacking in leadership.

Richards could also be set to return at right-back, which would be no bad thing particularly given the absence of Etherington on the Stoke flanks. Micah would give us another good header of the ball for defending set-pieces.

In midfield, Johnson is sure to return and Vieira is also tipped to start. With Ireland and Wright-Phillips both likely to be over their weekend knocks, the side could be quite similar to that which started on Saturday. Vieira for Barry would give the England midfielder a rest before the huge game against Liverpool at the weekend.

Wright-Phillips and Johnson could give us great attacking strength on the flanks, while Adebayor is likely to continue as a lone striker. As we saw on Saturday, it’s down to Mancini whether the Togolese becomes isolated.

We have the players to get forward and support him, but whether they are instructed to is a different matter. Playing Ireland is key to this, as a central midfield of Vieira, de Jong and Barry inevitably invites the opposition on to us.

If Adebayor fails to deliver against the big centre-halves, then expect to see another outing from Roque Santa Cruz. He did ok on Saturday, but whether it’s enough to make up for the absence of Tevez is another matter.

Bellamy is another who is considered a big loss, yet recently to much of his energy has been spent on supporting our left-backs. When it comes to attacking, Johnson could offer more of a threat on current form.

Shay Given:

“We’ll go to Stoke tomorrow looking to cause them problems and because it’s one of our games in hand, it’s vital we get a good result.

“If we want to finish in the top four and win the FA Cup, we have to overcome whatever Stoke, and any other team for that matter, can pitch at us.”

Given is right in that we need to get a positive result. Looking at the fixtures for the rest of the season shows Liverpool have a much easier run-in that could easily negate our games in hand. That’s why City need to go for the win.

Blue Days line-up: Given, Richards, Bridge, Onuoha, Lescott, de Jong, Vieira, A Johnson, Ireland, Wright-Phillips, Adebayor.

Prediction: 2-0 to City.

Stoke came from behind to force a replay after comical defending had enabled Shaun Wright-Phillips to give City a first half lead in an FA Cup tie that left many City supporters frustrated.

To judge from the reaction of many, you’d be forgiven for thinking City were out of the competition. Having to negotiate a replay is disappointing, but the bigger blow was the Sixth Round draw that sends the victors to Stamford Bridge. Once again, if City are to get to Wembley this season, they’re going to have to do it the hard way by beating the best team left in the competition.

As for this game, the absence of Carlos Tevez enabled Mancini to send out a better balanced midfield. Stephen Ireland got the chance to play in his preferred role in front of de Jong and Barry. Petrov and Wright-Phillips were restored to their preferred flanks.

Mark Hughes’ preferred central defensive partnership was restored with Lescott partnering Toure. City started brightly with Wayne Bridge once again at the fore. Barry and Wright-Phillips were also showing more determination in front of the watching Fabio Capello.

For Shaun in particular, the pressure is on his place for club and country with the arrival of Adam Johnson. It was good to see him responding in the right way. Not only did he utilise his extra pace against Wilkinson, the passing was also up to scratch. His goal may have arrived in a comic manner, courtesy of Ryan Shawcross, but it was well deserved.

City failed to capitalise further as they once again sought to maintain a lead rather than pushing on to extend it. There were still chances, notably with a free-kick on the right of the penalty area, but Petrov was having one of those days where nothing he attempted came off.

Aside from a required block by Bridge, City were still looking comfortable until Rory Delap’s intervention. Mancini’s zonal defending has stood us in good stead against set pieces and everyone was disappointed to see the failings here.

Shay Given:

“It was disappointing to see we had ten players in the box, they had four and Fuller still had a free header.

“No one got near to him [Fuller] to put in a challenge. Certainly if we want to win the FA Cup and finish fourth in the league, then we’ve got to come out on top of that long throw and deal with how they play.”

Toure isn’t best suited to the physical questions posed by Fuller and Sidibe, and it’s hard not to conclude we missed the leadership of Kompany. Joleon Lescott dealt well enough with the aerial threat, but looked like he was still feeling his way back from injury when asked to deal with Fuller on the ground.

The better shape in midfield initially gave us a good attacking threat with Petrov, Wright-Phillips and Ireland all able to support Adebayor. Once ahead, however, the midfield sought to contain Stoke and the Togolese became increasingly isolated. Injuries to Petrov and Ireland forced changes in formation, but it was conceding the equaliser that really made City push for a second goal.

The onslaught took a while to arrive, but City did create chances as Stoke were pushed back. A Barry header was acrobatically saved by Sorenson, and Santa Cruz saw a shot cleared by Shawcross in additional time.

While many people expected to win this tie at the first attempt, it was never going to be a foregone conclusion. City have beaten Stoke 2-0 and 3-0 on their recent visits to Eastlands, yet on both occasions the Tony Pulis’ side showed themselves to be well organised and fairly solid. In some ways they were due a result despite their mediocre record away from the Britannia Stadium.

All the same, there wasn’t a great deal for City to be afraid of in the upcoming replay and league fixture. If we continue to defend corners well and regain our focus for Delap’s throws then that will be half the battle.

Despite the disappointment this was a better display than against Portsmouth or Bolton. With Lescott, Bridge and Santa Cruz all returning to fitness, there were positives to be taken. No doubt there are bigger tests to come and City will need to raise their game, but both the manager and squad are capable of that. It could well prove better to draw this game and win the league fixture than the other way round.

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Zabaleta – Some wayward distribution let the Argentinian down, despite some strong tackles that had Fuller complaining. 6

Toure – The high balls and physical test make Stoke difficult opponents for Kolo. The captain will need to be more assertive at the Britannia Stadium. Kompany would be a better option. 6

Lescott – Looked to be feeling his way back from injury as Fuller turned him to easily. However he dealt well with the high balls, which was essential given Toure as a partner. 7

Bridge – The man whom all media eyes are on. He didn’t disappointment, particularly in the first half when he carried the ball forward well and made a telling defensive block. Appeared to tire a little in the second. 8

Wright-Phillips – Having watched Johnson steal the headlines in the previous game, this was a big match for Shaun and he delivered. His pace was to much for Stoke and his passing was up to standard. In front of the watching Capello he certainly did better than Ryan Shawcross who managed a bizzarre assist for our goal. 8

Ireland – His presence gave the midfield a much better balance, even if he didn’t dominate the game. There were some decent touches and he managed to set Shaun on his way for the goal. 7

Barry – A big improvement on recent performances. Was it the watching Capello, or the prospect of winning some silverware that got him moving? Either way it was a relief to see him putting in a good shift and the passing was better to. 7

De Jong – Did ok without ever dominating as Stoke sought to bypass the Dutchman. His presence will be required more in the upcoming trips to the Britannia. 6

Petrov – One of those frustrating days where everything he tries fails to come off. It proved costly as some of the sharp shooting he produced in the previous round could have given us a crucial second goal. 5

Adebayor – Continuing to look a little more energetic under Mancini. He didn’t win enough as a target man against Huth and co, but was often left isolated when the score was 1-0. 6

Subs:

Vieira – Showed some touches of real quality, even if he does look to be feeling his way back into the English game. 6

Santa Cruz – Maybe Mancini was showing his sense of humour by bringing on a second target man and launching balls at Stoke. It nearly worked! Roque did ok on his brief run-out. He now needs to stay fit, as he’s a more natural target man than Adebayor. 6

Man of the match: Shaun Wright-Phillips

Whether Roberto Mancini is quite so focused on the FA Cup remains to be seen. There’s a nagging suspicion that following the defeat at Hull and other lacklustre displays, the manager may now be prioritising the chase for a Champions League spot. Liverpool’s recent revival won’t have gone unnoticed at Eastlands, and three points on Tuesday may be considered more important than a cup victory.

Not that any supporter will see it that way when the game kicks off on Saturday. With United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Everton already out, the FA Cup remains a viable trophy to end our long wait.

Stoke’s away form is a pale shadow of that at the Britannia Stadium, but they are always well organised and are unbeaten in their last seven fixtures. If Mancini tries one of his more experimental formations, which often seem to confuse our own players as much as the opposition, then we could come unstuck. Pulis’ side were unlucky not to score on their last two visits to Eastlands and the Cup environment should see them offer a more attacking outlook.

Tony Pulis:

“I am looking to pick a positive team and go there to have a right go. The game on Saturday is an important one for us and the 5,000 or 6,000 supporters who will make the trip.

“They will want to see the team have a go and we’ll want to give it a go. If you can catch it right it is a knockout competition and a one-off game.”

Kolo Toure is supposedly fit to play and Micah Richards may be ok, but that doesn’t make up for the loss of Vincent Kompany with a groin injury. Let’s hope he’s ok for Tuesday. Even with Toure fit, a centre-back pairing of Onuoha and Lescott might offer the greatest physical barrier. Boyata didn’t look the same player without Kompany alongside him at Hull last week.

Pablo Zabaleta was much improved against Bolton and could be given the important job of keeping Matthew Etherington quiet. Alternatively, Mancini may look to give Nedum Onuoha another run out at full-back.

In midfield the only certainties are that Adam Johnson is cup-tied and Craig Bellamy won’t be rushed back to play. Personally I’d give Gareth Barry a rest and pair de Jong and Vieira in the middle. If we go with a central midfield three, then it’s to be hoped Ireland makes the cut and is allowed to get forward and link with the attack.

It would be a rarity to see Petrov on the left and Wright-Phillips on the right, but one which most fans would welcome. For a time against Bolton, Mancini had Tevez on the left and Johnson on the right, with Adebayor as a lone striker. This would be another interesting formation; using a lone striker with Petrov/Tevez on the left and Wright-Phillips on the right.

In the last round Tevez was given the afternoon off, and he could be rested here if we look to bolster our midfield. Adebayor should play as he looks to continue the improvement in his form.

Roberto Mancini:

“I heard the fans singing Shaun’s name, and I am happy for him. He is a good player, but it is important that he keeps improving – not only Shaun but all the players, the whole team.

“Now I know all the players here very well, I know their qualities in my mind. I have to decide before a game if it is better for the team to play 4-4-2 or 4-3-3, whether to play Stevie or Shaun or somebody else.”

Mancini has sprung a surprise in the previous rounds of the Cup so don’t be shocked to see Taylor, Boyata, Sylvinho or Ibrahim given a game. Onuoha, Ireland and Wright-Phillips ought to be keen to stake a claim for future first team action.

Extensive changes would be a high risk strategy against a full strength Stoke side who overran a mix’n'match Arsenal team. It’s to be hoped that Mancini once again gets the balance right, and keeps enough in store to win three points next Tuesday.

Blue Days line-up: Given, Zabaleta, Bridge, Onuoha, Lescott, de Jong, Vieira, Petrov, Wright-Phillips, Tevez, Adebayor.

Prediction: 3-1 to City.

Zabaleta – Pablo has always looked like the kind of defender who would do well in Serie A, and he was at ease in this new-look defence. 7

Toure – Any fears that the captain might struggle against an aerial bombardment proved unfounded. His best performance for weeks as he rarely put a foot wrong. 7

Kompany – As the only City player over 6 feet tall, there was a big onus on Vince to keep Stoke at bay. He was up to it in what was an outstanding performance given his lack of matches this season. 8

Sylvinho – The kind of dependable performance for which he was purchased. The old pro looked delighted to restore his reputation after the mauling at Spurs. Possibly substituted with Monday in mind. 7

Ireland – Given the chance to play in his favoured role in advanced midfield, his passes and runs regularly looked our best hope of breaking through the Stoke lines. The fact we didn’t do it more often shows it wasn’t quite his best game. 7

Barry – The more disciplined style of play completely suited the England international. His passing and interceptions were excellent in one of his finest performances. 8

De Jong – An effective return for the Dutchman. Dished out a few strong challenges and didn’t mind being on the receiving end of a few either. Tendency to drop a little deep when we’re under pressure is the only concern. 7

Petrov – Give him a start and he scores a goal! Seeing the Bulgarian on the flank in a Serie A style performance, it felt like a return to the days of Sven. Only this time there was regular tracking back. 7

Tevez – With injuries to Adebayor and Santa Cruz, Carlos put in a terrific shift as lone striker. Scored his now customary goal and carried the game to Stoke, even if he didn’t always pick the right pass to a team-mate. 7

Robinho – A lack of sharpness to his play resulted in misplaced passes and fluffed chances. There was frustration where confidence should be. Often taking instructions from the bench, at least the positional play was better. 5

Subs:

Richards – Slotted in well to help close the game out. 6

Bellamy – One terriffic burst of pace left Huth trailing and the Welshman could have had a penalty. 6

Garrido – Return of a forgotten man. Just enough time to get a touch of the ball. 6

Man of the match: Gareth Barry.

The Roberto Mancini regime got off to a winning start with two goals and, more significantly, the first clean sheet at home since August.

This victory was all the more impressive given the list of absentees through injury. Adebayor, Santa Cruz, Lescott, Bridge, Onuoha and Wright-Phillips would all have been in contention for a starting place. Added to that was the inability of Bellamy to play twice in three days, making it the logical decision to save his knees for the away fixture on Monday.

However, the biggest change was in the tactics. City were compact, disciplined and competitive in both midfield and defence. Gone were the frequent long balls forward and stretched play. Mancini had been busy with double sessions of training last week and the results were clear to see.

With the emphasis on tightening up at the back, the game didn’t make for the most thrilling spectacle. Stoke are also a well organised side, and their pressing high up the pitch meant we weren’t able to play from the back as easily as Mancini would have liked. The high pressing game is something he will have to get used to as defenders don’t get the same amount of time on the ball in this country.

The City line-up initially looked surprising, but made sense once it was confirmed Santa Cruz was injured and Bellamy was being saved for Wolves.

Kompany played alongside Toure in central defence and both dealt excellently with the high balls of Stoke. With Richards having spent the week recovering from injury, Zabaleta started at right-back and Sylvinho held on to the left-back spot.

De Jong returned alongside Barry to anchor the midfield. The England international had been one of Hughes’ biggest supporters and afterwards admitted it had been a tough week. If this display is anything to go by, then Barry could be one of the biggest beneficiaries of Mancini’s arrival.

On a bad day under Hughes he looked one paced. Under the new compact style that put an emphasis on technique and intelligent play, he was dominant. Breaking up play, making neat passes, providing defensive cover, and to cap it all, getting forward unnoticed to provide a headed assist for Tevez’s goal.

This was the Barry who plays for Fabio Capello’s England. If he has any doubts about how our managerial change might affect his international prospects, then a quick read of today’s match reports should put his mind at rest.

With the enforced absence of Santa Cruz and Adebayor, Tevez was asked to perform as a lone striker. It may not be his preferred role but, typically, he gave his all for the team. He may not be the tallest, but is deceptively strong at holding off defenders to retain possession.

Sometimes he plays a telling pass, other times it’s head down and blast a shot way off target. There was to much of the latter against Stoke, but enough good stuff to enable him to be forgiven.

The recall of Martin Petrov and our measured style of play brought memories of the Sven era flooding back. Thankfully it was the good memories as we used our superior technique to telling effect and the Bulgarian scored the first goal.

A recall for Robinho was always on the cards, while Ireland got the nod for the final starting place. Initially we lined up with Petrov on the left, Ireland on the right and Robinho playing as second striker.

Credit to Mancini for switching this to allow Ireland and Robinho to play in their preferred roles. Petrov probably wasn’t overjoyed at spending most of the match on the right wing, but at least had the benefit of being in the right place to score the vital opening goal.

He nearly bagged another shortly after, but two goals from his right foot was to much to ask.

The constant instructions being given from Mancini to his players was a stark contrast to memories of Mark Hughes’ ‘chewing a wasp’ look, which would normally accompany any passage of poor play.

Players were continually being moved back into position and told to keep it steady whenever the game threatened to get stretched in the second half. The players themselves looked a little unsure of the new tactics and were often looking to the bench for instruction.

Martin Petrov:

“We know we can play better but we have trained only four days with the new manager. I think we will get better. We were all a little bit nervous because everybody wanted to show him what they can do.”

Perhaps more of a surprise than the active role of Mancini, was that of Brian Kidd. It’s taken a long time for Kiddo to get into City’s managerial dugout, and he wasn’t letting the occasion pass quietly. (He nearly became manager when Francis Lee was chairman, but opted to remain as Fergie’s assistant). At one point Mancini beckoned him to calm down and take a seat.

I hope Kidd retains the role of token Englishman in the coaching set-up as he and Mancini could be quite a double act.

For all City’s tidy play at the start of the match, Stoke had the first clear-cut opportunity. Fortunately, Given was able to block Tuncay’s shot, and City took the lead soon afterwards. From then on we looked more comfortable and confident.

After scoring the second on half-time, there was a distinct feeling of game-over as we wouldn’t throw away a two goal lead under Mancini – and so it proved.

Our best move of the second half came straight from the kick-off. Tevez and Ireland linked up to play Robinho in. A poor first touch from the Brazilian enabled a Stoke defender to make the tackle. Petrov struck a decent first time shot, but Sorenson managed to scramble the ball to safety.

From then on, there was the slightly surreal sense of a Manchester City side giving a display of catenaccio to close the game out. The Serie A feel was completed at the end with a classic time-wasting substitution that saw us reacquainted with Javier Garrido at the expense of Carlos Tevez.

We played a zonal system when defending corners with everyone back and packing the six yard box. Given the huge height difference between the sides (Kompany was our only outfield player over 6 foot tall), this made sense and was effective apart from one Robert Huth header.

Mancini also won plaudits for a tactically astute substitution. Tony Pulis had thrown on Beattie and Fuller, and a tiring Sylvinho was being given a more physical test. Richards came on at right-back, and Zabaleta switched to the left, where he has been used to good effect in emergency before.

City sat a bit deep in the final quarter of the game and Stoke were able to fashion a couple of chances. Given saved the day, but Mancini noted we ‘tired’ and that there was ‘room for improvement’.

Roberto Mancini:

“Shay Given made some great saves today and I rate him so highly.

“Shay gives everyone around him a sense of confidence and he can be pleased with his afternoon.”

Critics may see this as an umipressive victory over a poor Stoke side. However the point is that making sides look poor and beating them is precisely what we were failing to do before, and is the reason why Mark Hughes no longer has a job.

The emphasis for Mancini was clearly on getting the win and improving the defending. Job done.

External reports:

• BBC
• The Guardian
• The Independent
• The Mirror
• Official site
• The Telegraph
• The Times

Blog reports:

• Norfstander
• We’ve got Robinho