Mancini tells Wright-Phillips: Stop moaning and focus on fight for fourth
Published 23:00 12/03/10 By David McDonnell
Roberto Mancini has told Shaun Wright-Phillips to stop whingeing over his new contract and focus on helping Manchester City clinch fourth spot.
Wright-Phillips angered City by going public with his dismay at being offered a new £75,000-a-week contract - claiming it was not enough.
England midfielder Wright-Phillips believes he deserves to earn more and is seeking parity with City's top earners like Carlos Tevez and Emmanuel Adebayor.
That has outraged City who feel Wright-Phillips, who still has two-and-a-half years left on his current deal, has no cause for complaint over their lucrative new offer.
And Mancini told Wright-Phillips to address any such issues with him in future, rather than bleating about them publicly in an effort to gain sympathy.
"If a player speaks with me it's much better for the club," said Mancini. "It's important the players play well because we have an important target.
"When we reach that target then we can about contracts. Shaun is important player for us and we have to sort out his contract.
"But it's important now that Shaun plays very well for the team and that there are no problems.
"Right now, the important thing is the next game against Sunderland on Sunday. His contract, we have time to look at that.
"I think he's happy. In the future we will have time to speak about his contract. I think we have no problem."
Wright-Phillips also claimed he had been forced to play by City when he was not fully fit and still carrying injuries, a claim flatly rejected by Mancini.
"Shaun has never spoken with me about that," said Mancini. "I'm happy with Shaun because he always gives 100 per cent but I would prefer sometimes if the player speaks to me."
City have not played since their shock 4-2 win at Chelsea a fortnight ago, which blew the title race wide open and boosted their chances of finishing in fourth spot.
Mancini's players take on Sunderland tomorrow and he told them it was not enough to merely turn on the style against the Premier League's glamour clubs.
"When you play against Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United or Arsenal, you need concentration 200 per cent," said Mancini.
"But you win trophies by beating the smaller teams. Sunderland will play at 300 per cent against us and it's important we play with the same concentration."
