Moaning City stars must accept rotation if they want to win trophies, says Mancini

Roberto Mancini has told his moaning Manchester City stars they must accept his squad rotation policy if they want to become winners.

Emmanuel Adebayor and Shay Given are the latest Blues players to whinge about being left out and Mancini admits it is "impossible" to keep everyone happy.

The City boss wants his Blues players to learn from Manchester United and Chelsea and understand they cannot play every game.

Mancini is working hard to change his players' thinking, but knows it will probably take some silverware to convince them.

"It's not frustrating for me, but at the same time, it's important that they start to change their mentality if they want to win something and become a top team," said the Italian.

"It's impossible that every three days a player does an interview saying 'oh, I don't play'. It's important he comes and knocks on my door and I explain the situation.

"Other teams have a different mentality. All the players there play every three days and they know the manager changes, like me. But it's difficult to change our mentality in five months.

"I think the players must understand the manager chooses 11 players, not because I think Manu, Balotelli or Kolo are not good players, but because at that moment, I need this player and after three days I can change. I think the players must understand this.

"I want the players to have the same mentality as the players at Chelsea and Manchester United. This happens not only here, but at every team."

Mancini admits he moaned as a player when he did not play and called on his stars to understand the tough choices he must make.

"I played football and sometimes I behaved like this so I can understand," he said.

"I understand the players as well and it is normal that they are unhappy if they cannot play. But I can only choose 11 players.

"It's impossible that all the players are happy. This is normal. In every club, 11 players are happy and the others unhappy. This is correct because if one player doesn't play and is happy, he's crazy. It's important he's unhappy and it's important he continues to work because I can change my mind."

Adebayor and Given, who has yet to figure this season, are set to figure at West Brom tonight in the Carling Cup as Mancini makes wholesale changes ahead of Saturday's showdown with Chelsea.

Adebayor has recovered from the leg injury, which reportedly sparked an angry confrontation between him and Mancini when the Blues boss apparently accused him of faking it.

Mancini claims the unhappy £25million hitman won't be leaving Eastlands and challenged him to recapture last season's early form.

"I don't know if he wants to stay or not," said Mancini. "But I think he must stay because he has a contract with this club. He's an important player and it's important that he returns as the player he was when I arrived here."

Mancini is prepared to let Given go in January and the Republic of Ireland international would not be short of options after Roma joined Arsenal and Fulham in tracking him.

"I hope that Shay stays here, but if he doesn't want to stay here, I understand the situation," he said.