New York Red Bulls 2-1 Manchester City: The Daily Mirror pre-season Match Report

Roberto Mancini says Manchester City are still a work in progress and that much was evident as they slumped to a second successive pre-season defeat.

Without the likes of Carlos Tevez and Nigel De Jong, as well as new signings David Silva, Jerome Boateng, Yaya Toure and Aleksandar Kolarov, an unfamiliar City side struggled to impose themselves against the Red Bulls.

City boss Mancini picked an inexperienced side, with Emmanuel Adebayor, Wayne Bridge and Stephen Ireland the only established first-team players in the starting line-up which was made up largely of youth and fringe players.

The Red Bulls took the lead in the seventh minute, when Wayne Bridge's lack of pace and positional sense were exposed. Bridge was beaten to the byline by Dane Richards, whose cross was turned in at close-range by Macoumba Kandji.

Bridge, whose future is uncertain following the capture of Lazio left-back Aleksandar Kolarov for £17million, epitomised City's poor first-half form, which showed little improvement from their 2-0 defeat to Sporting Lisbon on Friday in their first game of the Barclays New York Challenge.

Thierry Henry, who marked his Red Bulls debut with a goal in a 3-1 defeat to Spurs on Tursday, almost scored a second in the 21st minute, dragging an angled shot just wide of Joe Hart's far post.

Another player whose future is unclear, Brazilian striker Jo, equalised for City in the 55th minute, getting ahead of his marker to flick the ball in with a near-post finish from Bridge's delivery. City are keen to offload Jo, who cost £19m from CSKA Moscow two years ago, with Real Sociedad interested in him.

England goalkeeper Hart, who is aiming to dislodge Shay Given as City's No.1 when the new season starts, was replaced after 45 minutes by Stuart Taylor, while Kolo Toure, Joleon Lescott and Adam Johnson all came on midway through the second-half.

City went behind again in the 70th minute to a wonder goal from Red Bulls winger Richards. With the City defence standing off him, Richards unleashed a superb 25-yard shot which flew in off the underside of the bar, giving Taylor no chance.

Taylor saved well from Salou Ibrahim in the 75th minute to ensure City did not fall victim to a more embarrassing scoreline, while Adebayor missed a sitter with seven minutes to go, scooping the ball over the bar from point-blank range.