Why everyone waiting for Manchester City to get the jitters is in for a disappointment

By Mark Lawrenson

Published 09:00 17/12/11

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Everyone will be waiting for Manchester City and Roberto Mancini to get the title chasing jitters.

People are waiting for that time of the season when results take a slight turn against them, the chasing pack gets closer, or even overtakes then as Manchester United can do with their earlier kick-off at QPR tomorrow.

Having lost at Chelsea on Monday, City’s rivals will be hoping 15 games in, their winning machine will break down.

I have bad news for those rivals. I just don’t think the jitters will come.

Everyone says the first title, the one that breaks decades of waiting, is the hardest. And maybe it is.

But the league title is City’s to lose, and I don’t think they will lose it.

Playing Arsenal tomorrow is a big game for City after losing at Stamford Bridge. It is big for Arsenal too in terms of a test of how far they have come since early in the season. There is no doubt that if both teams play well City will still win it because they are better.

They do not have as many obvious weaknesses as Arsenal. City are also better off the bench than their rivals. They might be able to change a game by throwing on Dzeko and Balotelli. Or Johnson. They could have the first XI playing poorly and completely change it.

Will losing their unbeaten domestic record mean doubts have set in? Not for these players.

After a defeat they will go out and be thinking by hook or be crook we will get a win here. That is what United have always done. When they lose, you look at the team they play next and think, hah good luck.

City have had one bad hour ­domestically, and that came after the opening exchanges at Chelsea. It happens. Chelsea have the bit between their teeth.

You say well done to Andre Villas-Boas. It didn’t really happen for City, even though they should have had a penalty that could have killed the game at 0-2.

Losing at Chelsea is not a shock. You’d be worried if it was at Fulham or Villa. The quality of the Premier League means if you have a poor hour away from home you may get turned over.

But with the players City have got, once they get to within sight of the winning line nothing will stop them.

If they get to the end of February or March at the top, the title will be theirs.

Just say they get to the Carling Cup final and beat Man U in the third round of the FA Cup..... they can get to February and he can make a decision which competitions to go for. Two or three.

The Europa League is not a massive issue for them. That is seven or eight league games away. He could play the kids. And they still might go through anyway in the last-32 round.

Mancini has a vital role to play in terms of his own mentality and approach.

My only doubt is if he reverts to type when they get squeeze, and plays an extra defender, trying not to lose. I would always go for the extra attacker. And that is my only doubt about Mancini. Will he be attacking enough?

Mark Lawrenson was talking to MirrorFootball's Simon Bird.

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