Bentez: "I have seen the replay and for me it is not a sending-off, but anyway the referee was perfect. He didn't make any mistakes. Now Javier is injured, and I will say again the referee didn't make any mistake."

Press: "We don't understand? You say the referee didn't make a mistake?"

Bentez: "No he was perfect. Perfect. He was perfect."

Press: "So why was it not a sending-off?"

Bentez: "I have seen the replay, for me it's not a sending-off, but anyway. Perfect."

Press: "Was there any particular reason why players like Gerrard or Torres couldn't get it together and perform?"

Bentez: "No, the referee was perfect so Torres, he didn't have any problems."

Press: "You were a goal down before the sending-off, the average observer wouldn't say you were controlling the game at half-time. Why do you say it turned the game when you were a goal down already?"

Bentez: "If you see we created a couple of chances and we have plenty of possession in the first half I was convinced we could change the game."

Press: "Can you just explain what you said about the referee?"

Bentez: "Perfect. No mistakes."

Press: "But you say he made a mistake with the sending-off."

Bentez: "Perfect."

Press: "Don't you think Torres was fortunate to escape being penalised for that elbow?"

Bentez: "The referee was perfect."

wont the new manager be doing the same

or at least get rid of the dead wood within the team

Hughes is a victim of being employed by a previous regime. Why should the Sheikh give him time to prove he's not up to the job if that's what he thinks of him? It's his massive investment which is at risk. It's his money that would be used to buy new players. If he doesn't think the manager is good enough then he is more than entitled to bring his own man in.

I don't think Mancini was the right guy to bring in. I still think City need somebody to come in and control the ego's, build the foundations then a coach like Mancini would be better to bring in. I don't think City will be able to get straight to the next level, it does take time and with the strength of other sides in the league, it'll be very hard to jump straight into the top 4. A manager like Hiddink, Capello or Mourinho, somebody who will tighten up the defence, sort out the attitude and get them playing for eachother. I think I made this point in the summer. I think Real Madrid are in a similar position, too, I can see them getting Mourinho next year.

It's a bit harsh to compare Mancini's record with Hughes. While he won a couple of cups before taking the Inter job, he essentially managed the equivalent of a Man U or Chelsea while his major rivals were imploding due to the match-fixing scandals and having titles taken off them and handed to Inter and points deductions.

Hughes hasn't managed an equivalent club. Mancini might well be better than Hughes but I don't see it as the major jump the City Board might be expecting.

Good to see the myth about citys owners being your normal football club owners and not wanting instant success being blown apart by yesterdays events. Oh and thanks for taking all the media attention away from Utd's abysmal performance at Fulham as well.

Good post. Didn't the owners give Hughes more money than originally planned? Maybe thats why they have given him the bullet? As because they accelerated the spending then maybe they expected to see the results quicker as well. Will be interesting to see if Mancini can do any better. I reckon city only appointed him because he has got 'Manc' in his surname?