Roberto Mancini: 9 Things Manchester City Has to Address to Win the Title

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Manchester City currently sit two points clear at the top of the Premier League with 14 games still to be played.  Now out of both domestic cups—as are their title rivals—all eyes are now firmly glued to the big prize.

Roberto Mancini has impressively guided them to the summit so far this season, with the Blues holding firm on the number one spot since October 15. 

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With an imperious record at the Etihad Stadium this season, City's title charge has begun firmly at home. With a record of 12-0-0, 37 goals scored, and just six conceded, City has been able to produce impressive results, and their home dominance is the key reason for City's recent success.

Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Chelsea, Sunderland, West Brom, Manchester United and Queen's Park Rangers are yet to visit Manchester. If the Blues can continue their 100% record, it is hard to imagine the title ending up anywhere but the Etihad trophy cabinet.

Pick Up on Travels

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Away from home, the Blues have experienced mixed fortunes, winning six, drawing three and losing three. Aston Villa, Swansea City, Stoke City, Arsenal, Norwich City, Newcastle United and Wolves makeup the remaining away fixtures.  Slip-ups are natural, but City needs to rediscover the clinical edge to their game that's been missing in recent trips to the likes of West Brom, Sunderland and Everton.

Implement the Regista

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The signing of David Pizarro appears to have flown under the radar. After all, what impact could a 32-year-old with injury problems from Italy have on the Premier League title race? A significant one, I believe.

Introducing Pizarro to the centre of the field will allow attacks to be created quicker and more concisely—an extremely useful effect against those "park the bus" scenarios which the Blues are encountering with great frequency. The Chilean regista has the ability to dictate the play from a deeper position while David Silva and Sergio Aguero seek to hurt from the front. Samir Nasri occupied this role for the first time during the 3-0 win versus Fulham, in a clear indication that this is in City manager Roberto Mancini's thoughts.

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Adam John has mainly been a peripheral figure this season, with just seven league starts and 10 substitute appearances. But every title-winning squad needs depth and multiple options, and that is exactly what the young winger provides.

Impressing during his last start against Fulham, the Englishman will have forced himself into the manager's thoughts as City explore different options for breaking down stern rearguards.

Keep Balotelli Available

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With Carlos Tevez currently AWOL, City have played the majority of the season with just three strikers. While Mario Balotelli is currently serving a four match ban after being retroactively suspended for violent conduct, the manager will require his protégée to be available for the final months.

A fit (and available) Balotelli can cause major problems to any defence and will play a major part in the remaining games.

Reintroduce the Toures

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Due to the Africa Cup of Nations, the Toure brothers will not be available for City in the Premier League until 28 February. Although the Blues have won three and lost one since the Ivorians jetted off for international duty, the loss to the squad and momentum in all competitions has been undeniable.

Reimplementing them into play as soon as they're available will be crucial to City's performance moving forward.

Put Europa League on the Backburner

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Obviously, exiting the competition is an extreme which no fan should wish, but the Europa League could prove a distraction to the Blues.

It remains to be seen what strength teams City and their title rivals United will play in Europa League action, but it would not be surprising if the team which exits the competition earliest clinches the Premier League title. Which, in truth, is a sad endorsement of the reputation of the competition; Europa League glory would be no consolation prize if their rivals win domestically.

Continually Rotate

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In a nightmare to fantasy football players, Roberto Mancini has continually rotated his squad throughout the season. This has enabled a relatively injury-free season, which should prove beneficial as the squad prepares for the final title push.

Focus the Squad

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As the league quickly approaches its final run-in, the pressure from opposition media is ramped up to excessive amounts.

The question marks over City's staying power are raised daily, but Roberto Mancini has experienced this time and time again in Serie A, and will have to use all his know-how to keep his young and ambitious squad focused on their first Premier League title.