Regular visitors to this site might testify that Manchester City get an easy ride from the talkingbaws team, with very little attention given to the Premier League champions. For whatever reason, they have slipped quietly under our radar this season and we have yet to really focus on them. Nicky Boyle takes a closer look at City and, in particular, Roberto Mancini.

Will Mancini begin to feel the pressure?

By Nicky Boyle – @bbopshakur

Mancini’s men have made steady progress in the Premiership this season, yet to really hit top form, and will be pushed even harder than last season by a strong Chelsea and Man United. Already behind both sides in the league, City have found little consistency in their play and there is even less in Mancini’s team selection.

It could be that Mancini’s constant meddling is providing more difficulties than it should and as yet we still do not know his favoured first XI. He has a plethora of attacking options in Edin Dzeko, Carlos Tevez, Mario Balotelli and Sergio Aguero, yet he has struggled to find a working partnership. Tevez and Aguero might be too similar, and Balotelli is very much a work in progress. Dzeko has done well when called upon, saving the day for Mancini a few times this season so far. They are backed up by the creativity of Samir Nasri, David Silva and Yaya Toure, who all provide plenty of opportunities for the strikers. And then there’s Gareth Barry, need I say more?

The Champions League has proved difficult and, like last season, they have given themselves a massive job in order to qualify for the second round. It would take something of a ‘miracle’ now for City to qualify from their group. Of course, winning the Premiership is the big one, with European glory viewed only as an added bonus. This being said, qualification, albeit from a tough group, was seen as a must for fans and players alike.

With such a good squad at his disposal, surely the pressure must be piling on Mancini? I can’t help but imagine what someone like Jose Mourinho or Arsene Wenger would do with such a talented squad. Failure in Europe might be acceptable for some, but consider the players and money which has been lavished on his squad and I fail to understand why more scrutiny has yet to fall on the Man City manager.

Is Roberto Mancini on his way to the sack at City? Tweet us your thoughts @talkingbaws or comment below.