More Boro reax

Colin Young, Daily Mail

City sauntered to the fourth round of the FA Cup against toothless Middlesbrough. A frozen Given, struggling to feel his feet an hour after the final whistle, did not make his first save until David Wheater's tame injury-time header.

Roberto Mancini made five changes and will have mixed views on his replacements, of whom young Belgian defender Dedryck Boyata was the most outstanding. Hopefully, he has found a manager prepared to develop such talent.

Jason Mellor, The Times

Once Adam Johnson departed with a recurrence of a hamstring problem, Middlesbrough barely mustered a threat on goal, and the tie was effectively over when Benjani Mwaruwari confidently fired home his first goal for more than a year from a pass by Martin Petrov in first-half injury time.

Roberto Mancini brought Carlos Tévez, Gareth Barry and Craig Bellamy of the bench in the second half as he comfortably maintainted his 100 per cent unbeaten start.

Mark Ogden, Daily Telegraph

A biting wind and heavy snow might have tested the resolve of some of more illustrious City players who were absent due to injury or international commitments, but Mancini’s starting XI proved up for the challenge against the Championship club.

Belgian youngster Dedryck Boyata impressed at centre-half, while Benjani, the definition of the forgotten man under Hughes, performed the centre-forward role admirably. His goal, in the 45th minute, was a well-executed finish from Martin Petrov’s pass and it marked his first strike for the club since Dec 2008.

Paul Wilson, The Guardian

Considering he has been in the country only a matter of weeks Mancini got his formula spot-on at the Riverside, certainly better than Ferguson did at home, although Middlesbrough do not remotely resemble a fired-up Leeds. Robinho was not required, Dedryck Boyata and Vladimir Weiss made their first starts and, after Benjani Mwaruwari had celebrated his first game since October with the only goal of the match, City brought on Gareth Barry, Carlos Tevez and Craig Bellamy to stretch their legs and a tiring Boro defence in the second half.