Players back Mancini

Well, two of them have - former Hughes loyalists Nigel de Jong and Vincent Kompany have defended Mancini after Wednesday's evening's unpleasantness:

"Everyone at this club is passionate and wants to bring success so there will be times when emotion takes over," said Kompany.

"The boss showed how much he cares and I don't see a problem with what he did.

"We were losing and he wanted to get the ball back in play - that was all there was to it. I think too much has been made of it already."

Nigel de Jong, as usual, agreed with his former HSV teammate:

"It was a very emotional game, you could see that at the end with the gaffer," he said.

"Everybody knows I am not the easiest player in these kind of games.

"You have to set a tone - you are 1-0 behind and if the referee continues making disappointing decisions you know it is going to be an emotional game."

It seems that not all Hughes loyalists were singing from exactly the same hymn-sheet though.

More Everton reax

Tom Dart, The Times

The aim was to pass their way past Everton, to overcome energy with elegance. It was naive, but with four successive wins and one goal conceded in his first month, such optimism was understandable. But Everton would have beaten just about anyone, with the guile of Landon Donovan and Steven Pienaar blending with a fierce collective energy that squelched most City attacks at birth.

Mikey Stafford, The Guardian

Everton's record signing [Marouane Fellaini] was as imperious here as Manchester City's was feckless and if the £15m Belgian is beginning to look like he would be cheap at twice the price (which would still be £2.5m less than Sheikh Mansour shelled out on his yellow‑booted statement of intent) ­Robinho's future looks hopeless.

John Edwards, Daily Mail

Mancini’s City were overrun and overpowered and would have been overwhelmed but for Marouane Fellaini and Tim Cahill heading against the bar near the end with Everton already two goals to the good.

Sandy Macaskill, Daily Telegraph

The strings had snapped, with Manchester City so comprehensively outplayed that when Mancini was asked whether there was anything that he could take from the performance, he replied simply: “Nothing.” If his numerous instructions had fallen on deaf ears, none were more hard of hearing than Robinho.

Ian Whittell, The Independent

As far as Mancini's own future is concerned – and remember it is generally accepted that anything less than a top four finish could result in him suffering the same fate as Hughes in the summer – this month will be telling in terms of whether he is given money to improve a squad that is patently limited, especially at the back. "It's possible but I don't know now," said Mancini when asked if he will spend.

Everton reax

Duncan Castles, Sunday Times

Roberto Mancini’s first three fixtures as City’s manager were against Stoke, Wolves and Blackburn, and these strugglers were swatted aside in a style befitting a club with ambitions as big as their budget. This jaunt down the M62 to Goodison Park was when real questions began to be posed.

The conclusion was stark, Everton not simply victors, but superior in every measure. Led by Steven Pienaar's unremitting excellence they were two ahead by the break. Had Shay Given and the woodwork not intervened, the score would have been embarrassing.

Paul Wilson, The Observer

With Carlos Tevez and Craig Bellamy also anonymous, City were exposed in attack and defence by a spirited Everton, for whom Marouane Fellaini was again outstanding. Everton could and probably should have won by more.

Oliver Brown, Sunday Telegraph

Everton exposed City’s defensive deficiencies – an area where recent improvements have perhaps flattered to deceive – with embarrassing ease, while Robinho earned the rare indignity of being substituted as a substitute.

It is about the lowest experience a player can endure, but Mancini had little option. The Brazilian, far from the first time, played like an imposter: dithering, uninterested, uninspired. If the manager has any strictness to match his style, he will remove this carpet-bagging misfit without a second’s hesitation.

Everton player ratings

Given Might just have done better with Pienaar's freekick. But made some other good saves to make up for it. 6

Zabaleta Did not mark his 25th birthday well. His habit of giving away needless free-kicks has finally cost us, as it was always going to do. I hope that he learns from this. Caught out a few times. Delivery in the final third generally poor. 4

Richards Against Blackburn we saw the best of Richards - brave, athletic, determined, commanding. Today we saw the worst. His decision to pull Louis Saha's shirt in full view of the linesman was staggeringly ill-conceived. Other than that he did ok. 4

Kompany A few good moments - he really is excellent in the air, and a few slightly dodgy ones too. Trying to clear the ball into Saha's shins six yards out is a good example. 5

Garrido Unlike most of the players he was not obviously terrible. Few attacking opportunities but after one early mistake he generally stuck closely to Landon Donovan. 5

Petrov Played on the right before coming off at half time. Came inside twice to shoot - hitting one very well and one very badly. Other than that he offered very little. 5

de Jong Very poor today, by any standards, and particularly disappointing given his recent excellence. He was bossed by Fellaini, and he couldn't lay a finger on Steven Pienaar. 4

Barry I have an increasing concern that Barry hides in big games. You can add today to his aberrations at Old Trafford and White Hart Lane so far this season. He was anonymous today, nowhere near the level of control and influence he usually shows. Looks in real need of a rest. 4

Bellamy Tried - with is more than can be said of some City players. Things weren't coming off for him, as they have not been for a while, but he didn't hide. There is a question, though, regarding the value of his playing ninety minutes so close to the semi final. I guess he won't play on Tuesday. 5

Tévez Moved after five minutes from his second striker role to lead the line. That, and a slight hamstring injury in the first half limited his effectiveness. Massive game for him on Tuesday, of course. 5

RSC Barely touched the ball before going off injured n/a

Subs:

Robinho Another no-show on the road. There is no point in his even being in the squad of eighteen for away games. Deserved to be taken off. 3

Benjani Held the ball up well. 5

SWP The only bright spark on his return from injury. Willing to run and players, and beat them more often than not. Will be crucial in January. 6

Everton 2 - 0 City

• At least we're not going to be complacent going into Tuesday. 'Honeymoon periods' are good, but they are also delusory. When we get knocked out of the League Cup in eleven days time I expect it to be a disappointment. But I don't want it to be a surprise. Today reminded us of some truths: that we have serious injury problems in key positions, that we are prone to folding in this of game, that we have become reliant on Carlos Tévez, that Robinho doesn't show up in away games. We're still a good side with some excellent players. But too many people read too much into Mancini's first four games. Teams with Benjani and Javi Garrido starting don't win domestic trebles.
  

• For the second time in five weeks we went to one of our rivals and just didn't show up. This had too much in common with the White Hart Lane performance which ultimately cost Mark Hughes his job. Like that match, we were brainless in defence, spineless in midfield and toothless up front. Everton started the season slowly but they're coming into form. We can't go there, play that badly, and expect not to lose. Everton were excellent, certainly. But we made it easy for them.

• For the first time I thought that we needed Patrick Vieira out there. There are games when for all of Gareth Barry's experience and Nigel de Jong's tenacity they can't impose themselves on games. White Hart Lane is a good example. The 4-3 at Old Trafford is another. Today they were outclassed by Marouane Fellaini and Steven Pienaar. De Jong is a terrier but he's 20cm shorter than Fellaini. Barry has been out of sorts for a while. Maybe someone with the experience, the size, the willingness to kick and be kicked of Vieira would have improved us.

• Mancini's willingness to bring off Robinho was admirable. But I'm not sure that he ought to have been on the pitch in the first place. It seems to me that Carlos Tévez - like Wayne Rooney - plays best in behind a target man. That's how he started today. But when Robinho came on Tévez had to lead the line with Robinho supporting him. Not only did this effectively reduce us to ten men, such was Robinho's usefulness, it also seemed to blunt Tévez's intuitive style. And it meant that there was no-one who could hold the ball up, until Benjani came on at half time.
  

• When the League Cup semi-final was postponed I was pleased. Having two more matches for Mancini and the players to get to know each other was useful. But this sort of result is the worst possible preparation for Tuesday. Santa Cruz got injured, Tévez may have picked up a knock, while Craig Bellamy played 90 minutes without our gaining anything. So I'm not sure what sort of team we will put out in mid-week, or how well they will play.