Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has defended his call for further investment in his squad.

After spending around £250million on new players since his arrival two years ago, Mancini attracted scorn on Friday when he claimed City would struggle to fill their substitutes' bench for the FA Cup defeat to Manchester United.

As it turned out, City did come up with seven replacements, although they included Abdul Razak and Denis Suarez, who have just six first-team appearances between them, all but two from the bench.

Things may be even worse for the Carling Cup semi-final first-leg encounter with Liverpool.

Star man David Silva is a doubt, in addition to Mario Balotelli and Edin Dzeko.

And although Gareth Barry does return from suspension, skipper Vincent Kompany is starting a four-match suspension after the FA rejected his appeal against the red card he received against United on Sunday.

At a time when resources are already depleted due to the absences of Yaya and Kolo Toure on African Nations Cup duty with the Ivory Coast has led to Mancini raising the possibility of 17-year-old Dutchman Karim Rekik being involved.

Which just goes to prove City's squad is not quite as deep as some people imagine.

"All the people think we have a lot of players,'' said Mancini.

"But we have 19, plus keepers. It is not a big squad."If we are unlucky and we have three or four players injured, like at this moment, we can have a problem. The club knows this.''

Meanwhile, Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish does not think last week's defeat to Manchester City will have any bearing on their two-legged Carling Cup semi-final.

The Reds return to the Etihad Stadium just eight days after they departed having lost 3-0 in the Barclays Premier League with a performance which was characterised by individual errors.

On that occasion Jose Reina gifted City the opening goal when he misjudged the flight of the ball and dived over the top of Sergio Aguero's long shot.

Other lapses at the back allowed Yaya Toure to head in a corner before City, down to 10 men after Gareth Barry's dismissal, broke away to add the goal which clinched three points from the penalty spot.

Liverpool put together some good passages of play but were chasing the game from the 10th minute and that played into their opponents' hands.

Dalglish's side head back across the M62 expecting things to be different.

Striker Luis Suarez is still suspended, as he was last week, but captain Steven Gerrard is expected to start.

"We lost 3-0 and so we will look at it but I don't think it will be a reflection on the next two games coming up (against City),'' said Dalglish of last week's result.

After the defeat the Reds boss said his side needed to learn valuable lessons about taking their chances - which has been a problem for them all season.

Midfielder Jay Spearing believes the game taught the players a lot.

"We know what we have to do better and we will be better,'' he told liverpoolfc.tv.

"We will get at them right from the off and I still feel we can cause them a lot of problems.

"They are going to be two massive games and I don't see any reason why we can't make the final.''

Match

oya now lets go there , city - pool

goal for liverpool

Gerrard pen

ohh balottelli wan fight

city always find it difficult against liverpool

hhehehe see clichy wan score

damn andy johnson can dive oh

boring match

lots of falling

balotelli is an idiot jor , why didnt he pass sef

competition to see who dives the most

na$iru coming in for Ballotelli

ha why mancini substitute mario in d 1st half ? he get injury ni ?

competition to see who dives the most
[quote][/quote][b][/b]

i think mario was limping a bit, he vex hehehe waka straight go dressing room

micah richards good run only for milner to throw it away

milner gba sibo , shoot am for bush

mukina2:

i think mario was limping a bit, he vex hehehe waka straight go dressing room

limping ke , hop ethat ex gunner do somthin important its been ages he play good football

is bellamy on drugs , or is it fitness am going to call this running arround ? something is wrong somwhere jare

fredoooooo:


limping ke , hop ethat ex gunner do somthin important its been ages he play good football

shorrrrrrrrrrrrrooooooop we do not know him

funny first half

half time

chei Yaya berra come back or else citeh go quench oh

^^

make them quench nah.

Na im go betta pass 

totenham leading bad news for chelsea and arsenal , the 3rd and 4th position getting more interesting ,

D match don finish wats d final score

chukxy44:

D match don finish wats d final score

half time

1-0 to Liverpool
1-0 to Totts

Kay-Dee:

^^

make them quench nah.

Na im go betta pass 

i wish he comes back in . . i loff you YT

fredoooooo:

    hahaah now mukina2 dont know Nasri  again,  irony of life 

lif me be na

pls aguero and silva dey for match?

warraaamisss kun kun kun!!!!


boring match really, the other option means watching spuds win damn you everton

aguero shoot throway , nice goalkeeping from reina

see scramble o . .citeh wanna score by fox

mukina2:

warraaamisss   kun kun kun!!!!


boring match really, the other option means watching spuds win damn you everton

u dont need to worry too much , the way city play nowadays , hope they didnt end up 5th on the table , dont forget FA playing against them too  

Men see goal oo   Asou Ekoto koto  

everton just useless abeg

downing off , liverpool dont even know , which is worst , downing or carrol , is downing ever give any assist or goal for liverpool ? if onbly they were african loan option is what they will b discussing now , yeye people