Roberto Mancini angry with Manchester City officials

  • Author, Phil McNulty
  • Role, Chief football writer at Wembley

Roberto Mancini was publicly critical of the Manchester City hierarchy after their FA Cup final defeat for failing to stop speculation about his future.

The build-up to City's 1-0 loss to Wigan was overshadowed by reports that Mancini would be sacked as manager and replaced by Malaga's Manuel Pellegrini.

He said: "You continue to speak about this for six months and also too much in the last two weeks.

"I don't know why the club didn't stop this because I don't think it's true."

Ben Watson's 90th-minute goal gave Wigan their first trophy in their 81-year history and made it a miserable day for Mancini and his players as last season's Premier League champions will finish without any silverware this season.

"Our target when we started the season was to win the Premier League," said Mancini. "But I think our mistakes started in the last transfer market. We didn't do enough to our team."

On reports in Spain that City have already agreed a deal with Pellegrini, he added: "I don't know if it is true or not. I don't think so. I do know football and in football anything can happen. In one or two weeks you can know if it's true or not.

"I don't need to ask the club about it. There is no reason to ask."

Mancini, who was seen in conversation on the Wembley touchline before the game with City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, said: "Do you think the chairman told me before the game 'don't worry'?

"We will see if it is true in the next two weeks. If it is not true you have written stupid things in the last six months. If it is true I'm stupid because I don't understand this.

"I work with serious people and I think I did a good job."