City entertain neighbours Manchester United in the first leg of England's secondary cup competition on Tuesday night, with their supporters desperate for a victory that would not only give them local bragging rights but also put them within touching distance of their first major final since 1981. As Mancini has previously spoken of his desire to take down the flag at Old Trafford that ticks round every year City fail to end a trophy drought that stretches back to the 1976 League Cup final win over Newcastle, the Italian clearly likes the idea of some silverware in his first couple of months as a manager in England. However, he is also a pragmatist, and if the harsh manner of Mark Hughes' dismissal taught him anything, it is that unless City make the Champions League spots this term, as demanded by owner Sheikh Mansour, he could be out of the door whether he has won the Blues a trophy or not. "We want to win the Carling or FA Cup, but we must finish in the top four," he said. Is that the priority? "Yes." The comments place the harsh reality of modern-day football into sharp focus, but it is a view not likely to be shared in the stands by fans who have suffered so much since their trophy cabinet began collecting dust. However, Mancini was quick to add that a trophy could prove to be the catalyst for that top four berth. "I am new in Manchester City, so the trophy is important to me. But the same is true for the players and the club because when you start to win trophies, you change your mentality," said the Italian. "We want the Carling Cup. But it must only be the start." Mancini certainly intends changing a few things because he is not discounting the possibility that one day City will leapfrog the Red Devils as England's number one club. Given United have joined Liverpool on 18 titles by winning 11 since the Premier League was formed in 1992, it seems a far fetched idea. Yet Mancini does not believe it is beyond the realms of possibility. "If we work well, it is possible," he said. "United have a big history. They have been a good team for many years. "City can become a big team in the next year. It is most important that we get into the top four. "That would change the situations. Surely it would be better if City were also a big club in the future because then Manchester could have two clubs in the Champions League." When he was watching Michael Owen clinch victory for United in the sixth minute of stoppage time in September, Mancini hardly expected to be picking the City team when they next did battle against the old enemy. It meant he finally got to work with Carlos Tevez, who he first inquired about two years ago when he had just moved north from West Ham. It also ensured he must deal with the problem that is Robinho. Introduced at Everton on Saturday after just four minutes when Roque Santa Cruz suffered a recurrence of a calf injury that will keep him out for at least a month, Robinho was substituted himself early in the second-half as Shaun Wright-Phillips was introduced. The move has been interpreted as a clear signal Mancini is not impressed by the £32.5million Brazilian's lack of effort, and it has once again been suggested Robinho is heading for the Eastlands exit, if not this month then in the summer. Mancini tried to play down such talk, although he hardly helped matters with an unfavourable comparison to Carlos Tevez. "It was a bad night for us all. Robinho can play well but it is not always possible and on Saturday he played the same as his team-mates," he said. "When I put Wright-Phillips on, I had to take a striker off because I cannot keep five forwards on the pitch. "I had to decide between Robinho and Carlos."
