Perplexed by the claims of negativity that accompanied Wednesday night's goalless draw at Eastlands, City's dressing room remains hard-nosed enough to recognise the giant strides they are making. Merely avoiding an injury-time defeat, having suffered three such reverses last term, was a cause for minor celebration, whilst the draw itself means City have now collected seven points from four home games with the traditional 'big-four' this term. Their only setback came against Arsenal when Dedryck Boyata was sent off after four minutes. It has helped the Blues establish a four-point buffer in the battle for the fourth Champions League spot, which is laid down by owner Sheikh Mansour as the minimum requirement for Roberto Mancini and his team this term. Yet Platt is acutely aware such form will not mean anything unless City can produce the same standards against the Premier League's lesser lights. "I worked for Sky for a long period of time," said Platt. "They have this head-to-head table, which has a big say on who wins the Premier League and who gets into the top two or three. "But sometimes it doesn't. You have to make sure you follow up good performances against the bigger teams and win games against the others." It is not always easy. Tired bodies and minds take time to recover, certainly longer than the 65 hours between the end of last night's game and the first whistle of the Birmingham fixture. Yet coping with these demands and still gaining positives results is one of the reasons Manchester United and Chelsea in particular have been so successful. "We must make sure we are concentrated and give the same output, physically and mentally, against every team that is in the Premier League," said Platt. "You simply cannot underestimate any opposition in this league. "When you look at the likes of Chelsea and think this is a very important game, then immediately afterwards you are playing Newcastle, which is just as significant. "We went to Blackpool recently and ground out a result from a match where we didn't play particularly well. "It seems that every time you prepare for a game it is must-win. That is what life at the top of the league is about." Platt accompanied Mancini on a trip to Stoke this week in order to maximise his knowledge of City's opponents. It could be argued that the Blues head into the fixture on the back of a disappointment given far more was expected of them offensively than they managed to produce last night. Yet the result is only regarded as a negative if the measuring guide is winning the title. In order to secure a top-four spot, Mancini's cautious approach was perfect, particularly given the significance of Mario Balotelli's suspension. The controversial Italian will be missing this weekend too, when the attention will be far less intense but, according to Platt, the overall outcome equally significant. "There was great deal of media attention around the Manchester derby, which was understandable," said Platt. "You can feel the atmosphere building in the ground because there is so much expectancy. "A lot of City supporters look at our team and think we should be beating Manchester United. "But the season comes down to far more than just one match. "It is about making sure that over those 38 league games we are at least in a Champions League position and we give a good account of ourselves in the Europa League and the FA Cup when it comes. "Winning trophies is hard but that is an aim. "But the objective from the football club, from the players and the manager, is to ensure that we get Champions League football next season."
