Mancini did not hide his discontent at the failure to land several targets as he prepared for English football's traditional curtain-raiser, tomorrow's Community Shield, against Chelsea.
Roberto Mancini, the Manchester City manager, claims his club can be considered only "third or fourth favourites" to win the Premier League after an inactive summer in the transfer market.
Mancini did not hide his discontent at the failure to land several targets as he prepared for English football's traditional curtain-raiser, tomorrow's Community Shield, against Chelsea.
Although he did not wish to go into details about what was vexing him, the fact Mancini stated five times that journalists should "ask Brian Marwood" about transfer policy was an indiscreet way of shifting responsibility on to his sporting director, increasing perceptions of a growing rift between them.
City have conceded defeat in the pursuit of Arsenal's Robin van Persie and tried to sign Liverpool's Daniel Agger and Roma's Daniele De Rossi.
Mancini said he had also registered an interest in Chelsea's major summer recruit, Eden Hazard.
"I think United start as favourites this year," Mancini said. "We are maybe second, third or fourth." He justified this statement by suggesting City's opponents had strengthened, while he was upset he had been unable to integrate new faces. "I think you should buy players two months before the end [of the deadline], not 10 days before the end. The championship finished in May and you need to buy players before. Now it is difficult."
He gave the impression he must defer to those above on transfer issues. "I'm not happy but I won't say anything at the moment," Mancini said. "Sorry, but I know that for you these questions are more important than the match but for this you should talk to Brian Marwood not with me. I don't want to talk about the market. I'm not sporting director, I can't say anything regarding players. I don't know what I should say in this moment because after three or four months I don't know."
Any hope the euphoria of becoming champions would erase lingering tensions between a manager who wants to reinforce and those directors who recognise a need to offload unused, expensive talent appears to have been misplaced.
Having overseen a title win and acquired legendary status among City fans, Mancini knows who will win support in any political battle with executives with a duty to adhere to stricter spending policies. Raising awareness of irritation while, in theory, saying nothing particularly critical has become a familiar populist tactic for coaches who get frustrated working in a multilayered scouting and recruitment process.
It was also difficult not to interpret Mancini's praise for Chelsea's summer spending as a message to his own board. "When you win it is important to bring in new players, young good players for the future," he said.
City have injuries ahead of their trip to Villa Park, which is hosting the fixture because of Wembley's Olympic commitments. Micah Richards and Gareth Barry are unavailable, but Vincent Kompany will have a fitness test prior to travelling.
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