Manchester City 4 Leeds 0: Smells like team spirit for Mancini as Aguero leads charge
By Chris Wheeler
The fans were calling for their manager to go, but it was Neil Warnock, not Roberto Mancini , whose head was on the block on Sunday.
Not for the first time, reports of the Italian's demise have been greatly exaggerated. Former Manchester City and Leeds defender Danny Mills had been so bold as to predict that Mancini would be axed if he lost this one, and it rebounded on the BBC radio pundit who was spotted in the press box and abused by angry fans as they left the Etihad Stadium with their team four goals to the good and cruising into the quarter-finals.
Other reports claimed that Malaga and former Real Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini has been sounded out about replacing Mancini, though they received little encouragement.
There is no doubt the City boss is under pressure and failing to win a trophy this season would hardly help his cause.
With 12 points separating his team from Barclays Premier League leaders Manchester United, lifting the FA Cup - the first trophy Mancini won in England two years ago - represents his best chance of success.
It would be premature to write him off just yet. But how much better this season would have been for him and his players had City been as eager, energetic and aggressive as they were from the first whistle here; a performance in total contrast to the tame surrender at Southampton last time out.
Afterwards Mancini described it as a brodino, an Italian soup starter, a warm-up for Chelsea next weekend and what he still optimistically hopes will be another great comeback in the title race.
It was a rather lukewarm one at that, thanks largely to the two-goal lead City established inside the opening 15 minutes through a Yaya Toure goal and a Sergio Aguero penalty.
Aguero then set up fellow Argentine Carlos Tevez before scoring his own second. Leeds were simply outclassed and overawed by the occasion, a shadow of the side that had already knocked Ever ton, Southampton and Tottenham out of the cup this season.
They were not lacking in fight, however. No team featuring the pugnacious Michael Brown and El Hadji Diouf could lack fight. But they came up against a physically stronger City side who were more than happy to meet fire with fire.
Brown did his best to get under Yaya Toure's skin as the two tangled twice early on, but Javi Garcia took up arms on behalf of his team-mate and left the former City midfielder in a crumpled heap after pursuing him into his own half and raking his studs down Brown's achilles.
Brown did not reappear for the second half. Boyhood Leeds fan and former Elland Road favourite James Milner inflicted similar pain on Stephen Warnock, including a seemingly unintentional boot in the defender's groin.
'You're Leeds and you know are,' sang the 6,000 visiting fans who gave Milner a warm ovation and were magnificent throughout with a self-effacing humour that used to be City's stock in trade.
At one stage in the second half, with all hope lost, they broke into a chorus of 'You're nothing special, we lose every week', having already endeared themselves to the home supporters by singing anti - Manchester United songs and joining in a Poznan celebration.
Even Warnock praised the Leeds fans afterwards, and they spent most of the second half calling for him to be sacked. Heaven knows, there wasn't much else to entertain them.
The game was less than six minutes old when Yaya Toure exchanged passes with David Silva and played the ball into Tevez inside the box.
His clever flick diverted the ball past Tom Lees and into the path of Toure, who took it around goalkeeper Jamie Ashdown and slotted it into the empty net despite Sam Byram's desperate attempt to clear. Shortly afterwards it was 2-0 when Aguero tricked his way past Lees, whose flailing arm made contact with the striker's shoulder and face.
Aguero pulled up and referee Mark Clattenburg pointed to the spot. It was a rather soft penalty but Aguero buried it emphatically into a top corner. 'I don't think it's a foul anywhere on the pitch and Tom was distraught,' said Warnock afterwards.
'Two goals killed the game. During an injury break in the first half I pulled over one or two and said, "It can't be any worse, just show your mettle now", and I think they did.'
Ashdown produced a brilliant tipover to keep out Yaya Toure's 25-yard volley and Garcia's header from Aleksandar Kolarov's corner was inches away from creeping in at the far post before Leeds tested Costel Pantilimon moments before half-time when Ross McCormack blasted a free-kick straight at City's second-choice keeper.
It was their first and last chance to keep the game a serious contest because Mancini's side were three ahead within seven minutes of the restart. Aguero played a one-two with Silva before clipping the ball back for Tevez, who was lurking behind Lee Peltier to knock it over the line.
Substitute Jack Rodwell headed against the underside of the bar before Aguero rounded off the scoring 16 minutes from time, staying onside of a tired-looking Leeds defence to meet Silva's wonderful through ball and beat Ashdown with a first-time shot.
It took the Argentine's goals total for this season to 13. He will do well to match the 30 he scored in his debut City campaign and that is one of the areas where City have dropped off since winning the title in May. There is still time to salvage something from this season, however.
Mancini and his players are not done yet.