The transfer window new boys made their debuts in Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Hull, and Johnson in particular made a difference as the Blues almost fought back from two goals down to earn a point.
Mancini, who blasted his team for a sluggish start which handed relegation strugglers Hull the advantage, indicated that he is strongly considering playing them from the off when Bolton visit Eastlands on Tuesday night.
"Adam will probably start against Bolton," said Mancini, who added that reputations meant nothing to him.
"To me the name of the player doesn't matter, it's whether he is prepared to fight hard on the pitch. Patrick will also probably start, as long as he is OK with his calf.
"Patrick and Adam both played well and in future will be important players."
Stevie Ireland and Craig Bellamy, both well below par, made way for the two debutants, and could be the men to miss out against Owen Coyle's men.
Mancini was furious that his team made such a dull start at the KC Stadium, as he had stressed the importance of setting a good tempo and seizing the initiative.
"In the first half we played the ball very, very slow, and we know that Hull at home are a different side - more aggressive," said the manager. "We didn't start quickly enough and didn't fight enough for every ball."
He also pointed out the improvement in form once the substitutions had been made. "In the second half we played better," he said.
City are finding that, like last season, their poor away form is starting to haunt them. The manager is puzzled by it, but wants answers.
"We have a good chance of getting into the top four but we must change our mentality playing away," he added.
What team should City send out against Bolton? Have your say.
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john blue, levenshulme (08/02/2010 at 09:02)
The Devil's Advocate, M11 born and bred, East Stand Lower 104 (08/02/2010 at 09:04)
jerseyblue, jersey (08/02/2010 at 09:10)
Until this can be rectified in the summer i think Mancini should go back to 4-5-1 : one up front (either Tevez or Adebayor), either johnson or petrov on left, either SWP or Bellamy on right, then three across the middle with ireland in the middle (not on the right) - Kompany and De Jong screening (barry and Vieria on bench).
dandas, malta (08/02/2010 at 09:11)
richards (zab)toure onuha bridge
swo(johnson)dejong viera petrov
tevez
ade
peter griffens chin, within the M60 (08/02/2010 at 09:19)
,
Given
Zabaletta, toure, onuhua, bridge
SWP, Viera, Barry, Johnson
Tevez
Adebayor
Anyone know if Lescott is anywhere near to playing again? Hughes said he was only to be out for 4-6 weeks??
The Original Blue John, London (08/02/2010 at 09:19)
Steve from Hyde, Tameside (08/02/2010 at 09:19)
g1lly blue (08/02/2010 at 09:22)
How about looking a little closer to home. the Golden Boy was playing, "surely it cant be Supermans fault?"
How about Craig, he aint had a good game since his Gaffer departed!
Maybe if you would have Supported our Gifted players as much as our Favourites then they may have upped there game. Ireland like his fan club are good at passing the blame to others when he is one of the major factors.
Elano's PR Manager, Gorton (08/02/2010 at 09:22)
expatblue , Australia (08/02/2010 at 09:24)
nordenblue, rochdale (08/02/2010 at 09:24)
uzirugby (08/02/2010 at 09:25)
City Slipper, Manchester (08/02/2010 at 09:25)
I realise that Mancini is trying to use wing backs and get Zabaleta and Bridge to play like Maicon or Lahm but they can't do it when it comes to getting back to defend. Use midfield wingers please, we have some talented ones in SWP, Johnson, Petrov, Bellamy who can do the job and the full backs can concentrate primarily on defending. Both Bridge and Zab got skinned in the last game.
The Devil's Advocate, M11 born and bred, East Stand Lower 104 (08/02/2010 at 09:28)
Redraw, Belfast (08/02/2010 at 09:31)
As a Man United fan I take no pleasure in your clubs plight and turmoil at present. I think you are cursed, it seems impossible to go wrong with all the financial backing at present but you will find a way.
Hang in-there City fans because you have got the biggest floodlights in the league.
Kippax 36, High Heath (08/02/2010 at 09:37)
The Devil's Advocate, M11 born and bred, East Stand Lower 104 (08/02/2010 at 09:41)
Redraw, Belfast
8/02/2010 at 09:31
Have we really got the biggest floodlights in the league?
Redraw, Belfast (08/02/2010 at 09:49)
Cant believe you havent mentioned Man United in your first 16 posts, its not like you lot.
Keep dreaming.
Paul Power's Tash, Haslingden (08/02/2010 at 09:50)
Even when we win, we give the ball away far too cheaply in midfield and only Bellamy & Tevez (if we ignore the last couple of games) seem to have that desire to break quickly on teams.
Mancini recognised this by making the strengthening of the midfield a priority in the January window.
Unfortunately, Mariga was one of the 1 million immigrants in the last couple of years not deemed good enough to obtain a work permit, which may come to haunt us when judgement day comes at the end of the season.
Get those boys into that training ground Bobby Manc and teach them how to pass to each other at pace!
Gerry Gow's Rusholme Boy, Manchester (08/02/2010 at 09:51)
1. No settled side.
2. Adebayor gets in Tevez's way, he needs to play in the middle like RSC or dont start him.
3. Away from home we need to start with 3 defensive midfielders. WE have enough quality and nous to hit teams on the break. So DJ, Viera, Zab with a hard working wideman like SWP or Johnson. Suck em in and then hit them.
4. Poor Barry needs a break- he isnt he second central midfielder we need.
Apart from that its fine, the future's still the same colour.
expatblue , Australia (08/02/2010 at 09:51)
I agree with your views that we have too many lazy players. Compared to the workrate of Chelsea and United we have such a very long way to go. With the exception of a couple (Tevez, Bellamy) there are players waiting for someone else to do the work before they are prepared to get involved. We need more young, hungry and driven players who are trying to make their mark in football, not the overpaid and unmotivated 'superstar' such as Adebayor.
PAUL Eagle (08/02/2010 at 09:53)
You get yourself down to your local club instead of wearing out your armchair watching teams from overseas!
as Alan Partridge said "there's more to Ireland, dan dis!"
blue for life, manchester (08/02/2010 at 09:55)
Giles, Voice of City Fans (08/02/2010 at 10:03)
If any sportsman needs motivatin to play his chosen sport then there is a serious problem. I never needed motivating whether it was playing rugby in front of a crowd or a game of squash with amate. What is the point of even turning up if you aren't bothered if you win or lose? Never mind if you are paid very well to do it as a job.
You have only to listen to some of the players with comments liek 'we need a bit of luck and maybe we will go on a run'. In other words just stroll about and wait for fate to show it's face. Luck is 0.5% of it. Luck is when a fan throws a beachball on the pitch or a keeper has a howler. So few and far between are these incidents that they compile DVD's of them. You can't rely on luck.
As they say the harder you work, the luckier you get.
We have always had a situation at this club where new players come in, try very hard to begin with, win the fans over and then slacken off. No matter who the owner is, the manager etc it is the fans, as a constant, that allow then to get away with it.Look at Tevez busting a gut. If we are not careful he'll soon look at the rest and think 'am I the one one who is bothered' and may think 'what's the point of me chasing everything if nobody else does'.
Our ex-captain said in Sven's time here, sometime in January when we had 38 points that we had nothing to play for! Gave up in January! Why not kick on and see if you can get 70 points?
You can have all the talent in the world but if you don't use it you are ineffective.
It is like a car race. You are smug because you have a Ferrari and you are up against a mini metro. You are on the grid but if you don't even switch the engine on you ain't going to win the race. That is what some of our players are - too busy preening and in love with themsleves rather than starting the engine. The mini metro will win. This is what happened at Hull (who are a mini metro).
Evan Georgiou (08/02/2010 at 10:06)