No excuses, sought or given. Roberto Mancini has not sought to fudge the issue, not looked for refuge in ifs and buts, not lamely pointed to City’s 34-year recent history of flops and false dawns.

There can be no backward-looking, no mention of inherent structural faults in the club, no dark whispers of gypsy curses or FA conspiracies.

Now is the time for City to deliver.

And, truth be told, the target being set for Mancini and his millionaires is only a fractional improvement on last season’s near-miss.

Three points more would have taken the Blues to the Promised Land of the Champions League. Only a late United goal denied them a place in a major domestic cup final for the first time in 29 years.

And only a series of unfortunate events disrupted the flow, depriving City of key players at important times.

On such small advances are dynasties built. City aim to finish this season at least one place higher than last time, and preferably with a trophy in the cabinet.

Mancini has been planning against mishaps for the coming season, knowing that even the unpredictable - such as Carlos Tevez’s domestic traumas, or Emmanuel Adebayor’s brutal brush with terrorists - cannot be held up as reasons for failure.

He has taken out insurance against the trials and tribulations of a Premier League season. And what a policy he has taken out.

Quality

Seventy six million pounds on David Silva, Yaya Toure, Aleksandar Kolarov and Jerome Boateng.

Another £50million pending on James Milner and Mario Balotelli. The quality of the squad has ratcheted up a notch or two, not least in midfield, where the Blues looked too one-paced and static at times last season.

They had pace out wide through Craig Bellamy, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Adam Johnson.

But with Stevie Ireland off colour, there was no inspiration, no creation and no spark in central areas at important moments. With the purchases of Yaya and Silva, that midfield weakness has transformed into quite a strength, providing the two men make a smooth transition from La Liga to Premier League.

The other glaring weaknesses from last season were in the full back positions, and Mancini has emphatically addressed that issue as well.

Boateng prefers to play as centre back, but it is beginning to look as though he will start the season at right back.

He looked top-quality in that position for Germany as they won the World Cup third place play-off against Uruguay, and he reprised that powerful display in the friendly match with Valencia on Saturday night.

The squad also looks more balanced, and has no problems fulfilling the Premier League quota of eight home-grown players in a 25-man squad.

Meeting the Europa League rules on a 25-man squad are a little tighter, as Uefa insists that four of the eight “home-grown” players are actually produced by the club rather than simply by any clubs within the English or Welsh associations.

History

It might mean they have to register a younger player, such as Dedryck Boyata, to meet the quota, or even submit a 24-man squad list.

But Mancini appears to have achieved his aim of having two high-quality players for every position.

In fact, the Blues now have at least two internationals vying for every place.

That has never happened before in their history, but the Blues are intent on turning the page on a whole new era in that history.

The page-turning begins on Saturday, 12.45, at White Hart Lane.