I’d like to give Nasri a punch for playing so well!

ROBERTO MANCINI admits he feels like punching Samir Nasri when the French midfielder plays like he did on Saturday.

The Manchester City boss has been highly criticial of the ex-Arsenal star’s efforts for the champions this season.
Yet Nasri and several of his team-mates turned on the style against Newcastle to leave their fans wondering what might have been.
And infuriated Mancini is confused as to why his £24million signing — who played a key role in their title success — has under-performed this season.
Asked what he thought of Nasri’s dazzling performance, the Italian smiled wearily: “I would like to give him a punch — because a player like him should play like this always. Every game. Maybe one game sometimes he can play badly.
“I don’t know what was different. I can’t understand how a player with his quality doesn’t play like today every game. The second year is always difficult to win the title again. And sometimes the player can thinkit is enough to play 50 per cent. We’ve probably had this problem this year.
“I think that every player is intelligent. Samir knows that he played very well.”
City are 15 points behind leaders Manchester United and Mancini believes too many of his players are guilty of resting on their laurels this season.
He said: “The club was born more than 100 years ago but as a strong team we were born two years ago. And every year you need to improve your team.
“Maybe sometimes some player can think: ‘ok we can play maybe not like last year but we will still win because we are good quality players’ But this is not true.”
Meanwhile Mancini accepted that despite his concerns skipper Vincent Kompany had made an impressive return to club action.
The City boss was critical of the centre back for returning for Belgium first and the pair barely exchanged a glance when he was subbed late on.
Mancini said: “Did I speak to him? No. For what? Vinny knows his behaviour was not good.
“He is important for us. I am happy that he played well and played without any problem in his calf. I hope it will be like this for the next two months.”
Kompany himself refused to take questions on what his manager said this week but is convinced his rehabilitation has been handled in the right way.
He said: “I have taken the right amount of time and I have put in the right amount of work as well.
“We have a brilliant medical staff at Manchester City and also with Belgium.
“I have done everything I need to do and more. You can blame me for a mistake I make in a game but that is a different one. You don’t choose to be injured.”
Kompany has now urged his team-mates not to let their season tail off now the title has gone.
He said: “It is important as a group for everyone to take responsibility.
“Collectively it is disappointing but there is still a lot to look forward to.
“I remember the way we finished the season when we won the FA Cup. We finished equal points with Chelsea and secured a place in the Champions League. The year after that we won the title. The end of one season has an impact on how you start the next one.