Toure reveals City mind games

Yaya Toure: Claims Roberto Mancini never truly gave up on the title

Yaya Toure has revealed Roberto Mancini always believed Manchester City could win the Premier League - despite his claims to the media.

The Italian even made a stirring speech in the dressing room telling his players that there was still all to play for.

City boss Mancini publicly declared "the title race is over" after his side lost at Arsenal and fell eight points behind Manchester United.

"I think the key was when Mancini started making a speech in the dressing room."
Yaya Toure Quotes of the week

But after a dramatic turnaround, City go into the final game of the season at home to QPR knowing that a win will see them lift a first league title since 1968.

And Toure, who scored both goals in last weekend's crucial win at Newcastle, is grateful to Mancini for playing things very differently in the dressing room to how he did with the press.

The Ivory Coast international told CNN: "We always believe in ourselves because we've got quality players, fantastic players.

"I think the key was when Mancini started making a speech in the dressing room.

Competitive

"He said, 'guys we don't have to give up, you know, because the Premier League is like that and maybe United can drop some points and we can come back. We have to believe to the end because we're in the most competitive competition in the world and most importantly we have to keep going, keep winning and maybe we'll be close to them'.

"I think Mancini was totally right because I think now he deserves everything he gets from now.

"He's an unbelievable guy who always fights to help his players to get them in good form and I think everything he's done now he's done fantastically well."

But Toure knows the congratulatory mood must be on hold until after Sunday's game, as any team in the league can prove a threat.

"The Premier League is so difficult," he said.

"In a couple of days we have QPR at home and QPR they are fighting from relegation from the Premier League so it will be fairly tough."

Problems

Toure also admitted that the problems surrounding Carlos Tevez and Mario Balotelli had been challenging for the squad.

But he hailed Tevez's contribution since returning into the group, as he said: "When you have some important players, big quality players like that, and they do something wrong it's difficult because football is a game for all the group.

"I think definitely the most important thing is that we concentrated and never gave up and continue to believe in ourselves."
Yaya Toure Quotes of the week

"You live together, you see each other more than you see your family, and you have to be careful... it can affect the rest of the players.

"I think definitely the most important thing is that we concentrated and never gave up and continue to believe in ourselves.

"Carlos is a fantastic player who we always hoped would come back to help us because he is a really important player for us.

"Yeah, he made a mistake but he's apologised to everyone and he's showed to the fans he's there to fight, to help his friends, his team-mates for the title."

Toure is pleased that, from a personal point of view, he has vindicated City's decision to spend a vast sum of money in order to bring him to the club from Barcelona.

He added: "It is very important because when City wanted to sign me to this club from Barcelona to come here they were thinking about bringing a good player to try to add to the club and make history in four years.

"I think this is very interesting for me and very interesting, of course, for the club because I think they've made the right choice."