Redknapp: Too many egos at City

Queens Park Rangers manager Harry Redknapp believes Manchester City have too many egos in the dressing room.

QPR are currently bottom of the Premier League with 15 points from 23 games, while Roberto Mancini’s team trail leaders Manchester United by five points ahead of Tuesday’s clash at Loftus Road.

However, despite his side’s precarious position, Redknapp does not envy Mancini’s job of having to keep so many star players in check – and reveals he is glad he didn’t sign Mario Balotelli while he was managing Tottenham.

“When I see some of the headlines coming out of Manchester City, I wonder how Roberto Mancini puts up with it all,” he wrote in The Sun.

“Hardly a week goes by without some story emerging how this or that manager is being lined up to take over from Mancini in the summer.

“But he deserves a medal for the way he has coped with some of the egos he’s got in that dressing room. I don’t think I’d have the patience to put up with them.”

Redknapp was interested in signing Balotelli while at White Hart Lane, but is relieved he didn’t try to push a deal through considering the striker’s tumultuous time in England so far.

“If all that nonsense with Carlos Tevez wasn’t bad enough last season, he’s now got Mario Balotelli sitting on the bench most weeks with a face like thunder,” he said.

“There’s nothing that winds me up more than having footballers moping about the place looking like they’re not enjoying themselves. Whenever I’ve had a player acting like that I’ve looked to get them out of the club as quickly as possible.

“But that’s easier said than done with Balotelli because City paid 22 million pounds to sign him from Inter Milan and he’s probably on a massive contract that he’s not just going to tear up.

“I once tried to sign him for Spurs before he went to City. I spoke with his brother and had a meeting with his agent after he’d had a fall-out with Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan. And that’s when I thought: ‘If Jose can’t handle him, what chance have I got?'”

However, Redknapp thinks egos are a necessary evil in having such a talented team, and still thinks City can push rivals United all the way for the title.

“When you sign as many world-class superstars as City have done, you have to put up with the egos,” he said.

“And Mancini deserves a lot of credit for the way he has done that.

“They are a great squad and it looks like the race will go down to the wire again with Manchester United.”