Man City owner asks players to give Mancini more time

London, Feb 20 (ANI): The chairman of Manchester City, Khaldoon al Mubarak, has stepped in to try to stop a player revolt.

Khaldoon rang one of the club's top stars from his Abu Dhabi home to plead for the squad to give Roberto Mancini more time.

He knows the players are unhappy with the Italian manager's training and tactics but is desperate to stick with him after getting rid of Mark Hughes, The Sun reports.

Mancini had a bust-up with Craig Bellamy on Wednesday at City's training ground and told him to stay away from there for three months.

Chief executive Garry Cook and football administrator Brian Marwood both had to ring the Wales ace and contact Mancini so Bellamy could return.

It means Mancini has had to back down. But this is only the latest in a series of problems that have beset Mancini's reign since he took over from Hughes.

Marwood once had to act when a player was ranting about the training just ahead of a Khaldoon visit to the training camp.

Frantic Marwood had to make a call to the player's agent to get him to ring the player involved and calm him down in case the chairman witnessed the chaos.

Mancini yesterday confirmed revelations of an argument with Bellamy over his troublesome right knee. (ANI)