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How times change. There was a time when Manchester City could bumble along all season and even flirt with relegation without anyone throwing their toys out of the pram. It was City after all. What else would anyone expect?

These days it's a different story. People have been talking up City as title challengers this season, but one away loss at Wolves later and sections of the media are speculating that Roberto Mancini could be forced out of his job.

According to The 'soar-away' Sun, the City players don't much like Mancini and are plotting to get rid of him. This is not in the least bit surprising. As tyrants go, perhaps only Hitler has given his subordinates more reason to start conspiring against him and hiding bombs under tables.

You don't see Manchester City's players spending all afternoon on Twitter, like old @rioferdy5 down the road. That's because Mancini has them in training after lunch, when the rest of the Premier League population are settling down to a little Call Of Duty.

Criticise his methods and you end up out on loan at Cardiff. Craig Bellamy was one of the Premier League's better players last season, but Mancini was willing to send him into the depths of the Championship, for showing dissent. At least Bellamy gets some afternoons off now.

Then there was the recent criticism of English players' drinking habits, in which Mancini suggested that he would prefer his players to enjoy an evening with a random woman after the game. No wonder he wanted to sign Wayne Rooney.

If you're a strict disciplinarian manager, then you've got to accept that no one will really like you. The players will tolerate having a manager that they hate if they are getting results, but if they're not, then expect mutiny.

Some poor results could be on the cards for City, because for all the money they've spent, they don't look nearly as potent a force when Carlos Tevez is out. Not only is Tevez probably injured until the Manchester derby, but at the moment, he's back in his native Argentina. Mancini had better hope that his moody star will come back.

Although Tevez is Mancini's star player and captain, by all accounts they don't have a very good relationship. However, as Tevez doesn't speak a word of English, becoming best mates with him would represent a challenge for most Premier League bosses.

Suddenly a fourth placed spot doesn't look so nailed on. Spurs pipped them last season and are only two points behind at the moment, despite having the distraction of a Champions League campaign. City are currently 1.58 to finish in the top four and Tottenham are 3.95.

There are also other teams with the ability to challenge. After a shaky start Everton are picking up some decent results and are just four points behind City. Even those perennial relegation strugglers Liverpool are only five points adrift. Everton are 7.4 to qualify for the Champions League, with Liverpool at 7.0.

Manchester City have got so much quality within their squad that even if they're not playing at their best, they are still going to pick up results. I expect them to be there or thereabouts, but everything seems so delicately balanced that it's always a possibility that they could implode.

When you spend big on players, you don't just get star quality - you also get a side portion of ego. With Mancini bringing a pretty large sense of self worth to the table himself, City are a ticking time-bomb waiting to go off.

By Dan Fitch

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