Either Mancini was the victim of a wind-up or he had his tongue stuck firmly in his cheek when he claimed tomorrow's visit to Blackpool had been likened to a day out in Rimini.

Yet he was being deadly serious when he assessed the challenge that lies ahead.

Ian Holloway's men may have taken a couple of batterings already, but so far their debut Premier League season has gone far better than anticipated.

They certainly coped with Newcastle far better, and arguably their opening day victory at Wigan was more comprehensive than the one City managed at the DW Stadium, both in scoreline and performance.

So Mancini is well aware the Tangerines are capable of giving his expensively assembled squad very red faces, which is why he believes a performance that exceeds the one that was enough to overcome Chelsea three weeks ago is required.

"I have watched Blackpool three or four times and this will be a very tough game," the City manager said.

"I have a lot of respect for them. If we want to win there we must play better than we did against Chelsea."

Mancini has a lot of admiration for the positive approach Holloway has ensured his side adopt, even on the toughest of away days.

"They play good football," acknowledged Mancini.

"What I like is that they don't just defend and wait for something to happen just because they don't want to concede a goal.

"They play in a different way because they want to score.

"That is a good thing for the manager. And the manager is good anyway."

With Micah Richards, Pablo Zabaleta and Jerome Boateng all available, Mancini finally has some defensive options to choose from at the start of a tricky week that includes a Europa League encounter with Lech Poznan and ends with an eagerly-awaited clash against Arsenal at Eastlands.

Emmanuel Adebayor will be particularly keen to play in that one, although it is not likely to be the game Mancini chooses to rest Carlos Tevez, having pledged to leave the South American on the bench for one of the next three fixtures.

Mancini has conceded he had "a healthy discussion" with Tevez during the half-time interval of City's win over Newcastle, but insists there is no bad blood with his captain.

In fact, the Italian is convinced such heated exchanges can have a hugely positive effect on a dressing room.

"I had arguments with my team-mates and managers. It is important," he said.

"When I have done it as a manager myself, sometimes it is calculated to get a reaction from a player.

"Against Chelsea we played with the right mentality because we knew they were a strong team.

"We concentrated 100%, played very well and achieved the result we wanted.

"But when we play against Newcastle, if we think they are worse than Chelsea it is a big mistake. If you think like that you cannot possibly play 100%."

And, for a number of reasons, Mancini cannot countenance anything less than the highest standards.

For a start, he knows his side need to accumulate points if they are to maintain a concerted push for the title.

Secondly, they are facing opponents being far more cautious about facing the Blues.

"Every game in the Premier League is difficult, especially for us because the way people play against Manchester City has changed.

"Maybe 15 years ago, all the teams that came to play against us tried to win.

"Now they come to defend because they are afraid."