Petrov netted for the fourth time this season yesterday as he sent City on their way towards a 2-0 win over Stoke at Eastlands.

At the end of a turbulent week, the result helped restore a sense of normality to the Blues camp, as well as giving new boss Roberto Mancini the perfect start to his tenure.

Indeed, chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak and chief executive Garry Cook must have seen the warm greeting Craig Bellamy gave his new manager at the final whistle and, with the City fans getting behind Mancini from his pre-match entrance, it seemed very much like business as usual.

Out of deference to Mancini, Petrov has no wish to start another argument just yet - but he is not happy.

"Now is not the time to talk about my situation," said the Bulgarian.

"But too many things have happened to me over the last six months and come the time, at some point in the future, I will tell you 100%.

"It would not be good for the new manager if I did it now. But what the old one did with me was not fair.

"I am just a football player. I cannot do anything apart from work hard on the pitch. I just hope after scoring this time I don't go to the bench because that is what seems to have happened every other time this season."

In fact, just four of Petrov's 11 appearances this term have been as part of the City starting line-up, and two of the three goals he scored prior to yesterday's tap-in have been immediately followed by the axe.

A nagging knee injury has played a part but not to the extent his patchy record would suggest.

It has certainly been the most frustrating spell of his career.

"I have been away from Bulgaria for 10 years now and sometimes I have had problems like this with other managers," he said.

"But it is the first time I have not played for this long in my entire career.

"Yet in a funny kind of way I believe I can be stronger because of it.

"If you play and score and then carry on playing, it is easy. If you keep getting left out, it is not.

"I am grateful to my family and friends because it is only through them that I managed to get through it."

Petrov's statement proves the point that there will be voices in favour and against every manager, usually dependent on who is in the side.

With a top-four spot the stated aim, Mancini knows he needs to get as many onside as possible, particularly just now as injuries are starting to bite and the African Nations Cup starts to call.

"They are the only problems I have," reflected Mancini, as he looked towards a week when Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor will leave for Angola, reducing already limited options at the back and front of his team.

Carlos Tevez shows every intention of carrying the fight, though, and scored for the sixth time in as many games to effectively seal victory just before the break yesterday.

There are issues for Mancini to address, namely the disappointing contribution of £32.5million record signing Robinho, who made way for Bellamy midway through the second half - and seemed to think the standing ovation was for him.

It would be difficult to judge whether Mancini was under orders to play the Brazilian even if he features at Wolves tomorrow evening, such is the state of City's treatment room at present.

But Petrov has already revealed a change in emphasis on the training ground that he feels will ultimately bring its rewards.

"Every manager has different ideas and Roberto is trying to do more tactical stuff from corners and free-kicks," he said.

"That is good for us because the last three games before yesterday we have conceded nine goals, mostly from free-kicks and corners, which is too much.

"We know we can do better than that and, in the future, I am sure we will."