Mancini takes Stoke tactics as compliment

Tony Pulis’s men were absolutely dire as they tried to defend but were ripped to pieces in a 3-0 defeat.

“It’s the same that we have seen at Manchester United over the years,” Mancini said. “All the teams that play at Old Trafford play with fear and don’t attack because they know United are a top team, and it’s probably the same for us now here. It’s a good thing, a compliment, but sometimes it’s better to get a good, open match. For the first 20 minutes it was difficult to find the solution.”