At last Manchester City 's players gave us reasons to be cheerful at Craven Cottage. That performance - in particular - the first 45 minutes was as good as anything i've seen from City for a long long time. Every aspect of the performance was first rate. If there was a blip it was not keeping a clean sheet. But to be critical of that minor hiccup would be unfair.

The build up to the game focused on managers, Mark Hughes and Roberto Mancini. Much was written and spoken about events in 2009 that led to Hughes's dismissal and Mancini's appointment. Hughes only touched briefly on his sacking and it was clearly obvious that he is still hurt by events but as Mancini so eloquently stated 'in football one day  your the manager, the next day your not'. That is the perilous nature of football management.

The hysteria that has surrounded City of late has left most 'sensible' City fans bemused. I have yet to meet a City fan who thought we were going to win the title this season. A top four finish and possibly a cup was the best we hoped for. A realistic target at the seasons start and justifiable given the nature of how difficult it can be when rebuilding a team. However, as things stand right now, both positionally and the points won and points difference  between fourth and first says we COULD win the title! But anything can happen between now and May!!  In recent weeks we have been ridiculed in some quarters for stating our ambitions in words if not on the pitch, but give me where we are now at this stage anyday.

In a recent newsletter i made reference as to whether Mancini was walking the plank. For the record I don't believe he is, but if performances and failings in front of goal had continued he could very well have faced a similar fate as that of his predecessor, given the media melee that followedany failings. Continuity and stability are a must. No knee jerk reactions from fans or board. Those fans who booed Tevez's substituion (v Birmingham) should look at the wider picture. He was having a bad day and getting kicked all over the place, though the choice of Barry as replacement was the panacea for the boos.

Now is the time for patience. The last thing we should be generating is a fear of playing at home. Blackburn and Birmingham have already shown how some teams will set their stall out to make things difficult for us at Eastlands. But we have to deal with that. Our next two league games will see how we cope with physical teams in Stoke and Bolton. Every game we play from here on will be seen as a measure of how far we have come, have gone or are likely to go. Now is the time for City to come of age and make those ready to knock us to eat their vitriolic murmerings.