Lech Poznan v Manchester City:POZNAN IS famed for the vibrancy of its university night-life. A few Manchester City players are partial to a student party but it is safe to assume Gareth Barry and company will not be taking the opportunity to reprise exploits in St Andrews where, looking slightly tipsy, they were filmed drinking with undergraduates.

Instead it was a chastened City party which flew into Poland seeking to confirm their position as Europa League Group A leaders and stress their unity in the face of recent adversity.

Two Premier League defeats against Arsenal and Wolves have prompted reports about not just minor off-the-field indiscretions but furious busts-up between City players, along with rumours the squad would like to see the back of Roberto Mancini, their workaholic Italian manager.

“When it seems the whole world is against you that’s when you pull together,” said James Milner, City’s England midfielder last night. “When we see nonsense written in the papers it pulls us closer. These things will make us stronger.”

If it seems a siege mentality is building, doubts about the players’ private views on Mancini linger. Milner though did his best to dispel them. “It’s just another story, where it comes from, who knows,” he said. “When you look at the manager’s record, he’s obviously a top manager; we are very lucky to have him.”

Sitting alongside him Mancini was asked if the players were no longer behind him. “No it’s false, it’s not true. If there’s someone who wants to write these lies then I’m very happy for them,” he said .

In-between shrugging off questions about disputes with players – the latest reputedly being Kolo and Yaya Toure, who were left behind to work on their fitness – Mancini said Carlos Tevez was due back in Manchester today.

Not surprisingly there was a world weary quality to his demeanour. The former Internazionale manager had told an Italian news agency he was doing the “dirty work” of changing City’s mentality and that despite the job being “tiring” and English newspapers “resorting to fantasy” he had no plans to return to Italy. “I’ve got work to do here,” he said.

While City are not in quite as much turmoil as Lech Poznan – who yesterday appointed Jose Maria Bakero as their coach in the wake of Jacek Zielinski’s sacking after the Polish champions slipped to 14th in the Ekstraklasa – Mancini could do without a third straight defeat.

• Guardian Service