Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has urged his players to "be more Italian" by occasionally playing not to lose.

Mancini, whose side lost one Premier League game in the first half of the season, has since watched them drop two more in the space of a single month as opponents begin to take a different approach towards the Manchester outfit on the pitch.

"In the last two months, our opponents have approached games differently. They keep all their players behind the ball and so it is difficult," he said.

"We did well at Chelsea, Sunderland and Everton but couldn't score. When that happens, the team has to be more careful to make sure that we take at least a point.

"Sometimes we need to be more Italian and make sure that, if we can't win, we don't lose."

The Citizens currently trail rivals Manchester United by a single point, but have a game in hand.