Desperate, that’s what Manchester United were to turn to Paul Scholes according to Patrick Vieria. Well let’s look at the league table now Mr Football Development Executive, because right now it’s looking pretty desperate for Manchester City at the moment.

Incredibly United could claim the title next Sunday if results go their way. That odd scenario would mean City losing their next two – at home to West Brom and away to Norwich City – and even a lunatic probably wouldn’t bet on that happening.

City’s slump was only just a matter of time. With rumours about players bickering more often than most clubs and the whole Carlos Tevez affair, City were only going to show their real bottle when they had a setback, bouncing back like Champion-sides do.

At the start of the season City were playing brilliantly. Pundits and fans were rightfully congratulating Roberto Mancini’s side on their performances and everything as they say in soap-land was going hukey-dorey. They were looking an unbeatenable side.

However it has been said for years that great sides only prove themselves when things are not going well and they have to grind out performances and stay united as a squad. Clearly things changed at City when Carlos Tevez spat out his dummy.

The warning signs have been there all along with Senor Tevez. Why was he mysteriously handed the captaincy when Kolo Toure served his drugs-bar. Is he a leader? No. Why wasn’t Vincent Kompany handed the captaincy then? God knows.

Since Tevez refused to come off the bench at the Allianz Arena in the Champions League against Bayern Munich, a snow-ball behind the scenes at the Ethiad has been getting bigger and bigger and other problems have arisen.

Of course Mario Balotelli’s behaviour has been inexcusable. But then again this is an individual who even Jose Mourinho couldn’t deal with. Mancini knew all about his character from his time at Inter Milan and sadly the finger of blame points at him too.

Desperate was what Mancini was in the fact that in the last couple of weeks he has had to play both Tevez and Balotelli, two players who secretly he probably didn’t want to play and who few managers in world-football would want to rely on to win a league title…

..You can guarantee if Mancini would rather have called on Scholes over those two troublemakers any day!

By Adam Dennehey @ADennehey87