David Platt defends Roberto Mancini over Manchester City form

Mancini's side were booed off on Saturday (GETTY IMAGES)

Manchester City assistant-manager David Platt has launched a passionate defence of Roberto Mancini.

The Italian has come under fire for being too negative after successive goalless draws against Manchester United and Birmingham.

Home fans reacted by chanting "What is going on" when Mancini opted to replace Carlos Tevez with Gareth Barry towards the end of City's latest stalemate.

It seemed an unfathomable move given £18million Brazilian striker Jo was also on the bench at the time.

Yet Platt is quick to reject any notion of Mancini being a defensive coach.

"It is wrong for people to level at the gaffer that he is a defensive coach," said Platt.

"He isn't, in any way, shape or form.

"It is too easy to look at it and say you have taken a striker off and put a midfield player on. It isn't a computer game.

"We more or less camped out in the Birmingham half for the majority of the second-half.

"But people felt because we were playing Birmingham it was three points guaranteed. It is never that in the Premier League."

Platt also revealed Tevez, who has opted to remain in Manchester rather that head off to Doha for Argentina's high-profile friendly with Brazil, is still troubled by the injury that saw him fly home for treatment earlier this month.

"Carlos has a dead leg," he said.

"What happens when he plays is that it loosens off but unfortunately, it comes back again.

"The last 10 or 15 minutes of any game, when you have expended as much energy as he did in midweek, become very dangerous.

"The one thing we didn't want to happen was for Carlos to pull a muscle and be out for three or four weeks."