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Robinho issues City boss outburst
Manchester City, 11:03, February 9, 2010 ,
Robinho's prospects of returning to Manchester City have been hampered following his criticism of manager Roberto Mancini's tactics.
The Brazilian star, who was signed by former City boss Mark Hughes in a British record £32.5million swoop from Real Madrid in the summer of 2008, finished top scorer in his first season at Eastlands. However, following an injury-hit start to this current season, Robinho struggled to get back into the first-team under Hughes and then Mancini.
City allowed Robinho to return to his homeland with Santos, where he scored the winning goal on his debut against Sao Paulo in Sunday's 2-1 win. And the samba star has since been quick to criticise Mancini's tactics, claiming they restricted him on the pitch and did not allow him to show his abilities.
Robinho told the Daily Mail: "He has a different way of thinking. In Brazil, the coach respects the player's characteristics."
He added: "In Europe, they are used to playing with two lines of four players and they don't want to know what you can do.
"There, if you are a forward, the coach sends you on to the pitch just to run. You have to run and that's it."
Robinho is due to return to City after the World Cup, but his latest outburst suggests he will not be a long-term part of Mancini's plans.