Bruce offers no excuses

Roberto Mancini: "We started the game fantastically. All the players played very well. We hope that we continue to play very well like today. We are third in the table today, our target from the start of the season was the Champions League.

"In the last 45 days we've played every three days and we've had more player injuries. That was the problem. Now all the players have recovered and we play Saturday-Saturday we don't have a problem."

Steve Bruce: "My reaction to that can only be total disappointment in the way we played and how we conducted ourselves. We were nowhere near what we've been used to this season and we have to make sure we respond in the right manner. We looked very, very disappointing today and as the manager I take responsibility for that.

"Where did it go wrong? Everywhere. Defensively we were all over the place and we didn't look like we had a cutting edge up front. We have to go back to basics, as they say. The one thing I don't want to do is make excuses - it sounds pathetic sometimes when I hear them."

Mark Hughes: "Bobby (Zamora) had been under the weather, he just had a head cold and had not been sleeping particularly well. He just wasn't quite as lively during the week as he normally is. Normally you hear Bobby before you see him so he was a little bit quiet but I thought this was the perfect game for him, to be honest.

"I thought that he got over the last hurdle in his head after the injury in terms of starting games and really, in fairness, I couldn't have hoped for a better impact from him. For him to come in - the way he is thinking about his game and coming back from a serious injury - it was a perfect day for him."

Ian Holloway: "I've told them all to go away and watch how we got promoted last year and the goals we've scored this year and tell me we are a bad side. I've asked them to do that because we need to remain totally positive.

"We can have probably five defeats and two victories and we'd still up, I believe. Whether I'm right or wrong, you asked me about it and 39 points might keep us up. If we do that it'll be a fantastic achievement, better than last year. And that's the truth because really, truthfully speaking, the quality that the other people have got, the money that they are paying is quite frightening."