Manchester City have a backup plan in the event they lose Roberto Mancini at the end of the season.

The Sunday Mirror says with their bid to retain the ­Premier League title looking ­increasingly doomed, City's most realistic hope of silverware this season is the FA Cup, where they face Manchester United or ­Chelsea in the semi-finals.

Everton's David Moyes and ­Malaga's Manuel Pellegrini are admired within City, while Johan Cruyff, an ally of chief executive Ferran Soriano, will ­recommend Ajax manager Frank de Boer, who masterminded a shock 3-1 Champions League win over City in Holland this season and held Mancini's men to a 2-2 draw at Eastlands.