Former Manchester City star Rodney Marsh is convinced Roberto Mancini will be axed at the end of the season.

The FA Cup may offer City's best route to silverware this ­season but Marsh maintains Mancini is doomed.

He told the Sunday Mirror: "Mancini is a terrific manager. "I like his attitude. But he will be let go even if we win the FA Cup. I would prefer them to keep him than let him go. But he has been very poor in the Champions League. Some of his signings have not been of a standard that ­nowadays is ­identified as ­Manchester City quality.

"As far as the league is concerned it is over. This is partly because of the great ­distraction with Mario Balotelli, who let the team down when he was there at the beginning of the ­season. But it's also because ­Mancini hasn't at times seemed to pick the right balance of ­players.

"He hasn't been helped by ­injuries to key players, ­especially Vincent Kompany.

"Kompany is the captain and was fantastic last year. But he's missed so many games this season and this has had such a detrimental effect on the defence - in fact the whole team.

"Balotelli was a ­nightmare and the saga with him also had a major effect on the team's bid for the title."