Roberto Mancini's sense of humour is coming to the fore as his English improves, and the media is delighted because those poker-faced quips always make a story.

Thus his latest wry line - "We are a bad team, like Wimbledon" - was bound to be taken up.

The National tells its Middle East readership: "Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has claimed his side are being dubbed the new Wimbledon due to their growing disciplinary woes.

"City, owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, have had five men sent off this season, including Gareth Barry and Vincent Kompany in successive games at the start of January.

"In addition, Mario Balotelli will serve the second match of a four-game suspension when he misses the Premier League trip to Everton after being found guilty of violent conduct when he lashed out at Scott Parker.

"It is not a great record. Yet Mancini's team are hardly the physical side it would make them appear to be. 'We are a bad team,' said Mancini. 'Like Wimbledon.'

"Wimbledon in the late 1980s and early 1990s were known as the "Crazy Gang", with so-called hard men players such as Vinny Jones, John Fashanu and Dennis Wise. Mancini's verdict was delivered with a rueful smile, as if the Italian could hardly believe it himself."

They also quote Roberto's serious follow-up: "My players are good players - they never did a bad tackle on another player. This is not on our minds.

But that is why I have said we have been unlucky for the last two months

While any idea of the new Wimbledon is just chortling material, the notion of facing the old Tim Cahill is no laughing matter, as the Liverpool Post points out.

They write: "He's the man Manchester City have grown to fear. And now the Premier League billionaires have been warned Everton midfielder Tim Cahill is rediscovering his punch.

"Since Cahill arrived almost seven years ago, David Moyes’s side have won 10 and drawn one of 15 meetings against their North West rivals.

"Cahill has netted five times against City – all different games, all of which have been won with two of the goals proving decisive at Eastlands."

Yikes! Let's hope somebody will be marking him tonight, eh?