Mancini has rejected reports of player unrest at City

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has dismissed reports of rifts within the ranks at Eastlands, insisting the stories in the media are false.

Reports have suggested the Italian has clashed with striker Carlos Tevez and that other players are unhappy with each other and with Mancini's methods.

Mancini said: "If there is someone who wants to write these lies, they can do. I'm happy for them, but it is not true.

"If we want to achieve our target, we must ignore this and continue to work."

Mancini also defended the club's record this season.

"We are in fourth place in the table, we have started the season very well," he said. "OK, we lost against Wolves, but that can happen sometimes."

City's 2-1 loss at Wolves on Saturday came straight after a 3-0 home defeat by Arsenal and increased the pressure on Mancini and his players who must cope with high expectations following a summer of heavy spending.

The club brought in big-name recruits such as midfielder James Milner and striker Mario Balotelli, so their recent defeats have attracted a lot of negative attention, with some national newspapers reporting bust-ups between players and discontent with Mancini.

Striker Emmanuel Adebayor and defender Vincent Kompany were seen arguing during Saturday's defeat, while Yaya Toure and Milner were understood to have had a disagreement at the interval during the defeat by Arsenal.

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But Milner has rejected suggestions that there is disharmony in the City dressing room.

"You would be worried if there wasn't that hunger and desire to win - everyone is desperate to do as well as they can and win trophies," he said.

"Every week you will see changing rooms up and down the country where people are saying things and people are disagreeing. But as soon as you step off that football field at the end of the game it is all forgotten - you are together again, you are a team.

"As long as there isn't a problem after the game, and there never is, we are a tight group, then the nonsense written in the papers just brings you closer together."

Milner (right) believes City are on the path to success

Milner also followed the lead of Gareth Barry from earlier in the week as he voiced his support for Mancini.

"We have 100% faith in him, you look at his record and he is obviously a top manager. We are very fortunate to have him and the other coaching staff around him with so much experience," he added.

"We are lucky to have the playing staff we do and the backroom staff - down to the physios and the tea ladies. The club is set up in such a way for us to be successful.

"We are all pulling in the right direction and hopefully we can get there as a soon as we can."

Milner's comments reinforce the statement made by Barry, who said on Monday: "The truth is that there is a group of players working together, working hard and working for the boss."

The England midfielder also apologised to Mancini after he was caught drinking on camera in Scotland on a day off.

"I regret that, it was naive of me. It shouldn't have happened," added Barry, who was with City team-mates Joe Hart and Adam Johnson at a party.

"I have apologised to the manager; we were in the wrong but that is in the past now and we are only looking forward.

"Everyone in that dressing room and training complex wants to do their best for Manchester City."

City have won only five of their opening 10 league matches and are now eight points behind leaders Chelsea.

And defender Kolo Toure admitted the players need to raise their game.

"We need to take more responsibility," said the Ivory Coast international. "When you play for one of the richest clubs in the world, you just need to deliver on the pitch.

"The criticism is good because that will make us work harder."

When asked whether there were divisions in the squad, Toure replied: "No, not at all.

"We are a team and in any team there are problems but the important thing is to try to resolve them in the dressing room and the training camp."

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