Ireland take on Euro 2012 Group H leaders Norway on Wednesday night – see the best Ireland v Norway odds at easyodds.com.

Manchester City assistant-manager David Platt has come to the defence of under-pressure boss Roberto Mancini after his team were booed off following Saturday’s goalless draw against Birmingham City.

Mancini has come in for criticism from supporters for being too negative and was berated for replacing striker Carlos Tevez with defensive midfielder Gareth Barry during Saturday’s 0-0 draw against Birmingham.

The Italian manager’s decision followed on from a hugely disappointing display in the derby stalemate against Manchester United in midweek and has prompted claims that Mancini is far too negative.

“It is wrong for people to level at the gaffer that he is a defensive coach,” said Platt. “He isn’t, in any way, shape or form. It is too easy to look at it and say you have taken a striker off and put a midfield player on. It isn’t a computer game.

“We more or less camped out in the Birmingham half for the majority of the second-half. But people felt because we were playing Birmingham it was three points guaranteed. It is never that in the Premier League.”

Platt also revealed that Tevez is still troubled by the injury that saw him fly home for treatment earlier this month.

“Carlos has a dead leg,” he said. “What happens when he plays is that it loosens off but unfortunately, it comes back again.

“The last 10 or 15 minutes of any game, when you have expended as much energy as he did in midweek, become very dangerous.

“The one thing we didn’t want to happen was for Carlos to pull a muscle and be out for three or four weeks.”

Ireland take on Euro 2012 Group H leaders Norway on Wednesday night – see the best Ireland v Norway odds at easyodds.com.

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