Manchester City coach David Platt is seeking improvement at the back.

City management are unhappy with the form the defence has shown this season.

Platt said: "Roberto wasn't saying he wanted 1-0 wins, he was more saying that 1-0 will do him as long as we take the three points.

"People talk about them [Italians] seeing 1-0 as a beautiful scoreline, but it's nothing to do with it.

"It's about saying 'no-one is going to score against us'.

"Everyone goes out with the attitude. You talk to [goalkeeper] Joe Hart, or defenders like Micah Richards, and they want to keep a clean sheet.

"Last year we were 3-0 up at West Ham and conceded a late goal from a corner, and the boys were distraught in the dressing room.

"Defenders want clean sheets, and if you get them you will win more than you lose, and that's what the aim is, as well as continuing to score goals.

"Unfortunately the two don't always go together."