Clearly, Roberto Mancini has one particular objective in mind. He is not about to declare a desire to knock Manchester United off their perch and, if such challenges are measured in League titles, Manchester City have some way to go.
But the Italian does seem intent on making Manchester the centre of English football's universe and he wasted little time in trying to launch the next phase of what he likes to call 'the project'.
Show me the money! Chief Executive Garry Cook (left) congratulates Roberto Mancini as Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak watches on
TURN ON FOR FANS: The FA Cup final has lost none of its appeal for the television audience. ITV1 had a peak viewing figure of 8.3million on Saturday - their biggest for a Cup final for three years. This is despite four Premier League games finishing less than 30 minutes before the final kicked off, including Manchester United's title-winning draw at Blackburn being broadcast by Sky.
Mancini took the unusual step of taking a break between the post-match briefing he gave to the Sunday newspapers and the one that traditionally follows with the dailies. But he had been summoned by his chairman and he was not about to decline the opportunity to cash in on the club's first major trophy in 35 years.
He disappeared for more than 20 minutes to talk to Khaldoon Al Mubarak and, as he con firmed on his return, the next step for City was on the agenda. Mancini wants more money to spend, and it seems he did not hold back in expressing the need to add strength to a squad that will have to be more competitive in the Barclays Premier League while also meeting the unique challenge of Champions League football.
As Mancini quite rightly said, Tottenham have provided a perfect illustration of the extra burden the Champions League places on players. They were brilliant for much of the season, but in the end it all proved too much for a squad that Harry Redknapp rightly argues needs further investment.
Winner: Yaya Toure wheels away after scoring
'We spoke only about the money,' said Mancini. 'If you have not won anything for a long time and you don't buy good players you can't win. It is impossible. You can have the best manager in the world, a magician on the bench, but if you don't buy then all the clubs who have bought good players are going to win.
'Tottenham played in the Champions League until the quarter-final and in the Premier League they are outside the top four. It is difficult if you don't have a big squad so you can change six or seven players for every game. We lost many points between February and March. We played every three days in the Europa League, Barclays League, the FA Cup. We weren't used to doing this.'
Mancini is like any manager and, with that first trophy secured, he wants the backing to build a side capable of mounting a challenge for next season's title.
Ecstasy: Mancini celebrates at the final whistle
? ??More from Matt Lawton...?Meltdown! Grant sacked as West Ham relegated after throwing away two-goal lead at Wigan 15/05/11?Mancini to battle board for cash as City boss plots Champions League success15/05/11?The best Cup final ever! Sunderland, Stokoe, Villa and Gerrard in Cardiff13/05/11?Exclusive: FA caught in bitter beer war with Budweiser named Cup sponsor13/05/11?The underdog can bite us! Don't get rolled over like Arsenal, warns City boss Mancini13/05/11?Capello's goalkeeping crisis: Now Green wants to call time on England12/05/11?Foster shock: Capello learns of keeper snub via Birmingham's website 11/05/11?Manchester City 1 Tottenham 0: Crouch own goal seals Blues place in Champions League 10/05/11?VIEW FULL ARCHIVEHe is convinced they will 'arrive'; that Sir Alex Ferguson will not be able to dismiss them as 'noisy neighbours' but recognise Manchester has become another Milan or Glasgow, Liverpool in the Eighties and the Manchester of the late Sixties.
'It is important for a club like City to start winning trophies,' he said. 'It was very important that we got top four in the League but I think that next season we can improve.
'I think this victory will help me, the players and the club to improve. I think we can be an important team for a long time.
'It's difficult to say what's going to happen next year because the Premier League is very difficult. There isn't only Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal. There is Tottenham. These are strong teams but now we have time in the summer when we can buy other players. We can also do a preseason, which last year we didn't have because players were coming back from the World Cup. Now these players have had one year together too.'
Mancini declared his 'love' for the challenge; for the chance to create a title-winning team. It is a chance he hopes he will get, given he has delivered what was asked of him in his first full season. 'I believe in this project because we have a big chance to buy the sort of players United and Chelsea have bought in the past,' he said. 'If we work well I don't know if we can win the title next year because this is difficult. But I think we can arrive at this target in one or two years if we work well.'
Mancini has a favourite response to the question that follows. Who will he buy?
'Fabregas, Messi, Ronaldo,' he joked. But he expressed the need to bring in players 'who can play in the Champions League' and this is where it will get interesting this summer.
While City's funds are limitless, he will meet an obstacle in the two men managing the club's cash flow while also preparing for the demands that will soon be imposed by UEFA's financial fair play rules.
Money will be spent but Garry Cook and Brian Marwood, the club's chief executive and football administration officer respectively, will need to move some players on to reduce their massive wage bill. That wage bill illustrates why Tony Pulis and his Stoke players should feel proud to have held their opponents for the 74 minutes until Yaya Toure seized on fine work by David Silva and Mario Balotelli to settle a slightly disappointing final.
In the balance: Will Carlos Tevez (right) stay?
THE FINAL FACTS: Man City (4-2-3-1): Hart 7; Richards 7, Kompany 7, Lescott 6, Kolarov 6; De Jong 8, Barry 6 (A Johnson 73min, 7); Silva 7 (Vieira 90), Y Toure 7, Balotelli 7; Tevez 6 (Zabaleta 87). Subs not used: Given, Boyata, Milner, Dzeko.
Stoke (4-4-2): Sorensen 8; Wilkinson 5, Shawcross 7, Huth 6, Wilson 6; Pennant 5, Whelan 6 (Pugh 85), Delap 5 (Carew 81), Etherington 5 (Whitehead 63, 6); Walters 5, Jones 5. Subs not used: Nash, Collins, Faye, Diao. Booked: Huth. Man of the match: Nigel De Jong. Referee: Martin Atkinson 6
Before Mancini can begin to bring in players like Alexis Sanchez and Gary Cahill, several need to leave. The list is a staggering one: Emmanuel Adebayor, Craig Bellamy, Shay Given, Wayne Bridge, Roque Santa Cruz, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Jo. Many of those earn over ?70,000 a week; some more.
The future of Carlos Tevez remains uncertain but, if he, Adebayor and Bellamy left, it should shave ?25million off the annual wage bill.
It will not be easy, though, when potential buyers might not want to meet their wage levels and instead try and take advantage of a situation entirely of City's making.
The future for City is bright but the club have to be managed correctly, on and off the field.
?Manchester City 1 Stoke 0: Yaya the hero again as Blues end 35-year wait for trophyThink about what you'd be missing, Carlos! City chief urges Tevez to stayBad boy Balotelli in hot water for post-match comments at WembleyFuture left in doubt as Tevez refuses to get carried away with the celebrationsAll the latest Man City news, features and opinionAll the latest Stoke City news, features and opinion
?Explore more:People: Alex Ferguson, Shay Given, Craig Bellamy, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Harry Redknapp, Gary Cahill, David Silva, Wayne Bridge, Mario Balotelli, Tony Pulis, Roque Santa Cruz, Carlos Tevez, Roberto Mancini, Emmanuel Adebayor, Martin Atkinson Places: Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow, Milan
Source: Daily Mail
Source: Daily Mail