• Premier League

Milner calls for Manchester City to be boring

James Milner wants Manchester City to calm down © PA Photos

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James Milner believes the Premier League's goal machines Manchester City need to become more boring.

Manuel Pellegrini's team brought up a half-century of league goals in Saturday's 4-2 win over Fulham and have struck 79 times in all competitions this season.

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But midfielder Milner, who scored City's fourth goal at Craven Cottage, was frustrated by the way they had lost a two-goal lead before their late revival.

Milner told the Manchester Evening News: "We'd like to have games that are a bit more boring. If we can [get] maybe a 1-0 or 2-0 [it would help]."

City, who have scored at least four goals in a game eight times this season, are yet to win 1-0.

"You can't get anywhere in football without scoring goals, but as a side that's looking to improve, we can improve at the other end, as a team," Milner said.

"Hopefully we can get a few more clean sheets which will be more important as the season goes on. We need to work on the mistakes we are making throughout the team - when we are conceding goals it's not the defence and the goalkeeper, it's the whole team.

"It takes the whole team to score goals and the whole team to defend, and we can work on that. At the moment we are scoring enough to win games."

Milner said would be willing to slot in at right-back for the Boxing Day game against Liverpool if, as expected, Pablo Zabaleta does not recover from his hamstring injury in time.

With the other regular right-back Micah Richards also injured, left-back Gael Clichy played out of position on the opposite flank at Craven Cottage.

"I would prefer not to play there, but if he asks me I will do it to the best of my ability: the team comes first, so it's about what's best for the team," Milner said. "I thought Gael was outstanding there on Saturday. It's not easy playing right back when you have spent your life playing on the other side.

"It's one thing playing on the other side as an attacking player, but defensively, your body position is different, with players coming at you from different angles."

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