KOLO Toure has backed Manchester City to handle the pressure of securing Champions League qualification.

Roberto Mancini’s men are locked in a fierce battle with Tottenham, Liverpool and Aston Villa for a fourth-place finish in the Premier League.

He said: “When you think of players such as Dedryck Boyata, Abdi Ibrahim and Greg Cunningham coming through, plus Adam Johnson signing in the transfer window, the future looks bright.

“We have a lot of good people here who really want to work for the club and believe in the club.

“From the manager down, we are determined to take this club as far as we can. But it won’t be easy. Success doesn’t come like that. You have to go through some hard times and that’s when you have to be strong.

“High expectations are normal. With the players we have now, we expect to be up at the top.”