Roberto Mancini cut a defiant figure in the wake of Manchester City's third successive defeat tonight though critics of the Italian might say he was in denial.

The 3-1 loss to Lech Poznan in Poland in tonight's Europa League's tie raises serious questions about Mancini's suitability as the long‑term manager of the world's richest club.

"I'm disappointed because we didn't deserve to lose the game," Mancini said. "At the moment everything is against us. We played a good game and we had a lot of chances to win. This is football. We've lost the last three games but that is football. Sometimes you deserve to score but you don't. Poznan were very lucky. I'm disappointed to lose the game but I'm happy because the players played a good game. Now it is important that we keep going."

City had seemed to be coming back into the match when Emmanuel Adebayor equalised early in the second half but two late goals in the last five minutes saw the unfancied Polish side take the points. Mancini appreciated that the downward spiral must be arrested. "I think we can change this but at some situations we must pay more attention," the Italian said. "We can change this only if we stay together."

At least Carlos Tevez, City's captain and key striker, returned from Argentina today before training. He may be fit to face West Bromwich Albion on Sunday before starting the Manchester derby next week. "Carlos is important, like Nigel [de Jong] is, like Kolo [Touré] is, like Yaya [Touré] is," said Mancini, declining to hail his captain as a saviour. "This game was strange, this is football. If we play this game 100 times we would win 90 times maybe. We must continue on because sometimes you lose a game you do not deserve to lose."

Shaun Wright-Phillips, Wayne Bridge and Joleon Lescott were recalled for the match but failed to impress against a team who have struggled in the lower reaches of the Polish league this season. Mancini was at a loss to explain how Poznan won. "They had nothing we did not. We had more chances than Poznan to score," he shrugged.

"It's better that these things happen now that we are still first in this group and fourth in the Premier League. We have 20 good players and we can change this but only if we stay together."