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Blues legend Joe Corrigan believes that the Romanian can seize his chance to take over in goal if he impresses in tomorrow night's Capital One Cup tie at Newcastle.

Corrigan made it plain that he feels defender Matija Nastasic was also to blame for the error which handed Fernando Torres the winning goal in Sunday's match at Chelsea.

But he feels that Hart needs to go “back to basics”, and that manager Manuel Pellegrini needs to give Romania international Pantilimon an opportunity to show what he can do.

"I've defended Joe to the hilt but these mistakes keep on happening and you have to wonder why,” said Corrigan, who won nine England caps, as well as lifting the European Cup Winners' Cup and two League Cups with City.

"It's unfortunate because he's proved himself as one of the top keepers and I've been a big admirer of his - but it is just becoming a bit too regular now.

"If I was Pellegrini , I would play Pantilimon at Newcastle on Wednesday and see how he does before making his decision about the league games.

"I've liked the look of him but this will be a good test against a Premier League club and if he does well there then give him a go in the league.

"What Joe needs to do is go back-to-basics. That's what myself, Peter Shilton, Ray Clemence used to do when we had bad patches, which you do as a goalkeeper, inevitably.

"We had a basic set of skills and when things go wrong that's what you go back to - and to me that's what the goalkeeping coach at City needs to do with Joe."

Off the back of the Chelsea defeat, Corrigan believes that Hart needs stiffer competition for City and England.

But the former Blues goalkeeper also says that defender Matija Nastasic must share the blame for the Stamford Bridge mix-up which handed a late winning goal to Fernando Torres and doomed City to a damaging defeat.

Corrigan insists that Nastasic should have dealt with the ball in the first place, but that Hart then compounded that error – and turned it into a match-losing situation – by racing out of his goal.

“The first thing we should say is that the defender should have cleared it,” said Corrigan. “But once the ball bounces the golden rule, which we were always taught as kids, is that if there is a defender about, stay away and see what happens after that.

“As it happened, confusion set in, and Torres was on a hiding to nothing. He could just keep going because he knew the ball was going to be appearing somewhere, and he always had a chance.

“It’s the same story week in, week out now. It’s unfortunate because Joe has proved himself in the past to be one of the top keepers, but this is becoming just a bit too regular. You think ‘What are you doing? Stand your ground and see how things develop’.

“He could have just picked up a little bouncing ball with the defender and attacker out of the game – but it should have been cleared before that.”

Hart was disconsolate after the game and there is a chance that Costel Pantilimon could replace him for Saturday’s home league game with Norwich on Saturday – especially if the Romania international impresses in the Capital One Cup tie at Newcastle tomorrow night.

But Corrigan says that Hart was not the only goalkeeper at fault during the tense encounter between the two league title favourites.

“You also have to look at the goal City scored, because we were told that if you let a goal in at your near post, the only person to blame is yourself,” he said.

“I looked at that goal and thought that the standard of goalkeeper Petr Cech is, he should have saved it, or made an effort – he never even made an effort.”

The criticism has all centred on Hart, but Corrigan made it plain that Nastasic made the initial error, as he should have dealt with the ball.

“You do anything, especially at that time of the game,” he said. “If you come away with a point it would have been great result for City and, with the percentage of the game they had, they should have maybe come away with a little bit more than that.

“When you play Chelsea at Stamford Bridge a point is a point and you accept it.”

Corrigan feels that Hart possibly needs more competition, for both club and country, and that the upcoming Wembley friendlies against Chile and Germany should be used to try out another keeper.

“I honestly don’t think Joe has enough competition, and that is not only a problem for Manchester City, it’s a problem for England as well,” said the Sale-born stopper, himself an England international.

“Hopefully, with two friendlies coming up, without wishing to be disrespectful to Joe Hart, we should maybe be looking at giving another goalkeeper a chance and see how he performs, just in case.”

Corrigan also feels that the absence of Vincent Kompany has also affected the confidence of Hart and his defence, which had torrid moments against Chelsea.

“They went out and bought a centre-half, but it seems that when Vincent Kompany is out of the team that the whole confidence of the back four and Joe Hart seems to suffer, and in a top, top squad that shouldn’t be happening,” he said.

“You should have more than one general in charge of it all. It seems when Vincent is out of the team, City struggle, especially away from home.

“I know Roberto Mancini wasn’t too particular about Joleon but played him because of circumstances, and he did all right. He just doesn’t seem to have the confidence of the manager any more.”