Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany insisted the Premier League champions were not doomed to another season of European disappointment after their latest Champions League setback.
City are facing an all-too familiar battle to reach the knockout stages of the continent’s elite club tournament following a 1-1 draw at home to Roma on Tuesday.
The result left City with just one point from their opening two Group E games and five points behind leaders Bayern Munich.
Manuel Pellegrini’s men will need a better return in their next two fixtures, away and home games against CSKA Moscow if they are to close on Bayern and Roma.
This is City’s fourth season in the Champions League and, for all they have been bankrolled by wealthy owner Sheikh Mansour, they have struggled to make an impact upon Europe’s elite.
However, Belgian defender Kompany said: “It won’t set us back. It won’t affect us. We will deal with it. It gives you a feeling to get back out there and show everyone how good we are.
“I don’t think it affects it (the group) too much. Roma have still got to play twice against Bayern Munich.
“We will go out there and play as we always do, to win. It doesn’t change much for us. We will play every game from here to the end to win, thinking we can get three points out of it.”
City failed to get out of their group in both 2011/12 and 2012/13, with the club’s failure to make progress in the Champions League contributing to the departure of former manager Roberto Mancini.
Current City manager Pellegrini took the club to the last 16 for the first time last season but they were unable to defeat Barcelona.
Kompany, 28, admitted City had yet to produce their best form in Europe.
“At the moment we all acknowledge that we could play better. But we are absolutely convinced that with Roma away, Bayern Munich at home, and the two Moscow games, if we play as well as we can, we should be looking for three points.”
Kompany added: “We didn’t play as well as we could, definitely. You just have to look at these games sometimes and say, ‘It’s a point’.
“But this is the Champions League, and if you don’t perform, you shouldn’t expect more from it.
“But there is still a lot to play for. I think we can get a good share of those 12 remaining points.”
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