By NEIL CUSTIS
Roy Keane used that word to describe the keeper in the build-up to England’s game against Poland.
Hart went on to make the mistake that led to the home side’s equaliser in the 1-1 draw in Warsaw.
But City manager Mancini insisted: “If you want to be a good keeper, you should be cocky sometimes.
“Every goalkeeper is like this. It is important because it’s different to another position. If you want to be a keeper, you should be cocky.
“Last week, Wayne Rooney said on Twitter that Joe is the best keeper in the world, but today he is cocky.
“It is my opinion that Joe is the best keeper in England and one of the best in Europe.”
Manchester United legend Keane claimed on ITV that Hart has become too relaxed and does not have enough competition at City to keep him on his toes.
Keane said: “There is a fine line between confident and cocky and I think he has been a little bit too cocky this year.
“He just relaxes a little bit and takes his eye off the ball and he needs a bit more competition around him.”
But Mancini hit back, claiming Hart works as hard as ever and the criticism from Keane will not bother him.
Mancini said: “Joe is strong enough for this. He knows he is one of the best but he wants to continue to work.
“If you want to be one of the best you have to work hard all the time.”
Hart, 25, rushed off his line in a bid to punch clear a 71st-minute corner in Warsaw on Wednesday but Poland’s Kamil Glik got there first to head home.
Mancini said Hart’s error was just one of those things and joked only bad boy Mario Balotelli never makes a mistake.
The City boss said: “Usually Joe saves everything. But anyone can make a mistake. It is impossible to be perfect. Only Mario is perfect every day!”
Mancini has also told Yaya Toure he is going nowhere and can find all the challenges he needs at the Etihad.
Toure’s representative said this week that the midfielder had achieved all he can at City and needs “new motivations.”
But Mancini said: “Every day we have a new challenge here, every day.
“In 2½ years we won the FA Cup, the Premier League, the Community Shield.
“Now we need to win another cup, another Premier League.
“We need to work more for this challenge. I think Yaya thinks that, like me, like the other players.
“I am happy that Yaya wants a new challenge because I also want a new challenge, I want to win the next game, the next game in the Champions League, everything together.”
Asked if he fears Toure will go, Mancini replied: “No, absolutely.”
In midweek the 29-year-old player’s representative Dimitri Seluk said he hoped to move his man back to former club Barcelona.
Seluk said: “Toure has done everything that he can with Manchester City and needs new motivations.
“He could sign for many big clubs such as Chelsea or Bayern Munich but I would like it if Barcelona made a bid for him.”
Hart and Toure will both be in the City team at high-flying West Brom today. And Mancini is full of admiration for the job new manager Steve Clarke is doing at The Hawthorns.
The City chief said: “I should say many compliments to him because he has done a very good job until now.
“In this moment, I think West Bromwich is the team that has played the best football this season so it will be a tough game.
“It is always difficult, this game after the international break. This is the first date we can work together.
“We need to think and we need to put everything we have into the game because it will be very difficult.”
Mancini will be without David Silva who suffered a hamstring injury while on international duty with Spain.
