What counts as success for Manchester City this season?

What do Manchester City have to do between now and May to be able to consider the 2015/16 season a success? It is not always clear what constitutes triumph for the modern day Blues.

The club has the resources to challenge for each trophy available and, though they are faltering, all four remain available to them at this stage. It is pretty safe to say that they are not going to finish the campaign having won the lot though, so it seems fair to consider what combination of silverware would allow this to be viewed as a successful season.

With so much talent available and good strength in depth, the Blues must consider themselves to have the best squad in England. So it naturally follows that any English competition that they do not win is one in which they have underperformed. Of course, that’s very black and white and is far too simplistic a way of viewing things, but as a starting point it’s a reasonable assumption.

Manuel Pellegrini’s side do have an early opportunity to get a cup triumph on the board. The Etihad men travel to Wembley at the end of February where they will contest the Capital One Cup final against Liverpool. Should City finish that game as victors, thus earning themselves the first available trophy of the season, the achievement will rightly be celebrated by their supporters. It might not be the most prestigious competition, but this club and these fans were starved of success for so long that no addition to the honours board can ever be demeaned or discounted. This is a fan base that still understands the value of success; another Wembley win will be gratefully received.

That said, if the Capital One Cup was to be the only trophy added to City’s cabinet in 2016, this season would certainly be seen as a failure. For the months of toil to bear real fruit, the Blues must be involved in the prize-giving in May, not February. That’s what will please the men upstairs and, ultimately, it is what the legacy of outgoing manager Pellegrini will depend on.

The FA Cup would be a welcome addition, were City climbing the Wembley steps to collect it at the end of the season. Blues fans have fond memories of lifting the famous old trophy in 2011; that was the club’s first major success for 35 years. They haven’t lifted that trophy since then, despite being massive favourites to do so in 2013 when they met Wigan Athletic in the final. The less said about that day, the better.

The fact is that if City are to be successful this season, they need to lift one of two trophies. The Premier League is the club’s real bread and butter. In one of the most open seasons of all time, it would be a wasted opportunity for Pellegrini and his men if they were to sit by and watch Leicester, Arsenal or Tottenham lifting the trophy that Vincent Kompany has held aloft twice since 2012. Winning the Premier League would cover up a multitude of sins committed this season; at this point, that possibility feels a long way off.

City harbour a very realistic ambition of progressing to the Champions League quarter-final for the first time ever this season. Only Dynamo Kiev stand in their way – the Blues will be clear favourites to win that tie. However, success beyond that will depend largely on who City are drawn against. They’ve had some good performances in this season’s competition and winning the thing would more than make up for many of this season’s ills. However, it is hard to imagine a City team that has been ripped to pieces by Liverpool, Tottenham and Leicester fairing well against a European heavyweight. Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich would all relish playing Pellegrini’s men.

The way in which this season is viewed – and with it, Manuel Pellegrini’s legacy – will largely depend on whether City can recover from their recent wobbles and win the Premier League. Without it, the campaign will be a failure. Win it, however, and Manuel Pellegrini will become City’s most successful manager ever. That would be some achievement to bow out on.