Pellegrini bows out with Champions League secure; New era beckons for City

Manchester City drew 1-1 at Swansea on Sunday afternoon to secure fourth place in the Premier League. That spot ensures City will enter next season’s Champions League, though the first stage will be to negotiate a play-off spot just to make it into the group. It was a lacklustre performance that saw them somewhat stumble over the line, but the important fact is that they got the point they so desperately needed.

For the sake of accuracy, I should pay lip service to the mathematical fact that they could still miss out on fourth. However, that would require Manchester United to win their last fixture by 18 goals. Though Bournemouth, their final opponents, have tailed off recently, that scoreline still seems pretty unlikely.

So, where to start? It seems only fair to start with the outgoing manager.

Manuel Pellegrini

I have used my Yahoo Sport articles to criticise the manager often this season. I have believed for some time that his stubbornness and lack of tactical flexibility have been a significant contributory factor in City’s season of underperformance.

However, there have been positives during his time at the Etihad. First and foremost, he has largely proven himself to be a decent man. When City appointed him as Roberto Mancini’s successor, they did so because he was the exact opposite of his predecessor. They needed a manager who would let his team do the talking on the pitch, rather than grabbing headlines himself. In that regard, Pellegrini was the right man at the right time.

He became the first City manager to win a league and cup double by wrapping up the title and the Capital One Cup in his first season. City were scintiliating that year. They have regressed significantly since then, of that there is no doubt, but there can be no question that the manager has given us his best efforts. He has been dignified since it was confirmed in February that he would be departing at the end of the season.

It is in the best interests of the club to replace Pellegrini; his tenure has run its course. We all want success for our club and the Chilean is no longer the man to deliver that. However, the importance of having decent people represent you should never be undervalued. In that regard, Pellegrini deserves our respect and best wishes for the future. For the good times we shared, thank you Manuel.

Where do we go from here?

The manager has not been the only problem over the last two seasons. City’s recruitment policy has been poor; Txiki Begiristain must take accountability for that. However, this summer should truly herald a new era for the club. Not only is Pep Guardiola taking residency in the dugout, it is likely that some iconic players will be heading out of the door. They need to be replaced by the right incoming transfer; Begiristain must privately accept his errors and address the problems around identifying the correct players to move the club forward.

Yaya Toure has been a phenomenal player for this club. He has been largely undervalued by supporters and incorrectly portrayed as lazy; that idea has been perpetuated by ignorant commentators and pundits. The irony, of course, is that that opinion itself is lazy in the extreme. He is synonymous with success at City – club and player have been mutually beneficial for each other. However, the truth is that he has probably stayed a season too long. Time will surely be called on his City career this summer, perhaps the biggest signifier that one glorious era is over, consigned to the memory banks. Hopefully, an even better one is about to be ushered in.

There will be question marks over the future’s of other players who have been at the heart of a squad that turned City from perma-losers to a club that accepts nothing less than success. Pablo Zabaleta, a genuine legend, could leave. Few will be devastated if Aleksander Kolarov departs, but he has still been a regular in a squad that the supporters will treasure forever. Less palatable and less probable is the idea of Vincent Kompany and David Siva moving on to pastures new. That said, as long as injury concerns exist around the two, we must accept that the new manager will consider the option of building a team without them. We can hope for recovery, but it makes sense to prepare for the worst.

That’s that then

The season is over, save for our neighbours playing their rescheduled match. The league campaign has been poor but, in ensuring Pep Guardiola has a chance to start life at the Etihad in the Champions League, disaster has been averted. The Capital One Cup was added to the trophy cabinet and the Blues made unprecedented progress in the Champions League.

It’s been a disappointing year for City, but if it provides a platform for greater success in the new era, it will just about have been worth it.