Summer overhaul required as Manchester City bow out of title race

Manchester City drew 0-0 at Norwich City on Saturday in a game that ended any hope the Blues have of winning the Premier League this season. Although Manuel Pellegrini’s side dominated possession, the truth is they were completely toothless. They were unable to register a single shot on target after the half hour mark. That was against a home side who had taken just one point from their previous nine games.

City’s challenge has been on the ropes for weeks, if not months; consecutive home defeats to Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur in February were blows that left the title hopefuls black-eyed and bloodied; the 3-0 defeat at Anfield less than a fortnight ago was a thunderous gut punch that left the Blues bent double. By comparison, the two dropped points at Carrow Road were a feeble jab but, with the damage already done, it was enough to provide the knockout blow.

The performance reinforced a lot of what has been wrong at City all season. In recent weeks, I have used these articles as a chance to criticise Pellegrini’s management and highlight the things that have been wrong since the start of last season. Whilst it is unquestionably true that the Chilean has dragged the team backwards over the last two campaigns, one must also look at the wider issues that are contributing to the startling regression.

The recruitment of players has not been good enough for some time. Although Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling were signed in the summer, both of whom have made impressive starts to their City careers and will only get better over time, the general trend has been poor.

Prior to 2012, the transfers were generally impressive. The likes of Yaya Touré, Sergio Agüero and David Silva were signed for big money and all of them continue to be a huge part of the team. The signings of that era were far more ‘hit’ than ‘miss’ as City strived to turn themselves into an elite club.

It’s been a different story since then. In the summer of 2012, with the Premier League title to defend, City missed out on top target Robin Van Persie to rivals Manchester United and left their business very late. The first signing was made mid-August when Jack Rodwell was brought in from Everton. They also signed Javi Garcia, Scott Sinclair and Matija Nastisic. None of them are at the club now; none of them improved the team for any length of time.

In 2013, with Txiki Begiristain and Feran Soriano now overseeing the recruitment, business was done early and was done reasonably well. Jesús Navas came in and continues to be an important member of the squad and Brazilian Fernandinho and remains crucial in central midfield. Despite those successes, Stevan Jovetic proved too injury prone to make any kind of impact and Álvaro Negredo was a flash in the pan.

The big splash in the summer of 2014 was the signing of Eliaquim Mangala. The French centre-back cost City £42m; he has shown absolutely no signs that he has adapted to the Premier League in his time here. If City decide to cut their losses on the defender in the next window, they will lose a significant amount of money. If they stick with him and Pep Guardiola can’t get a tune out of him, his value will depreciate further. Wilfried Bony was also signed for £24.5m in the January transfer window that season and has proven since then that he does not fit the style of team. He looks certain to be moved on in the close season.

With this season’s defensive signing Nicolas Otamendi also struggling to get to grips with the league, the vast majority of signings City have made since that title win in 2012 have failed to improve the team or the squad. Many have made their way to other clubs, with the Blues incurring a financial loss in the process.

When Pep Guardiola steps into the hot seat on July first, he must be backed significantly. The upshot of City’s lack of success in the transfer market is that they are still largely relying on ageing players and the squad needs a significant overhaul. Whilst it would be unreasonable to expect a giant turnaround in one window, the Blues recruitment policy must be focused on star players who can make an immediate impact like De Bruyne and - to a lesser extent - Sterling have.

Manchester City have waited a long time to land their dream manager. In Pep Guardiola they will have the best coach in world football. Txiki Begiristain now has a responsibility to help the Spaniard furnish his squad with stars who will benefit the team for years to come. City have the chance to embark on an era of unprecedented success for the club, they must not endanger their chances with more poor transfers.