I'm well aware the Media are capable to twisting ones words to create better headlines but this particular statement made by Pellegrini kind of summed it up and says it all for me.
"Really I think this squad is complete," Pellegrini claimed to reporters before our last game against Watford.
He has clearly taken us as far as he can, yet another Roberto Mancini as far as I'm concerned. Don't get me wrong as I'm definitely appreciative of what they achieved for us and all the hard work they've put in to get us to where we are right now, but they're definitely not the right coaches to take us forward.
I believe Josep Guardiola Sala is the coach to make us worthy Champions League contenders, right now we are just making up the numbers. It's been talked about that he had it easy at Barcelona with world class players surrounding him and at Bayern Munich with yet more world class players, but that doesn't change the fact he's succeeded at both clubs and is well respected by his peers. Even Alex Ferguson tried to lure him to Old Scaffold in 2012, as much as I despise the Scot that speaks for itself.
Last season when it all went pair shaped I said to myself, Pellegrini isn't the man to guide us to Champions League glory. I knew we needed Guardiola but in all honesty thought it would be almost impossible to prise him away from Munich, but earlier back in October 2015 I made a bold claim to my City supporting Aunt that Pep Guardiola had all but resigned himself to joining Manchester City and that I believed Lionel Messi would follow him to the Etihad. A bold claim indeed but there you have it.
Guardiola is well respected and still at an age where he has the opportunity to surpass Alex Ferguson as the best Coach ever to grace English football, yes he has admitted he doesn't like to stay long in one place. But I believe Sheikh Mansour has the power to keep him happy by providing him anything he requires, something Barcelona and Bayern Munich were incapable of doing or achieving.
Yaya Toure could be a big issue though as he was clearly not the right fit for Guardiola's Barcelona, as fantastic has he's been for us I think he's done. In 2014/15 he became lazy and some blame that on Pellegrini pushing him up field in a more advanced position, at times he goes missing and more so away from home. Sometimes it seems like he just doesn't care and walks around while the opposition counter attack leaving the rest of his team mates to scramble a man down, this was yet again the case against Everton last night. He got mugged a few times by Everton players and only looked bothered when we were in Evertons half. Despite appreciating his contribution to our past success, I'm quite frankly sick of the lazy performances throwing the rest of his team under the bus. As if we haven't got problems to deal with already, with a Calamity prone Mangala and a slow lethargic Demichelis which might I add Pellegrini failed to replace last season. I strongly believe Pellegrini had nothing to do with the signings of De Bruyne and Sterling, that credit more than likely goes to our boardroom.
As much I want Guardiola signing for us, I would like Pellegrini to win the title this season if only to cement his status as a good coach. Not that he hasn't done so already but still all the same, he deserves every last bit of success he can get before he leaves us.
But players that I feel have failed and given all they can are Toure, Mangala, Bony, Demichelis, Clichy and Kolarov, as far as I'm concerned they have to go and be replaced. I'd say keep Yaya and have him as an impact player off the bench but lets face it, all he would ever do is moan and groan so it's probably best if he found a new challenge. Either that or become a Coach, Scout or something along those lines. I don't think any of them fit into Guardiola's style of play, so I expect quite a few departures if Guardiola does sign for us but then that's not such a bad thing is it. After all think of the players that would follow him without a first thought, the thought is mind boggling to say the least.
So I'm absolutely sure Pellegrini's time is up, It's a shame because I really wanted him to succeed so we wouldn't have to keep chopping and changing coaches. But I suppose I was at the time not considering his age in that wish. Manchester City haven't opened talks over a new contract and Pellegrini has admitted the end is near, so change is inevitable.
I believe our weakest position is left back, right back is also a slight concern but still a concern to be looked at with our lads ageing. Saying that all along the back 4 needs looking at. So two left backs, one right back and two centre backs on the shopping list please.
What's your take on it all?
