The talent in City’s ranks is undoubtedly brilliant. Any player, any manager, any fan would love to have the likes of Aguero, Hart, Toure, De Bruyne, Silva in their team, and the list certainly continues. Most Premier League football fans would tell you that City have the best squad. If leagues and cups were won on who had the best team, Pellegrini’s team would win the lot but that isn’t what football is about and with good reason.
City’s owners have pumped hundreds of millions of pounds into the club to spend on players alone but it hasn’t been spent effectively and wisely at all.
Pellegrini’s side have been good in parts this season, early away wins at Everton and West Brom come to mind while City have had success in Europe – at last! However, these few highs have been distinctly overshadowed by numerous lows. These players who us fans pay our money to see, who fans sing their hearts out for every week, they don’t care about their club like players used to. They should be storming past teams which we have pathetically lost to this season. It leaves you asking question after question – Could these overpaid professionals do it on a mild Saturday lunch time at Tottenham? Could they win on an early Sunday afternoon at Villa just before an international break? Could they put the weather aside and perform on a windy afternoon in Stoke? Could they do it on a wintery Monday night at Arsenal? Well, this year, the answer to all of those questions has been a resounding no.
I was interviewed by Sky Sports before I set off to Arsenal, they asked my opinion on a range of issues. They asked about the importance of the Arsenal and Leicester games. Of course, they are vital to our season. As always the Christmas period plays a huge part in where you finish in May. Now, Pellegrini has firstly got to pick his players up for Boxing Day which really should be a routine win. ‘Should be’ being the key phrase in that sentence, who knows in the most unpredictable of Premier League seasons? Then, more importantly, comes the Leicester game. Pundits and fans alike have written Leicester off already but how long will it be before they are considered true title contenders? A win against Pellegrini’s City would certainly confirm what many of us are beginning to suspect – Leicester have just as good a chance of winning the league as Arsenal or City, if not better.
Do you know why Leicester are title contenders? One word – confidence. They breathe it. Vardy, the Premier League’s top scorer, looks just as good as any of the league’s so-called top forwards at the moment e.g. Aguero, Rooney, Costa, Giroud. Mahrez. A player, who the vast majority of football fans would certainly not have known before this season, has simply set the world alight on the pitch. Assist after assist, goal after goal. If the Leicester duo continue, along with their highly capable teammates, Ranieri’s side must be considered as title contenders, if not favourites.
I now go back to that word – confidence. It’s not really something a manager can simply give to you. However, some managers can help you get it more than others. On Monday night at the Emirates, every player in a navy City shirt lacked confidence, some more evidently than others. Navas, a second half substitute, went through on goal, if he had any confidence in his own ability he would have at least shot and tested Cech. Instead, for some bizarre reason only known to himself, he chose to try and find a teammate, when there wasn’t really one available and if there was, they were well surrounded by a crowd of red Arsenal shirts. This isn’t something that has occurred over night for Navas, City fans are used to seeing his reluctance to pull the trigger on goal.
The Spaniard isn’t the only City player lacking confidence. Raheem Sterling, who I strongly feel is a scapegoat for a lot of unworthy abuse from City fans, is another playing unconfidently currently. Last season, or even the season before, for Liverpool, we saw Sterling run at defences, unsettling them, making them backtrack. In the 2014 season, Sterling ripped our defence to shreds both home and away. Now, in a City shirt, he is reluctant to run at defenders and take them on. Also, similarly to Navas, he tries to find a pass rather than shoot himself when through on goal. This is worrying considering we have witnessed him do it against us yet he is currently not doing it to other teams. One thing which can be said about Sterling is that he is always willing to get the ball at his feet. He will never shy away from the ball and hide, which is not something that can be said about some of City’s other superstars.
Earlier on, I noted the numerous away defeats suffered this season. In fact our Premier League away record is woeful. Eight games played, just three wins, two draws and three losses. That is not the form of champions.
Yet, these worrying stats prove another thing – Pellegrini is not learning from his mistakes. Alternatively, you could say that Pellegrini is simply not getting the support of his players. Either way, something needs to change.
Also in the interview with Sky, the interviewer asked me my opinion on the ever-increasing Guardiola rumours. To which I replied “it will be hard to sack Pellegrini if he wins the league this year”, I stand by that comment. However, currently, do I think we will win the league? No. Maybe a cup but not the league.
If Guardiola was available now, I would be getting him to sign on the dotted line right now.
I’m sure some of you will be reading this and thinking I’m overreacting a little, being harsh even. I’m not. Yes, we weren’t that bad on Monday, not as bad as Spurs, Stoke or Villa. However, that is the reason why change needs to happen, this away loss is not a one off. In fact, forget the loss, these poor performances haven’t only just begun. They have been present all season.
We should be coasting this league with our squad but we’re not even in the driving seat as it stands. Things need to change, drastically, else I cannot see the Premier League trophy arriving at the Etihad come May.
