Manchester City’s success over the past few years is often overlooked by the media, according to their manager Manuel Pellegrini.
Having gone 35 years without any silverware at all the Blues won the FA Cup under Roberto Mancini in 2011, and followed this up the following season by winning the Premier League. They won a second title in three seasons last term, this time under current coach Pellegrini, who also led them to Wembley where they beat Sunderland to lift a first League Cup since 1976.
City were expected to build on this success this season, but they have faltered badly and are not yet sure of even finishing in the top-four. They have again failed to get past the Round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League, whilst their defence of the domestic cup they won last term was over at the first hurdle and Championship side Middlesbrough knocked them out of the FA Cup.
All this has inevitably led to speculation surrounding the future of Pellegrini, who still has another year left on his contract, especially since Jurgen Klopp announced he would be available this summer. The Chilean coach, though, feels due to the strength of City’s rivals it is only natural that there is stiff competition, and believes the media often overlook what his side have achieved.
“I think this club is growing every year,” he said ahead of Saturday’s visit of Aston Villa. “Maybe the media does not accept that this club in the last three years won two titles and were runners-up the other season. You cannot do it every year but I hope next year we will do it. We try to do the best we can. I don’t think it is so, so bad what this club is doing, and not just in my two years.”
Pellegrini was also faced with questions over the future of Yaya Toure in his press conference on Friday. The Ivory Coast international is never far from the speculation pages whenever a transfer window nears, and he has been quoted as saying he could be open to a fresh challenge next season. However, his current believes the midfielder already has just that in Manchester.
“Maybe the new challenge is at City also,” he said. “There are lot of different places you can have it but City also is a challenge and I am sure Yaya is very happy here. We have a project here, every year we are trying to improve. Maybe you cannot win titles every year but I think the project of the club is to improve the squad, to improve as a club and I think it is an important challenge.”
By reminding all of their glory over the past three years, is Pellegrini merely deflecting attention away from what has undoubtedly been a disappointing season for City?
