He didn't sign any of them, the board did and it was at a point where we were buying at an accelerated pace to get in before FFP screwed us over. You aren't stupid and you know full well what I meant. When the chips were down after that period of intense spending that would have been carried out under any manager here, there were requirements to the squad that were needed. They were only brought in once he had gone.
Only improvements I can see are a young left back to replace kolarov and a young right back to replace sagna. Shame we let Clyne go to Liverpool for so cheap. Both can wait until next summer.Another question is - do we need to spend in Jan? I'd argue we need at least another defender and a striker. If we do need to spend then is Pel the man, especially if he is going to be gone at the end of the season?
I'd rather not spend if he's a dead man walking. If we have to spend then I'd rather a new guy was doing the spending and selling.
As you say, when it comes to taking charge of a club with the aims, ambitions, and resources of Manchester City, the list of managers who would have the appropriate skills, and experience, is very short indeed. Pep would seem the most logical fit, he's certainly got the CV to demand respect, and his ties to those with City's hierarchy are well known. Carlo Ancelotti is another who ticks all the right boxes and who many would be more than happy to see at City. That's when it becomes far more difficult to identify candidates who fit the bill. Klopp would have been one who came close to meeting most of the criteria, but obviously he's at Liverpool now. Diego Simeone has to be respected for what he's done with Atletico, but does his style of play fit with what our owners want to see? Allegri might be worth consideration. Unai Emery perhaps? Bit more of a risk given his lack of club management experience but there's German manager Low (not one I'd go for personally). That's probably your lot, unless you're going to go down the Barcelona route and employ from within, or plump for someone whose CV doesn't really stand up to scrutiny but has bags of potential.
Having said all of that, go back 2 and a bit seasons, was Manuel Pellegrini's CV actually all that impressive? Would he have stood out from the pack of current managers as an obvious candidate for the role? I'm not convinced he would.
Pellegrini ticked the boxes that will be important to Txiki and Ferran and to be honest I'm not sure that a great trophy haul is one of those boxes. More certain characteristics as a coach and a person.
I guess it's going to be a perpetual source of angst while they are in charge because I'm not seeing them ever changing what they believe are the important characteristics a coach must have.
That being the case it's going to be more difficult for us, as people not privy to their workings, to identify who out there is, and isn't, a viable candidate.
Give Pellegrini a fully fit squad and he wins games, lots of them. I can't remember the last time we had a full squad to choose from.
Silva, Kompany & Aguero have been missing for huge chunks of the season. Nasri & Bony who back up Silva & Sergio, neither have been fully fit and have been injured far too often. Zabaleta and Clichy have missed 99% of the season. Delph who is essential to allow us to rotate in midfield.
Pellegrini seems to know how to win with his best team or close to it. I'm a huge fan, but I don't think he's that great at thinking outside the box.
As for Pellegrini, we looked unplayable for the first month, still the fans wanted De Bruyne in for Navas, Wanted Kolarov out and longed for Zabaleta back. Ignoring the actual form of the players and team.
Fans critisise the manager when they don't do what they like. Not one fan would pick
...........Hart.........
Sagna.VK.Mangala.AK
..Ya Ya....Fernandinho
Navas...Silva...Sterling.
........Aguero...........
Yet, we looked unplayable. We dominated in Seville many said it was our best European performance, post match some fans were slagging him. Then after the match, it was all about how to fit Silva in. I think Silva is arguably the Prem's best ever player. But certainly won't fit into a sit deep and break quick. Yet the fans want him in.
Pellegrini, pretty much manages like a fan, he wants the best players on the pitch even if it doesn't always benefit the team. I personally am a fan. His style will cost us now and then, but it will be entertaining.
I will be interested to see what happens after the shambles of Saturday, old Manuel really was annoyed.
I personally would just love a month/6 weeks of a full strength squad, we'd open up a decent gap then.
What exactly is this style of play that Manuel is playing? Its hardly in the 433 mould that Txiki and Soriano are instilling at various levels alongside coaches at the youth academy. There's no real pressing high up the pitch in the Barcelona mould , our fullbacks are ill equipped at attacking on the flanks on a consistent basis AND have the ability to defend.He seems a bit of an ill fit for the direction City are supposed to be moving in.He has no real intentions of promoting youth in the team, either in safe games when we are 3 nil up or in domestic cup competitions, and when he does its comes across as a last throw of the dice to get something out of a game.
He seems to have a style all of his own with his 4222 yellow submarine set up, we play 433 in Sevilla and wipe the fucking floor with them, we play without a striker last year and won virtually every game and then he reverts back to his favoured system of 2 in the middle and we look more vulnerable than ever.
I just don't see what he brings to the club apart from being a mister nice guy who tows the line and who plays gung ho football.