This manager took the best defence in the league for three years running and turned it in to a comedy side show. He actually added £75million worth of centre halves and made us much, much worse. Did we get unlucky in that 2 of the most highly rated centre halves in Europe actually turned out to be shite? Was is it just bad fortune that Kompany went from the best centre half in the league to one who gets laughed at on MOTD over the last 2 seasons? The only time any of our centre halves have shown decent form since Pellegrini got here was Kompany at the start of this season.
Nastasic was outstanding in his season under Mancini, and looked woefully out of his depth under Pellegrini. DeMichelis has done ok in patches, Mangala has potential but looks like an accident waiting to happen, Otamendi is clearly a top player, but his constant diving in and lack of concentration is costing us regularly. Kompany, as I said has had a dip in the last two seasons compared to previously. So out of the 5 centre backs Pellegrini has used, 4 have been clearly worse than they were previously. The only one who possibly remained the same is DeMichelis.
The other 4, two were already here and playing very well previously, so no blame for Txiki or recruitment there. Two were bought and were extremely highly rated. It surely can't be a coincidence that all 4 have regressed under Pellegrini's "management"?
So in short, yes the squad needs "tweaking" every year. That is the same at all top clubs. But to say the 2010 team needs "rejuvenating" is incorrect in my view. It's already been rejuvenated with some of the top talent in Europe. It's silly to say anyone who played in 2010 is incapable of playing now. Hart, Clichy, Zabba, Kompany, Silva, Nasri, Aguero are all very capable still at this level and at a decent age. In fact only Zabba is over 30, it's hardly Dad's Army.
From the core squad that won the first title clearly Yaya needs to move on, and in my view so does Kolarov. Other than that I don't see any major issues.
I've heard very good things about Angelino, so I'm sure he can come in to replace Kolarov, and we possibly need a new young right back. We definitely need a couple of centre mids to replace Yaya and Fernando. Hopefully one is Pogba. Other than that, I don't see the need for wholesale changes. The talent is there. They just need to be managed better.
Mancini got far more out of our defenders than Pellegrini does. I'm sure Guardiola will too. The issue isn't that our player's aren't good enough. The issue is the manager isn't, and next season will prove that beyond any doubt whatsoever.
Absolutely spot on. In fact I'd go further. It is evidently true that Pellegrini hasn't developed individual players or built any sense of team during his term but why is this? His tactical choices baffle me on a weekly basis. The weekends game was a perfect example. Leicesters greatest threat is fast transition primarily through Vardy and Mahrez in the first or second phase; anyone who has seen them this season knows this. Both Vardy's and Mahrez preferred zone is Leicesters right hand channel as they attack. So how does Pellegrini counter their primary threat, obviously he plays our two slowest defenders in that area! Now knowing that pace is the key wouldn't you have thought Pellegrini would have chosen Cliche and Sagna rather than Kolarov and MDM?
I could go on and on about how week after week he has got it tactically wrong and how he is ruining player like Sterling, Delph, Otamendi, Yaya and now Kalechi by asking them to do jobs that they are not best suited to or roles that best address the needs of the team with reference to the opposition.
We have a great squad that is so far less than the sum of its parts because of this clown, it's hard to take. I wonder what practical jokes he's going to come up with for the Spurs game?[/QUOTE]
Thanks mate, and I totally agree with you about Kolarov and Clichy. I've made the same point myself on here.
That's the trouble with Pellegrini, I'm not sure if he even bothers to analyse opponents. If he does, he either doesn't have a clue how to counter their strengths, or he doesn't give a toss.
Either way, he's been making the same mistakes since the Cardiff away game in his first season. A long ball team with a very pacy forward, and we line up with a high line containing Lescott and Javi Garcia as centre backs. 442 against Mourinho's Chelsea, Fernando and Milner in centre midfield against Barcelona, 442 against Pep's Bayern at home, Fernando and Yaya in a 2 against Klopp's Liverpool at home, Kolarov and Zabba against Leiceste, the list goes on.
His catalogue of tactical ineptitude is is thicker than the phone book. This isn't a recent phenomenon, he's been doing it since he got here. We can't win every game, but the above 6 games are just off the top of my head where the manager has been directly responsible for us getting dicked with his pathetic "tactics". I'm sure there are many other examples.
I've always thought this manager is more of a hinderance than a help, and anything we win will be in spite of him, not because of him.
There isn't an obvious contender to steer us until the end of the season, so I guess we are stuck with him. I wish he'd swallow his pride and make some pragmatic decisions for the sake of the club and the fans, but I won't be holding my breath.
