....... Pellegrini was at best a bang average manager.
Absolute nonsense...
You don't know much about Manuel Pellegrini do you?
He was San Lorenzo's manager in Argentina and made them champions despite River and Boca being dominant, plus he also won South America's equivalent of the UEFA Cup, his San Lorenzo team then went on to win another South American trophy, after he'd left to take over at River where he won them the title.
He's a manager known for getting the best from his players as Riquelme Diego Forlan Diego Godin Marcos Senna Santi Cazorla and Isco plus many more would attest to, without Pellegrini not a single one of those players would've become the players that they did he gave them direction in their career.
He went to Spain and turned Villarreal into what they're now they aren't a powerhouse but still a legitimate threat to UCL places, he's the reason they became so well known and so well run why they started playing a very good brand of football, that team he built got so unlucky to face a very good Arsenal team in the UCL semis and quarters, without him ever being their manager they don't even get to the final to beat the rags in that Europa League final under Emery.
They'd likely never have got close to European football without Pellegrini ever being in charge, Riquelme would've likely flopped in Europe and gone back home a lot sooner than he did he knew exactly how to get the best out of him.
As for Fernando he was nowt too special we though he was going to be what Fernandinho became, sadly he way out of his depth with the pace of the Prem while at City, he tried but wasn't quite good enough for us.
Pellegrini however did turn Marcos Senna from a very average player into a world class defensive midfielder, then Senna was probably Spain's most important player defensively in Euro 2008 after he switched nationalities.
Pellegrini took over a City team without any squad harmony after Mancini unfortunately lost the dressing room, the dressing room was disjointed but he still came in and we immediately scored more goals than anyone before his team in that Premier League season.
He has always been a very good manager who gets the best out of his players and gets his side's playing good positive football, even after Pep arrived it took him until his second season to get the side how he wanted it... so I'd say it's extremely unfair to call Pellers just a bang average manager, it's not just a complete and utter lie it's damn right disrespectful.
He got Malaga into the Champions League and was nearly in the semi final until two added time goals saw them knocked out, at Real Madrid he made them play beautiful football that's despite making it clear he was angry at the sale of Robben and Sneijder, who he saw as the two most important cogs in his team after his unveiling but after his arrival, both of them were sold within weeks and Sneijder that season helped Inter win the UCL.
Real got the second most points total ever at that time by a La Liga team without those two players that's despite finishing runners up to the greatest Barcelona team ever, this was his only season in charge and there was a player revolt at Real lead by Raul (it lead to Raul being released later on) when he got sacked, it was the best football Real Madrid had played in years their fans were very unhappy at the time.
Even at Real Betis a team who were seen as strong candidates for relegation not long before his arrival, he's won a Spanish Cup and challenged for UCL places but you think he's bang average?
Truth is just like Unai Emery he's a top drawer and very underrated manager who doesn't get the credit he deserves, not even by some our own spoilt fans it seems but he'd still have made De Bruyne the best midfielder in the world and improved many others.
He's obviously no Pep but nobody is and I reckon Pep being himself has won us an extra 3-4 Prem titles, this isn't telling on how bang average Manuel Pellegrini is though it's more telling on how elite Pep is, people who belittle just how good a manager Pellegrini was/is need to give their head a good and proper shake.