Manuel Pellegrini

[samarasra]

Well done Manuel, understated, underappreciated but not an under achiever.

 

[richards30]

His title winning season was brilliant and the football we played that particular one was superb! Steadied the ship after Mancini had our best players all wanting to leave and won us trophies. Yes it went quite stale after that and his insistence on getting bony instead of dybala was truly staggering but I guess that’s the transfer game as bony was amazing that season at Swansea. All in all, babysat the team until pep turned up and I congratulate Manuel on his win and wish him well. :-)

 

[eversince 76]

Happy for the charming man.

Had to deal with a popular man leaving and another coming who was always on the boards’ wish list.

 

[bluealf]

A decent read on him here and for a final guffaw you can read the desperate plea by the cunts to subscribe to their 'quality' sports team, I'm still laughing, even better the guy who wrote the decent article on Pellers wasn't listed as a 'quality' sports journalist, probably why it was a good read.

Manuel Pellegrini: ‘If I had another life I wouldn’t dedicate it to football’

The 68-year-old has the chance to secure a rare trophy for Real Betis against Valencia in the Copa del Rey but says what he would really like is to be able to sing or play the piano

www.theguardian.com

 

[Eric Hitchmough]

Congrats Manuel, well deserved. Played some great football under him, especially in the 13/14 season when we scored for fun (even by our standards!)

Was never the man to make us dominate domestically, but did a good job considering there were a few Txiki missteps in the market, plus everyone knew he was keeping Pep’s seat warm.

 

[Zapcity]

While I agree with almost everything, and it really was time to go when he left I do feel that a title, a 2nd place, a cup and CL semi is an acceptable enough tenure. 2nd and third season was labourish but will never forget the football in 13/14. The pure entertainment of it I'm not even sure Pep has topped

Totally agree. The 13/14 season was and still is very much overlooked in the same way that the treble season was (who were the other team that could have won the league on the final day of both seasons again???).
The final month in 2014 was also one of the most entertaining/ interesting ever with 3 teams in with a chance of winning it (and even Arsenal were in the mix until quite late).
As you say we played some fantastic football that season. The next 2 seasons admitedly in the context of what came before/after were not as good (maybe in the same way that Bobby Mancs final season wasn't as good as the 2 really memorable ones that came before.)
A few years previously they would no doubt have been seen as really good seasons (a trophy, CL qualification etc.) but the bar had been raised considerably.
Looking at 'Pellers' obviously no one would consider him anywhere near Peps level and some of his signings were pretty 'suspect' to say the least .However, he did give us Fernandinho, KDB and Sterling all who have contributed massively to our continued success.

 

[Inter Me Nan]

Does that mafia hitman still sit next to him?

 

[unicorn]

Well done Manuel, well done Betis. Chuffed to bits for you.

 

[Eric Hitchmough]

Does that mafia hitman still sit next to him?

Haha, forgot about him. He knew where the bodies were buried.

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

Doesn't change his legacy in the slightest, but I know someone who met him in a shop in Manchester (a City fan, incidentally) and he was decidedly unfriendly. But there was a point in the 2013-14 season when I felt I was seeing the best football I'd ever witnessed from City.
Then of course Pep arrived.
That 13-14 season gets overlooked, but not by me.
I think the point where I was really, deeply tired of him was when I had the misfortune to witness Liverpool dismantle us in the first half at the Etihad in November, 2015, with Pellegrini absolutely clueless as to how to stem the tide.
Congrats to him though for last night. I kind of semi-follow the Seville rivalry, since my brother lives down there and vaguely follows Sevilla. It's a town I'm very fond of.