The issue was Yaya Toure. Supreme going forwards, but needed 2 other midfielders to do his defensive work.
When playing in a 2 with Yaya, Fernando and Garcia couldn’t do both jobs on their own.
We finally found Fernandinho, who could.
Fernando and Garcia were both very good 6s as their careers after City show.
We were hamstrung by FFP that summer. Hazard and RVP turned us down and DDR was never going to leave Roma.
Pellegrini favoured a 4-2-2-2, which was essentially a 4-4-2. Yaya didn't have the physicality to recover after his barnstorming forays forward, which left Fernandinho exposed, as he couldn’t do it all.
I remember several fans calling Fernandinho shit, until most of us woke up to the fact it was Pellegrini's tactics which were at fault for hanging Fern out to dry.
I asked above, would Garcia & Fernando's City careers have panned out differently with a proper manager like Pep in charge?
My recollection of Hazard was he was pissing both us & the Chavs around as he waited to see if they won the CL. He signed for them as soon as they did.
Rumours were RVP agreed a deal with City & I recall someone on here saying they were the estate agent accompanying RVP's Mrs & City's concierge service around properties in Prestbury.
HOWEVER, Marwood was put in charge of transfers to Mancini's anger & dismay, & promptly tried to renegotiate RVP's deal at the 11th hour which enraged him, so he reopened talks with ManUre, signed & shot them to the PL title the following season.
Word was DDR was interested in the move after Mancini spent a couple of seasons selling City to him, but when Marwood stepped in, he ended our interest in DDR & signed Garcia instead. ¯\_(⊙_ʖ⊙)_/¯