Pep Guardiola’s failings have Manchester City fans pining for former manager Manuel Pellegrini
Three years ago rampant City had banged in 100 goals by now - under struggling new boss Pep they're 37 short
MANCHESTER CITY fans probably did not expect to be getting misty eyed over Manuel Pellegrini.
But three years ago on Wednesday his irresistible, free-scoring team celebrated a record.
Edin Dzeko’s opener against Cardiff was City’s 100th goal of the season after just 34 games in all competitions.
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It is the fastest any side has reached the total in the Premier League era — and it was en route to a Prem and League Cup double for Pell.
Current boss Pep Guardiola’s side have played two games less but scored 37 fewer goals.
With City out of the EFL Cup and the title gone, what are the other reasons behind Guardiola’s miserable first season in England?
FINDING HIS FEET
The revolution some predicted has not really taken off.
When the former Barcelona chief took charge in the summer, few expected City to be outside the top four — or to be shipping four goals at Everton and Leicester.
THAT DEFENCE . . .
The fear is that they could be on the end of more hidings before things get better again.
Champions League opponents Monaco are the highest-scoring team in Europe’s top divisions this season by a distance.
And City fans will have little confidence in this defence — or keeper Claudio Bravo — to keep out the vibrant French side.
You can expect the back four to look very different next season; it will be the main focus of City’s close-season spending.
It is amazing that a club with such vast resources could allow things to drift like this.
Pablo Zabaleta, Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy may all be shown the door this summer. Despite the millions lavished on centre-backs in the last three years, the club look in need of reinforcements there too.
JEEPERS KEEPERS
City will also be looking for a new keeper in the summer — as understudy Willy Caballero is out of contract.
In light of Bravo’s performances, it would be no surprise if it was a new No 1, though.
They have watched Benfica’s Ederson Moraes several times — but he will not come cheap at around £40million.
City are also believed to have an option on Geronimo Rulli, who was briefly their player in the summer before being sold on to Real Sociedad.
WHAT A WASTE OF MONEY . . .
City’s record in the transfer market is poor, particularly since the arrival of director of football Txiki Begiristain in 2012.
And not least since he teamed up with his close friend and ex-Barcelona team-mate Guardiola in July.
More than £135m was spent last summer — on Ilkay Gundogan, John Stones, Nolito, Leroy Sane and Bravo — and none except Gundogan can be classed as a success.
But the German midfielder is out for the rest of the season with a cruciate knee injury.
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NO HART — NO HEART
Guardiola now needs to bring is the kind of leadership which his squad badly lacks.
With England keeper Joe Hart exiled to Torino on loan and skipper Vincent Kompany unable to stay fit, the heart has gone from City’s team. Long-term supporters say they do not remember a more mentally weak bunch of players than the current crop.
That much was obvious from their meek response to falling two behind at Goodison on Sunday — just as it had been at Leicester last month.
It is amazing that with all the money spent, they still lean so heavily on the likes of Toure, Zabaleta, David Silva and Sergio Aguero.
SERGI-AGGRO
Speaking of Aguero, he has yet to score against a team from the top seven this season — although he has also missed seven games through suspension.
Speculation over his future will not go away until a contract extension until 2020, which City say has been signed, is officially announced.
There are now not enough goals coming from elsewhere — they have dried up completely for Kevin De Bruyne.
And as Guardiola said, the forwards can take some of the heat off their defenders by taking some of the chances that come their way.
TYPICAL CITY
So there are problems at both ends of the pitch for Guardiola to address — but he probably expected as much.
When he arrived in July he was given a crash course in the history of his new club by senior officials.
So he will know Manchester City have had an uncanny habit of making life difficult for themselves over the last few decades.
Why should it be different just because one of the world’s best turns up?
HOW HAVE CITY'S RECENT SIGNINGS FARED?
Claudio Bravo, £17million
IT has been a disastrous start for the Chilean — who has not really recovered from a horror show in September’s Manchester derby at Old Trafford. The dressing room lost a big character and leader in England No 1 Joe Hart — who has, perhaps unsurprisingly, impressed while on loan for Italian side Torino — and Bravo is simply not comparable.
John Stones, £47.5m
THE signing Guardiola wanted above all this summer — but you wonder if he feels the same way now after a traumatic six months for the 22-year-old England defender. The mistakes are mounting up and his confidence must have suffered. Had a nightmare on his return to Goodison against his old side Everton at the weekend.
Leroy Sane, £37m
RATED by Guardiola as one of the hottest young talents in Europe after seeing the German international play for Schalke. Yet there has been little sign of it so far at the Etihad, with just one goal for the winger since his summer move. However, to be fair, he has been unlucky with injuries. Also, at 21, he is still young and his day may yet come.
Nolito, £13m
HAS looked like a Guardiola-type of player when he has played and has weighed in with six goals — but he seems to have gone missing recently. The Spanish forward has started only two games since the thrashing at Leicester in mid- December and did not even make the bench for Sunday’s humiliating 4-0 defeat at Everton.
Ilkay Gundogan, £24m
CITY knew about his injury record when they signed him — so it was no great surprise that his season is now over following a cruciate ligament injury. However, Germany midfielder Gundogan, 26, who was signed from Borussia Dortmund last summer, has shown flashes of his quality — most notably in November’s win over Barcelona when he scored twice.
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