It took two goals from Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero to rescue a point away against Queens Park Rangers this weekend, but it was yet another game where the Sky Blues dropped points in the league, and manager Manuel Pellegrini will start feeling the pressure.
Odds have been slashed on the City boss to be the next top-flight manager to exit his post as a result, with the impatient hierarchy wanting a consistent return for their lucrative investment.
City won the Premier League title last season, but have endured a lackluster defence of their crown so far. Manuel Pellegrini’s side have dropped points in 45% of their matches in the top flight, while having already lost and been forced to a draw at the Etihad. They are eight points adrift of league leaders Chelsea after just 11 games, while having been knocked out of the Capital One Cup recently too.
Their poor Champions League campaign has seen the pressure heaped upon Pellegrini, as Man City are winless from four games, picking up just two points in their group. They are on the brink of elimination, which won’t please Pellegrini’s bosses.
While leading the club to the title in his first season in Manchester, the 61-year-old is far form untouchable if results don’t go their way. Predecessor Roberto Mancini had a poor title defence that cost him his job at the end of 2012/13, so there’s no reason why Pellegrini won’t be treated the same if City continue to under-perform.
The Chilean coach has also come under criticism for the failure of his summer signings, as Bacary Sagna and Fernando have been particular disappointments for the Citizens this season, while established midfielders Yaya Toure and Fernandinho have been quite poor.
In addition to a lack of improvement to the squad, Manchester City’s defensive record has been a major concern, with the defending champions conceding two or more goals in more than a third of their league games.
Recent interviews have seen Pellegrini admit to being worried about their recent crisis of results, and with many ruling them out of two of their remaining three competitions already (Premier League & Champions League), he certainly has a difficult task to keep his job. Continual success is the aim, and Manchester City not only look like they’re headed for a trophyless season, but will need to make wholesale changes to the side to turn their fortunes around.
Will that mean the manager is first to go?
