Manchester City's Existing Players Hold the Key for Manuel Pellegrini

Much has been made of Manchester City’s summer transfer business. They’re the Premier League’s biggest spenders, so far parting with just short of £90 million to secure the services of Fernandinho, Jesus Navas, Stevan Jovetic and Alvaro Negredo. Fans, pundits and even the players themselves are excited about City’s potential, given the breadth of options the new signings offer them.

Manuel Pellegrini will no doubt be excited to see how his new recruits adapt to the Premier League, and developing a system that maximises their talents will be of huge importance. However, getting the best out of City’s existing stars should be his primary concern.

Pellegrini has inherited a hugely talented squad, but one which underachieved last season. In Joe Hart, Yaya Toure, David Silva and Sergio Aguero, City have four outstanding players who all played below par throughout the last campaign. The new manager will be well aware that if he can get them back to their best, he will likely be holding the Premier League trophy aloft come May.

In 2011/12, Hart was undoubtedly the best goalkeeper in the Premier League. Unrivalled as England’s No. 1, he had a cocksure demeanour that was backed up by a series of outstanding displays. City’s defenders knew that their last line of defence was incredibly difficult to beat, and the confidence spread to the rest of the team.

Last season saw errors beginning to creep into his game, including absolute howlers against Southampton and West Ham. His once seemingly unbreakable assurance began to weaken, and City were less of a force because of it. A great goalkeeper is seen as a prerequisite for winning the league, and therefore getting Joe Hart back to his best would make City a much stronger side.

Then there’s the case of Yaya Toure, City’s Ivorian midfield powerhouse—a unique player in the Premier League. His ability to pick up the ball and run through sides makes him invaluable, as does his adaptability—he can operate in defensive and attacking midfield roles. He’s the envy of every Premier League club.

Despite this, he failed to reach the high standards we’ve come to expect of him last year. He was far less dynamic, and far less of a threat going forward than he was the previous season, reducing City’s ability to dominate games. When Yaya is bossing it, there’s often very little the opposition can do.

Regular observers of City will know there is much more in his locker which Pellegrini must tease out of him if City want to be at their very best. A marauding Yaya Toure makes all the difference.

Arguably, City’s most important player is David Silva. When he plays well, City play well. Since his arrival in 2010, no Premier League player has created more chances for their teammates than Silva. His eye for a pass is unparalleled and everything City do creatively tends to go through him.

It’s clear, though, that Silva’s level dropped last season, assisting just 9 goals in the league. Juan Mata, his Spanish international teammate, outperformed him in terms of goals and assists, and was generally a bigger influence on Chelsea than Silva was on City. Silva must increase his influence this season to be considered the best in the league, and Pellegrini will be desperate to see his playmaker hit top form.

The impact Aguero had in his first season at City was considerable. 30 goals in all competitions, including a title-clinching one against QPR that’s now etched into City folklore. His pace and energy gave everybody, including the fans, a real boost, and he’s now a firm favourite at the Etihad.

Last season saw a reduction in goals—he scored 17 in all competitions—and a generally more disjointed campaign due to injury. City scored 27 fewer goals in the league last season than in the previous one, arguably the major factor behind their weak title defence.

City fans will be hoping his return from his latest knee problem, which has kept him out of every preseason game so far, will signal the end of his troubles, and that he can get himself back to the form he showed during his first year at the club.

The strength in depth at City has increased massively after their latest spending splurge, but the best players at Pellegrini’s disposal were already at the club. Finding a way to utilise the strengths the new players bring is important but returning the spine of this City back to its very best will be the difference between winning and losing the league. I’m sure Pellegrini is thinking long and hard about how to get the best from them ahead of the new season.

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2013/14 season. Follow him on Twitter here @TypicalCity