Manchester City Winners and Losers so Far This Season

Manchester City's list of "winners and losers" thus far this season brings to mind a question posed by the Social Distortion song of the same name: "Are you happy now with all the choices you've made?"

If the club was not in outright turmoil in May, it was not far off.

But there was risk in dismissing Manchester City's most successful manager in more than 40 years and bringing in over £100 million worth of new players. The team as constructed before all the changes had finished second in the Premier League and lost the FA Cup final in the final minutes of the match.

Manchester City are still in the incipient stages of their current season, with only seven Premier League matches and two Champions League appearances in the books. Still, it is not too early to assess which Citizens are feeling fine and which ones might prefer a restart of the season.

WINNERS

Yaya Toure: After Manchester City dropped over £50 million on Fernandinho and Jesus Navas, there may have been some questions as to who would serve as Manchester City's preeminent midfielder.

To which Toure has effectively said, "meet the new boss."

Toure leads Manchester City in all competitions in goals scored. Not Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko or Alvaro Negredo—Toure.

Alvaro Negredo: Negredo came to Manchester City on a deal that cost the club north of £20 million, but started the season third on the striker depth chart behind Aguero and Edin Dzeko.

It took just three matches for Negredo to establish himself as nobody's backup.

Negredo had a goal improperly flagged for offside in the opener against Newcastle United. But each of the goals he scored thereafter at Cardiff City and at the Etihad against Hull City stood.

He also potted a crucial equalizer in Manchester City's recent defeat of Everton.

Manchester City's plans going forward will involve Negredo to a far more significant degree than one might have thought in July.

Samir Nasri: Not to blow my own horn, but one of my better calls this season was definitely Nasri over Navas. 

My reasoning was that Nasri was only two years removed from being a £24 million acquisition. That he ended up in Roberto Mancini's doghouse did not make him unique, since half the squad ended up there at one time or another.

Nasri has flourished beyond expectations under Manuel Pellegrini, noting per Richard Jolly of ESPNFC.com that he is "more confident with this manager. He has given me a lot of freedom."

Recovering some of Nasri's value has been one of Pellegrini's best tricks thus far.

Manuel Pellegrini: Manchester City's new manager accepted his job knowing that it came preloaded with insane expectations.

For that matter, the expensive summer transfer haul was both a blessing and a curse. If Pellegrini could not win with these players, what good was he?

Unquestionably there have been a few disappointing results. The loss at Cardiff City and the draw at Stoke City were poor performances. And Manchester City were run out of their own park against Bayern Munich in a Champions League group stage match.

When Manchester City play at their optimum capacity, though, they are positively terrifying. Ask Newcastle United, Manchester United and Viktoria Plzen for details.

LOSERS

Joe Hart: Lost in the chaos of last season's implosion at Manchester City was the subtle slippage of Hart's form.

With his squad firming up nicely in front of him, Hart's now very dubious play is no longer obscured.

Soft goals conceded against Aston Villa, Bayern Munich and Everton in Manchester City's last three matches have restored the timbre of the voices calling for Hart to improve or be benched.

Javi Garcia: At this point, it is more appropriate to pity Garcia than to scorn him, so calling him a loser here feels harsh.

It is not really Garcia's fault that he can neither crack City's stacked midfield nor play effectively out of position as a centre-back every time Vincent Kompany pulls a muscle (which is like every week).

Manchester City have probably run out of options with Garcia, though, and he should probably be moved in the January transfer window for his own sake and for the good of the club.

Jesus Navas: In fairness, Navas has been a Sky Blue for only a few months. He still has plenty of time to find his way in Manchester.

Thus far, though, Navas has underwhelmed.

When you spend £15 million on a one-dimensional player, you expect him to display that dimension quickly and to great effect.

But Navas, a speedy winger brought in to provide width and pace, has struggled to mesh with Manchester City's elite strikers and the midfielders he shares the center of the pitch with.

Joleon Lescott: Like Nasri, Lescott was buried on Manchester City's bench by Roberto Mancini last season, an inmate without possibility of parole.

Unlike Nasri, Lescott did little with the reprieve Pellegrini's arrival gave him.

Injuries to Kompany and Matija Nastasic early in the season, combined with the new manager's arrival, gave Lescott the opening he needed to re-establish himself as a solid (if not elite) centre-back.

Regrettably, Lescott has been ineffective in the matches he has played.

With so much of the season remaining to play, none of the individuals listed can either rest on their accomplishments or resign themselves to failure.

For this list's losers, though, it is getting late early.