5 Manchester City Players Who Have Underwhelmed This Season

Manchester City has started the 2013/14 season on a roller-coaster ride.  With pleasing victories and disappointing losses, the Manuel Pelligrini era has been a rocky one thus far.

Like the club itself, several players have had shaky starts to the season.  Here is my list of the five City players who have underwhelmed thus far.

Joe Hart

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Joe Hart's struggles have been obvious, and the media scrutiny of England's No. 1 has been just as blatant.  

Joe Hart has not had a good start to the 2013/14 Premiership season.  Hart has already conceded eight league goals in seven league starts.  Compare this to a total 34 goals conceded in 38 league fixtures just a year ago (ESPN).

Hart's problems have been quantified by some pathetically dreadful goals allowed.  Manchester City need confidence from their keeper, especially with their defense weak with the absence of skipper Vincent Kompany.  

I fully expect Hart to rebound after a solid international break and prove his worth between the sticks once again. 

Joleon Lescott

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Lescott lost his starting job last season to then 19-year-old Matija Nastasic. This season, he has proven why.  

Lescott was never a world-class defender, but at the age of 31, he should be useful for first-team cover, providing experience and wisdom to the back four if needed. This hasn't been the case.

Lescott really needs to step up this month, with Kompany out for a month (Eurosport) and Martin Demichelis still not match-fit, there will be pressure on Lescott to step up and show his worth.

Javi Garcia

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Javi Garcia—what to say?  

Garcia seems out of place at this level of football, and he struggles to find time on the pitch. A natural central midfielder, Garcia won't see much time ahead of Fernandinho, Yaya Toure and Jack Rodwell.  The bit of action the Spanish international has seen has been a few scary spells as a center half.  

Garcia has always been exposed at this position. I would much rather see Dedryck Boyata or Micah Richards in the lineup.  

Garcia has until January to prove he has some sort of value to this club.  In my opinion, he was about as valuable and about as needed as Scott Sinclair.  Funny how both were bought in the dying days of last summer's transfer window. 

It is time to part ways.

Gael Clichy

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After two years of being in Mancini's starting XI, Clichy has fallen in behind Aleksander Kolarov at the left-back position.  Clichy faced an early-season knock (Goal), which gave Kolarov the chance to start.  The Serbian defender ran with his chance.  

Pelligrini gave Clichy a chance to regain his place against Bayern, and it wasn't pretty for any of the City back four.  

Clichy is a better defender, and he might get a few starts while City remain weak at central defense, but he will have to prove himself in order to remain in the first-team starting XI.

Eden Dzeko

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Dzeko has been given chance after chance under Pelligrini.  Frankly put, Dzeko has squandered his chances.  

He has been wasteful with the ball at his foot and opened the doors to competition.  Enter Alvaro Negredo.

Negredo has built a quick relationship with Nasri and Aguero in attack, and he has scored three goals already for the Blues. 

With Jovetic's play at international level, he deserves a chance at first-team football.  Dzeko will have to play his way back into favor.