Why Manuel Pellegrini Should Keep Faith with Joe Hart

During the second half of Manchester City’s opening-weekend win over Newcastle, a free-kick from the right was whipped in dangerously by Jack Colback. Joe Hart came rushing out in an attempt to deal with the danger but got nowhere near the ball, and Paul Dummett, who probably couldn’t believe his luck as he found himself with a clear sight of goal inside the box, somehow managed to head over the bar.

It’s a minor footnote in City’s season already. They won the match 2-0 and were comfortable throughout, Hart’s rashness causing no lasting damage. However, for those who have followed his progress closely, it was the latest example of a goalkeeper who struggles to command his area with any authority—a worrying trend for a player who should inspire confidence in his back four.

It’s been a weakness for some time. Balls into the box—whether from free-kicks, corners or crosses—cause him difficulty. He flaps and punches, screams and shouts, rarely dealing with them confidently.

His distribution, too, remains a problem, and now his place is once again under scrutiny after his poor attempt at saving Mame Biram Diouf’s winner in the defeat to Stoke. Aleksandar Kolarov and Fernandinho hardly covered themselves in glory in the build-up to the Senegalese’s breakaway goal, but Hart was culpable of allowing a poor shot to go through his legs. It was a dreadful piece of goalkeeping.

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There had been signs of improvement in Hart’s form in recent months, too. Last season, after being dropped early in the campaign for a series of costly blunders, he was brought back into the side in December and began rediscovering some confidence. He grew as the season progressed, culminating in some excellent performances during the run-in, which included one world-class save in the critical win over Everton at Goodison Park.

It was the kind of stop Hart used to make regularly, back when he’d just returned from a successful loan period with Birmingham and vied for a place in the starting XI with Shay Given, a seasoned pro and one of the best goalkeepers of the Premier League era.

Roberto Mancini gave Hart the nod, to the surprise of some, but the Italian's faith was rewarded with a string of unbelievable performances from his young fearless goalkeeper. His display against Tottenham on the opening day of the 2010/11 season ushered in a period of dominance for Hart. He was City’s No. 1 and no one was going to change that.

He was a vital part of the club's FA Cup triumph in 2011 and Premier League title win in 2012, but then his form, inexplicably, began to wane. Cracks appeared early the following season, with his wonderful display against Borussia Dortmund at home—his last truly world-class performance for City—standing out as a rarity in a season defined by a loss of confidence.

Hart no longer appeared unbeatable, and suddenly the weaknesses in his game were highlighted. His kicking looked poor and his flapping at crosses caused chaos. He’s never truly returned to his form of old.

He’s been afforded a longer time to recover than perhaps many players would have, purely because memories of the old Hart remain strong. He was absolutely superb for two seasons and looked likely to go on and become a consistent world-class performer. Sadly for City, that simply hasn’t happened.

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But now is not the time to lose faith. City now have an able deputy in Willy Caballero for the first time since Given challenged Hart, but it's too early in the season to drop the man Pellegrini has started the season with. This run of games—Arsenal (a), Bayern Munich (a) and Chelsea (h)—represents a crucial week. Tinkering with your goalkeeper seems counter-intuitive at this point.

Hart, though, must beware. His chances are surely running out.

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2014-15 season. Follow him on Twitter here: @RobPollard_