Manchester City: A Half-Term Report on Manuel Pellegrini's Side
At some level, it is surprising that we are still able to discuss Manuel Pellegrini's management of Manchester City in the present tense.
"Manchester City WON'T sack Manuel Pellegrini despite another Champions League failure looming," wrote David McDonnell in the Mirror on Oct. 1.
"Pellegrini could find himself sacked if he fails to turn his club's fortunes around soon," observed Chris Waugh in the Daily Mail on Oct. 30.
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"Pellegrini insists he doesn't fear the sack if Manchester City crash out of the Champions League," noted Jeremy Cross of the Daily Star on Dec. 10.
A new year is upon us all, but City are still led by the even-keeled Chilean who, lest you forget, won a Premier League/League Cup double and guided City to their first Champions League knockout-stage appearance in his first year as City's manager.
City's recent nine-match winning streak in all competitions compelled sheathing of the long knives pundits love to draw on Pellegrini, at least for now.
Before we get much further into the business end of the 2014/15 season, here is a look back at Manchester City's uneven but ultimately quite successful first half.
Grades will be given for each month on an A-to-F scale, with high points and low points noted for reference.
AUGUST
High point: Running Liverpool right on out of the Etihad, spurred by a brace from Stevan Jovetic. Brendan Rodgers' club is in the tank now, so it is easy to forget how significant this win was for City at the beginning of the season.
You know, when people still thought Liverpool could replace Luis Suarez with Mario Balotelli and Ricky Lambert.
Low point: City followed up that terrific win by no-showing against ever moribund Stoke. To City's credit, the loss to Stoke on Aug. 30 was the last time the Sky Blues were shut out in the Premier League in 2014.
GRADE: B-
SEPTEMBER
High point: City were dead and buried at the Etihad, down a goal and a man to Chelsea. Under normal circumstances, Jose Mourinho's club would never relinquish any of the three points they had all but bagged.
Then Pellegrini put some guy who used to play for Chelsea on, and this happened.
Low point: The draw with Arsenal at the Emirates was in contention, as was the loss to Bayern Munich in the dying moments of Champions League Group E play.
But neither of those results were particularly troubling or all that unexpected. City supporters could understand a draw with Arsenal away and certainly accept a close loss to Bayern at the Allianz Arena.
Less acceptable was the 1-1 draw with AS Roma in a Group E match that City probably should have won. September was a tough month for the Citizens, as this grade indicates.
GRADE: C
OCTOBER
High point: Tottenham Hotspur just do not match up particularly well with City. Spurs lost 11-1 on aggregate to City in 2013/14, and the hits just kept on coming in October, with City handing a 4-1 pasting on Spurs at the Etihad.
Low point: City lost twice in October and drew just once, so you might think that one of the losses would be their nadir for October.
No chance.
Again, it is all about expectations. The loss to West Ham United at Upton Park, while discouraging in the moment, does not look too terrible in light of the Hammers' current place in the league table. As for the League Cup loss to Newcastle United, well, better to lose early in that competition than late.
The Champions League Group E draw at CSKA Moscow, however, was a qualified disaster. Taking one point away in Champions League play is not awful, but coughing up a two-goal lead to a club as mediocre as CSKA is.
GRADE: C
NOVEMBER
High point: I love a derby win. You love a derby win. We all love a derby win. But City 1-0 Manchester United, while it was a wonderful way to open the month, was not November's high point.
City 3-2 Bayern Munich is not only November's high point, it is probably the first half of the season's apex and might be viewed as the turning point once the 2014/15 campaign is in the books.
Sergio Aguero has spoiled City supporters before, so it was not unimaginable that he could score twice in a handful of minutes to beat Bayern, but it was still darn improbable. As Austin Powers once famously said, "that's a man, baby."
Low point: Wow, there are so many choices, it is hard to pick one. Oh, wait, I know. Let's go with the match City lost at home to CSKA Moscow—which seemingly killed off any realistic chance City had of qualifying out of Champions League Group E—and finished with nine men. That seems like a sensible selection.
GRADE: B+
DECEMBER/JANUARY
High point: Unlike the months that came before it, December was nearly flawless for City. Even the low point was, though disappointing, fully understandable. City played seven matches in December, each one of them mattered, and the Sky Blues won six and drew one.
Then, they basically beat Sunderland twice in the same match on New Year's Day, with Lampard riding to the rescue once again.
Still, one of those wins stands far above the others.
City had never won a European match in Italy prior to Dec. 10, a fact that AS Roma's Twitter feed pointedly referred to in the run-up to the match.
It may have been harmless banter between the clubs, but Roma's premature jocularity left them embarrassed after City claimed a famous 2-0 victory to secure qualification to the Champions League knockout stages.
City are still alive in both the Premier League and the Champions League. If neither quest for silver pans out, though, Roma 0-2 City could well be the match City's supporters remember happiest at the end of the season.
Low point: Ordinarily, blowing a two-goal second-half lead at home to relegation-threatened Burnley would be cause for regret and recrimination.
But fair is fair. City were playing (again) without Vincent Kompany or Sergio Aguero. Yaya Toure was also out with injury.
City took a 2-0 lead against Burnley, who had lost to Liverpool fewer than 48 hours earlier, and they wrongly figured the Clarets would go quietly after that. They didn't, and good on Burnley.
The draw was City's only blemish on their December record. They may regret it terribly come May, but for now, it is merely a footnote to what was an amazing month.
Grade: A
First Term
It was not pretty at times, but City have drawn dead level with Chelsea in the league table and have a tasty Champions League rematch against Barcelona on the docket. Pellegrini deserves significant credit for earning this grade with this club despite so many injuries.
Grade: B+
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