Manuel Pellegrini Comments on Job Status With Manchester City

Manchester City coach Manuel Pellegrini believes his job is currently safe at the Etihad despite his side's faltering challenge in the Premier League.

The Chilean was defiant in his stance, defending his style of play with the EPL champions, and was quoted by Stuart Brennan of the Manchester Evening News and Catalan-based publication Sport during his Champions League press conference before his side face Barcelona:

Pellegrini also moved to proclaim he knows his players believe in him and his tactics, when asked if he has as strong a bond with his team as Barcelona coach Luis Enrique. 

Manu Fernandez/Associated Press

He also confirmed he intends to see out his contract at Eastlands, per Sport:

Pellegrini also said his side were ready for the challenge of the La Liga championship leaders and highlighted his team needs to play the cream of Europe in their quest to improve, as reported by Brennan:

Pellegrini has come under increasing pressure over the past few weeks as his City side begin to fall away in the EPL title race.

The Telegraph's chief sports writer, Paul Hayward, believes the Chilean coach truly believes his job is safe and has loaded the responsibility of potential failure on to the shoulders of his millionaire footballers.

But Heyward thinks Pellegrini's passive style may count against him at the end of the campaign:

"

Ah, passivity. Pellegrini knows the charge sheet against him, and a lack of animation is near the top. Here in England, grappling with fellow managers in the coaching zone and anger-bombing press conferences equates to passion, or spirit, which then transmits through the walls to players, who then perk up, sense danger, resolve to fight for their leader. Or so we have convinced ourselves.

"

Manu Fernandez/Associated Press

It is expected City will fall at the feet of an on-form Barca team, who have improved domestically since the turn of the year.

If they do crash out of Europe, and their current form continues in the English league, Pellegrini's tenure will become increasingly difficult to sustain, with the Eastlands club hungry to be the best on the continent.

Pellegrini knows the game against Barcelona could be make or break for him, and it is imperative that City show they still have some fight left in them at this key stage of the campaign.