Why Manuel Pellegrini Will Revive Manchester City in 2015/16 Season

It’s looking increasingly likely Manuel Pellegrini will keep his job at Manchester City beyond the summer, despite a season of disappointment at the Etihad.

City started the season as champions and most observers felt it would be Pellegrini’s side, along with Chelsea, who contested the title this time around. However, after drawing level on points with Jose Mourinho’s men at the turn of the year, City conspired to throw their hard work away with a dreadful 2015.

Lost points to the likes of Stoke City, West Ham, Burnley and Crystal Palace, all sides City should be beating comfortably, have cost them dearly, resulting in a weak attempt at retaining their league crown. With uninspiring defeats in both domestic cup competitions and another unconvincing Champions League campaign, it’s fair to say this campaign has underwhelmed massively.

Jon Super/Associated Press

But with City seemingly intent on making Pep Guardiola their next manager, something Martin Blackburn of The Sun discussed this week on the Blue Moon Podcast, Pellegrini may well be given a stay of execution.

Guardiola’s contract with Bayern Munich runs until the summer of 2016, meaning the Blues are unlikely to tempt him to Manchester this summer. Rather than scupper their chances of landing the former Barcelona manager by appointing someone else at the end of the season, they may well feel Pellegrini seeing out the final year of his contract is preferable.

And some would argue he deserves it, regardless of his side’s form this season. He rarely received appropriate credit for the style and success he ushered in at City in his first year in charge, but the club respect him and his achievements.

But what can he do to return City to their best?

Bogdan Maran/Associated Press

One of the biggest changes he can make is bringing in a world-class talent, the like of which City haven’t signed since the days of Garry Cook, the club’s gaffe-prone former chief executive whose brashness was often seen as a stain on the club’s image but whose record of bringing in big names remains unquestionable.

Pellegrini hasn’t really been handed a player of the quality of Sergio Aguero or Yaya Toure, and his side, as a result, has stagnated somewhat. Those kind of top-tier players renew a squad and raise the games of those around them. They inspire confidence and optimism in the supporters. City need to deliver one in the summer.

Their midfield needs a revamp, with Yaya Toure, who turns 32 this month, a player who could leave the club. His value will only depreciate from this point on, and the club may feel it’s time to move him on.

They have lacked energy and drive in the midfield for much of the season. Paul Pogba, the 22-year-old Juventus star, would be an ideal candidate to come in, but he is likely to be chased by all of Europe’s top clubs. Marco Verratti, PSG’s Italian midfielder, is also of the calibre City require.

And City may be the Premier League’s top scorers again this season with 71, but they remain well short of their tally of 102 from last season. In truth, they haven’t looked as potent since Alvaro Negredo’s form collapsed at the end of last January, and Pellegrini will hope to recreate the partnership he had with Sergio Aguero at some point soon.

Whether Wilfried Bony is the man to do that remains to be seen. His January arrival has underwhelmed thus far—a series of injuries and an AFCON hangover have blighted his first few months at the club—but he needs time to settle before being judged too harshly.

If Pellegrini can get rid of some of City’s deadwood and replace them with younger, hungrier players, City will be well placed to return to their best. The permanent exits of Micah Richards, Negredo, Matija Nastasic, James Milner and Scott Sinclair will be confirmed. There’s likely to be other players edging towards 30 who are also available at the right price.

If City can clear the decks, and with FFP restrictions likely to be lifted, it could be a summer of renewed optimism for the under-fire Pellegrini and the City fans.

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. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter: @RobPollard.