Grading Manuel Pellegrini on Manchester City's 2014/15 Premier League Season

Expectations at Manchester City were very high going into the 2014/15 season. The previous campaign, their first under the tutelage of Manuel Pellegrini, had encompassed some incredible high points. A league title secured after a dramatic late surge, coming from behind to topple a Luis Suarez-inspired Liverpool, and the club’s first League Cup since 1976, represented a superb first season in charge for Pellegrini.

The quality of their performances, at times, defied belief. Their 20-game unbeaten run across December and January saw them dismantle sides with staggering ease, which was just reward for the new attacking style designed by the Chilean. He may have inherited a divided squad, but Pellegrini quickly brought harmony to his group of players, making those who had been marginalised under Roberto Mancini feel valued, returning a number of under-performing stars back to their best.

They scored 158 goals in all competitions. It felt as though a new period of success and style had been ushered in.

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A summer of disruption followed, though. City had been deemed to have failed UEFA’s financial fair play testing and, subsequently, sanctions were placed on the club. The most damaging was the £49 million cap on their net spend, reducing their muscle in the transfer market. Cesc Fabregas and Alexis Sanchez went to City’s rivals unchallenged, with City spending the majority of their budget on a defender, the area deemed to be the most in need of surgery.

The World Cup, too, saw some of their most important players tested to their limits. Sergio Aguero, who went to the tournament in Brazil having struggled with injuries since the end of January, came back lacking fitness and needed to be slowly introduced back into the City team, and Pablo Zabaleta, who had been overused at City for two consecutive seasons, also came back looking tired and out of sorts.

There appeared to be a lack of hunger in the squad, and City’s season never really got going. Two desperately disappointing domestic cup exits and a limp title defence means it will be remembered as underwhelming, at best.

They went backwards in the Champions League, too, making it to the last 16 for the second consecutive season, but only after scraping through the group stage with two wins in their final two matches. Some of their performances prior to meeting Barcelona in the knockout phase were woeful.

It was undoubtedly a season of regression, but six wins in the final six matches in the Premier League saw them secure second place comfortably and go into the summer in a more buoyant mood than anyone could have imagined after their 4-2 defeat to Manchester United in April. It was a run of results which demonstrated City’s character and sends them into the summer period on something of a high.

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Pellegrini showed tactical naivety at times, particularly in Europe, where his insistence on playing with a two-man forward line too often saw City outnumbered and out-passed in the middle. He also looked incapable of changing the direction of matches when his side were behind, with the defeat away at Burnley in March a particularly low point. City were lacklustre from start to finish, with Pellegrini offering nothing to alter the game. He then described City's performance as "normal" in his post-match press conference.

City dropped nine points in matches against the three relegated sides, making it plainly obvious where they need to improve. Consistency and concentration is where Chelsea have outdone City this season, with the gap between the two sides perhaps not as large as some people feel.

What will be important for Pellegrini now is making sure his employers back him in the transfer market. Whereas his predecessor was handed numerous world-class stars, Pellegrini hasn't had that luxury. This summer, though, with City's revenue at an all-time high and UEFA's net-spend restriction now lifted, they look set to dip into the transfer market aggressively. If they sign the right players, there's no reason they cannot reclaim their title next May.

Pellegrini knows, though, he has to improve his own performance next season as well.

2014/15 season grade: C+

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 are obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter: @RobPollard.