Manchester City's End of 2014/15 Season Awards
It’s been far from a memorable season for Manchester City and their manager, Manuel Pellegrini. Champions 12 months ago, they finished this campaign second, eight points off the pace and out of both domestic cup competitions early.
A summer spend now seems inevitable to get City back to their best come August. City's squad contains big doses of quality, but it needs supplementing with some youth and pace to reinvigorate it.
But before the transfer window gets fully up and running, here are Bleacher Report’s end-of-season awards where we dish out accolades to those in the City squad who deserve them. Feel free to use the comment section below to agree or disagree with the choices made.
Best Player: Sergio Aguero
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This was probably the easiest category to determine. It's been an underwhelming season for City, but the form of their talisman, Sergio Aguero, brought some genuine cheer to an otherwise uninspiring campaign.
He scored 31 goals in all competitions and finished as the Premier League's top scorer with 26. It's been a season which has further underlined his quality and he must surely now be considered the best out-and-out striker in Europe.
Credit must go to Pellegrini, whose careful approach to introducing him to the side after his World Cup exertions meant he looked fitter throughout the season. He played 10 more league games than he managed last season and his sharpness, which he relies on, was almost ever-present.
Best Signing: Frank Lampard
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City’s recruitment last summer has been questioned, so picking a best isn't an easy job. With their net spend capped to £49 million by UEFA after receiving financial fair play sanctions, Pellegrini and Txiki Begiristain, the sporting director, had to work within a restricted budget.
They still spent big, though. Fernando arrived for £12 million and Eliaquim Mangala, his Porto team-mate, followed him to the Etihad for £32 million. With Willy Caballero signing for £4.4 million and Bacary Sagna arriving on a free transfer from Arsenal, City bolstered their title-winning side significantly.
It is somewhat odd, then, that the club’s most impressive addition was Frank Lampard, who arrived from Chelsea on a free transfer, initially until Christmas, but with his form so impressive, his move to new MLS franchise New York City FC was postponed so he could remain at the Etihad until the end of the season.
He was superb. In the first half of the season, he scored a series of vital goals, including the equaliser in City’s 1-1 draw with Lampard’s former club Chelsea. His vision, passing ability and technical quality brought calm to proceedings on a number of occasions.
Pellegrini used him superbly. He allowed him to play an advanced midfield role, where he thrives on arriving late in the box and scoring goals.
Few thought he would have such an impact but he made a huge impression in the space of one season.
Worst Signing: Fernando
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The jury remains out on a number of City’s acquisitions this season, but it’s perhaps Fernando who has the most to prove over the next 12 months.
His signing was seen as the key to a more tactically flexible side. He is an out-and-out defensive midfielder whose remit rarely stretches beyond screening the back four. This, it was felt, offered Pellegrini an option to play with a three-man central midfield in tough European matches, and also to allow Yaya Toure more freedom in a 4-2-3-1 system.
After a wonderful opening two games, though, Fernando’s form dipped. A lack of mobility harmed him most, but he also appeared to struggle with the tactical side of the game, too often out of position and not contributing in the way he should.
However, there were signs in the final stages of the season of a player improving, one adapting to the physical side of the Premier League and understanding what is required. He needs to use that as a catalyst for a more consistent season starting in August.
Best Goal: David Silva vs. West Ham United (a)
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David Silva's tally of 12 league goals this season represents the best of his career to date but few can match his beautiful goal at Upton Park in October.
He picked the ball up on the right-hand side of the pitch, cut inside and beat three players before unleashing an unstoppable, curling shot into the bottom corner of the net, leaving Adrian in the West Ham goal helpless.
It was a wonderful moment of ingenuity and artistry that lit up an otherwise poor performance by City.
Best Individual Performance: Joe Hart vs. Barcelona (a)
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City were thoroughly outplayed by Barcelona at the Camp Nou in March, but they lost by the narrowest of margins thanks to a quite brilliant display from Joe Hart in goal.
It turned into a personal duel between the England No. 1 and Lionel Messi, who had underlined his credentials as the world’s best-ever player after a performance full of quality, but Hart continually denied him the goal his display arguably deserved.
Hart made a string of world-class saves and eclipsed his previous best showing in a City shirt, against Dortmund in 2012.
Most Improved Player: Joe Hart
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Indeed, it’s been a wonderful season for Hart who, after struggling for form last year, has returned to his best and is once again being talked out as one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League.
He deserves huge credit. When he was dropped last season after a series of high-profile and costly blunders, he had to spend six weeks on the sidelines. For a player who had cemented himself as City’s No. 1 since 2010, it wasn’t an easy situation.
But he has refocused and made improvements to his game, and there’s been a dramatic turnaround in fortunes. His brilliant, instinctive save from Federico Fernandez against Swansea City in the penultimate match of the season demonstrated everything good about Hart and was arguably the save of the season.
Biggest Disappointment: City's Record Against Lesser Sides
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There have been a number of disappointing aspects to City’s season, but their record against sides lower down the table must surely stick in Pellegrini's throat the most.
They dropped nine points to the three sides who were relegated at the end of the season. Given they finished eight points off champions Chelsea, it’s not difficult to see where improvements need to be made. Consistency and concentration against the lesser sides are hugely important and City, at present, cannot match Chelsea in those areas.
Best Team Performance: Roma 0-2 City
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City’s 2-0 win away at Roma in their final Champions League group match secured their last-16 place and demonstrated their ability to play patient, tactically-astute football on the European stage.
City have so often underwhelmed since entering the Champions League in 2011. Naivety and a lack of belief have caused them to struggle, and a lack of genuine interest and passion from their fans haven’t helped either. However, their win in Rome back in December was a wonderful display.
Samir Nasri’s goal—a superb strike out of seemingly nothing—opened the scoring, before Pablo Zabaleta sealed a comfortable win on a famous night.
It was exactly what City needed.
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