Manchester City Rumours: Manuel Pellegrini Loses Cool and Thiago Alcantara Eyed

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini lost his cool in the wake of his side’s surprise 4-1 loss to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, storming off during post-match media commitments.

As reported by John Cross of the Daily Mirror, the Chilean, usually so calm and collected, was annoyed by what he branded a “stupid” question from a reporter. But Pellegrini eventually returned to answer some more questions after it transpired he had endured something of an embarrassing moment.

“Manchester City boss Pellegrini stormed off when he was asked why it did not look as if he had lost his temper, headed the wrong way down a corridor and ended up in Tottenham’s Learning Zone which is a classroom built for local kids,” reported Cross in his piece. 

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Simon Peach of the Press Association suggested he was the man who prompted the bizarre walkout and offered a reason as to why Pellegrini may have been a little upset:

But on a more serious note, the performance from City was pretty shambolic. After starting the game with a swagger and marching into a one-goal lead, they surrendered under the weight of pressure from Spurs and caved in badly in the second half.

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Without Vincent Kompany and David Silva, the match was always going to be a tough one to negotiate for City, but the manner in which they crumbled in the second period will be a big concern moving forward.

Some of Pellegrini’s decisions did little to help the team too, including leaving Joe Hart on the bench.

As we can see here courtesy of Bleacher Report UK, it seems to be a common theme for the England international, but this time it cost City:

City have shown they are capable of great things this term but despite their obvious quality, still seem reliant on some key players.

Getting Hart, Kompany and Silva back in the side will be a major boost for Pellegrini moving forward, and as new signings continue their integration, in the weeks to come, City will be better prepared to cope in their absence.

City Chase Thiago Alcantara

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Manchester City are reportedly keen on signing Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago Alcantara, as they make contingency plans in case the club miss out on Juventus star Paul Pogba.

That’s according to Steve Morgan of the Daily Star, who writes that sporting director Txiki Begiristain is a “confirmed fan” of the ex-Barcelona playmaker.

It’s suggested in the piece that City are looking at Thiago as an alternative to Pogba and “know Bayern would listen to decent offers” for the Spain international.

Here’s a look at the kind of qualities he would bring to the Etihad Stadium:

In a game like Spurs away, someone like Thiago would have been perfect for City. Although Pellegrini’s side have the power of players like Yaya Toure and Fernandinho in the middle of the park, they do lack a midfielder who can get his foot on the ball and manage the pace of a match from a deeper position.

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Thiago can do that and after some harsh luck with injuries at Bayern since his transfer from Barcelona in July 2013, is beginning to do so on a regular basis for the German champions.

As we can see here courtesy of the Bayern Twitter feed, he seems pretty pleased with life in Bavaria too:

Thiago, 24, would be a major coup for City and a player who would add so much to their play in the middle of the park. He’s young, technically brilliant and has the cerebral attributes to run football matches with panache. But it’s tough to see Bayern letting a player of his talent go.

Indeed, a midfield trio of Thiago, Arturo Vidal and Xabi Alonso looks formidable on paper and you can bet Bayern manager Pep Guardiola will be desperate to see those three flourish.

Given Thiago is the man most likely to be a mainstay in this area of the field, Bayern sanctioning a sale would be a major surprise at this juncture.