Manchester City's Dented Title Bid Puts Manuel Pellegrini Under Pressure

Manchester City are too often guilty of complacency. Their manager, Manuel Pellegrini, uses his Friday press conferences to remind his players the next game is the most important, an attempt, it seems, to remove any inertia that may creep in and damage his side’s chances of a win. Too often, though, the evidence on the pitch suggests that message isn’t getting through.

Never has their complacency been quite as pronounced as it was at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday. There is no other way of dressing it up: City were awful—completely outplayed by a Stoke City side with far less quality at their disposal.

Stoke won 2-0—they could have scored five—with the manner of City’s performance both shocking and alarming.

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FT: @stokecity 2-0 City #mcfc succumb to defeat after poor display at the Britannia. #stokevcity pic.twitter.com/ebvQr9ucKd

— Manchester City FC (@MCFC) December 5, 2015"

The supporters are once again questioning Pellegrini. This game, let’s not forget, comes soon after an embarrassing 4-1 defeat at home to Liverpool, in which Jurgen Klopp’s side completely dominated from start to finish, swarming City in order to win the ball back and punishing them with ruthlessly efficient football when they had possession. Stoke, who started the day 12th, did something similar.

This was City’s fourth league defeat of the season, with their title challenge badly shaken.

Their passing was loose and lethargic. Stoke were quicker to every ball. Right across the pitch, it was those wearing red-and-white stripes who looked sharper, more inventive and, perhaps most worryingly, more organised. When Pellegrini’s City aren’t at their best, they tend to be absolutely awful, and this was another example of them capitulating in disturbing fashion.

City sacked Mark Hughes almost six years ago to the day. The club were right to do so, but even during his reign, which was a disaster, there weren’t many performances as bad as this.

Alex Livesey/Getty Images

The ease with which Stoke were cutting through City’s back four was remarkable. Xherdan Shaqiri produced four or five through balls to Marko Arnautovic that just far too easily reached their target. Fernando, whose renaissance has halted, was left flummoxed each time. Indeed, it was the Shaqiri-Arnautovic combination that provided both Stoke goals, with City unable to do anything to stop them.

Wilfried Bony, a £25 million signing last January, was a bystander. Martin Demichelis and Nicolas Otamendi were too easy to play through. Raheem Sterling looked overawed, but he is only 20 and has so far shown signs of quality. 

Pellegrini took Fernandinho off in the second half in an attempt to find a solution, a move that was derided by the away fans who sang the Brazilian’s name as he sat down. He’s been their best player this season by some distance—the one player they can rely on to add energy and dynamism, no matter what the situation of a game. It was an odd move.

In isolation, this result could be marked down as a disappointing anomaly, but filed alongside heavy defeats to Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, as well as the disappointing draw with an Aston Villa side cut adrift at the bottom of the table, and it suddenly becomes a huge concern.

Yes, City have suffered more injuries than any other Premier League team, often to their most important stars, but they are in danger of surrendering their place in the title race too easily.

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Pellegrini concerned by lack of cohesion in disjointed @mcfc display Boss reaction: https://t.co/7IYMwMxL64 #mcfc pic.twitter.com/ZpO0Yslbrf

— Manchester City FC (@MCFC) December 5, 2015"

Pep Guardiola, the Bayern Munich manager, will surely be targeted in the summer when his contract at the Allianz Arena draws to a close. It would be the perfect match between a manager and club whose principles align beautifully.

Until then, though, City are likely to stick with Pellegrini. He’s respected and well-liked in the boardroom. But a feeling persists he too often undermines his own position with bizarre team selections and tactical stubbornness. 

A record of one win in four Premier League games has seen City's title bid stutter and Pellegrini's position called into question. It seems unlikley at this stage that the Chilean will be in the dugout beyond the summer.

PAUL ELLIS/Getty Images

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2015/16 season. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @RobPollard_.