Man City's Embarrassing Defeat to Southampton Leaves Players Facing the Exit

This wasn’t just a defeat or a setback to Manchester City’s top-four ambitions—it was yet another example of Manuel Pellegrini’s side getting torn to shreds in embarrassing fashion.

Tottenham Hotspur have done it. Liverpool have done it twice. Stoke City did it. You can now add Southampton to the list of sides who have comprehensively dismantled this City team and left their fans wondering just how much work it will take in this summer’s transfer window to return them to their best.

The 4-2 scoreline flattered City. Only Kelechi Iheanacho’s instincts inside the area gave their supporters anything to cheer, and even that is tempered by his gross misuse this season.

The 19-year-old is a nailed-on star, but Pellegrini, for whatever reason, has used him sparingly. Thirteen goals in 1,033 minutes of football—one every 79 minutes—is a fine record, yet he has found himself behind the hapless Wilfried Bony for large chunks of the campaign.

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STAT ATTACK | The numbers from #saintsvcity. #mcfc pic.twitter.com/TVspMdVorz

— Manchester City FC (@MCFC) May 1, 2016"

Where does one start with an autopsy? City were a shambles from the first minute, when Dusan Tadic turned Pablo Zabaleta inside out and created an opening. The 31-year-old never recovered. The club’s most loved player has suffered a spectacular collapse this season and, surely, his days as a Premier League defender are over.

An ambassadorial role awaits the Argentinian at some point in the future, but his top-level playing days appear to have gone. Pep Guardiola will want youth and energy at full-back when he takes over in the summer. Zabaleta doesn’t fit the mould.

Their centre-halves, Nicolas Otamendi, £28 million, and Eliaquim Mangala, £42 million, were a shambles. Wrong side from corners and throw-ins, a lack of concentration that allowed Southampton’s forwards to run off them too easily—it was a performance that would have made Titus Bramble and Jean-Alain Boumsong blush.

And the less said about Aleksandar Kolarov the better. His was perhaps the worst performance of the lot.

His defending for Southampton’s second was particularly galling, allowing Sadio Mane to run off him as he jogged back into position, seemingly unperturbed by the risk of another goal. His future at the club is under severe threat.

BEN STANSALL/Getty Images

In front of them, with the obvious exception of Iheanacho, there was little excitement. Raheem Sterling’s confidence looks shot, with injuries and a loss of form impacting his performance level. Fabian Delph had his worst game for the club. The writing has long since been on the wall for Bony’s City career—he isn’t good enough.

It leaves City facing the real threat of finishing outside of the top four. Manchester United are four points behind with a game in hand against sixth-placed West Ham United, who are one point further back. City’s game with Arsenal next weekend feels crucial.

How can it be that a side possessing such obvious quality can falter so badly? This league was there for the taking—but City have rarely looked like taking it.

Leicester City have been superb and will be worthy champions, but for this City side to be 13 points behind them with two games remaining is staggering.

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Keep your head up and keep fighting until the very end! #MondayMotivation #mcfc pic.twitter.com/OinLUT6SfF

— Manchester City FC (@MCFC) May 2, 2016"

Pellegrini must take his fair share of the blame. Yes, the recruitment, led by Txiki Begiristain, hasn't been good enough, and, yes, his players have inexplicably underperformed at times—but the lack of focus in the squad does not reflect well on their departing manager.

His excuse that the scheduling of his side's fixtures rang hollow. City face Real Madrid on Wednesday, with Pellegrini keen to bring the game with Southampton forward to the Saturday to give them extra time to prepare. The Premier League were unwilling.

Pellegrini says he would have made the same raft of changes again because the game with Madrid is his priority.

“We knew before the game it was a risk to put so many players without football against a difficult team, but have to take those risks because we have an important game on Wednesday," he said.

“Maybe if we had played on Saturday we could put more players in, but it was a risk.

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Good afternoon from Madrid!

Not a great result yesterday but Wednesday will be better! #realvcity #mcfc pic.twitter.com/GKNGQFtjgA

— Manchester City FC (@MCFC) May 2, 2016"

"I would do exactly the same again because we have an important game on Wednesday that we play now for the final in the Champions League. We continue in the Premier League what we are going to do in the next two games to be in the top four so that was a risk, but one we also had to take."

He added: “I’m very disappointed especially in the defending because we were doing well in the other games."

Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

It was hardly ideal preparation for Wednesday's game in Madrid. City stand on the brink of a first UEFA Champions League final, yet they had players at St. Mary's who should have been fighting to be involved who couldn't be bothered to track their men, and their futures at the club are in serious doubt.

Those who suggest Guardiola only takes on easy jobs need to reassess that view.

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.