Man City's Display at Swansea Further Evidence They Desperately Need Change

The curtain came down on Manuel Pellegrini’s tenure at Manchester City in unspectacular fashion with a 1-1 draw at Swansea City.

His side lacked cohesion and quality, but their point was enough to secure the fourth spot and, with it, UEFA Champions League football for next season—the minimum requirement for a side with as much quality as City.

A wave of relief washed over the away fans at the final whistle—relief, of course, that their top-four place was confirmed, but also relief that the season was over. It had dragged on in frustrating fashion, with City limping toward the finish line, their frailties exposed time and again.

City's squad is too old to compete for multiple titles, and the performance against Swansea, which was defined by its lethargy and insipidness, was further evidence of that.

There was also relief that Pellegrini’s time in charge had come to an end. It’s been a mixed three years that included some wonderful highs in the first season and an impressive Champions League performance this year. However, it had to end, with City desperately in need of a new direction.

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There can be no hiding place for Pellegrini. His last Premier League campaign in charge of the club has been nothing short of a disaster. City's final tally of 66 points and 71 goals is way below what is expected, and it's a step down from what they managed in the Chilean’s first season in charge.

That glorious debut campaign saw the club’s first league-and-cup double secured in style. Pellegrini took a dispirited, fractured squad and turned them into winners again.

The harmony that had dissipated in Roberto Mancini’s final year in charge was re-established, and City played with a freedom and quality that surpassed anything produced under the charismatic Italian. It was the progress the club craved.

They scored 156 goals in all competitions, including 102 in the Premier League alone, and won the title with 86 points. They tore teams apart ruthlessly in brilliantly entertaining fashion.

The following season saw them level on points with Chelsea at the halfway stage, only to fall away sharply after the turn of the year. Their demise isn’t recent, and it can’t be attributed to the announcement in February that Pep Guardiola will be taking charge this summer—it’s been an 18-month reversal in fortunes that needed halting.

Pellegrini shouldn’t take all the blame. Modern football is far too all-encompassing for one man to oversee everything. Recruitment hasn’t been good enough, something he only has a small hand in, and the players, at times, have put on poor displays. The Chilean could only do so much, and he’s been let down by those around him.

The regression has been startling, though. Their run to this season’s Champions League semi-final was a serious improvement on anything they had managed in Europe in recent seasons and will stand them in good stead ahead of the Guardiola era—but domestically, they've been poor for some time.

There were emotional scenes at the end, as Pellegrini threw his club jacket into the crowd as they sang his name. It was the send-off he deserved, but the club can now look forward to a new era. Guardiola will bring an intensity to the training field that is likely to see City improve drastically.

“It is a very special day,” Pellegrini said. “It is not easy to finish a cycle at this club where I work for three years very happy, where I always felt the support of the fans.

“I am very proud to manage this squad. Of course it’s a difficult day.

“It’s very important to finish with a squad in the Champions League.”

Their draw at Swansea highlighted everything that Guardiola will need to fix. The players slumped to the ground at the full-time whistle, exhausted and in need of re-energising. Their passing was slow and disjointed. Their defending lacked strength and resilience.

Pellegrini perhaps didn't get the credit he deserved for his early success at City—but no one can argue it isn't time for a change.

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