Football News: Manchester City Season Review

Image from: bitterwallet.com

How can second place in the Premier League be so disappointing, but disappointing it was, as Manchester City lurched over the finish line in second, fighting off a challenge just to avoid dropping to 4th.

Last season's title triumph seems a long way off now, with Manual Pellegrini looking completely out of his depth after seeming so assured up until Citeh's season disintegrated.

At times Man City still looked like a title challenger, playing some of the best football in the Prem when on song, the issue was that they very rarely hit their stride and played like a team.

Yaya Toure was particularly conspicuous in his attitude, which saw him spend most of the season strolling around barely breaking sweat, as opposition midfield runners were left to do what they want while he watched from up field.

Clearly Toure was a man looking to leave, still sulking after Birthday Cakegate last year, when his attempts to get a summer transfer (and a big signing bonus in his pocket) came to nothing.

He was not the only culprit though, very few players were at their best for City over the course of the season, only Milner seemed like a player who cared and yet he was not a first choice for the team.

Worst of all the culprits was Pellegrini himself, he just looked like he had no clue what he was doing, he ideas of how to change things, nor to know how to get the best out of the players at his disposal.

He seemed afraid to drop Yaya, despite him being consistently awful and barely breaking sweat, but also afraid to change the system to make up for Toure's poor attitude, by altering the system to give the defence the protection they lacked.

The saddest thing of all is that the huge investment in players already made has been badly spent, on players that are going to return very little, with Milner going on a free, Toure's wages meaning they will struggle to find a taker who will pay.

City's squad needs a major overhaul and a manager who is capable of making the changes necessary to get the best out of their players if they are to have a lasting challenge for the title next season.

That is not even mentioning their consistently abject European showings, which show no signs of improving any time soon.

Written by Tris Burke May 26 2015 08:24:33