After a curious case of stage fright in Madrid, it became more obvious than ever why Man City’s dugout is to undergo a charisma upgrade this summer
The exit is near for Manuel Pellegrini at Manchester City
But as Manchester City ensured that the Manuel Pellegrini era will end on a flat note after a curious case of stage fright here in Madrid’s great bullring, it became more obvious than ever why City’s dugout is to undergo a charisma upgrade this summer.
Because at least a Pep Guardiola side would have turned up for a Champions League semi-final. At least they would have had belief, at least they would have considered one of the biggest matches of their lives as reason to have a go.
Despite the breakthrough nature of City’s European run, they remain a team in need of an identity – especially when playing at this level.
In pictures - Real Madrid 1-0 Manchester City:
Nobody is yet sure what sort of team City are supposed to be.
This was a City team which never fancied itself to out-football Real in the Bernabeu but didn’t possess the sheer defensive will of an Atletico, or a Leicester, either.
There was a lot of uncharacteristic route-one stuff here, with City’s two world-class forward players, Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne unable to dine on scraps.
Guardiola, whose Bayern side lost an epic to Atletico the previous night, will now be sharpening his mind about all things City, in readiness for the July 1 handover.
He will be tasked with winning this competition and will have been heartened that City have finally had a decent stab at it.
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Action Images via Reuters / Carl Recine
He’s there but somehow he isn’t there, Pellegrini. It’s as if automatic doors wouldn’t open for him.
Pellegrini had targeted this competition unashamedly this season, tossing off the FA Cup by sending out a team of kids at Chelsea and risking City’s top-four berth with a pick-and-mix line-up at Southampton on Sunday.
Yet he didn’t possess the wit to outdo Real. For the vast majority of this tie, City were doing little more than hanging on in there.
Gareth Bale’s goal had an element of fortune, a cross-shot which was deflected in by Fernandinho, but when Pellegrini claimed that Real were ‘lucky’ victors, he was a man in denial.
City possessed nobody with the visionary pinging ability of Luka Modric, nor the effervescence of Bale.
Defensively, they coped well with the early loss of injury-prone skipper Vinny Kompany.
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Toure is unlikely to feature under Guardiola and City will look very different in personnel and in style next term.
Their quarter-final victory over Paris St Germain had seemed significant, yet there was nothing in three hours of football against Real to suggest they had the requisite self-belief to win this tie.
They didn’t quite feel as though they belonged, somehow. They boo the Champions League anthem at the Etihad. At Real, the ten-time champions, many fans have the tune set as their ringtones. This competition is their manor.
Providing Pellegrini’s men can limp over the line in fourth, Guardiola’s challenge will be to end the utter domination of European competitions by clubs from his homeland.
The last four European finals have been won by Spanish clubs, Atletico will face Real in the Champions League final for the second time in three years, while Villarreal and Seville are in pole position to contest an all-Spanish Europa League final too.
Guardiola will be swimming against the tide and he will need to inspire City in a way Pellegrini never could.
CREDIT TO:http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/man-city-must-look-forward-7899866
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