Cool Pellegrini needs Barcelona KO to rescue his Man City future
LONDON --
Interesting as it was to see him opening up, there were no startling revelations, but he did speak of how the lack of emotion is a policy, of how when he first began his coaching career quarter of a century ago, he would get into fistfights with players, of how he decided a manager had to project a sense of control. Only once in England, after the 2-0 home defeat to Barcelona in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 last season, has he snapped and berated a referee: He speaks now of his regret and how wrong he was to have done so. On Saturday, even, when Pablo Zabaleta was denied a late penalty that might have forced an equalizer against Burnley, he declined to criticize the officials.
On one point, though, he is adamant. Despite all the expectation, all the rumors that have circulated as City's form has stuttered, Pellegrini seems certain he is not facing the sack. "That's an external perception, which is totally different to how it's seen on the inside," he said.
The cynic may wonder why, after two years of silence, he's given the interview now, whether it may not be an attempt to bolster his position -- although if it is, it's surely too little too late -- but his explanation does strike a chord. "This is an absolutely solid project, carried out the right way," he said. "I've never felt that if I don't win I'm out."
After all, part of the reason Pellegrini was brought in by the chief executive Ferran Soriano and the director of football Txiki Begiristain was precisely his calmness. After the turbulent reign of Roberto Mancini, there was a desire for tranquility, for somebody who could bring a sense of dignity. Off the pitch at least, Pellegrini has done just what was asked of him. Last season, he did it on the pitch as well, at least domestically, winning the Capital One League Cup and the Premier League with a brand of football that was, at times, extremely good to watch.
When Mancini was sacked, City spoke of the desire for a "holistic" approach. Pellegrini was a perfect fit, but it remains to be seen whether that will save him after a season of what looks like being failure. City lies six points behind Chelsea in the league, having played a game more, could in theory overhaul it but, realistically, the only way to save the season is to overturn a 2-1 first-leg deficit in the Champions League against Barcelona on Wednesday. For all his protestations, this feels like Pellegrini's last chance.
Finishing second in the league and being knocked out of the Champions League by Barcelona perhaps wouldn't in itself be disastrous, but it's the manner of the failure that is significant. Aside from the six weeks before Christmas, City has never found a rhythm this season. This has felt a lot like Mancini's last season when, after winning the league, his players seemed to lose appetite and energy. In some ways it's not surprising; these are, after all, largely the same players, which says much about the failures of City's recruitment (as many of nine of the players who played in City's first Champions League tie, in September 2011, could start on Wednesday).
And Pellegrini too must take some of the blame, particularly for that first leg defeat to Barcelona. Last season, he had been criticized for being overly negative at home against Barca. This time he fielded an astonishingly open 4-4-2. Perhaps the use of two strikes was justified, but in the middle of midfield James Milner and Fernando were overwhelmed. Only after Fernandinho had come on to give City three central midfielders did the fight-back begin.
That second-half surge -- which was ended by Gael Clichy's red card -- offers City some hope. While it remains capable of stunning football and rapid-fire exchanges of passes, this is not the Barcelona of four years ago and it does have defensive vulnerabilities. So too does Lionel Messi's last-minute penalty miss, having to win by three would have been another level of impossible.
But given how City has underwhelmed so consistently in Europe, the chances of reaching the last eight for the first time are minuscule. The more pertinent question seems less whether it will go through than what impact an exit will have on Pellegrini's future.
