da bet sport： Manuel Pellegrini’s wealth of experience will stand him in good stead when he takes over at Manchester City. The lack of trophies won’t matter, nor will his solitary season at a ‘big’ European club count against him in the Premier League – at least it shouldn’t. Manchester City, provided they take on a realistic approach in what they want from Pellegrini, could reap the rewards of one of Europe’s better managers in the game today.
da bet7： There is nothing not to like about the Chilean manager. He is the anti-Mourinho, persistent in his desire to steer clear of the eye of the storm and remain utterly dignified in his attitude to management. Manchester City, for their achievements with Roberto Mancini and his recent firing, do not want to hold themselves in the same line as Chelsea. Pellegrini won’t write headlines for the wrong reasons, accusing his counterparts of voyeurism, exposing club captains and declaring war on anyone who seeks to challenge him. Pellegrini is here for the football, and that should be the biggest headline.
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Manchester City need to regroup and rediscover the level of football they reached during their title-winning season. Under Pellegrini, the emphasis will be on players like David Silva and, should he arrive, Isco. The biggest breakthrough this coming season, however, will be in taking Sergio Aguero back to the top as the team’s premier striker.
And success is almost guaranteed under Pellegrini on this front. He has a sensational record of getting the best out of his players, overcoming obstacles and delivering aesthetically pleasing football. His teams at Villarreal and Malaga were built around small schemers, excellent technicians in the midfield just ahead of a robust central midfielder or midfield pairing. Mancini must be wondering what he had to do to get Fernandinho last summer; under Pellegrini, the soon-to-arrive Shakhtar player will be City’s Jeremy Toulalan, their Marcos Senna: the undeniable and necessary balance to the flair forwards.
If this is a project Manchester City are serious about, Pellegrini will deliver success on numerous fronts. The most obvious goal is to reclaim the Premier League title and justifying the incredible outlay by the club over the years; many have been quick to question whether Fernandinho is worth the reported £34 million. Manchester City will also need to become a force in Europe, doing away with the tag of disappointment from their two recent ventures into the Champions League. Pellegrini has a phenomenal record in UEFA’s premier club competition. Some will look to Real Madrid, but that short spell does little to discredit the fine work put in with Villarreal: the excellent football on display at El Madrigal, the Champions League semifinal. It’s difficult to forget Malaga’s fairy tale adventure last season, and there is almost a certainty that Pellegrini will pull off something equally spectacular with a club and squad who dwarf Malaga on every front.
One of the biggest successes, though, could be Pellegrini’s promotion of youth players. Again, if City are serious and look past the somewhat idiotic notion that all managerial appointments work in cycles of two or three years, they’ll see a rediscovery of the youth system at the club. For all their wealth and ability in the market, the goal should still be to bring through academy players. John Guidetti is a name who could benefit greatly from Pellegrini’s presence at the club.
The media in England might find some disappointment in Pellegrini, as the manager will do little to feed their appetite for a controversial story. But that’s exactly what City will want. The club will be represented by one of Europe’s classiest and most likeable managers. Pellegrini won’t plant battles with his players in interviews and he most certainly won’t lose or create divisions within the dressing room. There will be some who won’t easily forget the short spell with Real Madrid, but that was a project that was never truly Pellegrini’s, and City should learn a lot from the lack of control the manager had at the Bernabeu. It’s been said that if Jose Mourinho had not been available following his single season at Inter, Pellegrini would likely have stayed on. Barcelona, too, are not oblivious to the Chilean’s credentials, singling him out as a possible replacement for Tito Vilanova should his health continue to play a factor in his management at the Camp Nou.
Pellegrini has a history of overachieving, doing so much more than what is expected of him. Martin Demichelis was a player reborn at Malaga, Borja Valero’s career was turned around completely at Villarreal, and Joaquin experienced his best years in Spanish football under Pellegrini at Malaga.
Pellegrini finally gets the reward he’s been deserving of: a very real opportunity at silverware in European football. There’s absolutely no doubt that Manchester City have made one of the best managerial appointments of the summer.
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