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Manuel Pellegrini undervalued at City - Martin Demichelis

Last updated on .From the section Footballcomments203

Pep Guardiola and Manuel Pellegrini
Pep Guardiola (left) won three league titles with each of Barcelona and Bayern Munich

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola's first season in English football shows how his predecessor Manuel Pellegrini was under-estimated, says former City defender Martin Demichelis.

Guardiola appears set to finish a season without a trophy for the first time in his managerial career.

"You only have to look at City today to see nothing comes very easily even with a fantastic coach," Demichelis said.

"As time goes on everyone will value the work that Manuel Pellegrini did."

Pellegrini won the Premier League and League Cup in his first season at the club after joining from Malaga in June 2013.

He finished second behind Chelsea the following year and guided City to the Champions League semi-finals in his final campaign before his contract expired in the summer of 2016.

"As a foreign coach in his first season in the Premier League to win the title, naturally made him an important reference," Demichelis, who also played under Pellegrini at River Plate and Malaga, told the World Football Show on BBC World Service.

With his team 11 points behind league leaders Chelsea with six games remaining, Guardiola is highly unlikely to replicate that feat.

Beaten in Sunday's FA Cup semi-final by Arsenal, eliminated in the Champions League last 16 by Monaco and knocked out of the League Cup by rivals Manchester United, it seems that City's season is going to fall short of the Spaniard's own standards.

Martin Demichelis and Manuel Pellegrini
Demichelis (left) is back at Malaga after a spell at Espanyol

City would drop out of the Premier League top four if they lose to United in Thursday's derby at the Etihad Stadium.

"No silverware - it will not be a good season," Guardiola said in March. "I knew that in August. Being a manager depends on results.

"I know what my standard was in the past and I know what is on my shoulders. I have to handle that."

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203 comments

  • Comment posted by Pragmatist, at 12:38 27 Apr 2017

    The powers that be at city wanted Guardiola because he was a bigger name. What happened to Pellegrini was nothing short of disrespectful and highlights modern football's lack of loyalty and soul.

  • Comment posted by D1690212849898, at 12:38 27 Apr 2017

    Pellegrini is a gent, a top manager, and always showed class. The ability to lure Pep blindsided the bosses to this by the look of things. The grass aint always greener.

  • Comment posted by G, at 13:11 27 Apr 2017

    Absurdly, in Pellegrini's first season he won the Premier league and League Cup, yet Brendan Rogers was awarded Manager of the Year for finishing second and winning nothing!!

  • Comment posted by Remember when football was about the goals, at 12:38 27 Apr 2017

    theyve become everything they hate about man utd...

  • Comment posted by OmNom, at 13:05 27 Apr 2017

    "17. Posted by Foreverinourshadow: How do you explain the likes of Mancini, Pellegrini, Conte winning the league in their first season then?"

    You forget Mourinho, who set the template by winning the league with Chelsea in his first season. He also set a points record (95) in that first season.

    Pep also failed at Bayern - he took a treble-winning side downwards, not coming close to the CL.

  • Comment posted by User0250957459, at 13:09 27 Apr 2017

    @ 22

    Totally agree. I actually have a lot of Bayern fans as friends (worked in Munich for 18 months) and they were glad to see the back of him. He completely dismantled the great Heynckes team and turned them from a blistering attacking force to his usual boring, ploddy style. Completely overrated manager in my opinion. He's been completely found out at City.

  • Comment posted by livingmercerway, at 13:11 27 Apr 2017

    Pellegrini also won a second EFL trophy last season - so THREE trophies in all.
    And a CL SEMI (worth recalling that one deflected goal won it for Real).
    City were the TOP scoring team in ALL of his three seasons as manager.

    'Tis indeed food for thought...

  • Comment posted by User0250957459, at 12:58 27 Apr 2017

    @ 10

    "I think Pep's lack of silverware in his first season says a lot more about the style of football and intensity than it does about his managerial pedigree"

    How do you explain the likes of Mancini, Pellegrini, Conte winning the league in their first season then? Mancini and Pellegrini did it with arguably a poorer squad than City currently have too. Pep has underachieved. Simple.

  • Comment posted by D1710786190612, at 13:14 27 Apr 2017

    City are a difficult club to manage, and that's down to the owners. Pellegrini did a great job that any manager would have been proud of, but the owners decided he had to go for a "Bigger" name. Birmingham did a similar thing this season and it hasnt worked out too well. City will spend a lot of money on players who can play the Pep way, but he still needs a plan B and a plan C to win the PL.

  • Comment posted by ThaiTim, at 16:32 27 Apr 2017

    Remember Pellegrini's last game,half the stadium emptied before he could say his goodbyes.A guy that won this small club a league title,a cup and took them to the semi final of Champions League.I was cringing for Pellegrini during his farewell speech.Shameful behavior from the City fans.For that reason I hope they're "dream" manager fails to even get them top 4.

  • Comment posted by davidinfrance, at 12:54 27 Apr 2017

    Totally agree with demichelis. Pellegrini didn't do much wrong and was a gent with it; he was ideal for building the new ManC "brand". Yet board had made up their minds on Guardiola who hasn't yet shown the decision was correct

  • Comment posted by ExKstand, at 12:37 27 Apr 2017

    Give Pep a contract extension.

  • Comment posted by D1679632138352, at 13:37 27 Apr 2017

    Previously Pep managed 2 teams who could not fail in their national leagues: Barca & Bayern. The EPL is a lot more competitive and he is feeling the heat now.

  • Comment posted by Iain, at 16:53 27 Apr 2017

    Guardiola has been found out. Simple as that.

  • Comment posted by User0995303059, at 13:49 27 Apr 2017

    Arrogant, overly-hyped foreigner arrives in England, determined to 'show the Premier League how to play football', and falls, comparatively, flat on his arse.

    It'd be rather pleasing in the current climate if it wasn't for the top 7 being managed by an Italian, an Argentinean, a German, a Spaniard, a Portuguese, a Frenchman and a Dutchman....

  • Comment posted by User0784610002, at 14:02 27 Apr 2017

    'Charming Man' Pellegrini was given short shrift from the board at City, under the circumstances of his departure, he acted impeccably and gained many admirers. Pep on the other hand is conceited and rigid in his plans, regardless of the outcome.

  • Comment posted by Nosferatu, at 13:37 27 Apr 2017

    Pep is now finding out what it means to manage in a tough league, where there's more than just a top 2. I admire his past achievements, however he was always going to struggle in the PL. This will be a short-lived dream for City + Pep. He will be sacked / leave at the end of the 17/18 season for the same reasons of this year. Pellegrini was under-rated, and @36 you're a blatant example of that

  • Comment posted by User0249812757, at 14:39 27 Apr 2017

    72. Ja0005

    How stupid are you?

    Utd have a trophy and still in europe and 1 place behind city

    but...

    All season the media have been on Utd & Mourinhos back whilst city/pep and lfc/klopp get away scott free in comparison

  • Comment posted by Sams Town, at 22:54 27 Apr 2017

    @149 Donald Trump

    Rubbish...Augero was very restrained after deliberate bad fouls from Fellaini

    Fellaini is a fouling headbutting thug...

    Got what he deserved.

  • Comment posted by Ben Fica, at 13:14 27 Apr 2017

    I guess it depends on what is the most important quality in a manager. As a Red Manc JM's greatest (only!) quality is his ability to succeed. He has no qualities as a person, witness his latest snide comments on his own injured players...cautious, cautious, cautious. "play I demand. Even if injuries get worse". MP was a dignified, instantly likeable person but City wanted a personality.

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