Manuel Pellegrini has defended Manchester City’s season, despite his team being knocked out of the Champions League by Barcelona in the last 16 on Wednesday and trailing in their defence of the Premier League title.
The 3-1 aggregate defeat to Barcelona means City will end the campaign trophyless if they are unable to claw back the six points to Chelsea – who have a match in hand – in their nine remaining games.
“Second position [the] whole year I don’t think is a disaster,” the manager said. “We are not in eighth, ninth or 10th. Only Chelsea has done better than our team. We try to play the best nine games in our best performance so we don’t depend on what Chelsea will do. We will try at least to keep second position and pressure Chelsea in the next nine games.”
Pellegrini’s position is under scrutiny but the Chilean brushed off the suggestion this might be a distraction. “I will not answer about that,” he said. “What happens in the future is for me exactly the same. Everyone can say what they want to say or what think will happen. The most important thing for me is to work in the same way we are doing because I think we are doing well.
“I think it was a very good year last year to win two titles. Maybe other people don’t think how difficult it can be to do it because in England we have very strong teams in every year. It is not easy to make a double. This year all of us want to win the title. I don’t think it is possible to do it but I think it is possible to fight to the end.”
Pellegrini is clear he is still content in the job. “Of course,” the Chilean said. “Every day I enjoy it. If you cannot enjoy playing Champions League against Barcelona, fighting for title in the Premier League, being with this team, being in best league in world, if you don’t enjoy it, you must see a doctor.”
Asked if he was angry at the exit from the European Cup, Pellegrini said: “Maybe if we are out of the Champions League against another team and they beat us, we are more frustrated than against Barcelona. That doesn’t mean in the future you shouldn’t try to reach that level but I do think the club in five or six years is starting to grow in every sense. If Barcelona eliminate you, it is not the end of the project and that is the way to think.”
For West Bromwich Albion’s visit to the Etihad Stadium Yaya Touré and James Milner are unavailable and Aleksandar Kolarov is a doubt. “We have three small problems,” Pellegrini said. “Yaya has a problem in his achilles tendon so he will not play. Kolarov and Milner it is not good for both of them; Aleks from a muscle problem that it is not good for him to repeat and Milner is playing the last month with an important kick in his knee so he will not be involved tomorrow.”
