Vincent Kompany believes there is no reason to be disappointed with Manchester City's season.
Pep Guardiola's champions trail Liverpool by 14 points having played a game more, making a third successive title unlikely. They are well-placed to make the final of the league cup and are safely into the fourth round of the FA Cup but must overcome La Liga giants Real Madrid if they are to progress beyond the last-16 of the Champions League, a competition that has not been kind to them.
City's former captain, celebrated on Sunday evening at a Football Writers' Association dinner, is confident the future is bright for the Blues - especially with Guardiola at the helm - as they build for the seasons to come. And he also does not think people should be writing off their season just yet or focusing primarily on the league.
"They have Pep and no matter what, Pep is the right guy," he said.
"You never say over with City. It isn't in the hands of City and that is unfortunate but there is so much to look forward to.
"When you look how they have been performing in cups and the Champions League is still a massive target for the club, there is no reason to be disappointed about the season at this stage.
"It is an experienced team and they don't have to prove anything to anyone. They have done it, they know what it takes. It isn't about one season, it is about an era, a period of time."
