Once again Manchester City have become champions of England. Congratulations to them and their manager Manuel Pellegrini, who has secured his first league title in Europe.

The Chilean manager has gone about his job with a slight smile to his face, full of concentration and hasn’t needed to resort to mind games.

A few times during the campaign both Chelsea’s Jose Mourinho and Liverpool’s Brendan Rodgers would take aim at Pellegrini’s City squad stating that all the pressure was on them, that they were the favourites and that they had spent all the cash.

But to his credit Pellegrini didn’t raise to the bait. He just kept going about his own business.

Many suggested right at the start of the season that Man City had to be seen as favourites as they had the better squad. But it wasn’t a unanimous belief with some thinking Jose would be the difference maker, others believing that Man United were automatically favourites as they were the current champions and then in the closing months Liverpool were in there with a big shout as they looked unstoppable. But City will come through in the end, through hard work and determination.

In the past eighteen months the people that run Man City could see that changes needed to be made if they were to secure another Premier League trophy. The bad apples and unsettling influences at the club had to be cut off. Mario Balotelli was sold back to Italy, Carlos Tevez was also shipped out to Serie A and self obsessed boss Roberto Mancini was sacked.

The team then brought in the well mannered and well respected South American coach. His calming, instructive influence has help the side become more harmonious and together as one entity.

Certain pundits and opposing fans will say that Liverpool were the best team to watch and they deserved the title more. Others will believe that Mourinho’s Chelsea had the better of all their rivals and so they merited the tag of champions.

But at the end of the day City gained eighty-six points, two more than their nearest rivals. Now that consistency was better than everyone else this season and that’s what champions are judged on.

A lot has also been made of Liverpool’s phenomenal goal tally this season. But Man City scored 102 goals, one more the the ‘Reds’ of Merseyside. The big difference between the two sides is that City as well as scoring goals around the same as Liverpool the conceded far less.

This season Chelsea didn’t get enough goals, even though they had a sound defence. Liverpool scored a barrel load but couldn’t keep enough clean sheets. Whereas City had the best of both worlds.

Again Pellegrini should take credit for this. I mentioned how he didn’t entertain joining his rival bosses in a spot of mind games but he wasn’t adverse to doing it within his own squad. When he dropped Joe Hart earlier in the campaign he did it knowing it was a kick up the backside that the England keeper needed! It worked.

Too many seem to forget that Manchester City also won the League Cup this term as well. To do a double in his first season is a fantastic achievement. The sixty year old also got the squad making progress in Europe. He must have met most if not all of the targets he was set by the clubs owners.

I think most people wanted either Jose or Liverpool to take the title. They make more headlines than Pellegrini does and with that the media prefer them too. But we can’t just brush this sides accomplishments under the carpet just because the manager is a bit quiet and the squad are now well behaved and disciplined.

Make no mistake Manchester City deserved this title and no one will remember the runners up or the little horse that finished in third.

Posted on May 12th, 2014 by scott
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