Keen to avoid overspending, with the Financial Fair Play measures taking effect, reigning champions Manchester City have been understandably frugal in the transfer market. It took a £32 million Eliaquim Mangala, the third biggest deal in their history, to rake up their expenditure to £49 million, the UEFA-imposed limit.
Nonetheless, their investments were tactically shrewd, the prerogative of it being utility. Crammed as they are of attackers and creators, they needn’t have bolstered their frontline. But their defence was showing signs of creaking, and manager Manuel Pellegrini shipped in Frenchman Mangala, who will look to forge a stable association with Vincent Kompany. Despite the indomitable Belgian, there were times when they had looked vulnerable. And with age stripping Martin Demichelis of his pace, Mangala’s entry should shore up City’s title retention bid.
They also acquired Bacary Sanga from Arsenal — a free transfer — to lend further depth to the backline. Though prone to occasional clumsiness, Sagna can play every position.
Another player of high work-rate is midfielder Fernando, whom they snared from Porto, and who they believe can give more combativeness to the midfield. In Porto, he was nicknamed the ‘Octopus’ for his remarkable energy level. “I’m not a guy who goes for the limelight. I prefer to work for the team on and off the pitch,” he explanied his role.
Moreover, seven years at Porto has stuffed him with sufficient Champions League exposure, which City would look to harness in their quest for European glory. It is with this intention that they loaned out Frank Lampard from MLS side New York City. At 36, he might not be as mobile as he had been with Chelsea, but he is a battle-hardened Champions League veteran, and his experience, Pellegrini believes, could be vital. “He knows we have a very good team, we have a lot of players in his position. He is one more. We have a lot of games particularly with the Champions League, so he’s very important for our team,” says the Chilean.
But Pellegrini’s task, now that he has landed them the league title in his very first year, is getting only arduous. Should he retain it, he would be just the third manager to accomplish the feat after Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho in the PL era. And his rivals have only sharpened their squads, especially Chelsea, the bookmakers’ favourite. As much pressure will be on him to deliver in Europe. Last year, he guided City, for the first time, to the knockout stage. This year, he will have to steer them further, at least the semifinals, so as to be not bombarded with questions on City’s sustained underachievement in the Champions League.
A squad comprising Yaya Toure, Sergio Agüero, David Silva, Kompany, Fernandinho, Pablo Zabaleta, Joe Hart, Samir Nasri, Edin Dzeko and Álvaro Negredo among others has the quality to match the best in Europe, but whether they achieve that will be crucial to Pellegrini’s longevity in City.
Plagued by injuries and World Cup fatigue, the prelude to the season was a mixed haul, as they lost to Arsenal and Dundee FC while scoring comprehensive wins over Hearts, AC Milan and Sporting Kansas City. “Pre-season isn’t really a time any player likes. There’s not much of a break after a World Cup. You need a rest but on the other hand, it doesn’t take you too much time to get back in the swing of things. It’s all behind us now and we are focusing on the new season. It was very competitive last year and I’m sure it will be close again. It’s down to us to go out there and show we are the [ones to] beat,” feels James Milner. And they are the ones to beat, at least in the whole of England.