Time to Revive the Squad at Manchester City

This is a guest post by R Bharathramm.

Much better things were expected from Manchester City last season after they won the Premier League title in Manuel Pellegrini’s first season in charge. However, the season finished in a poor fashion after City looked like being capable of winning the title only for a couple of months towards the end of 2014. As rumours continue to grow about Pellegrini’s future at the club, players like Yaya Touré have had to shoulder the bulk of criticism. The trophyless campaign is expected to result in a big shakeup to the squad. Betfair backs City to bounce back from this disappointing campaign and win next season’s Premier League title at odds of 3/1.

There has been a huge debate surrounding Touré over the last few months and it is certainly justifiable. The Ivory Coast international was unstoppable during the 2013-14 season and he was a major reason behind the title success in Pellegrini’s debut campaign. However, he has fallen off the cliff substantially last season. For much parts of the last campaign, Touré was a shadow of himself and even had to be carried by his teammates in a few matches.

Touré contributed 20 goals directly and nine assists during the 2013-14 season. These statistics diminished significantly to 10 goals and just one assist for the last campaign. As the saying goes, form is temporary and class is permanent. It may not be long before Toure rediscovers his form and starts dominating matches as he once did. However, Premier League fans may not be able to witness the 32-year-old in full glory once again if the transfer rumours are anything to go by. After constant speculation over the last few months about an impending move to Inter Milan, Touré’s agent confirmed that his client intends to stay at the Etihad stadium.

The same has been confirmed by the player, who 12 months ago made a huge furore about the lack of birthday celebrations by City. Even though the Ivory Coast star remains one of the best players in the world, the club are unlikely to forget the past incidents. They may view selling the former Barcelona star as an ideal option given the off field controversies that his presence has created. At 32 years of age, he is unlikely to have any resale value even next summer. Touré still has two years left on the mammoth £220,000 per week contract.

Another player whose departure is almost certain is midfielder James Milner, whose contract expires in a few weeks. The England international has already begun talks with the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal over a free transfer, but it is understood that City have not still given up hope of agreeing a new deal. The reason behind City being prepared to do away with Milner, which appears to be the case since they have allowed the player to come close within a few weeks of contract expiry, remains unclear. His importance will only grow with the Premier League being keen on increasing the home-grown quota of players required in a squad.

Pellegrini is unlikely to worry much if City managed to bring in Raheem Sterling as Milner’s replacement. If Sterling can wreck a lot of havoc in a team that could only finish sixth in the table, there is little doubt that the 20-year-old can be extremely good in a team that contains the likes of David Silva and the league’s top scorer Sergio Aguero.

One of the primary reasons behind Milner’s departure may be the average age of the squad, which has risen incredibly since the arrival of Pellegrini. Only two players – Eliaquim Mangala and Dedryck Boyata – from the first team are below the age of 25. Key players like Vincent Kompany, Yaya Touré, and Pablo Zabaleta are fast moving beyond their best years. Hence, there is a real urgency to bring in some young names and this could start with the signing of Sterling.

As UEFA relax their rules regarding FFP, City will be hoping to flex their muscles after a few years of trying to become self-sufficient. The ageing squad also needs to be reworked with a view of winning the Champions League. Ever since taking over, the Abu Dhabi owners have made it a priority to do well in this competition. This is easier said than done, as this European competition has been dominated by a select few clubs in recent years. Barcelona have been one among them and they are favourites to lift the title in the 2015 final against Juventus. Betfair backs the Spanish club at 4/11 to win the fifth Champions League title in their history. Armed with a fully fit Sergio Aguero, City will at least be hoping for a semi-final or final appearance next season.

This is a guest post by R Bharathramm.