The last decade has seen Manchester City go through some incredible changes. The club has gone from mid table mediocrity to a side considered as regular title challengers.
This is all down to the club’s owner Sheik Mansour, who since 2008 has been bank rolling mass spending sprees that transformed the club completely.
During this time City have won two Premier League titles, one in the 14/15 season, when Liverpool infamously threw their lead away, and most notably in 2012/13 after that unforgettable Sergio Aguero goal.
However, for a side that has spent over £700million on players during that time, a crazy amount for any side, City are not in the position they should be and currently look as if they are stepping backwards.
This summer has highlighted this fact in particular, with manager Manuel Pellegrini completing some pretty average business thus far.
The squad at the Etihad has gotten dramatically weaker, with a number of first team players, including James Milner, Stevan Jovetic, Frank Lampard, Alvaro Negredo and Matija Nastasic, all departing on a permanent basis. Additionally, there are ongoing rumours that Edin Dzeko will also be joining the exodus.
Incomings at City have been affected by the side’s lack of home grown talent, too. The club were falling short of the required quota and needed to add several players that have been trained in England from a youth level.
Raheem Sterling, Fabian Delph and Patrick Roberts have all been bought in to solve this problem, with Sterling becoming the club’s record signing, costing £49m. None of these three are the world class players that should be playing week in week out for supposed Premier League title challengers.
Delph has been a good player in a very average Villa side, but should be nothing more than a back up at City, Roberts was playing in the Championship last season and is only a youngster who needs time to develop further, without the pressure of filling a first team role.
As for Sterling, £49million is ridiculous. The ex-Liverpool player has been fairly average since Luis Suarez departed Liverpool. Suarez made the whole Liverpool side look like world beaters, and when he left Sterling was looked to to help fill the void. Though it’s fair to say he failed to live up to that challenge.
Unless Manchester City are planning a swoop for the Barcelona star to help improve the England international, it remains questionable about how good Sterling can be at his new club.
All of the club’s main league rivals have been very active in the transfer window, improving their squads a significant amount. Arsenal have bought in Petr Cech, Manchester United have signed Bastian Schweinsteiger, who is one of the best midfielders in the world, and Chelsea have bought in Falcao who, once he regains his form, has to be regarded as one of the best strikers on the planet.
Even Liverpool have bridged the gap between the sides with some of their business. Christian Benteke, James Milner and Nathaniel Clyne are equally as good as the likes of Wilfred Bony, Fabian Delph and Pablo Zabaleta, all players considered first team players at City.
No wonder Pellegrini’s position is under such constant pressure and scrutiny.
Looking at the existing City side, there are two stand out individuals – David Silva and Sergio Aguero. Both are incredible talents and easily up there amongst the best in the world.
Many of the other ‘stars’ at the Etihad, like Vincent Kompany, Joe Hart and Yaye Toure, are very hit and miss and lacking any real consistency in their performances.
It is evident from last season just how much the team rely on both Aguero and Silva. There is no plan B for when things go against the side. If either player were to get a serious injury that rules them out for a long time, then the Manchester side would certainly struggle.
For a title contender they don’t have a real impressive strength in depth in any position, which is very surprising and ultimately worrying for fans.
Whilst their best backup stars like Navas and Bony are good players, none will strike fear into opponents in the same way Aguero and Silva do, If they had to step up to fill a gap, it wouldn’t be with much confidence.
City face a massive season and have their work cut out to maintain a title challenge against so many improving rivals. Something has to change and soon, otherwise it won’t be long before City are falling even further behind.
