Photo by Rec79-Flickr
Manuel Pellegrini has reportedly agreed to come to Manchester City to replace Robert Mancini after weeks of speculation has pegged him as the next City boss. Pellegrini’s appointment is certainly a telltale sign of a changing of philosophies at the club, as he is a completely different type of manager than Mancini was.
We see club owners often look to hire managers with a different approach than the ones they are coming into replace, and that is the case for City. Mancini had a more brash style of managing his players, ripping them in public after poor performances, and was very animated on the sidelines. While his approach brought success to City, it was clear that the players had stopped responding to his methods and it was time for some new blood.
Pellegrini finished the season with Malaga CF of La Liga and guided them to their highest finish ever in the league table. He’s known for being more relaxed and has garnered a reputation as a players’ coach. He also has a good relationship with Ferran Soriano and Txiki Begiristain, which would bring about a new sense of continuity between manager and club directors.
The 48 year-old Chilean has gotten sterling reviews from former players and has already received vocal support from City players such as Sergio Aguero and Samir Nasri. Pelligrini has also seen great success in the Champions League, an area Mancini was unable to lift the squad past the group stages. His Villareal squad was the first in history to make it to the knockout stages in their first ever appearance in the Champions League, a feat he also accomplished this season with Malaga.
As we move into the era of Financial Fair Play, his philosophy of developing and harvesting the youth talent will also play a factor in the club’s future. As previously mentioned, his success with Villareal and Malaga were both while having a budget that is exponentially less than what City will surely have at its disposal. Pellegrini is expected to make the move to City official on Sunday.
