Home   >   MOTDs   >   Do Manchester City really have a “UCL curse”

Do Manchester City really have a “UCL curse”

By on November 24, 2014

Manuel Pellegrini was hired by Manchester City specifically to take the club to the next level. His predecessor, Roberto Mancini, had achieved domestic success with the club but Pellegrini was hired on the basis that he had the experience to turn Manchester City into a European superpower. In just their two previous Champions League campaigns, they crashed out at the group stages in what was considered laughing stock due to City’s spending power.

And in his first season – last season – he was a success. Even with luck stacked up against them, having drawn eventual winners Bayern Munich in the group stages, Pellegrini got them out, tied on points with the Germans, and if they had not drawn Barcelona in the Round of 16, they very may well have gone onto the Quarterfinals, or even semis. In the end, their relatively early exit was largely down to poor luck, and was a step in the right direction. At the time, it assured City’s ownership Pellegrini’s time at Real Madrid and incredible Quarterfinal run (what could easier have been extended to the semifinals) with Malaga had benefitted City.

Yet in hindsight was it actually Pellegrini’s doing? He recaptured City the league title, as well, but at the time both achievements, given City’s squad, could probably have been made by many other managers. And not to take away from Pellegrini’s achievement last season, but he did not exactly make the impact, say, Jose Mourinho would when he joined City, leaving their squad untouched bar the odd small signing. Why the doubts? These have surfaced now, as City host Bayern Munich tomorrow needing a win to keep second place in Group E all but in their control. On a terrible run of form, the Sky Blues are currently bottom of the table, without a win yet. Samir Nasri didn”t need to confirm what was already in the air – City desperately need the win, and the Frenchmen said to keep his job, but furthermore, for Pellegrini to keep his. City’s owners have proven they don’t take kindly to any kind of regressing of their club, so the Chilean manager will almost certainly see the axe unless he manages to turn it around in the UCL or somehow beat Chelsea to the Premier League title.

How did it come to this? Just last summer, City had high hopes of smashing Roma and CSKA Moscow to a second, perhaps even first placed finish above Bayern Munich in their group. Now, they’ll be thrilled to get by. Does it actually represent mis-management that Pellegrini’s team has not improved in the Champions League this season from when Mancini left, considering they were already underperforming back then? Of course. It’s not that much a “Champions League curse”, as many say. So far, City’s failings have been down to poor luck in whom they draw, and sure, probably a lack of experience in their first season, maybe even two, in the competiton, but moreover, a lack of a figure to take them to that next level. So far, unless Pellegrini can make a miraculous turn-around, he will have underperformed with City in the UCL, as his predecessor did, as if he does manage to get out of the group, City will then be expected to advance further. City are a good enough squad that only to a certain point can you keep saying they were given a terrible draw – they should be the terrible draw.

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.