If Manuel Pellegrini leaves the Barclays Premier League at the end of this season — and it is by no means certain — then he will leave behind barely a trace . Inside Manchester City , the Chilean has always provided a welcome contrast to the emotional stresses of life epitomised by his predecessor Roberto Mancini but — on the field and across the landscape of English football — Pellegrini has made the shallowest of footprints . Progress at the Etihad Stadium has in recent years been slight . Indeed , you could say there has been none , particularly in relation to money spent . At City , however , the fact is that the identity of the manager represents only a small part of the problem . Manuel Pellegrini could be out of a job in the summer , and if he is , he will have left little behind . Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany has fallen well short of the standards he set in recent seasons . Pellegrini leaves the stadium as Manchester City suffered their fifth defeat in seven matches . As reported in Sportsmail after City ’ s defeat in Barcelona last month , there is no particular desire at the club to sack Pellegrini . More poor results , more points separating his team from champions-elect Chelsea may cause the ground to shift a little further but any decision regarding the manager will be motivated much more by what happens next rather than what happened over the past eight months . Certainly , this has been a lamentable defence of the title , as bad as when conceding it by 11 points in 2013 . At the Etihad there is , however , a recognition that problems are not all down to the manager . There are some issues with Pellegrini . Some City players think he is too nice — a soft touch who does not inspire with words or his substitutions and who displays a fondness for a 4-4-2 formation that they feel leaves them vulnerable . Pellegrini has not alienated or even polarised his dressing room , however . The majority are happy to work and play for him . The more significant problem is that City ’ s squad , constructed carefully and expensively , is too old , too foreign and has not been improved by recent transfers . James Milner is one of very few Englishmen in a first team squad that is too foreign and too old . Manchester City signed defender Eliaquim Mangala for £32million last summer and he has been poor . Wilfried Bony was signed in January from Swansea for £28m but has only scored once since arriving . City have had a very good team for quite a while now . Signing David Silva and Yaya Toure in 2010 and Sergio Aguero a year later lifted them to their current level but nothing since the first Premier League title has hinted at the further progress many presumed would be inevitable . Recruitment has , on the whole , been poor , thus allowing established players to coast , perhaps subconsciously , without the pressure of in-house competition . Football director Txiki Begiristain has been largely responsible for this and his contribution , at least that which we can see , has been disappointing given the reputation earned at Barcelona . At all clubs , teams and players must move forward to thrive but too many at City have stagnated . Vincent Kompany , for example , no longer seems capable of looking after his own performances , never mind that of his team . For a club captain , his popularity in the City dressing room is limited . Elsewhere , players such as Samir Nasri contributed when City were playing well but disappeared once things became harder . Since hacking at Neymar during the Barcelona defeat , an act that earned him the cheapest of yellow cards , the France international has played only 13 minutes of two games . It is understood that the two things are not unrelated . Nasri is just one who may fret a little about his future this summer . Txiki Begiristain ( left ) has failed to live up to his reputation , and Manchester City 's recruitment has been poor . Stevan Jovetic , a £22m signing from Fiorentina , could find himself shipped out as City try to deal with FFP . Samir Nasri gives a thumbs up despite City 's defeat at Crystal Palace , and the Frenchman 's poor form . Wary of Financial Fair Play restrictions , City can not spend enormous sums on targets such as Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba without first selling . Others who are vulnerable include Stevan Jovetic , Bacary Sagna and even Toure . The Toure debate is not new but what should be kept in mind is that the Ivorian will not be going anywhere until someone matches a salary that exceeds £1million a month . It could be that City ’ s climb back to the very top will be slow . They will need to be shrewder in the market and hope investment in their academy pays off . Better decisions are required from top to bottom . As for Pellegrini , he would be daft to think he is not vulnerable and a late-season surge would help him . Odd as it sounds , however , the identity of the manager is currently not City ’ s biggest issue .
Manchester City have made little progress since Manuel Pellegrini arrived . Despite last year 's title win , City have again failed miserably to retain it . Vincent Kompany no longer capable of producing top performances . City ’ s squad , constructed carefully and expensively , is too old , too foreign .