Yaya Toure represents everything wrong with City

A 4-2 battering at the hands of United in the Manchester derby has really highlighted the problems in this ageing Manchester City team. No player epitomizes those problems any more than thirty-one-year-old central midfielder Yaya Toure who was a shadow of his former self.

A fast start by City was undone by some poor defending and a bit of luck regarding the offside flag for United but nonetheless after thirty minutes they found themselves a goal down. The response to going behind was embarrassing from a City point of view, they showed no character and the disinterest shown by the likes of Yaya Toure was simply unacceptable.

Toure continued what has been a poor season for him today with another disappointing performance in which his effort was minimum. Thus far in the Premier League Toure has 8 goals and a single assist, last season he finished with 20 goals and 9 assists. What a difference that is.

The second goal for United was a clear indicator that Yaya Toure just wasn't interested in the derby, after losing the ball in United’s half City’s players, notably Toure, laboured back after the ball and left plenty of space for United which they exploited. Toure has been a poster boy this season for overpaid players who go a hide when things get tough.

It is always a problem with teams trying to find the drive to go again after winning the season before, that ambition is hard to replicate as City have shown. It’s not only City, few teams can keep up such a high level of performance, Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United were the most recent example of a team who continually strive to be the best, they however had a few rare breeds in Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes et al who knew nothing but how to win.

The blame doesn’t rest solely with Toure for this poor season, other players such as Vincent Kompany have been well below par this season, even fan favourite Zabaleta has failed to recapture his once great form.

City now really do need a big summer revamp and fortunately for them they are not short of money to do that. One of the biggest changes may well be the manager with it looking increasingly unlikely Pellegrini will keep his job especially given the ruthlessness of the City owners. The main thing needed in this side is youth and maybe to say goodbye to the likes of Yaya Toure would benefit both the player and the club.

Man City dragged into top 4 battle

Retaining the Premier League title has been the aim for Manchester City since the season began but after Saturday’s loss to Burnley at Turf Moor the Premier League crown looks out of reach and they are now very much embroiled in the top4 battle.

City currently occupy 2nd place on 58 points, 6 behind Chelsea who have a game in hand, realistically the gap will probably be 9 points, maybe just too much of a gap to claw back especially in City’s current form. Behind City both Arsenal and United have managed to creep up on their rivals, Arsenal sit just one point behind the Champions and City’s fierce rivals lie another point back in 4th place. Liverpool, should they beat Swansea, will be a further two points back from United, just four away from the 2nd place they claimed last season.

With only 9 games to go momentum is key, this time last season City were on a run that ultimately led them to lifting the title, this time however they have no momentum and with the three teams behind them in flying form dropping out of the top 4 really is a possibility. Arsenal, despite their European embarrassment, are on a great domestic run. Since losing to Spurs in early February they have won seven games on the bounce. Manchester United have been inconsistent but their 3-0 win over Spurs on Sunday and the performance that went with it will fill the squad with every confidence they can keep on winning. Liverpool are the form team of 2015 and have gathered massive momentum, since losing to Manchester United in December Brendan Rodgers’ side have gone 12 games unbeaten, a run that has propelled them into this top 4 race.

Champions League commitments could also be a big disadvantage for City, their midweek clash with Barcelona will take a lot out of them and should they make it through to the next round, which does seem unlikely, they could be the only of the four challenging for a Champions League place still in Europe with Arsenal looking like their exit is imminent against Monaco. A loss could be be the best thing for City in terms of their domestic form although it could see the end of Manuel Pellegrini’s spell as manager.

Man City must begin to find their form in the near future or missing out on the top 4 will become more and more of a possibility. It is almost unthinkable that Yaya Toure and Aguero could be absent from next years Champions League but as their Manchester rivals found out last year the top 4 is not a given.

Nightmare week for Manuel Pellegrini

In a week that could have seen Manchester City prove themselves in Europe with a big performance at home against Barcelona and where they could have closed the gap at the top of the Premier League to just 2 points with Chelsea not playing, nothing has gone right for Manuel Pellegrini and his side. Instead City find themselves on the brink of another early Champions League exit after losing 2-1 to a Suarez inspired Barcelona and still sit 5 points off the summit of the Premier League having played a game more after Liverpool recorded a 2-1 home win over the defending champions.

City fans had come into the week with such promise,Yaya Toure was back from the African Cup of Nations in great form, Aguero was finding his feet on his return from injury, Chelsea had just dropped points at home against Burnley, the gap was down to 5 points and City knew with Chelsea not playing in the Premier League that it would be huge physiologically to cut the gap to just 2 points with a win over Liverpool. First and foremost the whole of Manchester City had their eyes firmly set on Barcelona, having ended the group with great wins over Roma and Bayern Munich there was a sense Pellegrini’s side had turned a corner in Europe and they were all set for revenge against the side who knocked them out at the same stage last year.

The reality is however, a week that promised so much may well have ended any hope Manchester City had for silverware this season and it could possibly be a defining week in the future of Manuel Pellegrini. Chelsea look to have won by some miracle the Capital One Cup and the Premier League on the same day as should Chelsea win their game in hand they will move 8 points clear at the top, a lead a Jose Mourinho side does not relinquish. Their high hopes in the Champions League though still alive are hanging by a thread, going to the Nou Camp already losing 2-1 is a huge task, one that in all likelihood this Manchester City side are not capable of achieving. With the Premier League all but out of their grasp and their Champions League exit imminent you feel, City’s season is in danger of fading out with a whimper.

Manager Manuel Pellegrini is one man who will be trying to make sure this is not the case and that his players will fight for the title and their place in the Champions League valiantly, in the same period he may also be fighting to save his job. Regardless of his Premier League win last campaign, the Manchester City owners expect results and right now the Chilean is not delivering. They have shown in the past they have no mercy with the sacking of Roberto Mancini, the man who won the first ever Premier League title for the blue side of Manchester but that was quickly forgotten about once results began to turn. It is hard to see Pellegrini’s side salvaging anything from this season at the moment and his faith may already be sealed.

The performance of the side as of late has been particularly unimpressive, the return of Yaya Toure seemed to have rejuvenated the side but today against Liverpool he was average at best and often looked disinterested. There appears to be a real mystery as to what Pellegrini’s game plan is, instead of a team they resemble a collection of players not really gelling as a team. Despite possessing the talent of David Silva, Toure and Aguero, City do not threaten half as much as they should recording only one shot on target against Liverpool, which may well be down to the way the manager has set up. Defensively they are also beginning to look ragged with captain Vincent Kompany looking increasingly out of his depth and way off the standard we have come to expect from the big Belgian.

Jamie Carragher pointed out after the Liverpool game the tactical naivety of Manchester City and Pellegrini for not putting a player in between the line of defence and midfield, the position in which Phil Coutinho and Adam Lallana thrived all game. Poor performances against big opposition has been a problem this season, looking back at the Arsenal game at home and even their recent European clash with Barcelona. This tactical naivety has effectively ruined Manchester City’s season and may well have ended Manuel Pellegrini’s spell as manager.