Next manager then

[clevblue]

Ronald Koeman? Wasn't he Bulldog Drummond? Salford lad, probably a rag.

[Rowley Birkin QC]

Simeone has apparently just decided to extend his contract with Atletico until 2020!

If true - that's a big contract and will most likely put him out of any City contention.

More rumours circulating about Ancelotti today, but nothing substantial.

[KunDB]

I could not see Simeone fitting the profile the top boys at City would be looking for in our next manager. He has more Mourinho characteristics than those of Pellegrini.

I think Ancelotti could be a potential Pellegrini replacement; unless RM deliver silverware this season in which case he will stay put.

[Leewonpen]

Maybe the next manager is a year away?

[Rowley Birkin QC]

Quite possibly. This is all starting to get a familiar 'City' feel about it.

I would not be at all surprised if we get to the summer and then discover none of our preferred managerial targets are either available or want to come. At which point the City high-ups will have a tricky decision to make... and we most likely get Pellers for another year.

Still, that would be a better outcome than we'd have got in the bad old days - when by now, we would have already sacked Pellers, promised the fans the earth, only to then discover none of our preferred managerial targets are available - and around late July we decide to 'make do' with Alan Ball or Frank Clark instead. 

[Stephen Paul]

the engineer might be around for a bit yet

[Rowley Birkin QC]

Jason Burt at the Torygraph is often well informed and here he claims "senior sources" at City as a basis for this article -

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-city/11502237/Manchester-City-manager-Manuel-Pellegrinis-job-is-safe.html

So it seems we'll be sticking with Pellers - unless the last eight matches are "catastrophic" and/or the unlikely event that Guardiola becomes available. Ancelotti not in the running according to this.

The last paragraph contains the first acknowledgement I have seen in the mainstream football media that Txiki Begiristain's performance in the transfer market will come under scrutiny at City's end of season review.

[Rowley Birkin QC]

And this... er... also written by Jason Burt. Do you think he knows something?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-city/11502069/Two-names-from-Manchester-Citys-past-who-could-end-Txiki-Begiristains-reign.html

[KunDB]

He may or may not have inside information but either way it is logical and makes sense.

We need to stop buying badly and start getting it right more often than we get it wrong. Look at the quality players we missed out on, e.g. Isco and could have got. We are performing very poorly and ill informed in the transfer market.

Time for change of our transfer 'system' as a minimum.

[gavin]

Recruitment hasn't been inspiring. However, we should be a lot better than we are with the players that we have in both defence and attack. It could be argued that appointing Pellers has been Txiki's biggest mistake.