Manuel Pellegrini has come in for much criticism for Manchester City’s late return last week from their trip to Abu Dhabi, which was followed by a shock 2-0 loss to Championship side Middlesbrough in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Saturday.
While considerable fuss has been made about them returning to English soil less than 24 hours before the game, the defeat to Middlesbrough at the Etihad Stadium did more to highlight a continuing trait at City during Pellegrini’s reign – their struggles against lower league opposition.
This is the second season on the trot City have gone out to a Championship side after Wigan Athletic sent them out in the quarter-finals last year, again on home turf.
City’s exit this season to a Championship side could have happened before Saturday as they had trailed Sheffield Wednesday for 50 minutes in the third round before a stoppage-time winner from James Milner got them through 2-1.
Last season, before losing to Wigan, they were two down to Watford in the fourth round before three goals in the final 11 minutes took them to a 4-2 win.
Before that they needed a replay to get past Blackburn Rovers in the third round, so struggles against Championship sides are not a one-off.
City last year endured surprise losses at struggling Sunderland, Aston Villa and Cardiff City in the Premier League and, while those results did not prevent them taking the title, they did make it harder than what it needed to be.
Whether it is poor motivation, taking opponents for granted, or just bad luck, it is an issue Pellegrini must address.
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There was much mirth on social media about Manchester United’s poor performance in being held to a goalless draw by League 2 side Cambridge United in their FA Cup fourth-round tie on Friday.
Given what befell Chelsea, Manchester City and Southampton, still being in the competition suddenly does not look so bad, especially as the highest-placed Premier League side still in the draw.
From being hapless to favourites in less than 24 hours – not a bad turnaround.
In many ways the Cambridge performance, where a United side costing £193 million (Dh1 billion) failed to score against a side in the fourth tier of English football, could be a good thing for Louis van Gaal.
Expectations at Old Trafford dropped after a poor start, then good results led to talk of an unlikely title challenge before the festive period.
A scratch slightly below the surface, though, revealed that some of their victories flattered them and that this was a team still finding its feet.
When United have been good under Van Gaal they have been great, but when they have been poor they have been dismal.
The inconsistency will go as United improve, but Cambridge was evidence of just how much work still needs to be done.
Certainly a degree of realism should be setting in with United fans that a top-four finish, a return to the Uefa Champions League and a good run in the FA Cup would be a good return this year, given the clear limitations of their team.
gcaygill@thenational.ae
