It has been a rough run of form for Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini to endure. It started with them blowing a 2-0 half time lead out in Russia against CSKA Moscow in the UEFA Champions League back on October 21st. It has pretty much been downhill since then.
A few days after that blow to their confidence, a wasteful City fell to a 2-1 defeat at West Ham in the Barclays Premier League, before losing at home against an under strength Newcastle side in the League Cup.
While they bounced back with a league win in the Manchester derby against Man Utd, it was a game in which they were hanging on for dear life in the final 20 minutes of the game, to record a 1-0 victory, even with the Red Devils down to ten men after 40 minutes. But then came another hammer blow during midweek as they lost 2-1 at home against CSKA Moscow.
So now City’s chances of qualifying from their group are pretty slim. They face Roma and Bayern Munich (the flawless Germans having already qualified for the round of sixteen) in their final two matches and find themselves two points adrift of Roma and CSKA Moscow in the chase for the second qualifying spot. They will have to go without Yaya Toure and Fernandinho who were both sent off on Wednesday against CSKA Moscow. City are 4/1 outsiders to qualify for the round of sixteen.
So with City falling to their third defeat in their last four matches, online bookmaker Skybet trimmed Pellegrini from 14/1 to 6/1 to be the next Premier League managerial casualty of the season. The Citizens are also six points behind Premier League leaders Chelsea and are 7/2 to retain their title.
Sky Bet footballer trader Chris Spicer said: “City have failed in their last two Champions League games to outscore a vastly inferior CSKA side and it could cost the Chilean Pellegrini his job.
“This competition was undoubtedly for focus for the City board this season and paired with an early League Cup exit, the tide is beginning to turn against their beleaguered manager.
“We left odds up on ‘Next Premier League manager to leave’ throughout their game and punters were taking any price they could about Pellegrini being next to go, backing him into 6/1.”
