Manuel Pellegrini has said he would choose winning the Premier League with Manchester City and being shown the door over continuing as the team’s manager for an extended period without any major success.
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I don’t think my position in the future is linked to titles.
“He can be a top player for many more years now he is 30”, he added.
Pellegrini was also keen to stress that every competition is a priority, saying that it “doesn’t matter which competition you are in, the priority is to win”.
Even if Guardiola is the man City covet, Pellegrini has the opportunity to make any transition an awkward one as his side remain alive in four competitions.
Sheffield United manager Nigel Adkins believes his third tier underdogs should dare to dream as they bid to claim another famous scalp against Manchester United in the FA Cup third round on Saturday.
Everton will actually become familiar opponents this month with a Barclays Premier League clash next Wednesday as well as the second leg of the semi in three weeks’ time. “Vincent is progressing the same way that a muscle injury must progress with time, but you can not try to hurry up him because he needs days to have a good calf”, said Pellegrini.
The Ivorian has started 27 club games this season, the joint-most in the City squad along with Fernandinho and Bacary Sagna.
Everton are hoping the tie, with the reward of a Wembley final, can kickstart their stuttering season.
The 19-year-old has not started a match since the defeat of Norwich City in October – his first and so far only Premier League start – and since then has only been handed significant minutes from the bench in heavy defeats against Liverpool and Stoke City, when the game was already well beyond the Blues.
But manager Roberto Martinez said: “I don’t think we’ve lost the fans”.
Pellegrini also defended the form of Kevin De Bruyne, who has dazzled City fans at the Etihad this season but has struggled to replicate that form away from home.
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“I know Goodison will be rocking and what we’re going to see tomorrow will be special”.
