Manuel Pellegrini has backed Kelechi Iheanacho to enjoy further success at Manchester City after the teenage striker netted in his manager’s farewell 1-1 Premier League draw at Swansea City.
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Iheanacho scored as City drew 1-1 at Swansea to secure Champions League qualification and afterwards made clear his feelings about Pellegrini.
“Well into this season we were well in the title race, but we let ourselves down, we will take positives of a trophy and semi-final of the Champions League, which was history for our club”, City goalkeeper Joe Hart said.
The fixture will now be rescheduled and played at a later date, extending the end of the season and meaning that City can not yet fully confirm Champions League qualification. “We had some moments in the season where we were not a very consistent team, we lost important games but it was a very special season for different reasons that are not important to analyze now so I’m very happy about the work I did here for three years”.
At that stage, they were three points shy of eventual champions Leicester City at the Premier League summit but would win only two of their next seven league matches to fall out of contention. “So I think he will receive a club he deserves, and I am sure that this club will continue improving in the future”. “I always appreciate the support of the fans, the way they appreciate the style of the team, it is very important to win titles but also the style you win”. However, City’s cross-town rivals would need a 19-goal winning margin to overtake Manuel Pellegrini’s men whenever the season’s last fixture is played.
The club spent £200 million building the state-of-the-art City Football Academy to bring through young talent and Pellegrini believes that incoming boss Pep Guardiola will reap the benefit when he takes charge for the next three seasons at the Etihad.
“I don’t think that we need to speak”, said Pellegrini. “But there is also relief because it was very important to finish with the squad in the next Champions League”.
“It was very hard because it was a moment where we were involved with competitions and without that, it affected a lot of what happened”.
“We were in control of it going into the West Ham game, ” United midfielder Michael Carrick said, “but we’ve let it slip”.
“I think maybe in the next years you will see some players from the academy”, he said. “We know the beauty of football is that you get another chance next year”.
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“Some of my highlights have been the way we won the first Premier League”.
