Manchester City might have finished second on the Premier League ladder with the competitions’s best goal difference, but their defensive performances let them down a number of occasions.
The attacking prowess was not matched in their defending duties and Manuel Pellegrini can only wonder if better discipline from his men at the back could have spelled a different story for the Sky Blues. The £32 million signing of Eliaquim Mangala was supposed to provide the manager with one of the leagues strongest back fours, but injuries and poor form led to a whole different story playing out at the Etihad. This being said, City’s and the national No.1 – Joe Hart – had an outstanding season, not only domestically but also in Europe. The English custodian won his fourth Premier League Golden Glove award and enjoyed one of his best campaigns at Eastlands. Although he was let down by his defenders far too many times.
Whether better defensive performances would have changed City’s outcome last season is difficult to say, but judging from the fact that even though Hart kept the most clean sheets in the league, Chelsea, Southampton, Arsenal and Manchester United all conceded fewer goals than City, there is still much room for Pellegrini to improve his back four.
A lot of hype has been given to the midfielders and attackers, but where did they go wrong at the back? Looking over the 2014-15 season, Outside90’s Rahul Dantes rated City’s defenders in an attempt to identify the weak spots.
Bacary Sagna: 4/10
The former Arsenal right-back joined the Citizens on a free transfer at the start of the season, after seven years with the North-London club. He failed to make any impact and was ultimately made second choice, as Pablo Zabaleta was preferred for the role. With only nine league appearances to his name, Sagna was nothing more than a back-up player. And at the age of 32, it seems as though he has already entered into his twilight years.
Vincent Kompany: 6.5/10
The Belgian international and City captain did not have one of his best runs at Eastlands, much due to the fact that he struggled with injury. He only managed 23 starts in the league in what was an average season based on the high standards put upon his shoulders.
Pablo Zabaleta: 7.5/10
The Argentine was arguably City’s best defender throughout the season. Good on the ball, strong in the tackle and he can contribute with goals as well. Zabaleta was one of the Premier League’s best right-backs in the 2014/15 season and will definitely be a huge part of the City defence in the upcoming race to recapture the crown. His 29 league appearances included a goal and four assists, while he was also sent-off in a crucial tie against eventual Champions Chelsea.
Aleksandar Kolarov: 7/10
The versatile Serbian left-back had a decent season, scoring two and assisting three in his 21 league appearances for the club. Although not a regular starter, Kolarov ended on a high with some strong performances in the late stages. He often was second choice to Gael Clichy, even though his abilities on set pieces do give him an edge over the Frenchman. The 29-year-old was often criticized for being a better attacker than a defender.
Gael Clichy: 6.5/10
Another former Arsenal star, Clichy had a mediocre season with the Manchester club. He was often preferred over Kolarov in the starting line-up, but was reserved to the bench towards the end. Clichy was also used in the right-back position on a few occasions but did not put in any noteworthy performances.
Eliaquim Mangala: 5/10
Not the best of seasons for the French international who completely failed to live up to his price tag. Mangala was often criticized for his poor defensive performances, especially when he was partnered with Martin Demichelis. He could not seem to get fully settled in and was frequently criticized for conceding silly goals. Mangala did get better towards the end of the season, but it was a little too late. A torrid introductory campaign with the Sky Blues saw him make 24 league starts, which also included an own goal and a red card.
Martin Demichelis: 6/10
Like Mangala, Demichelis too had many torrid outings but got a bit better as the season neared its end. He formed a shaky central-defensive partnership with the former Porto star in the absence of Kompany, as there appeared to be a definite language barrier between the two and many of their mix-ups led to conceding cheap goals. The Argentine made 31 appearances in the heart of City’s defence.
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Pellegrini will be looking to shake things up before next season, no doubt needing to strengthen his back-four. City are rumoured to be in the market for a left-back, which might see either Kolarov or Clichy exit. If the Sky Blues are to provide a stronger challenge to the title, Pellegrini will definitely look to bring in another centre-back as both Micah Richards and Dedryck Boyata have agreed to join other clubs. The Citizens could not defend their title last season but will be hoping for a much better defensive show next time around, which may help bring the title back to the Etihad.
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