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| Man City boss Manuel Pellegrini warned that another trophy-less season will not be tolerated |
MANUEL PELLEGRINI has been warned that Manchester City will not tolerate another trophy-less season.
City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and chief executive Ferran Soriano both piled the pressure on Pellegrini by declaring that silverware is expected every season by the club's owner Sheikh Mansour.
Despite posting a profit for the first time since the Sheikh bought the club in 2008, City's heirarchy made it clear that is not enough to keep the Abu Dhabi billionaire happy.
In his annual report Khaldoon said: "The desire for silverware has always been a critical element of Sheikh Mansour's strategy for the reinvigoration of Manchester City both on and off the pitch. It's a strategy predicated on long-term sustainability and the ongoing development of momentum year-after-year.
"The fact that we consider last season to be below par for Manchester City is a testament to how far we have come in the last seven years. This is a level of ambition that we should not shirk or shy away from.
"No team can expect to win every year, but competing to win in England's domestic competitions and improving our performance in the UEFA Champions League are entirely reasonable goals for Manchester City."
City finished runners-up in the Premier League to Chelsea last season, made shock early exits from both domestic cups and were knocked out of the Champions League at the last 16 round.
Manager Pellegrini, tipped for the sack, instead was given a £160m summer transfer budget and a contract extension but Soriano made it clear he must deliver this season with former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola - who is out of contract at Bayern Munich next summer - continuing to be linked with City.
"We are doing a lot of things right but they are not enough," said former Barcelona director Soriano. "We will never be happy about a season without trophies the priority and the focus of our work is to convert more of these opportunities into titles in the years ahead."
City made a £10.7m profit on the back of record revenues of £352m - second only to neighbours United and, significantly, more than Arsenal for the first time. Soriano described the move into profitability as "a historic step in the club's journey".
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| Vincent Kompany will return to City's starting line-up against Bournemouth |
Meanwhile, City skipper Vincent Kompany has defended his decision to play for Belgium despite missing five club games with a calf injury.
Pellegrini had insisted before the international break that the key defender would not be fit to play but after coming through 57 minutes against Israel without any reaction, Kompany said: "I feel great and I'm glad I got to do it. There was no gamble. I was ready. I have given everything I have for City, I will always do. But I do the same for my country."
Kompany will go straight back into City's team for the visit of Bournemouth on Saturday.
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