Manchester City boss hits out on Arsene Wenger criticism after Arsenal Bayern thrashing

Pellegrini is only junior in the Premier League to Eddie Howe and Wenger

MANUEL PELLEGRINI has hit out at the managerial axe factor which is turning the Premier League into a bosses’ graveyard.

 

The Manchester City manager is incredibly now the third longest serving boss in the division behind Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger and Bournemouth’s Eddie Howe after barely two and a half years at the Etihad.

The 62-year-old Chilean has himself been forced at times to live with speculation surrounding his own future.

City travel to Aston Villa on Sunday, the bottom of the table club having sacked Tim Sherwood just 11 games into the season and replaced him with Frenchman Remi Garde.

 

Pellegrini used to think that English football was a bastion of sanity where managers were given time to do the job – not anymore.

He has been bemused by the criticism which has come the way of the top Premier League managers including Wenger.

Pellegrini said: “Wenger is one of the great club managers and he has continued for 18-19 years. I don’t think that, losing one game, he should receive so much criticism. The important thing is for a manager to create an idea and for the players and the club to believe in that idea.

“Maybe some years ago England was easier than it is now (to manage). In Spain there are a lot of managers sacked during the year also.

 

Wenger's side were thrashed by Bayern Munich, having already been knocked out of the Capital One Cup

“Here the amounts of money are more important. The owners are not the same. They are more business and have less passion, maybe, but for me it continues to be the most exciting.”

Having been in charge of Real Madrid he can withstand the heat – but he wonders whether less experienced, younger bosses have the capabilities to survive in a harsh, unrelenting world.

“I’m not an owner but if I was I’d choose a manager for three years – it doesn’t matter the time – and he would see out his contract and then you can decide,” Pellegrini stated.

Pellegrini doesn’t believe it’s a coincidence that City this season are looking title favourites and have qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League with two games to spare.

He maintains that the decision to award him a new two year contract in the summer helped dampen down the speculation over Pep Guardiola’s possible recruitment and settled the whole club down on the playing side.