Thursday 19 March 2015 12:10, UK
Manchester City need to make “changes” following their elimination from the Champions League at the hands of Barcelona on Wednesday night, according to Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher.
Manuel Pellegrini’s side lost the second leg of their last-16 tie 1-0 at the Nou Camp to exit Europe’s premier club competition 3-1 on aggregate.
And speaking after the match, the former Liverpool and England defender said the Premier League champions were in need of a major overhaul of their first-team squad come the summer.
“It has been a very good squad over the last four years, winning two titles and maybe coming second twice as well, but in the Premier League, not in Europe,” said Carragher.
“And I think it is now time for changes at City as I do not see them getting any better. They need to get some young players in with energy and pace.”
However, fellow analyst Jamie Redknapp does not believe City’s defeat over two legs to Barca will have an impact on whether Pellegrini is still at the Etihad next season.
“I do not think this game will determine what will happen with Pellegrini at the end of the season,” he said.
Rather shock defeats in the Premier League and both domestic cup competitions are more likely to spell the end for the Chilean, according to the ex-Liverpool and England midfielder.
“Losing at home to Middlesbrough in the FA Cup, at home to Newcastle in the Capital One Cup and at Burnley on Saturday, they are the results that will affect what will happen to Pellegrini,” Redknapp added.
“If you look at the game last year against Barcelona, they competed much better over the two legs. I think today there was a huge gulf in class and if the goalkeeper had not played as well as he did, it could have been three or four.”
And like Carragher, Redknapp also feels City are in urgent need of yet more signings come the end of the campaign.
“It is not a band aid that will solve this, they need major surgery and three or four players to come in and give them an injection.
“Is Pellegrini the man to take the club forward? We talk about naivety in the first game playing 4-4-2 against Barcelona where they got outnumbered and punished, as you cannot play 4-4-2 against them.
“And that is where his legacy will stand, in the big games, and he has not won now in his last 16 games against Barcelona, which is just not good enough as a manager.”
Watch the draw for the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League live on Sky Sports News from 10am on Friday
