File picture of Manchester City’s Chilean manager Manuel Pellegrini gesturing during the English Premier League match between Manchester City and Southampton.
AFP/Manchester
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini says his new contract is a sign of the trust that the club hierarchy have in him.
But he acknowledges that he must bring trophies back to the club if he is to retain their support.
Pellegrini signed a one-year contract extension yesterday, committing him to City until the summer of 2017.
It has come after a summer of speculation about his future, with Pep Guardiola repeatedly linked with the club.
Guardiola, who is in the final 12 months of his contract at Bayern Munich, is close to City’s chief executive Ferran Soriano and director of football Txiki Begiristain, with whom he worked at Barcelona.
Pellegrini said: “I think the contract is very important as a sign of the good trust in our work.
“I’m very happy here at Manchester City. Both parties are happy to continue.
“But you know that after that, you need the results. It’s very important for me to have a good season and to have good results with the team. The support of the club is also very important to me.”
As far as Pellegrini is concerned, that means winning trophies and improving their defensive record.
The 2014 Premier League champions finished runners-up to Chelsea last season, conceding 38 goals in the process, which the manager feels is too many.
He said: “For me a good season for a big team means that you must win a title. You cannot say it’s a good season if you win nothing.
“But after that it’s also very important how you win a title. You can win the title but if I’m not happy with way we play, it’s not a good season.
“For me, it’s about both things. First of all, I want to win, because we must win titles, and secondly we must play in the way I want to play.
“We were not a disaster with our defending last season, but 38 goals in 38 games is too much.
“I think that a good team who want to win the title must concede 30 or 31 goals, not more - not if they want to have a chance of winning the Premier League title.”
Aguero available
Pellegrini will have striker Sergio Aguero available to lead the attack when they begin their Premier League season at West Bromwich Albion on Monday night.
The striker missed his club’s pre-season launch party on Wednesday because of illness, as did David Silva and Samir Nasri.
But Pellegrini says that all three are recovering well.
“Aguero, Silva and Nasri are all working hard. Aguero is 100 percent, Silva also. Nasri is returning from sickness,” said the Chilean.
But midfielder Fabian Delph, a summer signing from Aston Villa, is still struggling with the hamstring injury suffered against Real Madrid in pre-season, while full-back Gael Clichy has an ankle problem.
Pellegrini added: “I don’t think he will be 100 percent fit to be in the squad for Monday. Fabian Delph is not ready because of his hamstring injury. All the other players will be fit for Monday.”
