MANUEL PELLEGRINI believes City blew their title chances when they announced Pep Guardiola was his successor in February.
Pellegrini is heading for a rousing finale to his three years as boss with Champions League glory just three games away.
But with that comes growing confidence for the usually painfully diplomatic Chilean to speak his mind.
Even after Sergio Aguero’s stunning hat-trick topped off a magical week, Pellegrini, 62, is feeling frustration and regret.
The decision by City’s owners on February 1 to confirm Guardiola will take over Pellegrini’s job this summer was designed to curb serial speculation.
But Pellegrini thinks it backfired spectacularly.
He said: “We lost important games in February, against Leicester and Tottenham — two games which do not allow us to be in involved in the title. But there are lots of different reasons.
“It is frustrating because we never expected to lose those games.
“At the start of February there was news about a change of the manager, about players who will not continue here next season, about a lot of things involved the minds of all the players.
“It’s not easy for players when you read in newspapers all things that will happen next season, all the players who will go, all the players who will come in.”
Winning a first Champions League and the Capital One Cup as your pay-off is a hell of a swansong.
Aguero is in the right frame of mind to spearhead the campaign, and with fit-again Kevin De Bruyne running the show from midfield, there is a serious chance it will happen.
It is all coming together, too late for the Premier League, but at just the right time for victory in Europe as City prepare to face Real Madrid in the semi-finals.
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