Man City V Leicester - view commentary, squad, and statistics of the game live.Pellegrini comes out fightingManchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has come out fighting following a fresh barrage of criticism and speculation over his future.The Chilean has come under fire in the past week after defeats to Barcelona and Liverpool that damaged campaigns in both the Champions League and Barclays Premier League respectively.Pellegrini was accused of being tactically naive after both games, having sent out his team out in their default 4-4-2 formation and been easily undone.City lost 2-1 to Barcelona at home in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie last weekDefeat by the same score at Anfield then left them trailing Chelsea by five points at the top of the Premier League having played a game more.But when faced with the media at a press conference to preview Wednesday's clash with Leicester, Pellegrini was in defiant mood.The 61-year-old said: "I never have any pressure to win an amount of titles and to win a title every year if I want to continue here
I don't feel any pressure, especially from the media."I feel pressure only when I don't see my team playing the way I want to do it."Prior to Pellegrini's appointment, chief executive Ferran Soriano spoke of an ambition to win five trophies in five seasons.Pellegrini won two in his first season but he insists he has not been told of any minimum requirement per year.He said: "When I signed the contract, I was never told I must win a title every year or that I must win five trophies in five years."That was a sentence of Ferran
That is perfectly normal
But maybe you can win two in one year and one in another, the other another two."You never know in football
There are different ways to analyse the season
The title is important but it is not the only important thing."Pep Guardiola, Diego Simeone and Carlo Ancelotti have already been identified as potential successors to Pellegrini in various reports, but he is not concerned about the conjecture.He said: "I only think about the present
You never know what will happen in the future."You don't know if we are going to win against Barcelona or be out of the Champions League
Maybe last year nobody would say we were going to win the Premier League."To think about the future is the worst thing because you are just speculating about a lot of things
It is important to live life in the present."I have 25 years' experience of management at important clubs and I never feel the pressure."As for critical analysis of his team's performance - by many players turned pundits - Pellegrini was indifferent."It is not my duty to tell the media what they must think," he said
"Everyone has his opinion and the right to give their opinion."Nigel Pearson has vowed Leicester will not "lie down" at Manchester City as they battle for survival.The Foxes head to the Etihad bottom of the Barclays Premier League and four points from safety.Leicester manager Pearson insisted Pellegrini's men still carry the same threat to his side but believes the Foxes are ready for the fight.He said: "They are a very talented squad and there's always going to be scrutiny
People have told me they are in a bit of a sticky spell, a sticky spell for them isn't one for us."Success is relative, they have two players to each position and have quality there, whatever side they put up against you will have quality."But they will be aware we have some dangerous players, what we have to do is show weren't not just a capable side but one which isn't going to go anywhere and lie down."Kasper Schmeichel is out with a broken foot but is expected to return this month after being sidelined since December.Pearson has a fully fit squad otherwise as they battle the drop having won just two of their last 21 league games.The manager has been pleased with their level of performance though and they almost snatched a win at Everton last time out before conceding a late Matt Upson own goal to draw 2-2.And Pearson insisted Leicester still hold belief they can survive this season."We have been bottom since November and the players have put in some really good performances
That's a show of resilience in itself," he said
Source : PA
Source: PA