EPL: Pellegrini backs Pepe Mel ahead today's clash
Pellegrini has backed his West Bromwich
Albion counterpart Pepe Mel to be a
success in English football.
The pair know each other well, with both
men having begun their Premier League
careers this season after lengthy stints
working in Spain. Mel, appointed as
Albion head coach in January, has made
something of a slow start, where he failed
to oversee a West Bromwich win until his
eighth game in charge, while the club
continue to struggle in the bottom end of
the table.
There have been notable signs of
improvement of late, with that victory, a
2-1 win at Swansea, one of two in West
Bromwich’s last five matches – the other
a 1-0 win at Norwich – a sequence in
which they have only been beaten once.
While Mel himself has admitted he is
unsure about the chances of him still
being in the job next season, Pellegrini is
confident the Spaniard will do well in
England.
Speaking before tonight’s match between
City and West Bromwich at the Etihad
Stadium, the Chilean said of Mel: “I think
he is a very good manager. He is a
manager that wants his teams to play
attractive football – he always tries to
make it so that his team will play with a
lot of possession of the ball and make a
very offensive game.”
Asked if he could see Mel being successful
in English football, Pellegrini replied:
“Yes, of course, because I repeat – I think
he is a very good manager and he worked
very well in Spain. I am sure that here in
England when he settles, he will be a
very good manager also.”
In contrast to Mel, Pellegrini, brought in
at City as successor to Roberto Mancini
last summer, has been involved in the
battle at the top end of the league this
season and his side’s title challenge has
suffered some significant blows over the
last few days.
They go into tonight’s contest off the back
of a 2-2 home draw with rock-bottom
Sunderland, which followed a 3-2 loss at
league leaders Liverpool, now nine points
clear of City, albeit with Pellegrini’s men
having played two games less. Reflecting
on the shock result against Sunderland,
the 60-year-old has reiterated that
relegation-threatened clubs like the
Wearsiders and 16th-placed West
Bromwich make for particularly tricky
opponents.
Mel, meanwhile, has made it clear he and
his players have taken great
encouragement from Sunderland’s
exploits at the Etihad Stadium ahead of
their own trip to the ground.
But Pellegrini has also stressed that each
assignment in the Premier League is
different, and is eager to see his side
bounce back from the disappointment of
that previous outing.
He said: “I think all the games are
different. It would be very easy to just
focus on what has happened in other
games. The performance in every game is
very important and I hope we are going
to improve our performance against West
Brom.”
City playmaker David Silva’s ankle
problem makes him a doubt for the
match.
Pellegrini has revealed winger Jesus
Navas has also been struggling with an
ankle problem, and tonight’s game will
come too soon for midfielder Yaya Touré
to return after his leg injury. It was
suggested earlier this week that the
injury could keep him out for up to a
fortnight.
Defender Matija Nastasic, out of action
since February because of a knee
complaint, remains unavailable.
Odds: Home 1-5 Draw 7-1 Away 15-1
Kick-off Tonight, 8pm (Sky Sports 1;
highlights Sky Sports 1, 1am)
Team news
David Silva and Jesus Navas (both ankle)
remain doubts for Manchester City, with
Yaya Touré (leg) missing. West Bromwich
have doubts over Jonas Olsson (Achilles)
and James Morrison (ankle), while
midfielder Scott Sinclair is ineligible
against his parent side.
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