- The Blues are in the vanguard of an exciting and expanding global strategy, but as their season tails off - and amid fury at increasing ticket costs - the summer is a long way off
Despite Sunday's bruising derby defeat, many will still argue that Manchester is blue. Justifiably so.
City have established themselves as the dominant force over the past few years, finishing above United in three of the past four seasons and boasting a coherent global strategy that is designed to put them not only at the forefront of the expanding City Football Group, but world football itself.
They won the Pep Guardiola race, too, and he will be in the Etihad Stadium dugout next season no matter what.
But while few can doubt City are headed towards a bright future, there are issues to address in the here and now.
The problems on the pitch are clear for all to see. Two months ago it was very possible that Manuel Pellegrini could depart as one of the most successful managers in the club's history - he just needed to keep going and win the League Cup and Premier League title.
The League Cup was secured in dramatic circumstances but did not provide the expected springboard for the faltering league campaign, meaning the title was long gone before Marcus Rashford left his mark on Sunday. The pendulum has now swung the other way and Pellegrini is facing an inquest as to why he has taken the club backwards over the past two years.
Despite Sunday's bruising derby defeat, many will still argue that Manchester is blue. Justifiably so.
City have established themselves as the dominant force over the past few years, finishing above United in three of the past four seasons and boasting a coherent global strategy that is designed to put them not only at the forefront of the expanding City Football Group, but world football itself.
They won the Pep Guardiola race, too, and he will be in the Etihad Stadium dugout next season no matter what.
But while few can doubt City are headed towards a bright future, there are issues to address in the here and now.
The problems on the pitch are clear for all to see. Two months ago it was very possible that Manuel Pellegrini could depart as one of the most successful managers in the club's history - he just needed to keep going and win the League Cup and Premier League title.
The League Cup was secured in dramatic circumstances but did not provide the expected springboard for the faltering league campaign, meaning the title was long gone before Marcus Rashford left his mark on Sunday. The pendulum has now swung the other way and Pellegrini is facing an inquest as to why he has taken the club backwards over the past two years.
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