Boro blow will give us spark
MANUEL PELLEGRINI will walk away from Manchester City with his head held high because he believes he has been the best Premier League manager over the past three seasons.
But Pellegrini accepts he could ruin all his good work if City fail to pick up the point they need to secure Champions League qualification in his final game at Swansea on Sunday.
The Chilean, who has made no secret he wants to stay in England, is normally loath to blow his own trumpet but used his final press conference as City manager before Pep Guardiola’s summer arrival to remind everyone of his record – and, no doubt, to impress any clubs looking for a new boss, Everton among them.
Pellegrini pointed out he has won more trophies (one league title and two League Cups), recorded more points (230) and seen his side score more goals (255) than any other manager since he took over at the Etihad in the summer of 2013.
“I always think we could have done better, but the important thing is to compare yourself with all the other teams,” he said.
“And if we make a summary of the three seasons I have been in charge here, we were the team that had the most points, we scored the most goals and we won the most trophies.
“The only thing that we couldn’t be the best at is our defence – Chelsea had the best, conceding just four fewer goals than our team. But if you look at the goal difference over the three seasons, it is huge compared to the other teams.”
Pellegrini is particularly proud of the way City played under his command and aimed a thinly veiled dig at more pragmatic bosses such as Jose Mourinho.
“I would like to be remembered as a manager of a team that always wanted to play good football and who always tried to score, not just tried to get a result and then when you score a goal try to close the game down,” he said.
“During the three seasons, the fans have always told me that they enjoy our games. It’s impossible to play well in all the games, but the amount of goals we scored in the three seasons – I think it’s 40 more than any other team – shows we have had an entertaining team, a team that wins trophies and one that has progressed in the Champions League.
“It’s about a style and for me it’s important to have been the CHRIS HUGHTON is sure the painful experience of falling short in the winnertakes-all meeting with Middlesbrough can help Brighton’s play-off ambitions.
The failure to beat Boro at the Riverside last Saturday meant Hughton’s side finished behind their hosts on goal difference. Now they must face Sheffield Wednesday, who finished sixth, 15 points behind the Seagulls, in tonight’s semi-final first leg at Hillsborough.
“It was great preparation for us,” said Hughton. “We were away from home with a noisy, enthusiastic home crowd who would have taken up 90 per cent of the stadium.
“They are the things we have to expect when Wednesday have the advantage of playing at home.”
The loss of Dale Stephens at Boro to a red card only added to Brighton’s gloom but Hughton said: “The disappointment the team showed after the game shows how close we have come, how motivated they are and probably it’s a good thing. That is something they will use to their benefit.”
Sheffield Wednesday, meanwhile, want more protection for Fernando Forestieri.
Midfielder Ross Wallace said defenders have struggled to deal with the Owls’ 15-goal top scorer.
“There have been a couple of times where Fernando has dived and probably should have been booked,” he said. “But not with two or three others.
“I don’t like running up to referees to ask them to book people but if it’s blatantly obvious what teams are trying to do you have a word.” HUGHTON: Hope