Oh, Pep: Manchester City's first season under Guardiola is a failure

Barring an unthinkable sequence of events in which Manchester City overtakes Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, and Liverpool in the Premier League table, Pep Guardiola's first season at the Etihad Stadium will be a trophy-less one. It will be a first for the Catalan manager, who never went a campaign at Barcelona or Bayern Munich without winning something.

When Guardiola joined City, many believed he was embarking on the first real challenge of his managerial career. He wasn't inheriting a squad loaded with wonderful talent, as was the case at Barcelona. Nor was he inheriting a team that was the best in the country, as was the case at Bayern Munich. If Pep had flaws, they would be exposed in England.

But things started out well for Guardiola. City kicked off its first season under Pep with six consecutive victories in the Premier League. The Citizens looked unstoppable, and, even after things cooled down, the club stunned Barcelona in the Champions League with a thrilling and breathless performance, coming from behind while showing absolutely no signs of an inferiority complex against the planet's best team. As the Guardian's Daniel Taylor wrote the day after the win, "City played with a level of self-belief never that has never been witnessed in these assignments."

Less than six months on from City's victory against Barcelona, and the mood is very different. Guardiola's honeymoon phase is over, and his inaugural season in England can only be labelled as a failure.

For a club that finished fourth in the Premier League last season while winning the League Cup and reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League, City will end the campaign having regressed. The Citizens' defeat to Arsenal in the semi-finals of the FA Cup brought an end to their last chance of a trophy, and it's important to remember what Manuel Pellegrini, a man who was essentially pushed out the door to make room for Guardiola, accomplished in his first year at the Etihad Stadium.

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

City won two trophies in Pellegrini's opening crusade. The Citizens conquered the Premier League following a 12-game unbeaten run, and triumphed in the League Cup for good measure. Goals were plentiful, and the season proved to be the Chilean manager's most successful in English football.

What's to be said of Guardiola? Were his imperfections masked by Barcelona and Bayern's abundance of talent? Is the Premier League a place where even the greatest managers struggle? If so, it should be noted that Antonio Conte is closing in on two trophies in his first season in the United Kingdom. Was the Italian tactician given more to work with? Is Chelsea benefitting from a lack of European football?

Painting City's first season under Guardiola as a failure is admittedly harsh. There are obvious counter-arguments to be made. His project is long-term, not short-term. He was given defenders who are past their prime. Players, such as Raheem Sterling, have improved significantly under his leadership. When Pep departs the Etihad Stadium, it's entirely possible that he will be leaving behind a legacy.

But Guardiola is yet to prove that he is an upgrade on Pellegrini, and it could get worse before it gets better. If City, one point ahead of Manchester United, concedes fourth place in the Premier League to its crosstown rival, Pep's first season in England won't just be a failure. It will be a disaster.