Five Thoughts: QPR 2-2 Manchester City

Some seriously fantastic commentary here. I damn near burned out the rec button. Seriously, go read and then come back. I'll wait.

(waits)

Okay. So, yeah. That happened. Let's ask some pertinent questions, shall we?

Query Number One: Are We Playing for Second Now?

Yep.

I saw three matches today. I saw a Chelsea side showing no signs of slowing down. Even when they're not playing particularly well, they look good. Granted they got away with a blatant handball but that said, there is no question they were better than Liverpool today. I saw Southampton who are really, truly doing fine without Luke Shaw or Adam Lallana, thanks for asking. Southampton plays well as a team in stark contrast to, well, us.

The 2014-15 Citizens are drawing parallels to the 2011-12 team and I think that's unfair; two years ago, when we were well behind United and Roberto Mancini was a dead man walking for the FA Cup final? That team played better football than this year's version. There is literally nothing I've seen this season to suggest we can catch Chelsea; that's a given. What's not a given is us winning against anybody other than United (whom we always seem to beat) and Burnley. Everybody else goes into a match against us like they're reading our playbook. Today, our defense was shambolic and confused from the opening whistle, our offense was strictly offensive and if not for Sergio Aguero, I'm not even sure Pellegrini makes it to the bus. Speaking of which...

Query Number Two: Is Pellegrini Really In Trouble?

Yep. He might not last the season.

When was the last time we played solid football? I don't want to hear about the derby where we played against ten men for 60 minutes and just barely held on. We haven't played at all well in the CL, we're out of the Cap One Cup and we're sinking in the Premier League with each passing week. Manuel Pellegrini has to take some responsibility for that.

Additionally, the signings haven't exactly worked out, to put it mildly: Mangala too many times looks like he has no idea where to go on the pitch (evidenced by QPR goal #1); Fernando looks uncertain and frankly not all that talented; Navas is all but neutralized the moment he walks on the field and Jovetic has done next-to-nothing since his hot start to the season. Manuel Pellegrini has to take some responsibility for that.

Finally, the team that won the league last season is consistently being outplayed, outhustled and outmanned in areas of the pitch where we shouldn't be. Manuel Pellegrini is 100% responsible for that.

Barring an extraordinary turn of events, Manuel Pellegirni is managing his last season at Manchester City and frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if he was let go before the January window.

Query Number Three: This Is Too Negative. Any Good News?

Sergio Aguero is a damn beast who will probably win the Golden Boot.

Query Number Four: Anything Else?

Nope. That's it. There isn't one other player who can make a claim to greatness this season, much less make the claim that they've had a very good season, other than Aguero. James Milner and Joe Hart probably come closest; David Silva had some good matches. Vincent Kompany started very strong. Everybody else has been consistently inconsistent. Granted it's the players that play the game and granted the manager can only do so much but let's look carefully at what we have before we grant forgiveness for one and all. We've got:

• The best striker in the league
• The best defender in the league
• An extraordinarily deep and experienced roster
• Enough resources to make Solomon blush.

One would think that would add up to a contending team rather than the one we've been seeing struggle mightily for weeks.

Look, I'm not at all sure Pellegrini should go, whether now or later. I'm very sure he has to do something to change the course and that something better be soon.

Oh, and the purple kits? Uglier than sin.

Query Number Five: Poll

You know what to do.