Pellegrini Finally Shows Some Pragmatism

One of the complaints about Manuel Pellegrini I have long had is that he has never regularly used cup matches to bloodlet youth players. Throughout his three seasons at the helm of Manchester City, Pellegrini has demonstrated an unwillingness to use cup competitions to rotate the squad beyond senior players. In the League Cup over the course of three seasons, Pellegrini has been convinced that the early trophy and midweek games justified playing first-team players. In the FA Cup, few opportunities have presented themselves for real use of youth players.

Sunday's 5-1 loss at Stamford Bridge to Chelsea was Pellegrini's first real use of youngsters en masse in a competitive game and also the first time in his tenure that the Blues were eliminated in this competition by Premier League opposition.

But from where I sit this was a refreshing display. An effort being finally made to inject some true "holism" into the club.

What were the thoughts of Bitter and Blue readers regarding the match?