Manuel Pellegrini is adamant Manchester City's season has not been a "disaster" as he took responsibility for their recent slump.
City have lost four of their last five games, have exited the Champions League and are looking unlikely to defend their Premier League title.
But the Chilean, who won two trophies in his first season in England, is insistent their campaign has been respectable.
“[To be in] second position the whole year: I don’t think is a disaster,” Pellegrini said. “We are not in eighth, ninth or tenth. Only Chelsea has done better than our team. All of us want to win the title every year, I don’t think it is possible to do it but I think it is possible to fight to the end.
“If you analyse the last few years of this team, maybe it’s not so bad as everyone is trying to demonstrate at this moment. It’s never easy to win two Premier League titles out of the last three.
“We are not doing as bad as everyone has tried to demonstrate this year. We can do better, especially in both [domestic] Cups this year – that was not good for our team – but I don’t think I have anything to complain about.”
City’s undistinguished display in defeat at Burnley last week prompted suggestions that Pellegrini’s players are not playing for him. The manager, however, was adamant that he, and not they, should be held accountable for any setbacks.
“I think that always it will be my responsibility because I always choose the starting XI, I choose the squad and I choose the way we like to play,” he said. “I have a very good relationship with the players and they always try to give their best.”
This has been a troubled time for Pellegrini, with City exiting the Champions League and speculation he will be sacked in the summer as they seem unlikely to win any silverware this season.
But the Chilean is adamant that, far from feeling the pressure, these are the sort of challenges he relishes.
“Every day I enjoy it,” he added.” If you cannot enjoy playing in the Champions League against Barcelona, fighting for the title in the Premier League, being with this team, being in best league in world, if you don’t enjoy it, you must see a doctor.”
Pellegrini said talk of a clearout at the Etihad Stadium should be postponed until the summer, amid talk that Yaya Toure and Edin Dzeko will be high-profile departures.
“It’s not the moment to talk about the future, it’s the time to talk about the present,” he added
City will be without vice-captain Toure who has an Achilles injury, while James Milner and Aleksandar Kolarov will also miss Saturday’s match against West Bromwich Albion.
However, defenders Pablo Zabaleta and Eliaquim Mangala are fit to feature, left-back Gael Clichy is available again after suspension and Pellegrini hinted he will make wholesale changes as City kick off only 63 hours after the final whistle in the Camp Nou.
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