I couldn’t believe it when I heard last week that City’s Chilean boss had been overlooked by the League Managers’ ­Association (LMA) for the Manager of the Year award.

How can a man, who lifted both the Premier League title and the Capital One Cup during his first season in England, not be honoured for those fantastic ­achievements by the very people who know just how hard it is to be a winner?

Brendan Rodgers took the LMA crown after taking Liverpool to within touching distance of the club’s first championship in 24 years.

I was one of those “neutrals” who was hoping that the title would return to Anfield during a season that marked the 25th ­anniversary of the Hillsborough tragedy.

In the final reckoning, Liverpool finished two points and 14 goals away from achieving their dream.

Brendan did, indeed, prove what a fantastic young manager he is, by taking a team that had finished seventh last season so close.

But — and I honestly don’t mean any disrespect to Brendan or his club — Liverpool finished second. Man City took the title — and that makes them the top team in the country, and Pellegrini the best manager. And they also won a Wembley cup final.

There’s no disputing that Liverpool punched above their weight. But, if that was the criterion for making the award, then surely the honour should have gone to Tony Pulis?

I am delighted Tony took the Premier League manager of the year award after keeping Crystal Palace in the top flight.

That really was a miraculous piece of ­management that deserved to be ­recognised, given the predicament Palace were in when I left them in October. Finishing second with a massive club like Liverpool just doesn’t compare.

In my opinion, the top honour should of gone to Pellegrini.

No doubt people will claim that what City achieved was par for the course, given the money they have spent. But Liverpool have hardly been paupers in the transfer market down the years.

And we all saw, with Roberto Mancini last season, that having that wealth and weight of expectation brings unique problems.

Under Pellegrini, City have become a team united. He has brought peace and harmony to a squad that had been at war with itself last year.

City have played spectacular football — despite being without Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany, David Silva and Yaya Toure for long periods. They hit 102 Premier League goals, scored another 54 in the knock-out ­competitions, and still had the second-best defence in the country.

Looking back at past winners of the Manager of the Year award, I notice that Arsene Wenger is the only foreigner to have won it in its 21-year history.

When you think what Jose Mourinho achieved in his first spell at Chelsea and what Carlo Ancelotti and Roberto Di Matteo did after him at Stamford Bridge, that’s quite astonishing.

Perhaps it’s down to the fact that we like a plucky loser in this country.

Whatever the reason, Pellegrini has been the best manager in England this season - and he has THE trophy to prove it.

Photo: Action Images

davram added 16:46 - May 19 Well done City, etc, though perhaps several managers might well have won the title with all that dosh and that great squad. Tony Pulis is the top man this season in the Prem for me. How would Pellegrini have fared if he'd taken over the demoralised squad that Holloway himself left at Palace? He'd have done about as well as Holloway in my opinion. If you'd seen Millwall play this season you'll know that Olly's found his true level there, down near the base of the Championship. But who checks these articles? "Should Of" is a meaningless mix-up of words, and looks awful presented here as a "title" (it's bad enough to hear illiterate kids saying "should of", but on a published article...?l The plain but correct English is "Should Have", for those who know how to write.

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ALessonInPride added 19:55 - May 19 If you look davram its a direct quote from Holloway himself, so I see nothing wrong.
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vickytheviking added 20:45 - May 19 Did somebody get out the wrong side of bed???
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MCFCOK added 20:46 - May 19 It's good to be visited by "The Grammar Police" occasionally lol.
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widnesblue added 20:59 - May 19 The thing is Mancini had loads of dosh and a great squad last season!!
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davram added 22:41 - May 19 If you look, "ALessonlnPride", I suggested that the Editor amend the meaningless title, regardless of whoever might think that Holloway said "should of" and wrote it as such. I think Holloway is more articulate than "should of", anyway - his biog is quite readable & entertaining. I'm not grumpy - I just happen to value good communication and usually enjoy the standard of writing on Fans Network. The Rams are en route soon to Wembley, so I've no other reason to be grumbling. I will take the point that Pellegrini is a better manager - at least of big-timers - than Mancini, though the latter wouldn't have done any better at Palace in Prem than Holloway either in my opinion! Enjoy your trophy!

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