I would like to win a trophy and be sacked - Pellegrini

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has suggested
success this season will have no bearing on his future at the
Etihad Stadium, but says he would rather win the title and be
sacked than stick around for five trophyless years.

Pep Guardiola is widely expected to take over from
Pellegrini in the summer no matter how City perform on the
pitch in the current campaign, leaving the Chilean to face
questions about his future on a weekly basis.

He has steadfastly refused to entertain speculation
concerning Guardiola but has, at times, let his guard slip
when it comes to his own prospects and the decisions of the
club.

On Tuesday, as Guardiola told reporters that his next stop
will be the Premier League, the current Manchester City
manager said: “I don’t think my position in the future is
linked to titles.

"For me, as a manager, it’s important to win the title
because it’s my job. Personally, my way of thinking is that if
I have the option to renew here for five years more and don't
win the title, or to win the title and be sacked, I’d prefer to
win the title and be sacked.

"For a manager, your work is to win the title, so the other...
it doesn’t matter what happens."

Despite his own precarious situation at the Etihad Stadium,
the City boss also defended the right of club owners to
make decisions based on factors other than winning
silverware.

Pellegrini, who has managed a number of clubs in Europe
and South America, is well placed to discuss such issues,
especially given he was sacked by Real Madrid in 2010
despite guiding the club to what was at the time a record
points tally.

That was only enough for Madrid to finish second, behind
Guardiola's Barcelona, and Pellegrini was shown the door
after just one season, with Jose Mourinho coming in to
replace him.

Speaking less than 24 hours after Rafael Benitez became
the 12th Madrid manager to leave the Santiago Bernabeu on
president Florentino Perez's watch, Pellegrini says club
owners should not just focus on titles.

“I don’t think so. I think that if you are the owner of a club,
you must have the option to replace the manager if they win
the title or if they don’t win the title.

"It just is about trust in the way you work. That is more
important than if you win a title or not for the owners. That’s
why we are just talking about Real Madrid always changing
if you don’t win a title. I don’t think that’s the best way. On
the other side, you can win a title, and of course the owner
can not be happy with your work and they have the right to
change. But as managers, the most important thing is to
win.”

City face Everton in the first leg of the League Cup semi-final
on Wednesday night as they look to keep alive their hopes of
success on all fronts this season.

Pellegrini's men finished top of their Champions League
group and will be confident of overcoming Dynamo Kiev to
make the competition's quarter-finals for the first time in the
club's history.

Despite not picking up a domestic victory away from home
in three months, the Blues are just three points off the top of
the Premier League table and will get their FA Cup campaign
underway against Norwich City on Saturday.