Manchester City vs Manchester United analysis: Manuel Pellegrini has no excuse for City's lack of a Plan B, writes Danny Higginbotham

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Manchester City have been found out as a side with only one way to play. Their predictability against Newcastle United on Wednesday night – and their lack of a Plan ‘B’ – was extraordinary for a club of such wealth and talent. The quality which separates top managers from the ordinary ones is adaptability to the game situation and Manuel Pellegrini is not demonstrating that he is in possession of it. Manchester United have every reason to believe that they can win Sunday’s derby match at the Etihad.

The strategy which Newcastle went for is precisely the same one that Stoke City and West Ham United have used to beat them this season. They kept their back four very narrow – operating at the width of the six-yard box – with their wingers, Rolando Aarons /Sammy Ameobi and Gabriel Obertan doing the full backs’ work. They packed the middle of the pitch and said: "If you want to go 2 v 1 against us down the wings, OK. We fancy ourselves to deal with your crosses, Manchester City." That’s because Sergio Aguero, David Silva and James Milner are not going to test you when the crosses come in and with what is effectively a flat back six, Edin Dzeko won’t cause problems, either.

Newcastle were happy to retreat if they lost the ball in City’s half and couldn’t get it back. This is what are we seeing regularly: City opponents willing to play the game in their own half and smother Pellegrini’s world class players. City were slow in possession - needing ten passes to do what Newcastle could do in two. By the time they had put four passes together Newcastle were back in shape. I’m sorry, but that’s desperately poor game management.
And when City lose possession, they become vulnerable because of individual weaknesses in their back line. Aleksandr Kolarov likes to go up but he is not quick at getting back, while Eliaquim Mangala does not want to come outside the width of his six-yard box to cover. Mangala has cost a lot of money but so far he has been a constant accident. Pace is consistently punishing City players like this. Obertan might not have made it at Old Trafford but he is as quick as you will find. It doesn’t help that there’s no continuity to the defensive personnel either. Pellegrini has never gone played with the same back four in consecutive matches this season. He’s not chopping and changing because of injuries. He just doesn’t know what his preferred back four is.

Manchester City vs Manchester United combined
It’s one thing to have your way of playing found out. It’s something else entirely to have no alternative strategy. City’s Plan A is 4-4-2. Their Plan B is frustration. It’s no coincidence that of the 12 times they’ve behind at half time under Pellegrini they have managed to win on three occasions, losing the remaining nine and never drawing. Against Newcastle, they brought on Jesus Navas, who is genuinely rapid wide player but who hardly touched the ball, and James Milner, who came into the centre from the right, only adding to the congestion.

The best manager – a Jose Mourinho or Pep Guardiola – would not have adapted, by exploiting the width Newcastle were offering them. I remember our Stoke side playing Chelsea at home three years ago when we knew that they, too, like to go through the middle. Our preparations included playing an 8 v 8 match through the middle on the Britannia Stadium pitch the day before; all of us wearing long studs to scuff up the turf. Andre Villas Boas was manager at the time and Chelsea couldn’t deal with it. We got a 1-1 draw. It would never been the case if Mourinho was manager. I can’t tell you the number of times over the years I’ve been in a side up against a Mourinho, Arsene Wenger or Sir Alex Ferguson and it will be 0-0 at half time and you will feel comfortable, only for them to find a totally different plan for the second half. You’re not seeing that from Pellegrini.