London - With the Premier League trophy being so meekly surrendered and a season without silverware looming, Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini cannot grumble if the club's hierarchy already has his replacement lined up.
That's the way City seems to operate these days and it can be seen as logical planning to ensure a smooth succession.
Managers are expendable for owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is still waiting after almost seven years for the team to become a consistent force to match the $1 billion-plus investment in players.