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Like much of Manchester City’s Premier League campaign, there was a calamitous feel to the club’s post-match send-off for Manuel Pellegrini on Sunday.

Most fans had cleared out of the ground by the time the outgoing manager delivered a speech reminiscing about his three years at the club, leaving a stadium that was a quarter full at best.

Quite why the players and staff went down the tunnel and came back on again some time after the full-time whistle is a mystery. There was always the danger there would be an exodus given the discontent among the supporters in recent weeks – and the inexplicable decision to take the players off the field and a failure to publicise the plan before the game only served to exacerbate the issue.

When Pellegrini finally did return, no one inside could hear a word of his speech thanks to the stadium’s dreadful PA system. It was bordering on embarrassing.

It felt somewhat harsh on a man who has won three trophies in three seasons. There has been clear regression over the past 18 months, with City now facing the very real prospect of falling out of the top four before the season’s end – but he won the club’s first league-and-cup double in his first season, scoring 156 goals in the process. He has since added a second League Cup and took the club to the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time, narrowly losing to Real Madrid last week.

It’s hardly the record of a complete failure.

But fans are, within reason, free to express themselves in any way they see fit – and many feel Pellegrini’s time in charge has seen too sharp a decline. They look at the make-up of the squad and the team’s record and feel more than short-changed.

This season’s Premier League campaign, in particular, has been disastrous. No wins against sides in the top five, 10 defeats in total, including as many home losses as the previous four years combined. Leicester City deserve credit for the season they’ve had – but City shouldn’t have let them get away.

The fans’ discontent spreads still further. Many believe the relationship between the supporters who travel the length and breadth of the country and the team has eroded during the Chilean’s tenure. It’s a regular complaint after away matches that the 3,000 away fans are left ignored by Pellegrini and his side, which can be particularly galling when the performances fall way short of the standard expected.

It’s been a poor end to an era that started so promisingly. The club’s recruitment, which doesn’t fall under Pellegrini’s remit, hasn’t been good enough and the squad has suffered. Pep Guardiola, who could well be taking over a Europa League side, has plenty to do.

But those who stayed behind and witnessed Pellegrini’s goodbye couldn’t help but feel he deserved a little better.