Maybe Ahmed Musa was right.
Manchester City surrendered a 2-0 half-time lead in a desolate Khimki Arena to bury their chances of progression from Group E even deeper under the snow on Tuesday evening, and now boast just two points from three games in this year's Champions League.
Goals from Sergio Agüero and James Milner handed the Blues a deserved lead heading into the break, but complacency, lethargy, and general naivety characterised their second half display on yet another somber European outing as CSKA Moscow were handed an unlikely 2-2 draw.
(James Milner gives City a seemingly comfortable 2-0 lead - via @MCFC)
Manuel Pellegrini has questions to answer. Why was Fernandinho brought into the game so late? Why was Yaya Touré allowed to push forward when he should have been helping to defend our lead? The man who was appointed to address our Champions League woes has shown incredible ignorance in the tournament he supposedly mastered at Villarreal and Malaga. Unfortunately, Manchester City aren't a club that can take risks on Europe's biggest stage, the players we have at our disposal means there is no excuse for failure, and there is an extreme amount of pressure to succeed. At Malaga and Villarreal, perhaps there was no pressure. Is the Chilean cracking under the weight of it?
But Uefa also have to address a number of issues. They clearly indicated that CSKA Moscow's stadium ban meant that no fans would be able to penetrate the walls of the Khimki Arena, so why were the hosts allowed to play along to the roars of local Moscovians? Why was a penalty not awarded to Manchester City when Edin Džeko was quite clearly fouled in the 18-yard-box in the first-half? And how on earth couldn't referee Istvan Vad recognise that Seydou Doumbia dived for his side's 86th minute penalty?
It was an appalling performance from the official, but City's negligence of their defensive duties once again had a greater bearing on the result.
Eliaquim Mangala, signed for £32.8m in the summer, fooled us all with a commanding debut against Chelsea in September, but ever since, the Frenchman has been worryingly below par. The 23-year-old was caught ball watching for CSKA's first goal, and misplaced a number of passes in dangerous areas to present the hosts with momentum going forward. Mangala will certainly mature and improve under the guidance of his defensive partner Vincent Kompany, but Manuel Pellegrini must decide whether it is worth risking such a raw talent in important games for the remainder of the season.
(Were Manchester City conned out of £32.8m by FC Porto? - via @MCFC)
Defending Yaya Touré has been a pursuit of mine ever since he was unfairly criticised for his slow start to the Premier League season, but the Ivorian was ineffective once again on Tuesday night. He was a calm and dominant presence in the first half when City were commanding the play, but pushed way too far up the pitch when Fernandinho was introduced instead of attending to his defensive responsibilities. It's not the first time the 31-year-old has left his side short at the back, and Pellegrini must consider whether it is a product of fatigue, or just pure disinterest.
Ahmed Musa was right. Manchester City are 'weak'. They have the ammunition and the talent, but in Europe, City simply don't have the right mentality to assert themselves.
