Engineering fault

SO MUCH, then, for lessons learned. So much for being fresher and wiser. So much for Stoke being tougher.
So much for the billion spent, the purported disarray in the Barca camp and Suarez' dip in scoring. So much for the unhappiness with the manager and the casino visit.
If anything, the chasm between Manchester City and Barcelona has widened since last year. The Catalans were not just superior, they were playing a game with which City were not familiar.
Somehow, this standout fixture of the Round of 16 still has life in it, City defiantly claiming that with Yaya back and a recent history of impersonating Houdini, they can turn it around. But on the evidence of Tuesday night they won't find many believers.
The tie stood out because it was a clash of dynasties: nouveau riche against old money; thrusting, loaded City against an established powerhouse perceived to be in temporary decline. All of Europe and much of the football world was agog.
What we saw was an action replay of last season's tie for 45 minutes. City stood off and couldn't get the ball. Messi was unplayable and Barca made hay. But it was surprising to see a club so meticulous in everything it does repeat their mistake of last year. And this is where we come to Manuel Pellegrini.
Playing two up front and weakening the midfield might be OK at home to Stoke. Or Newcastle whom City hammered 5-0 on Saturday. But on Tuesday it was about as useful as pounding a punch bag in preparation for 12 rounds with Mike Tyson. This was Barcelona who are as protective of the ball as polar bears are of their cubs.
Pitting journeymen like James Milner and Fernando against these magicians was simply asking for it – and the maestros didn't disappoint. There was also the nervy, tentative manner in which City began. Neither suggested 'the Engineer' quite had the task measured up properly.
His post-match press conference of contradictions didn't impress either. But above all, it was the gulf in class that really stood out. You would only have had Joe Hart and Sergio Aguero from City in a combined side so that in turn raises questions about the recruitment policy.
City aim to improve every year but now, even if they do win the League, it will be a small step back from last year's League and League Cup double. You have to ask whether their transfer cash has been spent wisely over recent years. Since Yaya Toure, David Silva and Aguero, they have not bought anyone to take the breath away.
Much has been made of Brendan Rodgers' recruitment at Liverpool but Pellegrini's is hardly more impressive and has just as many duds. At least some of Rodgers' buys are beginning to bear fruit.
At £30m (RM165m) Fernandinho is overpriced but decent and better than Fernando (£12m – RM66m) who was curiously preferred on Tuesday. But Eliaquim Mangala for another £30m? He didn't make it into the side against Barca.
Martin Di Michaelis (£3.5m –RM19.5m) ) was a stopgap, and Willy Caballero (£6m - RM33m), a reserve keeper. These are hardly the acquisitions of a club hell bent on domination. Wilfried Bony looks more like it even for £28m (RM154m) but he's still getting his bearings.
Toure was missed even more than we imagined and will be back for the return. Bony will have played two or three games by then so may be more effective. But it looks as if City will have to produce one of their great escape acts to progress.
It shouldn't be down to this after how they've gone about transforming the club and you wonder what the ownership will think. They did not expect a major rebuild so soon, but it may be no bad thing in the long term that they revisit the drawing board.
Such erstwhile defensive rocks as Vincent Kompany and Pablo Zabaleta were badly exposed, the twin terrors Silva and Samir Nasri were anonymous. The plan to inject just one or two top class young players a year has not been sufficient. But then how to do more when you've already infringed Financial Fair Play?
Still, you wouldn't be surprised if they bounced back at Liverpool on Sunday, especially with 48 more hours (and no travelling) to prepare. Even if they do, we can expect the phones between City's head honchos and Pep Guardiola to be buzzing.
With Arsenal's even worse fumble at home to Monaco, a modest fourth in Ligue Un, it was a dire week for the Premier League. No sooner has the £5.1 billion TV deal been announced than we are looking at just one representative (Chelsea) in the last eight of the elite tournament if we are lucky.
Like City, Arsenal's confident pre-match talk was made to look silly. Giroud the ideal centre-forward? Ozil's time has come? At least City can say they were up against genius. Arsenal? A still-strolling Dimitar Berbatov.