Pell must win 5 trophies in 5 years

AVOID THE AXE ... Manuel Pellegrini already knows what he must do to succeed at City

MANUEL PELLEGRINI faces a daunting five-year target as Manchester City boss.

City chief executive Ferran Soriano declared: “I’d say we want to win five trophies in the next five years. That may mean we win no trophies one year and two in another.

“But on average I want one trophy or title a year. That is the Champions League, the Premier League and the FA Cup.”

City axed Roberto Mancini after he failed to lift a trophy this year.

But Pellegrini, who is poised to take over at the Etihad after quitting Malaga, will be given some slack providing there are signs of improvement.

Soriano added: “If next year we don’t win but progress our football and get to the semi-finals of the Champions League, finish second in the league and lose the FA Cup final again, that will be fine.

“We will ask the new manager to deliver good football to this fantastic squad and, if he does that, we will support him.”

Soriano and his director of football Txiki Begiristain have strong links with Pep Guardiola from their days working together at Barcelona.

Their old coach was strongly tipped to join them before opting to go to Bayern Munich.

But a link-up in future has not been ruled out.

Soriano said: “I know Pep. Txiki knows Pep. So we don’t need to be in the market for Pep.

“If Pep decided to come to England he would have called us, right? He’s very young, 42 now, and after Germany he probably will come to England.”