Man City 'fall Short Of Standards' To Miss Out On Europe

Interim Manchester City leader Nick Cushing says his broadside person "fallen short of standards and expectations" aft they missed retired connected a Champions League place.

Fourth-placed City needed to hit rivals Manchester United astatine Old Trafford to support live their hopes of European shot adjacent season, but drew 2-2 aft starring 2-0 successful nan first half.

Cushing, who managed City from 2013-2020, took complete connected an interim ground until nan extremity of nan play pursuing Gareth Taylor's sacking successful March and was tasked pinch steering nan nine to a top-three finish.

"When I took this domiciled on, it was astir winning trophies and qualifying and we haven't been capable to beryllium capable to present that," he said.

"We person been a squad that has delivered trophies consistently complete a seven-year play erstwhile I've been involved. This squad should ever beryllium delivering trophies and competing successful nan Champions League.

"The convention position is acold beneath what I expect, but we are not that acold away."

Victory complete third-placed United would person taken City to wrong 1 constituent of them successful nan array and group up an breathtaking decorativeness to nan title for European shot connected nan last time of nan season. City big already-relegated Crystal Palace connected 10 May, while United sojourn second-placed Arsenal.

Last twelvemonth City pushed Chelsea each nan measurement successful an enthralling title title - coming 2nd only connected extremity quality - but will extremity this play pinch nary silverware and nary European football.

They besides went retired of nan FA Cup astatine nan semi-final shape to United, while Chelsea dumped them retired of nan Champions League quarter-finals and hit them successful nan League Cup final.

Their run has been blighted by injuries, pinch skipper Alex Greenwood, winger Lauren Hemp, guardant Vivianne Miedema and apical goalscorer Khadija Shaw each enduring agelong stints connected nan sidelines.

"We're trying to build a puzzle present pinch a portion missing," added Cushing. "We are everlastingly trying to complete it, but it has been reliable pinch each nan players injured."

City defender Laia Aleixandri, who has often played retired of position this play because of nan wounded issues, said: "Difficult situations, a batch of injuries, but that's not a logic to springiness up. We tried until nan past minute, we request to support going, we request to get better.

"Sometimes erstwhile there's obstacles we request to get together and not springiness up. We will beryllium amended and we will beryllium a winning squad I'm sure."

Dwelling extracurricular of nan Champions League places is unfamiliar territory for Cushing, who led City to their first and only WSL title successful 2016 on pinch 4 different awesome trophies.

"It's painful," he admitted. "I said to nan group, this falls beneath nan standards we group astatine nan commencement of nan play and what we expect, but it's shot and it's been a challenging moment."

Whether nan 40-year-old will stay astatine City beyond nan extremity of this play remains to beryllium seen, but nan nine person said they would beryllium unfastened to it.

The erstwhile New York City FC leader was brought backmost to Manchester to effort to instil immoderate stableness and location were affirmative signs, but yet he did not person capable clip to move things around.

"I will beryllium progressive successful nan reappraisal process because this squad is engrained successful me. Unless told they don't want maine involved, I will beryllium involved," added Cushing erstwhile asked astir his City future.

"This squad will beryllium everlastingly engrained successful me. I person an affectional relationship to it. It is simply a squad I person followed passim my clip successful America.

"There has been nary conversations from myself either. We person been concentrating connected nan challenges we person had and we person had galore things to attraction on."