article: What if they come fifth? Manchester City may have big plans to revamp the team in the summer, with Yaya Toure and Samir Nasri among the high-profile casualties, but what if Liverpool reel them in over the next six matches? City are four points clear and have a superior goal difference, which equates to five, yet undoubtedly they are vulnerable. For a team playing this poorly no run-in is easy and matches against the much-improved Aston Villa and even Queens Park Rangers can no longer be viewed with certainty. Yaya Toure (centre) has been a shadow of the player who fired Manchester City to last season's title . Manuel Pellegrini (second right) trudges off the pitch after Manchester City were beaten by Crystal Palace . Future opponents Swansea City and Southampton have little to play for — yet neither did Crystal Palace. The long-term plan is plain: Pep Guardiola, at his convenience, probably in 2016. Yet where will City be by then? An overhaul of playing personnel is due, but there has been scant evidence Manuel Pellegrini or director of football Txiki Begiristain are adept at identifying replacements. Eliaquim Mangala was supposed to be a different class to Joleon Lescott, but the Premier League’s most expensive defender cannot command a place in the team; Stevan Jovetic is no Carlos Tevez; Fernando no great upgrade on Gareth Barry or Nigel de Jong. Toure is in obvious decline, but his influence on City’s two title winning seasons was huge. Can Pellegrini and Begiristain be trusted to find a replacement capable of Toure’s impact? Not on the evidence of their recent signings. Jesus Navas? Martin Demichelis? Even Fernandinho is not as good as he was at Shakhtar Donetsk. The powers that be at City are waiting for Pep Guardiola to leave Bayern Munich for Manchester . And what if City are caught and condemned to the Europa League? What happens to this lavish rebuilding plan then? Take away the Champions League money and City’s financial capacity is not really much greater than Tottenham’s. Pellegrini has performed weakly this season and keeping him on another year while marking time for Guardiola is a giant gamble. Roberto Mancini got City into the elite in the nick of time with the financial fair play regulations about to be introduced. Locked outside, City’s capacity to improve would be severely limited. Would Guardiola even come in those circumstances? Great manager he may be, but not one that has shown any burning desire to work off the same budget as Everton.
highlights: Man City currently occupy final Champions League place .
  Liverpool are four points behind City with six matches to go this season .
  READ: Pep Guardiola would demand stability at Man City .
  READ: Man City planning mega-bid to sign Liverpool star Sterling .
  READ: Martin Samuel's column on Masters champion Jordan Spieth here .
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