Skoorb
Alert Team
And so the adventure begins……..
After years of careful planning, re-structuring and re-organising behind the scenes and in the creation of the most fantastic infrastructure City fans have ever seen…….…the owners of Manchester City FC finally secured the services of the man they have coveted from the very outset.
Josep ‘Pep’ Guardiola.
The pieces are on the board. Let the games begin…….
When he steps out onto the pitch prior to his first home game in charge of the club this weekend he will be properly taking charge of only his third football club (his fourth spell as a coach if we include his year managing the Barcelona ‘B’ team). Doesn’t seem a lot for someone about whom we have heard so much but, as we know, he has packed a lot into his coaching career including a slew of trophies that I shan’t bother to re-iterate here. So instant success is on the cards right? Premier League won by the time we reach December…….
As we all know and doubtless will hear time and time again from the ‘pundits’ - as soon as his team fail to win by 8 clear goals or, heaven forbid, they should drop points - this is the Premier League. It is undoubtedly true that in this league perhaps more than in any other there are no ‘gimme’s’, no ‘easy three points’. As we witnessed last season only too often - take your foot off the gas, fail to deliver a top rate performance, take the position for granted and you can get punished by ANY team in the league.
But……to think that even Barcelona or Bayern Munich just had to turn up for opponents to just roll over would be a mistake. Guardiola is a details man and he leaves nothing to chance - researching his opponents, preparing his team, selecting his players and tactics. He lives, eats and breathes football and doubtless will be applying the same rigour to those he faces in his new job. It will take time I am sure for the players to adapt in the heat of battle as the league season starts especially after what seems a frightfully short time for the guy to get to know his squad. He may indeed come undone a few times but he will learn and put things right. What he needs is for everyone in the squad to be on the same page, to be as committed as him.
Additions have been made to that squad including the mercurial talents of Leroy Sane, the skill and work ethic of Ilkay Gundogan (although his entry is delayed by injury) to add to the burgeoning talent of Kelachi Iheanacho, the fresh faces from the Academy such as Angelino and the established stars we all know and love - Sergio Aguero & David Silva. He certainly has the tools at his disposal - what he has to do is shake off the lethargy and ennui that enveloped the players under Pellegrini’s last twelve months. He has to make them believe again and install in them the confidence to play his way.
Blending this mix of youth and experience under the full glare of the Premier League headlights with a host of ex-rag and Scouse pundits waiting in the studios and behind their keyboards for the guy to fail will be no easy task. He will be given no quarter on the pitch and nor should he - we ask no favours for him. The turnaround between games is short and the pressure is added to straight from the get go by the extra games thrust upon him by the squad’s failure to automatically qualify for the Champions League group stages. A trip to Romania awaits his team after this game before he brings them back and sets off to face the usual warm welcome provided by Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium. If that doesn’t make him appreciate what it takes to win the Premier League then I’m not sure what will. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves…….one game at a time goes the saying.
Sunderland come to the Etihad under the tutelage of David Moyes. Still smarting I have no doubt from the way he was treated by the Stretfords he will feel that he has a point to prove and has the experience to shake Sunderland out of their perennial struggle to avoid relegation. Given how his Everton team performed I think it is reasonable to assume that players like Catermole and Larsson will be given free rein to make sure they let “Pep’s boys” know they are in a game.
As for Pep’s team selection……well some of the players select themselves. Aguero and Silva, Hart and Fernandinho probably making up the spine and Kevin De Bruyne will be in there somewhere. Whether he will throw Sane in the deep end is a separate question along with where Raheem Sterling will start his career under the new coach - on the pitch or on the bench? The Yaya conundrum will doubtless draw plenty of media attention given the big man’s departure from Barcelona under Guardiola. At full back I would not be surprised to see young Angelino given his chance. At the time of writing Kompany’s fitness situation remains unknown although it is believed he played some part in the behind the scenes fixture against St Johnstone recently.
We have been waiting a long time for this & I sincerely hope the crowd give him a rousing welcome and make him feel appreciated - he chose our club above pretty much any other in the world.
Let’s raise the roof!
Come On City!!
After years of careful planning, re-structuring and re-organising behind the scenes and in the creation of the most fantastic infrastructure City fans have ever seen…….…the owners of Manchester City FC finally secured the services of the man they have coveted from the very outset.
Josep ‘Pep’ Guardiola.
The pieces are on the board. Let the games begin…….
When he steps out onto the pitch prior to his first home game in charge of the club this weekend he will be properly taking charge of only his third football club (his fourth spell as a coach if we include his year managing the Barcelona ‘B’ team). Doesn’t seem a lot for someone about whom we have heard so much but, as we know, he has packed a lot into his coaching career including a slew of trophies that I shan’t bother to re-iterate here. So instant success is on the cards right? Premier League won by the time we reach December…….
As we all know and doubtless will hear time and time again from the ‘pundits’ - as soon as his team fail to win by 8 clear goals or, heaven forbid, they should drop points - this is the Premier League. It is undoubtedly true that in this league perhaps more than in any other there are no ‘gimme’s’, no ‘easy three points’. As we witnessed last season only too often - take your foot off the gas, fail to deliver a top rate performance, take the position for granted and you can get punished by ANY team in the league.
But……to think that even Barcelona or Bayern Munich just had to turn up for opponents to just roll over would be a mistake. Guardiola is a details man and he leaves nothing to chance - researching his opponents, preparing his team, selecting his players and tactics. He lives, eats and breathes football and doubtless will be applying the same rigour to those he faces in his new job. It will take time I am sure for the players to adapt in the heat of battle as the league season starts especially after what seems a frightfully short time for the guy to get to know his squad. He may indeed come undone a few times but he will learn and put things right. What he needs is for everyone in the squad to be on the same page, to be as committed as him.
Additions have been made to that squad including the mercurial talents of Leroy Sane, the skill and work ethic of Ilkay Gundogan (although his entry is delayed by injury) to add to the burgeoning talent of Kelachi Iheanacho, the fresh faces from the Academy such as Angelino and the established stars we all know and love - Sergio Aguero & David Silva. He certainly has the tools at his disposal - what he has to do is shake off the lethargy and ennui that enveloped the players under Pellegrini’s last twelve months. He has to make them believe again and install in them the confidence to play his way.
Blending this mix of youth and experience under the full glare of the Premier League headlights with a host of ex-rag and Scouse pundits waiting in the studios and behind their keyboards for the guy to fail will be no easy task. He will be given no quarter on the pitch and nor should he - we ask no favours for him. The turnaround between games is short and the pressure is added to straight from the get go by the extra games thrust upon him by the squad’s failure to automatically qualify for the Champions League group stages. A trip to Romania awaits his team after this game before he brings them back and sets off to face the usual warm welcome provided by Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium. If that doesn’t make him appreciate what it takes to win the Premier League then I’m not sure what will. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves…….one game at a time goes the saying.
Sunderland come to the Etihad under the tutelage of David Moyes. Still smarting I have no doubt from the way he was treated by the Stretfords he will feel that he has a point to prove and has the experience to shake Sunderland out of their perennial struggle to avoid relegation. Given how his Everton team performed I think it is reasonable to assume that players like Catermole and Larsson will be given free rein to make sure they let “Pep’s boys” know they are in a game.
As for Pep’s team selection……well some of the players select themselves. Aguero and Silva, Hart and Fernandinho probably making up the spine and Kevin De Bruyne will be in there somewhere. Whether he will throw Sane in the deep end is a separate question along with where Raheem Sterling will start his career under the new coach - on the pitch or on the bench? The Yaya conundrum will doubtless draw plenty of media attention given the big man’s departure from Barcelona under Guardiola. At full back I would not be surprised to see young Angelino given his chance. At the time of writing Kompany’s fitness situation remains unknown although it is believed he played some part in the behind the scenes fixture against St Johnstone recently.
We have been waiting a long time for this & I sincerely hope the crowd give him a rousing welcome and make him feel appreciated - he chose our club above pretty much any other in the world.
Let’s raise the roof!
Come On City!!
