By Federico Calabrese
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The Manchester City season ended with elimination from the Club World Cup at the hands of Al Hilal. It was a disappointing year for the Citizens, who failed to maintain the level of competitiveness typical of previous seasons. Between March and April, rumors circulated that Pep Guardiola might leave City’s bench, but in the end, he stayed — although it’s clear a revolution was needed after the last year.
Manchester City, the first revolution
We have already witnessed the start of this revolution, especially in the USA. Tijani Reijnders arrived from Milan, followed by Rayan Cherki, for a team that needed fresh air — a team that lost De Bruyne, showing how the upcoming season must be a season of redemption to compete again both in the Premier League and in Europe.
Guardiola: “Success is judged by winning, and winning. And that’s a problem”
A few weeks ago, Guardiola told Reuters:
“People judge happiness by winning. They judge success by winning and winning. And that’s a problem. I won’t judge myself or my team based on good or bad seasons. Maybe finishing third in a season and never giving up — otherwise you’d finish tenth — might be a better season than when we won the fourth Premier League in a row.
We faced many difficulties, worsened by injuries, rest periods, and I wasn’t good enough for many reasons. Maybe reflecting on my time, I think last season was better. Qualifying for the Champions League, when we were about to miss out, has great value.”
A new beginning for Manchester City
At the Club World Cup, we saw a new approach from City; the key remains the same: an attacking formation to take advantage of players like Savinho, Foden, Marmoush, Doku, and Haaland. Pep’s new revolution must start from the collective, which last year seemed somewhat disconnected, because football teaches us that several stars, if placed in an unusual context, fail to perform at their best.
Guardiola needs to recreate a calm environment that can enhance every piece of his squad. The technical and tactical level of his players is unquestionable — from a defense that has important qualities both in the back and in possession phases, through to a midfield and attack capable of causing damage. But it’s necessary to create the right harmony to prevent everyone from going their own way. Guardiola must rebuild a perfect machine capable of troubling any opponent.
By Federico Calabrese
