Pep believes ‘less is more’ – but is it?
- davidjwalker1
- 3 days ago
- 8 min read
Before the season kicked off Pep Guardiola – tongue in cheek – said he’d resign if City didn’t trim down the size of his squad. On the eve of a potentially embarrassing Manchester derby he’s seen his wish come true.
Following the permanent departures of Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, Ederson, Kyle Walker and James McAtee, plus loan deals for Jack Grealish, Manuel Akanji, Claudio Echeverri and Vitor Reis, Guardiola would've been happier still had a few more gone out the door.
He famously likes to work with a smaller group, saying he hates having to leave players out of an 18-man matchday squad, which in turn, could lead to disharmony in the ranks.
It’s a practice which has served him well in his time at the Etihad – an unprecedented trophy haul would bear testimony – but last season’s injury decimated campaign might have given pause for thought.
Prima facie, the recruitment of Gianluigi Donnarumma, James Trafford, Tijani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki and Rayan Ait-Nouri, signalled a changing of the guard and new beginnings for a Pep Mk 3.0 rebuild.
Just three games in – including two hugely disappointing defeats – City already have Omar Marmoush, Cherki and Ait-Nouri ruled out with ‘medium to long term’ injuries.
Having started all three Premier League games, ‘porcelain’ Johnny Stones has picked up the almost obligatory ‘muscle injury’, with Josko Gvardiol, Mateo Kovacic and Savinho yet to appear.
With critical games against United, Napoli and Arsenal in the next week, there’s a horrible sense of déjà vu engulfing the Etihad Campus.
In his traditional end of season review, City Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak promised an ‘aggressive’ approach in the summer transfer market.
It bade well when Ait-Nouri, Reijnders and Cherki came in before the Club World Cup but – goalkeepers apart – that was the extent of City’s ‘aggression’.
Having finally bought a more conventional left back – the first since Benjamin Mendy in 2017 – the priority had to be a right back to stiffen up a porous defence.
City’s pursuit of Newcastle’s Tino Livramento was pretty much an open secret, but whereas City saw a deal to be done around the £70m mark, the Geordies – reluctant to sell – would only entertain the move at something approaching £100m.
That was never going to happen.
Once City’s quartet of Pep, Director of Football Hugo Viana, CEO Ferran Soriano and Khaldoon, settle on a player’s valuation, they won’t budge.
As the days, weeks and months wore on City fans were justifiably wondering who was next on the list?
Matheus Nunes had dutifully endeavoured as a square peg in a round hole, winning over many of his critics, but he was, and is, a midfielder prone to defensive gaffes.
Rico Lewis – who signed a new five-year contract yesterday – is often seen by Pep as an alternative. It’s a bone of contention, but whatever Lewis’ role is, it really, surely, truly isn’t at right back.
As September 2nd dawned City had failed to sign a successor to the already ostracised Kyle Walker – the 35-year-old having bailed out on loan to AC Milan – before moving to Burnley.
City must’ve had their reasons not going for another target, but what was Plan B, assuming they ever had a Plan B?
What was wrong with Inter Milan’s Denzil Dumfries who was available at just £21m? Speedy and vastly experienced did his age – he’s 29 – go against City’s policy of reinvigorating the squad with youth? A three-year contract wouldn’t have broken the bank.
Khusanov, with his pace and power, would appear the obvious choice as a makeshift/future right back, helping cover for what is not a particularly fleet of foot City defence.
Recruiting Khusanov (21), Echeverri (19), Reis (19), Norwegian midfield prodigy Sverre Nypan (18), Sierre Leone centre back Juma Bah (19), alongside the emergence of the Academy attacking midfielder Divine Mukasa (18), means a new generation is on the rise - but they're not for the here and now.
It doesn’t address the immediate shortcomings of a squad which, as things stand, seems unlikely to win the top prizes.
Hindsight is indeed a wonderful thing, but despite the historic 4-In-A-Row Premier League title win, City’s comparative downturn can be traced back to the aftermath of that glorious night in Istanbul and the Treble of 2023.
Whether it was complacency, Pep being too loyal to his squad, Txiki Begiristain taking his eye off the ball, or a combination of all three, City haven’t recruited players of the calibre of Rodri, Mahrez, Sane, Gundogan, Laporte, Bernardo, Dias, Alvarez, Stones or even Cancelo, in recent times.
Lest we forget there have been some less than memorable signings during Pep’s tenure e.g. Nolito, Bravo, Gomez, Steffen, Phillips (Kalvin has just been named in City’s 25-man senior squad for this season’s Premier League), but they’re in a minority.
In the five transfer windows since Istanbul there’s been a considerable drop off in the quality of new recruits, with only Josko Gvardiol and Omar Marmoush anywhere near the standards set previously.
It’s not scapegoating players such as Savinho (21), Jeremy Doku (23) and Nico Gonzalez (23) - they are but three - who need to step up and be counted, if Pep’s optimistic overtures for the season are to be realised.
The biggest summer signing (in more ways than one) is Donnarumma. When asked about the impact the 6ft 5” keeper has had in his first couple of days at City, Pep said: " He’s so tall, so huge…”
Much has been made of the 26-year-old Italian replacing Ederson and their different playing styles. At six years his senior, the Brazilian is arguably the best goalkeeper of his generation – even of all time – with the ball at his feet.
Comparing Ederson’s footwork with any other keeper on the planet is grossly unfair.
For eight years he was a critical component in Pep’s all-conquering sides, winning everything worth having in club football including six Premier Leagues, the Champions League, Super Cup, Club World Cup, two FA Cups, four League Cups and three Community Shields, encompassing being a Centurion, a Fourmidable, a Treble winner and a 4-In-A-Row repeater!
That said, Donnarumma’s CV isn’t too shabby.
He was 16-years and 242 days old when he made his AC Milan debut in Serie A. He became the youngest goalkeeper ever to play for Italy at just 17-years and 189 days
He’s clocked up 508 senior appearances (including 76 international caps), won four Ligue 1 titles with PSG, the Champions League last season, the Coupe de France twice, one Supercoppa Italiana, and the Euros 2020, when he starred for Italy against England at Wembley, saving two penalties in a 3-2 shootout victory.
Former City keeper, Joe Hart – a keeper who didn’t fit Pep’s requirements – is rapidly earning a reputation as a knowledgeable ‘pundit’.
His opinions carry a certain gravitas, and he observed; “Donnarumma is capable with his feet, more than capable. I’ve watched him play under pressure, play for Italy, play the whole way up from the age of 16, he’s a player who holds his nerve for both his club and country.
“I’m a big James Trafford fan, but why would you not sign Donnarumma and have him as part of your system, someone who can win you games?
“He’s absolutely humongous making top, top saves at the top level – he wins you competitions and trophies.”
P
With an eye on the Manchester derby, it's a stark reminder that for all of United’s recent woes (I was born in Cleethorpes, so it was even more delightful when Grimsby dumped them out of the Carabao Cup) they sit a point above City in the table.
Ruben Amorim’s side will be missing the dangerous Cunha, along with Mount and Dalot, but derbies – specially at the Etihad – can be weird and not so wonderful for those in a sky-blue hue.
1-0 up until the 88th minute, City contrived to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory last season, with a Fernandes penalty and Diallo’s winner in added time, completing a shock smash and grab victory.
The 4-0 win at Wolves followed by defeats at home to Spurs and away to Brighton, represents City’s worst start to a season under Guardiola.
There’s no such thing as a ‘must win’ match in September, but if City were to lose their next two PL games, they could find themselves 12 points off the leaders, desperately trying to play catch-up..
And then there’s the small matter of a certain Kevin De Bruyne rolling up with Napoli on Thursday night, perhaps with a point to prove to Pep & Co!
THE RETURN OF KING KEVIN
Read But Never Red is humbled, privileged and proud to be donating a signed Kevin De Bruyne shirt to raise funds for a wonderful Manchester based charity, The Milly-Rose Stirrup Foundation. Please read on for full details of how you could own a treasured item of City memorabilia…
King Kev is coming home to the Etihad next Thursday night - the only problem is he’ll be wearing a Napoli shirt.
Never again will the Belgian playmaker and goal taker wear his famous No 17 City shirt, but that doesn’t stop you from owning one! The signed shirt comes complete with a certificate of authenticity from the club - and matching holograms on both the shirt and certificate.
A £20 donation via the GoFundMe link gives you the chance to win Kevin’s iconic shirt and - at the same time - support families going through the worst time of their lives after the loss of their child.
Please hit the link and each £20 donation represents an entry and the chance to be the proud owner of this lasting memento of KDB. https://gofund.me/a095f5df5
The charity will announce the winner in the first week of October. Thank you and good luck.
by David Walker
‘X’ @ReadButNeverRed @djwskyblu
Bluesky @djwskyblu.bsky.social