Pep’s legacy will live forever

Call it pragmatism or even pessimism, but Manchester City will be hard pressed to be genuine title contenders this season.

The lack of a ‘hard press’ was a fundamental factor in their gutless showing against Thomas Franks’ more energetic, physically stronger and tactically more astute Tottenham.

Pep's exasperation is clear for all to see.

Pre-game hopes of City avenging last season’s 0-4 Etihad humiliation began to evaporate when Rayan Ait-Nouri hobbled off in the 23^rd minute of his home debut.

Off the back of a 4-0 spanking of Wolves, and refreshed by new signings Tijani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki, Ait-Nouri and – to a lesser degree – young goalkeeper James Trafford, City were favourites to put one over on their perennial bogey team.

City went downhill when Ait-Nouri was forced off with injury against Spurs.

Whereas Noel and Liam Gallagher – City’s most famous fans of recent times – have been rolling out a master plan of summer concerts, Pep Guardiola’s men served up an out of tune disaster class.

It’s all too easy to go overboard based on one result, but this was poor – very poor.

Oasis delivered this summer - can City do the same this season?

Some might say City were undercooked having played just two pre-season friendlies. Would these be the same people who claimed City would be exhausted after their Club World Cup exploits and in desperate need of a rest?

Crikey, what’s wrong with them – City have already lifted silverware winning the Anglo Palermitan Trophy after beating fellow City Football Group’s Palermo 3-0.

Sarcasm aside, if they produce many more displays like Saturday, the ‘Parmesan Plate’ will be the only trophy lift where City captain Bernardo will be asked to say ‘cheese’ to the camera.

Bernardo with the Anglo Palermitan Trophy.

There can be no question that City – under Guardiola – have reigned supreme in England’s top flight.

Six Premier League titles in nine years, four League Cups, two FA Cups, the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup and two FA Community Shields is a phenomenal haul since Pep arrived at the Etihad in 2016.

Reluctantly, it might be time for City’s supporters to acquiesce that such domination is all but over.

It might be a while before City pick up another PL trophy.

It doesn’t mean it’s time to hoist a white flag, but can Pep hope to amass more trophies without adapting his philosophy of dominant possession, high pressing, positional play and quick transitions?

It was an all too familiar story as City had 61% possession but no points to show after 100+ minutes against their nemesis. Possession is supposed to be nine-tenths of the law but, as Pep has found to his team’s detriment, it means nothing in football.

Thomas Frank had plenty to shout about.

What was once a precision machine rooted in patience, controlling space, creating numerical advantages, incorporating explosive attacks and line breaking passes, has gradually been smothered by opponents’ low blocks and exploited by a more courageous approach and quick transitions.

Pep Lijnders and James French are new additions to Guardiola's coaching team.

The recruitment of new coaching staff, Pep Lijnders and James French – part of Jurgen Klopp’s ‘heavy metal’ heyday at Liverpool – might suggest City incorporating a more direct style alongside the traditional monopolising of possession.

Prima facie a blend of vintage Pep and fresh input from Klopp’s lieutenants can only be a good thing. Guardiola is always fulsome in his praise of his assistants, often emphasising how he never stops learning and valuing new ideas.

Tijani Reijnders was MOTM in City's 4-0 win at Wolves.

Weaponizing free kicks and increasing returns from corner kick routines would be a key element in reviving City’s fortunes. For far too long dead ball situations have lacked creativity and ingenuity – a perverse feature when considering Pep’s inventiveness and success at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and City.

A bad day at the office or something more serious?

But still one glaring and crippling aspect remains in City’s play book – Guardiola’s insistence of deploying an aggressive high line defence against quick counter attacks. It didn’t work last season, neither in the Club World Cup so why should it work this season with the same personnel – apart from Ait Nouri?

Rayan Cherki celebrates his first Premier League goal.

Spurs’ opening goal was so simplistic. A couple of passes from the back, the ball out wide to Richarlison, an unchallenged cross and a tap in from Johnson. Why Pep persists with such a high-risk strategy remains a mystery.

Abdukodir Khusanov might be a raw recruit in terms of age – he’s 21 – and lacking in Premier League experience, but he has pace to burn. He oozes potential but hardly gets a look in, despite City paying £31m to RC Lens in January.

Matheus Nunes is a genuine speedster – one of the quickest players in the Premier League – but despite his willingness to play right back and incremental improvements, he’s still a midfielder, a square peg in a round hole.

City fans are asking why Khusanov isn't playing more regularly?

Coming off the back of a summer transfer window (admittedly it remains open until next Monday) why haven’t City brought in a top quality and recognizable right back? It’s tantamount to negligence.

What happened with City's much vaunted pursuit of Newcastle's Tino Livramento? Was it ever viable given Eddie Howe's reluctance to sell his best players, even if it would have been a British transfer record for the position?

If the 22-year old England U21 was unobtainable, why not go for a medium term solution in the shape of 29-year old Dutchman, Denzil Dumfries of Inter Milan? He's no slouch, experienced at the top levels of European football and was available for just £21m. A three or four year contract wouldn't have broken the bank.

Tino Livramento was believed to be a City target this summer.

Guardiola has started the season with Rico Lewis in the problem position. This isn’t a character assassination of the 20-year-old, but he lacks physicality, positional intelligence, speed and height.

Of course it could be argued he’s young, he’s on a learning curve, but it doesn’t address the harsh reality that he’s not going to get any taller or faster. Nottingham Forest reportedly wanted Lewis for a fee of £30m+ - why didn’t City take the money and invest in a conventional right back?

Instead, Lewis has been given a five-year contract extension.

Rico Lewis has been rewarded with a new five-year contract.

Similarly, Ruben Dias, so often City’s Commander-In-Chief at the back, has just signed a new four-year deal, with the option of a fifth. He’ll be 33 at the end of it, but he’s another who isn’t too swift on his feet. There’s no denying he was instrumental in the drive to win a historic 4-In-A-Row Premier League titles, but his powers appear on the wane.

Experience and the ‘reading of a game’ are vital tools in the armoury of any central defender and can – in some instances – compensate for a lack of speed.

Regrettably that didn’t work last season, and the early signs are not encouraging this time out.

Ruben Dias has just signed a four-year contract extension.

Fan’s favourite John Stones at 31, remains world class but notoriously injury prone. He’s as delicate as porcelain - only the finest Ming - but what happens if he crashes and burns and misses half a season or more?

Once he’s recovered from injury, Josko Gvardiol (23) must be City’s left centre back, preferably paired with Stones. He’s performed well as a ‘makeshift’ left back, but will be far more comfortable in the centre.

There could be plenty of head scratching for Pep in 2025/26.

Nathan Ake (30) – another hugely popular player with the supporters – is adept at centre back and as cover at left back. He came on for the injured Ait-Nouri against Spurs and remains a tried and tested player.

Manuel Akanji (30) is one player seemingly destined to leave, with Galatasaray prepared to pay City’s asking price of £15m. Whether he’ll be the only City player heading for Istanbul remains to be seen.

Manu Akanji has been great value for money at City, but is it time to say goodbye?

The saga of Ederson switching to the Turkish Champions grinds on endlessly.

The fact he hasn’t played either of the two Premier League matches would strongly suggest he’s leaving after eight glorious years. There are those who would be happy to see him go, citing rushes of blood to the head and some bizarre decision making.

Yes, he's guilty of the occasional cock up, but people should be careful what they wish for!

What does the future hold for Ederson?

Stating the obvious, being a keeper is primarily about making saves and not conceding goals. Being skilled with the ball at their feet, starting attacks with precision passing and even chalking up assists, must be a secondary consideration.

City’s Brazilian colossus has achieved both, but it’s his ability as a sweeper keeper – a player who wouldn’t look out of place in midfield – which has won him rave reviews.

Could both Ortega and Ederson leave City this week?

If, as and when he goes, the penny might drop with some City fans that they’d never had it so good.

The Turkish Super Lig transfer window doesn’t close until September 12^th, but Ederson’s future must be resolved this week if City are to pursue PSG’s Gianluigi Donnarumma as his replacement.

James Trafford had a torrid Etihad debut.

Any move for the 2025 Champions League winner will only happen if Ederson leaves. It might be considered harsh on James Trafford after his £27m move from Burnley, but Guardiola is loathe to miss out on the 26-year-old Italian.

With ambitions to be in Germany's 2026 World Cup squad, Stefan Ortega will definitely want out of the Etihad. And then there's the dilemma of what do you do with Kalvin Phillips? With three years remaining on his contract, City literally can't give him away.

It was meant to be a goodbye kiss to the City fans, but Kalvin Phillips is still at the Etihad.

Speculation also surrounds Ilkay Gundogan – with his Turkish heritage and the prospect of a three-year contract at Galatasaray. As Pep seeks to trim his squad and keep within the quota of 17 non-homegrown players, any Gundo exit wouldn’t come as a huge surprise.

If Savinho goes to Spurs for circa £70m – with City’s sporting director, Hugo Viana, determined to extract every penny possible from spendthrift Daniel Levy – City are poised to swoop for Real Madrid’s Rodrygo, as a direct and superior replacement.

Hugo Viana needs to be on the lookout for new City signings this week.

As the clock ticks down to 7pm on Monday, City must be active in the transfer market if they are to have any realistic ambitions of a top four finish, let alone being heralded as the Champions of England for a fifth time in six years.

by David Walker

www.readbutneverred.com

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