If Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola were a musician, he’d be talking about his next album going in a new direction.
As the composer of opuses competing for magnum status in his catalog, we should be paying attention.
The man who brought us the most-referenced modern team in history (2010-11 Barcelona) and the second-ever Premier League treble winner (2022-23 Manchester City) is remaking City under rare clouds of doubt.
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The football world hasn’t eschewed possession as an important metric, but Guardiola’s doubters were out for most of last season after the Catalan failed to find answers to Rodri’s injury atop the list of issues that plagued City’s relatively rough season.
We’re already seeing not just signs but gigantic 3D billboards that Guardiola has a different plan for his men next season, and the Club World Cup has propelled them in front of our eyes well before the Premier League season.
That could give his opponents a bit more planning video, but that’s a side note to the story he’s already putting into the world.
Coaching staff moves speak volumes as Pep welcomes Pep
City now has two Guardiolas and two Peps.
Josko Gvardiol’s name is essentially a translation of Josep Guardiola, and now Guardiola has added former Jurgen Klopp lieutenant Pep Lijnders to his staff.
“Of course he had experience many years,” Guardiola said, acknowledging a conversation with Klopp prior to any Lijnders approach. “I asked permission from Jurgen of course because I didn’t want to interfere much, I said to him would it be a problem to talk to him, he said, ‘Absolutely not.’
“We talked a bit then in one or two days we decided. I’m fortunate, the assistant managers I had in my career, Barcelona, Bayern, and here I’ve had a lot, wow everyone helped me incredibly.”
Guardiola has also added Kolo Toure, the former Man City and Liverpool player who coached at Celtic, Leicester City, and Wigan Athletic before joining City’s academy. His familiarity with the club and its young players should slow any possible torrent (pun intended) of change within the team.
“I’ve been so fortunate since Domenec [Torrent], Juanma [Lillo], Mikel, Enzo, they made me a better manager,” Guardiola said. “I’m pretty sure Kolo and Pep will help me. It’s a question of back and forth, his knowledge, I dream from his knowledge. And every day since we met, we talk a lot about tactics, football, training and it’s been so inspiring for me. I’m really pleased for that, and we’ll see what happens in the future.”
Captain’s vote report shows control
If Guardiola is to struggle at the wheel this season, he’s making sure it’s with all his decisions both clear and concrete.
Guardiola announced that City will not have a player vote to replace captain Kevin De Bruyne, and that Bernardo Silva will lead the team in the final year of his contract.
“For the first time in my career, I decided my captain,” Guardiola said, via Sky Sports’ Kaveh Solhekol. “I didn’t like what happened last season, and I decided this season I will represent the team. Sometimes I want to be the boss.”
“With captains, it’s complicated sometimes, but at the same time it’s so simple. You have to put the team, your mates, the club, always in front of you all the time, and to ask all the time what is the best for the team. And when you decide what is the best for the team, you never make a mistake, never, ever, and this is what you have to do as captains, and I think Bernardo has been an incredible figure for us, many years here. Always in the bad moments, he knew he had to make a step up.”
Transfer activity as decisive as it’s obvious
Guardiola didn’t wait for the summer to address his striker depth issues when Manchester City purchased one of the Bundesliga’s leading scorers in January, so Omar Marmoush is plenty adjusted to the Catalan wizard’s expectations heading into a first full season at City. Nico Gonzalez should also reap the benefits of a half-season at City, and of course Rodri is back.
City’s flurry of moves in the first period of summer transfer activity might’ve looked to some as a focus on the Club World Cup, but an improved chance of winning that tournament feels more like a side benefit to a minimum of three meaningful games for new players and coaches in Guardiola’s team.
Rayan Ait-Nouri, Rayan Cherki, and Tijjani Reijnders will all have the chance to feel their way into City’s team. Ait-Nouri feels the most likely to take to it like the proverbial duck to water, but Cherki’s opportunity to develop chemistry with Erling Haaland while Reijnders can try on the burden of filling Kevin De Bruyne’s shoes away from the trained gaze of the Etihad Stadium.
These are all good things for Guardiola’s project, assuming the plan itself is adapted to what’s changed in the Premier League. Or, and who can know with Guardiola, could the manager have a plan to again turn the game on its ear?
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