[ad_1]
Guardiola makes Man City click in a way no one else can
June 9, 2023 at 12:54 am(renew 12:56 noon)
as manchester city Standing before their own greatness, breath rising through the windows as they look at their true prize, there’s a sense of inevitability to all of this.What’s this Abu Dhabi What came was: super domination, undisputed sovereignty over the race, the rest coughing up smoke from the spinning of their wheels; if anything, it took longer than we thought. Still, they came to conquer the world and won the award for the most valuable football club in the world, and awards season is over baby.
Inevitability is a construct, best kept a few steps away from reality. City trail five points in early February arsenal inside Super League. this Champions League The draw puts them in the same group as Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Chelsea and the final nine winners remain in the competition.They draw against Arsenal and Chelsea in the first two rounds of the league FA Cup. If Manchester City can do something the hard way (assuming, you know, everything), which is what they have done this season.
We don’t usually think of Manchester City as great survivors. Perhaps it had something to do with their wealth and ownership, but then of course Real Madrid gained the same reputation.Of course, City’s biggest asset this season is just keep going. Manchester City has won 13 consecutive league games and 6 wins in the FA Cup, but also suffered 3 away draws in the Champions League knockout rounds. Then there’s the talent: 14 home goals in three stunning knockout home games.
How best to describe this particular team? Sheikh Mansour has detailed his plans after City’s takeover in 2008, whose wider impact was not fully appreciated by those who failed to foresee it. One line stood out: “We’re building a structure for the future, not just an All-Star team.”
Well, yes and no. There’s enormous wealth at play, and football’s rapid acceleration to mass superstardom means you have to narrow the original definition a bit. Erlyn Harlan He was the leading center forward in Europe when he joined. Jack Grealish used to be Britain’s first £100m footballer. There is very little you can do here.
But if this team has a deciding factor (off-field evaluations are much more complicated, Given the full extent of what we know and what we don’t yet know), is that the pinnacle is achieved by improving and buying, or improving what you buy. If this is indeed an All-Star team right now, there are a lot of guys here who are.
Nathan Acker Was an expensive acquisition from Bournemouth and was derided in some quarters; he has been almost impeccable this season.hardly expected john stones At the age of 28, he became a central midfielder. Nineteen defenders have been signed by Premier League clubs for more than Manuel Akanji this season; few have been easily inserted.
Look at those who came before them.Man City don’t face stiff competition for signings Bernardo Silva from Monaco.the same Edson when irkegundogan Signed from Borussia Dortmund for £21m without much fanfare.if Kevin De Bruyne Now the most creative midfielder in football, his arrival was headlined by a British newspaper as ‘£60m rejected’.don’t be tricked into thinking all this This is inevitable.
The difference is of course Guardiola. We see micromanagement that is often parodied: arms waving, stern talk, hands over face, like Kevin McAllister has realized his negligent parents have left without him other places. Ironically, tactical nuances often hit you in the face, as does mannerisms. “Great, great.”
But this group of players has been honed according to the precepts that every Guardiola protégé must obey: specificity of instruction, devotion to game preparation, defensive work, the ability to find the perfect rhythm of the moment and of the game. Just look at how many players have improved immeasurably in their second seasons; it will take some getting used to. Guardiola didn’t reinvent the wheel, but he certainly made it spin.
whatever the very reasonable blame State ownership and 115 charges (It looms like a dark cloud until due process is done) No doubt you could give the same budget to a different manager at another high end club and see it wasted. Paris Saint-Germain has become a magpie in the transfer market. Chelsea spent £600m in 12 months. Others cycle through head coaches looking for Mr. Right or Mr. Right now. City built a house for Pep and was rewarded handsomely. Saturday was the potential culmination of the building, with a new cathedral being maintained far from La Masia and home.
[ad_2]
Source link