I know this isn't necessarily a universal sentiment across the Shed End, but I am of the opinion that Guardiola is a genius and I am in equal parts excited (as a football fan) and terrified (as a Chelsea fan) at the prospect of him coming to the Premier League.

 

So what changes will Guardiola make at Man City? I've been pondering this question for a while (also the changes he would have made with us or Man Utd) ever since it was suspected he was moving to England.

 

I honestly thought Man Utd would be the most cohesive transition for him - a side drilled by van Gaal with good squad depth. I [somewhat facetiously] imagined Guardiola's Chelsea would have Mikel at centre back and Azpilicueta in defensive midfield. City are an interesting prospect though. I would imagine that Guardiola will instill his trademark values of high-pressing, possession-based play, but as a remarkably intelligent and versatile manager, I also wonder what adaptations he will make to a more direct, fast-paced and physically aggressive league.

 

I imagine his first move is to offload Touré; equally I can't imagine that Navas, Fernando or Bony will have much of a future under him. Kolarov and/or Clichy may find themselves surplus to requirements. The only player I am genuinely puzzled over is Nasri: an intelligent player who loves studying the game but also an inconsistent one who, for one reason or another, hasn't been able to get a proper foothold in the starting XI for a couple of seasons.

 

A perhaps even more interesting question is who Guardiola will bring with him. City have hardly struggled to attract top-level talent, but will seem even more appealing with Pep in charge. It is possible he will be able to attract a few of his old wards to rejoin him at the Etihad. One of the very first thoughts which crossed my mind upon initially asking myself this question was an odd sense of certainty that, wherever he went, Guardiola would bring Thiago Alcantara with him.

 

City have two ageing (albeit extremely good) right-backs; will Guardiola bring in a more dynamic player and someone who would be equally comfortable at wing-back for when he wants to change formation? Will he manage to lure someone like Alaba to fill the defensively less reliable Kolarov's shoes? Will Pep attempt his hand at the thankless task of purchasing a partner for Vincent Kompany or will he try and mould Otamendi or Mangala into a player worthy of his defence (perhaps Jerome Boateng fancies another sortie in a City shirt)?

 

I am interested in hearing what you think Guardiola will do.

Well here's my attempt anyway. My guesses at who Guardiola would sign are probably going to be awful, forgive me.

 

I suppose you have to start by looking at City's current XI. They're pretty awful off the ball (for a top side), especially considering the aggression Guardiola will demand.

 

Hart - Few better in the league and competent enough with his feet; surely he will stay.

 

Zabaleta - For my money the best right-back in the league when he's on form, excellent going forward and defensively, but he's had a horrible time with injuries this season. If he can recover his old form he's in but it's entirely possible that his time at the top level is coming close to an end. If that is the case then my best guess is that Guardiola will look at Bellerin.

 

Sagna - Generally second choice since he joined Man City but has performed well this season having taken advantage of Zabaleta's injury troubles. He is also getting on and probably doesn't possess the attacking nature that Guardiola demands from his full-backs. I would think he will move on.

 

Otamendi/Mangala - Otamendi seems a better fit in a Guardiola system than Mangala, but having spent so much money on both (apparently around £70m in all) it is possible the City board will insist on at least trying to incorporate them into the side.

 

Kompany - Prone to the odd spell of horrible form but generally one of the best centre-backs in the league; Man City are very noticeably better with him in the side. Almost certain to stay.

 

Kolarov - An odd one. On his day he can run an entire flank on his own and on other days he looks like Babayaro. I do generally think he has been good this season (I certainly rate him over Clichy) and his left-footed set piece deliveries/crosses/long passes are useful. Could stay for the time being. I'm not entirely sure who Guardiola would want as an alternative; I've seen a few rumours linking him with Alaba but he would surely cost at least £45m - perhaps Bernat?

 

Fernandinho - Arguably City's best player this season; when Touré looks good Fernandinho is the reason why. Guardiola didn't really have an equivalent at his Barca side but considering he bought Vidal to Bayern he can clearly see the value of this kind of energetic player. I think he would be at the very heart of this theoretical 4-3-3 I have constructed in my mind.

 

Touré - Surely one of the first out of the door; completely lackadaisical off the ball and declining in influence on it. Not a particularly team-minded player, a very poor fit for Guardiola's pressing system, and it wouldn't be the first time he got rid of him either. City could probably get ridiculous money for him from some muggins Chinese or Qatari team, or at least reasonable money for him from someone like Inter or his former club Monaco. The player I am suggesting as an alternative is obviously not a direct replacement for Touré in the side, but like I said above, I feel this odd certainty that next season we will be seeing Thiago Alcantara.

 

De Bruyne - I would imagine Guardiola would have him as one of the first names on the teamsheet, but would play him centrally. De Bruyne is probably more direct a player than Pep would typically choose as his most creative central midfielder, but that might be ideal for the Premier League; in my theoretical 4-3-3 I think would combine brilliantly with Fernandinho and Thiago/David Silva.

 

Silva - One of my favourite opposition players - a genius on the ball. My only qualm is that his best position is behind the striker, which a 4-3-3 doesn't particularly allow for. I have wondered for years why City managers have wasted him on the left, then again Guardiola's somewhat less rigid idea of positioning might allow him to play on the left of a three but ultimately drift almost constantly into the centre. Alternatively he could find himself as one of the midfield three. Perhaps a little weaker off the ball than would be ideal but surely too good to discard.

 

Sterling - Brilliant, dynamic (although not to the level of Douglas Costa), young enough to be moulded, and far too expensive to discard after a single season. Will surely continue to start as a wide man.

 

Aguero - Not a lot really needs to be said. The best striker in the Premier League. Obviously Aguero stays.

 

 

Others:

 

Caballero - No reason to discard, a perfectly capable backup keeper with European experience.

Demichelis - Out of contract at the end of the season, but his experience and tactical intelligence might prove useful.

Clichy - Ultimately this depends on the fate of Kolarov, but I really can't see Clichy having much of a future at the Etihad.

Delph - A very handy squad player, will surely be kept around.

Fernando - Has never really shown his Porto form for City; I can see him leaving sharpish.

Nasri - Confused as I said above. Potentially another useful squad player (and one I have always rated) with a genuine interest in football but who knows what Guardiola will think of him.

Navas - If he wasn't one of the worst finishers in the entire league he could play the Pedro role, but I think Guardiola will ultimately dump him. Is actually a useful option to provide width (and I feel City were at their best earlier in the season when Navas was starting) and potentially a useful squad player but Navas is not especially popular with the City fans and Guardiola may well feel he can do better - my far-fetched and ill-fitting suggestions are perhaps Lucas Moura or Mahrez.

Bony - Presumably not good enough for a Guardiola side and really not his style of centre forward, although he may feel he needs this kind of option in the Premier League.

Iheanacho - Have only seen him play a couple of times but on first sight and by all other accounts is a very talented young player. Will surely stay.

Guardiola's first season will be interesting.

 

He got Barca playing tiki-taka immediately, but the spine of the team had either had exceptional technical ability, or already used to the high possession methods with Spain under Del Bosque. His biggest success was seamlessly integrating Pedro, Busquets, Pique (with little problems) into the team, and the various re-workings of the forward line. At Bayern he did well to get the players playing the way he wanted -- but after Barca, it was probably the second most technically and mentally suited set of players in the world to his philosophy. The likes of Lahm, Thiago and Alaba are have similar levels of ability to many of his previous players. It would have been a comparatively easy transition to a high possession game with many micro-tactical instructions. 

 

At City, he comes to a team with an weaker midfield and a leaky defence, and on top of that, a team which is nowhere near as technically talented and patient as the ones he's coached before. Let's not forget about the Euros; he'll have a shortened preseason with some pretty worn out players. At Barca and Bayern, Pep has previously tinkered for the sake of it. He won't be able to do that in England; his squad isn't physically and technically superior enough to do that here. The likes of Zabaleta, Kolarov, Fernandinho, Kompany, Sagna are not Pep players. Will Pep bend his ways to the league, will his signings adapt, can Pep put victory above his pretty-football desires, what happens when Pep sees that his backline pushing up is a really bad idea, how will Pep do without having a squad that's a level above the rest? They're all genuine risk factors for his first season. They make next year anyone's game. Pep's the best manager in the world and there's no doubt he will adapt at some stage. But maybe not in his first season, and that's where other teams have a chance.

 

I'll have to disagree on Fernandinho.  I don't think Fernandinho is suited to Pep since he's not really that intelligent of a player -- and he's too much of an all rounder. He can't dictate the game like Thiago did at Bayern and he can't defend like Busquets. He's a classic box to box midfielder (that's what he was best at over in Ukraine too), just shunted into a slightly more defensive role by City, which hasn't worked that efficiently (his best games come when he's allowed to move further forward, and his defensive liabilities were underlined by the need to sign a proper DM, in Fernando.. however he's sh*t). Pep will need to buy 2 midfielders minimum if he really wants to play his way. 

 

They're hiring him for a reason; they want to be the dominate superpower of the world. This means he'll have a lot of his own ideas that were unconventional to previous mangers like Pellers; hence, he'll probably spend 150m or so to totally re-work the team but the likes of Aguero, KDB will be fine.

Wouldn't be suprise to see yaya toure converted into a centre back.

I think he will sign at least one full back, maybe gaya from valencia, or rodriguez from wolfsburg.

He will definitely sign a midfield playmaker, although I'm not sure thiago will be allowed to follow him for a second time. There's been talk of pogba, but I don't think he fits the profile tbh.

I'm not sure whe there there will be much change in attack, I think they will go after a big name like neymar, but I doubt they will get him.

I think success will depend on whether he manages to bring in a centre midfielder that can dictate and dominate possession in the way xabi alonso, thiago, Busquets, and xavi have in his previous teams. There really isn't a great deal of those type of players about that can do it against the best teams in the world. Fabregas can do it, buy not against the elite teams.

I'm excited to see how it pans out. Hopefully we get our act together next year and we can give pep a proper challenge, because u can't see arsenal putting up much of a fight.

Poorly, hopefully.

Pep is in for a rude awakening.

I think Silva's place is seriously under threat when Guardiola comes in, Like Mata he doesn't have the legs and when you are not controlling games like a year or two ago he becomes a bit of a luxury, Yaya is definitely a goner, Players like Fernandinho, Fernando and Delph will have futures because they can get about but saying that none of them control games from the middle of the park which Pep likes. Regards to Navas and Nasri, Navas definitely has a future, He has the legs and is far better attacking wise than he gets credit for, Maybe i say that because of how annoying and inept Sterling seems to be without KDB. Nasri doesn't have a future in his current position but could Pep make him control games from the middle of the park? Maybe not.

 

I honestly don't think this will be the cake walk some of the media have you believe, There has to be a huge culture change at our club in terms of working off the ball, You don't have to press like a headless chickens the way Klopp wanted his Liverpool side to do which led to all those hamstring injuries, More in a Pochettino style way, Less intense pressing but more players joining in.

 

As a betting man, Once i see next years title odds released which will probably come out once Chelsea and United confirm their next managers, Then i will tell you if i believe we will dominate or whether it could be hard graft. 

 

Let's say Arsenal win the league, Here's how i would anticipate next years title odds assuming Chelsea get the best manager available and United get Mourinho/Poch.

 

City 11/10 Favorites, The end of this seasons form and the summer transfer window will dictate whether we get shorter or drift.

 

Chelsea 5/2 second faves, The reason i put Chelsea second favorites is because of the predictable improvement which you would expect, To have such a stinker this year it's inevitably going to get better for your lot next year and the summer transfer window could shorten your odds even further especially if you were to have a blinder of a window and also finish this season strong i.e. winning the FA Cup or getting to the quarters/semi's of the CL.

 

United 7/2 third faves, The reason i put United third faves is because what kind of transfer window do they have? They seem to have this obsession with buying Galacticos or chasing them at least and if they do get one will that force them to over look other key areas? They have to buy 4/5 potentially world class players in my opinion rather than 1 already world class signing. Then there is the other question, Who was to blame for Chelsea's form this season? Was it the players or has Jose lost a bit of his magic, Same thing happened at Real, The dressing room discontent, If Jose brings his 2005/06 self, They could start joint favorites but if he doesn't then i think third fave is the correct position.

 

Liverpool 7/1 4th faves, This is me taking a punt here, I really like Klopp as a manager, His type of football will win over here, If they bring 3/4 good signings i wouldn't be surprised to see them challenge for top spot in the early part of the season maybe to fade away in the latter part and finish 4th or 5th.

 

Arsenal 10/1, This is on the basis that if they win the title this year, They will suffer a huge hangover next year, If anything winning the title would allow Wenger to spend even less and unlike this season, Next year the big boys are coming out to play.

Think you'll likely see the biggest net spent in MCFC history when Guardiola takes the keys to their kingdom and on that note, they will probably have 3-4 new players in starting roles.

....who gives a f##k....KTBFFH!!!.... :)

Seems like my basically unfounded yet oddly certain suspicion could well have some truth to it:

 

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/mar/21/manchester-city-pep-guardiola-thiago-alcantara

I wouldn't be surprised to see Garcia, Angelino and Mafeo all promoted into the first team squad under Pep. That would address multiple areas at once.

City want half the team to be homegrown in 5 years

Pep Guardiola is targeting as many as eight signings for Manchester City in the transfer window, club sources have told ESPN FC.

Guardiola will replace Manuel Pellegrini at the Etihad this summer and has prioritised the signings of Athletic Bilbao defender Aymeric Laporte and Everton's John Stones to reshape City's defence.

City's new transfer plans could see the club spend over £300 million gross this summer and Stones is expected to cost upwards of £35m

 

1. How they are going to get away with spending 300m in one summer is beyond me

2. I hope we bid for Stones even if we have no intention of signing him just to ramp the price up

He will need about that number.

City are an ageing squad who pretty much need a revamped defence and midfield which is going to cost a fair bit of money.

He will be in for a shock coming from Bayern and Barca before it with the crowds. City is like a graveyard atmosphere with empty seats plentiful.

Edited April 8, 201610 yr by Chelsbear

He will need about that number.

City are an ageing squad who pretty much need a revamped defence and midfield which is going to cost a fair bit of money.

He will be in for a shock coming from Bayern and Barca before it with the crowds. City is like a graveyard atmosphere with empty seats plentiful.

You do realize the stuff you constantly knock City with regards to the empty seats and atmosphere is exactly what Liverpool fans knock Chelsea about, I mean what does empty seats and a supposed graveyard atmosphere even prove? 

It proves you could do with some plastic flags ;)

You do realize the stuff you constantly knock City with regards to the empty seats and atmosphere is exactly what Liverpool fans knock Chelsea about, I mean what does empty seats and a supposed graveyard atmosphere even prove? 

 

That you struggle to sell tickets to matches. The atmosphere issue is prevalent at every big club nowadays, by and large.

You do realize the stuff you constantly knock City with regards to the empty seats and atmosphere is exactly what Liverpool fans knock Chelsea about, I mean what does empty seats and a supposed graveyard atmosphere even prove?

We don't have empty seats at CL knockout games, it's shameful.

I'm not trying to prove anything, I'm telling it like it is. Stop moaning kid.

Guardiola will spend about 300m to revamp the squad with 6-7 world class players.

 

Then bitch and moan about how stoke broke them on a rainy monday night.

 

I'd say he gets 1 PL, 1 Cup and a couple of CL semis in his 3 seasons here. His already busting bubble at bayern will be completely burst in PL.

We don't have empty seats at CL knockout games, it's shameful.

I'm not trying to prove anything, I'm telling it like it is. Stop moaning kid.

Who's moaning? I'm laughing at how imbecilic you sound. 

 

'Oh look, Empty seats, errrrrrrrrrrr, Shameful, You are such a small club, You must sell out or it's shameful'   

Edited April 8, 201610 yr by Kinkladze1871

That you struggle to sell tickets to matches. The atmosphere issue is prevalent at every big club nowadays, by and large.

Yes but all that proves is we have a small fan base which proves that we're a local club which proves that we don't have a lot of prawn sandwich brigades or Chinese tourist's, Surely that's a good thing?

Who's moaning? I'm laughing at how imbecilic you sound.

'Oh look, Empty seats, errrrrrrrrrrr, Shameful, You are such a small club, You must sell out or it's shameful'

Looks like I was right with my Kid assessment.

Maybe it’s best not to come onto another teams forum if you cannot take negative things being said about your side.

What that I have said is untrue?

City have a rather poor record of selling out their ground in important games, they have to advertise offers in CL games to get the fans through the door. Compared to what Pep experienced with Bayern and Barca that will be quite different will it not?

I’m sure you will retort with the usual low level intelligence of posting little emoticons and acting all offended.

Meh it takes all sorts I suppose..

Edited April 8, 201610 yr by Chelsbear

Looks like I was right with my Kid assessment.

Maybe it’s best not to come onto another teams forum if you cannot take negative things being said about your side.

What that I have said is untrue?

City have a rather poor record of selling out their ground in important games, they have to advertise offers in CL games to get the fans through the door. Compared to what Pep experienced with Bayern and Barca that will be quite different will it not?

I’m sure you will retort with the usual low level intelligence of posting little similes and acting all offended.

Meh

Trust me i can take the negatives directed at City, In fact i welcome it, It's a Chelsea fans forum and i came on here because 98 % of posters are smart and humble guys/gals, Who talk a lot of sense, I don't expect to remain immune from being jibed at but what i notice on here there is a lot less delusion than on other forums and i like that. I can recall even last year when you were romping the league, I didn't detect any arrogance towards me or towards the rest of the league despite how good you were. I can take criticism regarding City all day long, I just think the stuff you're touching on is petty and pointless since there are other clubs with the same issues, Arsenal had empty seats for their first leg against Barca, Arsenal had empty seats against Watford in the FA Cup, If empty seats at grounds was your pet peeve you would call out every club for it, Seems like it's the only thing you can think of to hit City on despite the fans themselves not giving two sh*ts about it.

If you didn't give two sh*ts about it then why are you on here posting about it?

There are many things to hit City on, I merely pointed out the differences Pep will see from his time in Spain/Germany to the one he will have in England.

I don't see how any of what I have posted is arrogant, it's common knowledge. I'm not going to refrain from it on the off chance a fan of another club is lurking about who might take offence.

There is an ignore button if you don't like what you see you know...

Edited April 8, 201610 yr by Chelsbear

If you didn't give two sh*ts about it then why are you on here posting about it?

There are many things to hit City on, I merely pointed out the differences Pep will see from his time in Spain/Germany to the one he will have in England.

I don't see how any of what I have posted is arrogant, it's common knowledge. I'm not going to refrain from it on the off chance a fan of another club is lurking about who might take offence.

There is an ignore button if you don't like what you see you know...

Who said i wanted to ignore you or put you on ignore? I enjoy these discussions, You do know you can have a civilized debate without throwing your toys out of the pram or referring to people as 'Kid'.