New dynasty planning for every twist to stay on the glory road
IT SAYS something about future planning at Manchester City that it was no more than seconds after Craig Pawson blew time on United’s defeat by Leicester that their reaction to a title win appeared.
There were interviews with Pep Guardiola and captain Fernandinho, a celebratory poster of the players and giant banners at the Etihad unveiled. It was hardly tempting fate, of course, given City were already 10 points clear and with just formalities to complete, but the speed with which it came out was eye-catching. To highlight this is not to poke fun at pre-preparedness or presumption, even, but to highlight simply how they now plan for success.
The old City were hard-wired to the fact that if they aimed for the stars they would usually shoot themselves in the foot, but the new City believe planning for and believing in success will bring it. After three Premier League titles in four years and five in the past 10, City are now planning for the next, and perhaps most difficult phase – how to keep going. What happens after Guardiola calls time? How do you build foundations that anyone, not just one man, can stand on? And how do you avoid the fate that has left Manchester United without a title since Sir Alex Ferguson called time in 2013?
Guardiola and his management team – who allowed themselves a night off on Tuesday, celebrating with their squad at the academy campus with beers, wine and pizza – are already deep into the planning for their momentous clash with Chelsea in the Champions League final on May 29. Beyond that, plans are already in place for summer recruitment in 2021 and 2022.
City need a striker to spearhead the next push given Sergio Aguero’s exit, with Erling Haaland a possibility, certainly in 2022 when City could trigger his £68million release clause with Dortmund. And they are planning for the possible exit of influential midfielder Fernandinho, right, if he decides to call it a day at the end of this season.
Further down the line, Kyle Walker,
Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad
Mahrez are all
30 and will not be around forever.
There are hopes at least two of those five can be replaced by academy graduates, with high hopes for midfielder Cole Palmer.
Guardiola signed a new contract this season to keep him at the club until 2023, when he will be 52. The club know he will not stay forever but, as long as his appetite shows no sign of dimming, it is hoped that he might extend further.
Fernandinho talked of the “big team behind the team” in a group that employs more than 1,000 staff.
“People don’t realise the hard work that has been done behind the scenes to make the team on the pitch perform well,” he said. “They have done an amazing job and that’s why our team has been so consistent over the last eight, nine years.” Rodri added: “You only win big trophies with big teams.”
City will celebrate their remarkable season in front of their fans on the final day of the season against Everton. In the past they would, of course, have lost that one – like their final match at old ground Maine Road 18 years ago, going down 1-0 to Southampton after much fanfare and emotion.
But those days seem long gone.