United and sulky Jose must feel good again
COMMUNITY SHIELD CHELSEA ....... 0 MAN CITY ....... 2 DARREN LEWIS AT WEMBLEY
BY DAVID MADDOCK MANCHESTER UNITED are missing a feelgood factor at the moment, according to former chief Peter Kenyon.
The one-time United chief executive claims manager Jose Mourinho and his current boss Ed Woodward need to find a way to “work out” their issues.
Mourinho has grumped about the lack of signings, the quality of youngsters coming through the club’s youth system, the lack of players available for the summer tour, and the relevance of the matches in the pre-season trip to the United States.
And Kenyon says Mourinho, the club and the fans “do not feel good” at the moment.
He was chief executive at Old Trafford, before joining Chelsea from 20032009 where he worked with the Portuguese and said: “He is more than capable – one of the best coaches in the world – but have they got it right? No. I think the first people to recognise that will be the people at United.”
He added: “They have to work it out and they’ll find a way of working it out. United is bigger than anybody, bigger than any individual and that’s always been the mantra.
“It will get worked out and I would hope Jose is part of that working it out because he is incredibly skilled and he’s demonstrated he can do things.”
However, Mourinho’s mood should be improved with the likely arrival of Spurs defender Toby Alderweireld ahead of Thursday’s transfer deadline.
The Belgian defender is expected to move from White Hart Lane for £60million, with a deal expected to be tied up over the next couple of days. SEASON three of Guardiola in the Premier League promises to be the best yet.
The same, sensational serial thrillers with even more Pep and – in £60million Riyad Mahrez and the outstanding Phil Foden – more freshness and fearsome strength in depth.
Amazon Prime may be preparing to give us a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the procession Manchester City turned the title race into last season.
But judging by the hunger and desire oozing from the champions to brush Chelsea aside here, Guardiola and his men are in the mood to set an even higher bar over the next 10 months.
Sergio Aguero provided the razorsharp finishes as took his goal tally for the club to 201 but City grabbed Chelsea by the throat at the outset.
They shook the life out of the Londoners with their relentless high press and superior distribution. By the end it should have been four or five.
Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling, Ederson and David Silva are all yet to return in time for the big kick-off. Yet if City’s priority this time around is going to be the Champions League, Guardiola will sleep soundly knowing this second string will make more than a few teams look silly this season.
The City boss admitted his players were still far from the ideal physical condition but said: “They are my pride. Hats off to them. It is not easy to play with such a short time to prepare.
“We would like to be more intense in the pressing but it was impossible because the players were absolutely exhausted. In the second half they felt a little bit comfortable. Of course, winning 2-0, it was easier.”
Alvaro Morata’s 17th-minute shot, high, wide and harmless, was Chelsea’s first touch in City’s box and their first shot of the game. Twenty-six minutes to cause any threat at all. Welcome to the Premier League, Maurizio Sarri.
Aguero is no longer even Guardiola’s first choice up front. The future is Gabriel Jesus, 21, sat on the bench with the ink barely dry on his new five-year deal.
When Guardiola sent him on in place of Mahrez with 23 minutes left you almost felt sorry for Chelsea.
Aguero opened the scoring in just 12 minutes. Fearless Foden left all three Chelsea central-midfielders trailing in his wake as he drove into the heart of their defence. He then slipped in Aguero who wrong-footed Antonio Rudiger and sent the ball into the bottom corner.
For his second Aguero powered the ball past Willy Caballero after Bernardo Silva’s pass left David Luiz – in his first start since January – chasing shadows.
“Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that!” taunted the Chelsea fans, grasping at straws. You’d struggle to find anyone of a Bridge persuasion however willing to put money on that.
Sarri succeeded in spiriting away the highly-rated Jorginho from under City’s noses last month but on this evidence Chelsea are going to need so much more to get anywhere near Guardiola’s side this season.
Thibaut Courtois, Eden Hazard, Ngolo Kante, Olivier Giroud and Gary Cahill were all still absent. But Courtois and Hazard want out while of the other three only Kante is a guaranteed starter.
Young winger Callum Hudson-Odoi, 17, was one of the few Blues players to emerge with any credit.
City haven’t done too much transfer business but why would they need to with left-back Benjamin Mendy like a new signing after last season’s lengthy injury lay-off? With Brahim Diaz forcing his way into the first-team picture and with the excellent Foden ready to rumble? The early exit of