CITY V LIVERPOOL
PEP GUARDIOLA issued a pledge to City fans that his team will be ‘a lot better’ after a chastening week for the club.
And the Catalan is adamant that he already has the basis of the squad required to realise his ambitions at the Etihad.
Guardiola was appointed last summer to turn City into a major force in Europe and herald a new era of dominance in the Premier League.
But Champions League elimination to Monaco on Wednesday was a shuddering reality check, with City already trailing leaders Chelsea by 10 points.
With six senior players out of contract, five more on loan and uncertainty over the future of fringe members of Guardiola’s squad, it looks like being a summer of considerable change.
The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager insists he cannot undergo such a dramatic overhaul but with the club’s owners set to provide him another £200m to land his targets, his second summer transfer window could be even busier than his first.
Guardiola said: “Speculation is normal when you are out of a competition, it happens everywhere, not just the Premier League.
“We’re going to improve a lot next season. A lot of these guys will be here next season.
“People said we are going to change 12 or 13 players. I am going to assure you it’s impossible today to do that. You have to be a little bit more responsible.
“We are going to try to improve the team, but do it in a way that’s possible in the market.
“Most of the players, the base is perfect, it’s done.”
Guardiola received a text message from City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak following the defeat to Monaco assuring him he had the backing of the club’s owners.
Top of his list of priorities in the summer is a defence that was run ragged over two legs against the French league leaders.
With Pablo Zabaleta, Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy out of contract – and further uncertainty over Vincent Kompany’s long-term fitness – Guardiola is targeting two full-backs and at least one centreback. Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich has emerged as one of his primary targets, along with Tottenham’s Danny Rose.
City will also monitor Hector Bellerin’s situation if Arsene Wenger leaves Arsenal at the end of the season.
Replacing three of his back four presents a major challenge to Guardiola in terms of bedding them in ahead of a season when he will be expected to mount a more genuine title challenge and improve in Europe.
“That’s true, but that’s why were going to try,” he said. “It doesn’t mean all the fullbacks will end their contracts and leave, some of them maybe are going to stay.”
John Stones is one such player that Guardiola believes will benefit from a first season playing in Europe’s premier competition – as well as the other young players in his squad like Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane.
“The last month John has made a huge step forward,” he said. “Maybe it’s not the best John Stones you’ve ever seen but next season he will be better, because he’s so young.
“It’s the first year players have come here to play in Europe, and people believe they are going to come here, put them on the pitch and they are going to play well.
“They need the process, they need time to build and to be settled, but I am delighted with his performance and how good he will be for your national team in the future.
“Of course he makes mistakes, but it’s part of the process. I never saw a central defender at 20 or 21 years of age going into the last-16, quarter-finals or semi-finals, or play ing in the big stages, and not make mistakes. It’s impossible.
“We have to create a good environment for him to get better, to help him. I’m talking about John Stones and all the other examples.
“I remember the performances against Barcelona here, the second half in Monaco, we are not a team like we show all the season – that is not the Monaco game. “We are not a team to be stable for 90 minutes. We are new in many, many things.
“The way we want to play, a lot of players are new playing in the Champions League. Sterling is in the second year, but the last year he played few times in the Champions League, so it is almost the first year. “Sane is the first time playing on the biggest stages.
“We were so close to qualifying because we score a goal to make it 2-1, but that should be 2-2 because we created four chances before that goal. But that is the process.
“I understand that people cannot understand because big clubs – Chelsea are going to play the next season in the Champions League, and Tottenham are going to play, or us or United – the teams are going to be demanding to win the Champions League.
“But that competition shows in the last 15-20 years – especially for English teams – except Barcelona, Real Madrid and the other ones, its so difficult to win that competition.” Pep Guardiola