Wilcox given job to find the next City superstars
DE BRUYNE It could be a very special year for De Bruyne, who looks to be in the form of his life and will get to play in an immensely talented Belgium team.
AGUERO It may seem bizarre but Argentina are not short of outstanding strikers and Aguero is far from the most popular. It may take an outstanding year to propel him back into contention
KOMPANY The fact he was called up this time suggests he will go even if he isn’t fully fit. His latest absence is more cause for concern though.
SANE CITY have appointed Jason Wilcox as the new head of their academy.
Former Blues chief Mark Allen upped sticks in the summer to become the director of football at Rangers after seven years in charge.
Wilcox was put in temporary charge in July, combining that role with his post as head of academy coaching - a job he took last year when Rodolfo Borrell was promoted to become part of Pep Guardiola’s first-team coaching staff.
And after impressing club bosses, the former Blackburn player and City Under-18s coach has been given the top job in the academy on a permanent basis.
City have struggled to bring academy players through to their
MANGALA It seems as strange that he was part of France’s Euro 2016 campaign as it is that he is still at City. In the long shot he convinces Guardiola and gets game time, he could cause another upset.
GUNDOGAN Offers something very special when he plays but needs to remain injuryfree for the rest of the campaign to stand a chance.
DENAYER Like Mangala, a surprise inclusion in the last major tournament. Hasn’t played since then but Roberto Martinez does love a surprise. first-team during the Sheikh Mansour era, and it is an issue the hierarchy are trying to change.
“I’d like at least a player, if not two, playing and competing at the firstteam level from the academy every year,” chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said in May.
“That is what I would like. Can we do that? We will try everything we can.
“Certainly everyone knows that ambition and target and today I think the academy is producing.”
City have revamped their strategy of academy teams this summer. After a few years focusing on keeping players together for the season to develop, the emphasis has reverted back to pushing individuals up through the age groups whenever possible.