Pep talk: The impact of Guardiola at Blues
EVEN at their lowest ebb, City’s players still believed.
They were convinced Pep Guardiola was on the cusp of something special – that they were heading in the right direction.
The results didn’t always back that up. A trophyless first season at the Etihad certainly wasn’t what City were buying into when appointing the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager.
Nor were the embarrassing defeats to Leicester and Everton, losing 4-2 and 4-0 respectively either side of Christmas.
But within the squad, they were convinced.
It sounds easy enough to say after City’s total domination of the Premier League this season, but it was a sentiment players were only too willing to express even back then.
There was an appreciation that Guardiola was ‘changing the idea’ of the club.
David Silva described it as ‘first contact’ – Kevin de Bruyne spoke of ‘growing pains,’ even as City languished 15 points adrift of champions Chelsea.
The opinion was they had been punished by individual errors, rather than a flaw in Guardiola’s vision. They considered him ‘positively obsessed’ with his philosophy – his determination to simplify the game enlightening for even experienced members of his squad.
The faith he engendered in his players would prove to be key this season. It was also evidence of the individual effort he made on each member of his squad.
A hallmark of City’s title triumph has been the improvement of players on a personal level.
Raheem Sterling’s dramatic rise stands out – scoring a personal best of 23 goals – but it is Guardiola’s effect on even established players like Silva that has been remarkable.
Here, M.E.N. Sport looks at the impact Guardiola has had on key players:
DAVID SILVA GUARDIOLA already believed him to be near-perfect, but felt he could get even more out of the Spaniard by altering City’s system.
Despite being the club’s chief creative influence for so long, Silva had always been among the most defensively responsible, too.
His work-rate, ball-winning and back-tracking are often overlooked in comparison to his ability to unlock defences.
Guardiola’s insistence on his forwards also chasing back to retain possession relieved the pressure on Silva and that added work-rate higher up the pitch also gives Guardiola the freedom to play with so many attack-minded players.
KEVIN DE BRUYNE DE Bruyne, too, benefited from Guardiola’s tweaks to the system.
While City’s fluidity has been a key component of their campaign, so is their structure.
De Bruyne is able to play almost telepathically, knowing the areas and spaces where there will be willing runners.
At times he doesn’t even need to lift his head to play the perfect ball.
Having been asked to play in a deeper role in his first season under Guardiola, it was impressed upon him the need to be part of the collective, rather than an individual. That advice has produced remarkable results, with De Bruyne enjoying his finest season to date. LEROY SANE GUARDIOLA’S impact on PFA Young Player of Year, Sane, has been dramatic. He was initially concerned about the German international, who endured a difficult start to his City career, but the 22-year-old has blossomed into one of the most exciting prospects in Europe. Crucially, Guardiola encouraged him to express himself – telling him to use his pace to exploit the space behind defenders. RAHEEM STERLING GUARDIOLA told the England international to stop trapping the ball on the outside of his boot because it slowed down attacks. He also wanted the former Liverpool player to spend more time in the box, despite being a winger. Sterling has looked more like a poacher this season, rather than a traditional wide man – and the goals have come as a result. A total of 23 in all competitions is a remarkable return for a player whose finishing has often proved so frustrating. Sterling’s transformation goes further. His attitude to his own body has been key, employing a personal chef and having massages two or three times a day to keep his muscles in optimum condition. SERGIO AGUERO PERHAPS no other City player has been the subject of such tough love. The Argentine’s very position at the club has been a constant source of scrutiny as Guardiola has demanded ever more from the With striker. 30 goals this season the 29-year-old has arguably had his finest campaign at the Etihad. But his strike-rate was never in question. It was the other sides of his game that Guardiola wanted him to improve – namely his work-rate and contribution to the team when not scoring goals. NICOLAS OTAMENDI THE Argentine has become City’s ‘Superman’ – despite being the least ‘Guardiola-type’ defender at the club. While Guardiola always appreciated his more rugged style, he has turned him into a ball-playing defender by surrounding him with easy outlets to pass to. FERNANDINHO City’s THE Brazilian success this has season. been pivotal to Guardiola immediately recognised his qualities, telling the club to offer him a new contract within weeks of taking over at the Etihad. Under Guardiola he has managed to maintain his standards for an entire campaign.
The faith he engendered in his players would prove to be the key this season James Robson