Hart says ‘right time’ for Burnley move from Etihad
City had more representatives at this summer’s World Cup in Russia than any other club in the world, with 16 players competing at the tournament. Only one of those – Germany’s Ilkay Gundogan – was eliminated in the group stages. A full, competitive City-based XI could be formed from the teams that reached the quarterfinals alone.
The 4,585 minutes that Guardiola’s players clocked up in Russia was not the most of any Premier League side – that honour fell to Tottenham Hotspur – but compare that with Liverpool, the team many expect to be the closest challengers, who racked up less than half City’s total.
The additional playing time adds up to an average of three games per player, which does not represent much over the course of a whole year. Still, City are among the clubs that are worst affected and after a slight but perceptible slowdown in the second half of last season, Guardiola should be wary of fatigue.
Europe is the next frontier
“The Premier League is the main target,” Guardiola said last Friday when asked about his priorities for the year ahead.
“The Premier League shows you how you are as a team, if you are a stable system. In the Champions League, it is more unpredictable. One bad moment, bad decisions, a bad halftime can break all the work of the whole season.”
Back-to-back league titles would certainly be welcome at the Etihad and, as Guardiola suggests, this side does not need European success in order to prove its greatness.
Yet the Champions League is this team’s next calling and the opportunity that was missed in the competition last season should not be forgotten.
If one of the chasing pack can keep within City’s distance until springtime, Guardiola’s priorities could suddenly be revised to Europe. For Liverpool, Madrid. Elsewhere, Chelsea played out a 0-0 draw with Lyon at Stamford Bridge, before veteran goalkeeper Rob Green saved a spotkick as they won 5-4 on penalties. occasion overawe us, and to come back from a goal down shows great character,” West Brom Darren Moore told BBC West Midlands. JOE HART said it was the right time to leave Manchester City after Burnley announced yesterday they had signed the former England goalkeeper on a two-year deal.
Hart played almost 350 games for the reigning Premier League champions, establishing himself as number one for club and country, but fell down the pecking order after Pep Guardiola took the helm at City in 2016.
After two seasons out on loan with Torino and then West Ham, the ‘keeper was keen to put down roots again.
The 31-year-old, who cost Burnley a reported £3.5 million (RM18.4m), failed to make the England squad for the World Cup despite playing in all but one of the qualifiers.
“It’s definitely the right time for me to move on,” Hart told Clarets Player.
“They (Manchester City) are doing fantastic and I’m very happy for them. They need to go on and do their thing and I need to do mine. I feel good. I feel like I’m in the right place and I feel like this is my time to kick on now.”
Hart, who has 75 England caps, faces a battle for the No. 1 spot at Burnley. He will be competing against two fellow England internationals, Nick Pope and Tom Heaton, as well as Anders Lindegaard.