Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Pep is a coaching genius ... but City’s desperate defensive frailty will testhim like never before
PEP GUARDIOLA is a coaching genius – so how come Manchester City have spent half-a-billion on defenders and still have a problem at the back?
City’s spend on goalkeepers is £58million since Pep arrived in 2016. They have also now spent £432m on 16 defenders. enders. That’s a £490m defensive ve unit! But it hasn’t as solved the issue.
Th They made defensive efensive errors leadi leading to goals eight times last seas season, the worst orst since Pep (righ (right) arrived.
Th There is so much uch riding on R Ruben Dias arriving from Benfica for £65m. They have not replaced placed Vinc Vincent Kompany ny and he has h to fill that t kind of stature.
Pep is a genius us in the way he has influenced ced football here. ere. He has as im imposed a style yle of p play that has trans transmitted down wn to all levels.
Bu But you look at wha what happened last weekend again against Leicester and w wonder how. .
Th That was the first time a Pep Guardiola team has conceded five goals, in his 686th game as a manager. And the first time in 438 games at the Etihad that City had leaked five.
Rodri moan ed that “the opponent does nothing but wait, wait, wait – even when you are winning – you are a bit confused and don’t don t kno know what to do. They s scored five on the c counterattack.”
But Brendan B Rogers had ha a game plan and, tactically, t got it r right. You don don’t go toe to toe with th the best t teams, or b best mana agers, or t they beat y you. It is n not Leicest ter’s fault C City can’t de defend the co counteratta attack.
W Wi t h the exc exception of the Carabao Cu Cup, I can’t see se them w winning a m ma jor tr trophy this yea y r b ecause of those defensive frailties, mistakes, and sloppiness. City’s total net spend over the last 10 years is £1.016bn. Liverpool’s is £371m, roughly a third of their rivals’, to win a title and a Champions League.
The pressure is on City. If you have a midfield of Rodri and
Fernandinho shielding, with Kevin De Bruyne pulling the strings, it puts pressure on the front three to deliver.
City find it difficult to defend for some reason. They lost too many games in the league last season through errors.
Of course, City won eight of the last 12 domestic trophies, including the Community Shield. That is some haul with two trebles.
Pep is in his fifth season. He usually doesn’t stay that long. Sometimes, you need a new voice. But the greats can stay a long time. Sir Alex Ferguson did it. Arsene Wenger did it.
Pep is in their bracket, but is this City side pushing new boundaries and improving?
They might finish second or third this term, but I’d say fourth. They have vulnerabilities. Gabriel Jesus is out, Aguero is out, both injured. Are they now short in that area?
Is it the end of this team? Does it need a rebuild? The back four is young and maybe it starts now.
Centre-back Nathan Ake ( left, during the Leicester defeat) is 25, Dias, 23. May b e they can mature and be at City for years. At the top l e vel , experience and time ser ved defending together is key.
Domestically, pressure from Liverpool is so intense. You’ve needed almost perfection to win the league in the past two seasons.
Pundits talk about Liverpool’s vulnerabilities, pressing so high. But they have already beaten Arsenal, Chelsea and Leeds, and averaged three goals a game.
Defensively, Dias must be an immediate hit and have big shoulders to solve their weakest link.