Five things City fans will learn from episode one:
PEP Guardiola promised his players in the trailer for the new City documentary that he would always ‘defend’ them in the press conference.
The beauty of All or Nothing – Amazon Prime’s stunning new peek behind the scenes of the Blues’ record-breaking season – is that we get a look at what the manager says directly to those players. Episode one of the eight-part series was premiered at Manchester’s Printworks cinema last night – the first time the entire City squad, and Guardiola himself, had seen it.
And for anyone looking for insight, it was there in abundance.
We picked out five things which we learned from episode one.
IMPORTANCE OF CHELSEA WIN City went to reigning champions Chelsea at the end of September, having pretty much swept all before them in the early part of the season.
But Guardiola is seen afterwards joining in the celebrations, singing “Oh, Kevin de Bruyne!” along with the players, after the Belgian rather self-consciously wanders into the away dressing room.
He had just scored the winning goal – and Guardiola pinpoints it as the moment when the team’s mentality irrevocably changed.
Skipper Vincent Kompany, who was injured, is seen walking into the dressing room and declaring it as “a f ****** brilliant win”.
In the calm afterwards, Guardiola states: “I think they believe now that they are good. And I think that is not going to change this season.
“That doesn’t mean we win the title or not. But even if we are not able to win the title, they will know and we will know we are good. That we are better than the other ones.”
GUARDIOLA IS A NATURAL ACTOR
There is no doubt who the leading man is, certainly in episode one.
Guardiola has always had an element of the theatrical about him, strutting down the touchline, cajoling and caressing his players, a wild-eyed romantic star. But to see him away from the usual spotlight is to see that this is the way he lives his life – or his football life at least. In one of the opening scenes, he is trying to convince his players to play with courage, to move the ball forward quickly and boldly. And as his players sit around, he is bouncing around, squatting to implore them, thumping the tactics board, using grand gestures and passionate speech – like a Shakesperean leading man. PEP TELLS FIBS He admits it freely! He is seen as a confidant and agony aunt by the players, and in an unguarded moment he says that even if he does not have an answer to a player’s question, he just makes something up. “I don’t have all the answers,” he says. “Often when I don’t know
I think they believe now that they are good and that is not going to change this season
Pep Guardiola
something, I act in front of the players as if I do.
“I do it so that they believe I have the answers and that gives them the confidence to play.
“Sometimes they ask you things about life, and then you must adopt the role of a father, brother or son.
“I try to give them the best advice that you’d hope to receive in your own life.” THE SERIES HAS AN UNLIKELY STAR
Guardiola and the players are central, but kit man Brandon Ashton has been a central figure in trailers for the series. And you can see why. He has become a friend to many
players, not least Kevin De Bruyne, who values having a ‘normal person’ to talk to in a heavy football environment.
He leads the celebrations at Chelsea, and he accompanies Kompany into the minus 130-degree cryotherapy chamber, with hilarious consequences. CITY HAVE A BOOT STEAMER!
Ever wondered how those professional footballers manage to wear a new pair of boots in every other game, without getting blisters?
Kit man Brandon introduces us to the boot steamer, which softens the leather on new boots, which are left for a couple of hours – or sometimes overnight – to make them wearable.