Pep Guardiola is the best manager of his generation, without question.
But we are seeing him in unprecedented territory, battling the sort of loss of form that hasn’t troubled him before in his glittering managerial career.
He will be back – that seems certain – but this has been an uncharacteristically error-strewn start to Manchester City’s season.
Here’s seven serious mistakes that have led City to this point.
The Anfield gesture
One of Guardiola’s greatest strengths during the season has been to focus minds on the current challenge rather than reflecting on trophies won.
But that six finger gesture at Liverpool looked awfully Jose Mourinho-esque, throwing back to previous triumphs.
Did it also speak of a manager a little rattled for the first time that the sheen of invincibility has been eroded?
One win in 10 is new territory for Guardiola, who seems to be grasping for a new route through this crisis. It’s fascinating to watch and the longer it goes on, the less guaranteed it feels that he’ll come out of it with a flawless reputation intact.
Letting contract uncertainty go on too long
City were always of the opinion that Guardiola had earned the right to decide on his future – and to whatever timeline he decided. If he’d have declared his hand in June, they’d have been fine with that as he’d earned so much credit at the Etihad.
But these things do matter. While City sources insist neither that or the 115 charges ever come up in negotiations, they do have an impact. A summer which could have seen major changes in the squad ended up being a can kicked down the road because Guardiola didn’t know which way he was going.
It became the dominant theme at exactly the point City, post Rodri’s injury, became most vulnerable. Coincidence? Or a sign that focus was lost?
City will reflect that the two year deal he signed meant all has worked out as they wanted. But it might also have contributed to some of the issues that have built up in the months that preceded this crisis.
Substitutions (against Feyenoord in particular)
Guardiola doesn’t have much to play with in his injury-ravaged squad but the calls he has made have been uncharacteristically off-key.
How many other managers, knowing their side was in dire need of a win, would have made the triple substitution Guardiola made against Feyenoord a fortnight ago, bringing on two inexperienced players to see the game out?
“At 3-0 I saw no danger,” Guardiola said. But Feyenoord roared back and earned a draw that further deepened the sense that all is not right at City.
A manager under pressure – think, perhaps, Eddie Howe or Ange Postecoglou – would not have made that call.
The small squad call
When Ruben Dias posted a picture of City’s gruelling schedule on Instagram before the season started, it felt clear it would be a campaign like no other.
Alongside an expanded Champions League there is the Club World Club in the summer – a gruelling but potentially money-spinning last chapter of a marathon season.
Man City’s busy Christmas schedule
- Man Utd (h) – Sunday 15th December
- Aston Villa (a) – Saturday 21st December
- Everton (h) – Thursday 26th December
- Leicester (a) – Sunday 29th December
- West Ham (h) – Saturday 4th January
So was it time for Guardiola to row back on his devotion to carrying a small, lean squad with no dissenting voices?
Chelsea’s recruitment has looked chaotic at times but their supersized squad is handling the rigours of this season better than City.
Recruitment missteps
Of all the transfer calls City have made in 2024, selling Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid with no replacement lined up looks the most confounding.
Guardiola himself admitted it could have been a mistake when it happened – with nine goals already it certainly appears to be turning out that way.
The incomings look just as curious. Savinho is a huge talent but was Ilkay Gundogan really what City needed or was Guardiola harking back to the Gundogan of 2022 when he snapped him up on a free transfer?
The club have been steadfast in refusing to get involved in auctions for stars like Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice but might it be time to tweak that approach? One for incoming director of football Hugo Viana to ponder.
Kyle Walker reliance
Kyle Walker has been a formidable right-back but his time looks up at the top level.
For a player who has relied on pace so much, when it starts to disappear – even by a fraction – there are big issues ahead.
Guardiola can’t do much to change that given the injuries but given how ruthless he can be, why was Walker’s drop-off not anticipated months ago?
As it is he looks like an accident waiting to happen in a defence that is so brittle.
Attitude to the Carabao Cup
Guardiola said he did not want his side to “waste energy” on the Carabao Cup – then promptly saw his side’s unbeaten start end with a quarter-final defeat to Spurs.
When you look at the sides left in the last eight, two of City’s main title rivals remain. Injuries meant progress was never certain, but that comment felt like a misstep given what was to come.
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