PEP GUARDIOLA warned during the pre-season tour of the US that the start of the season was going to be challenging.
As usual, he was right – although he probably wasn’t expecting such a disastrous run of five successive defeats.
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Guardiola admits that a few issues at the start of the season have gradually got worse – leading to the worst result of his tenure at the weekend, a 4-0 home defeat by Spurs and sparking talk of a crisis at the Etihad.
Here Sunsport takes a deep-dive into what exactly is going wrong for the four-in-a-row champs and what they must do to get back on track.
RODRI
Ironically he was back at the Etihad on Saturday to show off his Ballon d’Or – but the Spaniard must have been shocked by what he saw.
The 28-year-old is the linchpin of City’s recent success and as the newly-voted best player in the world – any team would miss him.
There was a reason why Guardiola picked him every week – just ask Kalvin Phillips – and without him they are not the same.
Before he did his cruciate against Arsenal in September, City turned in an electric 20 minutes – and since then they haven’t come anywhere close.
They need to find a way to live without him as he won’t be back this season.
OTHER INJURIES
It isn’t just Rodri they have missed. Oscar Bobb was the stand-out star of City’s pre season and was tipped for great things but then broke his leg in training.
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In addition, more established stars like Ruben Dias, John Stones, Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake, Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish have missed key games.
Then there’s the absence of Kevin De Bruyne – for so long a talisman for City.
Only five starts this season due to fitness concerns has sparked fears this could be the beginning of the end of the brilliant Belgian, 33.
GROWING OLD TOGETHER
Guardiola mentioned it himself in his press conference on Friday – he has 12 players in his squad who are 30+ before insisting that it’s not necessarily a problem.
Several of them are assured of their place in City folklore for what they have achieved in recent years but has the club allowed the heart to rule the head with them?
They have looked leggy and lacked energy this season while injuries are starting to creep in – as they often do in older players.
If Pep is going to stay another two-and-a-half years then some big decisions will have to be made.
He hasn’t shied away from them before and he needs to do it again as an overhaul is needed.
HUNGER
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City released a documentary this week called “Together: Four in a Row” which showed some epic dressing room rants by Guardiola.
In one he tells his players “There is a reason why nobody did four Premier Leagues in a row – it’s because it’s so difficult”.
As usual, it worked as his players became the first to do it.
But what now? Can this same group keep finding it within themselves to do it yet again?
The signs so far are that the motivation and hunger may have dropped just a notch or two and in the Prem you can’t afford to do that.
FATIGUE
Phil Foden admitted he felt worn out after dazzling for his club last season and then helping England to the final of Euro 2024.
And he probably wasn’t the only one – as no club had more players on international duty this summer than City.
It was a scratch squad that went to America for pre-season and Pep must have known deep down that this was coming down the road.
His players have gone the extra mile for him time and time again – but right now they look like they’ve run out of road.
TRANSFERS
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Jeremy Doku, Matheus Nunes, Josko Gvardiol, Mateo Kovacic, Savinho and Ilkay Gundogan.
Those are the players City have signed since they won the treble – and how many have been a success?
Gvardiol for sure – despite a couple of lapses on Saturday – and Kovacic has been a useful addition too.
But with the rest we are still waiting – while Gundogan, 34, looks to be a shadow of the player he was before his year in Barcelona.
Meanwhile in that time, they allowed Cole Palmer and Julian Alvarez to leave – not to mention Riyad Mahrez and Aymeric Laporte.
All of them would have been handy to have around during these difficult few weeks.
Guardiola still insists his squad is exceptional when everyone is available. But they aren’t and cracks are starting to show.
GOALS
Erling Haaland will always score them – and has 15 already this season.
But he’s also missing a lot of chances – and despite the scoreline he could easily have gone home with the match-ball on Saturday.
To compound that – not many others are chipping in.
In the Prem, Gvardiol and Kovacic have three apiece and John Stones has two.
Then to compound it, they are conceding too easily at the other end.
Rodri fears Man City burnout
By Dave Kidd
IT’S little wonder that Rodri is knackered — because Manchester City’s bid for a double Treble is like competing in back-to-back Ironman triathlons.
The Spain international spoke of his own need to take a rest, he revealed that John Stones played through injury in the Champions League quarter-final against Real and insisted that the LaLiga leaders were well-rested and fresher.
And asked about Phil Foden — the only City player to have clocked up more minutes than him this season — Rodri offered up the observation: “We need a rest, to be honest.”
Every question Rodri was asked, he turned the conversation back to the subject of individual and collective tiredness.
When invited to praise Stones, so effective in a dual midfield and defensive role, Rodri said: “It’s risky, it’s brave but it’s the way we play. As a centre-back, John was brilliant.”
But then he added: “He was feeling tight and he had some problems at the end but he showed his courage until the end because he knew that the team needed him.
“He didn’t say, ‘I need to go off’, he stayed until the end. This is the kind of thing we’re going to need for the second leg.”
And asked about Foden, who netted his 22nd goal of the season with a banger in the Bernabeu, Rodri said: “Every one of us can do better, even myself. But we need to rest, to be honest.”
