When Pep Guardiola walked into Manchester City back in 2016, there was a world war of managers about to break out in the Premier League. The English league consisted of managers like Jurgen Klopp, Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger and the two new entrees were Antonio Conte and Pep Guardiola. One could also not ignore Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham Hotspur.
It made England the fiercest battleground for managers and everyone waited to wonder who would come out on top. It was the first season and Antonio Conte made the biggest jump. After a slow start to life in London, the Italian blew everyone else out of the water by guiding Chelsea to the pinnacle of league football in England.
It meant that everyone else was red-faced as all the teams not only had top players but top managers as well. However, while everyone else had been beaten, Guardiola’s defeat was a little deeper than simply losing out on the title race. He had set into motion a system, a plan that would reap him results in the long run.
As he has done in all his previous clubs, the man is a lover of rules and discipline and even at Manchester City, he set into motion a philosophy which took time to set into effect. In came the second season and everyone witnessed what some had predicted before.
Guardiola’s men steamrolled oppositions and won everything in their path. The team was unbeaten till New Year’s and looked Champions elect in every trophy. They were not just winning but winning in style, as Guardiola had promised.
City’s flow of football stunned opponents and left little to do when Guardiola’s men were in full flow. He helped his team beat the opposition tactically down to the last blade of grass, such was the dedication. However, over the turn of the New Year, the team slightly fell apart owing to some unfortunate injuries.
Although City ended up with the league title and the Carabao Cup, the limited squad depth saw them lose out on the FA Cup and thrashed by Liverpool in the Champions League. His options in the wing were limited and still is unless he can bring in reinforcements.
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This is where the report of Wilfried Zaha to City comes interesting. The former Red Devil is in the form of his life and will certainly prove to be an ideal squad player for City, given the rigorous nature of the Premier League.
