Man City hope Halloween-loving Omar Marmoush can end Pep Guardiola’s horror show but £125m splurge masks deeper issues

OMAR MARMOUSH often pulled retired a Halloween disguise aft scoring goals for Eintracht Frankfurt.

The Egyptian was dared to deterioration it by 1 of his aged team-mates – and it should acceptable nicely with the fearfulness amusement that has been Manchester City’s past fewer months.

However, the question is, tin the new £64million forward’s arrival disguise the evident problems successful Pep Guardiola’s squad successful the weeks ahead?

They archetypal became evident arsenic City mislaid 9 retired of 12 matches during an astonishing illness successful the last 2 months of past year.

And contempt a mini-revival since Christmas, the aged issues were laid bare erstwhile much by a rampant Paris Saint-Germain successful the Parc des Princes connected Wednesday night.

City person shelled retired astir £127million this week connected 3 caller signings -  with 2 young defenders coming successful earlier Marmoush.

Abdukodir Khusanov, 20, arrived for £33.5million connected Monday and was rapidly followed by 19-year-old Brazilian Vitor Reis for £29.5million.

The nine hopes each 3 volition beryllium signings for the semipermanent and not conscionable the present and now. 

But astir fans person been crying retired for a caller antiaircraft midfielder to capable the immense spread near by Ballon D’Or victor Rodri.

Some would besides accidental right-back was an country that needed addressing. But arsenic yet, with conscionable 11 days near of the window, determination is nary motion of either.

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Marmoush is the astir eye-catching of the caller signings truthful acold arsenic 1 of the stand-out stars of the German league this season.

He has 37 goals and 20 assists since joining Frankfurt connected a escaped 18 months agone and each clip City sent scouts to ticker him helium made a difference.

His versatility is besides cardinal arsenic they look to regenerate Julian Alvarez – who near to articulation Atletico Madrid backmost successful August.

The 25-year-old tin play successful immoderate of the beforehand positions and besides arsenic a fig 10 – truthful should let Erling Haaland – who has played astir each crippled this play – much of a breather.

They besides person Norwegian wide antheral Oscar Bobb – who Pep had specified precocious hopes for this play – connected the brink of a instrumentality from a breached leg.

Before long, Guardiola could person an embarrassment of riches successful the guardant positions.

But scoring goals has not been a large occupation for his squad successful caller weeks – they person 24 of them successful their past six matches.

It’s keeping them retired astatine the different extremity that has been the interest – with a creaking defence getting that has been ravaged by injuries getting small extortion from a midfield that is besides looking old.

PSG had 26 efforts connected extremity connected Wednesday night – the astir Guardiola’s City person faced successful this contention successful his 9 seasons. 

Skipper Kyle Walker’s diminution came quicker than expected but neither Rico Lewis nor makeshift full-back Matheus Nunes person been convincing replacements.

Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake and John Stones person each struggled with injuries – immoderate mightiness accidental inevitably aft the magnitude they person played successful caller seasons.

Khusanov and Reis volition assistance to easiness the unit connected them but some are inexperienced and volition request clip to settee in.

The midfield has not fixed the defence thing similar the extortion they are utilized to erstwhile Rodri is there.

Ilkay Gundogan, Mateo Kovacic and Bernardo Silva person mostly shared the duties but are each implicit 30 present and against the apical sides they person recovered it hard going.

Talking astir his team’s short-comings successful Paris, Pep said: “PSG were better, they were quicker, faster, they triumph the duels with the ball, had 1 much successful the middle.

“We could not header with that.”

They are looking for a caller holding midfielder – but Pep is besides consenting to usage Stones oregon Manuel Akanji successful that relation if the summertime would beryllium a amended clip to bargain one. 

Meanwhile, Kevin De Bruyne continues to nutrient magic moments but has been slowed by injuries successful caller years, and the feeling is his 10-year reign arsenic the apical antheral astatine City is coming to an end.

Guardiola admits helium knocked backmost the proposal from the hierarchy astatine the Etihad arsenic helium showed loyalty to the players who person achieved truthful overmuch for him.

In caller months that has looked a immense mistake and could beryllium brought into adjacent sharper absorption earlier the March planetary break.

Games against Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Newcastle and Tottenham each looming – arsenic good arsenic the Champions League salvage ngo against Brugge.

After winning 4 Prem titles successful a enactment – arsenic good arsenic the treble 19 months agone – determination person been questions implicit the information of the squad.

Striker Erling Haaland said past week that brag Guardiola seems to person arsenic overmuch hunger arsenic ever contempt everything helium has achieved successful the past 9 years.

But helium has besides had to woody with issues disconnected the pitch, with the extremity of his 30-year matrimony to his woman Cristina coming to airy earlier this month.

And immoderate person wondered if the playing unit are being affected by the looming verdict into 115 allegations of fiscal wrongdoing levelled astatine them by the Premier League.

The lengthy proceeding ended successful December and the study is presently being enactment together.

While City are supremely confident, the implications if they were to beryllium recovered blameworthy would beryllium tremendous for everyone astatine the Etihad.

Until the result is known, determination continues to beryllium a acheronian unreality hanging implicit them.

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