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PEP GUARDIOLA warned during the pre-season circuit of the US that the commencement of the play was going to beryllium challenging.
As usual, helium was close – though helium astir apt wasn’t expecting specified a disastrous tally of 5 successive defeats.
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Guardiola admits that a fewer issues astatine the commencement of the play person gradually got worse – starring to the worst effect of his tenure astatine the weekend, a 4-0 location decision by Spurs and sparking talk of a situation astatine the Etihad.
Here Sunsport takes a deep-dive into what precisely is going incorrect for the four-in-a-row champs and what they indispensable bash to get backmost connected track.
RODRI
Ironically helium was backmost astatine the Etihad connected Saturday to amusement disconnected his Ballon d’Or – but the Spaniard indispensable person been shocked by what helium saw.
The 28-year-old is the linchpin of City’s caller occurrence and arsenic the newly-voted champion subordinate successful the satellite – immoderate squad would miss him.
There was a crushed wherefore Guardiola picked him each week – conscionable inquire Kalvin Phillips - and without him they are not the same.
Before helium did his cruciate against Arsenal successful September, City turned successful an electrical 20 minutes – and since past they haven’t travel anyplace close.
They request to find a mode to unrecorded without him arsenic helium won’t beryllium backmost this season.
OTHER INJURIES
It isn’t conscionable Rodri they person missed. Oscar Bobb was the stand-out prima of City’s pre play and was tipped for large things but past broke his limb successful training.
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In addition, much established stars similar Ruben Dias, John Stones, Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake, Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish person missed cardinal games.
Then there’s the lack of Kevin De Bruyne – for truthful agelong a talisman for City.
Rodri officially retired for play aft undergoing country successful devastating stroke for Man City prima
Only 5 starts this play owed to fittingness concerns has sparked fears this could beryllium the opening of the extremity of the superb Belgian, 33.
GROWING OLD TOGETHER
Guardiola mentioned it himself successful his property league connected Friday – helium has 12 players successful his squad who are 30+ earlier insisting that it’s not needfully a problem.
Several of them are assured of their spot successful City folklore for what they person achieved successful caller years but has the nine allowed the bosom to regularisation the caput with them?
They person looked leggy and lacked vigor this play portion injuries are starting to creep successful – arsenic they often bash successful older players.
If Pep is going to enactment different two-and-a-half years past immoderate large decisions volition person to beryllium made.
He hasn’t shied distant from them earlier and helium needs to bash it again arsenic an overhaul is needed.
HUNGER
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City released a documentary this week called "Together: Four successful a Row" which showed immoderate epic dressing country rants by Guardiola.
In 1 helium tells his players "There is simply a crushed wherefore cipher did 4 Premier Leagues successful a enactment – it’s due to the fact that it’s truthful difficult".
As usual, it worked arsenic his players became the archetypal to bash it.
But what now? Can this aforesaid radical support uncovering it wrong themselves to bash it yet again?
The signs truthful acold are that the information and hunger whitethorn person dropped conscionable a notch oregon 2 and successful the Prem you can’t spend to bash that.
FATIGUE
Phil Foden admitted helium felt worn retired aft dazzling for his nine past play and past helping England to the last of Euro 2024.
And helium astir apt wasn’t the lone 1 – arsenic nary nine had much players connected planetary work this summertime than City.
It was a scratch squad that went to America for pre-season and Pep indispensable person known heavy down that this was coming down the road.
His players person gone the other mile for him clip and clip again – but close present they look similar they’ve tally retired of road.
TRANSFERS
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Jeremy Doku, Matheus Nunes, Josko Gvardiol, Mateo Kovacic, Savinho and Ilkay Gundogan.
Those are the players City person signed since they won the treble – and however galore person been a success?
Gvardiol for definite - contempt a mates of lapses connected Saturday – and Kovacic has been a utile summation too.
But with the remainder we are inactive waiting – portion Gundogan, 34, looks to beryllium a shadiness of the subordinate helium was earlier his twelvemonth successful Barcelona.
Meanwhile successful that time, they allowed Cole Palmer and Julian Alvarez to permission – not to notation Riyad Mahrez and Aymeric Laporte.
All of them would person been useful to person astir during these hard fewer weeks.
Guardiola inactive insists his squad is exceptional erstwhile everyone is available. But they aren’t and cracks are starting to show.
GOALS
Erling Haaland volition ever people them – and has 15 already this season.
But he’s besides missing a batch of chances – and contempt the scoreline helium could easy person gone location with the match-ball connected Saturday.
To compound that – not galore others are chipping in.
In the Prem, Gvardiol and Kovacic person 3 apiece and John Stones has two.
Then to compound it, they are conceding excessively easy astatine the different end.
Rodri fears Man City burnout
By Dave Kidd
IT’S small wonderment that Rodri is knackered — due to the fact that Manchester City’s bid for a treble Treble is similar competing successful back-to-back Ironman triathlons.
The Spain planetary spoke of his ain request to instrumentality a rest, helium revealed that John Stones played done wounded successful the Champions League quarter-final against Real and insisted that the LaLiga leaders were well-rested and fresher.
And asked astir Phil Foden — the lone City subordinate to person clocked up much minutes than him this play — Rodri offered up the observation: “We request a rest, to beryllium honest.”
Every question Rodri was asked, helium turned the speech backmost to the taxable of idiosyncratic and corporate tiredness.
When invited to praise Stones, truthful effectual successful a dual midfield and antiaircraft role, Rodri said: “It’s risky, it’s brave but it’s the mode we play. As a centre-back, John was brilliant.”
But past helium added: “He was feeling choky and helium had immoderate problems astatine the extremity but helium showed his courageousness until the extremity due to the fact that helium knew that the squad needed him.
“He didn’t say, ‘I request to spell off’, helium stayed until the end. This is the benignant of happening we’re going to request for the 2nd leg.”
And asked astir Foden, who netted his 22nd extremity of the play with a banger successful the Bernabeu, Rodri said: “Every 1 of america tin bash better, adjacent myself. But we request to rest, to beryllium honest."
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