Last season was one to forget for Manchester City and Pep Guardiola.
The 2024/25 campaign was the worst since the legendary coach’s arrival at the Etihad Stadium in 2016, as the Manchester club went from winning four Premier League titles in a row to ending the term without a trophy, while needing to still qualify for the Champions League on the final day.
There were many reasons for this, as Man City rested on their laurels last summer and did not strengthen their squad enough, while the long-term injury to Rodri had a major impact on how Guardiola wanted his team to play.
Another reason has now been reported from behind the scenes at Man City, which has played a big role in the changes made at the Etihad Stadium over recent weeks.
Pep Guardiola with his hand on his face during Fulham v Manchester City.
Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images
Man City players were not happy with Pep Guardiola’s staff
Man City have already signed four players during the early phase of the summer transfer window, but the playing squad is not the only area of the club where changes have been made.
Pepijn Lijnders and James French have arrived at Man City, as well as Kolo Toure, and according to the Daily Mail, the new staff have reenergised the players at the Manchester club after they were left “second-guessing” Guardiola last season due to a lack of communication within the camp.
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“Sources inside the dressing room have revealed that the squad were left bemused by the communication, or lack thereof, from the backroom team last season,” Jack Gaughan wrote.
“That none of the supporting coaches would instigate one-on-one chats to perhaps explain Guardiola’s thinking, as had been the norm previously. Superstars were left second-guessing their boss without a cheat sheet, and he’s not easily read.
“‘The guys were more detached than ever,’ one said. It fed into the idea of shellshock at how the middle of the season played out, perhaps the backroom team not knowing whether to stand off and give players space or not. One of them was reduced to just refereeing six-a-side games at the end of sessions and never spoke.”
Guardiola has admitted that he has been “really pleased” by Lijnders so far, and the mood amongst the Man City squad already seems a mile away from the one that overshadowed the group throughout last season.
Man City squad impressed with Pepijn Lijnders
All the noise coming out of the Man City camp in the United States about Lijnders seems very positive, and that should have fans of the Manchester club very excited given how much success the Dutch coach had as Jurgen Klopp’s assistant at Liverpool.
Supporters can expect their team to be more energetic and aggressive next season, and according to the Daily Mail, Man City’s players have been so impressed that they have been talking about the 42-year-old among themselves.
Pepijn Lijnders while manager of RB Salzburg.
Photo by Harald Dostal/SEPA.Media /Getty Images
“Lijnders is prowling, noticing each pass. Nineteen members of staff are within the perimeter of the pitch, helping in some way, and there comes booming encouragement in a way that hasn’t always been evident during City training,” Gaughan has observed in America.
“Peripheral members of the backroom setup are screaming positive reinforcement. It’s loud, it’s more in your face. It’s presenting an energy.
“Everything has, according to sources, doubled. The intensity is up, the staff are ‘on them’ more and – at the moment – players are responding. Players are talking up multilingual Lijnders among themselves.”
The rest of the Premier League should be worried about the shape Man City could arrive into the new season in August, as things seem a lot different from how the last campaign ended.