It has been a whirlwind past two weeks for Max Alleyne. Manchester City recalled the young center-back from his loan spell at Watford after Rúben Dias and Joško Gvardiol went down with injuries. With John Stones also injured, Pep Guardiola’s squad was short of centre-backs. Alleyne returned to City and was thrust straight into the City first team. He played well in his first three starts for Pep Guardiola’s side. But his last two appearances for City show that Alleyne has a fair way to go before he establishes himself as a first-team regular for Manchester City. That isn’t a criticism of the young defender; it’s just the reality of the situation he is facing.
Mistakes from Max Alleyne cost Manchester City dearly against Bodø/Glimt.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Max Alleyne put in three quality and assured performances for Manchester City against Brighton, Exeter City and [Newcastle](https://esteemedkompany.com/2026/01/13/manchester-city-2-newcastle-united-0-city-player-ratings-as-city-do-the-job-at-st-james-park/). He stepped up in Manchester City’s hour of need, and he deserves credit for that and his performances. Against Manchester United and Bodø/Glimt, Alleyne showed that he is a young defender still learning his trade. Alleyne looked nervous in the Manchester derby. He wasn’t at his best, and he made several errors in possession before he was substituted at halftime. It got worse for Alleyne against Bodø/Glimt.
Unfortunately for Max Alleyne, he made two mistakes that led to Bodø/Glimt’s opening two goals at the Aspmyra Stadion. His first error was a rash challenge on the halfway line, which sprung Bodø/Glimt free to take a 1-nil lead. The second error by Alleyne saw the young defender lose possession, which allowed the hosts to make it 2-nil. Both errors happened within two minutes of each other. It was a cruel blow for Alleyne, who looked every bit a young centre-back learning his trade in both instances. That is exactly what Alleyne is as a player, so it is hard to lay blame solely at his feet for Manchester City’s shock defeat in Norway.
It isn’t all doom and gloom for Max Alleyne as the past week could prove to be a valuable experience for him.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What Max Alleyne’s past two appearances for Manchester City have shown is that he is still learning what it takes to play at the highest level. His mistakes against Bodø/Glimt are part of the process of a young defender learning what it takes to play for Manchester City. There is no cause for concern that Alleyne made these mistakes. He had been thrust into a role he may not have been fully ready for, but he’s shown more than enough to indicate that he can, and likely will, be an important player in Manchester City’s future. He’s faced adversity as a City player now, and given Alleyne’s character, he should overcome it, and that could be the making of him as a player.
Max Alleyne has stepped up in Manchester City’s hour of need. Across five appearances, he displayed enough to suggest that he has a bright future at Manchester City. His past two appearances illustrated that he’s still learning the caper. There isn’t anything wrong with that, and this past week may prove invaluable in Alleyne’s growth, as overcoming adversity and mistakes is often a key moment in a young player’s career.