Pep Guardiola's time at Manchester City looks to be coming to an end but supporters do not need to fear the post-Pep era
Pep Guardiola is expected to leave Manchester City at the end of this season
Pep Guardiola is expected to leave Manchester City at the end of this season(Image: Alex Pantling - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
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There won't be a dry eye in the house on Sunday if Manchester City's clash with Aston Villa proves to be Pep Guardiola's last in charge of the club. Guardiola can be an emotional man himself, but the outpouring of love for him will be on another level.
City have said goodbye to some club legends during Guardiola's tenure, but there has never been outright panic afterwards. A lot of that owes to the presence of the head coach.
With Guardiola potentially gearing up for his final match at the helm, it's only natural some fans will be worried given the struggles other Premier League clubs have had when trying to replace legendary bosses.
But when Sir Alex Ferguson left Manchester United, David Moyes inherited a group of ageing stars and a club without the structure needed to succeed in the transfer market. Ferguson controlled every aspect of United and once he left, a hole was created that they are still struggling to fill.
Arsene Wenger's Arsenal departure left a similar hole. The Gunners went backwards for a long time before eventually reinventing themselves under Mikel Arteta. But even he needed seven years to deliver Premier League glory.
Arne Slot did a superb job in his first season at Liverpool after Jurgen Klopp's exit, but their squad needs a rebuild and faith in the Dutchman is dwindling on Merseyside after the mess they made of last summer's transfer window.
No wonder City fans are nervous about the post-Guardiola era. But there are plenty of reasons to be positive.
Guardiola is leaving his successor, whether it be Enzo Maresca or someone else, in a much better position than Ferguson, Wenger and Klopp did with their replacements. The squad Guardiola's successor will inherit is only at the start of their journey.
Erling Haaland, Rayan Cherki, Antoine Semenyo, Marc Guehi, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Abdukodir Khusanov, Nico O'Reilly, Phil Foden are all players with their best years ahead of them. And there are many other players in City's squad who are in their early-to-mid-20s and are ready to go one step further.
This young squad also has a taste for winning now. Both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup were secured this season and that winning experience could be invaluable as City aim to return to the top of English football.
Squad rebuilds are never easy, but Guardiola might have done the hard bit for his successor. No major surgery is required and the foundations are there.