Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola will have new voices helping and challenging him next season as the overhaul continues.
Comments
Sport
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola
Pep Guardiola signed off his season by defending what he has at Manchester City. Talking about the extraordinary 24 players he has at his disposal, he used his final press conference to speak his truth that they would have challenged in the Premier League and Champions League if not for injuries and he didn't think major work was needed on the squad in the summer transfer window.
There was an acceptance that some players will have to be brought in 'in positions where we are weaker' but the City coach said his team at Fulham had played like they had recovered what had been lost this season. More important than new faces was the return of this spirit.
The extent of the squad changes remains to be seen but just days on from Fulham and there is already a major overhaul of Guardiola's backroom staff. Following reports of no new contracts offered before the end of the season, three of the five assistants that sit next to the manager in the dugout have left.
Carlos Vicens has been headhunted by Braga to be their new coach but it still speaks to a club that want a significant refresh. There have been plenty of Guardiola's assistants who have left before, yet never so many at the same time.
All of these coaches knew the spirit of the squad when they saw it, so however much they had of it by the end it will still need an adjustment period for new recruits. It is also imperative that there are replacements - Guardiola's loneliest time in charge of the Blues came after he tried to do too much by himself in the wake of Mikel Arteta's exit at the end of 2019.
There isn't much time to get it done either. City will be at the Club World Cup in under three weeks, which is seen as their pre-season for the next campaign.
As reported by the Manchester Evening News on Wednesday, Under-21 coach Ben Wilkinson and his assistant Craig Mudd will be present for the tournament and can add some familiarity as well as freshness for Guardiola. They are predominantly there to support the young players in the squad though and cannot alone be the solution for the club.
City fans are intrigued to see what changes there will be on the pitch for next season, particularly after Guardiola's recent comments. A rebuild that began in January with £175m spent on five players will continue in the summer with players that can immediately come into the first team targeted.
As interesting though will be what happens in the dugout, with Guardiola set to have new ideas and voices helping and challenging him as he seeks to make good on his claim that City will be better next season. Those changes are already in motion as well.
--
Here at The Manchester Evening News, we're dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester City coverage and analysis.
Article continues below
Make sure you don't miss out on the latest City news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get the club's breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.
And, finally, if you'd rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Talking City podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.