Today, clubs pay coaches tens of millions of dollars not only to pick the starting lineup, but also to develop philosophy and plans. If you ask them, they will tell you that it takes time to turn these plans into reality – mainly on the training ground.
Guardiola learned on Sunday that Kevin De Bruyne would be out for four months. The next day, he learned that Bernardo Silva would not be able to participate in the UEFA Super Cup trip to Athens against Sevilla. He and the team returned to Manchester at 4am on Thursday and on Saturday night he laid out a plan for Julian Alvarez to play forward and Manuel Akanji into midfield to play the role of "John Stones". (While he did spend some time in the second half against Sevilla, it was improvised: it felt like it was well thought out.) ）
It played a role against Newcastle. Not necessarily because the opponents were poor – they were not – but because City lost three (arguably) of the five best performers last season (fourth place was Ellin Haaland) without missing a beat. It's not just a "next" mindset, it's about versatility and the ability to adapt instantly.
How and when did Pep teach this? The old cliché in football about how great players find ways to play together and how to teach concepts instead of plans makes it easier to adapt. Good: It's still impressive, and if it were really that simple, more managers would succeed in doing it.
It seems that Manchester City are still short of people, so they are interested in Lucas Paqueta, and Jeremy Doku is coming (he's talented and obviously not suitable for Pep, but with him at the helm, you never know). But, for now, they look to be going well (at least winning most of the trophies) in keeping the trophy.
As for Newcastle, Eddie Howe is likely to turn this into a confidence-building exercise (at least in the second half) while reminding his players how long the road ahead is. What is clear is that the players have embraced what he holds high and that can only bode well.
Article source: 68 Sports