The FA Cup Semi-final defeat to Arsenal meant Manchester City’s last realistic chance of their first piece of silverware under Pep Guardiola slipped through their grasp. For the first time in his glittering managerial career, Guardiola is set to end a season as coach without a title to his name.
Should Pep Guardiola have happened to find himself in front of a television on Sunday night, he might have been drowned by a wave of nostalgia. A little sense of regret. A couple hours after his ‘light switch’ Manchester City team had unravelled at Wembley, a spectacular showcase El Clasico was about to reach its conclusion in what was an incredible spectacle at the Santiago Bernabeu. 10 men Real Madrid were on the cusp of denting Barcelona’s title hopes after James Rodriguez’ equaliser five minutes from time. The events that occurred some five minutes later would have definitely sent a shiver down Guardiola’s spine.
We all know what happened next. A footballing move that would have been a constant reminder to Guardiola once the game had reached its climax. Sergi Roberto won possession deep in his own territory and he ran the full length of the pitch bypassing two players before teeing on Andre Gomes. Jordi Alba overlapped on the left and pulled the ball back, and it fell to the right man. The man of the moment Lionel Messi who notched his 500th career goal in what proved to be such a significant win for Luis Enrique and his men. In a split second, the narrative changed dramatically. The story was not about another Madrid comeback. Barcelona ended the night top of La Liga.
It was a reminder of the potential for the greatest footballers to tear systems apart with moments of individual brilliance that swing the whole tides of a football match. As Messi curled the shot past Keylor Navas, it was tempting to wonder whether Guardiola, feeling the strain after City’s FA Cup semi-final defeat to Arsenal, really made the right decision to give up the right to work with the best player in the world five years ago.
Under Guardiola’s guidance, Messi maximised his flawless potential to astonishing and devastating effect, along with the brilliance of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Carlos Puyol – the bedrock of the Barcelona team. With Messi leading the attack, Guardiola won 14 trophies in his first managerial job.
Since then, Messi has gone on to win countless accolades such as three Ballon d’ors. Three La Liga titles. The 2015 Champions League triumph in which Messi more or less single-handedly destroyed Pep’s Bayern Munich en route to the final.
By contrast, while Guardiola hasn’t exactly failed since deciding that he could no longer the intensity and pressure of the daily life in Barcelona, life without his star student Lionel Messi has not been straightforward. At this moment in time, it must be acknowledged that Guardiola did indeed make a brave move in looking to test himself in foreign lands.
Now the critics who were rooting for him to stumble have quickly come out of the blocks. Lets be honest, the Spanish coach has enjoyed the most considerable advantages. He took on an already fledgling Barcelona team with the qualities of Pique, Puyol, Iniesta, Xavi and Messi – certainly, he kept them in line considering the egos; however, it was a relatively easy task. He then moved to Bayern who had won the treble the previous year under Jupp Heynckes. Trying to emulate what the German achieved was always going to be a difficult task, but he already inherited the “perfect” squad when he joined.
Now, things have changed for Guardiola – at the start of the season, he inherited a squad in decline, with most players in the twilight of their careers. Pablo Zabaleta, Bacary Sagna, Yaya Toure, Gael Clichy, Vincent Kompany, Aleksander Kolarov and David Silva (although he has a future at the club under Guardiola) are all in their 30s.
Having left Germany as a qualified success, however, a disappointing first year at City has given further encouragement to the Guardiola critics that he only excels with star studded squad – not a squad that is in steady decline – as proved by his success in Spain and Germany. The drab defeat against Arsenal means that this will be Guardiola’s first trophyless season and even if City just about hold-off in form Manchester United, Arsenal and Everton for the top-four race, it would be impossible to say that this is what the owners had in mind when Manuel Pellegrini left last summer.
It is always possible to attract a sense of glee when Guardiola falters, a sense that some people really do get some delight out of witnessing the demise of a foreign coach who prefers sweeper keepers, wingers as full-backs, full-backs as midfielders. You can lift Barcelona off the floor and turn them into the greatest team of all time, countlessly outlast Madrid in title-races, outwit the greatest manger ever lived in Sir Alex Ferguson in a couple of Champions League finals. But that all means nothing, if you can’t cut it in the Premier League – the most entertaining league in World Football.
When the Sheikh owners of Manchester City forked out millions to get their man in the summer, little did they know the season would end up like this. They were looking for the golden age, a new dawn at City where they would celebrating some kind of success in Guardiola’s first season in charge. That has not been the case, City have allowed Chelsea to skitter off into the distance in the Premier League title race.
Guardiola started like a house on fire, with 10 games unbeaten in the league. Pundits had naively considered City to run away with it. Fast forward 5 or 6 months, they exited the League Cup early with Manchester United running out winners after beating them at Old Trafford, defended woefully in both legs of their Champions League tie against Monaco, and find themselves a point above United going in to the Manchester derby at the Etihad on Thursday evening.
Lets be honest, the squad Guardiola inherited hasn’t helped but the Spaniard has failed to cut out the defensive flaws that have been causing City problems since the last time they tasted the Premier League trophy. With all the money in the world City are blessed with, they still find themselves with a defence that would easily be acceptable into a retirement home the way they have defended at times this season. Plus, he has placed too much trust in Claudio Bravo, a goalkeeper who turns to dust when a ball comes in his direction, experimenting Pablo Zabaleta in a Centre-midfield role, Jesus Navas in a right back role – the squad is crying out for a major overhaul. The injuries to Vincent Kompany, Ilkay Gundogan and Gabriel Jesus have not aided their cause either, only God knows how their season would have turned out if they had kept those three fit.
Either way, experimentation and innovation have set Guardiola in the past. When it does come together, in some fleeting occasions this season, the results are indeed joyous. Players like Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva, and Sergio Aguero have enjoyed fruitful seasons. High potential players such as Leroy Sane, Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus have been scintillating to watch at times this season – the few shining lights in what has been a disappointing season in some books. Another summer arrival, John Stones has shown his quality in some flashes, but not enough – a mere reflection of the season City are having – brilliant in some segments but not enough to take the League or Champions League by storm. Take the first leg against Monaco for example, their attacking play was incredible and joy to watch but it was their catastrophic defending that was their downfall.
Guardiola is like any other manager in this regard, a hostage to fortune, his job defined by little moments of big significance, and ultimately, whether his players are good enough and motivated enough to carry out his instructions.
He arrived at City looking to build a legacy, a dynasty, a new dawn in the blue half of Manchester. He may have to adapt and adjust like any other manager trying out the Premier League, but he will definitely need time and patience. Certainly, the upcoming transfer window will be a hugely significant one for Guardiola as it could define where the club is heading in the next couple of years. He has not been in Manchester long, and he cannot be held accountable for clubs deficiencies, then again, he did inherit a broken squad when he arrived.
Such is life as a manager. In the modern game, individuals can make or break you. As Luis Enrique lives out the remaining days with the little Argentinian genius, Guardiola, without that luxury, has to find another way to prove himself. If history tells us anything, it may not be too long before Guardiola is back to doing what he does best. A new and exciting age for Manchester City is slowly but surely approaching.
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