Pep Guardiola’s tenure at Manchester City has undeniably been filled with triumphs, and last season’s astonishing treble-winning campaign was a new high for arguably one of the best managers of this generation.
However, as the club continues to evolve and adapt, Guardiola faces a new set of challenges with the Cityzens looking to defend their titles in the coming season.
There’s not much that Guardiola needs to fix in his star-studded treble-winning squad, but we highlight four key issues that the esteemed manager needs to address in order to maintain Man City’s dominance.
Bernardo Silva
Bernardo Silva’s long-term future at the Etihad Stadium has been a major talking point in the Premier League transfer window. With every passing day, the winger looks increasingly likely to exit the club.
Guardiola holds Silva in high esteem, especially after his extraordinary performances last season. But the Portuguese forward has never been shy to express a desire to explore other challenges abroad.
Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona hold concrete interest in capturing Silva’s signature, while Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal are also preparing a mouth-watering proposal to lure the dazzling forward to the Middle East.
Silva has two years left to run on his current deal and is reportedly exploring every option available, including pledging his allegiance to the Cityzens by penning a new contract.
However, while he ponders his next decision, Guardiola and Man City need to start drawing up a shortlist of possible replacements for the former AS Monaco man.
Silva played a prominent role in Man City’s success last season and would be a huge loss for the Cityzens.
However, they have a rich history of excelling even without their best players, and it should be no different if Silva decides his future lies away from the Etihad.
The 3-2-2-3 set-up
Guardiola is famous for tinkering with his tactical set-up, and last season was no different, with the Spanish genius switching from his more familiar 4-3-3 set-up to an unorthodox yet hugely successful 3-2-2-3 structure.
The sudden switch took the division and entire Europe by storm and worked a treat, helping the Cityzens win the FA Cup for the first time since 2019, retain their Premier League crown for the third consecutive year and deliver the elusive Champions League title.
Guardiola is highly unpredictable when it comes to tactical set-ups. He likes to tweak his formation over time, leaving many people to wonder if his new invention is sustainable in the long term or if a new system is in the works for next season.
Man City’s summer business on the transfer market suggests Guardiola has no plans to change his new-found winning formula. But there is also a chance other managers in the division will adapt and find loopholes in the structure.
Full-back options
Guardiola’s new system does not require full-backs to function, but the importance of having the option in case of a much-needed tactical switch cannot be understated.
Joao Cancelo has returned from a successful loan spell with Bayern Munich, where he helped Die Rekordmeister shrug off the challenge from Borussia Dortmund to retain their Bundesliga crown.
However, after falling out with Guardiola before joining Bayern, it has been made clear that he is no longer in the manager’s long-term plans and is attracting interest from Arsenal, who have become regular customers in Manchester.
Kyle Walker also has just one year left on his contract. Man City are trying to tie him to a new deal, but Bayern are eager to poach the experienced right back at the behest of Thomas Tuchel.
The Cityzens will be wise to reinforce that area of the squad heading into the new season to avoid being stranded when a switch is required.
Maintaining a winning mentality
Man City have enjoyed enormous success since Guardiola arrived at the Etihad, and the Spanish manager deserves plaudits for getting his side to shrug off complacency and compete for trophies every season despite the success of the previous years.
Winning back-to-back Premier League titles is an astonishing achievement in itself. But Guardiola has encouraged, energised, and inspired his side to remain hungry for even more trophies, and they topped off their recent success with a treble last term.
Maintaining a winning mentality can be complicated, but the Cityzens have done well to establish dominance in the Premier League and across Europe.
Guardiola now needs to get his side buzzing again and hungry for more success as they look to defend their titles in the coming season and further consolidate their status as a European powerhouse.
