Following Manchester City’s 2-all draw with Crystal Palace last Saturday, it appeared to me that Manchester City had misread the situation in regards to the size of the squad required to prosper this season. Following their 2-nil defeat to Juventus in a crucial UEFA Champions League league phase fixture you do get the sense that the world champions are now paying the price for standing still in the transfer market last summer. The more you watch Pep Guardiola’s side struggle the more that becomes apparent.
The seeds for what we have seen Manchester City struggle against this season were planted in last season’s FA Cup final. Manchester United sat back and looked to hit Pep Guardiola’s side on the break during their 2-1 win over City at Wembley. It was a tactic that worked on the day. Manchester City couldn’t deal with the threat United posed on the counter at Wembley. It is now something that has morphed into the world champions Achilles heel. Juventus followed a similar template last night at the Allianz Stadium. Other teams have done similar throughout this season. Manchester City needed energy and fresh legs last summer to help address this flaw. Instead they didn’t bring in anyone to help counter this team’s one weakness.
READ MORE: Pep Guardiola’s side went back to basics last night against Juventus but it still wasn’t enough.
The problem, as I see it, is the signs were there at the end of last season of what could’ve been coming. Players such as Kyle Walker looked to be slipping. In the case of Walker, he has been a warrior for Manchester City. But his decline as a player this season isn’t a surprise as the signs were there last season that it had begun. Bernardo Silva keeps playing every three days. Yes, City’s injury situation is forcing Guardiola’s hand, but Bernardo can’t keep going back to the well like he used to. He’s getting older and suffering under a heavy workload. You can say the same about a host of other players currently.
Yes, the elephant in the room is Manchester City’s injury situation. They have been ravaged by injury over the past two months. But to say that is the sole cause of City’s issues and when players return that will solve them all is too simplistic. That point of view overlooks the fact that Manchester City stood still last summer. By standing still they invited the possibility of this issue occuring. Once Rodri and Oscar Bobb went down with long-term injuries what we see now was always a possibility. It’s striking to contemplate that the City hierarchy didn’t consider the possibility that this could happen.
The blame for Manchester City’s current woes can’t just fall on Txiki Begiristain. Yes, he’s City’s director of football, but he isn’t alone in this issue. Pep Guardiola’s desire to work with a smaller squad hasn’t helped. The fact he refuses to rotate his team isn’t helping. But if he doesn’t trust the academy kids to aid his team’s cause you have to wonder why they stood still last summer. They are now paying a heavy price for one major mistake during last summer’s transfer window.
Summary
The facts are Manchester City stood till last summer when the time was right to strengthen their squad. Now, they are suffering from their own stubbornness and short-sightedness. That is a harsh call. But that’s just how it appears as City have only won one game of their past 10. The January transfer window opens next month and it appears that City will be playing catch up to make moves they should’ve made last summer. That’s the reality of the situation Pep Guardiola’s side currently face. It was an inescapable conclusion to draw following their defeat to Juventus last night.
