Guardiola’s Manchester City v2.0

Nothing remains the same. Manchester City’s domestic treble winners have demonstrated this season that the squad is in need of an overhaul.

Pep Guardiola spent over 12 months crafting his first great Manchester City team who delivered back to back Premier League titles, 3 domestic cups and even retained the Community Shield.

However, we have reached the point where a series of issues have afflicted that side – ageing core of players, injury and a lack of intensity – and consequently to retain our position as the best side in England, we need to refresh the playing squad.

This is not a unique problem. All great sides in the past have reached a crossroads, and the best managers have not been frightened to wield change in the dressing room.

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Ferguson had a knack of moving on players when they had reached peak potential. In that regard he took no prisoners, not frightened to sell his best players – Ronaldo, Beckham, Staam, Van Nistelrooy etc.

Guardiola is now at the point where a squad refresh is required and he also should take no prisoners when considering his options. No player should be safe, as we will need to sell to bolster our transfer kitty.

If Guardiola truly is to stay and oversee a version 2.0 of his team, then all options should be available. Sentiment should not play a part in the deliberations.

We already know that this Summer a number of players are out of contract. Bravo, Fernandinho, Silva to name but 3. We know that Sane is looking to join Bayern Munich and frankly we should cash in.

Guardiola needs to think what his team of the future should be built around and the only question to ask is whether the existing players fit this plan. If not, then they should be sold, regardless of if they are called Aguero, Sterling or even De Bruyne.

Adding new players, hungry for success, is the key to our future. Recruitment needs to deliver the identified players, regardless of price.

Critical to our plans needs to be a combination of marauding full backs and solid centre backs who crucially consistently make the right decisions. Midfield needs pace and crunch alongside technical ability. Up front we need a striker capable of taking every chance, not 1 in 10.

In my view this overhaul needs at least 5 first team players. I would suggest these should be a left back, centre back, centre midfield, attacking midfield and striker.

If other players such as Cancelo or Bernardo opt to leave then like for like additional recruitment should be pursued, so we do not go into another season light in key positions.

This season is an opportunity to make the decisions about the playing squad and moving on those who are surplus to requirements. The spending in 2020 should vastly eclipse the amounts we have spent before.

At the CFA there is a complex and expensive worldwide scouting network. It is time for them to earn their money.