The Pep Guardiola era has begun at the Etihad.
Christmas came early for Manchester City management. After years of trying City finally got the man that they had coveted for years: Pep Guardiola. The former FC Barcelona and Bayern Munich signed with City in the offseason and has immediately made changes to the roster.
What was interesting about City’s offseason additions was that they were so un-Citylike. A club that had spent the better part of the decade signing every flashy in their prime player, City spent this season signing diamonds in the rough and younger players with high upside. John Stones will certainly sell some jerseys and get the pundits talking. But making moves for Nolito and Leroy Sane represent a bit of a change in philosophy.
So can Pepe’s kids deliver in the first season? That is the hope of City supporters. Looking at the landscape of the Premier League the title is certainly ripe for the taking. Of course the fear is that their structural problems cannot be solved in one season and that for real change to occur in Manchester another year of building is what is necessary.
With that in mind let’s look at the three hopes and one fear of Manchester City!
Next: Hope #1: That Sergio Aguero can stay healthy.