Same manager, same tactics, better players - Guardiola lays out Man City blueprint
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says the club's pre-season billing as Premier League favourites means nothing.
Pep Guardiola will resist a tactical shift at Manchester City this season, having backed his raft of big-money singings to fit last season's often stuttering gameplan.
City finished 15 points off the pace of Premier League champions Chelsea as Guardiola presided over the first trophyless campaign of his career.
To remedy that, the Catalan has overseen a £200million turnaround of City's squad, with Ederson, Kyle Walker, Danilo and Benjamin Mendy revolutionising City's ageing back line.
With Bernardo Silva added to the powerhouse attacking line-up available to Guardiola, the boss believes he is in a better place to execute his tactical plans in 2017-18, starting with Saturday's trip to newly promoted Brighton and Hove Albion.
"I think if you see the team last season and this season, the four [pre-season] games we played, the fundamentals are the same," he said
"If we do something good this season it's because we were together last season, and we know better, and I know better, and they know me better, and that's why it's easy.
"I would like in three or four passes to score a goal, but sometimes it's not possible and you have to move them [the opposition] a little bit more, and because our strikers are not Peter Crouch, our strikers are completely different, they are not strong in the air."
He added: "But we prefer to be aggressive without the ball, it's the same as last season. We try to attack more fluently, and more times maybe this season, but it's a process to do that and sometimes you need a little bit more time.
"If you see in the first games [last season] against Sunderland and especially against Steaua Bucharest, between last season and now, it's completely the same. It's completely the same, because it's the same manager. The difference is the quality of the players."
Guardiola struck a satisfied tone when discussing his raft of fresh full-backs and their ability to have a transformative effect on City's play this season
"I have a lot of respect for the players I had," he explained.
"I never complained for one bad game or bad defeat, making excuses, never, even in Germany I never said that, never in my life I make an excuse about what happened.
"Of course now the full-backs are younger, they have energy in their legs and we are going to use them. Kyle is so energetic, Mendy is such an energetic player, and Danilo too."
Having favoured a 3-4-3 system for much of pre-season, Guardiola confirmed he will alternate between three-man and four-man defences.
He added: "We played four games, one with four at the back and the last three with three at the back. We played 3-4-3 with a diamond, it's such a demanding system, so attacking, but so demanding defensively, and we did it quite well, yet for me it doesn't matter as it's pre-season.
"We are going to play both systems. I'm not going to say we are going to play all the season in that system, we are going to play different systems, but the fundamentals will be the same. I’m not going to change the way I want to play."
Manchester City may have beaten Newcastle to the signing of Olarenwaju Kayode
According to Own Goal Nigeria, Manchester City have hijacked Newcastle United's bid to sign Austria Vienna striker Olarenwaju Kayode - but intend to send him straight out on loan to Girona.
Kayode, 24, endured something of a nomadic career having been on the books with the likes of ASEC Mimosas, AFAD Djekanou, Luzern, Heartland and Maccabi Netanya, but he has enjoyed his big break in Austria.
The Nigerian forward hit 24 goals in all competitions for Austria Vienna last season, whilst also notching seven assists, building on a strong first campaign, which saw him notch 13 goals and 11 assists for the club.
Unsurprisingly, Kayode has attracted interest on the back of his exploits with Austria Vienna, and Score Nigeria reported on Friday that Newcastle United were the favourites to seal a deal for the forward as Rafael Benitez pursues attacking reinforcements.
However, Own Goal Nigeria now report that Manchester City have swooped in and hijacked the deal, claiming that manager Pep Guardiola called the player to convince him to join City instead, with the player allegedly completing a medical at the Etihad Stadium.
The move would allegedly see Kayode go straight out on loan to Girona, where he would join fellow City-owned players Pablo Maffeo, Aleix Garcia, Douglas Luiz and Marlos Moreno with the newly-promoted La Liga side.
A speedy forward who can play up front or out wide, Kayode could have been a surprise solution to Newcastle's striking shortage, but he now appears to be heading to City if reports in Nigeria are to be believed.
Whilst Kayode does have potential, he is now 24, and wouldn't be expected to challenge with the likes of Sergio Aguero or Gabriel Jesus any time soon, but may be more similar to Aaron Mooy, who joined City last summer but was sold after a year without even playing a game for City having impressed out on loan - and missing out on another target could exacerbate the frustration of Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez.
Pep Guardiola hands Mangala chance to rebuild his Manchester City career
Eliaquim Mangala could earn a surprise reprieve at Manchester City after the defender returned to training with Pep Guardiola’s squad, though Samir Nasri, Wilfried Bony and Jason Denayer are all set to leave as they are not involved with the main group.
Mangala was bought for £42m from Porto in 2014 but uneven form caused him to lose his starting place. The 26-year-old spent last season on loan at Valencia.
While City are still open to offers for him, Guardiola is involving Mangala with the first-team squad and the France defender could yet stay at the club. City lack depth at centre-back where Vincent Kompany, John Stones and Nicolás Otamendi are the only senior options.
If Mangala did remain at City it would be a significant turnaround in his fortunes given he has not featured since a 1-1 draw at Swansea City in May 2016. Nasri, Bony and Denayer all appear to have played their final games for City, though. The trio are not part of Guardiola’s plans and, it is understood, are training away from the squad.
City finished third last season, managing 12 clean sheets, five behind the division’s best of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. Guardiola has moved to improve the defence over the summer by signing the full-backs Kyle Walker, Benjamin Mendy and Danilo. Yet he also pointed to problems in attack.
“Yes, of course we’ll try [to defend better],” he said. “But the season that just happened wasn’t just about what happened in our box. We just made it [a strike-rate of] 60-70% for chances we created and that’s poor. We’ve tried to buy good defenders but also creative players and strikers to score more goals.”
Guardiola failed to claim any silverware for City, the first trophyless season of his managerial career. The head coach has to ensure his side are serious title contenders this season or it could be his last.
Yet he said: “It’s the same pressure as I had last season. We are here to win the games and titles. The big fail now takes one week in football. The second week the people want a new [manager] for the next games. I’m honest in my job. I will do my best like I did last season. If the club decides he is not able, we are going to take a solution. I feel the same pressure as at Barcelona when I arrived. People say in first press conference we are favourites. We have to deal with that and handle that. We are going to see at the end of the season what happens knowing how difficult it is.”
Guardiola will not change his style. He said: “If you see the team last season and this season, the four [pre-season] games we played, the fundamentals are the same. But we cannot forget that when we do something better than last season it’s because we’ve been one year together. If we do something good this season it’s because we were together last season, and we know better, and I know better, and they know me better, and that’s why it’s easy. I would like in three or four passes to score a goal, but sometimes it’s not possible and you have to move them [the opposition] a little bit more, and because our strikers are not Peter Crouch, our strikers are completely different, they are not strong in the air.”
OTHER BOLLOX
Barcelona are turning their attention to Tottenham and Denmark attacking midfielder Christian Eriksen, 25, because of Liverpool's refusal to sell 25-year-old playmaker Philippe Coutinho. (Independent)
Liverpool priced Brazil international Coutinho at 150m euros (£136.5m) during negotiations this week. (Daily Record)
Borussia Dortmund and France forward Ousmane Dembele remains Barcelona's top target, with the Spanish side set to return with an improved 140m euro (£127m) bid for the 20-year-old. (AS)
If Barcelona fail to sign Dembele or Coutinho, they could pursue 28-year-old Inter Milan and Croatia winger Ivan Perisic, who is a long-term target for Manchester United. (Sport Italia via Football Italia)
Paris St-Germain midfielder Angel di Maria, 29, has emerged as a surprise target for Barcelona as they seek to replace Neymar following his move to the French club. (Sport)
PSG have offered 18-year-old forward Kylian Mbappe an annual salary of 18m euros (£16.4m) over five years to convince him to leave Monaco. (L'Equipe - in French)
Mbappe is keen on a move to PSG but no deal has been reached and the transfer may not happen this summer. (ESPN)
Real Madrid have ended their interest in Mbappe and could turn to Chelsea and Belgium attacking midfielder Eden Hazard, 26. (Don Balon via Daily Star)
Chelsea have yet to return with an improved bid for Leicester midfielder Danny Drinkwater, 27, after the Foxes rejected a £15m offer earlier this summer. (Telegraph)
Midfielder Jack Colback, 27, is set to leave Newcastle after a training ground row with boss Rafael Benitez. (Daily Mail)
Tottenham are in talks to sign Ajax centre-back Davinson Sanchez, 21, for £35m. (Mirror)
Arsenal have offered Chile forward Alexis Sanchez, 28, a new contract worth £300,000 per week, to make him the Premier League's highest-paid player. (Daily Wail)
Juventus are prepared to offer £23m to try to persuade Liverpool to sell German midfielder Emre Can. (Gazzetta dello Sport via Daily Mirror)
West Ham have made a club record bid of 30m euros (£27.1m) for 25-year-old Sporting Lisbon and Portugal midfielder William Carvalho. (Daily Telegraph)
Barcelona cannot afford to buy Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho if they sign France forward Ousmane Dembele from Borussia Dortmund, according to Spanish football journalist Graham Hunter. (BBC Radio 5 live)
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is battling a pay crisis following England left-back Danny Rose's criticism of the club's ambition. (Daily Mirror)
Rose got a "heroes' welcome" from the Spurs dressing room, with team-mates threatening to speak out. (Sun)
Real Madrid and Spain midfielder Isco, 25, now has a release clause of 700m euros (£637m) after signing a four-year deal with the option of a further season. (AS)
Burnley will submit a £15m bid to sign Leeds and New Zealand striker Chris Wood, 25, to replace Andre Gray, who left for Watford this week. (Sun)
Leeds have rejected a £12m offer - believed to be from Burnley - for Wood. (Yorkshire Evening Post)
Leeds have lined up Hamburg striker Pierre-Michel Lasogga, 25, as a possible replacement for Wood. (Bild - in German)
Real Madrid have ended their interest in Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, 25, and Manchester United counterpart David de Gea, 26. (Don Balon via Express)
Swansea will offer £20m for former midfielder Joe Allen, 27, despite Stoke saying the Wales international is not for sale. (Mirror)
Newcastle owner Mike Ashley says he cannot compete financially with the top Premier League clubs so cannot give manager Rafael Benitez enough money to spend in the transfer window. (Sky Sports)
French side Nantes, managed by former Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri, want to take 19-year-old Arsenal midfielder Jeff Reine-Adelaide on loan. (L'Equipe - in French)
Roma director of football Monchi says the Italian club will not increase their £32m offer for Leicester winger Riyad Mahrez. (Sun)
Tottenham have made an approach for 20-year-old Celta Vigo midfielder Pape Cheikh Diop, but face competition from French side Lyon. (Daily Mail)
West Ham have reached a verbal agreement with Sporting Lisbon and Portugal midfielder William Carvalho, 25, over a proposed move. (Diario de Noticias via Talksport)
West Brom boss Tony Pulis believes the club will soon have five new signings to add to their squad. (Times - subscription required)
Manchester United are close to completing the signing of 19-year-old Oliveirense striker Bruno Amorim, according to the Portuguese club's director Antonio Jose Leite. (Noticias ao Minuto via Daily Express)
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OTHER BOLLOX
Star Trek and X-Men actor Sir Patrick Stewart says he turns up to filming in his Huddersfield shirt when the club are playing and also gets sent a recording of the side's matches by the Premier League newcomers. (Times - subscription required)
WWE wrestler Triple H has sent West Ham an inspirational video message before their Premier League opener against Manchester United. (Twitter)
Paris St-Germain defender Thomas Meunier has posted a photo of himself with fellow right-back Serge Aurier - who is reportedly set to leave the French club - with the caption 'se queda' ('he stays') in a parody of Gerard Pique's photo with Neymar before the latter left Barcelona for PSG. (Twitter)
Meunier himself is pushing for a move to Real Madrid as he does not want to be second choice to Dani Alves. (AS)
Likely competition from Amazon could force Sky to pay an extra £600m each year to retain the rights to the majority of Premier League matches. (Guardian)
Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho handed his Super Cup runners-up medal to a young fan from Bristol after the 2-1 defeat by Real Madrid. (Bristol Post)
Everton have been one of the big-spending sides in the Premier League this summer but manager Ronald Koeman says his side are not yet on the same level as the top-flight's top six. (Daily Telegraph)
WAG OF THE DAY
GOLDEN B*LL*X 12 Aug 2010
New Fulham boss Mark Hughes wants Manchester City striker Roque Santa Cruz to spearhead his attack. The 28-year-old player fears he could miss out on Roberto Mancini's 25-man squad and would be keen to link up with the manager who originally brought him to England from Bayern Munich three years ago. Daily Wail
Liverpool will have to cough up £20m for Carlton Cole. West Ham are willing to sell but they want a top price as they would have little time before the new season kicks off to sign a replacement striker. the Sun
Chelsea have beaten off Manchester United to land highly rated Burkina Faso prospect Bertrand Traore. The midfielder, who is only 14, shone at the Under-17 World Cup last year - where he became the youngest player to appear in the finals. the Sun
Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson is considering making a £14m offer for two Aston Villa players, with England defender Stephen Warnock, 28, and Bulgaria midfielder Stiliyan Petrov, 31, his targets. caughtoffside.com
Aston Villa are preparing to bring Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia to Villa Park as part of a triangle of moves, with Fulham keeper Mark Schwarzer joining Arsenal and Villa's Brad Friedel moving to Craven Cottage. Daily Mirror
Tottenham are looking to offload striker Peter Crouch. The England player was offered to West Ham as part of an unsuccessful proposed swap deal for Scott Parker but Liverpool and Everton could be interested. Daily Mirror
Meanwhile, Harry Redknapp has been to watch France striker Loic Remy and Nice's £13m-rated man is now the Tottenham manager's number one target. Daily Mirror
Everton sent scouts to watch Remy make his France debut against Norway on Wednesday but the Merseyside club were not alone, with Aston Villa, Sunderland and Chelsea and Spurs all represented in the stands. Daily Mail
Manchester United are interested in signing £9m-rated Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku, 17, from Anderlecht. caughtoffide.com
Germany coach Joachim Loew has urged his World Cup star Mesut Ozil to reject Manchester United in favour of Spanish giants Barcelona. "You have to remember that playing for Barcelona is very special for a footballer," said Loew. Daily Star
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