One thing that Man City will have to accept is that Pep Guardiola will not be at the club forever, that is just a fact.
The club’s hopes of emulating the dynasty that their rivals Man United had with Sir Alex Ferguson is an approach that just does not exist in modern football, particularly with a manager like Guardiola, who seems hungry for new challenges. Whether the Spaniard remains for one, two or even five more season, he will go eventually.
Consequently, the club will inevitably slump, it is undeniable. It happened at Man United, it has happened at Chelsea. What is worse that there may not be another manager in world football worthy of replacing the former Barcelona boss. Whilst it is contentious debate, many have Guardiola as the best manager in the world currently, and given the success he had win Man City last season, it is hard to argue with that.
Perhaps Guardiola will stay until he wins the Champions League with the Cityzens, as after all, once he has one that coveted prize, there’s little else for him to conquer in England.
What will trouble more City fans perhaps is that the exit of Guardiola may coincide with the decline and departure of players that have cemented themselves as legends in blue. David Silva is 32, so is Vincent Kompany, and Sergio Agüero is now 30. Many will say that those three have been City’s greatest players during the modern period, but it is unclear how long any of them have left.
What City have done very wisely is build a squad that can survive and carry on once the two time Champions League winning manager leaves. Aymeric Laporte and John Stone will replace Kompany, Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva will replace David Silva, and Gabriel Jesus will replace Agüero. They have more than one player to carry the mantle for these legends.
What’s better for Man City is that the likes of Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sané are still young; they will only go from strength to strength. With the addition of a raft of other young stars such as Phil Foden, City are well and truly prepared for the future.
This is what truly differentiates Man City from Man United. The Red Devils just did not have enough young talent coming through to maintain the legacy created by Ferguson and have floundered and panicked ever since. City learned from their rivals and are prepared for life after Pep and their legends.
About the Author
