Yahoo News Big-spending Guardiola simply MUST win a big prize at City next season to keep his job
With two big money signings already in the bag, Pep Guardiola has raised the stakes heading into next season and he’ll now be expected to get his hands on at least one major trophy in 2018.
The reaction to his first season at Manchester City has been mixed. On the one hand there is an acceptance that it will take time for him to implement his methods and recruit the type of players he needs to put his ideas into action on the pitch.
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The change in style is there for all to see and even in transition the team have still managed to qualify for next season’s Champions League group stages in a league battle which saw six teams vying for four spots.
But another point of view is that the lack of silverware means that the Spaniard’s debut season in the English Premier League must be deemed a failure.
The manager is himself aware of the high standards to which he’ll be judged, based both on his success at previous clubs and the success of City managers before him.
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“Managers are judged on trophies,” he said before his side’s loss to Arsenal in the FA Cup semi final in April. “I am good because I have won titles. I would not be here if my years in Barcelona and Bayern Munich were not good.
“Of course, I hoped to win titles. When I arrived in Barcelona I still remember what the people said after my first game was a defeat. They destroyed me. After that I was God – because I won titles. It was the same in Bayern Munich.
“So I am here to be judged on the success we have. So I know that when we can’t win titles I will be criticised. The expectation was so high when I arrived because of what I did in the past. I have to accept that and deal with it.”
Guardiola’s predecessor, Manuel Pellegrini, won the Premier League title and the League Cup in his first season as manager, winning another League Cup and taking the team to a Champions League semi final in his third and final season.
The Chilean’s achievements in his last campaign were considered the “bare minimum” by the club’s chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak, but Guardiola only managed half of this minimum requirement in his first term.
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Going into the 2017/18 season City have been one of the first Premier League team to splash the cash in the transfer market, bolstering their ranks with two new players with their season barely over.
Bernardo Silva arrived from Monaco last week in a £43million transfer, while the club are expected to tie up a deal for Benfica goalkeeper Ederson who could cost the club £34million.
They’re also linked with a whole host of other potential signings, including another star of Monaco’s young side, left back Benjamin Mendy, as well as Kyle Walker, Alexis Sanchez, and Leonardo Bonucci.
These players won’t come cheap and spending a large amount of money in the summer transfer window will only increase the expectations of the club and its manager.
If Guardiola gets his top Manchester City transfer targets then there’s no doubt that the aim will be to win the league title. They will also be hoping to reach their first Champions League final and maybe even lift the trophy under a manager who won it twice with Barcelona.
Trophyless
Ending a season trophyless after such spending will definitely be seen as a failure this time around, and in the second season there will be less wriggle room if it comes to having to explain a lack of silverware.
But given the resources at the club’s disposal and the promising signs shown by an attack which scored 15 goals in four games during May, they should be more than capable of challenging for top honours.
The new arrivals may take some time to settle in, but when these amounts of money are shelled out it’s reasonable to expect the bedding in period to last for only a short time.
The likes of Leroy Sané and Gabriel Jesus are becoming more comfortable in their new surroundings after what were already impressive debut campaigns and will be looking to push on in their second season at the club.
Many of these players will also be hoping to impress ahead of next summer’s World Cup, while the use of Sergio Agüero in a slightly deeper role could be a masterstroke by the manager as he looks to get a good balance from the attacking stars he has available.
Guardiola and his director of football Txiki Begiristain worked together successfully at Barcelona and it seems like the reunited duo are wasting no time in preparing the squad to challenge on all fronts next season. But merely challenging will not be enough. The City hierarchy will be expecting to see trophies held aloft and Guardiola will know he has to deliver.
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