5 things we can expect when Pep Guardiola takes over at Manchester City

Pep Guardiola takes over at Manchester City next seasonPep Guardiola’s move to Manchester City has been one of the worst-kept secrets this season. While he was also linked to derby rivals Manchester United, a majority of the reports strongly linked him to the Etihad and City have now confirmed he will take over from Manuel Pellegrini at the end of the season.The Spanish manager is no stranger to winning, of course. He has won at least one trophy in every full season he has managed at Barcelona and Bayern Munich. 14 trophies at the Camp Nou and five so far with Bayern, well on course for another Bundesliga title at the very least, City obviously did not need to even browse through his resume.So what can we expect come the 2016/17 season and thereafter?

#1 Shift in balance of power in the EPL

World class talent now gets a world class coach

While Manchester City have already won two Premier League titles in recent years, they have also proved to be inconsistent. Having spent millions and millions of pounds on transfers to bring in the best players the world has to offer, City were expected to bring in trophies by the dozen.

But that is not exactly what has transpired under both Roberto Mancini and Manuel Pellegrini. Although the big money signings started arriving in 2008, it was only after the appointment of Mancini that City started winning when it mattered. He, too, took some time to get going, initially building the side from the back when results were more important than wins. Pellegrini inherited a core that still had title-winning credentials and built his team around it.

In spite of winning the league twice, the very next season they went trophyless – twice (let’s not count the Community Shied, shall we?). Two trophyless seasons must be considered failures considering the talents at their disposal.

The so-called ‘noisy neighbours’ are now in the driver’s seat this season; they are in all four competitions at the moment – masters of their own fate. Once Guardiola arrives, City will only get stronger with him in the dugout and training ground.

United may have tried to sign him as did Chelsea but were knocked back with Guardiola already having made his decision. Roman Abramovich was even building a squad tailor-made for Guardiola before Jose Mourinho arrived for his second stint.

Pep Guardiola has always got the better of Arsene Wenger in the Champions League over two legs

Chelsea’s future is uncertain until a new manager is named. Louis van Gaal is suffering the fans’ wrath at Old Trafford, Chelsea’s future still remains unclear, Liverpool have a long rebuilding phase ahead of them under Jurgen Klopp while Arsenal may have already started looking out for Arsene Wenger’s replacement soon considering his age and that his current contract runs out in 2017.

All these sides or managers have been Guardiola’s victims over the years – be it in the league or across two legs in the Champions League against Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

In that respect, City look well-placed for the next three years. The only solace for the rivals, for now, is Guardiola’s relatively poor record in England in away games.

#2 Manchester City\'s academy will benefit

The City Football Academy is already one of England’s finest

“The buzz in Manchester is that it is City now who have the better academy programme.” Those were the words of Paul Scholes last year – a United legend praising their biggest rivals.

Manchester City’s academy is slowly but surely making its mark in England. The club’s owners have pumped money into the infrastructure and coaching at the academy and the results are there for all to see.

The academy has provided more players for teams between the U-16 and U-21 levels than their counterparts at Arsenal, Liverpool and United. In fact, last year, only Chelsea had provided more players for England. City’s younger teams are free-scoring sides who have dominated their rivals, enough for clubs to hold emergency meetings and discuss the ramifications.

Man City spent big to build their academy and bring in some of the best young talents in England

So imagine how much they can improve when Guardiola brings his expertise to England’s shores. Remember he coached the Barcelona reserves for a season, gaining promotion before he was asked to take Frank Rijkaard’s place as the senior team coach.

The infrastructure is already in place at City. It only needs a captain to steer the ship.

Guardiola’s philosophy of possession, playing out from the back, ball movement and a high line of defence is known to all, but inculcating them in players is not so easy. He will pass down his knowledge on strategic training regimes which were responsible for blooding youth players into senior players who understood his requirements.

Just ask Sergio Busquets and Pedro.

#3 Player departures

Will Yaya Toure stay at City when Guardiola arrives?

While City fans may be celebrating Guardiola’s impending arrival, some of the club’s players may not exactly be looking forward to being coached by the Spaniard. One such player is Yaya Toure.

The Ivory Coast midfielder’s agent Dimitri Seluk had vociferously opposed Guardiola’s appointment and publicly ridiculed him. “The truth is that my grandfather would win the title with Barcelona and Bayern Munich because they are big clubs with great players,” he had said last month.

“I'd like to see Pep take a club that is eighth or ninth and make them champions.”

His only fear is that Toure will not be in Guardiola’s plans yet again. Toure was a midfield force at Barcelona before Guardiola favoured Busquets in the central midfield role. The Ivorian was allowed to leave and Manchester City, needing quality players at the time, signed him up in a heartbeat.

But Toure will be 33 in May and his industry on the pitch is visibly on the wane. That 2013/14 season when he scored 24 goals is nothing but a fleeting memory now.

Jesus Navas’s aimless runs and crosses will not appeal to Guardiola’s template

Other players who do not fit into Guardiola’s tactics or those who simply fail to adapt to his philosophy will also be allowed to leave. As a manager, although he asks his players to put his plans into practice, he also requires them to have the intelligence to work as a unit rather than rely on individual ability alone.

Toure may be the first to go, more so for personal reasons. But he definitely won’t be the last. While youngsters such as Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne will be retained considering the investments made and the immense potential they have, it is hard to see players such as Samir Nasri, Fernando and Jesus Navas continuing to ply their trade at the Etihad.

#4 Player arrivals

Could Manchester City coax Thiago Alcantara to join Pep Guardiola?

At the same time, it will also be exciting to watch who Guardiola brings to Manchester City. Why wouldn’t they want to play at the Etihad?

Loads of money to spend on transfers and wages? Check. A club that are on the rise and well within their rights to win trophies? Check. A world class manager players would die for? Check!

So the question to be asked is who will Guardiola sign rather than whether he will recruit players. The summer transfer window gives him the opportune time to rebuild the squad in his image. With players getting sold or contracts ending, we can certainly expect a lot of transfer activity in Manchester this summer.

While Guardiola will take some time to adapt to the Premier League just as his squad adapts to Guardiola’s principles, the ideal way forward would be to bring in players who are already well-versed with his methods. So it would not be wrong to suggest players from Barcelona and Bayern Munich will have a huge bulls-eye painted on their backs.

Could Robert Lewandowski be a Manchester City target?

Robert Lewandowski’s future is already a topic for discussion and he is an upgrade on Wilfried Bony three times over. Thiago Alcantara followed Guardiola to Germany and it would be safe to say that he would love to continue playing under him.

That move would be a punch in the gut for United who tried so hard to bring him to Old Trafford before his move to Munich and a world class reinforcement in a midfield currently devoid of much creativity, save for David Silva.

And, dare we say it, with each Premier League club’s finances set to get a massive boost next season thanks to the new TV deal coupled with improved commercial income, City could be the club to finally answer one age-old question.

Can Lionel Messi do it on a cold, wet, Wednesday night in Stoke?

#5 Improved performances in the Champions League

Can Manchester City avoid regular Round of 16 exits after Guardiola arrives?

Although Manchester City have stamped their authority in England, the same is not the case in Europe. After finally qualifying for the UEFA Champions League in the Sheikh Mansour era, the Sky Blues have found the going increasingly tough in a competition that has seen their English rivals fare far better.

Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool have all won the title once in the last decade. Arsenal have reached one final while regularly qualifying for the knockout stages on a shoe-string budget. City, on the other hand, have been unable to tame continental sides, sometimes even in their own backyard.

Even when they did in the previous two seasons, they have finished second in the group, thereby drawing one of Europe’s top dogs in the Round of 16. And the last two years, they were knocked out by the same team – Guardiola’s former club, Barcelona.

They may yet qualify for the quarter-finals this season after drawing Dynamo Kiev. But with the Spaniard taking over from Pellegrini, his archaic tactics that work only in England will be replaced by something more dynamic and suited to tackle European opposition.

The formation could change while the approach to games will vastly differ. Defensive solidity is always a key in Europe and Guardiola will be keen to impress that upon his charges. While they may not win it in his very first season, they could certainly come close to the ultimate prize during his reign at the Etihad.