If any City fans have been questioning exactly what Txiki Begiristain has been doing to justify his role as director of football, now you have your answer.
As the club were keen to emphasise in yesterday’s statement their pursuit of Pep Guardiola has been four years in the making and when Begiristain was being interviewed for the job in 2012 you can imagine the answer to the question, ‘what do you think you can bring to this job?’, was simply: Pep Guardiola.
Because for all the questionable activity in the transfer market, lack of synergy between first team and the academy, short of signing Lionel Messi, Begiristain has got City the man every other club on the planet – even Real Madrid – would want. It’s been the trump card he’s had tucked in his back pocket throughout Eliaquim Mangala, Stevan Jovetic and Fernando.
And although it’s behind schedule, Guardiola’s appointment for next season looks to be a stroke of genius because – Arsenal aside (although just how much longer will Arsene Wenger be in charge?) – the rest of City’s likely title rivals are in flux, and the field is wide open to establish the sort of dominance he’s enjoyed at Barca and Bayern.
The disconnect at United between corporate and football ambitions has led to £250m being spent with little return. Louis van Gaal almost certainly won’t be their manager next season and we are no closer to learning of his successor beyond the very real fact it could be Ryan Giggs. Or will this now force them to quash any deeply-held principles and do a deal to make Jose Mourinho a Red Devil?
Chelsea are running out of managers to appoint and assuming Diego Simeone will turn them down, Manuel Pellegrini is the likely next man in the dugout but inherits a squad in need of significant surgery and with their best player, in Eden Hazard, potentially leaving.
Jurgen Klopp should eventually get there with Liverpool, but another season without Champions League football will damage their chances of making significant acquisitions this summer. Tottenham are a genuine emerging force but the growing belief is they are still one or two years off and can Mauricio Pochettino keep Harry Kane at White Hart Lane?
That’s not to say City’s squad doesn’t need renovation; particularly in defence, moving Yaya Toure on (it’s painful just imagining him in Guardiola’s pressing game) and filling that midfield void plus at least one forward to lighten the load of Sergio Aguero, irrespective of Kelechi Iheanacho’s expected development curve.
When you add City’s financial strength with a coach pretty much every player on the planet wants to play for, it’s an intoxicating combination
But then Guardiola won’t be taking this job without knowing there’s a huge pot of gold for him to play with. When you add that financial strength with a coach pretty much every player on the planet wants to play for, it’s an intoxicating combination.
As well as the arrival of quality personnel and Guardiola possessing one of the sharpest tactical minds in the game, what will also be the key is a shift in attitude.
City have been drifting post-Roberto Mancini. Pellegrini has done an admirable job, but was always a short-term fix and his influence beyond the training ground and matchday has been minimal.
They now have a leader who is all-encompassing. Guardiola is an exhaustive micromanager, he will influence every detail at the club in order to make it more competitive, from academy to first-team level.
The rest of the Premier League must be very concerned right now.
