Three defeats in a row for the first time since April 2018 has got everybody asking: “What’s wrong at Manchester City?”
Is the squad too comfortable? Are some of the players too old? Has Pep Guardiola has enough? Why are there so many injuries?
Having spent many years talking to members of the squad in post-match interviews, there are some real born winners in that camp. Ruben Dias, Kevin de Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, John Stones and Kyle Walker come to mind as those that not only show passion on the pitch, but how they talk generates belief. They do not settle and want to keep the trophy haul coming.
So, in terms of being comfortable, I would say no. Although Guardiola, after Tuesday’s defeat in Lisbon, did raise the issue of “those who want to come with me, will”.
Too old? Possibly. Not many, but clearly De Bruyne’s body has suffered over the past two seasons and his game time has diminished. Walker looked short of pace against Antoine Semenyo in Saturday’s loss to Bournemouth. That said, he had only trained for six minutes before that game according to Guardiola.
The manager seemed very resilient on Tuesday; quotes along the lines of wanting to fight, wanting the challenge. November is the month when, for the past two times, we have heard news of his contract extension. Maybe the question of whether he has had enough comes soon.
The fight will be interesting to see. City’s weaknesses have been exposed in the past couple of games. With Bournemouth, it was all about pressing and keeping City in their own half. With Sporting it was all about the counter attack. Can Guardiola find a solution to these concerns?
Recently both Walker and Silva have told me injuries are not an excuse. The thing is, they are. Yes, City have a wealth of talent. But any squad would miss Walker, Stones, Dias, Nathan Ake, De Bruyne, Rodri, Jack Grealish and Jeremy Doku. It’s three-quarters of a full team. Some of those are returning but that is the extent it was at one point.
Even so, they are not fully fit. Walker has not had a full training session since the last international break. Ake is playing through a foot issue. The academy players have stepped up brilliantly, but experienced quality players just provide that extra edge.
I think the injuries are a big reason behind City’s recent dip in form and after the international break it would be hoped many of those absentees can kick on.
Crisis? Far from it. But it is a little unsettling to see.
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