Manchester City: 2017/18 Preview

Predicted finish: 1^st

The Citizens finished 3^rd last season to secure a Champions League place again for the coming season, staving off pressure from Liverpool and Arsenal, but well short of Tottenham and Chelsea. On top of which City failed to cop any silverware last season. This season will be manager Pep Guardiola’s second year in charge; for a reputed manager like himself, for all the money spent, and for the lofty ambitions of the club and fans, this season needs to be a better one.

The bookies have City as favourites for the title and for good reason. The transfer window has been good to City thus far with about 3 weeks left by the time their season kicks off this Saturday (August 12). The key area that needed addressing was the defence particularly at wing-back. They may have had to pay through the nose but it’s not as if they can’t afford it; and in the end, they got the players they needed. Kyle Walker (£45m), Danilo (£26.5m) and Benjamin Mendy (£52m) replace the outgoing Pablo Zabaleta, Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy who left on free transfers, as well as Aleksandar Kolarov, who joined AS Roma for £5 million. Mendy was part of the impressive young AS Monaco side that won Ligue 1 last season. Joining him from Monaco at his new team is midfielder Bernardo Silva for £43 million. Silva adds to an already fully stocked attack that is filled with quick, penetrative runners and excellent passers and creators; Silva is both and still young so he should fit in well. City also brought in Ederson £34.7m – a world record fee for a goalkeeper to replace the folly that was Claudio Bravo; the Chilean shot-stopper didn’t quite pan out and the hope is the young Brazilian will in his place.

Last season Pep inherited a team with players who don’t fit his system of play. At best, some players were stopgaps or the best out of a bad lot. Instead of adjusting his system at least for the time being to suit his current players, he stubbornly held on to his philosophy. This dogmatic approach meant the team played within themselves and did not achieve what they could have. Ultimately, the only thing they ‘achieved’ was a 3^rd place finish; that after fighting tooth and nail most of the season to keep cross-town rivals, Manchester United and a resurgent Liverpool team at bay. One could over-analyze Pep’s tactics last season and criticize him for his obstinate decision to put his ideals ahead of the team’s success; but that would be pointless. Last season might have been the lowest point in Pep’s career – having not won a trophy for the first time in his managerial career – but this season should go differently. This time round he got the players he wanted (he may want more) and made the team stronger for it. We can expect the Guardiola-esque playing style to reap similar results, City should be challenging for trophies and are favourites for the title this season.