In an uncertain time during this global pandemic it’s to be assumed the season will end as it’s currently standing; what that means for next year’s competitions, is unknown. There’s been a few disappointing teams that have not lived up to expectation and should undoubtedly be doing better with the squads they’ve got and the finances available.
If you look at Manchester City’s league position, it’s very difficult to use the phrase “disappointing” for a team that are second that could win their game in hand and go 7 points clear of third. Pep Guardiola’s side set a seriously high bar in the 18/19 PL campaign by recording the second highest points tally the PL has ever seen- a year after they set the highest (100 points). This year they’re currently 25 points behind Liverpool who sit top and there’s a few reasons as to why that could be.
Aymeric Laporte was a staple in the title winning side of last season and played 3056 minutes, he’s only played 504 this year due to injuries and his presence has been a clear miss in the City core. Laporte is not only a consistent centre back but he’s also a huge piece of the offensive puzzle, the lack of passing out from the back and all over the pitch has majorly halted City’s progress and Laporte in the 18/19 season was head and shoulders above any other defender in Europe for “progressive carries of the ball”, the Frenchman also completed the most passes out of any defender in the 18/19 season.
Leroy Sane in recent years has been vital to City’s title winning squads, the German winger has contributed 20 goals and 27 assists in the previous two seasons and has not played a single minute this season due to being riddled with injury. Man City scored 95 goals in last year’s heroic season which is an average of 2.5 goals a game, this year they’re not significantly worse with a 2.42 average. The problem lies in the defensive areas, they averaged 0.60 goals conceded p/ game last season but have jumped up to a 1.10 goal per game this campaign.
The way City went about their business last season you’d have thought they wouldn’t need to add to their already world class squad, but they signed Rodri from Atletico for £63,000,000 and Joao Cancelo for £58,000,000. The signing of Rodri has looked a good one especially since Fernandinho’s necessary move back into defence with the absence of Laporte but Cancelo hasn’t quite looked the full package for the price tag.
In times like these, most of the City squad and every other team will have their teams return to full fitness due to the foreseeable future being football-less but there has been some holes opened up during this season that City will need to be filling. Oleksandr Zinchenko has been a makeshift left back whilst Benjamin Mendy has been in and out of the injury room over the last couple of seasons and he’s looked capable, just not to the standard that City require.
The transfer window is somewhere along the line but it’s unclear to tell when City will be able to sign players but if you look at their squad, a consistently fit world class full back looks a necessary purchase. Achraf Hakimi is currently on loan at Dortmund from Real Madrid and has looked fantastic offensively in the Bundesliga and has 3 goals and 10 assists, primarily from full back- he’s also able to play on either side of the pitch and the wings. There’s a lot of transfer speculation surrounding the Moroccan at the moment, but City’s name hasn’t been mentioned at the time of writing, it would not be a surprise to see their name thrown into the mix.
Under Pep, City always look dangerous and it’ll be a treat to see them back in action. To be honest, it’d just be great to have football back, there is discussion of the Premier League being finished behind closed doors in the next couple of months, but we can only hope.
samyets 