Whoever sorts the music out at the Etihad Stadium stuck on some Bloc Party. Two More Years, a single from 2005. One of their finest.
The choice felt a bit on the nose but then Pep Guardiola‘s signed until 2027 so why not? Worth celebrating, even when queued up at half-time and Manchester City, 2-0 down, staring at an unfathomable fifth consecutive defeat. Just a little reminder of what they have at their disposal. Superficially at least – the track’s actually about fading love and closure.
That probably didn’t come into the DJ’s thinking but then you listen to it – Kele Okereke sings of how ‘this pain won’t last forever’ – and there are aspects applicable to City. No, this pain won’t last forever. If it goes on much longer then the title race will become irretrievable but long-term, amid what is beginning to feel like a fairly pointed squad rebuild, there is no better man to be leading them.
When that shuffling of the pack starts is up to the champions. There is nothing stopping them dipping into the January market if sporting director Txiki Begiristain and Guardiola believe the right player is available. And even though the problems during this worrying run of form are deeper than purely missing Rodri, a central midfielder would be top of City’s list.
Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi – the man who excelled for Spain in the European Championship final against England after replacing an injured Rodri at half time – has been mentioned, along with Ederson at Atalanta. At 25, neither are old nor raw.
Pep Guardiola is facing a dilemma over an ageing squad and could be on the verge of a fairly pointed rebuild
City are deeply missing Rodri having conceded their fifth defeat on the bounce on Saturday to Tottenham
Spain international, Martin Zubiamendi has been mentioned as one player that Man City could target
City have been fixated on somebody who can operate in the holding role but also capable of progressing forward; both of those mentioned appear capable of that. Ederson carries slightly more threat going forward, whereas Zubimendi is basically a younger Rodri.
It’s why Mateo Kovacic came in, Kalvin Phillips to a lesser extent. Phillips is now on loan at Ipswich Town. Kovacic, while adept at striding forward, is still learning the discipline required to play the Rodri role. Countless times this season the Croatian has jumped out of position in an attempt to nick quick ball and been left floundering.
Those moments, when chasing back towards their own goal, can make City look a little tired. And it’s perfectly reasonable that they do, given the squad is now packed with more experienced players. Unprompted, Guardiola brought up last week that 12 of his squad are 30 or over. It’s actually nine of them – three more are 29 – but the point still stands and he’s clearly thinking about it.
Fifty-two per cent of City’s minutes this season have been played by those guys – comfortably the highest in the division. Age was always going to catch up with them at some point and until recently, the idea of replacing any of the older men still performing at their peak felt preposterous.
And so City are here, with injuries and loss of form having all coincided at once with the majority of them. Ilkay Gundogan, whose romantic return was heralded, looks like a man who spent a year running games at his own pace in La Liga. Kovacic – out for a month – has been sluggish defensively. Even Bernardo Silva has lost some of his pep. The energy in midfield is left to young Rico Lewis, who needs a rest. Elsewhere, club captain Kyle Walker is a shadow of his former self. John Stones is only fit enough for 45 minutes. De Bruyne doesn’t start.
The champions have been without Ballon d’Or winner Rodri for their last five matches
Mateo Kovacic (left) is still learning the discipline required to play the Rodri role
Ilkay Gundogan has looked sluggish following his romantic return to Man City after his spell at Barcelona
Kevin De Bruyne, meanwhile, has missed the first nine games of the season through injury
‘City have a lot of the ball so sometimes we can rest when we defend,’ said Dejan Kulusevski, who was again superb when flying down the wing at City.
‘There’s also so much space up there, we play one against one and then it’s always dangerous because we have a lot of quality.’
Kulusevski always saves his best for City away and so do Tottenham, magnificent once more – a statement for Ange Postecoglou and his pronounced style.
The aftermath is about Guardiola though. About what City can do in the interim. Claudio Echeverri is joining from River Plate in six weeks but is attacking-minded and still only 18, so the key decision in the coming weeks – and this could ultimately lighten the load on Begiristain’s successor, Hugo Viana – is whether to bite the bullet and spend further back.
Although it’s not a market City usually deal in, Aymeric Laporte the only real notable winter arrival in the Guardiola era, they require something new. If only to freshen it up.
