In 2014, the great Vicente del Bosque of Spain and Real Madrid told El Paes that “a healthy dressing room is worth more than 100 hours of strategy.”
Del Bosque, who has won the World Cup and the Champions League in his career, knew a thing or two about victory. But as Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola prepares to defend his Premier League title next season, he will have Del Bosque’s words on his mind.
It is possible that at the start of the 2022-23 Premier League campaign, Guardiola may have lost both striker Gabriel Jesus and winger Rahim Sterling from home rivals. Sources told ESPN that Arsenal, managed by former city assistant Mikel Arteta, are closing in on a deal to sign Jesus, while Chelsea’s new boss Todd Bohli has made Sterling his top target.
Guardiola will agree that forcing teams closer to home is not ideal, but like Del Bosque, harmony comes first in the dressing room. Both Jesus and Sterling have one year left on their contracts and are considering playing more regularly than ever before. Negotiating an acceptable transfer fee can be a problem, especially for sterling, but with Guardiola’s blessing they will be allowed to leave if they want to go and the club receives an acceptable offer of around £ 50m to £ 60m.
For the city manager, there is nothing like sacrificing teamwork; Being an unhappy player is a big risk, no matter how good he is. Guardiola has previously said that his success as a coach at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and City would not be possible without a big budget and good players, but there is a perception that he only stocks players to make sure he is a deeper team. . Everything else. Others
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A study by the CIES Football Observatory in February 2022 found that City had used 28 players in domestic top-flight matches in the last 365 days, and only West Ham – 27 – in the top five leagues in Europe.
In discussions of his city team’s makeup, Guardiola would often tell football director Tsiki Begiristin that he didn’t want two world-class players for each position. Instead, he wants a small group of players who can play in two or three different positions.
If problems arise during the season, his solution is to ask his team to adapt to the situation rather than find a solution in the transfer market, and since taking office in Etihad in 2016, he has worked under Fabian Delph. Also won trophies. Temporary left. , And Fernandinho as the emergency center-back.
Last season, City won the Premier League title despite playing regularly without an approved striker. At the end of his contract last summer, Sergio Aguero left for Barcelona for a free transfer and then missed the signing of Tottenham’s Harry Kane when the London club needed a 150m fee. But despite facing an already reduced strike force, Guardiola agreed to move 21-year-old forward Ferran Torres to Barcelona for 46m in January. This was a surprise inside and outside the club, but for Guardiola it was not at all suggestive.
“If you want to leave because you’re not happy here, you have to go somewhere else, believing you’ll be happy somewhere,” he said at the time. “The career is short, the first day is over. If he wants to leave, don’t despair. That’s what he wants, I’m happy for him. “
The same rule will apply to Jesus and Sterling this summer. Yet letting players decide their own future is a risky strategy, and after losing to Liverpool in the FA Cup semi-finals in April, Guardiola faced questions about trusting a relatively small team as City struggled to win four trophies each season. After two Champions League matches against Atletico Madrid and another tough week against Liverpool, Guardiola made seven changes at Wembley and his team lost 3-2, but then he will not say he is ready to sign more players.
He said, “I love working with a team that doesn’t have much space. “I have been through this situation for many years in my life. Luckily, I’ve been to Barcelona, Bayern Munich and now the city’s top clubs – and we’ve reached the next stage of the fight for all competitions many times over. I learned from him: that if you want to fight, you have to be fit. You want 16, 17 or 18 people in which you should fit perfectly, otherwise it is difficult to handle all the competition and be ready for everyone. They are in the best condition. It’s not an argument, it’s a fact, because I’m alive. “
Whether Jesus and Sterling stop at Etihad Stadium this summer, Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Holland’s येथे 51.2m arrival at City will be more than expected. City are already looking forward to winning the Premier League and Champions League before kicking the ball, and without knowing what their final squad list will be, sources told ESPN they are considering a deal with Leeds United midfielder Calvin. 42 meters has been agreed. . Phillips, as well as Brighton, are considering adding a left-back mark dog before the transfer deadline. However, Guardiola will not allow players to make a profit or pay for potential.
Del Bosque was convinced that there were relationships between the players rather than the players who would make a successful team – even Guardiola believed.
“A healthy dressing room is important,” de Bosque said of how he managed star-studded teams at Real Madrid and Spain in 2014. “When employees are happy it is good for any business. In football, if the kids are happy, we win. “
Guardiola’s goal is also to keep City smiling and winning.