Are Manchester City on the verge of being found out under Pep Guardiola?

When Pep Guardiola was first given the go-ahead to succeed Manuel Pellegrini down in the Etihad dug-out for the 2016/17 campaign, much was initially expected of the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss – who supposedly represented one of the most highly sought after managers on the entire European circuit.

 

And at first, the 45-year-old Spanish tactician looked truly formidable among the English top-flight. Manchester City won their opening six Premier League fixtures under Guardiola’s guidance, subsequently sending waves of great excitement and expectation throughout the determined Etihad faithful.

 

Yet since Manchester City have nonetheless encountered several telling difficulties in their most recent Premier League outings – whilst also seemingly failing to assert their supposed dominance among the Champions League thus far – is it perhaps fair to suggest that Pep Guardiola may not be quite as untouchable as some City fans initially saw fit to express?

 

Pep Guardiola is absolutely overrated; he's the kind of coach who would never win a game without the obviously better team.

— Bola Bliss (@BlissByBola) 19 October 2016

 

Today Guardiola found out just how much more competitive the Premiership is when compared to La Liga and Bundesliga; It’s a long season!

— AntoineSpeaks (@AntoineSpeaksOn) 2 October 2016

 

Well, whilst Manchester City certainly struggled last time out in the Champions League against a particularly effect Barcelona outfit, maybe Guardiola was simply bound to run into a little trouble along his way sooner rather than later. Few Premier League managers can attempt to ply their trade among the English top-flight and still come away completely unscathed after all…

 

That said, maybe the initial novelty of Guardiola’s famed possession-based play has partially worn off among the rest of his Premier League counterparts by now. It is all well and good serving to impress within the opening stages of the 2016/17 campaign, but if Manchester City’s new manager fails to hold up throughout the entire season, major question-marks will subsequently begin to surround Guardiola’s genuine ability to improve upon the current situation down at the Etihad.

 

Manchester City arguably possess too many mistake-prone players to fit Guardiola’s notorious tiki-taka system, the Premier League can indeed prove a particularly tough nut to crack for those without the relevant experience – and if City continue to look shaky at the back whenever those big game tests come around – then Pep Guardiola will certainly have more work cut out on his plate then perhaps even he first envisaged.

 

 

Yet whilst Manchester City may ultimately fail to make those all important strides among the Champions League like many of their current fan-base seem to be expecting, Guardiola still reigns over one of the most deadly and efficient teams across the entire Premier League. One or two poor results cannot serve to define the promising job Pep Guardiola has already begun among his new surroundings.

 

In other words, even if City do in-fact crash out of the Champions League with the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich proving far superior in the long-run – don’t expect Pep Guardiola and his expensively assembled outfit to be completely found out among the Premier League any time soon. It’s one things knowing how Manchester City will set out to play this term, but trying to stop them resolutely in their tracks is another matter altogether…