Pep Guardiola Archives - Sport Social

Manchester City close in on Napoli star Kalidou Koulibaly

Posted on 1st September 20202nd September 2020 by Feargal Brennan

City boss Pep Guardiola has highlighted the Senegalese international as his key defensive target this summer, with Napoli originally demanding €80m for him.

However, according to reports in Italy and France, City have brought that price down to below 70, with personal terms set to be thrashed out in the coming weeks.

Guardiola has already brought over £100m worth of talent this month, with the arrivals of Ferran Torres and Nathan Ake.

As for City’s links with Lionel Messi, Barcelona have reiterated their stance that any interested parties will need to pay his €700m release clause.

And with Barcelona set to dig in, City will simply have to wait and see if a termination can be secured on the Argentinian’s contract.

Zinchenko defends wife over controversial Pep Guardiola criticism

Posted on 24th August 202024th August 2020 by Niall McCaughan

Zinchenko is married to broadcaster Vlada Sedan, who suggested on her YouTube channel that Pep Guardiola was at fault for Manchester City’s Champions League exit to Lyon earlier this month.

Sedan said:

“Perhaps I have no right to say this, and perhaps Zinchenko will forbid me, but to put it mildly, in order not to swear, this is completely Guardiola’s fault.

“At such a crucial moment, using such an experimental tactic for City was a bummer. I have no right to criticise, but why play three central defenders?

“I simply have no words because […] Look at the players City have, what a bench. Literally only a few clubs in the world can boast having such players at substitutes.”

The City full back has responded to the controversial claims made by his other half on his Instagram page, with the Ukrainian saying:

“About my wife. Although she is a journalist, she is also a fan. During the season she was travelling with us for all away and home games because she is a massive City fan!

“In the video you can see her emotions straight after the game and she gave an opinion like all fans do because she wanted us to do better.

“We totally understand now that she shouldn’t post it in the social media because she is my wife but she was not trying to make a journalist’s opinion of the manager of the team, she was simply reacting to her disappointment as a fan.

Manchester City face Champions League test against Lyon

Posted on 14th August 202014th August 2020 by Feargal Brennan

Pep Guardiola’s side showed their steel to get past Real Madrid in the last 16, but City now face the pressure of being strong favourites.

The Spaniard has developed a reputation for over thinking in big games at City, but he is likely to make only minimum changes in Lisbon.

Fernandinho is expected to continue to deputise at centre back, with Bernardo Silva potentially replacing Phil Foden in midfield.

Sergio Aguero is still out following knee surgery, meaning the hero of the last 16, Gabriel Jesus, will once again lead the line.

For Lyon, the pressure is firmly off, after they dumped out a very upset Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus in the last round.

Rudi Garcia’s side will certainly be no pushover for City in Portugal, with exciting midfield axis of Houssem Aouar and Maxence Caqueret set to be a real test.

Up top former Manchester United star Memphis Depay will look to cause a few problems, and Garcia is also set to recall top scorer Moussa Dembele after he was rested against Juve.

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Manchester City to sell Pedro Porro

Posted on 3rd August 20207th August 2020 by Niall McCaughan

The defender – who hasn’t played a single game for City’s first team – arrived at the Etihad from Spanish side Girona last summer for €12m.

After spending the 2019/20 season on loan in La Liga at Real Valladolid, it now appears that the 20-year-old could be on his way out of Manchester City permanently if Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon activate his €8.5m release clause.

According to Portuguese outlet Record, City and Sporting enjoy a healthy relationship and the two sides have reached a ‘total agreement’ for the player on a two-year loan deal with an option to buy, despite him not having played a single competitive match for Pep Guardiola’s side.

Manchester City’s £41m Nathan Ake bid accepted by Bournemouth

Posted on 30th July 202030th July 2020 by Niall McCaughan

Questions have been asked of Manchester City defensively after they failed to replace talismanic captain Vincent Kompany after his departure from the Etihad Stadium at the end of last season.

Now it looks like Pep Guardiola has moved to try and address the strength of City’s centre back ranks, especially considering his side’s struggles in the absence of the impressive Aymeric Laporte for a large chunk of the campaign.

City have identified Bournemouth’s Nathan Ake as a player who can come in to the club and add more consistency to the back line. The 25-year-old has played 117 Premier League games for the Cherries and hasn’t committed a single error leading to a goal.

However, it must be said that the Dutch international has been part of a defence which has conceded 60+ goals for the past 4 seasons, with no other Premier League club shipping more goals than Bournemouth in that time.

The Cherries were relegated on Sunday after a 5-year stint in the Premier League, and I think it’s fair to say that Dutch international Ake has earned his chance at another top flight club.

Ake is regularly selected for the Dutch national side along with Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk and Juventus’ Matthijs de Ligt, both top class talents.

Due to Ake coming through the Chelsea academy, he also qualifies as a home grown player under Premier League rules, which is a bonus for Guardiola when constructing his squad for the new season.

However, it must be noted that although Bournemouth have accepted a £41m bid from Manchester City for Ake, that doesn’t explicitly mean he is going to join the club.

Due to the fact that Chelsea sold the Dutchman to the Cherries in 2015, the Blues do have the option to make a counter offer.

It seems unlikely this will happen, though, despite suggestions that Frank Lampard is looking to freshen up his defensive options at Stamford Bridge.

If City complete the acquisition of Nathan Ake, they won’t stop there in terms of bringing in defenders – the club are still keen to sign Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly, a defender who they feel has experience and can hit the ground running if he comes in.

That is the intelligence from The Athletic’s Manchester City correspondent Sam Lee, who is a regular contributor to our podcast Football Social Daily, which can you listen to wherever you get your podcasts.

Manchester City 5-0 Norwich City: Man City seal final day 5-0 win over relegated Norwich

Posted on 26th July 202027th July 2020 by Feargal Brennan

The Spaniard leaves the Etihad after ten years, and despite not getting on the score sheet, he turned in a typically assured performance.

For Norwich, their win against City back in September proved to be a season highlight, but there was no fairy tale end here as they slid back down into the Championship.

City were on top right from the go in this one, with Gabriel Jesus tapping them in front on 11 minutes.

It was wave after wave of City attack from there on, but credit to Norwich, they threw bodies on the line and weathered the early storm.

With the hosts camped inside Norwich half in the opening half, Norwich did almost catch them on the break, as Teemu Pukki raced clear.

But the Finland international is without a goal since January, and it showed as he blinked at the crucial second, allowing Ederson to make a block.

City did find the crucial second just before the break, as Kevin De Bruyne took matters into his own hands to curl home a superb effort.

Pep Guardiola’s side took their foot off the gas after break, dominating possession, a dogged Norwich defensive effort kept them at bay.

But despite Tim Krul and his defenders repelling City time and again, they could do nothing about a City third with ten go, as Sterling broke onto De Bruyne’s pass to fire home.

And with any fleeting Norwich confidence dead and buried, a ruthless City made it four as substitute Riyad Mahrez confidently tucked home.

And De Bruyne took a break from creating chance after chance in the second half, as the Belgian bent home the most nonchalant of fifth goals.

FULL TIME AT THE ETIHAD STADIUM IT’S MANCHESTER CITY 5 NORWICH CITY 0

Manchester City host rock bottom Norwich City on the Premier League final day

Posted on 25th July 202027th July 2020 by Feargal Brennan

Victory for the Canaries over City in September was the highlight of their season – but, it’s been downhill since then, with relegation already confirmed.

Daniel Farke’s side have taken a battering in recent months, with a staggering 26 losses so far this season.

For City, this represents a final chance for a competitive game ahead of the return of the Champions League next month.

Pep Guardiola is sweating on the fitness of Sergio Aguero for the game against Los Blancos – with the Argentinian’s domestic campaign was cut short due to knee surgery.

What will comfort the City boss, though, is that aside from an injury to back-up goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, is a clean bill of health to pick from against Norwich.

The same cannot be said for the Canaries though, with Daniel Farke lamenting the injury list which has plagued Norwich’s season.

Moritz Leitner and Grant Hanley will miss the trip to the Etihad through injury, and Sam Byram needs an operation on a hernia problem.

To make matters worse for Norwich, the influential pair Emiliano Buendia and Josip Drmic sit out due to suspension, after both players saw red last time out against Burnley.

Manchester City v Norwich City is a 4pm kick off on Sunday, July 26.