Brave New World As City Facing Life After Guardiola

TEB – Are Manchester City fans feeling optimistic or pessimistic about the upcoming campaign?

AT – It’s harder to say this year than it has been for a long time. There’s always something exciting about a new start and a level of optimism that comes with that. On the other hand, is it possible not to be a little pessimistic when the new era follows the Pep Guardiola era?

The only way is down from the best manager of all time, so there’s a level of managed expectation there as well.

TEB – How do you feel about the new manager and life after Pep Guardiola in general?

AT – On the whole, I think we’ve probably had it as good as we’ll have it for the rest of our lives, but it’s impossible to be too down about it. We’ve seen some amazing things and we’re likely to be there or thereabouts again in the coming years.

Feeling too bad about that would be the sort of spoiled, entitled mindset we all know and love from a certain type of United, Liverpool or Arsenal supporter, and we’re not quite there yet as a group.

TEB – Has the summer transfer window solved any squad issues for City, or are there still areas which need improvement?

AT – Not at all. There is still a lot to do, with the acknowledgement, as always, that we are ‘rebuilding‘ from a position of absurd wealth and quality already. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t holes to fill.

There’s the impossible task of replacing Rodri and, on top of that, we’ve moved on quite a few others. That’s partly because the squad was bloated, but it leaves us light in a few areas. There’s a lot to do and the new backroom team have yet to prove themselves, but I don’t think anyone is under the impression it will all get done in one window.

On the plus side, I really do like the signing of Elliot Anderson in particular. The fee was obviously absurd, as are all fees at the top end of the modern game, but he’s a great player and I could see him anchoring the team for the next decade. Having that sort of stability in the middle of the park goes a long way towards sorting the rest of it out.

Unfortunately, I think the last big news of the window will be City binning £120million into Enzo Fernandez, which would be a shame on a number of levels. He’s a horrible bloke and I’d be ashamed to have him out there wearing the City shirt, to be honest.

TEB – Expectations for this season?

AT – I’m going into this year with no expectations at all. It’s an unusually freeing place to be.

I’ll be happy with anything other than total disaster, as I think the scale of change from Pep’s City to whatever ends up being built next is probably orders of magnitude more difficult than it looks. Every level of the club is being overhauled and renewed.

So, no real expectations this season. You just want to see some kind of plan taking shape by the end of it.

We’ve always gone to the game in hope, not expectation. This year in particular, that is the approach that needs to be held front and centre.

TEB – It’s well reported that the 115 charges are still hanging over the club. Do you expect there to be any serious consequences soon, or will we see more lenient punishment like Chelsea received recently?

AT – Absolutely no idea, and furthermore I’d say anyone who claims to have a clue is lying to us.

There are people out there who have built a career reheating the same guesswork about all this, and I don’t know how they’re not embarrassed to do so!

If City end up guilty, then so be it. Throw the book at the club. The people who would be owed an apology first in that circumstance would be City supporters, which I know we won’t get.

If City aren’t guilty then… I don’t know. It’s hard to imagine anyone acknowledging that.

Personally, I want all big money out of football, and that has to include City’s ownership.

TEB – Thoughts on Palace this season?

AT – I suppose you’re in a similar situation to ourselves. The most successful manager in the club’s history, by trophy count, is gone and now you’re starting from something close to new. It’s weird, isn’t it?

With that in mind, I’ll hedge my bets like a coward and say I don’t know what to expect from Palace this year. It always feels from the outside like it’s a club trying to do things broadly the right way, and no one could ever fault how much the supporters bring to the league.

Palace are an easy club for an outsider to like and I hope that continues for many years to come.

Putting my neck a bit further on the line, I’ll go for a comfortable top-half finish and then kicking on again next year.

TEB – Finally, predictions for the match against Palace and the final score?

AT – I think you’ll get a point because we’re not quite there yet, and I could see the atmosphere getting on top of our team at the moment.

Let’s have a fun, heart-stopping one and say 3-3!