Sky Sports insight: Which positions are Manchester City targeting?
Manchester City are expected to be busy as they look to regain supremacy in the Premier League from Liverpool.
The priority around recruitment will be in defence and, in particular, signing two centre-backs following their costly shortages last season while a new left-back will also be sought.
Two other very difficult challenges await: finding a successor to Sergio Aguero and the search for a new number 10 to replace Premier League legend David Silva.
What do the stats say about Manchester City?
Manchester City finished the season with more goals than any other team for the third season running. Their total of 102 was 17 more than Liverpool. In contrast, City have conceded two more than their Merseyside rivals.
So City's 18-point deficit is clearly the result of weaknesses at the back. For all the flowing, attacking football, Guardiola's side are shipping almost one goal per game - the same ratio as his inaugural season before the serious rebuild.
To put a figure on it: the defence is currently 35 per cent less efficient, compared with last season.
Much was made of how City failed to replace Vincent Kompany after his departure from the club, but it was the serious injury to Laporte which exposed the cracks.
Without Laporte, City's weaknesses were laid bare. Even with Laporte, a natural partner is missing.
Nicolas Otamendi, John Stones and Eric Garcia have been tested, but Guardiola has still preferred to play veteran midfielder Fernandinho as one of the pair. Fellow midfielder Rodri has played there, too.
The manager's view
Pep Guardiola on the summer ahead: "If you bring in eight or nine players, which is impossible, you can change a lot, the mentality or the freshness or the way you want to play. But I think 80 per cent or 85 per cent or 90 per cent of the team will be the same so it depends on the people who are here."
What do Manchester City need? Sky Sport analysis
Sky Sports' Micah Richards: "City are looking at various players for the summer, but for me they need a leader at the back to play alongside Laporte. That's no disrespect to Nicolas Otamendi and Stones, I'd still have Stones around to try and win back the manager's confidence.
"Going forward it hasn't been a problem for City. They've been scintillating at times, but then you just know that there's going to be some sort of uncertainty at the back without Kompany's leadership.
"At left-back, I think with Benjamin Mendy getting a run of games, and with a good pre-season under his belt, I do believe he can nail down that spot and rotate with Oleksandr Ziinchenko, because I like him too. You need two good players in every position."
#CITYZENS
Saif
Saif
No comments:
Post a Comment