What a week it’s been for Manchester City. Sunday’s derby day victory was followed by a convincing Carabao Cup win in which Floyd Samba introduced himself with an excellent double.
With a 100 per cent record in all competitions so far this season, it’s funny to think we’re little more than a month on from City’s season apparently being over after defeat in the Community Shield.
Plenty of tough challenges lie ahead and nobody of a City persuasion is getting too carried away just yet, but Enzo Maresca couldn’t have asked for a better start as Blues boss.
There’s plenty going on at the Etihad and we’re giving the chance to ask us anything about the club. Simply add your questions here and our chief Manchester City writer Simon Bajkowski will give you the answer.
Here are the answers to some of this week’s questions:
Simon, hello. I wanted to ask about Maresca’s coaching staff. Have there been any reports from people working at the club regarding the differences between Pep’s staff (Lijnders, Toure, etc.) and Maresca’s staff? Perhaps the atmosphere within the team has changed or something? Vladimir
Hi Vladimir, thanks for the question. The dynamic of a coaching staff is certainly interesting and each one is different. Last season, for instance, Pep Guardiola was happy for Pep Lijnders to really take control of lots of the sessions and he was particularly intense with the players – more intense than anybody on Maresca’s staff. That said, that is a word that has been used to describe how Maresca is as he tries to get his ideas across to the players. He is more hands-on than Guardiola was, with his staff playing supporting roles. Maresca has made sure that more than one member of his staff keeps an eye on the academy players to make sure they are able to keep developing, with Danny Walker and Willy Caballero taking a particular interest.
Gianluigi Donnarumma also appears to be very happy working with goalkeeping coach Michele De Bernardin. That isn’t a slight on predecessor Xabi Mancisidor, who is widely regarded as one of the best in the business. But Donnarumma is being put through specific paces in training to make sure his kicking is on point, and there is something to be said for the City No.1 having fellow Italians on the coaching staff to bounce off. The atmosphere within the team has also changed naturally just because there are so many different personnel, but the standards remain.
Is Floyd Samba in contention to be a serious first-team option by next year? What I mean is like similar to Foden where he’s training with the first team and starting cup games as he’s behind Enzo and Anderson, do the club see him like that? Kevin
Hi Kevin, what a way for Floyd Samba to introduce himself. What I would say to start is that he is still very young given he doesn’t turn 18 until January, and that while he is one of the most exciting talents in his age group there was something different about Phil Foden. I think Samba will stay with the first team squad for the season and he should get more minutes after how he performed against Norwich. Then a decision will be taken as to what is best for next season – it could well be to remain with Maresca but City could also think that a loan where he can play more regularly might be better.
Divine Mukasa is currently out on loan at West Ham and would be seen to be ahead of Samba, and there is also Claudio Echeverri at Benfica; it isn’t the case any more that a loan away from the club means your first team chances are over. The advantage Samba does have is that he is here now, and if he can keep taking the opportunities that come his way he will get more and more chances while he is here and others are not.
Without signing a back-up striker after selling Omar, are we still too thin behind Haaland, especially if he goes down with any injuries, to go deep in all 4 trophy hunts? Where will we get non-Haaland goals? Xury White
I think the team does look thin without Haaland, and that is in part because the man backed to be his replacement is Antoine Semenyo and he is currently playing as many minutes at Haaland. I’m sure Maresca would have liked to use Foden as a false nine against Norwich before his suspension, and Samba would not be thrown into a more important game yet in that position. Foden, Rayan Cherki and Iliman Ndiaye have all been mentioned as players who can fill in for Haaland as false nines and some of the tactics seen against Norwich with Ayyoub Bouaddi dropping back show that Maresca is experimenting with his players and the formations that they take up.
It’s going to be one of the themes of the season. Right now it looks like City are short but right now a lot of people aren’t convinced that Maresca’s City can win the major trophies. Every game is changing opinions and it’s possible that City can get themselves into a position where they can use Haaland for as much as they want to use him, or they can find an alternative source of goals when they need them.
;)
Northwestern over Colorado? Arizona State over Kansas? 
You must be logged in to post a comment Login