Manuel is a master of handling a squad of players many of whom are carrying injuries and ensuring that nobody is rushed back too soon only to become injured once more.
Being in control of Manchester City football clubs assault on four trophies requires more than the basic idea of play your best team...which incorporates play the young lad from the youth team cos he,s dead good.
We are expected to do well in this years champions league.Barca Bayern etc etc would have had their feet up over xmax/new year...europes finest players getting a mid season break during which they can rest.rehabilitate and return ,refreshed for the second half of the season....
Meanwhile Manuel has to negotiate the busiest part of the fixture list with matches coming left right and centre,hoping..just hoping that no new hamstrings are torn.
We are handily placed for four trophies.The season is not sorted till May.The manger has to think about not just everton at home but the next band of champions league matches,against teams that have rested their players.Give him some credit for that.
As far as Kelechi is concerned, IMO he is a fine young player,good energy, good movement, an eye for goal, a team player, but also capable of audacious skill....but he is young.still developing.
I would hate for this fine young man to become the latest hamstrung city player ....far better for Manuel,a former player who knows a bit about injuries/recovery time, to ease this young lad into the fray where he sees fit.Playing Norwich away on a winters afternoon at Carrow road in the fa cup..perfect! I understand the view that for the everton game "he should have started,or at least brought him on" i really do understand it, but imagine if he,d have picked up an injury,hamstrings tight from two top class matches in a week..he is not used to that, and more importantly, where would it leave us for the next few weeks with league cup semi, league, and fa cup matches to play?.......with two senior strikers who themselves are attempting to steer clear of further medical problems.
Perhaps Manuel sees the bigger picture on matchday.we as fans see the opponents on the day, The manager is thinking How can i best ensure we have the required talent fit and on the field in February.
I for one hope that Kelechi is nurtured through the winter programme, he will be learning from every game he watches from the bench, and of course those he joins later as sub..it may well be that this young, pacy, adroit, finisher fires the goals that drive us to the title/domestic cups at the business end of the season,but he could only do that if he is not over played or injured..or become a boo boy cos he misses a couple of chances and loses confidence.He will make his mark this season i,m sure, but our strikers,as indeed the whole squad, need to be handled correctly.
Manuel is doing a fine job,under pressure, in his last season.....maybe pep is the new god, but for me,now, its...Get behind the manager!
