There's definitely something different about us this season. Pep played the kids into form during pre-season, & most of our senior players look rested & up for the scrap a lot earlier than they usually do.
Jack treated this pre-season, VERY differently to the last one, & we can already see the results! Hopefully we'll see a continued return to his 2022/2023 form & fitness.
Kev looks super fit & ready for the scrap, as does Haaland. Savinho is a breath of fresh air who's surprised me with his affectiveness, & we're all gutted for Bobb who was by far our best player during the US tour, but look forward to his return.
I take it all back regarding Kovacic. As a No 8 we have better. As a No 6 we have better. But as an 8 & 6 combined, he's a toenail behind the Great Gundo!
I also noticed a change in demeanor with Bernardo. He was bouncing around waiting to come on in the CS, & announced his arrival by clattering a Rag player, then scoring the equaliser, whilst geeing up his flagging team-mates around him!
I reckon he's seen & heard enough from Gundog, Cancelo, Torres & Garcia to realise he's already at the best team in all the land & all the world. I think he'll see out his City contract & play a couple of seasons for Benfica before a well deserved retirement.
The fact Rodri, Aké, Stones & Walker are yet to make meaningful contributions to the season, but we've hardly missed them, is frightening!
And the icing on the cake? The relief of the welcomed return of Mr Whippy! We've missed him as much as he's missed us. His return serves as notice to all football players, that it gets no better than life at Manchester City.
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As I keep on saying to those who keep the media's "Pep to leave City" narrative going... Leave to go where & do what?
This is Guardiola's club, where he's loved, revered & has everything he could possibly want as a manager. He plays against the best week in, week out & has the added soap opera of the "115 charges" to add to the drama.
This season's team seems like the transition into Pep's third squad iteration since he arrived. It's only just beginning to come together & it's looking like something we've never seen before, with much much more to come.
Guardiola has described the club as being family, & he's the undisputed Daddy. I fully expect Pep to extend another 2 years around the end of the year, & build on his latest brand of football, with his latest squad.
It doesn't get much better than how City have it right now. We're the lucky ones actually living through City's golden era, with the best Manager in world football, & probably the most influential in the history of the game.
