When Pep Guardiola walked out to the piercing, plodding guitars of Oasis' "Morning Glory" on a purpose-built stage in front of the Etihad Stadium in the summer of 2016, few Manchester City fans could have imagined the ride that was ahead of them. Least of all, how long they would be on it. The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager had found himself burnt out at both of his previous stops, four seasons at the former, three the latter.
Most expected City to get a similar tenure from the best coach in the world. Instead Guardiola departed a decade later from a club he had radically altered. With Abu Dhabi's backing, City would always have been there or thereabouts but with the best manager in the world they were a winning machine.
Six Premier League titles (including England's first ever back to back to back to back), eight more domestic cups and a Champions League. This has been the era of City. Now it is up to Enzo Maresca to ensure that his new club remain in the present perfect, that this club do not do what so many other English giants do when they lose their transformative coach.
The challenge for the Italian is clear. Do not be the next David Moyes or Unai Emery. Even if you do not over-index the Community Shield, that looks like being a challenging mission.
For the last decade, the reason you would pick City as your team was very obvious and you would do yourself no favors claiming otherwise. Yes, yes, you were around when Paul Dickov was dragging them out of the third tier. Of course it's an aesthetic thing; you were just entranced by Kevin De Bruyne.
I'm sure you fell into City through your love of Oasis. You were in it for the trophies, admit it. And maybe that logic will stick post-Guardiola.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
