The lessons of the 24/25 season will make Manchester City stronger | OneFootball

The 24/25 season has been a challenge for Manchester City. On the pitch, results have suffered as Pep Guardiola’s side have fallen from their lofty standards. A drop-off after such a sustained era of success was inevitable one day and it arrived this season. But there were a host of contributing factors that caused City’s drop-off. Injuries, fatigue and the loss of form of a host of key players have conspired against Manchester City this season. But this season has been a lesson for City and you do sense that they will emerge stronger from it.

There is no doubt that the game has changed in regards to the size of the schedule teams like Manchester City are now facing. The expanded Champions League has added more games to the schedule. With the FIFA Club World Cup added at the end of the season, it’s another host of matches for Pep Guardiola’s side to deal with. The schedule won’t change in the future so City will have to utilise a larger squad from next season onwards. It’s a well-known fact that Pep Guardiola prefers to work with a smaller squad. But that day has been and gone and City must adapt. You do sense that they will.

With a bigger squad comes the option to rotate players more often. That’s something you do sense that Pep Guardiola will do from next season onwards. To put it bluntly, he simply has to. Playing a variation of the same players over and over just isn’t sustainable. We have seen City pay the price for this during the 24/25 season. All told, the injury with Pep Guardiola’s squad has forced his hand to a degree in this sense. Perhaps the option of playing youth may have helped. But that opinion is formed with the value of hindsight. But it is food for thought going forward.

Pep Guardiola believes the expanded calendar has affected his team this season.

Speaking during his pre-game press conference ahead of Manchester City’s Premier League fixture against Newcastle Pep Guardiola spoke of the issue the expanded schedule has had on his team and across the game. Injuries have affected other teams besides Manchester City and that isn’t lost on the City manager. Speaking on the issue, he said: “We always expect injuries during the season, not so much [as this season], but I would say it’s not just a problem for Man City. Tottenham, Arsenal right now, except Liverpool that, was so stable in those terms; all the teams have examples – Real Madrid as well, many teams. When you accumulate season by season, like Manu, the body says it’s enough. The solution to prevent that I think Jurgen Klopp and I said in the past the solution is the calendar. There is no other reason why there are a lot of injuries. No other question.”

The 24/25 season has been a lesson for Manchester City. Playing so many games with a small squad is one. Not having a quality backup for Rodri, is another. There are a host more that will be touched upon during the back end of this season. But you do sense that Manchester City will learn the lessons from this season. You also feel like they will emerge stronger for the battle that has been the 24/25 campaign.