There are still 2 weeks to go until the first kick-off in the new season of the Premier League 2013-14. I don’t want to say anything like ‘we are the favourites for the title’, but we will definitely be a better contender than we were last year. However, the blue part of Manchester, ‘The Citizens’, won’t be an easy opponent to beat. In direct games between Chelsea and City last season, Chelsea lost 3 of the 4 games between each other.
Manchester City made the most notable transfers and probably improved their squad the best in the Premier League until now. Besides having a new and the same kit sponsor as Manchester United (Nike) now, The Citizens have already spent more than €100m on new players, Jesus Navas, Fernandinho, Stevan Jovetic and Negredo. The Chilean Manuel Pellegrini replaced Roberto Mancini as manager, the third new manager of the Premier League Top 3. Although the ‘Engineer’ had a 75% win percentage at Real Madrid, he wasn’t able to break Barca’s dominance in Spain. He led Malaga to the quarterfinals in the Champions League against Dortmund last season, where his team performed with brilliant pressing and defensive work, but two goals in injury time took Dortmund to the semis (and later to the final). Malaga had a very even score/concede ratio last season, scoring 53 goals and conceding 50.
New signings
Jesus Navas: The agile Spanish winger settled himself well into City’s team by the impression of his pre-season games. Manchester City mostly attacked through the middle, over Yaya Toure to Nasri, Silva and Tevez. Jesus Navas will give City new options on the wings and he can also make the game wider and create more space in the middle. Pellegrini used defensively strong fullbacks at Malaga (Nacho Monreal, Jesus Gamez…) who don’t go forward that often as how we have seen it in nowadays football. With the high-pace Spaniard, Zabaleta can stay in the back more often depended on the game situation.
Navas had many chances to leave Sevilla, but his chronic homesickness was always in his way for a move to a bigger club. Now 27, the traditional winger for the one-on-one dribblings, pace and great crossing decided to leave his hometown club for Manchester. For €20m, Jesus Navas is a bargain in my opinion, despite of his age for a winger.
Fernandinho: As I am saying that Navas is a bargain, Fernandinho is probably not one. However, it is fair to say that it’s too early to judge if the fee of about €35m is justified for the 28-year old. The Brazilian is a complete, quick and dynamic central-midfielder with qualities to score goals too. He offers Pellegrini more options and flexibility, also a switch to a 4-3-3 or 4-3-1-2 if the attacking midfielders are lacking due to injury, fitness or form.
The word ‘complete’, as mentioned, fits well for Fernandinho (and Yaya Toure). The box-to-box midfield engine has great physical attributes, offensive power (passing and shot) and defensive strengths (tackling and breaking opponent’s build-up).
Stevan Jovetic: The all-round forward is an adaptive player who loves to get involved into the game. As Aquilani and especially Cuadrado attack from the right in an asymmetrical 3-5-2 at Fiorentina, Jovetic (with Ljajic) tends to come inside the box from the left. Jovetic can also play behind the striker or in the midfield. The Montenegrin is very skilful with the ball and a good finisher with both feet. Manchester City is well covered on the striker position, so we might expect Jovetic to play in the left or attacking midfield, or as a flexible and important squad player who adds more depth into the squad.
While Fernandinho is a complete midfielder, Jovetic can be called as a complete forward. And with Agüero, City has another modern and creative striker who can fall back and help to build-up the game.
Alvaro Negredo: The Spaniard from Sevilla is a tall, strong and powerful striker with great aerial strength, a simple and common target man up front (25 goals in 36 La Liga games last season). However, these traits sound similar to another striker at City, Edin Dzeko. The reason why Manchester bought a striker nearly the same as they already have may be that Dzeko is leaving, which isn’t unlikely. Negredo is very dangerous in the box or from set pieces, but in contrast to Jovetic and Agüero, Negredo’s passing and in-game contribution are underwhelming.
With fellow Jesus Navas from Sevilla, Negredo already has a supplier of assists that knows him very well. The combination of the crosses from Navas and the finishing by Negredo was already good rehearsed in Sevilla, so it will be interesting to see how they will play together in Manchester.
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City has already made most of the transfers they wanted, but a new central-defender could still come to cover Nastasic and Kompany. Javi Garcia and Richards could play in the centre-defence too, but Lescott underperformed last year and his situation leaves Pellegrini concerned. Pepe is a realistic target.
Manchester City has, in my opinion, the squad with the best players in quality in the Premier League (slightly ahead of ours). We didn’t lose 3 games against City last season because we were unlucky; City was simply individually better in these games. But we all know, a strong squad with quality players never means that they win the title, the team must play well together; injuries and luck also play part of every season. The games between City and Chelsea will be interesting next season when the two strongest squads in the PL collide, and I also look forward to the tactical duel between Pellegrini and Mourinho, both building up on a solid defence.
So, who will be our biggest threat next year in the Premier League? What are your thoughts on the new players of City? Jonny (@jonny9fan)
man city squad’s extremely strong. but i don’t think they have the balance of the team right. their transfer policy is baffling at times. considering they paid 35 million for fernandinho. it’s quite excessive because he brings in qualities that city already posses in barry, toure, garcia and rodwell. i don’t see anything that he adds. jovetic and navas are great signings but negredo is nowhere near worth 20-25 mil. they needed a competition for silva and they have failed to bring a midfielder (aside from navas) who adds a new dimension. so imo the squad is not a whole lot stronger than last season. but certainly capable of winning the title. based on balance of the squad i think chelsea should be the champions.
That’s what I have thought too, especially when they paid that much for Fernandinho. I mentioned in the article that Manchester City has the strongest squad in player qualities, but as a whole package, I believe Chelsea is stronger
no doubt is City. they got the most or near complete team individually. but with the special one now with us. lets see hw it goes
They have a stronger squad however their defence is weak and instead of spending £35mill on a player who is the same as most of the CM’s in the City squad they shoudl fo bought some defenders. David Silva has no competition for his starting spot and thats why his form has dipped.
man city is our biggest rivals next season.. it will be very difficult to beat them
No matter how much City look like they are improved up front, they haven’t really proved it in preseason. But even if their frontmen prove to be a success, their defence is no stronger than last season, and may even be thinner due to the departures of maicon and toure, as well as nastasics injury. Not looking good for city, in my opinion.