Pep Guardiola alarms as major Man City arrival suggests game is leaving him behind
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Credit: Imago
Jack Heath
Wed 3 September 2025 19:32, UK
Pep Guardiola could be slowly losing his manager mojo as the new signing of Gianluigi Donnarumma suggests he is moving backwards rather than forwards.
On the opening day of the Premier League season after a mostly positive summer rebuild, Man City strode to a 4-0 victory over Wolves.
It was a supposed statement result that the old City were back off the back of a calamitous 2024-25 season by their high standards.
Yet, two crushing defeats to Tottenham and Brighton followed, showing that this new era under Guardiola would take longer to come to fruition.
Man City then signed Gianluigi Donnarumma from PSG to bolster the shaky goalkeeper spot, although the arrival has raised eyebrows, with the Spaniard trusting the Italian despite one major flaw that goes against the rules of the once magical manager.
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Upon the signing of the six-foot-five former AC Milan shot stopper, presenter Richard Keys raised an intriguing point on X (2 September).
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The anchorman said: “I don’t get the Donnarumma deal.
The first thing Guardiola did at City was get rid of Joe Hart because he claimed Hart wasn’t good with his feet.
Paris [PSG] say the same about Donnarumma.”
By eluding to the point of the ex-Barcelona manager’s criticism of former City keeper Hart’s apparent incapability to play with his feet, it seems Guardiola is being rather hypocritical by bringing in the Italy international.
After the failed Claudio Bravo experiment, the Englishman was eventually replaced down the line by the now departed Ederson, who has famously been known for being one of the most technically gifted goalkeepers with the ball at his feet, capable of delivering outrageous long passes.
In this essence, it appears that the former Bayern Munich boss is going backwards on his footballing philosophy by getting rid of the silky Brazilian for the rigid Donnarumma.
On top of the fact the Cityzens are now scrambling for the scraps of the Champions League holders PSG, who jettisoned the Italian giant despite their long-awaited success in Europe, is Guardiola beginning to lose his Midas touch?
Credit: Imago
Even though the Catalan is regarded as one of the most successful managers to have embraced the beautiful game, even legendary coaches eventually fall out of fashion.
Jose Mourinho, a manager laden with trophies, was sacked by Fenerbahce after just 18 months in charge as his now-archaic brand of football is now seemingly redundant, a far cry from his Chelsea and Inter glory days.
Guardiola is seemingly now falling into the same category after a horrendous campaign by City’s standards last season, and it is looking like the Spaniard is failing to get his side back to the top of English football.
Man City Premier League 2023-24 v 2024-252023-242024-25Wins2821Draws78Losses39Points9171Goals scored9672Goals conceded3444
Moreover, the ex-Blaugrana boss was seen with scratches all over himself from the evident frustration and stress he was coming under last campaign, as his magnificent football brain and tactics began to unravel themselves.
By turning to Donnarumma and going against his “build out from the back philosophy”, Guardiola looks slightly desperate in his hunt for that strategic spark to reignite City’s hopes of a successful season.
A keeper capable of using their feet was what brought him so much success at the Etihad and has been the foundation for their attacking build-up.
Perhaps Donnarumma’s incredible shot-stopping ability is all that is required to make this a successful season at City.
But it is a strange move, and it certainly feels like the former Bayern boss has overstayed his welcome in football with his managerial career slowly expiring.