Manchester City
Having been a rather also-ran club, the poor neighbours of Manchester United, for most of their long history, Manchester City struck gold when they were bought in 2008. In the 9 years since, they’ve lifted the league twice and become a continuous challenger across the board, winning the FA Cup and League Cup on multiple occasions. European progress is yet to be found once again to add to their sole Cup Winners Cup, but the Citizens, under coach Pep Guardiola, have the chance to forge a genuine dynasty.
16-17 – How Was It?
Transitional. Guardiola spent a lot of time finding out who was going to be good enough in the long-term, with a brutal rebuild job seeing many players move on from the club and new ones come in. A rebirth looks under way, but the season itself was a bit of a let-down as Pep got used to the league and took things a step further.
Their lack of silverware was a problem for some fans, but a season gone under Pep means that he’ll be closer to establishing a side that can easily compete at the top end next year.
17-18 – What Lies Ahead?
The league. We believe that fast-acting City, who have made some very smart signings – including our summer pick Bernardo Silva – is sure to see the club move forward. Many other big names are being linked, too, as it looks like Guardiola wants to ensure that season two comes with some impressive titles. He’s one of the most impressive coaches in the country – can he move further ahead using his undoubted expertise to get there?
We suspect that a title win would not be beyond their reach. City have one of the best teams in the country, so with new additions they could be truly take the entire league by storm.