FourFourTwo UK – September 2019

FFTVERDICT

FourFourTwo Season Preview 2019-20 25

BERNARDOSILVA

OnegreatSilvais preparingtoleave,butCity

haveanother(andhe’sonly25).Guardiola’s

playeroflastseasonbringstirelessness,guile

andconsistency,whetherinhispreferredspot

ontherightorasa No.10,wherePeplikeshim.

KEY PLAYER

1

ST

VIEW FROM THE STAn DS

CHRIS GEE @LENNY_SIBERIA

The big talking point among

the fans is the legacy of Vincent

Kompany, and how we’re going

to replace his leadership now

that he’s moved to Anderlecht.

This season will be different

because we will win at Anfield.

I won’t be happy this season

unless Ederson gets more than

three assists.

Our most underrated player is

Aymeric Laporte.

Look out for Eric Garcia – the

defender captained every team in

Barcelona’s youth ranks before

arriving in the summer of 2017; he

made his first start last December.

The best away ground is

Villa Park.

The best away fans are

West Ham’s.

The opposition player I secretly

admire is Andy Robertson.

The pantomime villain will be

Raheem Sterling – in the eyes of

certain sections of the English

media, at least.

Our best celebrity fan is Eddie

Large. The worst is the former

Celtic shirt wearer Noel Gallagher.

The one change I’d make to the

club would be a freeze on season

ticket prices.

Save the date for Vinnie’s charity

testimonial match in September.

Our key player will be Ederson

for his outrageous passing ability.

He sets the tone for the rest.

The fans’ opinion of the gaffer is

that he should stay for five more

years. He’s continually improving

himself and all around him.

If he left, he should be replaced

by Mikel Arteta.

We’ll finish 1st.

FIVE-POIn T PLAn

1

SOLVE SANÉ

Leroy Sané tied Raheem Sterling
with 10 assists during 2018-19
(joint-sixth in the Premier League)
despite playing nearly 900 minutes
less. The German can be devastating,
yet questions still remain about his
consistency – he started all four of
City’s league losses last season – and
his hunger, recording only eight shots,
one goal and no assists in 199 minutes
as a league sub. Might Sané be allergic
to Guardiola’s constant promptings?

2

YOUNG BLOOD

Supporters, reporters and Gareth
Southgate would all love to see
a big advance on Phil Foden’s 330
league minutes in 2018-19 (1,107 in
all competitions). City’s midfield riches
and Guardiola’s eagerness to protect
the ‘Stockport Iniesta’ mean Foden’s
progress may again be measured, but
at least doubling his league playing
time should be a target. Fans want to
see a bit more of defender Eric Garcia
and midfielder Felix Nmecha as well.

3

BACK SUPPORT

Vincent Kompany’s departure and
Fernandinho’s age leaves the spine
in need of work. A busy summer
in the transfer market – necessary with
a possible ban looming – should provide
some of the answers, but what will that
mean for John Stones’ development?

4

MORE PEP?

Guardiola doesn’t normally hang
around – he led Barcelona for four
seasons, Bayern for three and is
scheduled to leave City at the end of
his fifth, in 2020-21. But City believe he
might be tempted to sign a three-year
extension; delaying what may otherwise
be complex succession planning for an
employer that would look considerably
less attractive if locked out of Europe
and/or the summer transfer market.

5

LAW WAR

The quadruple was strenuous, but
more difficult still might be facing
sanctions from the ‘fourmidables’
of UEFA, FIFA, the FA and the Premier
League. Whatever their verdicts, fans
would love to see City not just challenge
any European suspension, but launch
a concerted legal challenge on UEFA’s,
drawbridge-raising equivalent of FFP.

SEASOn PREVIEW

Drinkingdensnear

the Etihad are few

and far between for

visitors. Many drink

in the city centre,

before hopping on

the Metrolink over

to the stadium.

@IanCheeseman,

who presents the

Forever Blue podcast,

is established and

trusted among Blues.

He also presents his

own radio show at

1pm on Saturdays.

Inthe 1999 draw

at Bournemouth,

City midfielder Kevin

Horlock was sent

off for ‘aggressive

walking’. Nasty.

Chipsandgravy. Simple,

stodgy and scrumptious – the

perfect way to get through

90 minutes, north-west style.

Localslovecity-centreeateryRudy’s

NeapolitanPizza. They say it’s the

best Italian food this side of Naples,

which might offend some Romans.

MATCHDAY PACK

AWAY PUB

SIGn ATURE DISH WHILE YOU’RE HERE...

DID YOU MUST FOLLOW

K nOW...?

AUGUST

10 West Ham (a)

17 Tottenham (h)

25 Bournemouth (a)

31 Brighton (h)

SEPTEMBER

14 Norwich (a)

21 Watford (h)

29 Everton (a)

OCTOBER

5 Wolves (h)

19 Crystal Palace (a)

26 Aston Villa (h)

NOVEMBER

2 Southampton (h)

9 Liverpool (a)

23 Chelsea (h)

30 Newcastle (a)

DECEMBER

3 Burnley (a)

7 Man United (h)

14 Arsenal (a)

21 Leicester (h)

26 Wolves (a)

28 Sheffield United (h)

JANUARY

1 Everton (h)

11 Aston Villa (a)

18 Crystal Palace (h)

21 Sheffield United (a)

FEBRUARY

1 Tottenham (a)

8 West Ham (h)

22 Leicester (a)

29 Arsenal (h)

MARCH

7 Man United (a)

14 Burnley (h)

21 Chelsea (a)

APRIL

4 Liverpool (h)

11 Southampton (a)

18 Newcastle (h)

25 Brighton (a)

MAY

2 Bournemouth (h)

9 Watford (a)

17 Norwich (h)

FIXTURES

The perfect team keeps

improving. Do it again

and immortality awaits.