Pep Guardiola is doing the right thing after revealing he will rotate goalkeepers Claudio Bravo and Willy Caballero for the remainder of Manchester City’s season.
Since arriving at Manchester City, the goalkeeper position has been the most controversial for Pep Guardiola. Claudio Bravo was signed as the new number one last summer, but has since lost his place to backup goalkeeper Willy Caballero.
Now Guardiola has revealed that he will rotate the duo for the rest of the season, depending on the opposition. It’s a good idea for Guardiola given the position he is in right now with Caballero and, especially, Bravo.
Before Bravo arrived, Joe Hart was the long-standing Manchester City goalkeeper. Hart’s demotion and subsequent loan move to Serie A and Torino was Guardiola’s first controversial move at his new club.
In many ways, the fact that it is such a fan favorite who Guardiola is trying to replace is making things harder than they might be. Guardiola may well get it right in the end, but until then, there will always be an element of suspicion about incoming goalkeepers.
Bravo has not helped that. However, despite the poor season the Chilean has had, he is still Guardiola’s best goalkeeping option – just not in this form. Caballero has done well for City over the past few years, stepping in when Hart has had his struggles, and now Bravo, too.
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But Caballero will never be Manchester City’s number one goalkeeper. Bravo can be, when fully confident and in form. He’s just yet to show the form at City that made him Barcelona’s number one.
That guy, from Barcelona, would put any goalkeeping issue at City to bed. But where is he? That reliable, assured, confident Barcelona number one? That’s who Guardiola thought he was signing, but the reality has been very different.
Come the summer, Guardiola will have a big decision to make. Hart will obviously not return in any capacity. But just who does Guardiola start with next season as his first choice goalkeeper? Does another goalkeeper need to be signed? A lot really depends on Bravo.
As a backup option, Caballero is a more stable pick for Guardiola. Bravo, right now, is nowhere near the form or confidence levels to be trusted for any consistent length of time. Whilst at his best, Bravo is far too good to be sat on City’s most every week.
So whether Bravo can finally find his feet and begin to settle in the remaining seven games of City’s season will now be key. A Bravo that continues to fumble and let in almost every shot he faces, will surely leave Manchester City in the summer.
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A new goalkeeper will arrive for big money, and Caballero will perhaps continue as the backup. Only a change in Bravo’s form can likely change that scenario at this point. However, Guardiola needs to find out if there’s any prospect of that happening before next season.
Which is why rotating the pair for the remainder of the campaign is a good idea for the City boss.