Champions League: Are Manchester City the real “bottlers” of European football
By Varun Aithal
Against Lyon, the defense was split open by through passes, conceding goals in the same fashion as previously.
Since the former Barcelona manager’s arrival at the Etihad, he has spent close to £950 million on transfers.
Still, Guardiola hasn’t gotten further in Europe’s top club tournament than Moyes did in his 10-month stay at Old Trafford with Manchester United. These all lead to a single question. Did Pep’s magic go away with his Barcelona departure? Or was Guardiola heavily relied on Lionel Messi?
Fans and pundits have questioned the likes of Jurgen Klopp, Mauricio Pochettino when they have failed to win the knockout games and were called “bottlers”. However, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur managers didn’t spend heavy but given the chances for the young talents.
On the other hand, its the same case with Manchester City. However, nobody calls them “bottlers” as Pep Guardiola did a domestic treble and won the Premier League trophy twice. But is it the time to start calling Manchester City as “bottlers” as they were once again knocked out from the Champions League?
Manchester City, one of the most expensively assembled squads in football history, lost to the team that finished seventh in the French league in the Champions League, @AP reports https://t.co/FCUpBOc5oz
— Bloomberg (@business) August 16, 2020
More. Guardiola ready to go into a swap deal with Barcelona. light
The loss against the lower-level side which nowhere stands near Manchester City in terms have mercilessly defeated them. It might result in overhauling at the Etihad stadium.
Though it is unlikely that Pep Guardiola might be fired from his position. On the other hand, there might be a complete rejig of the team with heavy spending in the transfer market… Again.