Manchester City’s demise this season couldn’t have been more stark. Since the start of November, only Southampton have won fewer points in the Premier League than the defending champions. City have won just one of their last 13 games in all competitions and have lost six of the last nine in the league. Far from being title frontrunners, they’re in relegation form.
It’s now clear that Manchester City have reached the end of a cycle with a rebuild required. Countless theories have been put forward to explain such a dramatic drop-off, but most agree the ageing profile of City’s squad has been a factor. Kevin de Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Kyle Walker, for example, are all over the age of 30.
City must get younger to once again handle Pep Guardiola’s high-risk, high-energy approach. It’s just as well then that the Etihad Stadium club boasts one of the most productive academy systems in English football. The grassroots could help Manchester City grow their next great team.
The examples of City academy graduates succeeding at the elite level are plentiful. Cole Palmer has exploded since leaving the Etihad Stadium for Chelsea, registering an incredible 34 goals and 17 assists in just 51 league appearances. Guardiola surely regrets letting Palmer leave even if the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) were a consideration in the sale.
Michael Olise was once part of the Manchester City academy, but departed to find first team football at Reading before moving on to Crystal Palace. Now at Bayern Munich, the 23-year-old is a French international and considered one of the best, most productive wide attackers in the Bundesliga.
Liam Delap left City permanently for Ipswich Town in the summer and has since proved himself as one of the best young strikers in the Premier League, scoring six goals in 16 games for The Tractor Boys. Then there’s Morgan Rogers who exited City last year and is now Aston Villa’s creator-in-chief and an England international.
Roméo Lavia, Brahim Díaz, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Tosin Adarabioyo and Jamie Gittens all learned their trade on the training pitches at the Manchester City academy with Jadon Sancho another notable graduate. After losing his way at Manchester United, the winger is now flourishing at Chelsea.
All of these academy graduates would improve the current Manchester City squad which has been depleted by injuries this season. There is no way for City to correct past mistakes (although they may have buy-back clauses on some of their former academy players), but it’s important they learn lessons from them.
Guardiola has demonstrated more of a willingness to integrate academy talent over the last two seasons. Rico Lewis has started 14 league matches for Manchester City this term while Oscar Bobb was set for an important role before suffering a leg injury that has sidelined him for the past four months.
Jahmai Simpson-Pusey is another homegrown youngster who has been given an opportunity in the first team this season, as is James McAtee. Guardiola’s hand might have been forced by injuries, but the imprint of Manchester City’s academy on the first team has been clearer than in past seasons.
Guardiola has spoken of his wariness in throwing inexperienced youngsters into City’s current situation. “In the period we have, I’m going to make it the responsibility of the senior players,” said the 53-year-old, but he must also recognise the need to anchor his team with the academy set-up.
In the PSR age, City’s academy could be a real advantage to them. It has already has been, but only as a method to balance the books and facilitate more expensive transfers. Palmer, for example, was sold to Chelsea for £45m in the same window that Joško Gvardiol arrived from RB Leipzig for £77m.
Many times, though, the players City have let go have been better than the ones they have signed. Palmer clearly should have been part of the succession planning for the phasing out of de Bruyne and Silva. Delap should still be at the Etihad Stadium learning from Haaland and giving Guardiola a rotational option in the centre forward position. Harwood-Bellis would have eased the recent injury crisis in defence.
“We are building a structure for the future not just a team of all-stars,” reads a quote from Sheikh Mansour on the wall of the reception area at the Etihad Campus, underlining Manchester City’s commitment to creating the next generation, not just buying it. The facilities are also an indication of this intent.
Now, however, it’s time for City to make good on that promise. It would be unrealistic to expect the club to unearth its own ‘Class of ’92,’ but Guardiola must evolve his team to compete for the biggest trophies in English and European football again and the academy could help him achieve this.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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