Returning to first-team training, the Manchester City players would be determined to prove their critics wrong ahead of next season.
One player who cannot wait for the start of the upcoming campaign seems to be Phil Foden, admitting he aims to redeem himself and silence his detractors.
Even Pep Guardiola has looked motivated behind the scenes and for both Liverpool and Arsenal, the prospect of English football’s ultimate serial winners being rejuvenated should be concerning.
With the likes of Rayan Cherki, Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Marcus Bettinelli and Sverre Nypan joining City this summer, the addition of fresh faces may also have lifted the spirits in the dressing room.
Neil Warnock says Man City’s hard work in training stunned him
Neil Warnock disclosed that he visited Manchester City as they were training a few weeks ago.
Warnock holds Guardiola in high esteem, naming him as the greatest manager in the history of the game and the pair are known to be quite pally with each other.
On talkSPORT, the veteran revealed that Manchester City’s hard graft in training took him by surprise, as he revealed: “I went to Man City a few weeks ago, and I met Pep, and it opened my eyes”
Neil Warnock also highlighted how intense Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is in training, saying: “You have top-class players, Erling Haaland ran towards me asking for a selfie, but these lads, they were ordinary lads, they closed down like they did, they put a session on and I was watching Pep, he was so intense, the lads were grafting and closing down. These lads work hard, I was surprised at the intensity of that.”
Frustrated Pep Guardiola drew a chalk spot in Man City training
However, with the Catalan known to be a perfectionist, his attention to detail is no longer a surprise.
Having managed for decades himself, perhaps Neil Warnock would have been taken aback by how determined Pep Guardiola remains despite his unprecedented era of dominance at Manchester City.
In 2017, The Guardian reported that due to Raheem Sterling’s tendency to drift into central areas and go for goal in training, Guardiola drew a chalk spot on the right-wing to ensure he stays out wide.
Not many managers would likely go to such lengths to send a message to a player but over time, it seems like the Manchester City legend’s elite mindset has rubbed off on his stars as well. If Guardiola remains as motivated in preparation for next season, City could come back with a bang in the upcoming campaign.
