Manuel Pellegrini’s exit from the Etihad come the lend of last season caused quite the divide at Manchester City.

While some were happy to see the Chilean leave following what was overall a disappointing league campaign, others felt the former Malaga manager could have considered himself hard done by.

After all, he did just secure City the League Cup and took them to the Champion’s League semi-finals for the first time in the clubs history.

More than just parting ways with Pellegrini, many in the footballing world were unhappy with the way City had gone about, naming their new manager – Pep Guardiola, the ex-Barcelona and then current Bayern Munich boss who had won near enough all there was to win in the world of domestic football – before the seasons end, leaving Pellegrini to play out his final weeks knowing he was a man doomed for the exit.

And it showed. City went on to win only three times in their next 11 games, losing five and forfeiting their feint hopes of a title challenge. Pellegrini has even since admitted the announcement was a contributing factor to City’s fall from grace after Christmas.

Despite the turn in fortunes, incoming Pep excited the City fans, and would go on to yet another League and Cup double with his Bayern side, the 5th of his short managerial career. The Sky Blue faithful were and remain hopeful that Guardiola can emulate the success he enjoyed in Spain and Germany in Manchester over the coming years.

His track record may suggest he will do so, but success is not a given for City next season. Managing the Manchester side will be the toughest challenge of Guardiola’s career to date, and one that may just prove too difficult a mountain to climb for the 45-year-old manager.

Here are THREE reasons why Guardiola was the wrong choice for City …..

Past Squads

Treble, Quadruple, Treble, Quadruple, Quadruple, Champions, Double. That is Pep’s managerial record over his spells at both Barcelona and Bayern Munich between 2008 and now. Impressive, isn’t it?

There is no denying his credentials, but one – if not the most important factor – to remember here is that Guardiola took both his previous jobs and walked into title ready squads.

At Barcelona – while not having enjoyed their best ever season – he still inherited an incredible group including the likes of Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Ronaldinho, Thierry Henry, Samuel Eto’o and a young Lionel Messi.

At Bayern, he came into the club on the back of Bayern’s historic treble in which they set the Bundesliga points tally record with 91 under former boss Jupp Heynckes.

City are not in that position. While still a big club, the Sky Blues are still growing and very much in a period of transition as it stands, with the many of the older players in the squad now looking elsewhere as the new generation etches its way in.

Can Guardiola get a side without the resources as his previous two to the heights of a cup and league double or even treble? I think not.

Style of Play

Again, if we go back to the Spaniard’s previous two clubs – Barcelona and Bayern – he employed a very similar style of football at both. Short passing, quick movement, a high defence and a high percentage of ball possession were the foundations on which both sides were built.

With the Catalonians, it was not even a style that Guardiola had built into the side himself, as he found himself fortunate to be at the helm of a club who pride themselves on teaching the younger generations to play in their famous tiki-taka style at their famous La Masia. Xavi, Busquets, Iniesta, Messi – the core of his side had already had that drilled into them from a young age.

At Bayern, it was slightly different. Yes, Guardiola can be applauded for semi-implementing a new, entertaining style of football at the German Champions considering it isn’t a style that the club was particularly renowned for at the time.

However, if you consider that many of Europe’s elite on the continent had already began to change the way they play having cottoned on to what was making Barca so successful, you paint half the picture.

Add into that a mixture of already world renown players such as Franck Ribery, Arjen Robben, Toni Kroos and Bastien Schweinsteiger to name a few, and you can pretty much paint the other half yourself.

Can Guardiola do the same at City? That particular style of football is one yet to grace the Premier League, with English clubs adopting a very different style of play to continental clubs, and hence the transition will be hard, if not impossible.

If it is to work, it almost certainly wouldn’t be still some way down the line.

Previous Transfers

City are very much a club who have built there success in recent years on their ability to bring in world class players at the drop of a hat. The Manchester club now have both the financial power and status to attract stars from all across the world, and Guardiola will only add to that.

the thought of City recruiting more players such as Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero is certainly mouth watering.

However, first of all, that tactic can only work for so long and will not bring the club success in longevity as they hope for, and secondly, if you look at Guardiola’s record of expensive transfers, it generally doesn’t bode well.

Bear in mind the previous point that he – for the first time in his career – isn’t already inheriting a world class side, the Spaniard will rely on his transfer kitty for improvement.

At Barcelona, he let go Samuel Eto’o and splashed £52million on Zlatan Ibrahimovic who left after only a year, £13million on a faltering Alexander Hleb and worst of all £18.75million on Dmytro Chygrynskiy. (who?)

At Bayern, his worst signings include Arturo Vidal for £25million who has failed to live up to the reputation he set himself at Juventus, misfiring Morrocon Medhi Benatia and £31.6million man Mario Gotye who now seems set for the Premier League.

Some good signings are to be found, for example Xabi Alonso and David Villa, but the negatives outweigh the positives and the fact of the matter is that his biggest investments didn’t work and that he was fortunate enough to have an already strong enough side to fall back on.

City have the money, but Guardiola does not have the know-how, nor the quality of his previous squad’s to keep him above water.

There are reasons for both clubs to be optimistic ahead of the new season, and yet there are reasons both can feel down about the missed opportunity last season.

Tottenham’s exciting young team fought unexpectedly for the title last season, but progress this year won’t simply be going that extra mile to win it. The big money boys have strengthened so much that you’d expect Tottenham to be feeding for the fourth place scraps like they have done for the past few years.

Everton, meanwhile, have plenty of reason to be excited with the arrival of Ronald Koeman, but the possibility of losing some really key players so close to – or indeed after – the start of the season is dispiriting, as is the fact that the club haven’t been able to splash the cash that is surely there after the arrival of TV money and Farhad Moshiri.

If you’re going to pinpoint big games involving close rivals, this is is a huge one. And so early in the season that it could go either way…

Injury News

Both teams have some worrying injury news coming into this fixture. For Everton, it’s perhaps the one player they didn’t want injured before the season’s opening fixture: Romelu Lukaku had to have three stitches in his ankle after injuring himself against Espanyol in a friendly, Ronald Koeman confirmed. Though the boss does remain optimistic that Lukaku will be fit enough to play some part.

Everton definitely will be without Muhamed Besic, however, who will miss the next few months with a knee injury.

Tottenham don’t get off lightly on the injury front, though their main casualty is one they’ve known about for some time – Jan Vertonghen tore ankle ligaments training with Belgium just before their Euro 2016 quarter final with Wales and will miss the start of the season.

Lineups

The great thing about the start of the season is that we don’t really know how clubs are going to start, especially when it’s a new manager’s first game in charge.

For Everton, it will be interesting to see if John Stones and Romelu Lukaku play, given the interest from other clubs.

For Spurs, new signing Victor Wanyama impressed in the friendlies, but it remains to be seen if he was brought in for the first XI or with squad depth in mind.

Key battle

Ronald Koeman is in a similar position to the one in which Mauricio Pochettino found himself this time last year.

Last season, Everton conceded 55 goals in the Premier League – the only teams to concede more than the Toffees finished from 16th place downwards. The previous season, Tottenham conceded 53 goals, more than Hull City who were relegated that season – only four teams conceded more.

Yet Pochettino turned it around: no one conceded fewer goals than Tottenham last season. If Koeman can inspire a similar turnaround then Everton will be a force, but it’s a baptism of fire against a Spurs team who were second only to Manchester City in the goalscoring stakes last season.

There were plenty of big deals in this summer’s transfer window, but none so were perhaps as shocking as Jack Wilshere’s deadline day move from Arsenal to Bournemouth.

The England international had been struggling for game time under Arsene Wenger in what is a fiercely competitive Arsenal midfield, and after his well documented struggles with injury, Wilshere will hope the move down south will give him a better chance of first team football.

The 24-year-old has already made his debut for The Cherries in Warren Cumming’s testimonial match against AC Milan, and Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe believes the midfielder’s presence has already given his squad a boost.

Howe said: “I hoped the signing and the high profile nature of the signing will give the lads that confidence that having a player like Jack Wilshere in your squad can give,” said Howe.

“I have seen a difference in our players and certainly standing next to them in the tunnel with the team can only inspire belief and confidence in the group.”

Howe will hope the midfielder can be a key part of Bournemouth’s squad this season as they aim to build upon their impressive first season of Premier League football.

For Wilshere himself, the move represents a clean slate following the disappointment of not making Sam Allardyce’s most recent England squad, and a shot at re-inventing himself after what was been a somewhat underwhelming career having promised so much at such a young age.

If Wilshere is indeed to do so, here are five things he will have to do at Bournemouth in order to reignite his career…

Remain Injury Free

This one may seem a fairly simple statement, but Wilshere’s career thus far has been dampened hugely by sporadic injuries that have often kept him out of the side.

The midfielder has only started 80 Premier League games for Arsenal in his career, which is an astonishing thought considering he made his debut at such a young age.

A solid season with 30-40 appearances under his belt will do him good.

Lead the Line

There is no doubt that Jack Wilshere is now the biggest name in that Bournemouth dressing room.

Now, while it is important that ego has no part to play, the Englishman will need to take the side by the scruff of the neck and become the midfield general the Cherries crave.

Wilshere needs to take his experience of playing on the biggest stage and pass on his wisdom to those around him.

Play Further Forward

Watching a young Wilshere in the Champions League against Barcelona when he outshone both Xavi and Iniesta at the Nou Camp seems a lifetime ago now.

But that night, like others too, Wilshere played in a more advanced role and was allowed to opportunity to use his creativity and excellent passing to devastating fashion.

When he is given freedom, that is when he shines and Edie Howe will know that.

Focus on Bournemouth

Wilshere could be forgiven for wondering what the future holds for him at Arsenal, especially since Arsene Wenger said, according to the Sun, that the midfielder was ‘playing for his career’ at the Emirates.

Worrying about that, though, will only hold him back, and hence Wilshere needs to treat the season as a fresh one and focus solely on the job at hand.

Forgetting Arsenal and Arsene for 12 months will only be a good thing.

Learn from Others

While it is most definitely Wilshere’s responsibility to pass on his knowledge and experience to those around him, it is also his responsibility to soak up what he can from those around him too, as Bournemouth possess some fine midfield talent of their own.

Wilshere, more often than not, is accustomed to winning at Arsenal, so being on the back-foot for a change in a Bournemouth side aiming to avoid the drop will be a new challenge, and one that his new team mates can guide him through.

Robbie Savage is a well-known name in the footballing sphere. The Welshman’s forthright opinions since retiring from the beautiful game almost mirror his terrier-like playing style, and even though he’s cut off his trademark luscious blonde locks, he’s still recognisable.

Indeed, he’s a common fixture when it comes to footballing coverage, but could that be coming to an end soon? Well, the 41-year-old has taken to Twitter to post a cryptic message about his future, hinting that he’ll be hanging up his microphone and putting his notepad aside before too long…

Savage asked his friends from the sporting world (Rio Ferdinand and Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff) for some advice in the tweet, but to find their suggestions he’ll have to wade through a lot of responses from the world of Twitter. We had a look through some of the recommendations fired back at the former midfielder, and here are a few of the best…

Over the past few years, Sunderland have reverted to a pattern that ultimately seems to keep them in the Premier League in the most sensational of circumstances.With the Black Cats perennial under-achievers early on in the campaign, the Wearside outfit generally seem to axe whoever’s in charge as the New Year approaches in order to draft in a new saviour.As much as the wider public may poke fun at that, there’s no denying it seems to work on annual basis.So, comments from David Moyes suggesting he would one day be interested in taking the Scotland job have sent fans on Twitter into a frenzy.Despite only taking over in the summer, the former Manchester United and Everton coach has cast a dour figure at the Stadium of Light in what has been a tough start to life at the club.Not the most inspiring figures in the Premier League right now, Sunderland fans on social media have been reacting to his comments about the Tartan Army.

Following West Ham’s poor start to the season, reports from The Sun have suggested that London’s ‘culture club’ will look to Cesc Fabregas in the January transfer window in a bid to bolster their midfield ranks if they lose Dimitri Payet.

Fabregas, one of the greatest midfielders of his generation, has found it difficult to break into the Chelsea -firstteam as of late, seeing as Antonio Conte’s winning 3-4-3 formula requires sturdy central midfielders.

West Ham seem set to offer the 29-year-old a way out in a move that would benefit both Fabregas and the Hammers, who would need another creative-minded player should Payet opt for a transfer away from the London Stadium.

It would be a good deal for West Ham, that is of course if Fabregas makes the switch, but even if they do manage to sign him, his arrival may have little impact on West Ham’s league fortunes.

Bilic’s side are currently languishing in 17th place in the Premier League standings, which comes across as a bit of a surprise following the sort of campaign they had last term.

West Ham currently boast misfiring strikers having acquired the likes of Simone Zaza and Andre Ayew in the summer. Ashley Fletcher and Jonathan Calleri also arrived at the start of the season, but they appear to be long-term options rather than players expected to make an immediate impact.

Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho are yet to return to full fitness, but when they do it’s hard to envisage either of them hitting the back of the net regularly, even with the presence of a midfield maestro of Fabregas’ calibre.

Fabregas’ presence in a team can only be felt if he has quality forwards to feed the ball to – take Chelsea’s title winning campaign for example in which combined superbly with Diego Costa and Eden Hazard and topped the charts with 18 assists.

But put the Spaniard in a side full of strikers that are yet to nick a goal, and you’ll have a frustrated midfielder contemplating leaving when the next window opens up, in a similar vein as Payet at the moment.

It remains to be seen whether Fabregas will make the switch to West Ham, but if he does, Bilic will have to look at bringing in a quality forward capable of complimenting his masterclass in the middle of the park.

This article was submitted via our Write For Us feature. Think you can do better? Submit your own article by clicking here, and give yourself the chance of winning monthly cash prizes…

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Jose Mourinho may have spent the most of any Premier League manager during the summer, but his Manchester United squad is far from complete.

The current standings in the Premier League table are evidence enough, with the Red Devils in sixth place – already eight points away from a Champions League spot and eleven behind pole position Chelsea.

Although he had a full summer window, Mourinho didn’t cull the squad he inherited from Louis van Gaal in the way many expected, or bring in enough quality to propel his new club back to the glories of yesteryear.

So, with the January window now just one month away, it’s time for the Portuguese to consider some mid-season movements in the transfer market.

And in case he’s short of ideas, FootballFanCast are fortunately here to help. Here’s our rundown of the FOUR players Mourinho should axe in the new year, alongside FOUR ideal replacement for each inadequate player.

Out – Marcos Rojo

Marcos Rojo certainly hasn’t let himself down in recent weeks but Manchester United’s only clean sheets with the Argentine in the starting XI this season have come against Zorya, Burnley and Manchester City in the League Cup.

Jose Mourinho doesn’t appear particularly keen on the versatile South American, who seems not dynamic enough to be a modern day full-back and not physically imposing enough to be a centre-half, and predecessor Louis van Gaal shared a similar opinion – despite paying Sporting Lisbon £16million for his services in summer 2014.

Factor in the 26-year-old’s injury problems and United are better off getting rid, especially with Chris Smalling, Eric Bailly, Phil Jones and Daley Blind ahead of him in the pecking order.

In – Virgil van Dijk

Seemingly growing in stature by the game, Virgil van Dijk’s imperious form has been one of the stories of the season so far in the Premier League, with some tipping him to one day reach either side of the El Clasico rivalry.

Indeed, the Dutchman is an imposing, no-nonsense defender, combining power and pace with sheer dominance in the air – having averaged the most successful aerial duels per match, 4.4, of any Premier League defender so far this season.

But what makes the 24-year-old so appealing is his equal talent in possession. He can drive from the back with the ball at his feet, instigate attacks with ranging passes and find the net with his renowned shooting at free kicks.

United’s defence lacks a figure capable of playing out of the back in the same way. But with his stock at an all-time high, Southampton won’t be letting VvD leave on the cheap.

Out – Morgan Schneiderlin

Morgan Schneiderlin seems like an ideal Mourinho player on paper, as a holding midfielder who works hard, wins the ball back and keeps possession ticking over in a relatively simplistic fashion.

But he’s just not convinced the Portuguese of his worth in the starting XI and has picked up just eleven minutes of Premier League action this season, courtesy of three late substitute outings against Bournemouth, Swansea and Arsenal.

The Frenchman was rated as one of the Premier League’s best when he moved to Old Trafford, however, so there could still be some mid-season demand for the former Southampton man.

In – Fabinho

Fabinho’s been mentioned more as a right-back option than a defensive midfield target for Manchester United in recent weeks, but it’s the latter position that has seen him thrive over at AS Monaco.

Indeed, the talented Brazilian has been in phenomenal form for the French outfit, bagging five goals in 13 Ligue 1 appearances (albeit the vast majority coming from the penalty spot) whilst averaging 3.7 tackles, 1.7 interceptions and 1.2 successful dribbles per match.

Aged 23, the versatile South American is looking like a solid long-term investment at the moment and his utility would address another area of United’s squad – the aforementioned right-back position. But more on that later!

Out – Memphis Depay

Few doubt Memphis Depay’s natural talent but he’s yet to prove capable of performing as part of a team, rather than simply being the star man, since moving to Old Trafford at the start of last season.

Louis van Gaal seemingly lost all faith in his countryman, despite regularly fielding him during his time as Oranje gaffer and forking out £25million to sign him from PSV, and he’s not exactly a Mourinho player either – in fact, quite the opposite.

United need to offload whilst the rest of the footballing world is still curious of Depay. Everton manager Ronald Koeman has already expressed some interest, suggesting the Red Devils have a chance of recouping their original investment.

In – Riyad Mahrez

Riyad Mahrez may be struggling to produce the goods domestically this season in a seemingly deflated Leicester City side but the Algerian winger proved how talented he is last term, winning the PFA Player of the Year award as Claudio Ranieri’s boys claimed the Premier League title.

The 2015/16 campaign saw Mahrez bag 17 goals and eleven assists in 37 appearances – which is exactly the kind of output United’s wide options, such as Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial, have failed to provide this season.

The 25-year-old has been fantastic in the Champions League this year as well, netting thrice in five outings, underlining his potential to play at a much higher level. With the Foxes already out of the title race, they might be more open to cashing in on Mahrez after showing resistance to a sale over the summer.

Out – Matteo Darmian

Another player who has proved useful in recent weeks yet appears to be operating on borrowed time. Indeed, Matteo Darmian’s filled the void of his injured team-mates on either side of defence but overall, the Italy international hasn’t truly met expectations since arriving at Old Trafford in summer 2015.

The Red Devils can do much better the 26-year-old and the timing is right to cut their losses, especially with a star-studded option required at right-back to overtake converted winger Antonio Valencia.

In – Alessandro Florenzi

Swapping one Italian for another, Alessandro Florenzi could be the answer to Manchester United’s long-term problems on the right of defence.

The Roma star is tenacious and hardworking but possesses fantastic quality as well, evident enough last season when a thunderous long-range strike against Barcelona in the Champions League earned him a nomination for the 2015 Puskas award.

Also capable of playing on the wing or in central midfield, the 25-year-old’s versatility underlines his intelligence and tactical awareness, and should appeal to Mourinho.

If there’s one concern, however, its that the 24-cap international looks determined to become a one-club man at Stadio Olimpico.

Arsenal will be looking to advance to the fourth round of the FA Cup when they face Championship side Preston North End at Deepdale on Saturday evening.

Gunners come into the fixture on the back of an equally disappointing and morale-boosting result against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Tuesday night, in which they came from 3-0 down to salvage a 3-3 draw against the 10-man Cherries.

Goals from Alexis Sanchez, Lucas Perez and Olivier Giroud saw the north London snatch a point, but manager Arsene Wenger will be demanding more from his team as they make the long trip to Lancashire.

With a number of injuries and illness within his squad, the French manager could be forced to make a number of changes to his starting XI at Deepdale, to face a Preston side who are just six points outside of the play-off positions in England’s second tier following their 1-0 win against Burton Albion on Monday.

Here is Football FanCast’s rotated Arsenal XI that will pick up the win on Saturday…

GK: David Ospina

The Colombian goalkeeper’s only starts for Arsenal this season have come in all six of their Champions League group matches, but his patience should be rewarded with a place between the sticks in a domestic cup competition against Preston on Saturday.

The 28-year-old has kept two clean sheets this term, and with Petr Cech looking far from his best at the moment, he will be looking to impress at Deepdale in order to give Arsene Wenger a real selection headache.

RB: Carl Jenkinson

While he is undoubtedly Arsenal’s first choice right-back, Hector Bellerin had a bit of a nightmare in the 3-3 draw with Bournemouth on Tuesday night and the Spaniard could be rested for the trip north to face Preston.

Despite the fact that he could leave the club this month, Jenkinson that could step in on the right-hand side of the defence after previously appearing twice in the League Cup. He will be looking to impress any potential suitors.

CB: Rob Holding

Competing against the likes of Laurent Koscielny and Shkodran Mustafi for a spot at centre-back, Holding is another young player who’s had to be patient when it comes to first team football this season.

However, the 21-year-old featured in all three of Arsenal’s League Cup matches this season and with plenty of experience at Championship level with Bolton last term – he made 26 appearances in England’s second tier – the defender is ready-made for another cup clash at Deepdale.

CB: Gabriel

The Brazilian centre-back came on as a substitute for the injured Laurent Koscielny against Bournemouth, and with few options available to Arsene Wenger for the trip to Deepdale, Gabriel should get a start.

He has found first team football hard to come by since moving to the Emirates, and he will be determined to prove to Wenger that he is good enough to be named in the starting XI every week.

LB: Nacho Monreal

Kieran Gibbs started at left-back in all of Arsenal’s three League Cup ties – even captaining them in the last one against Southampton – and he would surely start against Preston had he not picked up a knee injury on Boxing Day.

With little competition on the left-hand side of the defence, it will be first choice Nacho Monreal that starts at Deepdale. He will be looking to put in a stronger performance in the backline than the one that saw the Gunners go 3-0 down against Bournemouth in midweek.

CM: Granit Xhaka

With Francis Coquelin picking up a hamstring injury against Bournemouth, Santi Cazorla still on the sidelines and Mohamed Elneny jetting off to represent Egypt in the African Cup of Nations, Arsene Wenger has little choice but to play Granit Xhaka at Deepdale.

The Switzerland international will provide some experience and steel in the middle of the park, and he certainly recovered well from a poor start – he gave away the penalty for Bournemouth’s second goal – to help the Gunners salvage a point on the south coast in midweek.

CM: Jeff Reine-Adelaide

As we mentioned previously, the injuries and absences are piling up for Arsene Wenger in the middle of the field, so there could be an opportunity for Reine-Adelaide to get a rare start in Lancashire.

The 18-year-old started in all three of Arsenal’s League Cup ties this season – his only appearances of the campaign – and after impressing, he could be given another chance to stake his claim for a first team spot in the Premier League.

RAM: Alex Iwobi

With Theo Walcott, Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez all set to be absent for the trip to Deepdale with injury, illness and being rested respectively, Arsene Wenger will be looking to the likes of Alex Iwobi to step up in the attacking midfield positions at Deepdale.

The 20-year-old has scored three goals this season – including his side’s second in their 2-0 win against Crystal Palace on New Year’s Day – and he will be keen to add to tally in the FA Cup.

CAM: Aaron Ramsey

The Welshman has primarily been featuring in a deeper midfield role for Arsenal this season, but as he did against Bournemouth in midweek in the absence of Mesut Ozil, he could get his opportunity in the central attacking midfield slot on Saturday evening.

With a number of the Gunners’ attacking stars missing, Ramsey will know that he is one of the players who needs to step up going forward if the north London outfit are to avoid an upset.

LAM: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

The winger replaced the injured Francis Coquelin in the first half against the Bournemouth and he was one of the few Arsenal players that stood out in a largely drab performance.

The England international tracked back well on a difficult night for the man behind him on the right – Hector Bellerin – while also trying to offer that impetus going forward. With the injuries mounting, he could start on the left on Saturday.

ST: Lucas Perez

Due to the form of Alexis Sanchez and, in more recent times, Olivier Giroud, summer signing Lucas Perez has found first team minutes hard to come by in the Premier League this season.

However, the Spaniard scored a stunning volley in the 3-3 draw with Bournemouth on Tuesday night, and the brilliant technique showed the quality he can bring to the team.

Despite suffering from an ankle problem, Wenger will be hoping that Perez is fit lead the line against Preston.

A 4-0 thumping at the hands of Everton yesterday afternoon forced Pep Guardiola to concede post-match that his Manchester City side could now be out of the Premier League title race. As quoted by The Guardian, he said…

“Yes. The first one is a ten-point gap and that is a lot. The second one is three points, so we have to see. I spoke with the players for the last three weeks to forget about the table, focus on the next game and do our best. After that, at the end of the season, we’ll analyse how our level was, our performance, the coach, the players. After we are going to decide.”

Of course, it wasn’t quite terms of unconditional surrender, but you can understand why Guardiola might be looking to take the pressure off his players after such a hefty defeat (the biggest league loss of his managerial career) has left them in fifth place, ten points off the Premier League’s summit.

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But nothing is impossible in the Premier League and Manchester City have been here before. Roberto Mancini famously insisted his side were out of the title race around this time during the 2011/12 season – and they went on to pip Manchester United to the crown by goal difference.

That was a remarkable comeback but City still have 16 games left to play, including a crucial clash with the Blues at the start of April that could dramatically alter the balance of power at the top of the Premier League if they make up some ground in the meantime.

So is City’s title bid over? FootballFanCast aren’t quite convinced, but we’re ready to open the floor to our readers. Let us know your thoughts by voting in the poll below.

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To say we’ve reached the corporate age of the beautiful game would be a bit of an understatement.

Indeed, over the last 30 years, football has dramatically evolved from weekend entertainment and local bragging rights to a worldwide enterprise, with Premier League clubs boasting global reach and financial power beyond the realms imagination a few decades ago.

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Whilst few dispute that has gone a long way to improving the quality of the game itself, it’s often the fans who feel the biggest side effects – namely, the constantly rising cost of being a supporter in the traditional sense of regularly attending games and splashing your cash on the latest merchandise.

Exhibit A? Manchester United’s intentions to launch three new kits (home, away and third) next summer for the third consecutive season – as reported by The Times. It prohibits an agreement made in 2000, pledging that Premier League kits would operate on two-year cycles, and epitomises how Europe’s biggest clubs are looking to monetise their fan base as frequently and relentlessly as possible.

United managing director Richard Arnold insists it’s what the fans want…

“The club has been operating a three-kit cycle for the last three years. Our experience, and the experience of adidas, is that fans actively seek newness in this area, and this is something we plan to continue with.”

But we at FootballFanCast aren’t quite so convinced the will of the fans is Arnold’s first priority, so we’re opening the discussion to our United readers. Do you like the idea of the Red Devils launching three new kits next summer, which would cost £103 apiece, or should the club revert back to two-year cycles? Let us know your thoughts below…

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