Pep’s pre-season impact

The cancellation of Monday’s Manchester derby in Beijing was a blow to Pep Guardiola’s pre-season plans, but the Manchester City boss has been praised for the initial impact he has had on his squad by pundits, players and observers alike.

But how has Guardiola’s pre-season training differed from what Manuel Pellegrini and his coaching staff did last summer?

The Spaniard is renowned for doing things his own way, so, with the help of Sky Sports News reporter James Cooper, former Man City player and club ambassador Mike Summerbee, and two members of the current first-team, we take a look at Guardiola’s approach to pre-season…

Type of training

“Guardiola wants his Manchester City team to be leaner and meaner so they can keep up with the demands of the pressing football he wants them to play,” says Cooper, who is keeping a close eye on the club’s pre-season preparations, which began on July 6. “A lot of the players have lost significant amounts of weight – including those who looked like they didn’t need to lose any!”

However, while some managers favour sending their players on long, hard running drills to get them back into shape, Guardiola takes a different approach. Author Marti Perarnau, in Pep Confidential, his book about Guardiola’s first season in charge of Bayern Munich, wrote about players returning from the off season to a “mountain of footballs” and, from day one, City’s squad have been doing work with the ball.

But that does not mean the players have been getting off lightly. While Guardiola has given his players time off, there have been plenty of double sessions too, and midfielder Fabian Delph has spoken of how intense the training days have been.

“The intensity has gone through the roof,” he said. “It’s so intense – high pressing, very energetic. It’s been tough but it’s been very, very good.”

Summerbee, who won the league title, FA Cup and League Cup with City in …

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