Pep Guardiola warns he will swing the axe to trim Man City squad with 17 stars' futures in doubt
PEP GUARDIOLA has warned he will have to swing the axe to trim his Manchester City squad.
England trio Jack Grealish, Kyle Walker and Kalvin Phillips were left at home when City boss Guardiola named a
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3
Pep Guardiola is ready for a summer overhaul at Man City
Credit: Getty
3
Jack Grealish, out of favour under Pep, is being targeted by Napoli
Credit: Alamy
3
Defender John Stones wants to stay and battle for a place next season
Credit: Getty
And midfielder Ilkay Gundogan is the latest star to be linked with a move away from the Etihad
Guardiola said: 'With Ilkay, no news is good news. I don't know anything and I didn't speak with him.
'But at the same time we have — right now — a long squad, too many players. We cannot go with 26, 27 players this season because there would be more not playing.
'Step by step maybe a few players are going to move.'
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Guardiola says his squad is currently too large - despite the demands of competing for the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup.
The Etihad chief has brought in seven new faces during the calendar year ... and now has more than
THIRTY
outfield men.
So several will either be sent out on loan or sold before the transfer window closes at the end of August.
Guardiola admits it will be agonising to show the door to some players he would rather keep with him - but feels he must be fair to those who would rarely feature.
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The Spaniard, 54, added: 'I would love to have the players that we have now all season. I would love it.
'I don't have any complaints about the players, how they behave.
Kyle Walker seals Everton deal & Grealish to Napoli, Newcastle & Spurs STILL ON | Transfers Exposed
'The problem is they will be unhappy during the season.
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'They will be sad, they will be disappointed. I don't want that.
'For me it's not a problem. I have more selection and I don't like six, seven players, just in case, no injuries, being at home.
'So I do it that way. I do that for them. That's why we have to see what happens. We still have a long time, I would say, until the transfer window will be closed. We'll see what happens step by step.'
Promising midfielder James McAtee, 22, is likely to leave after deciding to go to the Euros with England Under-21s rather than join City in the USA.
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There is a question mark over the future of Croatian midfielder
Who stays and who goes at Man City?
AFTER a disappointing 2024-25 season, Pep Guardiola is overhauling his Manchester City squad. SunSport's MARTIN BLACKBURN analyses the state of play at the Etihad . . .
INS
Newcomers Tijjani Reijnders from Milan, Rayan Cherki from Lyon, Wolves' Rayan Ait-Nouri and former Chelsea goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli bolster the squad.
The likes of Stefan Ortega, Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, Josko Gvardiol, Manuel Akanji, Bernardo Silva, Savinho, Omar Marmoush, Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, Jeremy Doku and a fit-again Rodri are staying as they bid to improve on last year's below-par campaign.
OUTS
Loyal servant Kyle Walker, 35, looks to have kicked his last ball for City.
Jack Grealish is also on the move from the Etihad, with Napoli the frontrunners for the wideman — who cost Pep's side £100million in 2021.
Kalvin Phillips, James McAtee and Maximo Perrone are also heading for the exit door.
MAYBES
The futures of keeper Ederson, John Stones, Rico Lewis, Vitor Reis, Abdukodir Khusanov, Nico O'Reilly, Mateo Kovacic, Ilkay Gundogan, Nico Gonzalez, Matheus Nunes, Claudio Echeverri and Oscar Bobb are not yet set in stone.
Most will be kept but some will go — either permanently or on loan — to free up space in the squad.
Defender John Stones had a disastrous season — missing 34 games due to injuries — and is heading into the final year of his contract.
He has been linked
But the 31-year-old is determined to see out the next 12 months and complete a decade at the Etihad rather than look for a new challenge.
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Asked if he has heard anything from the club about a new deal, Stones said: 'Nothing really, But I'm here and I want to stay here.
'I love it. I'm here to help the team. I don't know what's been said or speculated, but I hope that shuts it down.'
Yenan Yildiz struck twice as City's final Group G opponents Juventus beat Moroccan side Wydad Casablanca 4-1 at the Club World Cup.
Striker Yildiz had earlier forced defender Abdelmounaim Boutouil to turn the ball into his own net for the opener, while Dusan Vlahovic's penalty wrapped up the Italian giants' win.
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The Irish Sun
8 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Pep Guardiola warns he will swing the axe to trim Man City squad with 17 stars' futures in doubt
PEP GUARDIOLA has warned he will have to swing the axe to trim his Manchester City squad. England trio Jack Grealish, Kyle Walker and Kalvin Phillips were left at home when City boss Guardiola named a Advertisement 3 Pep Guardiola is ready for a summer overhaul at Man City Credit: Getty 3 Jack Grealish, out of favour under Pep, is being targeted by Napoli Credit: Alamy 3 Defender John Stones wants to stay and battle for a place next season Credit: Getty And midfielder Ilkay Gundogan is the latest star to be linked with a move away from the Etihad Guardiola said: 'With Ilkay, no news is good news. I don't know anything and I didn't speak with him. 'But at the same time we have — right now — a long squad, too many players. We cannot go with 26, 27 players this season because there would be more not playing. 'Step by step maybe a few players are going to move.' Advertisement READ MORE ON FOOTBALL Guardiola says his squad is currently too large - despite the demands of competing for the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup. The Etihad chief has brought in seven new faces during the calendar year ... and now has more than THIRTY outfield men. So several will either be sent out on loan or sold before the transfer window closes at the end of August. Guardiola admits it will be agonising to show the door to some players he would rather keep with him - but feels he must be fair to those who would rarely feature. Advertisement Most read in Football Breaking BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK The Spaniard, 54, added: 'I would love to have the players that we have now all season. I would love it. 'I don't have any complaints about the players, how they behave. Kyle Walker seals Everton deal & Grealish to Napoli, Newcastle & Spurs STILL ON | Transfers Exposed 'The problem is they will be unhappy during the season. Advertisement 'They will be sad, they will be disappointed. I don't want that. 'For me it's not a problem. I have more selection and I don't like six, seven players, just in case, no injuries, being at home. 'So I do it that way. I do that for them. That's why we have to see what happens. We still have a long time, I would say, until the transfer window will be closed. We'll see what happens step by step.' Promising midfielder James McAtee, 22, is likely to leave after deciding to go to the Euros with England Under-21s rather than join City in the USA. Advertisement There is a question mark over the future of Croatian midfielder Who stays and who goes at Man City? AFTER a disappointing 2024-25 season, Pep Guardiola is overhauling his Manchester City squad. SunSport's MARTIN BLACKBURN analyses the state of play at the Etihad . . . INS Newcomers Tijjani Reijnders from Milan, Rayan Cherki from Lyon, Wolves' Rayan Ait-Nouri and former Chelsea goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli bolster the squad. The likes of Stefan Ortega, Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, Josko Gvardiol, Manuel Akanji, Bernardo Silva, Savinho, Omar Marmoush, Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, Jeremy Doku and a fit-again Rodri are staying as they bid to improve on last year's below-par campaign. OUTS Loyal servant Kyle Walker, 35, looks to have kicked his last ball for City. Jack Grealish is also on the move from the Etihad, with Napoli the frontrunners for the wideman — who cost Pep's side £100million in 2021. Kalvin Phillips, James McAtee and Maximo Perrone are also heading for the exit door. MAYBES The futures of keeper Ederson, John Stones, Rico Lewis, Vitor Reis, Abdukodir Khusanov, Nico O'Reilly, Mateo Kovacic, Ilkay Gundogan, Nico Gonzalez, Matheus Nunes, Claudio Echeverri and Oscar Bobb are not yet set in stone. Most will be kept but some will go — either permanently or on loan — to free up space in the squad. Defender John Stones had a disastrous season — missing 34 games due to injuries — and is heading into the final year of his contract. He has been linked But the 31-year-old is determined to see out the next 12 months and complete a decade at the Etihad rather than look for a new challenge. Advertisement Asked if he has heard anything from the club about a new deal, Stones said: 'Nothing really, But I'm here and I want to stay here. 'I love it. I'm here to help the team. I don't know what's been said or speculated, but I hope that shuts it down.' Yenan Yildiz struck twice as City's final Group G opponents Juventus beat Moroccan side Wydad Casablanca 4-1 at the Club World Cup. Striker Yildiz had earlier forced defender Abdelmounaim Boutouil to turn the ball into his own net for the opener, while Dusan Vlahovic's penalty wrapped up the Italian giants' win. Advertisement
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IN THE SECOND line of Shelbourne's statement confirming Damien Duff tendered his resignation as manager, the club stated that 'after much thought' the man who delivered their first League of Ireland Premier Division title since 2006 had decided now was the time to depart. Much of the toughest introspection must have come in the 24 hours since Friday's sobering 1-0 defeat at home to Derry City, because in the days leading up to a loss which left the reigning champions in sixth place and 15 points behind league leaders Shamrock Rovers, and in the hours after an impressive win by the same score line away to St Patrick's Athletic on Monday, Duff was busy trying to make two key additions to his squad. After all, on Tuesday it was confirmed that Shels would face Linfield in the first round of Champions League qualifying. Such an occasion was only made possible by the manner in which the 100-times capped Republic of Ireland international completely transformed Tolka Park since his appointment ahead of the 2022 campaign. His impact on the League of Ireland as a whole has been seismic, a legacy that will be pored over in the coming days as the ramifications of his departure become clearer. Damien Duff at his unveiling as Shelbourne manager in late 2021. Evan Treacy / INPHO Evan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO But right now this is a decision that impacts Duff and Shelbourne. That he won't be the one to lead the club in Europe's premier club competition adds another layer to a story that has ended like so many in football always do; in bitter disappointment. But it's a decision he has made, one that some at the club were completely blindsided by as rumours began to filter out early on Sunday afternoon. Others were far less surprised, yet were still left floundering, a feeling of devastation that the man who inspired a football club was leaving. The 42 understands that Duff was trying to entice midfielder Jack Henry Francis to Tolka Park in recent days after the Arsenal academy graduate previously impressed on loan with Sligo Rovers last season. Advertisement There was also strong interest in at least one defender currently based in the League of Ireland, with talks progressing positively and hopes of a deal being concluded by the time of the Linfield tie. Neither of those moves are now expected to come to fruition but, for the Shels hierarchy, they now have a much bigger void to fill. Assistant Joey O'Brien and the rest of the coaching staff will be in charge for tomorrow's trip to Waterford and Friday's visit to Galway United. There was disappointment in the FAI Cup final at the end of his first season. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO So, what changed for Duff over the last 48 hours, from chasing players to tendering a resignation? It was in the aftermath of that Derry defeat on Friday night that he rounded on his squad. 'I don't mind saying it again, because it is absolutely true. It's my energy that has driven the players for four years,' Duff said. 'I've offered them the dressing room for them to lead this show, this steam train. They've never really done it. 'Again, tonight, it's me shouting and screaming. Joe (O'Brien – assistant) shouting and screaming. We had a real energy because we were highly motivated men, prepared well and I didn't feel that spark, that energy off the players. 'I prepared for the game like I was a professional footballer. My wife probably cursed me at times. Three-hour siesta, ate really well, focused my mind. I would like to really, really know how many of my players prepared like me or as well as me, which is damning. 'There was a severe lack of energy, real flatness, severe lack of quality and you are going to get nowhere. Duff celebrates after securing European qualification in 2023. Ciaran Culligan / INPHO Ciaran Culligan / INPHO / INPHO 'I don't accept that that's our third game in a week. Never have, never will until the day I die. If you are an amazing pro you bounce into the night. Even if you are a bit tired, a bit flat, drag yourself along, give yourself a talking to. 'That's where you have to be an amazing pro, an elite pro, a pro that belongs in the Champions League which are strange words for me to say at the minute. Did I smell it on Thursday [in training]? Of course! It was awful. It all comes from within, your energy, your motivation, how good a professional you are.' Those public comments did not go down well in the Shelbourne dressing room, and by the time Duff arrived to inform those same players that he was walking away, there was still an element of anger from some about what he had said about them. Duff (left) after winning the league with assistant Joey O'Brien (right). Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO There was still plenty of loyalty, and understandably so given his impact on the dressing room, but the morale was low. Given the emotional connection Duff built up with the fans and many in the squad on the way to the title last season, it was a relatively low key end to it all. It was not a long, drawn out emotional goodbye. There was no lengthy speech or attempts from within the dressing room to force a change of mind. Indeed, there were no more fireworks or harsh words, just a simple, matter-of-fact goodbye from the now former Shels boss. Duff on the touchline against Shamrock Rovers this month. Dan Clohessy / INPHO Dan Clohessy / INPHO / INPHO It was a goodbye delivered after the players had already made their way onto the first-team pitch at the AUL Complex in north Dublin. Training then didn't take place. Neil Doyle, co-owner of the club and who was quoted in the press release that confirmed the manager's exit, is understood to have also been present afterwards, and it was hoped Duff could be convinced to perform a dramatic U-turn. 'There are no words that do justice to Damien's accomplishments at Shelbourne FC and what he has done for both the club and the League of Ireland. We look back with immense pride on his time here,' Doyle said in that statement. 'As a club, we move forward with confidence, knowing that the foundations we have jointly built will underpin our continued success. Thank you, Damien, for everything.' Duff referenced issues with professionalism as far back as pre-season, admitting at least one player returned with a ridiculous injury, and while he cited his concerns stretching back to that time again on Friday he tried to put things right. However, the same sense of togetherness and the atmosphere around the first-team squad that underpinned the title success was no longer the same. Related Reads Duffy magic has Candystripes avenging opening day defeat to Shels 'I'm not one bit mortified for myself, I'm mortified for the league': Damien Duff on that viral photo Some observe that Duff tried to transform the playing style too quickly before he was able to sufficiently develop the squad, and recruitment over the winter has also flattered to deceive. A dejected Duff during Friday's 1-0 defeat to Derry City. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO It wasn't just the players that were on the receiving end, a very public falling out with Stephen Bradley culminating earlier this month when Duff accused the Rovers boss of lacking class in victory. Duff did turn down one job in England in January, making it clear he had no desire to leave at the time, and he repeated his commitment again in April when his son Woody attended one of his press conferences ahead of a Dublin derby with Bohemians. Doyle was also there as well as new chief executive, former Dublin footballer Mossy Quinn. 'I don't look or picture myself anywhere else but Ireland,' Duff said. 'As long as I'm wanted here, I'm staying here.' Those words – and there have been plenty of headlines courtesy of Duff – will no doubt be used by some to mock or belittle what has been an emotional rollercoaster over three and a half years. Duff's dedication and commitment to the Shelbourne cause was intense, right until the spark went out.
