Sterling’s improvement speaks volumes
A common argument used to pick holes in the managerial credentials of Pep Guardiola is to say that he has only ever been in charge of world-class teams. Surely at Barcelona and Bayern Munich the manager simply picks 11 players from his top-class squad and tells them to play football? Easy, right?
But that belies everything else that goes along with being the man in charge of a football team.
One area that can’t be measured from the outside is a manager’s motivational and man-management skills. If you believe Zlatan Ibrahimovic talking about his time at Barca in his autobiography, Guardiola has the man-management skills of a piece of cardboard, but the reality, given the Catalan’s unprecedented success at both is previous clubs, is surely different.
See also:
• Richard Jolly: Sergio Aguero and Pep Guardiola giving Manchester City fans plenty to sing about
• Premier League Team of the Week: Sergio Aguero surging while Paul Pogba impresses in Manchester United debut
Just look at the improvement of Raheem Sterling at Manchester City this season. The £50 million (Dh239m) signing from Liverpool barely looked to be worth £5m from the evidence of his performances at the end of last season and during Euro 2016 for England. His confidence looked shot, he was indecisive on the pitch and his shooting was erratic.
Only three competitive games into Guardiola's reign at City and Sterling now looks worth every penny. In Saturday's 4-1 win at Stoke City he oozed class and the main difference is the forward's electrifying pace. He seems half a yard quicker than the Sterling who disappointed at Euro 2016 and is shooting well from distance, coming close to scoring against Stoke.
It’s obvious that Guardiola is working well with Sterling who, despite the price tag, is at 21 still a young player still to reach his peak. It’s natural that his confidence will peak and trough at times and that is where a top-class manager comes into play.
Like Guardiola, Jose Mourinho at Manchester United has done the same thing with Marouane Fellaini. The Portuguese manager said a pre-season phone call had boosted Fellaini's confidence and the Belgian midfielder is suddenly playing like a world-class defensive midfielder.
Two players whose improvement in form is evidence of the quality of their managers and proof that team selection is only really a small part of the job.
Keepers keeping teams ahead
West Bromwich Albion 1 Everton 2 was not one of this week’s glamour ties but on display were two players who may well define their team’s seasons: goalkeepers Ben Foster and Maarten Stekelenburg.
New Everton manager Ronald Koeman as recruited well in signing his fellow Dutchman Stekelenburg to be his No 1. The former Ajax and Roma man was at one time thought to be a direct replacement for Edwin van der Saar at Manchester United. His career has not completely lived up to that billing, but he is a fine shot stopper and has already produced several spectacular saves in Everton's two games this season. It's fair to say that he has probably been worth four points already, preventing Tottenham Hotspur from taking the win last week and keeping Everton in front against West Brom on Saturday.
For an Everton side who were weak defensively last season and who have lost John Stones to Manchester City this summer, Stekelenburg’s safe hands will be vital in the early stages of the season, while Everton’s new players settle, as they look to avoid drawing as many games as they did 2015/16.
At the other end, despite the defeat, Foster again showed why he is one of the best keepers in the top flight. Key to West Brom staying up is their defence, as they don’t score enough goals, and Foster regularly makes two or three vital stops a game.
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