As far as I am concerned, Manchester City are going to struggle. They put together an impressive run at the end of last season (that managed to coincide with Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United dropping points) that allowed them to finish in a Champions League spot. This season, from the start they showed they can be beaten when teams attack them. Their defence is not solid and they do not have a midfield line that breaks down opponents. As for goals, Haaland has not been prolific for quite some time and if not him where will the goals come from?
Those that compared Guardiola to Ferguson forgot that over time he rebuilt many teams to keep Manchester United successful. In 27 seasons in the top league under Ferguson, this is the
Manchester United record:
Premier League won: 13 times
Finished second: 7 times
Finished third: 3 times
Finished outside third: 4 times
In the Premier League era, they never finished outside the top three. The four times they finished outside the top three were in the First Division era. Guardiola has been phenomenal at Manchester City, especially with 4 Premier League wins in a row as well as the treble winning Champions League season but his success fades when compared with Ferguson:
Premier League won: 6 times
Finished second: 1 time
Finished third: 2 times
Finished outside third: 0 times
This is the 10th year Guardiola will be managing Manchester City. Though he stands above all other Premier League managers, he cannot be compared to Ferguson and will always be below him.
Guardiola has been brilliant for Manchester City but he is no longer having the effect on his players as he used to. At some stage he will have to be replaced. This is probably his final season at the club because he needs a break and the club need a fresh start, a new manager with new ideas.