All good things must come to an end. After making seminal music unmatched by anyone before or since, The Beatles split up. After broadening the parameters of what a footballer can do, Pele retired.
After elevating the standard of television drama and reconceptualizing the art of storytelling, Tony Soprano got whacked, or at least he probably did, depending on your interpretation of the screen fading to black.
And right now Manchester City supporters are dreading the possibility of another culture-defining phenomenon reaching its natural conclusion with Pep Guardiola’s short-term future at the club hanging in the balance.
The situation as it presently stands is this.
Eight years into a job that many predicted would last for half of that, at most, Guardiola is reportedly weighing up his options with his contract set to expire next summer.
Some believe his decision may rest on whether City are found guilty of the alleged financial breaches they are currently contesting.
Others insist that is nonsense, indeed going further and stating there is more chance of the Catalan staying if the club is severely punished.
Loyal to a fault, Guardiola is not a man to leave a sinking ship.
But what about his remark made at the end of last season, soon after guiding the Blues to an unprecedented fourth consecutive league title. "The reality is I am closer to leaving than staying."
Sure, that’s an obvious and undeniable point, but why fuel the fire? And why hasn’t he signed an extension yet, knowing that refraining from doing so is simply giving rumours greater credibility?
He must be aware also that legions of City fans are living in constant fear of the day when he ups sticks and leaves. This man who has gifted them everything and more.
Amidst all of the speculation there are a couple of details we know for sure.
We know that the managerial grandmaster is extremely happy living and working in Manchester. At City he has an infrastructure around him that is tailor-made for his every want and needs.
He really couldn’t hope for a better working environment, one that is running at full capacity and dominating the Premier League odds due to his genius and hard work.
But we also know that his hard work is part of the problem, because no coach puts more of himself into every decision made. He is obsessive by nature and that is naturally draining.
Would anyone blame him if – after everything he has achieved on our shores – he is in need of a break?
We know too that City will have a succession plan in place because not for them a decision made in haste and long regretted, as we’ve seen occur elsewhere.
The City hierarchy will already have identified their ideal target no matter whether Guardiola goes or stays.
So is it one of the coaches named below? Very possibly, but in all honesty it is all a series of unknowns until it is known.
Right now we have Josep Guardiola dining in a restaurant with his family and a mysterious figure enters. Fade to black.
Roberto De Zerbi
The former Brighton boss is unsurprisingly a short-priced favourite in the football odds because he fits the bill in so many ways.
Now overseeing his organized chaos at Marseille, the Italian is deeply wedded to attack-minded possession-based fare that necessitates a high-intensity press off the ball.
All of which is notably similar to a City system that has enjoyed enormous success in recent years.
Moreover, Guardiola is a huge fan, citing De Zerbi as being ‘one of the most influential coaches in the last 20 years.’
He even collared three Brighton players at the tail-end of 2022/23, as they celebrated the securing of European football, and told them, “That’s the next Man City manager,” gesturing towards their gaffer.
The manner in which he took the Seagulls to a whole other level will of course interest the City decision-makers but there will be concern too at the way Brighton capitulated in his final season there.
That in itself is not an issue. It happens. But De Zerbi clearly failed to find a solution to Brighton’s woes, instead doubling down on his beliefs.
Guardiola is the master at constructing fabulous teams but what really sets him apart is his ability to solve problems. De Zerbi fell well short in that regard.
Vincent Kompany
It would be a romantic tale for sure if the man whose stature resides outside the Etihad returned in a managerial capacity.
Kompany is a legend around these parts. Someone admired as much as he is loved.
Alas, timing seems to be a hindrance here, that and Burnley’s disastrous Premier League campaign of last season that had them concede an avalanche of goals, in part due to Kompany’s idealistic refusal to compromise.
There are some who claim Guardiola doesn’t compromise. These people are very wrong.
A highly surprising summer swoop by Bayern Munich has afforded the ex-defender an opportunity to prove himself on the biggest stage but though the early signs are very encouraging will he have time to categorically redeem his reputation before Guardiola departs Manchester?
This one feels like a gamble and City don’t do gambles.
Xabi Alonso
Guiding Bayer Leverkusen to their first ever Bundesliga crown immediately elevated Alonso onto the highest strata of management.
That he did so while ensuring Die Schwarzroten remained unbeaten throughout – and all while playing stylish and watchable fare - has arguably made him the most desirable coach in world football.
Unfortunately for City, this means they are at least third in the queue when attempting to secure his services when the annoyingly handsome 42-year-old almost inevitably leaves Leverkusen next summer.
All the talk is that Alonso is destined to replace Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid when the time is right for all parties.
Failing that, there is also an emotional connection to Liverpool though that would depend on Arne Slot greatly disappointing at Anfield.
Presently, the Dutchman is succeeding.
Michel
Under the former Rayo Vallecano legend, Girona were the surprise package of European football last term, challenging for a La Liga title until late-on.
Pipping Real Madrid would have rivalled Leicester in 2016 as one of the most incredible sporting feats of our lifetime.
It was a remarkable over-achievement engineered by Michel, a progressive young coach who demands his team play out from the back at all times, deploying his goalkeeper almost as a centre-back. He is also a firm advocate of full-backs inverting into midfield.
Does any of this sound familiar?
With Girona being part of the City Football Group this would, in effect, be a promotion from within and it staggers that the 48-year-old is priced at a fairly distant 9/1 to be the next City maestro. That screams value.
Zinedine Zidane
Zidane has no connection at all to Manchester City nor has there ever been any solid reasoning for him to accept the gig, or for any approach to be made.
Bluntly, he is only on the list because he is one of the biggest names around and he happens to be available.
It’s not going to happen so let’s move on.
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Adobe*
