Manchester City Has The Best Youth Academy In The World And It Is Hard To Argue Against That
When you think about the best youth academies in the world, the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich spring to mind, but what if I said that their setups are outdated and a new academy reformed by a former Barcelona and Bayern Munich Manager is set to produce the best stars in world football. Pep Guardiola has not just reformed Manchester City on the pitch, but has completely revamped the side from the ground, up to youth level. Their stars look set to explode on to the scene and under the careful supervision from Pep, the youth academy could usher a decade of dominance for the Sky Blues.
Manchester City’s youth academy is so unique, while the Youth Players’ talent is unquestionable with stars like Pablo Fernandez, Patrick Roberts and Aleix Garcia all on City’s books. Their stars are technically excellent, but a lot of players have this ability; but it is their mindsets that set them apart from the rest. Pep has hardwired them to think tactically and their understanding of tactics and their role within a team is second to none. Seriously, these players have an almost unique understanding with one another; this chemistry is evident with the under-21’s coming second in the League and the Under 18’s winning the league.
Pep is a huge figure at Manchester City, and his effects are wide sweeping throughout the club. He treats these young players like the real deal, Pep first made the youth players and first team train together following his arrival; he immediately promoted stars such as Angelino, Garcia, Tosin Adarabioyo to the first team. But this is not something new, former Manchester City star and current Leicester City signing Kelechi Iheanacho was promoted to the first team by Pellegrini; but Pep knows that he can mould these players into his way of thinking.
He did this at Barcelona’s famed La Masia, producing stars such as Busquets, Iniesta, Pedro and of course Lionel Messi, while Pep does splash the cash on players that he needs, evident in his heavy plus splurge on full-backs this summer. But he is not afraid of trusting youth players to do the business either. He proved that in the 2017/18 pre-season, trusting youngster Phil Flodden in many of the games, earning rave reviews in the process.
But yet, the youth success may not just be down to Pep but also to Manchester Citys’ oil-rich owner and the City Football Group. This group consists of Manchester City, Melbourne City, New York City FC and Yokohama Marionas. But also, it does not mention the links City have with the recently promoted Girona in La Liga. These links and others mean that the Sky Blues’ prized possessions are sent to top clubs to gain first team experience, evident from Patrick Robert’s very successful loan to Celtic where he really proved that he is ready for the big time at City.
These players are gaining some of the best experience out there to come back better than before. City are using the loan system effectively not just to discard unwanted players but also to make them better. Gaining consistent football is very important for young players. Consistency is key and game time is crucial. City use the loan system effectively and use it as a show of faith for their young players.
Pep really has got something special going on. The next generation of City looks very bright and despite what happens next season, Pep has been a key figure in these players’ careers, their tactics, mentality. Their style has been dramatically altered by the former Barcelona player. His legacy at City could be these young talents, and it is of utmost of importance that their development remain at the forefront of the Manchester City board’s mind.