Everton have been slammed by journalist Luke Edwards over the managerial merry-go-round over the last few years at Goodison Park.
What’s the latest?
On Monday afternoon, it was confirmed that the Toffees had relieved Frank Lampard of his duties following their latest defeat at the weekend in London.
It has been a dreadful start to the campaign for Lampard’s side who now find themselves sitting second bottom of the table with Southampton only worse off on goal difference.
And it appears the defeat against West Ham United was the final nail in the coffin for the Everton board who made the decision to look for a new man to take the reins at Goodison Park.
Speaking prior to Lampard’s exit, journalist Luke Edwards took aim at the Everton board and slammed the likes of Farhad Moshiri and Bill Kenwright for the constant changing of managers:
“What the problem Everton have now is they probably feel at the boardroom level that they don’t have any other choice but to sack the manager and replace another one. And I think this reminds me and Everton fans – this will make Everton supporters angry, I’m sure it will – but they remind me a lot of Sunderland.”
“It’s true Sunderland were stuck in this kind of spiral where they brought in a new manager and a manager with a big name normally. We’re talking about the likes of David Moyes, Martin O’Neill, Sam Allardyce, Dick Advocaat, Gus Poyet, Paolo Di Canio.
“They all came into Sunderland to keep them in the Premier League and they did manage to do that until eventually, they went down. And I think Everton are in that similar sort of place at the moment where it doesn’t matter what they change in the dugout.”
Next up
It has not even been one year since Lampard was appointed the job at Goodison with the Englishman taking over on the final day of January last year.
However, under the former Chelsea man, the Toffees did endure a relegation fight last season and have shown little signs of improvement this campaign.
But it has to be questioned whether Lampard was given a platform to succeed at Everton with minimal money available to spend over the summer transfer window.
Everton did spend fairly significantly on the signing of Amadou Onana, however, one considerable signing was never going to be enough to see the Toffees transform their performances from the 2021/22 campaign.
And it has been made apparent this season their struggles lie up top with a severe lack of goals crippling the Toffees time and time again this season.
Only one other side (Wolverhampton Wanderers) has scored fewer goals than Everton this season (15) and that can be put down largely to Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s struggles.
However, all Lampard was given over the summer to subsidise Calvert-Lewin’s goals was Neal Maupay, a player who has only once provided a double-digit return in the Premier League.
So there will now be a new manager taking over the reins at Goodison but it is difficult to see this bringing any significant changes with a history of managerial appointments showing this to be the case under Moshiri’s reign.
YouTuber Conor McGilligan has suggested that Leeds United transfer target Diogo Monteiro could make an immediate impact in the first team just like Willy Gnonto.
What’s the word?
As per the Yorkshire Evening Post, the teenager should soon arrive at Elland Road from Swiss club Servette after he turns 18 on 28th January.
Of course, at such a young age, he will potentially be expected to go into the youth teams at Leeds before being asked to impress for the first team.
However, we’ve already seen 19-year-old Gnonto arrive at the club recently and quickly show his value in Jesse Marsch’s senior side, so perhaps Monteiro can follow a similar path.
McGilligan certainly seemed hopeful that this could happen when he spoke about the exciting transfer rumours on the One Leeds Fan Channel.
Indeed, he said: “It’s great that we’re bringing a centre-back in, maybe he can bring himself through the ranks a little bit quicker.
“Obviously, we saw with Willy Gnonto, it felt like his first introduction to this Leeds United was going to be in the youth setup, but he was that good that he bolstered his way up into that first team and now he’s arguably the best player in the entire squad.
“So yeah, I mean, you expect him [Monteiro] to go to be decent. We know with our youth products that have been signed that there is a pathway to that first team, which is really good from Leeds United’s point of view.
“And yeah, I’m excited by this one. I think any centre-back coming in is a positive.”
Exciting stuff
While Gnonto did initially adapt to English football with three appearances in Premier League 2, he has since established himself as a top talent at senior level.
Indeed, he has been trusted to feature in the club’s last ten games in all competitions, scoring three goals and proving one assist in that time.
Of course, Montero is still yet to even turn 18 and so it might be a little ambitious to expect him to come right into the first team. Still, with seven senior appearances for Servette, it’s not as if he’s only ever played youth football – having featured three times in the Swiss Super League this term.
It’ll certainly be interesting to see how it plays out if and when he does arrive this winter.
Leeds United target Weston McKennie could miss Juventus’ clash with Monza on Sunday, amid ongoing transfer speculation, Sky Sports report.
The Lowdown: Opening offer
The Whites appear to be open to the idea of bringing in a new midfielder before Tuesday’s deadline and seemingly have McKennie on their radar.
An opening bid worth €28m (£24.6m) has reportedly been made by Elland Road officials, with Fabrizio Romano claiming that personal terms have already been agreed.
Juventus are thought to be holding out for an agreement closer to €35m (£30.8m), and it looks as if a transfer may gather pace over the coming days.
The Latest: Sky Sports update
Sky Sports Italy shared a story late on Wednesday evening regarding McKennie’s future, highlighting Leeds’ opening offer.
They added that ‘the deal could reach a turning point and that the right day for closing could be that of Monday 30 January’, which may see the midfielder miss Juventus’ meeting with Monza a day earlier.
[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-updates-14/” title=”Latest Leeds United updates” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]
The Verdict: Fingers crossed
Mateusz Klich sealed an emotional Elland Road exit earlier this month, so there definitely appears to be room for another midfielder in Jesse Marsch’s squad.
Tyler dams, Marc Roca and Adam Forshaw are the club’s only senior defensive and central midfield options on the books, with Adams and Forshaw potentially both missing this weekend’s FA Cup trip to Accrington Stanley.
Therefore, McKennie, who can play in a variety of midfield roles, could be a shrewd signing late in the window as he would offer plenty of experience at the highest level for both club and country and has already played alongside Adams and Brenden Aaronson for the USA.
Newcastle United may have been handed a potential blow in their reported interest in the Sheffield United midfielder Sander Berge.
What’s the latest?
There have been strong suggestions the Toon could look to the Norwegian midfielder in the coming hours as a possible replacement for Jonjo Shelvey who is set to leave the club.
It appears Newcastle are not the only side looking to bring in the 24-year-old in the final days of the January window with Fulham also credited with an interest.
Now, with only hours remaining in the window, the midfielder could see his future lie in the Premier League with two of the top-flight’s in-form sides believed to be chasing him.
However, speaking on Sky Sports News, Keith Downie has claimed the Blades may prefer Fulham’s offer with the Cottagers looking to buy him this month rather than a loan as the Magpies are proposing:
(17:20) “It’s my understanding that Sheffield United would probably prefer the money now. So at this moment, you would say Fulham probably looking in the driving seat with regards to that.
“Newcastle’s offer I think would amount to more money, but the finances wouldn’t come through until later on.”
Battle on their hands?
Newcastle will surely provide any potential transfer target with a seriously attractive proposition given the incredible transformation that has happened on the pitch over the last year.
Eddie Howe’s side are now chasing a spot in next season’s Champions League and could even end their long trophy drought with a place in the Carabao Cup final still to play for.
However, there could well be an issue if the Magpies are offering the Blades an initial loan deal with only the option to buy at the end of the campaign.
And if that is the case, then there is very little incentive for United to prefer the potential proposal from the Magpies if the Cottagers would be offering them guaranteed cash.
The report from Sky Sports has suggested the London side would be willing to put forward an offer of £20m plus add-ons to the Championship side ahead of Tuesday’s deadline.
And although Newcastle’s potential deal could amount to more money, there would be no guarantee of the Toon activating the buy clause at the end of the campaign.
But with Howe suggesting any business done in the final hours of the window would be on a loan basis, this could prove a huge blow in their pursuit of Berge.
Presenter Dave Azzopardi has claimed that he and everyone else was shocked when Wolves defender Craig Dawson scored to put his side 2-0 up after just 12 minutes.
What’s the word?
It’s been a difficult season in the Premier League for the club so far but their fans were treated to a great afternoon at Molineux this weekend when they cruised to victory.
Indeed, the game against Liverpool got off to a great start as an own goal from Joel Matip put Wolves up after just five minutes before Dawson doubled the lead seven minutes later.
Ruben Neves added a third in the second half and seeing as Julen Lopetegui’s men have struggled for goals this season in the league, it was a surprise to see them win with such ease.
While speaking on Talking Wolves, Azzopardi said (1:28): “By 12 minutes, we were 2-0 up. Craig Dawson scoring the goal. The set piece comes in, it’s half cleared away, just hits it with pure power, doesn’t he Craig Dawson?
“And to go 2-0 up that early, I think everyone was just so shocked, didn’t expect it. You know, Wolves before today, they had only scored 12 league goals all season. We’ve scored three now and that’s a fifth of our Premier League goals [that] have come in just this game.”
Goals galore
Before the win against Liverpool, the Old Gold has scored just 12 goals in 20 games. No team in the Premier League had netted fewer and even now with 15, they are still the division’s lowest scorers.
With that in mind, it’s easy to see why Azzopardi and the Molineux faithful couldn’t believe what they were seeing when centre-back Dawson – making his debut having just signed from West Ham United – smashed home a second against the Reds early on in the game.
One win won’t be enough to guarantee a future influx of goals and points but the three points do see Wolves rise out of the relegation zone up into 15th place.
It will be interesting to see if this game is a sign of things to come under Lopetegui or if it was just an anomaly against an out-of-form Liverpool side.
Insider ExWHUemployee has revealed that Thilo Kehrer faces a late fitness test for West Ham United and could be in line to start on Saturday lunchtime.
What’s the word?
The Hammers will take on Chelsea in the Premier League at home hoping to pick up another positive result.
Indeed, David Moyes’ men claimed an impressive point away at Newcastle United last weekend and beat Everton in the league the game before.
However, in that 1-1 draw at St James’ Park, Kehrer was forced off at half-time with an injury and his manager even claimed that the defender would miss this London derby against the Blues.
He said: “Thilo is a problem, Thilo came off with an injury, so that’s the main one.”
Despite this, in an update on The West Ham Way Patreon page , Ex has now revealed that the German faces a late fitness test – but he is in the squad and could come in for Ben Johnson.He explained: “There were some injury concerns around Kehrer who had to be replaced at halftime against Newcastle. The club will do a late test on him but he is in the squad.”
He added: “One selection dilemma Moyes has to make is whether, if Kehrer is fit, he sticks with him or brings in Ben Johnson, who was impressive as his replacement in the second half.”
Big call
Since arriving from PSG in the summer, Kehrer has played regularly for Moyes but had actually been dropped to the bench in three of the last five games he’d been available.
However, with Kurt Zouma injured, the defender came back into the team against Newcastle before coming off with his own fitness struggles.
In the game, he was replaced by Johnson who performed solidly and helped the side cling on for a point without letting in any goals while he was on the pitch.
Indeed, as per Sofascore, he finished the match with three clearances, one tackle, 1/1 aerial duels won, and 1/3 ground duels won. As a result, his match score rating was 6.7 – which is better than the 6.3 display Kehrer managed in his 45-minute spell.
All in all, it sounds like German may well be fit enough to make the squad but Moyes may prefer to keep a fully fit Johnson in the starting team regardless.
Chelsea youngster Lewis Hall has reportedly left Cobham club staff ‘really impressed’ as the Premier League giants open new deal talks.
The Lowdown: Blues open new deal talks…
It’s been reported that the west Londoners are attempting to tie down their best and brightest to fresh terms after a very eventful January transfer window.
Graham Potter’s side spent an estimated £292 million last month, bringing in the likes of Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez in a British record £107 million deal.
Past the window, Chelsea are now at work on in-house deals behind-the-scenes with journalist Dean Jones sharing an update on Hall.
The Latest: Chelsea staff wowed by Hall…
The reporter has claimed that talks are definitely happening between the 18-year-old and Chelsea over fresh terms, adding that club staff can’t get enough of him.
Cobham officials have apparently been blown away by Hall, citing his maturity and hard-work as a real plus point to his game.
Jones said to GIVEMESPORT:
“It’s been muted a bit to me. It’s not really advanced, but there’s definitely talks happening.
“My sources are saying that Lewis Hall impressed Chelsea a lot in the games that he’s played this season. He’s been rewarded with game time; he was even keeping Cucurella out of the team for a few games.
“And Chelsea staff had been really impressed with him, and they love his attitude as well; he turns up to Cobham every day, and he puts in 100%. And he’s got a real maturity about him for his age.”
The Verdict: Exciting…
Hall is a record-breaker, having become the youngest ever Chelsea player to start an FA Cup game last season.
The versatile midfielder/left-back put in an assured and impressive display against Chesterfield that game, earning praise from Callum Hudson-Odoi, who called his teammate ‘amazing’.
Potter has handed Hall four top flight starts this campaign and an appearance each in both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, indicating his real faith in the starlet (WhoScored).
The former Brighton boss has also already waxed lyrical over the player this season, explaining how he was left very impressed with Hall’s display in their EFL Cup defeat to Man City last November.
The sky appears to be the limit for Chelsea’s latest star-studded academy graduate and he could become a fixture in Potter’s squad for seasons to come.
Leeds United’s inability to bring in a replacement for Jesse Marsch ‘makes absolutely no sense’, according to pundit and ex-player Lucy Ward.
The Lowdown: No Marsch replacement in sight
Jesse Marsch was relieved of his duties earlier this month, with a run of poor performances and results in the Premier League ultimately proving to be his undoing.
For now, Michael Skubala is in interim charge at Elland Road, with the 40-year-old drawing one and losing two of his three matches in charge, including at Everton on Saturday.
The search continues for Marsch’s long-term replacement, with Steven Gerrard just one of several individuals recently linked with the Elland Road vacancy.
The Latest: Ward can’t believe manager saga
Taking to Twitter on Saturday, former Leeds player Ward, who also worked in the academy set-up for nearly 20 years and is now a pundit for BBC, BT Sport and talkSPORT, was critical of the club’s failure to have a successor to Marsch lined up straight away, blasting the goings on in the Leeds board room:
“Cannot understand how Leeds didn’t get a new manager in immediately they sacked Marsch. Makes absolutely no sense.”
The Verdict: Seems like poor planning
While Leeds were right to dispatch of Marsch when they did – they had won only four league games this season when he was sacked – their handling of the situation does seem odd.
[freshpress-quiz id=“418869″]
In Skubala, the Whites now have a hugely inexperienced manager in charge of a team desperately fighting to remain in the top flight, when a more renowned boss would surely make more sense – just look at Everton’s turnaround since landing Sean Dyche, picking up six of a possible nine points.
The proof is ultimately in the pudding – it could be that Skubala is retained until the end of the season – but Leeds would be wise to nail a new manager before the vital clash with Southampton at Elland Road this weekend.
Failure to win that game would further increase their chances of returning to the Championship and pressure would already be mounting on Skubala if that happened.
Unless your name is Robinho, then you’ve probably enjoyed yourself after signing for Manchester City for big money. The Citizens love to splash the cash, and are one of the biggest spenders in Europe.
It’s no secret that a large part of their success is down to the transfers they have made since the takeover of Sheik Mansour. The likes of Kevin de Bruyne, Kyle Walker, and Ederson have all arrived for big fees, before going on to have the greatest success, winning trophy after trophy.
The spending hasn’t slowed down, either, with Erling Haaland headlining their summer arrivals.
Whether any of those arrivals have the same impact as the names listed below, we’re not sure, however.
10) Joe Hart
Before the years of Pep Guardiola and the need to be a ball-playing goalkeeper, Joe Hart was one of the best shot-stoppers in the Premier League.
Eventually a mainstay for Man City after first signing in 2006 from Shrewsbury Town, Hart went on to play a pivotal part in three Premier League title wins.
He was also regularly picked to keep goal for England, and was undoubtedly the best stopper in the league.
He eventually fell of a cliff in terms of his form, but at his best, Hart was immense between the sticks.
9) Pablo Zabaleta
Signed from Espanyol for £7.83 million in 2008, Pablo Zabaleta went from an unknown fullback to one of the best that the Premier League has had the pleasure of seeing.
The Argentine was a mix between the modern-day fullbacks we see and the old fashioned, more defensive versions that we once saw. And, with that hybrid style, came great success.
Zabaleta went on to spend nine years at the Etihad Stadium, winning two Premier League titles and the FA Cup.
One of the best defenders City have ever had.
8) Carlos Tevez
There was plenty of controversy when Tevez made the move to City.
He had spent two years at Manchester United, technically on loan from West Ham, but he left the Old Trafford club after rejecting their offer to turn his stay into a permanent deal.
As a result, he was snapped up by City, and went on to become an absolute hero in sky blue.
The Argentine finished his Man City career with 78 goals in 148 games, having picked up a Premier League medal along the way.
7) Fernandinho
It’s only now that he’s left Manchester City that people are beginning to realise just how good Fernandinho was during his time in the Premier League.
The defensive midfielder was the backbone to City’s success, especially under Pep Guardiola, having signed from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2013 for £40 million.
He went on to become a first-team mainstay and hoovered up trophies in a truly elite team.
The Brazilian defied his years and was routinely the best defensive midfielder in the league.
6) Ederson
The signing of Ederson for £36 million signalled the real start of City dominance under Guardiola in 2017.
The former Barcelona manager finally had the ultimate ball-playing number one that he had been craving.
And, since then, we’ve seen exactly why Guardiola wanted the Brazilian, who has won three Golden Gloves in the last three seasons.
He can make world-class saves, and also has world-class distribution.
5) Yaya Toure
Yaya Toure doesn’t often get the credit he deserves for his time in the Premier League; people seem to forget just how good he was; just how dominant he was.
The midfielder is one of the best in his position that English football has seen, and cost City just £27 million in 2010 from Barcelona.
After arriving at the club, he went on to play 316 times for the club, scoring 79 goals and laying on 49 assists.
Oh, and he also won three Premier League titles.
4) David Silva
If elegance was a player, it would be David Silva.
The silky Spaniard was the epitome of class at Manchester City, and rightfully has his own statue outside of The Etihad.
Signed from Valencia for just £28.88 million in 2010, Silva goes down as one of the best bargains in Man City history, and one of the most successful signings.
He really set the tone for what was to come for the club.
3) Vincent Kompany
There is no doubt that Vincent Kompany is one of the best centre-backs in Premier League history, and one of the greatest signings of all time for Man City.
The Belgian was the ultimate leader, right up to his departure.
Having signed for the Citizens from Hamburg in 2010 for just £7.65 million, the former City captain quickly became a bargain.
And he’s now showing that he’s just as good a manager, as he’s flying with Burnley in the Championship.
2) Kevin de Bruyne
Now seems like a good opportunity to make this prediction, so here goes: By the time Kevin de Bruyne retires, he will be spoken about as the best midfielder to ever grace the Premier League.
He simply has it all, and goes down as one of the best signings in not only City’s history, but English football history.
The £68.4 million fee paid to Wolfsburg in 2015 now looks an absolute bargain.
De Bruyne was amazingly labelled a flop after arriving at City; those takes haven’t aged particularly well.
1) Sergio Aguero
Let’s face it, Sergio Aguero was always going to top this list, wasn’t he?
Even if that last gasp title-winning goal against Queens Park Rangers turned out to be his last goal for the club, it would have been enough to see him feature on this list.
It is the Premier League’s greatest, and most dramatic moment, scored by the greatest signing in Manchester City’s history.
With the signing of Haaland, this list may just need rewriting in two years or so. The former Borussia Dortmund striker is simply too good to end up disappointing. He is bound to succeed, especially under Guardiola, who could turn what is already a goal scoring machine into something out of this world.
A lot of players can go under the radar at Manchester City. Simply put, Pep Guardiola’s system isn’t designed for individual standouts. It is designed for every player to play their role to perfection, both on and off the ball. And this naturally leads to a number of underrated, yet important figures emerging.
Such is the genius of Guardiola, some may believe that the former Bayern Munich manager could hand pick a number of players for each role in his starting 11. But, this isn’t the case; certain players deserve credit for the job they do; jobs that not many others could take on with such success.
With that said, we’ve ranked Manchester City’s most underrated player of the Premier League era.
10) Oleksandr Zinchenko
Oleksandr Zinchenko is one of the biggest victims of Manchester City’s constant spending on improvement. The left-back has always performed well in his role, but has still seen that same role taken by other players as soon as they walk through the door.
As a result, he left for Arsenal in the summer, and they’re now top of the Premier League table; coincidence? We think not.
Indeed, Zinchenko never made more than 20 appearances in one Premier League season during his time at City.
That feels like a ridiculous stat when you think about it, but it just shows the riches City have at their disposal.
9) Samir Nasri
An increasingly controversial character as his career went on, Samir Nasri often went under the radar at Manchester City.
The silky Frenchman played an important role in City’s first ever Premier League title win in 2012, recording 14 goal involvements in the league.
Nasri totalled 176 appearances for City during his time at the club and one has to say that the club had the best version of him.
After leaving, Nasri endured a nomadic period, playing in Turkey, as well as featuring for West Ham and Anderlecht.
He’s not remembered as he should be.
8) Mario Balotelli
Football – Manchester United v Manchester City Barclays Premier League – Old Trafford – 23/10/11 Mario Balotelli – Manchester City celebrates scoring the first goal with David Silva and Sergio Aguero Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Lee Smith Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or live services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulatlivepiccion. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player pu
Speaking of controversial, not many have a bigger track record of that exact trait than Mario Balotelli. And that’s perhaps why his time at Manchester City went under the radar.
Whether he was putting the ball in on the goal-line with his shoulder, or scoring against Manchester United and unveiling the famous ‘why always me’ shirt, the Italian was superb at times. To this day, he remains the only Italian to win the Premier League title.
Balotelli may have seen his legacy somewhat dimmed by the fact that he never recaptured the City form anywhere else.
But he’s one of the most mercurial players we’ve ever seen at City.
7) Pablo Zabaleta
Pablo Zabaleta was unfortunate enough to feature in an era when full-backs were not quite as appreciated as they are today.
The Argentine right-back was as good going forward as he was defensively, and was a huge part of Manchester City’s Premier League title wins in 2011/12 and 2013/14.
He made over 300 appearances, and often wore the captain’s armband.
He left City with two Premier League titles under his belt, as well as two League Cups and one FA Cup.
6) Edin Dzeko
When it comes to underrated forwards in Premier League history, Edin Dzeko is right near the top.
He was a key part of City’s title-winning sides in 2011/12 and 2013/14, and, by the time he left city, he had scored an impressive 72 goals in 189 appearances.
Many seem to forget, too, that it was his goal that put City level with Queens Park Rangers on the final day of the 11/12 season.
It took a long time for City to find another striker who was as selfless and brilliant as the Bosnia and Herzegovina international.
5) Ilkay Gundogan
The Ilkay Gundogan fan club may have increased in numbers recently, but he still goes far too much under the radar for our liking.
The final day of last season epitomised the German as a player, with his brace helping to overturn a 2-0 deficit against Aston Villa to win the game 3-2 and seal the Premier League title.
Where there is an important moment, there seems to be a Gundogan goal.
He’s played over 280 times for the club and if he does leave soon enough, he will be sorely missed.
4) Aleksandar Kolarov
Like Zabaleta, Aleksandar Kolarov was unlucky to enjoy his best years in an era outside of the full-back popularity that we so often see today.
That does not take away just how good he was, however, with his rocket of a left foot making the difference on more than one occasion at The Etihad, clocking up 247 appearances.
He was a regular during the time that City were becoming a truly immense force in English football.
Defensively brilliant and an attacking threat too, Kolarov was a truly world-class left-back.
3) Raheem Sterling
A player with 131 goals and 95 assists shouldn’t be able to warrant a place on this list. But, the fact is, Raheem Sterling is nowhere near appreciated enough at Manchester City and in the Premier League as a whole.
In total, he won four Premier League titles at the Etihad Stadium, along with five League Cups and one FA Cup.
He has left an immense hole in the City squad after moving to Chelsea, and it remains to be seen if the club can find a way to properly replace him.
Their form this season suggests they are struggling to do so.
2) Joe Hart
The arrival and subsequent performances of Ederson can make people forget about just how good Joe Hart was at Manchester City.
Of course, he didn’t suit the change of style under Pep Guardiola, but, prior to that, he was head and shoulders (pun fully intended) above many Premier League shot-stoppers. He remains a key figure in City’s recent history.
One of the best goalkeepers in Europe at his peak, Hart was also England’s No.1 at a variety of major tournaments.
At his best, there were few better in the world.
1) Fernandinho
Fernandinho was always going to have his place on this list.
He is one of the most underrated players in Premier League history. And, in a way, that’s exactly what you want from your defensive midfielder. If they’re in the spotlight then, chances are, they’ve made a mistake.
Fernandinho has successfully been the foundation of City’s success over the years, whilst rarely being exposed on the main stage.
He made 383 appearances in total, playing a key role in every season from 2013/14 right up until last season.
With the way that Pep Guardiola sets up his side, it would come as no surprise if more players went under the radar in the next few years. As a collective, Manchester City are the best team in the Premier League, and arguably the world. Meanwhile, if you shoved the majority of their players into the spotlight and forced them to play in a system which requires individual carrying jobs, they’d fit straight in.
It speaks volumes of the trust that the players have in Guardiola, that they have remained so disciplined over the years and stuck to their roles, whether that be in or out of the spotlight.