Pep Guardiola instructs Manchester City star on crucial steps to progress first-team career | OneFootball

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has told academy graduate Oscar Bobb exactly what he needs to do to stake a greater claim in the first-team squad.

Bobb made a strong start to the season after impressing at the FIFA Club World Cup in June – in the backdrop of the most difficult year of the 22-year-old’s career after he battled with leg breaks and recurring hamstring issues over the course of the previous campaign.

The Norway international burst onto the scene with a crucial injury-time winner in a 3-2 comeback win for Manchester City away at Newcastle midway through the 2023-24 season – a goal that was deemed by many as the most pivotal moment of the Blues’ campaign.

Since his emergence, Bobb has provided a unique option out wide for Pep Guardiola, who has had to cope with a notable reduction in attacking output from the wings since the notable exits of Raheem Sterling, Leroy Sane and Riyad Mahrez over the years.

City have heavily relied on the likes of Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez on goals in recent seasons and after the latter joined Atletico Madrid for £82 million last summer, Haaland has had to do it all pretty much by himself for the Blues.

Guardiola has called for his wingers to pull their weight and alleviate the growing burden on Haaland to keep bailing Manchester City out of jail week-in, week-out, with the Blues aiming to mount a genuine title challenge this term after enduring their most challenging year for a decade last term.

The Manchester City manager and his backroom staff – together with the board – have kept their faith in Bobb, who is one of the brightest talents to have graduated from their academy – but there is an acceptance that it is now or never for the Oslo-born star as he looks to stamp his mark down on the first-team.

Bobb was one of City’s best players on the opening day of the season as Manchester City thumped Wolves in a 4-0 win at the Molineux Stadium, with the Norwegian combining well with the likes of Haaland and summer signing Tijjani Reijnders to make a very strong impression.

However, the winger is yet to regularly contribute to City’s goals and while he does offer a lot in and out of possession, the harsh reality for forwards is that they have to chip in with the odd goal to stake a stronger claim to start every week.

Speaking in a press conference ahead of Sunday’s Premier League game against Bournemouth, Guardiola was asked to reflect on Bobb’s development this season and what the Manchester City academy graduate needs to do to solidify himself as a regular starter.

“He started really well playing the first two, three games and after he didn’t play because I rotated the team. But he has to believe; the moment he believes in himself how good he is, he will make the next step in his career as a football player,” Guardiola said on Friday afternoon.

Bobb has been entrusted to start for Manchester City in their recent games against Aston Villa and Swansea City, so the onus is now on the forward to play his way into the starting XI as the season progresses as he competes with the likes of Jeremy Doku and Omar Marmoush on the wings.