All of a sudden there is a level of excitement that surrounds the FIFA Club World Cup for Manchester City | OneFootball

The Manchester City squad and staff have departed Manchester today to head to the United States for the FIFA Club World Cup. The merits of the tournament and the wisdom of adding more games to the football calendar will long be debated. But after a successful transfer window ahead of the tournament, there is a level of excitement that surrounds the competition for Manchester City. It does represent a new beginning at the club for Pep Guardiola and his team.

The FIFA Club World Cup represents a new beginning for Manchester City.

Manchester City completed the signings of Rayan Ait-Nouri, Marcus Bettinelli, Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders during the transfer window ahead of the Club World Cup. The tournament represents an opportunity for Pep Guardiola to integrate all four players into his squad. In the case of Ait-Nouri, Cherki and Reijnders they loom as crucial players in Manchester City’s future. On top of what each player adds to Pep Guardiola’s squad, they do add an element of excitement to the FIFA Club World Cup from a Manchester City point of view.

There is also the addition of new coaches to Pep Guardiola’s staff which adds another interesting dynamic to Manchester City’s FIFA Club World Cup campaign. As Ben Burrows reported for The Athletic, former Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders and set-piece coach James French have joined Manchester City. Both coaches will bring a new point of view to Pep Guardiola’s staff. That is an exciting development. The pair will get their first opportunity to work with Guardiola and his team in the United States. Their impact likely won’t be noticeable at the FIFA Club World Cup. But the quicker that they can begin their work, the better for Manchester City.

Summary.

Ahead of the Club World Cup, the dynamic has shifted at Manchester City. There is now an element of excitement and intrigue added to City’s Club World Cup campaign. New signings and new assistants for Pep Guardiola will have that effect.

Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak has previously stated that his club’s goal is to win the tournament. With a new sense of optimism at Manchester City, and the competition representing a new beginning at the club, Al-Mubarak’s goal now seems to be a realistic proposition. That brings a level of excitement to the tournament for everyone associated with Manchester City. That excitement and intrigue may not have existed only a few months ago.