One new Manchester City arrival has “opened my eyes” admits Pep Guardiola | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola has admitted that one recent Manchester City arrival this summer has already ‘opened his eyes’ during their time working alongside eachother.

The Etihad Stadium’s first-team set-up has undergone significant work and change throughout the course of the summer so far, as club officials look to bounce back from an underwhelming last campaign.

The 2024/25 season represented the first campaign since Pep Guardiola’s debut year with the club in which Manchester City failed to win a single major trophy, securing only the Community Shield to their name.

As such, Manchester City’s new director of football Hugo Viana worked at speed to bring in three new outfield players in time for integration at the FIFA Club World Cup, while there were also decisions made around the coaching structure.

The club announced following last season that assistant manager Juanma Lillo, technical coach Inigo Dominguez, and set-piece coach Carlos Vicens would all be leaving their posts, with the latter opting to take on the senior head coach role at SC Braga.

In their place came Jurgen Klopp’s long-standing assistant manager from his time at Liverpool in Pepijn Lijnders, Anfield’s opposition analyst under Brendan Rodgers, Klopp, and Arne Slot in James French, and a promotion for Under-18 coach Kolo Toure.

Speaking to reporters from the United States earlier this week, Pep Guardiola spoke of the immediate impact that Manchester City’s new set of coaching staff members have had on him personally.

“He’s opened my eyes in many and a few things in a short time,” Guardiola said, in specific reference to Pepijn Lijnders. “It’s happened for many years from all the assistant managers I’ve had; always I try to drink from their knowledge!”

The Manchester City head coach continued, “I need the people like last season with Juanma [Lillo], in the past with Mikel [Arteta], with Enzo [Maresca], with Dome [Torrent], with Rodo [Borrell] – all the assistants help me.

“Always it’s, ‘What is your opinion? What would you do? How would you do it? What drill will you make?’ That is what it’s all about, it’s nice, and now we have experience with Kolo [Toure], with James [French], with Pep [Lijnders], and every time he adds something, I say, ‘Wow! This could be good!

“We could make this step, we can be better’, and that is how the world works! Not just all the time the same, you have to open your mind, and be open to other minds, other people!”

Since the aforementioned coaching staff’s introduction into Manchester City’s first-team, there have also been notable changes on the pitch, with an added intensity in the way that Pep Guardiola’s side press opponents.

Set-pieces – particularly corner-kicks – have also improved and garnered much more success in terms of goal conversions since James French’s arrival, and all staff members will be hoping to continue that fine initial work when training resumes towards the end of July.