Many feared, but though it will not come to this. After all, until March/April, Pep Guardiola reminded everyone who asked that his contact is up in 2027. But those fears proved to be totally justified as it was announced in May that the Spanish coach will leave the club after all, one year before the end of his contract. The signs were there for all to see, and it sounds strange, but nobody actually believed him when he talked about seeing out his contract. Many factors contributed to that decision and we will never know fully which one of them proved to be decisive. One was certainly the accusations again the club for braking 115 financial rules, and the uncertainty of the outcome. Speaking of that, we are now into the FOURTH year of waiting for the final verdict! Tiredness is also one of the reasons. After all, he managed City for the last 10 years, which is a lot even for a manager in an average club, without many expectations, yet alone a club like Manchester. The recently released documentary also gives us a few clues. But, after all, Manchester City accepted his departure whatever the reasons and turned the page. But looking at the last three months without Guardiola, the big questions is: what’s the plan?Man City put on a masterclass – Haaland and Cherki drop braces to blow Palace awayThe plan is surely in place, as the executives and the club owners surely new much more in advance that the famous coach will leave them at the end of the season. The circle which started 10 years ago started to close in with the departure of sporting director Txiki Begiristain, who left a year before Guardiola, and many saw this as the first sign of the complete turnover. Former Newcastle and Sporting Lisabon player Hugo Viana took the role and a rebuild started, but it looks that a rebuild was a bad one, as many players who were bought just a year, year and a half ago are sold now. After two games, Manchester City doesn’t look good, they keep selling players but the ones which arrived are not delivering, and the team doesn’t look the same.Craze for the Senegalese: Giants in the race for NdiayeWhen Enzo Maresca suddenly left Chelsea in January, a breakdown of communication with the management was one of the main reasons (unofficially), but also his desire to succeed Guardiola. It was still January 2026 and Pep’s contract was until 2027, so what was the rush? Now we know that City were in fact tempering the Italian manager and when he was finally appointed, they had to pay 17 million pounds compensation to Chelsea. 17 million is a lot of money and Maresca is now third on the list of biggest compensation (Nagelsmann to Bayern is the first and Potter to Chelsea is the second). So, what the Citizens got for that 17 million? Time will tell, but so far, he promoted Leicester back to the Premier League and won the Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup with Chelsea. He was handpicked by Guardiola (just like Ferguson picked David Moyes as his successor) and yet after a few months and two games, City doesn’t look good. Yes, they did won comfortably against Crystal Palace on Friday, but we are talking about a team with a new manager who never coached in the Premier League and whose team is weakened than last season.All guns blazing! Arsenal destroy City in Community ShieldFor starters, the Citizens are not playing like under Guardiola, which was a logical step, considering the player’s profiles, a need for continuity and Maresca’s time as Pep’s assistant. But game against Arsenal showed stilted build-up play, an uncertain midfield and only sporadic opportunities for the wide men to get involved. Against Bournemouth, the feeling was that if Iraola remained as the coach, the Cherries would finish off City, but instead, they lost 2-1. That was also the game in which he left two midfielders one the bench and played defender Marc Guehi in that position. The fear is that Maresca will force the build-up plays just like in Chelsea, which means that the opposition coaches will be able to come up with a plan to stop the Citizens. Maresca is, so far, asking his wingers to press the opposition centre-backs, which means the midfield needs to be ready for battle if the opposition move the ball past the first line of the press.FALSE 10: A new football oasisAnd that brings us to the second biggest dilemma: the players. For starters, the Citizens have lost almost whole defense, as reserve keeper James Trafford left, along with Nathan Ake, John Stones and Manuel Akanji. But that doesn’t sound so bad as it looks. Most of them were either on a loan or injured last season, and considering their age and injury record, the club did well to get rid of them. The problem is the midfield and attack. Influential players like Bernardo Silva (free agent) and Rodri (Barcelona) left, and what is more interesting, players like Tijjani Reijnders, Nico Gonzalez (nicknamed ‘mini-Rodri’) and Savinho have been allowed to leave. Since Omar Marmoush was also sold, the club now has only ONE striker – Erling Haaland. For the new tactics, midfield will be very important and the Citizens are suddenly dangerously thin in that area.Moroccan wonderkid has arrived – Bouaddi to Manchester City!Letting so many players go without getting a replacement first is usually a manner in which smaller clubs with financial problems operate, not the teams like Manchester. And yet, they find themselves with one striker in the team and short in midfield, an area which is very important for Maresca’s tactics. The fact that they have so far sold 10 players, and they need at least three to four players in the team, which is a sign of a great rebuild, the one which was not supposed to happen, as Marecsa is Guardiola’s natural successor. But that’s not what happened and now City are in a: 1) rebuild mode; 2) desperately need new players. That’s not what big clubs and multiply Premier League teams do. So, either there was no real post-Guardiola plan, or the plan is not working currently, or they are very late in implementing. The last reason is probably accurate, but still, this was note done good.Allan agreed, but City still want GakpoSo, is there a plan B? In short terms, no. The plan to put the faith in Maresca’s hands is currently being implemented, but it will take much more time than needed. The Citizens have so far brought Elliot Anderson for 135 million pounds and Ayoub Bouaddi for 95 million. The latter is a big talent, but is only 18 years old and has zero Premier League experience. Brazilian winger Allan will come in for 40 million, but he is also a kid who hasn’t even played for the Brazilian national team. So, two players with zero experience and one proven England international, with 10 players sold. And if you just look at Arsenal, who are basically the only title contenders, it’s easy to see that the Citizens cannot win the league this season. In fact, they will challenge for the place in the Champions League. They will buy players for sure (Gakpo, Enzo Fernandez, Alvarez?), but they have only a few days until the transfer window shut, and then Maresca has to put all pieces together and start blending new players in, with new tactics. And he will have to do it in September, with three rounds of Premier League already being played. Arsenal did all that by the start of August…PREMIER LEAGUE – MATCHDAY 2FridayCrystal Palace – Manchester City 1-4 (0-1)/Donnarumma 56 og – Haaland 17, 84, Cherki 54, 59/Saturday14.30: (1.50) Liverpool (4.55) Nottingham Forest (5.90)17.00: (2.15) Bournemouth (3.40) Everton (3.40)17.00: (1.95) Coventry (3.50) Hull (3.90)19.30: (2.35) Tottenham (3.50) Newcastle (2.95)Sunday16.00: (1.90) Chelsea (3.50) Brighton (4.10)16.00: (2.65) Leeds (3.20) Brentford (2.75)16.00: (2.50) Sunderland (3.25) Fulham (2.90)18.30: (1.38) Manchester United (4.80) Ipswich (7.30)Monday22.00: (6.25) Aston Villa (4.00) Arsenal (1.55)***odds are subject to change***