Sportcity becoming the new La Masia?

In the 2011 UEFA Champions League final between Barcelona and Manchester United, Barcelona started seven graduates of their famous youth system; La Masia – four more were named among the seven substitutes.

It was the righteous culmination of a tactical revolution that had led them to two UEFA Champions League titles in three seasons, two La Liga titles and a treble under Pep Guardiola. All along the way they developed a style of football that would not only define the modern era but be perceived, or at least in the argument of, the greatest team of all time.

Now it is the turn of another Guardiola-influenced operation at Manchester City.

Take the ball, pass the ball

The idea that younger or youth team players play in a Guardiola system is not just because it happened and because it builds a strong connection. There are practical benefits to the game.

Fabian Delph suggested he learned more about football in three weeks under Guardiola than he had done at any time in his career.

Therefore, it is seemingly obvious that players on the cusp of senior football, with no discrepancies or limited previous tactical knowledge will be more attuned to being moulded by Guardiola and his coaching staff and techniques. 

Sportcity

Sportcity, just by the Etihad Stadium, was used for the Manchester Commonwealth Games in 2002. It has since been transformed into one of the most, if not the most, state-of-the-art training centre for Manchester City and Manchester City’s academy. 

A 7,000 capacity stadium, with 5,000 seats is where City’s Elite Development Squad play their home matches in the Professional Development League. A stadium that is neat and tight into the pitch but provides a pristine platform for the youngsters. Akin to that of Estadi Johan Cruyff for Barcelona B.

The leading lights

©Getty / Dan Mullan

Coached by former Rochdale boss Brian Barry-Murphy, given the job due to his impressive insistence and implementation of a slick passing style of play in League One, the City academy boasts some of the finest talents across the world and, most certainly in England.

For the purpose of drawing similarities between this generation of players and that of the aforementioned 2008-2012 Barcelona side, we will be focusing on the domestic-born footballers. 

The two obvious names to mention that have gone their different ways would be Phil Foden and Jadon Sancho. Foden is the viewed as the seal of approval for the amount of funding that has gone into the academy. The 21-year-old boyhood City fan from Stockport has already broken into the England team and won ten major honours in his young career.

Sancho, on the other hand, grew frustrated and concerned at a lack of first-team openings at the Etihad so he moved on to Borussia Dortmund, became a major star in the Bundesliga, also broke into the England side before moving to City’s city rivals Manchester United this summer.

The players coming through

©Getty / NAOMI BAKER

Aside from those leading lights, there are several names that could make a major impact on the first-team this season.

Samuel Edozie was involved in the first-team’s pre-season training this summer, as well as the odd friendly match. However, Edozie wasn’t involved in their EFL Cup third round victory over Wycombe Wanderers this week. Instead, he was scoring against Doncaster Rovers for the EDS in the EFL Trophy.

A few of the players that were involved in that game that will look to have a further involvement in the earlier stages of the cup competitions would be that of CJ Egan-Riley, Finley Burns, Joshua Wilson-Esbrand and Luke Mbete.

The most exciting prospects, though, must certainly be that of attacking midfielders Cole Palmer, James McAtee and striker Liam Delap.

McAtee made his senior Manchester City debut in that aforementioned Wycombe game when he came off the bench with just less than 20 minutes to go. At just 18 years-old, he is a player that has already had loan interest from England’s second tier. 

He has the ability to play up-front and in the middle-of-the-park but his attacking capabilities appear endless. In just the middle-of-September, McAtee has managed 11 goals and three assists for City’s under-23’s so far this season.

©Getty / Visionhaus

Cole Palmer made his debut last season away at Burnley in the EFL Cup. The 19 year-old from Wythenshawe has already made his Premier League debut this season and, on Tuesday, scored his first goal for the club.

Similar to McAtee, and to the preference of a Guardiola player, Palmer has the versatility to play in several positions including attacking midfield and as a striker. Barry-Murphy has lavished praise on Palmer this season:

“He plays the game on a level I could never dream of. My first impression was how humble he was, how hard-working he was, how respectful of his teammates he was. I know they’re clichés but it’s very refreshing to see.

"His work-rate without the ball is very inspiring. The other players will always notice how he is. His ability with the ball is a given, you’re expecting what you expect and [he is capable of] some amazing individual skill."

The other key player to watch out for this season would be Liam Delap. Delap has already become relatively well-known, as the nephew of former Stoke and Ireland midfielder Rory Delap. 

Delap is a striker that scores at a relentless rate with a grace and elegance not necessarily expected for someone linked heavily with a loan move to Michael O’Neill’s Stoke City this summer.

The 6ft 1-inch English youth international scored on his own Manchester City debut last season in the EFL Cup. Delap was used in the Premier League towards the start of the season, but struggled to break in much after that, not without praise from Guardiola. The Catalan boss described Delap as “so important for City’s future” in August.

A reason as to why these three could find themselves given a more prominent role than anticipated this season would be the lack of striking options in the City squad. 

© Laurence Griffiths / Getty Images

The failure to bring in any of the many names linked, most notably Harry Kane, has left Gabriel Jesus as the only recognised striker in the City squad. That’ll be the Gabriel Jesus that now insists he prefers playing out-wide and has since done so this season.

Already firmly established as a training ground for some of the world's top talents, there appears to be far more to come from City's academy over the coming years...