Time has started to catch up with Pep Guardiola’s Dad’s Army… Man City need a refresh and they need it fast

Whoever sorts out the music at the Etihad stuck on some Bloc Party at half-time. Two More Years, a single from 2005. One of their finest.

Pep Guardiola has signed until 2027, so why not? Something worth celebrating, even with Manchester City 2-0 down, staring at an unfathomable fifth consecutive defeat. Just a little reminder of what they have at their disposal. Superficially, at least. The track is actually about fading love and closure.

That probably did not come into the DJ’s thinking, but then you listen to it. Kele Okereke sings ‘this pain won’t last forever’ — and in that regard there are aspects applicable to City.

No, this pain won’t last forever. If it goes on much longer, City’s title race will be run, but in the long term, amid what is beginning to feel like a fairly pointed squad rebuild, there is no better man to be leading them than Guardiola.

There is nothing stopping City dipping into the January market if sporting director Txiki Begiristain and Guardiola believe the right player is available. And even though the problems during this worrying run are deeper than missing Rodri, a central midfielder is top of City’s wish-list.

Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi, who excelled for Spain in the Euro 2024 final against England after replacing the injured Rodri at half-time, has been mentioned, along with Ederson of Atalanta. 

Both are 25, so neither old nor raw. City have been fixated on somebody who can operate in the holding role but also get forward; Ederson looks slightly more suitable in that regard; Zubimendi is basically a younger Rodri.

It’s why Mateo Kovacic came in, Kalvin Phillips to a lesser extent. Phillips is now on loan at Ipswich Town. Kovacic, while adept at striding forward, is still learning the discipline required to play the Rodri role. Countless times this season, the Croatian has jumped out of position to try to nick the ball and been left floundering.

Those moments, when chasing back towards their own goal, can make City look a little tired. And it is perfectly reasonable that they do, given the squad is now packed with experienced players. Unprompted, Guardiola brought up last week that 12 of his squad are 30 or over. It’s actually nine of them — three more are 29 — but the point stands and he is clearly thinking about it.

Fifty-two per cent of City’s minutes this season have been played by those guys. Age was always going to catch up with them at some point but, until recently, the idea of replacing any of the older men who were still performing at their peak felt preposterous.

Ilkay Gundogan looks like a man who spent a year running games at his own pace in La Liga. Kovacic — out for a month — has been sluggish defensively. Even Bernardo Silva has lost some of his pep. Bringing energy to the midfield is left to 20-year-old Rico Lewis, who needs a rest.

Elsewhere, club captain Kyle Walker is a shadow of his former self. John Stones is only fit enough for 45 minutes. Kevin De Bruyne doesn’t start.

‘City have a lot of the ball, so sometimes we can rest when we defend,’ said Tottenham’s Dejan Kulusevski, who was superb

Even Bernardo Silva has lost some of his pep and City look desperate for a refresh 

flying down the wing. ‘There’s also so much space up there. We play one against one and it’s always dangerous because we have a lot of quality.’

Kulusevski saves his best for City away and so do Tottenham, magnificent once more. This was a statement performance for manager Ange Postecoglou and his style of play.

The aftermath was all about Guardiola, though. About what City’s manager can do from here.

Claudio Echeverri is joining from River Plate in six weeks but is attack-minded and still only 18, so the key decision in the coming weeks — and this could ultimately lighten the load on Begiristain’s successor, Hugo Viana — is whether to spend further back.

City are not usually busy in the January window. But they require something new, if only to freshen it up.