Manchester City will honour midfielder Jill Scott, who is leaving the club after eight-and-a-half years, as key figures at the Etihad crowned her a club legend.
29.04.2022 - 08:09 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Brian Barry-Murphy promised a new approach when he was chosen as the man to lead Manchester City's brightest group of young players in a generation. It was a drastic departure in mentality, and maybe not completely in keeping with the club's main philosophy: winning.
His predecessor, Enzo Maresca, had finally brought league and cup silverware to City's promising academy after years of good performances but not so good results. He came in with a promise to the likes of Tommy Doyle, Cole Palmer and Taylor Harwood-Bellis that they were going to win the Premier League 2. And they did, as well as the FA Youth Cup.
Maresca would leave last summer, though, leaving a hard act to follow. Rochdale boss Barry-Murphy made the unusual move from Football League manager to Premier League academy coach, insisting that the academy would return to a focus on coaching and development over winning. His theory was that if that was being done right, then results would follow - and hopefully the silverware would keep coming too.
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Last week, City's talented Elite Development Squad successfully retained the title they won under Maresca, albeit in rather different circumstances. That was a title won by blowing away the opposition, with a largely settled squad led by runaway top goalscorer Liam Delap.
This season has been much more of a struggle at times, with a younger profile of core players supplemented by the likes of Delap, Palmer and others who have been promoted as regular first-team squad members. Many of last season's key players including Doyle, Harwood-Bellis, Felix Nmecha, Adrian Bernabe and Alpha Dionkou were either loaned out or
Manchester City will honour midfielder Jill Scott, who is leaving the club after eight-and-a-half years, as key figures at the Etihad crowned her a club legend.
Pep Guardiola has made a special plea for Manchester City fans to give his players a rapturous welcome to the Etihad Stadium for Sunday’s title crunch. The Blues boss has asked the club to try to make sure that the welcome the fans are plotting for the team bus ahead of the final game, against Aston Villa, is around the main reception so the players will feel the love as they make their way into the stadium.
Manchester City playmaker Jack Grealish admits that he will have to put sentiment to one side as he continues to chase his Premier League title dream. Grealish sparked a turnaround for City at the London Stadium on Sunday afternoon as the champions hit back to draw with West Ham.
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Pep Guardiola has told his Manchester City players not to change their approach for the final three games of the season despite knowing they only need seven points to be crowned Premier League champions ahead of Liverpool.
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