When Pep Guardiola began his managerial career at the highest level in 2008, he showcased a very obvious tactical preference. Simply put, his attacking players in wide areas had to be fast.
Barcelona possessed a wealth of talent when the Spaniard first took charge, including Ronaldinho and a young Lionel Messi. Neither were deemed to be quick enough to perform on the flanks for the most part.
Instead, Guardiola opted for the likes of Thierry Henry, Pedro and David Villa. He even tampered with the role of Samuel Eto'o - using him as a wide threat rather than a central striker - and success followed.
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Once he moved to Bavaria, little changed. In fact, his game became even more closely associated with expert wide players who had the credentials to thrive in one-on-one situations with opponents.
He inherited Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery at Bayern Munich, with both players seemingly experiencing their peak years of performance. The duo was even nicknamed 'Robbery' on the back of their prominence in the Bundesliga.
Guardiola's approach was shaped around the pair, with Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller simply tasked with hoovering up their crosses and putting the ball in the net.
The likes of Douglas Costa and Kingsley Coman were also brought in. Both of those players possessed similar traits to Robben and Ribery in terms of speed, dribbling and directness.
The theme continued when Guardiola moved to Manchester. His immediate desire for quick players on the flanks was clear, with Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane integral to his early years at the Etihad.
Ferran Torres and Riyad Mahrez added to the strength, with Gabriel Jesus retrained over the course of the past year to perform out wide rather than through the middle.
Throughout his time as an elite coach, speed in the wide areas has been an ever-present quality of his teams, but things could be about to change. This summer City are looking to sell Sterling and Jesus to fellow Premier League rivals.
The pair have contracts which are due to expire in 2023 and with both in search of more regular game time, City could sanction sales in the coming months.
If the two players were to leave, Guardiola's squad would look somewhat different to usual when it comes to the players he's able to deploy on the flanks.
Mahrez would remain at the club but now aged 31, he's offering pace less and less as time progresses. Jack Grealish would be another option but again, he has a number of skills to harness, but speed isn't really one of them.
Ultimately, if Sterling and Jesus depart without being adequately replaced, Phil Foden would be the only real wide man at Guardiola's disposal who is quicker than most of his peers.
The City boss would be working with a new dynamic, especially considering the blistering pace held by Erling Haaland, who will play through the middle at the Etihad next season.
Perhaps the presence of the Norwegian striker is enough to reassure Guardiola that pace won't be lacking in his team but regardless, the 51 year-old coach could be entering unfamiliar territory next season.
