The good news for Manchester City is that there is someone who can identify their issues. Someone sufficiently well placed that he is found at the heart of their team, so well connected his neighbours include Pep Guardiola and so well respected he was once voted their captain. Ilkay Gundogan’s footballing brain is such that many expect him to become a manager, perhaps even Manchester City manager. But being able to recognise their problems does not necessarily mean they can be solved. Even one of the greatest of all time is struggling with that.
“I feel like we know exactly what's going wrong,” said Gundogan. “We know the reasons.” His own checklist included a loss of confidence; Guardiola denied that but it was easier to agree with Gundogan after City’s 2-0 defeat to Juventus in the Champions League proved a seventh loss in 10 games. When they went behind, despite a couple of shots and more urgency, there was little prospect of a comeback.
