What are the challenges ahead for Guardiola & Man City

It was the quality each Manchester City fans had been hoping for.

After months of speculation astir his future, their manager Pep Guardiola has decided to extend his stay with the nine for astatine slightest different year, taking him to summertime 2026.

The 53-year-old Spaniard joined City successful 2016 and has won 18 trophies truthful far, including six Premier League titles, 2 FA Cups and a Champions League.

The determination volition travel arsenic a invited alleviation to City fans and the club's hierarchy astatine a clip erstwhile they are coming caput connected with a fig of challenges some connected the transportation and disconnected it.

A atrocious tally of form, uncertainty implicit immoderate elder players' futures, changes down the scenes and facing the Premier League's 115 charges for alleged breaches of fiscal rules, mean Guardiola and Manchester City person a immense fewer months ahead.

Man City whitethorn inactive beryllium 2nd successful the Premier League but they are going done a slump successful signifier that hasn't been since Guardiola took the reigns.

A defeat by Brighton past clip retired was the archetypal clip Guardiola has suffered 4 successive defeats astatine the nine and was the archetypal clip since 2006 that City person mislaid 4 successful a row.

The tally surely isn't terminal successful presumption of their bid to triumph a record-extending 5th consecutive Premier League title, fixed they are lone 5 points down leaders Liverpool and 4 points wide of third-placed Chelsea.

They besides stay successful a decent presumption successful the Champions League radical signifier - contempt being thrashed by Sporting - but cognize they indispensable regain their signifier rapidly to enactment realistic contenders connected each fronts.

It has been suggested successful immoderate quarters the uncertainty implicit Guardiola’s aboriginal was a important origin successful City’s existent run, and determination volition present beryllium the anticipation his determination tin supply that clarity and certainty to propel the squad forward.

A bigger contented though remains the injuries wrong his squad, with the lack of defenders Kyle Walker, Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji, Ruben Dias and John Stones undoubtedly a cardinal issue.

In addition, Phil Foden has struggled to find his signifier and Ilkay Gundogan is yet to scope the level of show helium was astatine earlier helium near for Barcelona aft helping City triumph the Treble successful 2023. Kevin de Bruyne and Jack Grealish person been injured, portion Ballon D’Or victor Rodri is retired for the season.

City volition get nary sympathy due to the fact that of their occurrence and the wealth they person spent to execute it, but that fig of issues, to immoderate squad successful the Premier League, would person a antagonistic impact.

Where Guardiola staying volition person a large interaction is connected City’s plans for the future.

It has to beryllium regarded arsenic a affirmative for the nine that Guardiola is not leaving astatine the aforesaid clip arsenic his long-time person and manager of shot Txiki Begiristain.

Manchester United are yet to retrieve from the treble stroke of manager Sir Alex Ferguson and main enforcement David Gill leaving successful the summertime of 2013.

Begiristain’s replacement, Hugo Viana, volition request clip to set aft his determination from Sporting. The operation of Guardiola, president Khaldoon al-Mubarak and main enforcement Ferran Soriano provides that breathing space.

In the meantime, determination are important issues to address. The astir pressing are whether City bring successful a replacement for Rodri successful January and whether to connection a caller declaration to De Bruyne.

The Belgian, 33, has started conscionable 19 retired of a imaginable 49 Premier League games since helium was injured successful the Champions League last triumph implicit Inter Milan successful 2023.

He has been linked with MLS enlargement nine San Diego but City sources person ruled retired the anticipation of De Bruyne leaving successful January for the commencement of the US home season.

De Bruyne’s superb imaginativeness and quality to play passes into the close areas remains, but helium is 1 of City’s highest earners and Guardiola needs him connected the transportation much often.

Bernardo Silva, Stones, Walker and Ederson's existent contracts tally retired successful 2026, meaning decisions are besides going to beryllium made implicit their futures.

Does the existent ageing squad - with 9 implicit 30s - inactive person the tendency and capableness to propulsion again oregon is it clip to commencement gathering again?

It is often hard to work Guardiola.

He tin look bushed successful quality conferences but determination is besides an interior occurrence which has enabled him to acceptable and support his standards.

There is besides thing antithetic astir his attachment to City.

He inactive talks astir Barcelona arsenic "his club" but helium recovered the unit suffocating and discontinue aft 4 seasons.

At Bayern, helium stayed for the magnitude of an archetypal three-year declaration and thing more. At City, helium admits, helium has everything helium needs.

He likes surviving successful England, has nary volition of moving to Italy, truthful what were the alternatives. The large question, station Treble triumph, is wherever does the information travel from?

This season, determination is simply a feeling helium is responding to a treble challenge. He has brought up City’s 115 Premier League charges connected astatine slightest 2 occasions, suggesting the negativity attaching itself to the nine is connected his mind.

In addition, his side's signifier would interest immoderate manager. His absorption has been telling. In the aftermath of the 4-1 decision astatine Sporting earlier this month, erstwhile asked astir the situation successful beforehand of him, Guardiola replied: "I similar it, I emotion it. I privation to look it."

It astir feels arsenic if, having achieved truthful much, helium is relishing the imaginable of having to beryllium doubters wrong.

It is important Guardiola has committed his aboriginal to the nine erstwhile the Premier League lawsuit is inactive to beryllium decided.

It seems improbable helium volition cognize however that volition spell but helium has been accordant successful cautioning against a unreserved to judgement earlier the afloat facts are known and besides successful his presumption that what helium is being told astir the club’s behaviour backs up their presumption they person done thing wrong.

Regardless, it is 12 months since helium said pointedly helium would instrumentality astir adjacent if City were "relegated to League One".

That buys into the mentation Guardiola’s ties to the City ownership are truthful beardown helium would not locomotion distant if the worst was to go reality.

While determination is truthful overmuch uncertainty astir the lawsuit itself, Guardiola has guaranteed 1 thing.

He volition not lone proceed to beryllium the nationalist look of the nine and person to woody with questions arsenic they originate implicit the adjacent fewer weeks but besides volition stay successful station for months afterwards arsenic the aftermath is debated.

The world present – and it would astir apt person been the lawsuit anyhow – is that Guardiola’s estimation volition everlastingly beryllium tied to City’s, bully oregon bad.

It is the mode of shot that adjacent earlier City person confirmed the news, questions are being asked astir the timing and what it means successful narration to the England job.

A consecutive one-year woody for Guardiola could permission him escaped to regenerate Thomas Tuchel erstwhile his declaration with the Football Association expires.

But Tuchel has not taken complaint for a azygous crippled yet. If helium fulfils his remit and wins the 2026 World Cup, would helium locomotion away?

Would Guardiola beryllium that keen to regenerate him? It does look inevitable Guardiola volition negociate astatine planetary level 1 time – and if Spain is not an evident determination due to the fact that of his stance connected Catalan independence, England is an option.

He has besides been linked to the Brazil occupation implicit the past fewer weeks and it is known Guardiola's ambition is to 1 time negociate a nationalist side.

But fixed we are talking astir about 2 years down the enactment - and six months ago, it seemed definite Guardiola would beryllium leaving City - it is astir apt omniscient to clasp backmost from looking excessively acold ahead.