John Guidetti – The Future Swedish Star

John Guidetti is a name that perhaps doesn’t get the praise it deserves. It belongs to a young Swedish striker contracted to Manchester City, and it’s fair to say he’s had a fairly tough time of it in the least year or so, despite the level of potential that he possesses. However, even though City are now one of the biggest clubs in world football, fewer people know about the 21-year-old than they should, given how good Guidetti is predicted to be able to become.

In fairness, it’s hard to shine in a squad just holds talents such as Sergio Aguero and Yaya Toure, and given that Guidetti has rarely been given his chance to impress in the first team at the Etihad, it has been hard to make a name for himself. Even so, the Manchester City fans know their players well, and are expecting Guidetti to turn into one of the best strikers in the league within a few years. With both Mario Balotelli and Carlos Tevez now out of the door at City, the chance has been left open for Guidetti to prove his worth under new manager Pellegrini.

When the youngster signed for the Blues back in 2008, no-one can argue that very few football fans knew about the striker, given he had been playing for Brommapojkarna in Sweden, a club which was, like Guidetti, unfamiliar to many. However, clubs such as Inter Milan were also known to be interested in signing him, showing that he obviously held a lot of potential, and the capture of the young Swede showed promising signs for the future for Manchester City.

However, the majority of Guidetti’s time with the Blues so far has been spent out on loan with other clubs, such as back at Brommapojkarna, Burnley, and most notably with Feyenoord in the Netherlands. He scored 4 goals in 13 games with Burnley and Brommapojkarna, which didn’t fit with the potential he showed originally. However, his big opportunity came at Feyenoord in the 2011-12 season, after joining them on deadline day in August 2011. He went on to score 20 goals for the Dutch club in just 23 games, showcasing perfectly the potential that Guidetti has in him. He nearly helped the club to win the Eredivisie title that season, but they just missed out to Ajax.

Unfortunately, towards the end of the Swede’s time with Feyenoord, an incident occurred that seriously threatened to end such a promising career at a premature age. In April, he ate an infected piece of chicken at his girlfriend’s birthday party, which led to paralysis of one of his legs. He notes that he wasn’t even able to stand up, or do gentle exercise on an exercise bike. He was then taken to a University Hospital in Rotterdam, where he was met by Manchester City club doctor Philip Batty, and told by a professor his career was hanging by a thread. Thankfully, after six months of pain and hard work, he was able to resume training at City, with his career saved. He had earned his first cap for Sweden’s national team weeks before the illness struck him, and was predicted to partner Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Sweden’s talisman, at Euro 2012. He spoke of the anguish that this injury caused him, and rightly so, given that many were now predicting him to shine for City on his return.

A year one from that injury, and Manchester City have a new manager, former Real Madrid and Malaga manager Manuel Pellegrini. A known admirer of the young Guidetti, whereas precedent Roberto Mancini was not as well known for his fondness of bringing youngsters through to the first team. With the new manager in charge, City fans are now much more hopeful that Guidetti will be given his big chance to break into the team this coming season, especially now Tevez and Balotelli have both left, with City yet to bring in a proper replacement for either.

One big sign that Pellegrini knows how good Guidetti is that he tried to take the 21-year-old on loan to Malaga last season. However, Guidetti turned the chance to go to La Rosaleda down, because he wasn’t ready to be back in the first team after his afore-mentioned injury. This season though, Pellegrini looks set to give Guidetti the chance he needs to progress properly as a Blue. He met Guidetti properly for the first time earlier this week, as he took his first official tour of Manchester City’s facilities, on which he found Guidetti working hard to regain fitness in time for the new season, as he is determined to finally break into the team.

Several big names have been linked with Manchester City since the departure of Tevez last week, such as Edinson Cavani, Alvaro Negredo, and Oscar Cardozo, but the general consensus with Manchester City fans is that they would like to see Guidetti being given the chance to prove himself in a blue shirt this season, given his fantastic potential and goal record in his career so far. Many expect his career to soar over the next few seasons, and if it does, there will be many City fans who will be glad they backed him when many other football fans around the world didn’t. However, whether or not he gets that first team chance depends on the replacements that City bring in this summer. Having already signed Jesus Navas and Fernandinho, spending looks set to continue for the Blues, with many big names being mentioned as well as the ones mentioned before. Even so, many City fans are hoping John Guidetti gets the chance he deserves, and I, like many others, are backing him to get it.

Luis Suarez: Can He Be Tamed?

Luis Suarez is now a name that the majority of football fans around the world now know since his move to Liverpool from Dutch champions Ajax in January 2011. However, the impression that he has left on many is not always because of the goals he scores and how he plays in the match. He has been involved in controversial incidents several times since his move to Anfield, and seems to have finally decided it is time to call time on his Liverpool career. But the incidents that Suarez has been involved in could be a big reason why clubs may not want to bid for the Uruguayan, as he has proven hard to handle, and takes bad press with him everywhere.

The early impressions we got of the 26-year-old when he first signed on at Liverpool were good, after he scored on his debut against Stoke City. He was even the club’s record signing at £22.8m at one point, until Andy Carroll signed on at Liverpool for £35m later that day. In his first half a season with the Reds, he scored 4 goals in 12 league games, and contributed heavily in Liverpool going from 12th in the Premier League on the day he signed, to 6th by the end of the campaign.

With English fans having got their first taste of Suarez in the 2010-11 season, the next year was to be his first full campaign with Liverpool. After winning the Copa America in the summer with his national team Uruguay, it was then a controversial domestic season for the striker. In October 2011, he was accused of racially abusing Manchester United’s left-back Patrice Evra in the meeting between the two sides at Anfield, which finished 1-1. The saga between the two continued for over two months until Suarez received an eight-match ban in late December (extended to nine after making an obscene gesture towards the opposition fans in a match at Fulham’s Craven Cottage). However, despite the incident, Suarez scored 11 goals in 31 league games at Anfield as his club finished eighth. On the bright side, Suarez did win his first piece of silverware in England in February, winning the Carling Cup at Wembley after a penalty-shootout win over Cardiff.

Now with many fans of the game having turned on Suarez for the alleged racist incident, he began his third season with Liverpool by signing a new long-term deal with the Merseyside club. In terms of controversial events, Suarez’s 2012-13 season remained largely uneventful until late April, in which he was filmed biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic during the match, which was not spotted by the referee, and allowed Suarez to continue playing, meaning he scored a 97th minute equaliser for his side to ensure a share of the points. However, many believed that he should have been sent off and shouldn’t have been able to score Liverpool’s second, and as such he was punished by the Football Association, being given a ten-game ban, even longer than the one he received for the alleged racist incident the season before. Despite this incident, the 2012-13 season was his most successful in England, scoring 23 in 33 in the league.

With four of the ten games in Suarez’s ban already served, he is widely expected to leave the club in the summer, with Real Madrid and Manchester City having both been touted as possible destinations for the controversial Uruguayan. There is no doubt in my mind that Suarez has a lot of ability going for him – that’s been clear to see just at Liverpool and Ajax. He would easily get into almost every time in the world, with just a few exceptions such as Barcelona. But the lingering problem with Suarez is the controversy and media criticism that stays with Suarez everywhere he goes, which could be the biggest flaw as to whether a club would sign him or not.

I feel that if a club was able to fully control Suarez’s attitude, then they would have under their control one of the finest current strikers in world football. A prime example of where this has happened is with Mario Balotelli, now of AC Milan. Unimpressive in his last few months with City, with his attitude a constant problem whilst he was with the Blues, the Italian striker moved to Milan in January, and hasn’t looked back since. He scored more than a goal a game for the remainder of the season, and also seems to have greatly matured from the controversial figure that he was at City. If a club was able to do with Suarez what Allegri has done with Balotelli in the last few months, then they would have tamed a fine talent.

One of the clubs linked with the Uruguayan in recent times is Manchester City, who have been linked with a move for Suarez for over a year now. City are looking to strengthen their squad after losing out in the race for the Premier League title last season, and Suarez could be the exact player to partner Sergio Aguero up front. With City having apparently missed out on Suarez’s Uruguary strike-partner Edinson Cavani, they could be set to make a £35m offer to take the Liverpool man. With a new manager in place, Manuel Pellegrini, the club may feel that they have the capabilities to control Suarez’s attitude, and make him an integral part of the side. However, Suarez has spoken of his desire to leave English football (citing the media scrutiny against him as the reason), meaning a move to the Etihad could be unlikely.

The club that has been most heavily linked with signing the 26-year-old is Spanish side Real Madrid, regarded by some as the biggest club in the world, despite having finished runners-up in La Liga in 4 of the past 5 seasons. They won the title in 2011-12, before relinquishing it to Tito Vilanova’s Barcelona side a year later. Jose Mourinho was sacked by the club at the end of last season, and is yet to be replaced, although Carlo Ancellotti is the overwhelming favourite. With Gonzalo Higuain set to leave the club this summer, Suarez is thought of as the replacement for the Argentine, in a £35-40m deal, although whether they could control his attitude remains to be seen.

So, will anyone ever be able to tame Suarez? There are very few people who doubt his ability as a player, and if he sorted his attitude out on the pitch, it would just enforce how good he is. In my opinion, one thing is for sure: whoever controls him has picked up a very good talent, and will be an integral part of whoever he signs for. He doesn’t deserve all the criticism he gets from the media, as another player of a similar calibre wouldn’t receive the same level of abuse from the press, but because of the incidents Suarez has been involved in, the media will pick on him. If I was him, I would use that criticism to drive myself onwards to succeed, and prove all his doubters wrong.

FM13 says… what happens if City get their targets

With the transfer window in full swing already, and rumours already flying around the football world, many are wondering what effect various players would have were they to join the clubs that they’re being linked with. Lots of big players such as Edinson Cavani and Cristiano Ronaldo are being linked with moves, and it will be interesting to see how these moves develop.

After a disappointing 2012-13 campaign, Manchester City are being linked with many players as they bid to mount a serious challenge to regain the Barclays Premier League title this season. Many names are being tossed into the hat, such as the afore-mentioned Cavani and Spanish international Isco, as players City could make a move for, so I have decided to take on an experiment to see what will happen if the reported transfer action happens. I have used the Football Manager 2013 Editor to move the players City are likely to sign into the club, and moved the players who are likely to leave to the clubs they are highly being linked to. So, with a new manager, Manuel Pellegrini, how does Football Manager 2013 City will do this season.

Transfers I Made

Players Sold

These are the three main players that I moved out of City in the Editor. All are being linked with moves away from City this summer, and the clubs that they have moved to in the images are the ones rumoured to be favourites to sign each player. Kolarov has been unpopular with a lot of City fans for a while now, with inconsistency being a big part of his playing style, as is the same with Edin Dzeko. Carlos Tevez could also leave the club, due to him only having one season left on his contract, and City could be keen on getting some money for the Argentine instead of leaving on a free next summer. I also moved Scott Sinclair to Everton, as he has been linked with a move to the Toffees in recent days.

Players Bought

These are the three biggest players that I moved to City in the Editor. Isco has been heavily linked with a move to City in recent weeks, with some reports even suggesting that a deal has been struck between City and Isco, and should be included in the experiment based on the speculation. Edinson Cavani has also been closely linked to a move to City this summer as they look to redevelop the strike-force, with City allegedly having been in talks with the Uruguayan’s agent for over a year now. Robert Lewandowski has been linked with moves to both Manchester United and Bayern Munich for weeks now, but in recent times Manchester City have reportedly joined the chase for the Polish striker, and I have decided that he should also be included in the experiment. Stefan Radu has also been moved to City, having been linked with a move to City since last summer now, and with Kolo Toure having left the club already this summer, could prove a good signing for City. Marco Reus has also been moved across in the Editor, as it is rumoured he is to be included in the Edin Dzeko deal.

So, those are the transfers that I moved in and out of City. But what transfers did manager Manuel Pellegrini make?

Transfers Pellegrini Made

Transfers In

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As we can see, Pellegrini made just two signings in the season, firstly signing Marek Hamsik from Napoli for a club record of £40m, which I think is a very good signing, given how well he linked up with Edinson Cavani in Naples. In the January transfer window, City only made one more signing, that of Zacharias Faour from Malmo, in Sweden. City are actually close to signing this player in real life too, but I couldn’t find him in the game, so was unable to move him in the editor. He is thought of as one of the best prospects Sweden currently has, and for £1k, is an extremely good signing for the Blues.

Transfers Out

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There wasn’t too much activity on the outgoing market for City either, just a few loans out of the young players, showing City were keen to keep their team together, but build for the future and let the young players gain valuable experience.

So, we’ve now seen the transfers from both me and Pellegrini. But transfers mean nothing if they don’t work together well. So, how did Manchester City do in the Barclays Premier League, Capital One Cup, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League? Did the transfers pay off? Let’s find out!

Competitions

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Barclays Premier League: Manchester City only lost six league games throughout the season, whilst winning 27 and scoring 79 goals to win the league by 13 points ahead of second-placed Chelsea. The Blues also finished a massive 27 points ahead of Manchester United, whilst both Jose Mourinho and David Moyes were sacked in November by their respective clubs. Mourinho was replaced by Luciano Spalletti, whilst Moyes was replaced by Mourinho at Old Trafford.

The FA Cup: Manchester City beat Bristol Rovers and MK Dons in the FA Cup, before being knocked out at home to Chelsea in the 5th round. A disappointing performance from City after they had reached the final the previous year.

Capital One Cup: Manchester City started off with victories against Barnsley, Burnley, and Hull City to set up a meeting with Southampton in the semi-final. In the first leg at St. Mary’s, City secured a 3-1 victory, before sealing a 7-1 aggregate win with a 4-0 home win, to set up a final date with Manchester United. Despite Ashley Young giving the Red Devils the lead, goals from Aguero and Cavani turned the game around to give City the win.

UEFA Champions League: Manchester City were drawn into a group with Barcelona, Galatasary, and Spartak Moscow in the Champions League, and despite only winning three games in the group, were able to qualify for the knockout rounds at the third time of asking, only to be drawn against reigning winners Bayern Munich. After a 1-1 draw at the Etihad, City fans must have been cursing their luck, but couldn’t have believed their eyes when they somehow secured a 3-0 win at the Allianz Arena. In the quarter-final, they were drawn against Manchester United, and hopes were high after a 3-2 win at home in the first leg. However, United prevailed 2-0 in the second leg to secure progression.

So, a much improved season for the Blues then. A double of trophies, with the Premier League and Capital One Cup both making their way to the Etihad, with the new and improved squad. Manuel Pellegrini proved to the doubters that he is good enough to manage City. So, to conclude – have the transfers worked? Yes. Should City buy these players in real life to succeed? Yes. Are they likely to join? Yes. It’s looking like a bright future for Manchester City.

Zacharias Faour and Pressure On Our Other Young Stars

Zacharias Faour, 15 year old Malmo striker

Recently, Manchester City clinched the deals for Fernandinho and Jesus Navas, two of the biggest signings so far this summer, and showing that Manchester City are trying to begin the rebuilding process after the disappointing campaign at the Etihad Stadium. I was very pleased to see we signed those two players. However, they did overshadow another signing for City, Zacharias Faour from Malmo, for around £400k.

The 15-year-old is thought of as one of the biggest talents that Malmo possesses, and has caught the eye of some of Europe’s biggest clubs in recent times. Real Madrid and Juventus were all tossed into the hat as contenders for his signature, as usual, but as were Manchester City, now big enough to be linked with good young talents. The most iconic part of this story is when I found out that Faour had been labelled “The Next Ibrahimovic” by many in Sweden. That’s a huge tag to live up to, with Ibra being one of the best players that Sweden have ever had, and one of the best current strikers in world football. If Faour is able to live up to this labelling, then City have made a great signing, but if not he joins a long list over over-hyped players, which would be very unfortunate.

I don’t see the point in putting pressure on young players in the way that people have on Faour at such a young age. At that stage in a player’s career, you need to be nurturing them to improve, not likening to them to stars of the game. It adds unnecessary pressure to the player as they try and focus on reaching that potential to fulfill the expectations of fans, even if they might not actually have the potential that people think they do. It can also make the player get ahead of themselves, thinking they’re better than they are, and damaging their careers. This is because they don’t put enough effort in, as they feel they’ll have it all made for them, and effort is one of the key aspects for a young player.

Another example of pressure being put on a young player, and then him being unsuccessful in his career is Freddy Adu, the Ghanaian-born, American international attacker. He signed a professional contract with DC United, of the MLS when he was just 14 years old, back in 2004, and made nearly 90 appearances by the end of 2006, catching the eye of many around the world. He was traded to Real Salt Lake in early 2007, and made 11 appearances before making his big move that summer, to Benfica of Portugal. He was thought of as one of the best young talents at the time. However, he only made 11 appearances in four years at the Estadio da Luz, spending most of his time out on loan as clubs like Monaco and Belenenses. He transferred back to America in 2011, to Philadelphia Union, and has made 35 appearances since then, but will be disappointed he didn’t live up to the initial hype. He’s still only 24, so has a long time left in his career, but it looks like he will be nothing more than MLS-level in his playing days.

Obviously, it isn’t good to see young players fail to fulfill their potential in their careers, especially if they have potential to be one of the best players in world football, which is why I think it’s key we don’t put these tags such as “next Ibrahimovic” on them. I can’t explain how much I rate Ibrahimovic as a player, even if a lot of others don’t. He’s got to have something about him if he’s managed to get into teams such as Barcelona and Juventus in his career – not just anyone can get played in sides like that. He’s also been an integral part of Sweden’s side over the last decade, once again showing his ability. His attitude on the pitch might not be to everyone’s liking, but he’s proved to the majority of football fans that he’s good enough to have that attitude.

My point is, it will be very difficult for Faour to live up to the hype in Sweden. It would be very difficult for anyone to live up to that standard, but Faour is a 15-year-old who is unknown to many. How can we possibly know he’ll be that good? He may well have the potential to live up to that speculation, but at this early stage there is no need to put the label on him that he then has to live up to. He’s got years ahead of him before he’s at the level where he’s able to prove that he’s that good, just let him develop now before labeling him. We’ve seen too many players’ careers end up unfulfilled because of over-hyped speculation, and it has to stop, or we’re going to lose lots more young talents.

That’s not to say that the excessive hype is the only thing that prevents these players from succeeding. The players themselves, and their clubs will play a big part. Firstly, the players need to have the mental attributes to make it, with determination and work-rate key in this. They need to be determined to succeed, even when they’re knocked down, and they need the work-rate to progress as a player (ability-wise too). Secondly, the clubs play a big part. The coaches need to be good enough to mentor the player on the pitch, and off it, to make them succeed later on in their careers. The management also needs to let the youngsters have a chance to prove themselves in the first-team, not just buying older, proven players instead of giving the younger players a chance.

A combination of things is required for young players to succeed in their careers, and I’ve talked about them all so far. Mentality, realistic expectations, and supportive clubs are those three. I think that’s why clubs like Barcelona consistently produce good youth players. They build in a good mentality into the players at a young age – the mentality that they have to work hard to get where you want to go – and keep drumming that in. The facilities are club like that are excellent too. You hear about the La Masia academy, and it’s produced some fantastic talents. Lionel Messi, Xavi, and Andres Iniesta have all come through in recent times, as well as many others in the current side and throughout history. In England, we don’t really have this as much, and it shows in our unsuccessful youth sides. We should be taking examples from these types of clubs. Some already have in England, but now it’s time for the other clubs to take knowledge, and maybe, just maybe, England can have a much more successful future on the international stage.