If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Or so the saying goes. But Pep Guardiola will know that football is always about progress and he will be demanding another step up from his players next season.
If City are to go down in legend he knows they must defend their crown next year and while the plethora of records they set may not be broken, a dominant showing will be paramount.
No campaign is ever the dame and inevitably there will be changes, both to squad personnel, priorities and tactics.
System
City looked extremely potent for much of the season with their 4-3-3 attacking style yet it was only the season-ending injury to Benjamin Mendy that forced Guardiola’s hand.
Beforehand he favoured a 3-5-2 formation in which City were arguably even more threatening with the statistics proving they scored more goals this way.
But Pep now trusts his players in their favoured 4-3-3 so it will be interesting to see how City line up come August.
Transfers
Guardiola has already alluded to a perceived lack of transfer activity this summer but all clubs strengthen and there is no doubt a few quality additions will be a priority.
And Guardiola will want to get his business done early before World Cup inflation kicks in.
Jorginho has been heavily linked with a move from Napoli for a while and is likely to be the first name in this summer. Guardiola will see him as an insurance policy for 33-year-old Fernandinho and also as cover for the outgoing Yaya Toure.
The Italian international also has no World Cup commitments so will benefit from a long break and a full pre-season should he sign.
Other areas include another forward, with Algerian Riyad Mahrez still heavily featuring on the back pages of the tabloids. His quality is undoubted but City will not be looking to pay anything like the fee mooted in January for the 27-year-old and may use Patrick Roberts as part of any deal.
Imagine him and Sane on the flanks
#MCFC
The only other issue is at the back, with a few eyebrows raised when right-back Pablo Maffeo was let go early in the window, signing permanently for Bundesliga side VFB Stuttgart.
Many saw him as competition for Kyle Walker after he spent an excellent season in Spain with Girona, but Guardiola has obviously deemed him not good enough.
There could well be some transfer activity as a result although who may come in is anybody’s guess.
Priorities
Defending the league title will be Guardiola’s main priority but their showings in the Champions League and FA Cup will need to be better.
Guardiola has a real affinity with the Champions League and many see it as the main reason he was brought to the club by the Abu Dhabi based owners.
What will hurt most about their exit to Liverpool is that he will have genuinely believed this was one of the best seasons for City to win it with no real dominant side featuring. It may not be as easy next season.
That said, City will hope their young team (and Guardiola) have learnt from their mistakes and that they will be all the stronger for it this coming season.
Many felt there was far too much focus on what Liverpool can do rather than just sticking to wat City are good at and perhaps next season there will be less tinkering and more belief.
