Guardiola s "death": Starting from the cleansing of merits, creating "Manchester City 2.0"

Guardiola has always been "comprehensive and thorough" in his work, and this time is no exception. He is opening a new era for Manchester City with an unprecedented change.

As the team is about to go to Miami to start training and prepare for the upcoming 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, Manchester City's lineup and locker room atmosphere will also usher in major adjustments.

In this pre-season preparation, Manchester City will lack several key figures:

De Bruyne

Kyle Walker

Glalish

They are not only on the court, but also an important pillar of the locker room. Especially De Bruyne and Walker, as one of the team's spiritual leaders, their temporary departure will undoubtedly have an impact on team morale.

And Galish is the soul figure who always makes the atmosphere liven up.

However, behind these big names, there is another name that is also of concern -

Scott Carson left the team: the low-key but irreplaceable "leader behind the scenes"

39-year-old goalkeeper Scott Carson did not go to the United States with the team this time. This is his first summer preparation since joining in 2019.

Although he has only made two appearances for Manchester City in the past six seasons, his impact on the team is far from being measured by statistics.

Guardiola has publicly praised the role of this "No. 3 goalkeeper" many times:

"I am very lucky to meet a player like Carson here. He is a real leader and can always stand up at critical moments." As early as 2020, Guardiola said:

"Sometimes as a coach, you will meet some special people, such as Carson, who built the emotional bond in the locker room in his own way."

By 2021, he said:

"Maybe the outside world doesn't know, but Carson is one of our real leaders. He dares to show off. ”

In 2022, Guardiola further emphasized:

"He is very critical behind the scenes. He has a very good relationship with Edson and Stephen, and everyone is willing to listen whenever he says anything."

Even in 2023, he also mentioned:

"When Carson speaks, everyone pays attention. He improves the quality of training and helps the entire team maintain high standards."

The extraordinary value of "No. 3 goalkeeper": Invisible power

In modern football, the role of No. 3 goalkeeper is often overlooked. They rarely play, but are a key component of locker room culture.

Carson is such a "invisible pusher". Not only is he happy to share experience and motivate his teammates, he also knows how to adjust the atmosphere and maintain team cohesion.

This "easy to get along with, warmth and proportionate" characteristics make him the object of all young players' congratulations and is also a communication bridge for the coaching staff's trust.

Guardiola was willing to renew his contract with him when he was 33 years old and retain it until he was 39 years old because of his intangible value.

Carson's departure now may be a coincidence, but it sends a strong signal: Guardiola is actively clearing out the "veteran legacy" to make room for a new generation of leaders.

Manchester City signed 33-year-old new goalkeeper Marcus Betinelli, who once played a similar role at Chelsea. He is friendly and good at communicating, which is obviously to continue the spiritual tradition left by Carson.

In this Club World Cup roster, Manchester City has 8 new players in 2025, including 4 players who have just signed in recent days. This means a new generation is quietly taking shape.

Before this, Guardiola had bid farewell to many long-term assistant coaches and introduced two newcomers from the "Liverpool" who had worked with Klopp. This series of operations shows that

Manchester City is no longer just the Manchester City of the past. It is about to start a new journey.

Guardiola's attitude is very clear: if you want to do it, you must do it thoroughly. Any factors that hinder transformation, whether emotional or historical status, will be cleared. This is exactly what he calls the reconstruction of “from A to Z”.

Scott Carson's departure seems to be just a regular transfer, but in fact it symbolizes Guardiola's determination to "get rid of it".

What he wants is a brand new locker room atmosphere, a new energy, a new set of voices and leadership structures.

As Guardiola insisted: If you don’t do it, don’t do it, do it thoroughly.

Manchester City's "2.0 era" has officially begun. On this road to the unknown, the former heroes may only be able to stay in memories, and the glory of the future will be written by a new face.