3 Reasons Why Man City Must Sign Xabi Alonso Over Fabregas, Maresca

The chatter surrounding English giants Man City looking at a potential Pep Guardiola replacement has gained momentum following recent results. Sitting 2nd in the English Premier League standings, the Citizens have recorded just one win in their last six encounters in the league.

Following recent comments during press conferences before and after games, it is evident to Man City fans that the Spaniard is growing visibly frustrated with the current situation. Despite being held in high regard by the City hierarchy, the irritation is slowly signaling that the writing might be on the wall for a change in the coaching leadership.

Under Guardiola's stewardship, the club has won all the domestic and international titles at the apex of football. As one of the best coaches in the world of football, Pep Guardiola instilled a style of play that revolutionized and inspired modern football tactics and managers both in England and overseas.

Is Xabi Alonso Man City next manager?

According to The Athletic's senior journalist, David Ornstein, there is an ‘extremely strong chance of Pep Guardiola leaving Man City at the end of the season.’ Ornstein believes that while the Spaniard has never openly admitted to leaving, ‘well-placed’ people of knowledge about City feel a change is coming sooner than later.

While reputed names like former Club World Cup-winning Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca and Como manager Cesc Fabregas are highly linked to the job, the name of former Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso does raise eyebrows. Below are three key reasons why the Citizens should recruit Alonso over others and why he could be the man they are looking for:

Proven Elite-Level Management Experience At a Top Club

Xabi Alonso's time at Real Madrid allowed him to be exposed to the inner workings of a historic club and the expectations each season to win the top honors. After working under Florentino Perez and getting used to his demands, the Spaniard head coach will be prepared for a team like Man City, which are perennial title winner rather than a contender.

Having managed big egos and generational players like Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham at Real Madrid, Alonso will be able to handle big-name players like Erling Haaland and Rodri. While the Man City stars are still reaching their peak, the former Bayer Leverkusen manager will be able to get the best out of a goal-scorer like Haaland and a Ballon d'Or winner, Rodri.

Tactical Fit for Guardiola’s Legacy

While Fabregas and Maresca remain the closest to the replication of Guardiola's style of play, Alonso has managed to improvise and enhance the Man City manager's tactics. As a midfielder during his playing days under Jose Mourinho, the counterattack style was something that heavily influenced his footballing ideology. He also played under Guardiola during his time at Bayern Munich, understanding the art of control through possession and how his system operates.

As a manager, the 44-year-old’s style of play shares fundamental Guardiola-inspired tactics like positional play, high-intensity pressing, and control through possession, along with counter-attacking elements, which provide him with a lot of tactical flexibility. Man City has players who will suit this hybrid style and will be able to be more threatening in attacking phases of play, while also being defensively solid in case of turnover of possession.

Managing The Dressing Room Atmosphere

Possibly one of the big reasons that many fans hold a misconception about Alonso is how his time in Madrid came to an end. However, it is important to note that Xabi Alonso has had experiences of sharing a dressing room with some of the greatest players the game has ever seen.

From Cristiano Ronaldo to Andres Iniesta, the former World Cup winner has experience in leading and getting the best out of these big-game players. Man City also possesses some top players like Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, Ruben Dias, and Rodri, who will respect someone with a managerial resume of winning the biggest trophies at the grandest stage.