Maresca: I told players this is a new beginning; no pressure to replace Guardiola

Ahead of Manchester City's pre-season friendly against Atlético Madrid, Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca attended a press conference to answer media questions.

Hi, Enzo. In the last two games, we've seen quite a few young players get opportunities. One player who hasn't yet had game time is Mukasa. He made his debut last year and was then loaned out to Leicester City. I'm wondering what your thoughts are on his development and what his season might look like?

Mukasa is an excellent player. The only issue is that we have too many players and we've rotated a lot, but it's still difficult to get him, Floyd Samba, and perhaps Xavier Parker, who is with us, game time. There are three or four players who haven't had game time in the warm-up matches, but they train with us every day. We can see their progress, which is important. Again, the only problem they face is the number of players we currently have.

Obviously, James Trafford has completed his transfer to Leeds United. He's a player you're very familiar with, and he would have fit your tactical style perfectly if he had stayed. Was this transfer already finalized before you arrived? Was he destined to leave and there was nothing you could do, or did you try to communicate with him?

Unfortunately, some players, like James, didn't get much game time last season. Ultimately, players train hard every day to earn playing time, and when they can't play, it's natural for them to be frustrated and want more opportunities. This might have been the case for James. The club was happy with him and everyone was satisfied, but in the end, he was looking for more opportunities to play.

In similar situations, are there other players who didn't play much last season and were somewhat unhappy, but after your communication, you showed them there's now an opportunity for change? Are there players who were considering leaving but might now stay?

Since we started training camp, the only thing I've told the players is that for me, this is a fresh start. They all start on equal footing, and their performance in pre-season will, to some extent, determine the choices made during the transfer window. This is a general message for all my players, regardless of whether they had more or less playing time last season. For me, this is a brand new fresh start.

I know it's only been a few weeks, but what have you learned from this group of players? Has anyone particularly stood out and impressed you?

From day one, everyone's enthusiasm has been very high. They've shown a very open attitude. A new head coach brings a new structure, changes some tactical routines, and changes our overall playing style both with and without the ball. That's the main point. Secondly, the professionalism that has been built up year after year is also very important. Spending time with the players during these past ten days or two weeks since we started training camp has been crucial, because I need to get to know them. Building a connection with them is vital for the future.

Your predecessor was a world-class, world number one coach, Guardiola. Do you feel pressure? What similarities do you expect between the legacy left by the former head coach and your team?

No pressure, only privilege. As I said in my first press conference, being able to come here and be the Manchester City manager is a huge privilege. As for expectations, this is a club that needs to win trophies and fight for trophies, and we will try to do exactly that.

Your opponents tomorrow night, Atlético Madrid, have made some moves in the transfer market, such as signing Lee Kang-in. How do you plan to approach these new Atlético Madrid players?

There's no doubt he's a very good player, fantastic. We're excited for tomorrow's game, not just against Atlético Madrid overall, but also against him and their new players. I believe he will be a very good fit for Atlético Madrid.

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