Early on Sunday morning, Manchester City’s Under 15s will make their way to the £13,300-a-year St Bede’s private school. Some whose parents don’t have cars will take the train and a bus to reach class on time. And until the day is done, that journey is the only thing they have to worry about.
Once a bus is ready to pick up the squad for a four-mile trip to the City Football Academy in the afternoon, everything is taken care of. Cereal before training with their kit already laid out in the dressing room, a session learning Pep Guardiola’s way, and then a high-protein hot meal together afterwards. Smoothies are on hand, devised by the academy’s specific nutritionist.
‘Everything is all there for them,’ a source says. ‘City’s academy is run like some Premier League clubs. It’s like a club in its own right.’
That is in focus this week ahead of Sunday's Manchester derby and after the encouraging exploits of Liverpool’s kids at Wembley and Anfield. The North West, as one agent puts it, represents a bunfight for talent between the big four of the region: City, Liverpool, Manchester United and Everton. The Manchester giants are likely to share up to 10 academy graduates at the Etihad Stadium — numbers boosted by United’s injury problems.
They all go about developing players in different ways. United’s programme is less regimented, focused on individualism and flair, while sources claim that City treat their 12-year-olds like ‘mini professionals’, with psychologists and extra help available at the click of their fingers.
The private education does give City an edge with some. James McAtee, now 21 and on loan at Sheffield United, was part of the first cohort to experience St Bede’s and all its trappings. There are usually around 100 City kids there at any one time and even if a child is released by the club, they will go through the whole of secondary school free of charge.
‘It’s a huge draw for parents,’ a source said. ‘That schooling is not for everybody but families see it as a big attraction.’
Both Manchester clubs can lay claim to getting it right. The way City plan drills for their kids with just mannequins, shadowing movements of the first team, is perhaps not suited to all but then their recent history of producing players for themselves and the wider game is unrivalled. The City finishing school has sold around £150million of talent over the last two summers, youngsters spread across the top two divisions and abroad.
United, who are storming to the Under-18 title after four consecutive titles for City, are still offering their managers new blood despite falling behind. Kobbie Mainoo, a revelation since breaking through, was once an attacking midfielder — flourishing in a more laissez-faire system. He’s since found a professional home further back.
What United must now decipher is how to monetise the youth set-up in a way their neighbours do, in a brutal truth of a game now more obsessed with finances than ever. In a plan spearheaded by chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, City’s owners invested £200m in the training complex. A decade on, it has more than paid for itself.
‘The academy players with us have something special that always works,’ Guardiola said. ‘Don’t ask me why. It always happens. With FFP, it’s a way to be sustainable.’
This will be the first year since 2021 that City have not topped both the Under-18 and Under-23 leagues as they head into a new cycle after enormous success on the grass and the balance sheet. Their poor year at U23 level after three consecutive titles, bottom of the division, owes much to an inexperienced squad and departed players.
Generally, they are still reaping the benefits of taking rfrom Liverpool in 2014, the Catalan technical director implementing coaching methods from Barcelona that are still being used out on the 16 pitches. He’d go onto form part of Guardiola’s backroom staff but Jason Wilcox — now sporting director at Southampton and courted by United — eventually took the reins and continued what Borrell started. ‘Rodo is a genius with how he works,’ one source said. ‘There was always an explanation and reason for why they’re doing something. He breaks stuff down to make perfect sense.’
Since his arrival in 2016, Guardiola has certainly noticed a difference in quality of those who are invited to train up with him. ‘They pick up concepts easy, better, quicker,’ he said. ‘It’s not just their skills. It’s about how they behave, the respect, how they listen. They make their debut but don’t go, “ah now I am a senior player” — it’s completely the opposite. That means a lot. When Rico (Lewis) plays or Phil (Foden) — Cole (Palmer) in the past — now Oscar (Bobb), it’s not about them.
‘And it’s not just about talent. It’s work ethic, resilience, arriving on time. Go to school and behave well. Follow your teachers, do your homework. Better human being, better player. There are no secrets about that.’
With a significant turnover of staff, things have altered somewhat and it is down to new academy director, the German Thomas Kruecken, to push on in a building that boasts more than 100 members of staff. Kruecken actually spent some of his time as a younger coach learning the craft at the old Platt Lane base and talks fondly of checking out the cuisine down Rusholme’s Curry Mile.
How things change — or don’t — will be interesting. The academy car park is a mix between modest hatchbacks, Mercedes and Land Rovers The ban on wearing coloured boots until players have earned a scholarship was implemented by Wilcox. Socks are required to be below the knee but above the ankle. Shirts must be tucked, like Rodri. There is a nominal fines system for then Under 18s upwards. City can be quite a strict environment.
Some aspects of Borrell’s blueprint have been tweaked over the years, with more emphasis on individual coaching while sticking to the principles of academy teams all playing 4-3-3 and working on patterns. Often teenagers coming through are labelled Guardiola clones — Bobb, signed at 16, the latest — and it is not hard to see why.
Little needs to be said of Lewis’ tactical understanding, with England honours to his name. Jacob Wright, who made his debut in January, is a sitting midfielder in the mould of Guardiola midfielders. Lakyle Samuel’s versatility at the back speaks of a City graduate. Jaden Heskey — Emile’s son — impressed in European competition. The full back Rhys Thomas, 16, trains with Guardiola’s squad. And there are high hopes for Isaac Mcgillvary in the Under 13s, his father Jermaine formerly a winger for Rugby League’s Huddersfield Giants.
So there remains talent emerging and recruitment will be a big driver in that continuing, with Sam Fagbemi charged with finding the next crop. Eyes are on him to see how he operates, following on from the successful Joe Shields, now at Chelsea. Much of City’s rise — and Liverpool’s is the same — is a blend of homegrown and those signed from elsewhere.
When into the building, new signings are expected to pick up the tactical nuances almost instantaneously. One parent fielded a call from a coach two weeks after their son had joined. To the parent’s amazement, City were already concerned at the youngster not understanding the concepts and counter pressing involved in sessions. It sounds high pressured, but that is why the very best find themselves readymade for Guardiola.
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Manchester City.. building a solid foundation to excel on all fronts