Later that day, the real work began. The analysis room was a hive of intense, focused energy. My full coaching staff was assembled: Sarah, Marcus, Michael, Kevin, and Rebecca. The mood was sober.
The mountain loomed. Marcus brought up the initial data on Manchester City, and it was a sobering sight.
"They've scored 70 goals in the league," he began, his voice flat. "They average over 65% possession, even away from home. The fluid movement of De Bruyne, Silva, Sterling, and Sané is almost impossible to track. And, as we know, they've already beaten us twice this season."
But I wasn't interested in their strengths. I was interested in their weaknesses. For the next hour, we dissected Guardiola's first, imperfect season in English football.
"Goalkeeper," I said, pointing to the screen. "Claudio Bravo. He's a fantastic footballer, but he's not a great shot-stopper. The data shows he concedes an abnormally high percentage of shots on target. He's a weakness. We have to test him."
