There is an awful lot to admire about Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, from the intricacy and invention of their possession football right down to the sheer artistry of players such as Kevin De Bruyne.
They are, should you not be on the receiving end of a ruthless thumping, or a supporter of a direct rival, a joy to behold.
Since first gracing the Premier League with his genius in 2016, the Catalan has overseen four titles, averaging 89.3 points per season in the process and presently the Blues are prominent in the Premier League odds again, as they chase down Arsenal.
It is a scale of dominance rarely before seen in English football, executed with a style never before seen, so with all that acknowledged you would think that commentators, pundits, journalists and the public via social media would be spoilt for choice when praising this phenomenon, should they be so inclined.
As for commenting on, or analysing, this all-conquering creation what fabulous and fascinating riches are to be found when studying its nuances, a convoluted concept that has had a profound influence on every level of the game.
Why is it then, that only one detail is ever highlighted, a detail that even if true would be at most the seventeenth most interesting aspect of this generational side. That it is false, indeed completely and utterly incorrect, just makes this tired old trope all the weirder.
For the first time in print, but definitely not needed for the last time, let it be said that Manchester City do not possess an awesome and enormous squad.
It is a lie spun ever so casually by commentators on every matchday, barely waiting for the opening whistle to finish its parp before mentioning that City have Aymeric Laporte, Jack Grealish and that scourge of the live betting markets Riyad Mahrez on the bench.
Their combined transfer fees are then mentioned before some fanciful editorialising concludes that the Blues have an unfair advantage over their rivals. How can poor Manchester United, Liverpool and the others compete given the ridiculous depth City have?
Barely a day goes by on social media too when this fabrication isn’t put forward as the main reason why City won that weekend, maintaining their position at the league’s summit. A quick search on Twitter sees their squad described as ‘massive’, ‘incredible’ and ‘obscene’.
How on earth does it make sense therefore that earlier this season the CIES Football Observatory determined that in the past calendar year City have fielded the fewest number of players in the Premier League?
Just 26 compared to 41 by Chelsea and 35 by Manchester United. And to repeat, City have not only used the fewest players in relation to their rivals.
They have the smallest squad in the whole league.
🚨*𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗦*🚨
— Ninety Three Twenty (@9320pod) February 1, 2023
🗓️𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗗𝗔𝗬🗓️
🎙️Seven years ago today, Manchester City announced that Pep Guardiola would be their next manager. Ahsan and @SteTudor123 reacted to the surprise breaking news.
➡️https://t.co/AhcBJeD3gB pic.twitter.com/Uf3JcG9DNl
Indeed, they have used the second fewest in world football across the last five years and not by accident either, with Guardiola admitting at the start of 2022/23 that he prefers to work with a select group of players.
It’s why City have won all of their titles without having a specialist left-back in their ranks. It’s why so many players are reimagined, deployed in secondary roles. Its why Kevin De Bruyne is run into the ground season on season.
So can we please dispense with the enormous squad line concerning Manchester City. Not only is it wrong. It couldn’t be further from the truth.
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*
