How Pep Guardiola helped to turn Josko Gvardiol from '混乱させるd and lost' to a central cog in Man City's 肩書を与える 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金 - and a £77m defender who can't stop 得点する／非難する／２０ing!

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Josko Gvardiol was telling people last summer that it may take a bit of time to 包む his 長，率いる around Manchester City.

Not only moving himself into a Treble dressing room, as a £77million defender with 重要な 期待 大（公）使館員d to him. Not only because of the guy dishing out the 指示／教授／教育s and their nuances. Not only because of the 首相 League's might and his own inexperience.

There was also an 受託 about his position and how that could 証明する problematic. It 現れるd, very 早期に on in his City career, that Gvardiol would be utilised almost 排他的に as a left 支援する. For now, at least. He'd not played there since his Dinamo Zagreb days in 2020 and had become one of Europe's finest centre halves at RB Leipzig in the 介入するing period.

He talked about having to remind himself what it means to p lay out there. Pep Guardiola's past 調印s have shown the first year is hard enough to しっかり掴む in their preferred positions, so a わずかに new one can only 厳しく up the 賭け金 ? 特に with the lateral movements 推定する／予想するd of 十分な 支援するs in this team.

The Croatian's 可能性のある versatility, noticed 大部分は through the way he carried 所有／入手 in the Bundesliga, was partly 負かす／撃墜する to why City had identified him in the first place.

Josko Gvardiol 証明するd once again on Saturday how important he is to Manchester City's 味方する

The defender took time to adapt to the methods of Pep Guardiola (権利) but has 栄えるd

Having not played at left 支援する since 2020, he 認める it would take a while to 包む his 長，率いる around City, but is now 飛行機で行くing

And it took some time for Gvardiol, who for the 開始 months of the season looked every bit the centre 支援する playing wide. 'There was a period that was so uncertain, it was not really, really good,' Guardiola said last week.

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City's 経営者／支配人 could be 定期的に seen barking at Gvardiol during matches, patrolling his technical area, sighing and gesturing に向かって the youngster who only turned 22 in January. He micro-managed Gvardiol's positioning 絶えず. It must've been a 救済 when he was over on the other 側面に位置する, truth be told.

It feels a long time ago now though. The pair of them held 生産力のある 会談 after the new year, 焦点（を合わせる）d on what is 推定する／予想するd within the Guardiola structure as they 熟考する／考慮するd clips together. 'He arrived and in some periods he was 混乱させるd,' Guardiola said of his slow 星／主役にする t. 'He lost a lot of balls. Every time he had the ball, he 手配中の，お尋ね者 to make exceptional things [happen].'

Something clicked すぐに, although City could not have 想像するd that manifesting itself into him becoming a goal machine. Keeping it simple has 許すd him to produce the exceptional.

Five in his last seven games. Two at Craven Cottage, taking him level with Gabriel Jesus in the league. One at the Bernabeu, a stunner, followed up by 類似の against Luton a few days later. The Gvardiol that Txiki Begiristain saw waltz 今後 without care and pierce the 対立 had arrived, now doing it わずかに wider than he'd ever done before.

His game has also helped Phil Foden (pictured), who has been able to drift centrally with his team-mate wide

Gvardiol could have become the first defender in 首相 League history to 得点する／非難する／２０ a hat-trick

City are using him as the spare man high up the pitch. Phil Foden, superb again against Fulham and now with 25 goals himself in all 競争s, is tucking into very central areas off the left and affording Gvardiol to 占領する space. It's 許すing the defender to go and enjoy himself a bit more, while giving the 攻撃者s a bit more grass to play into. Guardiola called him a winger for the way in which he took the opener on the Thames, 選ぶing up Kevin De Bruyne's レーザー pass and cutting in, before 配達するing a slight reality check.

'In the second half, he didn't play good,' Guardiola said. 'He lost a lot of balls. With defenders, the main important thing is to be 安全な; playing simple is the most difficult thing in football. And after if he 得点する／非難する／２０s goals, he is more than welcome ? but that's not his 職業. His 職業 is to be a defender and play 安全な.'

Guardiola is not wrong. But even he, the mega perfectionist, must be raising a smile at how his left 支援する would have had a chance of becoming the first defender in 首相 League history to 得点する／非難する／２０ a hat-trick had he been a bit more f orceful in 会談 over Julian Alvarez's late 刑罰，罰則. Not bad for a centre 支援する.