Picking a Best Manchester City XI Using Only 1 Player of Each Nationality
Pep Guardiola has made more changes to his team than any other manager in the Premier League so far this season. Week after week, he’s surprised the press, the fans and social media with his Manchester City lineup, and there always seems to be eyebrows raised at what formation he’s using or why there are four full-backs named, as was the case for the 1-1 draw with Celtic in the Champions League on December 6.
The Catalan is the one getting paid to make the tough choices, though. David Silva on the bench? Kevin De Bruyne on the left or the right? Yaya Toure back in the squad after being seemingly frozen out? All of these have been features of the season so far, and all of them have attracted the critics.
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But how would he fare trying to pick a team with City’s greatest players in recent history if he were only allowed to pick one from each nation?
Criteria
This is pretty straightforward. The player has to have represented Manchester City in the Premier League era—even if the club wasn’t in the top flight at the time, though there are probably few contenders from that spell—and is assigned the nationality based on their international team, recognised by FIFA.
There’s no worming Pablo Zabaleta in under the guise that he qualifies for British citizenship if he wanted to apply and he’s an adopted Mancunian anyway—as much as it hurts to only be allowed one Argentinian.
This isn’t just a collection of individuals, either. They have to be a team in formation, so there’s no shoehorning players into the squad in a 2-7-1 setup—it needs to be a recognised set of positions. This lineup is 4-2-3-1, a setup City have used a lot in recent campaigns.
Finally, it’s just one player per nationality. Needless to say, there have had to be some compromises to make this XI fit the bill, but it’d still be a tough side to face. Undoubtedly, they’d be quadruple winners year-on-year.
Goalkeeper: Joe Hart, England
While it means that some great players have missed out because of their nationality—Joleon Lescott or Keith Curle could have made the defence, while Gareth Barry was an integral part of a title-winning City team—the English berth has to go to the finest goalkeeper the club has had since Bert Trautmann.
Throughout his decade at City, Hart developed into a player that could pull off remarkable saves and win points for the team by getting a fingertip to the ball at a crucial time in the match.
He made mistakes, of course, and his footwork isn't fancied by Guardiola, but his quality of shot-stopping far outweighs those deficiencies to the point where many are questioning the new manager's decision to drop him from the team.
Hart’s grown up at the club, joining as an inexperienced 19-year-old, and has been part of the backbone of City's recent success.
Right back: Bacary Sagna, France
Perhaps an unusual choice for right back, given that he’s only been with the club for two full seasons, but in his time so far, Bacary Sagna has shown exactly what he can do in the position.
While Pablo Zabaleta—who misses out solely because of his nationality—is undoubtedly the better when the two were at their peak, the Frenchman has been more than reliable since his free transfer from Arsenal.
The problem for this position comes that the majority of right backs City have had since the Premier League began are either English or rubbish. Or both. At his peak, Micah Richards was another contender—again, though, ruled out by nationality.
However, Sagna has proved that he can put in a strong tackle when necessary, and he is able to work well with the wide player in front of him, creating dangerous overlaps and putting in good crosses.
Centre back: Vincent Kompany, Belgium
The Belgian’s inclusion means there can be no spot for Kevin De Bruyne, but it’s a sacrifice that has to be made for the impact that Vincent Kompany can have.
He’s fighting for his future at the club as injuries have decimated what should have been a wonderful career over the last two years, but that shouldn’t undermine what he did in the seasons before.
When he was first moved to centre back by Roberto Mancini, he brought a calmness to the defence that had been absent for a while. He could time a tackle, he was strong in the air, and he was more comfortable in possession than most midfielders or forwards.
It’s no coincidence that City’s defensive issues all came to the fore when the Belgian became unavailable.
Centre back: Richard Dunne, Republic of Ireland
Ok, so the Irishman holds the record for the most own goals in the Premier League, but that shouldn’t detract from the quality of defender he was. Throughout City’s struggles in the top flight in the early 2000s, Richard Dunne was an integral part of why Kevin Keegan and Stuart Pearce were able to keep the team away from relegation.
He was regularly reliable in backs-to-the wall displays, such as a 0-0 draw at Old Trafford in 2005 and the goalless stalemate at home to Liverpool in 2007, when he had a peak Fernando Torres in his back pocket all game.
There was nothing better than watching Dunne slide in and win the ball off a forward’s toes, before going crunching through and upending the man. The own goals he scored were often as the result of desperately trying to keep the ball out of the net and inadvertently getting the final touch.
Left back: Aleksandar Kolarov, Serbia
A combination of City’s dreadful left-backs and nationality limitations means Aleksandar Kolarov is almost a default pick for the position. Michael Tarnat was too old to perform at the top level properly when he joined City, while Niclas Jensen—despite a goal of the season in a 2-1 win over Leeds United at Maine Road—was too inconsistent.
The Serb is a limited defender, but there’s little doubt that he can be a big influence on the front foot. His crossing ability is second to none and, in City’s title-winning campaigns, he’s been impressive in creating chances for his team.
Centre midfield: Fernandinho, Brazil
Every good team needs a box-to-box midfielder, and for City in the Premier League, the standout has been Fernandinho. Ever since his arrival in 2013, the Brazilian has been the key component in the team’s engine room—his break-up play rarely goes unnoticed, but his range of passing and vision to spot team-mates and chances is often missed.
In Manuel Pellegrini’s debut campaign, he was doing the job of two players as he allowed Yaya Toure to be the creative force that helped drive the team to the title. He’s got an eye for a goal, and his reading of the game is superb. He's one of the first names on anyone's teamsheet when he's available.
Centre midfield: Yaya Toure, Ivory Coast
Has there been a greater midfielder at City in their recent history than Toure? He’s been the man that all of their modern success has been built on as he’s always been there to drag his side to victory when the team have needed him most.
He scored in the FA Cup semi-final and final in their successful 2011 campaign. He scored twice at Newcastle United in a tough game that swung the title race of 2012 into his side’s favour. He scored a stunning equaliser in City’s Capital One Cup victory over Sunderland in 2014, the same year as he became only the second midfielder to net more than 20 times in a Premier League season. He even scored the winning penalty in last season’s League Cup final. His influence is second to none.
Toure's passing is a joy to behold, as he swings the play left and right to land the ball on a team-mate's toe. His reading of the game is better than the vast majority of other players, and his ability to control the tempo of a match is what made City a force when he was at his peak.
Wide-right forward: Ali Benarbia, Algeria
While Ali Benarbia was limited in his impact for City in the Premier League, there are few fans who didn’t adore the playmaker for what he was able to do at Maine Road in Keegan’s promotion season.
With the ball at his feet, the Algerian could make any of his opponents look foolish, as his skill and speed of foot dazzled defenders. There wasn't a match that went by without him leaving three defenders on their bottoms and creating a chance for his team to score.
In his final year at the club—as City achieved a top-half finish in the Premier League 12 months after being promoted—he was still doing the same in the top flight. If only he’d joined when he was a little younger and the fans might have had many more years of enjoyment watching the playmaker.
Wide-left forward: David Silva, Spain
Hailed as one of the best players in the world, David Silva was an automatic pick for City’s best Premier League-era team. The Spaniard would get into many fans’ all-time greatest XIs he’s been that impressive, and he is another who has been a staple of the modern success.
One-footed, unable to shoot from range, and without a turn of pace, Silva shouldn’t be as good as he is. However, he overcomes all of that with his ability to find team-mates and create chances, while the way he keeps possession in a tight spot is second to none. Any team needs a creative genius like him.
Number 10: Georgi Kinkladze, Georgia
In behind any great centre-forward, there needs to be a great No. 10—and Georgi Kinkladze is the standout City player to fit the bill.
The Georgian was an unknown before he arrived at Maine Road, but he left a lasting impression on English football by the time he left. His iconic goal against Southampton, as he beat the entire defence before chipping the goalkeeper, is what he’s known for, but City fans saw that sort of performance weekly.
By the end, none of his team-mates could see what he could on the pitch, and he had far too much responsibility to carry an underperforming side all on his own.
It's a crying shame that he never truly hit the top of the game after moves to the likes of Ajax and Derby County didn't work out. Few players are worshipped by supporters as they prepare to take a corner—Kinkladze was one of those who was.
Striker: Sergio Aguero, Argentina
The sole reason why the likes of Carlos Tevez and Pablo Zabaleta, great players though they are, had to miss out on this squad is this centre-forward berth. City have had some amazing Argentinian players, but at the peak of them all is Sergio Aguero.
The little striker is deceptively strong in possession and isn’t easily knocked around, while his range of finishing is unprecedented and deadly.
He’s not got a weakness—he can score with his left foot, right foot and his head, while shots from inside or outside the box are equally as easy for him. Even when he’s not playing well, he’s still good for finding the net and defenders can never switch off around him or they’ll be punished.
By the time he leaves, he’ll surely have set a new club goalscoring record.
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