Walker: Will Maresca Be Pep in His First Year? Definitely Not

Former Manchester City player Kyle Walker believes Enzo Maresca is the right man to take over as manager at the Etihad. Yesterday, the Citizens officially announced the Italian as Pep Guardiola's successor, who spent ten years at the helm, achieving remarkable success with the club.

“I think the most important thing about Enzo joining is that he understands the club's philosophy, he knows the intricacies and what it means to the fans, and that's crucial. He still needs to prove he's the right fit for the job, because stepping into Pep's shoes isn't easy, I can assure you of that. Pep was there for ten years and built a dynasty. It's incredible what we actually achieved in such a short time, something that takes other clubs many years. We shouldn't forget that Enzo was part of the treble-winning squad and was a great person to be around. He was a real bridge between the players and the manager after Mikel Arteta left to take over Arsenal. Enzo was first with the development squad and then with the first team.”

“Will he be Pep Guardiola in his very first year? Definitely not. But in the following years, if he stays there, let's hope he can achieve what Pep did. His approach needs to be different from when he was just an assistant. Back then, he was someone we could rely on, someone we could turn to if we weren't playing and wanted more information, and he would provide it. He always made time and showed great respect for the players.”

“Obviously, there are new people now; this isn't the same treble-winning squad. He's a former player, but he also learned a lot from Pep over those few years and then developed, achieving success. He did well at Leicester in the Championship. I don't know what he learned at Chelsea, but he won the Conference League and the Club World Cup. What happened after that, did he leave or was he sacked? Apparently, it didn't end the way he wanted. Now he has a chance at City, and time will tell if he's the right man. He has a good group of players, but they need to find the right balance to achieve success,” Kyle Walker stated.

Enzo Maresca was at Chelsea for a year and a half, but he left Stamford Bridge on January 1st this year, with reports at the time suggesting the reason was negotiations with Manchester City. Yesterday, the London club issued a rather aggressive statement, criticizing the Italian for ruining their season.