Pep Guardiola arrives at a Lacrosse field at Lynn University in Boca Raton, about an hour north of Miami, shortly for his players in Manchester City. They were a few minutes ago.
City has taken over the campus for the club World Cup. There is hardly a soul in the neighborhood, apart from official guards who wave buggies with raised senses in view of their valued guests. They warm up on the Lacrosse area and feed more tactical elements along the path, in the picturesque Bobby Campbell Stadium.
Guardiola, cap on and all in the 30 -degree heat, borders over the grass and greets all support staff, including two groundmen that passed to the surface. They have completely renovated the fields in recent weeks, while others have been on vacation. And straight on the mowers after this session, a long lasts an hour and 45 minutes.
It punishes in this climate, Tijjani Reijnders later broadens his eyes and laughing. “We have to get used to it,” he says. “We have to be ready.”
New men Kolo Toure and Pep Libnders have been to Guardiola's familiar fitness coach Lorenzo Buenaventura while setting up. Deep conversations, as if he is preparing a game. Chris Elderkin, a fitness specialist, talks through his previously agreed exercises. All four walk through the plans in the rain. The local Iguana, a big old guy in the neighborhood, decides not to disturb them.
There has been a considerable amount of soul searching in recent months by management, where the summer shake-up is not limited for the play staff.
Four new faces have certainly refreshed things, but City has also recognized the need for different voices on the touchline. So Klopp's old Lieutenant-Libnders, Toure and set-piece coach James French from Liverpool can be just as crucial.
Sources in the dressing room have revealed that last season the team was featured by the communication – or the lack thereof – of the back room team.
That none of the supporting coaches would encourage one-on-one chats to might explain Guardiola's thinking, as was the norm before. Superstars remained in second place to guess their boss without a cheat sheet and he was not read easily.
“The boys were more detached than ever,” someone said. It has introduced the idea of ​​Shellshock about how the middle of the season took place, perhaps the back room team did not know whether he should leave and give players the space or not. One of them was reduced to only six-a-side games at the end of the sessions and never spoke.
Juanma Lillo, Inigo Dominguez and Carlos Vicens all left the club before the Club World Cup, which starts on Wednesday before City against Wydad AC in Philadelphia.
Lillo had been hands-on in his first spell as no 2 of Guardiola, until 2022, before he was reserved more when he returned a year later. Dominguez was seen as Lillo's husband – nor learned English – and had no lasting impact. Vicens has taken the best job at Braga.
City treats this competition as the start of next season and knew the last 10 months.
Guardiola, objective bubblier than he had seemed for a while, says Nathan Ake that 'it is good to be back, come on – we rest when we die' before they board their flight to Palm Beach Airport last Thursday. He begs Rayan Cherki to give a short address about how happy he is to have signed from Lyon.
There was a consciousness that it had not felt as if everyone was at the moment to come to America and the staff of the city chosen the charm and the enthusiasm for turbo.
It seems to have worked and we will see to what extent will see in the coming days and weeks. The city is in the city to win this thing, even if the recent history suggests that this is an unlikely possibility.
Guardiola and Libnders are in deep conversation because the warming is completed in the sleepy, prosperous Boca Raton-the home base of three of the top 10 most expensive gated communities in the US.
Lijnders grabs a piece of A4 and the couple clearly already enjoy changing ideas. Guardiola had called Klopp for a reference before he approached the Dutchman and returned something was predictably glowing; His first few days on the other side of this gap in Liverpool-City have supported that.
The two most important brains break down to study an exercise with 12 players at the same time, the group split into two.
Guardiola demands that his spotters throw those balls up to go at the start of the chain, do this well. He actually tells them how to throw it away.
Libnders is sniffing around and notices every pass. Nineteen employees are in the circumference of the field, help somehow, and there will be a thriving encouragement in a way that has not always been clear during the city training.
Peripheral members of the back room setup scream positive reinforcement. It's loud, it's more in your face. It presents an energy.
Everything has doubled according to sources. The intensity has risen, the staff is 'more' to them and – at the moment – players respond. Players talk among each other about multilingual people.
“Jurgen gave me a lot of freedom and responsibility over the years,” said Libnders Mail Sport Sport during his short Stint who was responsible for Red Bull Salzburg, who could come across City here in the last 16. 'I have made many decisions, or we did it together. That has prepared me well.
“I want to give the fans joy and emotions. To play a style where young talents can make the next step, or push to take the next step.
“That's why I like pressing and back pressure. We all grew up on the street and played football, we all needed freedom to create, score, to be spontaneous and unpredictable. '
You immediately wonder if City returns to those core -performance principles of the early years of Guardiola.
Libnders and Frans, who worked together for Klopp, Zwaluwstaart in leading set pieces. The specific tactical and formation is the domain of Lainders, but City Hope Toure's introduction to the mix will offer solutions to the problems of the disconnection of the last term.
A tactile man, he is – initially chosen in his most basic form – to be closer to the players. To make them feel sought and there is respect for a former defender who won the Premier League title with this club and was invincible with Arsenal.
Toure danced on his terrace singing with Bernardo Silva by an initiation during dinner in Basecamp in the Bacon Ratio Beach Club, Cherki who brought the house down with a choice of French rap.
Toure, who helped Oliver Reiss with the Under 18s last season, was initially with the first team for this trip to America, although that has been left somewhat open and there is clearly the option to become a more permanent position if all parties fit.
Players listen to him when he coaches, organizing the boxes – Jeremy Doku carefully quickly off the line when he is ordered to change circles – and cherishes great ambitions after struggling like a no. 1 at Wigan Athletic.
Guardiola has the tactical and tactile in mind by hoping that these changes bring a renewed freshness and a different feeling for a group that was rather old.
It will certainly also give him a shot in the arm. And probably already.