UEFA Champions League 2017/2018: the meaning of the Manchester City Squad Reconstruction

In addition, to build a better club, both Academy, and main squad, the main mission of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan proposed Pep Guardiola is the Champions League. Manchester City is one of the most obvious narratives about the magnitude of the investment to pursue the biggest prize available.

Arguably, new squads for 2017/2018 season is the best squads that once owned by Manchester City since Sheikh Mansour took over ownership of Thaksin Shinawatra. The present squad is a combination of senior players and young players with tremendous potential. However, these young players have already given massive contribution early in the season.

No joke, for this season alone, the City invested up to 220 million pound sterling to bring at least five players to fill out the first team. The high value of this transfer cannot be dismissed due to the surge in the price and the imported players did have the quality. Arguably, the transfer of the City quite a success.

Mature preparation, fast execution

City preparation can be fairly mature if we can not use the word "perfect" here. At least, City closed all the big weakness they showed last season. From the goalkeeping sector, two wing-backs, and creative midfielders as a solution when David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne stalled.

Under the bar, Claudio Bravo did not show the expected skill, as he showed with Barcelona two seasons ago. Although it is in accordance with the criteria Guardiola needed, Bravo conceded too much. Although indeed, the number of goals that Bravo suffering was also caused by a unified defense.

As a solution, Guardiola brought Ederson Moraes from Benfica. Ederson's profile is no different than Bravo. They are equally comfortable with the ball and thoroughly provide an air ball. And at the start of this season, Ederson showed that his status as the second most expensive goalkeeper after Gianluigi Buffon was not an empty status.

For the defensive line, especially solving problems at the wing back, Guardiola took off names like Bacary Sagna, Pablo Zabaleta, Gael Clichy, and Aleksandar Kolarov. And unsparing, three wing backs with a luxurious profile brought Guardiola in the near future.

For the right-wing backs, two new players enter. They are Kyle Walker from Tottenham Hotspur and Danilo from Real Madrid. To the left side, Benjamin Mendy from AS Monaco is selected. All three of these defenders have the advantages needed by Guardiola.

All three have an excellent attacking aspect. Fond of climbing into the opposite territory, both Walker, Danilo, and Mendy became access attack from the side of the field. If needed, all three can play more in (narrow), adjusting to Guardiola will who like wing backs who can play in the middle of the field.

For attacking midfielder, Bernardo Silva became the first player who brought City in the transfer window last summer. This Portuguese player, last season, became an important part, a Monaco driving machine that successfully penetrates the Champions League semifinals. Bernardo is expected to be the solution in the middle, equipping Silva and De Bruyne.

City movement in the transfer window is quite fast. Despite failing to get Alexis Sanchez at the close of the transfer window, City squad is quite balanced. The speed of their work allows new players to get more time to get to know the existing squad. An advantage, important preparation ahead of the Champions League.

What is needed on the European stage

Pep Guardiola is very familiar with the challenge of competing in the Champions League. A club certainly can not just rely on the intelligence of a coach in mixing tactics. Champions League winners are clubs that capable of combining smart tactics, squad balance, and best performers.

Guardiola can be relied upon in the engine room tactics, while the recruits are City's efforts to find the balance needed. The last task, then, is the combination of work and the players. The best performance needed for the Champions League. And the tip is consistency.

A consistency, a realm that is still very difficult to reach by The Citizens since taken over by Billionaire from the Middle East. The amount of investment, of course, is expected to be directly proportional to the greatest achievement. And in the middle of it, coach and player collaboration became the engine's engine oil.

The luxury reconstruction of a squad of Manchester City brings the meaning of a tough struggle in plain sight. A lot of money has been poured to ensure City are on the right path to the top.

Now, before the curtain of the Champions League opens, Guardiola and the players must ensure that they are pursuing the same thing. A new luxury squad is a form of great responsibility. Great risk if the City is back aground on the battlefield of Europe.

Kevin De Bruyne and Tintin Saga

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His name is Kevin De Bruyne; he was bought by Manchester City with a price that fairly make the head shaking. However, it seems appropriate for City to expend so much money.

De Bruyne, 24, signed by City from VfL Wolfsburg for 55 million pounds and secured with long-term contracts: six years. Is De Bruyne deserve appreciated expensive? If you see a note that he recorded in final season with Wolfsburg, it so argued that De Bruyne commensurates with the value of 55 million pounds.

Last season, De Bruyne appeared on every weekend on Bundesliga, scoring 10 goals, creating 111 chances, making 20 assists. The note was fairly impressive, of course. Arguably, De Bruyne is a major actor of the  Wolfsburg position in second place -- under Bayer Munich.

Wednesday (4/13/2016) early morning, De Bruyne made the whole Etihad Stadium cheered. He slid on his knees while tens of thousands of Citizens supporters  Citizens clapping and amazed by the goal he had just scored.

Got the ball right slightly outside the penalty area of Paris Saint-Germain, De Bruyne did not waste any time. After doing one touch with his right foot, he is then kicking the ball curved toward the far post. PSG goalkeeper Kevin Trapp had been trying to jump to reach the ball but failed.

The goal was bringing City won 1-0 and qualified for the Champions League semifinal. This was history for the club, and De Bruyne was the one who made such history.

De Bruyne figure is easier to remember. His body neither too thin nor too stocky. His skin was white, almost pale. Her hair was reddish. Some people refer to it as 'Ginger Pele'.

But, for some others, De Bruyne like Tintin, Herge's comic fiction (the pen name of cartoonist Georges Prosper Remi). See, Tintin was also white, reddish hair, and -- same like De Bruyne-- also from Belgium.

Tintin is one of the Belgian icon -- and also the city of Brussels, as well as Atomium, Grote Markt, Manneken Pis, and Heysel Park. Tintin was told came from Brussels and, as Herge, also comes from the working class. His age was about 20 years and lived in the apartment along with his dog, Snowy.

At an angle that is not too glamorous in Brussels, an image of Tintin coming down the stairs with Snowy and his friend, Captain Haddock, large plastered on a wall. Not so far from the dull wall, there is a shop selling various editions of Tintin comics.

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Tintin worked as a journalist, which makes him dealing with events and cases that make it must carry out a series of investigations to solve it. Ultimately, Tintin is more like a detective than a reporter.

Tintin character which is often described as a problem solver also similar to De Bruyne. See how De Bruyne, at the end of last week, entered in the second half when City was in tie position with West Bromwich Albion.

The entry of De Bruyne, plus Yaya Toure, making City's attacks more lively. He also initiated the creation of a City's second goal, who scored by Samir Nasri-- through an attack from the right side. Carefully, he saw Jesus Navas, who went into half-space area and sent a breakthrough pass to the Spanish winger.

Navas then sent a pass to Sergio Aguero, and despite Aguero kick was blocked, the rebounded ball immediately struck by Nasri.

De Bruyne also scored an away goal into PSG last week, when City drew 2-2 at Parc des Princes. It also provides a good advantage to the City through an away goal.

Now, from 35 appearances in all competitions, De Bruyne has been incised 15 goals and made 11 assists. Not a bad record, especially when considering that he was disturbed injury in mid-season.