01x02 - The Rebuild

[bunniefuu]

[Geoffrey Bridson] Oh God,
grant us a vision of our city,

fair as she might be.

A city of plenty, where vice and poverty
shall cease to fester.

A city of peace,

where order shall not rest on force
but on the love of all for the city,

the great mother of the common life.

[Ernest Mangnall] It is 28 years ago
since Manchester City won the Cup.

If we fail, it won't be for the want
of earnest endeavour.

[Gallagher] That's being a city fan.

Losing.

You get used to the feeling.

Come on City! Don't give up!

It's all right! It's all right!
It's all right!

[commentator] 3-0 the score line.

[reporter] Big Mel has tried
dancing teachers,

psychiatrists, university lecturers.

But Manchester City haven't won
a league game all season

and now they're third from the bottom
of the First Division.

Good God, f*ck me.

I thought the joy was just coming,
you know,

and I was gonna get some of the pleasure,

and, no, I'm not gonna get
any of the pleasure.

[cheering]

[Gallagher]
You can't overstate how sh*t it was

watching Man United
absolutely dominate literally everything.

I think someone was looking over us.

[commentator]
Cut out by Pollock quite comfortably

but the header
has gone over his own goalkeeper.

And an inexplicable own goal.
Manchester City relegated.

It's like a cloud has come over the club.

[commentator] Manchester City
are surely down.

[reporter] Relegation
to the Endsleigh League.

- [reporter] City sink to an all-time low...
- [fan] Why did we deserve this?

[Gallagher] But the worse we got,
the closer we became to the team.

- [producer] How does that work?
- I have no idea.

[stammering] And I just don't know.

That's my team.

But one morning,
just happened to stick on the BBC,

and there's a City fan
dressed in an Arab outfit.

It's like what the f*ck is going on?

[reporter] The arrival
of oil-rich Arab billionaires

had City fans pinching themselves.

We've seen this with City before,
but top four is a bit optimistic.

[fans cheering]

[commentator] City are champions.

I can't believe it.

[Gallagher] Didn't see any of it coming.

[cheering]

Yes!

[commentator]
The Blues have done it again.

A record-breaking City side.

[Gallagher] Not just winning,
absolute glory.

That fourth title,
we're standing at the top of the mountain,

and then you have to come down.

Nobody can stay there forever.

[fans chanting indistinctly]

[sighs]

[producer] Fair to say this season's been,
um, a little bit different.

[chuckling]
Why do you think that might be?

Well, I...
It's difficult to point just one reason.

[blows, inhales sharply]

I don't think there's a real explanation.

We're not great this year.

We were good, average, bad sometimes.

Give me one team that loses
their Ballon d'Or winner number six,

the back four from the treble season,

and still...
and still performs at the same level.

I don't want to blame
injuries or anything.

As I said, we haven't been consistent
enough. We haven't been good enough.

I think everybody struggled.
The players, management, staff.

It feels even worse

because you're not used
to letting in a goal in last minute.

You're used to scoring in the last minute
and winning.

[sighs]

[producer] What about this narrative
that the squad is too old now?

[blows] I would say
a bit frustrating for me.

You know, it's not true.

You know, we are still capable. We are
very, very good footballers, you know.

[phone chimes]

[Soriano]

[phone chimes]

[producer] It must have been hard
to let Kevin De Bruyne go.

- It kills me. [scoffs] It kills me.
- [producer] Yeah.

Kevin, Kevin, Kevin.
Without Kevin in that period.

Forget about it.

[crowd shouting]

[Pep] He was crying in here.

[producer] It's like
sending your family away?

[Pep] Oh, God.

I have affection with those players.
We lived incredible things together.

But you have to be more cold,
you have to be more...

[producer] That must be hard.

That must be hard.

The hardest.

[announcer, speaks indistinctly]
One final time.

What are we doing here?

[in Dutch] Dad is coming, and then we have
to go into the middle of the pitch.

[announcer, in English]
Please stand to say goodbye

to a true Manchester City legend.

You good? [in Dutch] Everything okay?

[crowd chanting "Oh Kevin De Bruyne"]

[in English] Good.

[producer] Your entire family
has become such a part of this club.

What do you think maybe
they will miss the most about this change?

[clicks tongue] Um...

[crying]

It's... it's really hard. [sniffles]

[mutters, clicks tongue]

My kids don't wanna go.

[sighs] So...

Yeah, I don't know,
it's been really stressful days and...

[sighs]

You know, I'm not making decisions
anymore based on myself, you know.

I can... [sniffles] It's easy to go
to another team and play football...

but it's been a tough time for...

for us as a... as a family.
I don-I don't know.

[crowd chanting "Oh Kevin De Bruyne"]

[producer] 'Cause every... every
sportsperson has that moment, don't they?

But do you ever look inside yourself
and-and question...

Because you can't be
the best manager in the world forever?

Kevin, I think every single day
about that.

I will not do it forever. That's for sure.

That never happened before.

I lose games but never
three, four, five, six in a row?

In nine games, lose seven?

I said, "What is that?"

You know.

"To me, it happened to me?"

I said,
"Yeah, to you it also happened, Pep."

[producer] Were there moments
where you thought I can't...

I can't take this anymore?

Or not really? You never get to that low?

No, no, no, yeah, yeah.

With the club I said so.
"Maybe it's over?"

[Al Mubarak] I always managed
to convince him.

- But, that time, in Abu Dhabi last year...
- [Pep] Mmm.

...I was actually not sure
I was going to be able to convince you.

I was going to be able to convince you,
because we had this understanding, always.

When Pep reaches the conclusion,
a hundred per cent.

- That it's... it's the time...
- Mmm.

...I will not fight him.

But you know the boy that cried wolf?

- [chuckles]
- He is the boy that cried wolf.

In the Maldives
and the other time in Marbella.

- Every time--
- Don't say that.

It's easy to convince me in the Maldives!

In the Maldives, in Marbella,
I always convince him.

But last year I knew
this time he actually saw the wolf.

Let's do it.

[producer] So, so...

Do you know this is the only one
[interview] I've done in 10 years?

You've never done an interview?

- No, no, no, no.
- Why not?

My role is being a shadow,
just dark, you know.

The bad guy.

- [producer laughs]
- [chuckles]

Pep is always the good guy,

and Pep is always saying, "Yes, yes, yes,"

and after he comes to me and says,
"Manel that is not possible."

I am the bad guy but it's fine.

It's good.

[crowd shouting, whistling]

[no audible dialogue]

[producer] Last season he had, I think,
the hardest time ever in his career.

Had... had you seen him like this before?

Never.

[in Spanish] I've never had to go to
the locker room to speak to the players.

Only once. Only once.

Because they were worried

because Pep was anxious.

He was sad.

He was different.

And only I knew the reason.

And I said to the team,
"Please, you have to understand."

You're not playing with a coach
who can be a bit impulsive,

who can be a bit intense,

who can be sometimes up and down.

You're seeing a human being.

He's getting a divorce."

This is a topic I don't want to talk
about much

because it's personal.

But it was necessary for the team

not only to visualise Pep as a manager,

but for the first time see Pep

as a human being,

because in the end he is a human being.

[producer, in English] I guess that-that
when you're a sensitive person like him

and you're operating
at the highest level of sport,

any emotional change in you
impacts the sport, impacts the work?

Yeah.

It's true. He's human.

[Pep] In my life I've made
a lot of changes lately, right?

- [producer] Mmm.
- So I've got divorced,

and I have to... to settle a little bit.

You know, but...

no complaints at all, honestly.

- [blows]
- [producer] So you're a happy man?

In my job, yeah.

In my job, yeah.

Oh, my goodness.

- Hello. How are you doing?
- Hello.

I don't know yet.

[board member] Ask us in two hours.

[Al Mubarak] It's important
for the board to understand

we've been very disciplined
in the market for... for years.

We took a conscientious decision also
driven also by our manager last summer

not to make too many changes

with players that were
at the highlight of their careers.

We've paid the price.

We are going from a winning team...
[stammers] ...that have been unbelievable.

We have to create a new one

And the ones that made us
the winners of everything...

now, they have to leave,
and we have to bring new people

new legs, new energy because if not,
we won't... [chuckles] ...we won't win.

[Al Mubarak] This team
requires that healthy balance

between young, highly talented players
and experienced players, that balance.

Right now we're... that balance
is tilting more to the older players

and we have to tilt it back.

[in Spanish] It's Hugo!

[in English] Hugo is here!

[both chuckle]

[speaking Spanish]

- [speaks Spanish]
- It's going to be f*cking great.

We'll see.

I always put my bag there.

Not on the ground, on top.

- There, there, there, up there, there.
- Perfect.

Now starts the difference.

[in English] That is the difference.
Before he was coming...

He was coming here, now...

[cameraman]
Nobody's sat in that seat before Hugo.

Over ten years.

I don't like this switch.

A pleasure, okay?

Thanks for everything.

[in Spanish] You know,
I really want to help.

And there's a lot of work to be done.

- [speaks Spanish]
- [in English] A lot to do.

Welcome, officially.
This is your new home.

[in English] I always put
my bag here, down.

My first meeting with Pep,
I was nervous to be honest.

[inhales sharply] He said,
"The future of Manchester City

is in this room," and now was the time
to start to rebuild the team.

[analyst] We measure 43 metrics
across the pitch.

We'd melt those 43 metrics down
into just seven numbers

and then based on those seven numbers
we can cluster similar players together.

Number ten, so this is similarity
to peak Kevin De Bruyne.

- Do you see already?
- It's the four that we spoke about

- in the last meeting. Yeah.
- Yeah. Yeah.

[Viana] Then you have Cherki...

Could be at...

Kevin's profile in two years' time.

- But the mentality is...
- Yeah.

The information on Cherki were not so...
so positive, I will be very honest.

[Soriano] Everybody knew about his ability

but there was this idea
that he was, uh, chaotic.

[phone chimes]

[Soriano]

[Al Mubarak]

[Soriano]

- [phone ringing]
- [chattering]

Come on, Bernie!

[ringing continues]

[phone chimes]

[Hugo] Okay, we are here all together.

This is Ferran, CEO.

Salut.

I'm former sporting director.

In two weeks,
I'm on holidays on the beach!

What happened against Spain?

What happened?

You have to score three goals,
not just one. What happened?

- [Cherki speaks indistinctly]
- It was not bad, huh?

- [Cherki] Are you okay?
- Everything good.

We're going to do dinner,
watch the [Nations League] final, and

and tomorrow we start

our new adventure.

- Yeah? We'll be fine.
- [Cherki laughs, speaks in English] Okay.

It will be better than the last season,
I promise you.

[Cherki] Thank you.

I think you are
the best coach in the world.

Yeah, thank you.

That's why we're going to sign you

because of these words.

Ferran is so grumpy with you
because you played so good.

Yeah, for this performance we have to pay
another 10 million pounds.

[Cherki laughs]

No, don't laugh. It's the truth.

We'll fly you Ryanair,
economy class it's perfect!

[Cherki laughs]

Ciao, Rayan. Hopefully, I'll see you soon.
I'll pass you back to Ferran.

Okay. Ferran, pay!

- [chuckles]
- [Soriano] I pay! Give me the phone.

[in Spanish] Rayan, what happened is...

[in English] One more year with
the same players and same staff,

we could not do it, not possible.

[Cherki, in French]
I'm hungry. Can we go eat?

[in English] Do we have dinner booked
at the hotel?

[in French] So weird to drive on the left.

- [in English] It's good?
- It's good. Well done.

Uh... Your shoelace, do you want to tie it?

Because we are going to make you run.

- You might trip on it.
- [Cherki] Yeah.

- You want to tie your shoelace?
- No, it's good.

- Are you sure?
- Yeah, yeah.

- Because Max is going to get angry.
- No, no, it's good.

No, no, please, can you do it? [chuckles]

[Al Mubarak] I think it's very important
for the board to be aligned on this,

in terms of understanding at what stage
we're at.

Getting this transition right is similar
to the stage we were at in 2016.

[reporter] Big breaking transfer news

and Manchester City have announced
the signing of a Tijjani Reijnders

on a five-year deal from AC M--

Deep breath in for me.
Stand as tall as you can.

[Al Mubarak] We can't afford to be simple,
this machine is built to win.

This machine is built for success.
It works if we keep winning.

[Soriano] For the past six months
we have been recruiting young players

we believe can be the next generation.

[reporter 2] I can tell you
that Manchester City

have signed Nico González from Porto.

[reporter 3] Manchester City have signed


[reporter 4] ...reached a verbal
agreement to sign striker, Omar Marmoush.

[reporter 5] Rayan Aït-Nouri
has signed a five-year contract

and Lens have accepted
Manchester City's offer for Khusanov.

[photographer] Do you prefer a big smile?

No. Serious.

[photographer] Nice.

[yoga instructor] Inhale, belly comes up,
arms go straight, upward facing dog.

I want three deep breaths here.

[producer] What is the key characteristic
that makes a good manager?

There are a lot of managers that are
really good in tactics.

Really, really good.

There are good managers in man-management.

There are good managers...

really good in the media.

And, you know, but all of them
there is one characteristic

that you have to have

to survive in this world.
You have to convince

your players.

Say, "Go."

"Go to the rooftop

in the penthouse.

Go down..." [clicks tongue]

[producer] They'll jump
off a cliff for you?

[yoga instructor] Let the world melt away
for just a moment here.

Refamiliarise yourself
with that sense of self...

that being under the doing.

Who are you?

[Pep] In the end, I just give
the weapons to the players

to express themselves the best they can.

Who they are.

There's no more than that.

No more.

And when you change shapes and systems,
it's to give,

"Oh, we'll feel more comfortable
with that way to win games."

The rest is...

is poetry.

- [clinking glass]
- [team member] Guys.

Hello, everyone.

So I think we need a bit of inspiration
from the new ones.

Good evening, everyone.
I am Tijjani Reijnders from Holland.



Happy to be here, happy to perform.

If you were an animal,
which animal would you be?

[roars]

[audience laughs]

[guest] Lion?

♪ Baby
I like your style ♪

♪ Grips on your waist
Front way, back way ♪

♪ You know that I don't play
Streets not safe, but I never run away ♪

[muttering, laughing]

[team member] Rayan.

Cherki!

- Hi.
- [feedback]

Animal?

[meows]

Lion. [roars]

A dragon.

- [guest] A dragon?
- [audience exclaims]

I'm very scared of dogs.

No animals!

["Somewhere There's A God" playing]

♪ Somewhere there's a god ♪

♪ And he knows all about me ♪

[Pep] We try to build something.

Forget the tactics that create the team.
In terms of spirit,

in terms of hugs. Hugs. Body language.

♪ He knows every time I'm wrong ♪

♪ Oh, I'm so glad he knows... ♪

For the new players that will be,
for the next four, five, six years

an important part of the club,

I think the season will be
incredibly, incredibly important.

[producer] Are you gonna
be there for that? Five, six years?

Absolutely not.

- [producer chuckles]
- That's for sure.

No, no. Five, six years, no.

Life is not just football, right?

It should be...

you know, sleep until 10 one day...

and go to the cafeteria, or...

take two days off,

walk... I don't know.

Do whatever you want.
I don't have time to read,

to watch series, to, you know, to travel

and... it's too much to be honest.

[Soriano] We've built a top quality squad
and maintained it for a number of years

that delivered 18 trophies,
spending less than the rest.

Spectacular result.

During this time, Arsenal, Liverpool, all
of these teams have improved technically.

So we use our own methodology

that we work through an AI system

that we call total quality index.

This number is correlated
with the chance of winning the League.

Today, our team quality is 156,
Liverpool is 159, Arsenal is 160.

The system tells us
that we would finish third or fourth.

We've changed a lot of players, right,
and all of the players

that we've signed are very young,
so we are at the beginning of a cycle.

Arsenal has signed older players,
average 27.

Arsenal is looking for immediate impact.

And we've chosen to buy young players
that we believe are going to make it.

But that's our choice,
and that is the risk.

[producer] But rebuilding
doesn't always work.

If you look at Manchester United,
I mean, they've been trying

to rebuild post Ferguson for years.

[Al Mubarak] It can go into full meltdown.

You know, dropping from,
you know, top three to top six, to top ten

to, you know, no man's land.

It happens. It happens a lot.

[journalist] Hello, Pep.
Happy new season to you.

Back in their last season, you said
your team will be better this season.

Have you seen signs of that?

I cannot assure you,
but the signals are yes, we'll be better.

But maybe we can be worse. [chuckles]

Who knows?

[pundit] Can City and Pep find a way of
getting back to the side that they were?

With what happened last year,
that horrible spell they went through,

[pundit 2] I don't know whether
they've done enough in the window.

[pundit 3] Guardiola clearly found
last season very difficult.

You know, he's been a manager
for 16 years, and that is a long time

to be at the very top.

[Pep] Allez, come together.
Hug each other, guys.

[player] Time, come on, bring it in.

[Pep] Guys we start the season today.
Not just in the Premier League.

In FA Cup, Carabao Cup, Champions
League. There will be turbulence, guys.

Embrace it. Embrace the turbulence guys.
Never is easy, never is easy.

- Let's go!
- [teams yells]

[commentator] Reijnders in central
midfield. Oh, that's great feet from him.

Scoop ball in towards Lewis.
Lewis into the area!

And Haaland scores!

Brilliant from Reijnders!

If the pass is gone, City will be in here,

and Reijnders hits it
into the back of the net!

Oh, lovely again from Cherki.
He's onto the ball.

Cherki, he hits it into the net!

Rayan Cherki!

It's been the perfect start at Molineux,
with City's new signings

all playing a part.

[commentator] City now host Tottenham,

the team that started
the losing run last season.

[Pep] Before the Wolves game,
we said it's a competition of three games.

We won the first with Wolves,
we go to the second now. Okay?

The big question is
for all Man City players from last season,

do you want to play last season? Do you
want to believe the last season we had?

Do you want to play the last season
you had at f*cking Milan

that you didn't qualify for Europe?
You want it?

You wanna do that?

Remind yourselves if you want to live
or relive our last season.

If you don't want it,
you will win, my friends.

[team cheers]

[commentator] Trafford's just gone
really long to try and find Haaland.

Oh, and that's a poor header,
and Marmoush right across the face

of the goal and out for a goal kick.

And now Richarlison,
and there are men over.

And Johnson is one of them,
and Spurs are at it again!

[commentator 2]
That's a horrendous moment.

It's João Palhinha,
and it's two for Tottenham.

And Manchester City
have only got themselves to blame.

[commentator] And City brought back down
to Earth with a shuddering bump

at home to Spurs.

[producer] Where do you feel
you're going to end this season?

[Pep] We will be there.

But right now what do I feel?

Still we are not prepared to win.

[producer] You're still not prepared
to win?

[Pep] Mm-mmm. To win the titles.

[producer] So you think there's more work
that needs to be done?

Here.

Here still we aren't...

I have the feeling
that the players still don't believe that

we are... good.

You have to be arrogant to win.

Everybody get in.

Come, come inside... [indistinct]

[sighs]

Let me tell you something.
Last season we didn't win.

Did it change something in our lives?

We were more sad, right?
That's the only thing.

We lost against Spurs,
did something change?

In your training sessions?

It was exceptional
as it has been for months.

When I said before, "Don't lose the ball."

Lose all the ba*ls that you need.

Lose all the passes, lose all the shots.

Don't save the goal, James, or whatever.
It doesn't matter.

But you have to do it convinced.

It's tough? Yeah.

We're going to do it right?

Yeah? Allez.

[commentator] And Lewis Dunk gets to it,

it strikes Matheus Nunes on the arm,
and the referee says penalty!

Well, the momentum's all with Brighton
now, and City can't seem to stop them,

and they've scored again!

They've come from behind to lead!

So you think the first half
and the second half is the same?

Bro, the first half was miles better.

We need to be calm. We need to relax.

We need to be calm, I totally agree.

But we need to try more, no?

["Don't Look Back in Anger" playing]

♪ So, Sally can wait ♪

♪ She knows it's too late
As we're walkin' on by ♪

♪ Her soul slides away ♪

♪ "But don't look back in anger,"
I heard you say ♪

Could be the greatest songwriter
in the f*cking world.

At one point,
every single thing that you write

becomes part of the furniture.

Then all of a sudden
you can't write for sh*t anymore.

You don't know why.
You're not doing anything different.

It's just you have your time and then the
world moves on. Do you know what I mean?

[Liam Gallagher] ♪ "But don't
Look back in anger," I heard you say ♪

[song ends]

I leave my life, my divorce
and my family is away and everything

for all of you. And what do you give back?

The f*cking performance
you have done, all of you.

It's a disgrace, guys.

And you know what is going to happen?

You know what is going to happen.
You will have another manager.

You will have another manager.