Maresca's First Big Test
Enzo Maresca has made an impressive start to life as Manchester City manager. Seven consecutive wins in all competitions. The FA Cup and Carabao Cup sit in the trophy cabinet. On the pitch, the transition from one era to another has been smooth.
Off it, the mood has shifted. City were found guilty of almost all of the charges brought against them for breaching the Premier League's financial rules from 2009-2018. The club have lodged an appeal. The verdict landed while the majority of the squad were away on international duty, meaning they haven't come together as a group since the news broke.
That changes on Thursday.
A Squad Meeting With Unavoidable Questions
Jack Gaughan has reported for the Daily Mail that Maresca will address his squad on Thursday following the events of the past week and a half. It will be the first time the entire group has been in the same room since the independent commission's decision was made public.
The 115 situation is out of the control of the players and staff. That much is clear. What Maresca can control is how his squad processes it, how they train, how they play. The seven straight wins suggest they have handled disruption well so far. This is different.
In every interview and press conference that Maresca and his players do from this point, they will be asked about the 115 verdict and case.
That is the reality. Every pre-match press conference, every post-match interview, every tunnel walk. The questions will come. Maresca's job on Thursday is to make sure the answers, or the refusals to answer, don't derail what has been a promising start.
Thursday's meeting won't make the appeal go away. It won't silence the noise. But it will give the squad a chance to hear from their manager directly, away from the cameras and the microphones.
For a manager who didn't ask to be in this situation, it is the most important team talk of his tenure so far.