A New Era, A Familiar Faith in Youth
Enzo Maresca's first outing as Manchester City manager ended in a penalty shootout defeat to Inter Milan in Hong Kong on Saturday, but the Italian was far more interested in the bigger picture than the scoreline.
Speaking after the game, the 46-year-old offered a clear glimpse into his thinking on the club's next generation. The message to the academy hopefuls was simple: this pre-season is your chance.
"At the moment, with most of the young players, the idea was to see them during pre-season and then decide," Maresca said.
One player already making an impression is Ryan McAidoo. "We started 10 days ago and Ryan is working well," the manager confirmed.
Maresca's track record suggests these are not empty words. At Leicester, he handed out a record number of academy debuts. At Chelsea, he did the same. The pattern is established.
"I am always very open with young players," he said.
Watching academy products pull on the City shirt in his first game in charge clearly struck a chord. "It's amazing, it's an amazing feeling. They are from the academy. They are from the home," he reflected.
"I was happy also with their performances, so good."
On the match itself, Maresca was measured. City struggled in the first half, he admitted, but improved markedly after the break. "We struggled a bit more first half but we knew the reason why. In the second half we were much better."
With pre-season still in its infancy, fitness remains the priority. "In this moment, I think it's important the physical condition," he said, before turning his attention to what lies ahead.
"In two weeks, we are already in an important game, so it's good that they get better and better and better."