Manchester City may be able to boast a 100% winning record under new manager Pep Guardiola, but RTÉ analyst Eamon Dunphy harbours deep reservations on the prospects of the club under the decorated Spanish manager.
City have won their first five competitive matches under Gaurdiola, scoring 18 goals in the process.
With a number of the biggest clubs in England’s top flight in a state of flux, Dunphy admitted to being intrigued by how the season will unfold.
“It’s been interesting,” the Drumcondra native told listeners on RTE 2fm’s Game On.
“It’s too early to call it because there’s so many of the top clubs, in fact all of them are in some form of transition; either new players, new coaches, or both.
“I’ve been deeply unimpressed by Manchester City.
“It’s codology, and when they play the good teams - unless he gets new players and rearranges his tactical set-up - he’s going to get a right spanking from somebody.”
Dunphy went into some detail on the challenges facing Guardiola, insisting that the players at his disposal lack the quality the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach is accustomed to, while also expressing his dismay at the reason for dropping Joe Hart, if not questioning the decision to bench the out-of-favour goalkeeper itself.
“It’s his biggest test,” the former Millwall stalwart told listeners.
“His record at Barcelona was fantastic - although they were all home-bred players, he didn’t have to go out and choose them - and he did well at Bayern Munich. He had Arjen Robben and Thomas Muller and people like that, but this is a big, big test.
“He’s got an awful lot of bad players.
“He won’t be able to get the quality in that he needs in the short term and if he starts dropping goalkeepers because they can’t play like midfield players, which is a quote from him, then I think he’s doomed.”
If City are to suffer a “spanking”, Dunphy was less certain as to who would administer it, although a Chelsea side guided by Antonio Conte could be leading candidates.
“Chelsea have been by far the most impressive team"
Manchester United, with former Blues boss Jose Mourinho at the helm, received almost as damning an early evaluation as their near rivals.
“He’s definitely brought life back,” Dunphy admitted of the Red Devils displays under Mourinho, who has a history of exploding out of the blocks with his new clubs.
However, the quality of the opposition faced thus far, the performances of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Wayne Rooney, and suspicions over the quality of a yet untested defence were all cited as grounds to doubt the Premier League’s most successful club.
“They’ve played three soft games - Bournemouth, Hull and Southampton.
“Really, United were bad. No-one’s making runs in behind. Ibrahimovic has scored three goals - important goals - at least two of them were, but he’s looked terrible.
“Rooney is very, very deep. He’s not playing up front.
“We don’t know what they’re like at the back, but the first time they’re tested they’ll be found to be wanting as well.
“But Manchester United and Manchester City are not that impressive at the moment.
“Chelsea have been by far the most impressive team. The shape of the team and the energy of it - the structures are right - and he’s brought John Terry back.
“They haven’t played anyone yet either.
“It’s when the big teams play each other that we’ll really know.
“But they are all - Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City - they are all works in progress.”
