As many questioned why Manchester City sanctioned Raheem Sterling’s move to Chelsea in the summer, it was reported at the time that the player wanted assurances over minutes on the pitch.
However, Pep Guardiola is known to have never handed guarantees to any player throughout his career in regards to how much playing time they will receive.
As a result, both club and player decided to part ways.
Advert
While the Catalan manager’s unpredictable rotational policy was in action at both Barcelona and Bayern Munich, English football fans in particular were largely stunned by how much he tinkers with his sides.
The 51-year-old has previously touched on how he chooses not to have a set starting eleven in mind, as he picks the personnel in accordance with the opponent.
Additionally, it is also imperative for Pep Guardiola to manage his squad’s time on the pitch, especially at Manchester City - who tend to compete on all four fronts this season.
Advert
Another reason, which is blatantly obvious, is that the decorated coach wishes to keep his players on their toes at all times, to reduce any possibility of complacency creeping into the squad.
John Stones, who has been at the Etihad Stadium since the summer of 2016, is accustomed to Pep Guardiola’s habit of constantly chopping and changing.
Discussing what it is like to be on the receiving end of his policy in an exclusive interview with Simon Bajkowski of the Manchester Evening News, the England international revealed, “The main thing that we've got is incredible people in our squad.
Advert
"We all know that we're all going to play a major part within our team.
"We obviously all want to play every week but at the same time, we all know that the manager uses us all and in different situations and against different teams.
"Because we all have different individual qualities that are better for certain teams or players or whatever that might be."
Advert
Stones continued, "He keeps us on our toes and keeps us fighting and pushing us against each other.
"But something special is we have just a defensive unit that all of us want each other to do well if the other person is playing.
"That's really special when you're fighting in every competition.”
Advert
With John Stones having experienced Pep Guardiola’s tendency to rotate personally, he is well aware of the standards demanded at the club to become a regular fixture in this Manchester City side.
Topics: John Stones, Pep Guardiola, Manchester City, Premier League
Srinivas Sadhanand