Manchester City is a dream club for Footballers and fans both. Many players aspire to wear the famous Manchester City shirts and play on the field. The club also has a strong fan following that is devoted to its players.

If we look at the club’s rich history, playing for Manchester City provides the opportunity for a legendary career. On weekends and Champions League evenings, it is constantly singing, and the supporters have remained faithful even during difficult times.

The pressure at Manchester City, on the other hand, is immense, and not all players can manage it. Some prosper, while others struggle to fulfill expectations. Despite the club’s reputation for nurturing top-tier talent, there have been times when players have fallen short of expectations.

Let’s take a look at 8 players who did not do well while playing for Manchester City.

8. Kalvin Phillips

One of the recently signed players by Manchester City, Kalvin Phillips was brought to the team in 2022 and the club had high hopes for him. His move to Manchester City seemed like a great decision as the club has a high-scoring team but with teams that perform as outstandingly as Man City, the training and pressure are also much higher. Phillips faced a career setback at Man City although we can’t say it was due to Pep Guardiola’s strict mentorship or the overall pressure on a player to give his very best. In the constant struggle to keep his spot in Manchester City, his performance suffered and he was mostly kept on the sidelines. For a player who was sought after by the top clubs, not being able to appear in Man City’s games often was a challenge for him. Some sources state that he might be transferred to a new club this January and we think perhaps a new team might be the change he needs to get back on his feet.

7. Javi Garcia

Former Spanish footballer Javi Garcia also had very high prospects when he signed to play for Manchester City in 2012. He had delivered a remarkable performance with his national team and having played with clubs such as Real Madrid and SL Benfica, he must have thought that a move to Manchester City was just what he needed to boost his career. However, that decision didn’t play out as well as he hoped. The midfielder and defender found it hard to make his place with the team and was given very little game time. Out of 53 total appearances, Javi only managed to appear twice in the Premier League seasons. Fortunately, he was signed up by Zenit St. Petersburg in 2014 and he left Manchester City to play for the Russian football club instead. Since then Javi Garcia has played for Real Betis Balompié and later for the Boavista FC in the 2020-21 season. In his last season with Boavista FC, he made an overall of twenty-one appearances. So it is safe to say that if he had stayed at Manchester City, he might not have gotten the chance to prove his worth.

6. Michael Johnson

Michael Johnson was referred to as Manchester City’s wunderkind when he joined the club in the 2006-2007 season. Playing as a midfielder, Johnson had an exciting career in front of him or so he thought. But bad luck struck as he got injured while playing very often. During his spell with the Man City club, Johnson received abdominal and knee injuries that set him back from the other players. As a result, he had only four appearances with Man City in five years and his potential as a footballer was worn out. His football career came to an end in just 2012 and he had to leave the club.

5. Manuel Nolito

Another Spanish footballer on our list is Manuel Nolito. Formerly playing for Barcelona, SL Benfica, and Granada CF, Nolito delivered a remarkable performance in the La Liga games with the team of Celta Vigo. The Spanish winger joined Manchester City in 2016 but he wasn’t able to play as well as he did with the Celta Vigo team. Perhaps he found it hard to adjust to Pep Guardiola’s strategy for the team and couldn’t get accustomed to playing with Man City. He made 19 appearances with the football club but only managed to score four goals. Seeing his performance, Man City offered him to Valencia on a loan. After that Nolito went on to play for Sevilla, Celta Vigo, and currently appeared with the football club UD Ibiza in 2022-23.

4. Oscar Bobb

Oscar Bobb is another Norwegian footballer in the Man City team alongside Erling Haaland. While Haaland has made his mark with the team and is their top scorer, Oscar is finding it hard to make it big with Man City. The right winger has delivered impressive performances each time he is allowed to pay but for some reason, he is benched out for most of the matches. Manchester City has way too many good players that Bobb’s presence on the field or not hardly causes a difference to the club. But it has been having a negative effect on the young footballer. Oscar’s current situation is often compared to Cole Palmer, a former Man City player who recently made the move to Chelsea and is having a much better time showing off his skills in the game. Some sources say that Oscar might also make the move to a new club this January but we don’t think Man City would let go of the wonderkid too soon.

3. Joe Hart

Joe Hart, a former England, and Manchester City goalkeeper, had a difficult time when Pep Guardiola took over as manager in 2016. Guardiola didn’t think Hart’s style of play was compatible with his, particularly the way he used his feet. As a result, Hart was forced to go on loan to clubs such as Torino and West Ham, and it appeared like his career was on the verge of collapse.

Hart officially left Manchester City in 2018, bringing an end to a chapter in his career. He attempted to reclaim his place as a top keeper by joining clubs such as Burnley, Tottenham Hotspur, and Celtic, but it was obvious that he had plenty of challenges in regaining his former reputation.

 

2. Yaya Toure

Yaya Toure, a Manchester City icon, had a tragic end with the team due to a disagreement with the coach, Pep Guardiola. Despite his importance to City’s glory, Toure’s relationship with Guardiola crumbled. As a result, Toure left the squad, leaving fans and analysts questioning why such an important player was treated so unfairly.

Toure has contributed significantly to City, particularly during the 2013-14 season, when he scored 20 goals from midfield. His disrespectful exit confused fans and showed how difficult it can be to deal with football superstars, especially when relationships between players and management get messed up.

1. Samir Nasri

Samir Nasri, who made a bright start with Manchester City, encountered several difficulties. Fans disliked him, and he suffered from illnesses that affected his ability to perform. His career was ruined by a controversy in Turkey. Nasri had a difficult time both on and off the pitch.

Fans shamed him for not regularly performing well, and when he left Manchester City in 2016, things did not improve. He was loaned to Sevilla and then transferred to Antalyaspor in Turkey. Nasri’s narrative reminds us that footballers endure various challenges during their careers, particularly in the pressurized environment of big football teams.

 

Even if we don’t want to claim that Manchester City “ruined” some of its players, there were moments when players like Joe Hart, Yaya Toure, and Samir Nasri encountered major challenges with the team. The stories of these footballers show that football can be difficult. High expectations, new coaches, and off-field issues may all make it difficult for even the best players. It teaches us that success in football is not always guaranteed, and how players and clubs interact, as well as the decisions made by coaches, are extremely important. The experiences of these players remind us that in football, things may change suddenly, for better or for worse.

 

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