On the early morning of January 12, the third round of the FA Cup kicked off fiercely, and Manchester City emerged victorious in this match, winning with great satisfaction. In the match between Manchester City and Salford City from League Two at the Etihad Stadium, the Manchester City players demonstrated their superior skills, with a comprehensive offensive explosion and a multi-flower situation. McTie was particularly outstanding, successfully completing a hat-trick; Doku was also in excellent form, not only scoring twice but also contributing two exquisite passes; Grealish also performed well, scoring one goal while providing two assists; Mubama and O'Reilly also broke through the opponent's goal. With the outstanding performance of many players, Manchester City easily won the qualification for promotion. It is worth mentioning that Manchester City's recent state has obviously warmed up, among which the change of tactics by coach Guardiola played a key role. Take this game as an example, Manchester City won with a huge score of 8-0, under such a big advantage, those who did not get the opportunity to play can't help feeling embarrassed. In this lineup, Guardiola decisively took down the 34-year-old veteran, and this adjustment immediately saw results, and the team then happily won three consecutive victories, which is really remarkable.
In the game against Salford City ranked third in League Two, Guardiola made some rotation operations on the team lineup. As a result, many young talents in the team got the precious opportunity to start. Among these young talents, McTie's performance was particularly eye-catching, he successfully scored three goals, and with such outstanding performance, it undoubtedly fully demonstrated his own strength. To say that, before Guardiola let go of Palmer, it was really a pity. After all, for Manchester City, it is very necessary to keep players like McTie who have outstanding talent. McTie is a left-footed midfielder, his style on the court is extremely flexible, and he is also very creative, such a player is self-evident for the importance of the team.
The opponent Manchester City defeated in this game is indeed relatively limited in terms of strength. However, if you refer to the depressed situation presented by Manchester City during the previous period, it is really difficult to win such a big victory. Looking back, from the end of October to the end of December, Manchester City only managed to win 1 game, draw 3 games, and lose 9 games in as many as 13 games. At that time, Manchester City's poor form was just like a team struggling to avoid relegation, as if they were specifically "sending points" and "warmth" to their opponents. However, in the recent 3 games, Manchester City's performance has improved significantly. First, they beat Leicester City 2-0, then defeated West Ham United 4-1, and this time they swept Salford City with a big score. Analyzing Manchester City's recent performance, an interesting situation has emerged, that is, when Walker is on the bench or absent from the game, it actually helps Manchester City win. If Walker had been on the field in this game, judging from past situations, Manchester City might not have been able to win so smoothly.
Walker, in the prime of his career, relied on his rapid speed and strong physique, and was a fierce defender. However, as time goes by, with the continuous growth of age, coupled with his serious lack of self-discipline, and even the emergence of a messy private life and other situations, these reasons stacked together make Walker an obvious shortcoming in the Manchester City squad this season. On the court, it is often seen that Walker makes mistakes such as missing people, being easily broken through by opponents, or being distracted when defending. Just take the last three games as an example, Walker didn't even get the chance to start. Just like the game against West Ham United, Manchester City was going smoothly in the early stages of the game, once leading by a big score of 4-0. But when the game reached the 61st minute, Walker came off the bench, and as a result, Manchester City failed to score again after that, not only that, but also because of Walker's own mistakes, the opponent directly pulled back a goal, and Walker himself also received a yellow card due to fouls. Through this game, the problem is really vividly displayed, it is obvious that Walker has become one of the main obstacles for Manchester City to achieve more victories.
After the event with Salford City ended, Guardiola mentioned Walker's absence from the FA Cup during an interview. The coach revealed that Walker has submitted a transfer application and plans to leave Manchester City to finish his career elsewhere. Imagine if Walker could always be the mainstay of Manchester City and the team's record is quite good, then he probably wouldn't think about leaving Manchester City. It is clear to see that this old captain of Manchester City, after gradually losing his starting position and being criticized for his poor performance on the field, has the idea of playing for another team. Judging from Walker's current competitive state, his decision to leave the team may still be a beneficial thing for Manchester City.