Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says he wants his squad to travel to Abu Dhabi for warm-weather training during the winter break.
The Cityzens will have a tw0-week gap at the very least after the Newcastle game on January 13th and Guardiola is hoping to take advantage by taking his team outside of the country. He credits the boot camp for helping his team win trophies last season and he is hoping to replicate the formula this campaign:
“After Newcastle, if it’s possible, we go to Abu Dhabi again, all together. Last season we were there in the World Cup and it had an incredible impact for the staff and everyone. The five titles prove it”
“We go there to train in better weather, to be together – training, training and training to prepare for the second part of the season. That is the plan but maybe we’ll change it, I don’t know yet.”
City could use the break as a springboard
As most Premier League managers have pointed out, it’s almost impossible to get any training in during the festive period due to the number of games that are played.
For that reason, the winter break is very much needed, not only for the players but also for the managers who can use the time to iron out any issues on the training pitch.
The title race is finely poised
After the 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace on December 16th, it looked like the wheels were falling off City’s title challenge but they have managed to get back into contention within a matter of weeks.
The reigning champions usually come on strong in the second half of the season so the hope is that they will not only catch up with the likes of Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal but even take a lead at the top over the coming months.
