20 hours ago
39
Manchester City assistant Kolo Toure spoke about his previous experience and what he is bringing to work with Pep Guardiola
In early 2023, years of hard work for Kolo Toure appeared to have been shredded in months. Having built up his coaching reputation as an assistant to Brendan Rodgers at Celtic and Leicester, the former Premier League star took a No.1 job in the Championship but was sacked after just nine games.
Between Boxing Day and January 2, Wigan Athletic lost 4-1 to three different opponents as what had been promoted as a blockbuster appointment of one of the most exciting new coaches backfired spectacularly. Three years later, Toure will be sat alongside Pep Guardiola looking at the Premier League summit in what has been a spectacular recovery.
After a year with the Under-18s helping Oliver Reiss in a year that saw City's academy side win 26 games in a row in all competitions, Toure moved up to the first team when Carlos Vicens departed to take charge at Braga. Guardiola told him to be himself, and the Ivorian has wasted no time in doing that as he has worked individually with players including Erling Haaland to share his expertise.
"The first thing he told me is to work with the players a lot by doing a video session with them, showing clips where they can improve. I mentor them a lot, trying to advise them on certain things on the pitch, and do some individual stuff like the technique to finish or to defend," he said.
"I help Erling by telling him stuff about defenders, what they don’t like because I was a defender. I work really closely with Pep Lijnders on leading the training sessions and of course bring my energy that I always had."
There is a lot of talk of the energy back in the squad this season, with Guardiola and his players recharged as they attempt to dismiss last season as a blip and return to winning ways. A batch of signings have been made, and Toure and Lijnders together with James French have refreshed the backroom staff.
Like Toure, Lijnders built his reputation as a No.2 - including some ferocious battles against City while he assisted Jurgen Klopp - before a tilt at management did not go as expected; he was sacked at RB Salzburg after just a few months before taking the call from Guardiola a few months later to get back into the game. City's coach likes to have strong assistants around him who have the ambition to be the No.1, and Toure's stint at Wigan has not put him off.
"My experience at Wigan was the best thing that happened to me because during my life i had a lot of setbacks before I came to Arsenal with trials that didn't work. That never stopped me and when I have setbacks my feeling is to go again and that's natural for me," he said.
"Of course, the job that I'm doing right now is fantastic because I'm working with two fantastic people working for one of the best clubs in the world and I'm taking all this experience right now. I don't' know what will happen in the future but when you've been a manager once you always want to go back for sure.
"I'm learning every day, trying to share my knowledge to try to bring something to the team because I'm not here just to learn."
Mikel Arteta and Enzo Maresca are among the coaches to have gone from City assistants to managers of big Premier League clubs, and Toure could put himself in line for another top job if he continues with Guardiola. He will need to associate himself with success at the Etihad first though, and that means more tips for Haaland and more work to return the Blues to winning trophies.
English (US) ·