PEP GUARDIOLA has been urged to get ruthless – and radically overhaul his ageing Manchester City squad.
The reigning Premier League champions are in the midst of a horror run heading into the festive period.
Guardiola‘s men have lost ground in the title race and are currently 9 points behind leaders Liverpool.
City have won just once in their last 11 games ahead of a tough trip to Aston Villa on Saturday.
Pep signed on the dotted line last month, committing to two more years at the Etihad.
And Spanish football expert Guillem Balague claims Guardiola is desperate to “recover the essence of the team.”
First-team regulars Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden, Ruben Dias, Ederson and Kyle Walker could all be at risk of being moved on in a dramatic overhaul.
Per the Daily Record, Balague said: “Quite clearly Pep Guardiola is going to use the last two years of his contract – which will probably be the last two of his career as a club manager – to prepare a new Manchester City.
“I have got a very clear idea that they will want to get rid of five or six regular starters for Manchester City and bring in five or six new starters.
“Half of the team. It is a new era. The end of this one and a new era starting.“
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Guardiola’s City have won the last four Prem titles but have never endured such a torrid run of form under the Spaniard.
Balague continued: “The cycle is over but remember that only a month-and-a-half ago they had not lost a game and were top of the table.
“But [an upcoming overhaul] in my eyes is what is happening. That is what they are going to do next.”
City threw away a goal advantage in last week’s Manchester derby, leaving Pep to declare both he and the team have “not been good enough.”
Guardiola, who did not emerge from the dressing room for 30 minutes after the game, said: “I’m the boss, I’m the manager and I’m not good enough.
“I’m not doing well – it’s as simple as that.
“I need to talk to them about the way we have to play and press and build-up and I’m not good enough.
“I’m the manager and I don’t find the solution. In a big club, when you lose eight in 11 something wrong is happening.
“It’s my job. My job is not just to win games or lift trophies. I’m incredibly well-paid for that reason.
“We want to play better, create chances. But at the moment it’s not possible. There is no defence for eight defeats in 11.”
FINN AZAZ was shown the way to the top by Phil Foden.
And the Middlesbrough midfielder hopes to join Manchester City’s England superstar in the Premier League next year by completing an EFL hat-trick of promotions.
Azaz, 24, went up from League Two with Cheltenham in 2021 and then League One in 2023 at Plymouth — who Boro visit today.
And he can keep his biennial promotion streak going by helping Middlesbrough into the Prem.
During his stint at Cheltenham he played against Foden in the 2020-21 FA Cup — and the Robins gave Pep Guardiola’s stars a fright, leading through an Alfie May goal until the 81st minute.
But late strikes from Foden, Gabriel Jesus and Ferran Torres spared City’s blushes.
Azaz admits that match taught him a lesson. He said: “I’ve always wanted to play in the Premier League but that day showed me the gap I had to bridge if I was ever going to make it.
“I did well and realised that although these are guys you’re watching every week on TV, they’re just normal people when playing them.
“But it was an eye-opener. Foden was wearing moulds and the pitch was terrible that day. Yet he showed incredible balance.
“I never get cramps — but that day I did! All that taught me I must do a lot better if I want to reach that level. That was my first season playing men’s football and to win League Two was special.
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“I grew so much as a person and the manager Michael Duff showed so much trust to play me.”
Azaz — who did not play a competitive game for Aston Villa in three years there — was on loan at Argyle 12 months ago, where he scored 15 goals and made 15 assists in 67 games.
And he has had a fantastic 2024 since deciding to join Michael Carrick’s Boro in January for £2million.
Not only has he been a key cog for the Teessiders — reflected by him winning the Sky Bet Championship player of the month for November — but he has broken into the Republic of Ireland team too.
He said: “I find it hard to reflect on a year while you’re still in the moment.
“I came here to help get this team promoted but we weren’t able to do that last season — so that’s the target come May. That’s all I’m thinking about.
“And with the Republic of Ireland, the goal is to reach the 2026 World Cup. So everything is a work in progress.”
He says his game has kicked on since moving to the Riverside, with 14 goal contributions this season (six goals, eight assists) — only Norwich’s Borja Sainz has more (15 goals, two assists) in the Championship.
Plus he is one of only two players with five goals and five assists in the division, along with Sheffield United’s Gustavo Hamer. His assist tally is the most in the division.
And he credits Carrick as a huge influence.
The former Manchester United, West Ham, Tottenham and England ace has slowly got Boro moving in the right direction since taking over two years ago — and holds an impressive 50 per cent win record.
Azaz explained: “The manager is detailed and the tempo of the sessions is unreal. You must be on it all the time.
“He has made sure everyone knows their job and what is expected of them in training. There is a lot of trust from players to management.
“The boss demands high standards but he’s also calm in his approach. The way he explains things I really like.
“Every manager I’ve worked with has been different but from an experience point of view from playing, he’s far and away the best.”
Azaz believes the team spirit at the Riverside has been particularly impressive, with a strong bond among his team-mates.
He added: “We’re always doing stuff together. We have a pool table, two table tennis tables and darts at the training ground.
“You will still see some of the players shooting pool at 4pm. Most changing rooms I’ve been involved in want to get off but here people stay.
“Dan Barlaser is a good pool player — but I’ve got his number. I’m decent, I take my time and it frustrates the opponent.”
Azaz has an interesting family background — son of an Israeli mother and an Irish father.
He enjoys visiting Israel and said: “I love doing all the cultural stuff. I’ve been to Jerusalem and gone to the desert.
“But Tel Aviv is my favourite. It’s such a vibrant city. The beaches are unreal.”
Azaz has already made a New Year’s resolution: “To be present in 2025.”
He could well be so — in the Premier League.
ARRIVING home after an afternoon at the beauty salon, Heather Hopkins did a twirl for her partner, Joe Gibbs.
“Notice anything different?” she asked, while a bemused Joe gave her the once-over.
“Erm, your nails are a different colour?” he ventured.
Nodding, Heather, now 30, didn’t mention the Botox and filler she’d just been injected with on the sly.
A secret tweaker, she’d been indulging in injectables for the past four years – and her partner had absolutely no idea.
“I was spending £1.3k a year on Botox and filler and Joe was none the wiser,” says Heather, a charity fundraiser from Port Talbot, South Wales.
“Joe always complimented me on my ‘natural’ good looks, never suspecting that my secret Saturday jabs were the reason behind my high cheekbones and unlined face.
“But as far as I’m concerned, injectables are an essential part of my self-care and none of his business!
“It’s about self-confidence, not vanity, and I plan on ageing on my own terms – not nature’s.”
Like Heather, more and more women are now committing ‘cosmetic infidelity’. According to EuroNews, around 900k Botox jabs are currently carried out in the UK each year, although it’s not clear how many are done in secret without their partners knowing.
Some secret tweakers say they are not bothered by the little white lie, and like Heather don’t feel the need to justify their self-care routine.
Others feel that societal pressure to look naturally ‘wrinkle-free’ means they have to keep their injections and surgeries to themselves.
“You go on Instagram, and everyone looks fabulous,” says Heather.
“There is so much pressure to look like your ‘Insta-self’ that some of my mates refuse to tell their best pals how much Botox and filler they have. Even celebrities won’t come clean about their procedures.”
Heather started having Botox and fillers aged 25, in 2015.
“It might sound young but I had an uneven jawline which had bothered me since I was teen.
“I decided at 25 I was old enough and had enough research was right for me to start, as I didn’t want to wait until any wrinkles had developed.
“I believe subtle prevention is better than cure.
“I’d seen the results of regular jabs on people, and realised if I had ‘little and often’ treatments, I’d get great results,” she says.
“I’d broken my nose at 12, which shattered my self-confidence, and had a £4K nose job at 18, followed by a revision two years later after a car accident for £2K. They showed me that cosmetic surgery – if done correctly – can change the way you feel about yourself.
Around the same time Heather met Joe, now 31, a golfing pro and coach, after he slid into her DMs. For the next four years, she kept her tweakments on the down-low, pretending she was just off for a manicure or wax any time she went to the beauticians.
In early 2019 Heather had more revision work on her nose to make it thinner, costing £4K. “Joe and I hadn’t moved in together at that stage,” she says, explaining how she was able to recover at home.
And it was at this point she told Joe about the surgery.
“I felt I should because there was bruising,” she says. “He said I didn’t need it but would always support me.”
The same year, she had composite veneers added to her top teeth costing £3K – but she didn’t tell Joe.
“A good smile is important to me and despite trying different whitening strips, I’d never managed to get a brilliant white smile,” she says.
My tweakments aren’t radical alterations, it’s just maintenance to help me make the best of myself
Heather Hopkins
“I was thrilled with the results.
“I finally told Joe and my pals because people were asking me why they looked so white.
“At the same time we moved in together. So I fessed up about my Botox and filler as well.
“I came home with a little bit of swelling from filler and told Joe what it was. He was blasé but baffled. He thought my looks were natural and said I didn’t need any extra work. He thought makeup would do the trick.
“He couldn’t see any difference. I just smiled and nodded as that was the response I was hoping for.
“My tweakments aren’t radical alterations, it’s just maintenance to help me make the best of myself.
“But he said it was a waste of money spending thousands on something like that. By that point, I’d spent more than £20k on nose jobs, Botox, fillers and dental work.
“But you can’t put a price on good self-esteem and body confidence.
“When I told him about breaking my nose so young and being bullied, he totally understood and supported my decisions.
Botox: Four times a year – £800
FIller: Two times a year – £500
Nose job one: £4k
Nose job two: £2k
Nose job three: £2k
Nose job four: £2k
Composite veneers on teeth: £3k
TOTAL: £25.4k
“Now when I come home from a Botox or filler session, he just shakes his head.
“He reckons it’s not worth the money I spend because he can’t see any difference, but I do. As for the cost, it’s my money. I earn it and I save up for my treatments.
“Joe is golf-obsessed. He loves his clothes and spends money on his own version of looking good.
“I don’t mind how much he spends though. I just support self-care choice.
Some couples overshare, but in my opinion it’s better to preserve some mystery
Heather Hopkins
“I had a fourth nose job revision in 2020 costing £2k,” she says.
“Joe supported me while I recovered, He said I looked amazing before the fourth surgery. He’s baffled about why I think I need extra work done.
“Like many men Joe used to think tweakments would make you look like a monster. I’ve shown sensible tweakments don’t. Joe’s still convinced I don’t need any work.”
Although her tweakments are no longer secret, Heather firmly believes there are some things your partner definitely doesn’t need to know.
“Some couples overshare, but in my opinion it’s better to preserve some mystery,” she says.
“I could bore my man senseless with a blow-by-blow analysis of what concealer is better or where to have Botox but I reckon he’d run from the room screaming. Sometimes, less is more when it comes to what information to give them!”
Joe says: “I can’t notice the difference – Heather is gorgeous either way.
“Women and their beauty regime is a minefield. Just as long as she doesn’t go near my golf clubs.”
If you’re off to the Lincolnshire coast with the kids, you’ll be pleased to hear that you’ll have a whole host of family-friendly attractions at your fingertips.
Of course, if the weather plays ball then there’s nothing quite like a day at the beach, with buckets and spades to hand.
When you book a £9.50 Holiday, you also have the added bonus of fun family events and activities included on-site, from indoor pools to evening entertainment.
But if you do fancy venturing out, there’s tons for your whole brood to do.
From bottle-feeding calves at a kid-friendly farm to discovering the history of the Magna Carta, Lincolnshire is home to a wide range of attractions the whole family will enjoy.
We asked Sun readers and local experts for their favourite family attractions in Lincolnshire, and have suggested some of our own and highly-rated options.
Here’s your handy guide to follow…
Budding naturalists will love exploring some of Lincolnshire’s wildlife attractions.
Sun reader Linda McDonnell, 71, from Lincoln, recommends the Mablethorpe Seal Sanctuary and Wildlife Centre, saying: “It’s very interesting – and there is more than seals to see.
“You also have other animals like parrots (Australian cockatiels), lemurs and reptiles.”
Another option for wildlife lovers is Lincolnshire Wildlife Park, suggested by Sarah Al-Aidi, General Manager at Southview Holiday Park.
Sarah said: “It isn’t as well known as some other family attractions like Fantasy Island.
“They have interesting animals like Bengal tigers and white lions. You can make it a whole day out and it’s great for the whole family.”
The park’s family-friendly touches include a children’s play area and kids will love the “snax shack” where you can buy treats for the parrots and meerkats (£2) and feed them.
Full immersion in nature doesn’t have to cost a penny – particularly if you head to Hubbard’s Hills, which is free to visit.
Sarah Al-Aidi said: “Woodhall Spa is a former spa town with a really beautiful place called Hubbard’s Hills.
“It’s a real beauty spot with great picnic areas, dog walking trails and nature walks.”
Families can while away the day splashing in rivers or spending time in the cafe, which has a play area for kids.
There are also plenty of hills for kids to burn off their energy by climbing and playing.
Tip: although the park is free to visit, all-day parking costs £1.
No trip to the Lincolnshire seaside would be complete without a visit to Fantasy Island in Skegness.
The park has thrilling rides for the whole family, from white-knuckle roller coasters to dodgems, water flumes and carousels.
There’s also ten-pin bowling and crazy golf to help keep your whole brood entertained all day.
Don’t miss the market – Europe’s largest seven-day market with over 320 stalls selling everything from discounted pushchairs to soft toys.
Tip: for the best value, buy a ride-all-day wristband (from £14.50), which includes access to adventure golf, or use an “iCard” to pay per ride.
Less than an hour’s drive from the coast, Rand Farm Park is ideal for a day out with the family.
Kids will love meeting the animals – which range from Jersey cows, donkeys and horses to a pair of Swiss rams named “Ed Shearan” and “Justin Biebaaa”.
Animal activities include bottle-feeding the calves, watching a milking demonstration, tractor rides and handling small animals like rabbits.
There are indoor and outdoor play areas, including a climbing wall and a soft play with an under-fours sensory area.
Family tickets cost £28 (two adults and two children). The park even offers school holiday childcare for kids aged between four and 12, including meals (half-day sessions cost £31, full day from £41).
For older kids with a thirst for history, the highly-rated Lincoln Castle is a great option.
Youngsters will love the summer jousting events and a “Medieval Wall Walk” where you can explore towers and dungeons steeped in history.
Look out for the graffiti scratched into the walls by desperate prisoners, or imagine you’re Henry VIII as you roam the walls – he visited the castle with Catherine Howard in 1541.
At Christmas, the wall is illuminated with lights, with fairground rides and food stalls to enjoy.
There’s also the historic Magna Carta to see in real life – the castle contains one of only four surviving original copies of this famous document.
Tip: the Magna Carta is taken for maintenance every year – so it’s a good idea to call to check before your visit to avoid disappointment.
