Failure to sign a striker will hurt Manchester City, says Cascarino

Pep Guardiola-Manchester City

Manchester City‘s failure to sign a striker will cost them this season, according to Tony Cascarino.

The Premier League defending champions struggled to score goals against Southampton on Saturday. This was their second occasion in five matches in the 2021-22 Premier League season after they also failed to score in their opening day loss to Tottenham.

Although Pep Guardiola‘s side scored ten goals in two PL matches after that—including six goals in the Champions League against RB Leipzig— former Chelsea player Cascarino believes that their inability to sign a striker will be detrimental to their season.

The Cityzens were in pursuit of Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane, during the summer. But they could not land the forward, who eventually stayed in North London after being frustrated by Daniel Levy.

With Kane out of reach, City began the season with Gabriel Jesus as the only recognised striker.

Speaking to talkSport, the former Aston Villa and Chelsea star Tony Cascarino believes that a lack of guaranteed goals will affect Guardiola’s chances of retaining the league crown.

‘We can only make that judgement really at the end of the season,” he said.

‘But I’ve said all along if you were prepared to pay £100million and a bit more for Harry Kane… you definitely wanted a striker.’

‘You think you need one because you made a bid for a striker that didn’t go over the line.

‘The fact that you didn’t get that striker, now “it’s not a problem”, but it was a problem. Pep recognised he needed a centre-forward of a certain type, and I think it will cost City the title by the end of the season.

Although City won the league last season without always playing a recognised forward as Guardiola preferred a false nine, Cascarino believes his tactics will not work in every game.

‘I think there will be games when a certain type of striker who can get you out of trouble, who can do things that not all your technically brilliant players can do, it’s something quite basic that enables you to make the difference in a certain type of game’ he added.

‘Yesterday [Saturday against Southampton] was one of the examples that I think that are going to happen a few times during the course of the season.

‘I think it will hurt City.’