“City’s Defence Is a Headache”—Ally McCoist Urges Pep Guardiola to Fix Major Flaw After Club World Cup Exit
Ally McCoist says Manchester City's defensive weakness was brutally exposed in their 4-3 loss to Al-Hilal, warning Pep Guardiola it could derail their Premier League title hopes if not fixed fast.
Manchester City’s shock exit from the FIFA Club World Cup has raised serious questions about their defence—and football pundit Ally McCoist believes the problems could haunt them heading into the new Premier League season.
City fell 4-3 in extra-time to Saudi side Al-Hilal in Monday’s last-16 clash in Orlando. Despite scoring three goals, Pep Guardiola’s side were undone at the back, conceding avoidable goals and failing to control Al-Hilal’s dangerous counter-attacks.
After watching highlights of the game, McCoist told talkSPORT on Tuesday that City’s defensive weaknesses were once again exposed.
“I think defensively would be his [Guardiola’s] biggest problem,” McCoist said.
“It’s given him a little bit of a headache, hasn’t it?”
McCoist pointed out how easy it was for Al-Hilal’s Marcus Leonardo to break through and score:
“It’s just a simple ball over the top… and he’s actually through with the goalkeeper to beat.”
He also questioned goalkeeper Ederson’s performance, who was criticised by fans for parrying shots into dangerous areas and being shaky under crosses.
City fans haven’t held back either. Many took to social media demanding a defensive overhaul, with some even calling for Ederson to be replaced following what they believe has been a series of underwhelming performances.
While Bernardo Silva highlighted City’s lack of control during transitions after the game, McCoist believes the defensive issues run deeper and can’t be ignored.
City’s defensive form had improved at the tail end of the 2024/25 season, but their old vulnerabilities came back at the worst possible time on the Club World Cup stage.
Now, the pressure is back on Guardiola to fix things before the new Premier League campaign kicks off.
Manchester City are expected to stick with Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol as their main centre-back pairing next season. Rayan Ait-Nouri has also impressed at left-back and looks likely to remain first choice in that role.
That leaves right-back as the one position most in need of reinforcement—and according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, City have set their sights on Newcastle United’s Tino Livramento.
The 21-year-old defender is seen as a potential long-term option, but luring him away from St. James’ Park won’t be easy. Newcastle reportedly have no intention of letting him go, despite growing interest from Manchester.
City know they must act fast before their defensive problems cost them again—especially if they want to stay ahead of Arsenal and Liverpool in the title race.
