Time for Guardiola and Mourinho to deliver

Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho came in amidst much fanfare last season. Manchester City and Manchester United had managed to land managers of the highest calibre. Two of the best in the world, many will argue.  The first season yielded a third place for City and a United a lowly fifth. Both Guardiola and Mourinho could argue that their first seasons were transitional campaigns. There were new players that were bought and everybody had to get used to the methods of their high-profile bosses.Before the start of the 2017 season, both Guardiola and Mourinho have brought in key players who they believe will fit their style of play. These two teams now reflect the character of its managers and no excuses will be accepted by impatient fans or the management.Mourinho is fighting the bigger battle here. The Red Devils last won a league title in 2013 and the Portuguese manager has looked to plug all the gaps is his squad. They have the services of Romelu Lukaku, a like-for-like replacement for Zlatan Ibrahimovic – probably more agile. The defence and midfield have been bolstered with the signing of Victor Lindelof and Nemanja Matic respectively. Then there’s the matter of the world’s second-most expensive player — Paul Pogba. It’s high time the Frenchman converted his potential into goals. United also have Marcus Rashford in their midst and the 19-year-old striker has shown that he is quite capable of producing the goods.The team had the individual talent. Now it’s up to Mourinho to bring about the cohesion and ensure that his side can deliver consistent results.  As for Man City, many experts are predicting Guardiola’s team to be the one lifting the Premier League trophy at the end of the season. They definitely look strong on paper. Their defensive woes have been addressed with the signing of Kyle Walker (from Tottenham Hotspur) and France international Benjamin Mendy from Monaco.  The one area that City were desperate to address was between the posts. And with the signing of Brazilian Ederson, they seem to have taken care of that. Guardiola has an abundance of talent in the attacking department. Brazilian Gabriel Jesus who shone during his brief show last season, is now fit and raring to go. Argentinean Sergio Aguero has been the trusted lead striker and along with Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva, Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane, Man City will be a very attractive team to watch on the attack. While City and United have been shopping actively to prime themselves for a title challenge, the other big names have been relatively quiet. Defending champions Chelsea are hoping Alvaro Morato can provide the goals with Diego Costa almost certain to be sold. Liverpool and Spurs have chosen not to make huge changes to their sides. Arsenal have brought in Alexandre Lacazette and if they manage to retain the services of Alexis Sanchez, the Gunners will be hoping to get back into Champions League with a top-4 finish. The spotlight will be firmly on Mourinho and Guardiola. This is the season they are expected to deliver and while both may play down their chances, a lacklustre title challenge could spell serious doom for their reputations.Both high-profile managers will be under pressure to win the EPL title