That is the view of injured Belgian international Vincent Kompany who has watched a much changed squad quickly become a strong unit.
Kompany is adamant that the manager can be given credit for the shift in mentality which has come with a raft of summer signings and is confident he can find a place in the side.
“Every signing we made, whatever the amounts involved, made sense to me,” reckoned the midfielder who captained the side in Richard Dunne’s absence last season.
“I could go through every single one of the moves to City during the summer and I could point to the reasons why. It all made perfect sense and as a player I was delighted with those who came into the squad.
“They all have good mentality and are fighters and warriors on the pitch as well. That is what ultimately I think will be the strength of Manchester City in the future.”
There are those who question where Kompany might fit in when his broken foot is healed but the 23-year-old is not concerned.
I don’t look at it and wonder how I am going to get into the team. I looking to stay here for much longer and City’s ambitions are very much the same as my ambitions.
...Vincent Kompany
“I want to become one of the main players in a very big team that wins trophies. City is heading in that direction. It is a very big challenge but it is something that I expect to achieve in my career or it would feel like a failure.
“I have to be patient when I come back but everyone has to be patient. Usually it happens in football that one player comes in and other goes out whether that is through injury or fatigue. The game changes so quickly that there is always something happening down the line to give you a chance.
“The spirit and camaraderie is amazing because we have been under so much pressure and criticism for whatever reason. It has helped us become closer as a group and we are going to get better as a team.
Within the dressing room and away from everything that happens in the spotlight the team is having fun and is enjoying the current times.
...Vincent Kompany
“We can use the criticism to our advantage. When you hear some types of criticism of the first time you rail against it thinking it is not justified but when you hear it every day and hear something negative every morning in the end you get used to it and you stop paying attention to it.
“Whatever the aim is of the owners for us to finish this season is realistic. It is going to be a long season and we have a fairly new team, you cannot get around that but if the manager continues to keep the team as solid as we are now and every player performs to his best and brings his own input to make the team behave as a team - then everything is possible.”
