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Former Manchester City coach highlights concerns around star forward’s physicality

Manchester City U18 academy coach Gareth Taylor has commented on Oscar Bobb’s rise from the club’s academy ranks to the first-team squad.

Bobb has started each of City’s opening trio of Premier League games this term, starring in a 4-0 rout of Wolves on the opening day of the 2025-26 campaign before City fell to back-to-back defeats to Tottenham and Brighton before the international break.

City return to action against Manchester United this weekend and Pep Guardiola will be hoping Bobb can help his side return to winning ways ahead of tricky games against Napoli and Arsenal.

Having impressed at the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States earlier in the summer, Bobb is being given a fair chance to make the right wing position his own amid what can be deemed as not the greatest of direct competition for his spot, per se.

Since parting ways with Leroy Sane, Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez over the years, Manchester City’s recruitment in wide attackers – including record signing Jack Grealish, currently on loan at Everton – has failed to provide anywhere near a meaningful return on investment.

As such, with both Savinho and Jeremy Doku failing to live up to expectations over the course of the 2024-25 campaign, Guardiola has started Bobb on the right side of his front three in each of Manchester City’s opening 2025-26 Premier League games.

The young forward will take time to mature into a complete player but early indications are very promising for Manchester City fans to witness an academy graduate embed into the senior squad, though City will need to get their act together to allow Bobb to flourish.

In a new piece for The Athletic, former Manchester City academy coach Gareth Taylor has spoken to Jordan Campbell to provide valuable insight into early concerns over Bobb’s physicality – whilst the Norwegian was still learning his trade in the club’s youth ranks.

“It is such a proud moment now that he (Bobb) is establishing himself because he is such a cracking guy to work with and wants to do so well,” former Manchester City U18 coach Gareth Taylor told The Athletic.

“You could see the skill level was there but at U18, we had to encourage him (Bobb) to try things and understand that not everything he tries is going to come off. It didn’t matter if he made mistakes.

“We realised working with Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and him (Bobb), these diminutive players, we had to allow them time to develop and gain the physical elements that all three now have.

“The message from the top (of the club) was that these guys need to play in central areas to get the necessary scanning techniques they need, not by pushing them out wide until they develop into athletes. Bravery to take the ball anywhere is Oscar’s trademark.”