Manchester City's new signing Antoine Semenyo has revealed the surprisingly welcoming atmosphere created by manager Pep Guardiola during their first meeting, though he also disclosed that one of his most effective skills has been prohibited under the Catalan's regime.
Aromatic Welcome at the Etihad
Speaking exclusively to In The Mixer, brought to you by Sky Bet, the 26-year-old forward described his initial visit to Guardiola's office as unexpectedly sensory. "He was just so energetic," Semenyo recalled. "Went into his office, he's got soft music playing in the background, smells so nice in his office."
Guardiola, known throughout football as a demanding perfectionist, immediately made the Ghanaian international feel at home. "He was just like, 'We're happy to have you here. Continue your fine form here and hopefully [we'll] compete for the league'," Semenyo revealed.
From Relaxed Host to Pacing Perfectionist
However, Semenyo nearly embarrassed himself during his first team meeting when Guardiola's intense side emerged unexpectedly. "He is generally relaxed, to be fair," Semenyo continued. "It's when you get into the meetings, that's where he's serious."
The forward described the surreal scene: "I remember the first [team] meeting I had and he was just pacing in front of the meeting room. [I was] thinking, 'Is this normal?' Looking back, no-one's laughing or anything, so I'm on my own here. But he's just so passionate."
The Long-Throw Prohibition
Despite beginning his Etihad career brilliantly with eight goals and three assists in just 19 appearances, not all of Semenyo's attributes are being utilized. The forward was frequently deployed for long-throw duties at Bournemouth with devastating effect, but Guardiola has explicitly banned this tactic.
"Yeah, I have got a long throw," Semenyo confirmed. "I don't know where, how [I got it]. Maybe it's because I'm so strong..."
He credited former Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola for recognizing and developing this weapon: "It was Andoni who saw it and was like, 'Phwoar, we've got to use it. We've got to use it'. I don't think Pep wants to see long throws, I'll be honest."
Tactical Contrast with Premier League Rivals
This prohibition comes despite title challengers Arsenal establishing themselves as the Premier League's set-piece masters this season, with long throws and corners wreaking havoc against opponents. Semenyo acknowledges this tactical contrast but doesn't expect Guardiola to change his philosophy.
"Some of the boys will be like, 'You gonna take a long throw?' And I'm like, 'I dunno'. Because obviously Pep wants to keep it on the floor..." he explained, highlighting Guardiola's commitment to possession-based football.
Freedom Within Structure
Semenyo credits the soon-to-depart Iraola for much of his recent development, particularly in encouraging creative freedom. This revelation contradicts suggestions that Guardiola stifles player creativity, as sometimes alleged regarding players like Jack Grealish or Phil Foden.
When asked about Iraola's biggest impact, Semenyo said: "Just playing more free. A lot of our training sessions were chaos and you kind of got to do what you want as a person."
He described being encouraged to express himself fully: "I was just freestyling, doing different things and [Andoni] was like, 'You should do it in a game'. And I'm like, 'You want me to do rainbow flicks and stuff in a game?' He said, 'Yeah, if you want to. Just play free, just be yourself'."
Remarkably, Semenyo has carried this philosophy into his Manchester City career: "From that day, I've always just been free. And I still stick to what he said today with the Man City team. Just being free and enjoying myself."
The forward's adaptation to Guardiola's methods while maintaining his creative instincts suggests a promising synthesis of approaches at the Etihad Stadium as Manchester City continue their pursuit of Premier League glory.
