I’ve worked with 16 Man City managers from Peter Reid to Pep Guardiola - one thing's stayed the same

Every matchday at the Etihad there is a quick 30-second conversation that plays an important role in how the following 90 minutes will go.

Captain Kyle Walker, or another member of the Manchester City leadership team like Bernardo Silva, will join fitness coach Lorenzo Buenaventura and head groundsman Lee Jackson at the end of the warm-ups to assess the pitch and pass on instructions for the ground staff for the 90 minutes ahead.

“We tell them the weather forecast, get their feel for the amount of water. Water is the big thing on matchdays,” says Jackson. “If you water too much it's slippy. They have to tell us if it's right for them. We're always mindful of how it suits them, we're led by them.”

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Jackson says the pitch is 'where their final work gets done' - "so if something is not right, we listen to them."

This is the extent of attention to detail in elite football these days. Grass length and slippery pitches have long been a way to get a marginal gain on the opposition. But even though you will hear managers complain about pitches from time to time (including Pep Guardiola), these days there is little to separate the top stadia where City play three times a week.

So that quick chat between ground staff and coaching staff is actually the extent of input that Guardiola and his team have into the condition of the pitch. The rest, the more technical details, doesn't need to be said out loud.

“The level of detail he expects from everyone, we expect from ourselves anyway,” Jackson tells the Manchester