Guardiola is right to swap Hart for Bravo at Man City

Pep Guardiola could be on a collision course with Manchester City supporters over his handling of fan favorite Joe Hart, but the new boss is making the right choice.

Guardiola has elected to replace Hart as City No. 1, a decision that is sure to be vastly unpopular with many.

Hart has proven himself to be one of the best goalkeepers in England, if not Europe, in recent seasons, and there is no denying that he is a modern City legend.

He is incredibly popular with City fans, many of whom will argue that he deserves to be given time by Guardiola. That is not how it will work.

Guardiola has publicly suggested that Hart could work his way back into the first team given time, but it is understood the decision has already been made to sign Claudio Bravo from Barcelona, a move that would push the Englishman further from the first team.

The Catalan was casting his eye over the City players while he was still in charge of Bayern Munich, and word quickly spread that Hart may have a fight on his hands to retain his place in goal.

It has become clear that Guardiola's doubts have only grown during the summer. He chose Willy Caballero for the first game of the season because the Argentine gives him confidence in his "buildup play and personality." The inference is that Hart does not.

Caballero, it must be said, is not significantly better than Hart either with the ball at his feet or in terms of reading of the game. Few would say the rest of his game is stronger than his teammate's.

But it is a question of suitability. Caballero is currently a better fit for what Guardiola wants to do at City than Hart. The Blues hope to sign Bravo, an upgrade on both, in any case.

This is why the argument that Hart should continue as No. 1 based on past performances for club and country should be discarded out of hand. Sentimentality should not come into it.

Guardiola has always placed huge importance on his goalkeepers. He once described his Barca side as "Victor Valdes and 10 more," valuing the keeper's ability on the ball and comfort outside his area. Frans Hoek, the Dutch coach who worked with Barca's keepers, including Valdes, during the 1990s, said in 2013: "Valdes’ work at Barcelona consists 80 percent of the time in constructing play, while the other 20 percent of the time he does the normal work of a goalkeeper.” If Hart could rely on doing the normal work of a goalkeeper for 80 percent of the time, there would be no issue.

Manuel Neuer's extreme confidence with the ball at his feet, as well as his desire to rush from his line to cut out danger, was also a huge part of Guardiola's game plan at Bayern.

After all, it is a misconception that Pep's keepers simply have to be good at passing the ball. The ability to contribute to the buildup play is of course essential — whether that be with inventive passes to beat the press, or simply the confidence not to resort to an aimless punt down field.

But that must be combined with a tactical understanding which allows them to play well outside their area, not only sweeping up danger in behind the defense but essentially dictating the whole team's shape.

The type of keeper favored by Guardiola and Hoek in their respective careers "could be easily used as field players, as they are able to function as the 11th player," as the Dutchman lays out in his goalkeeping thesis, published in Soccer Coaching International. "This means they love a backpass."

Does that describe Hart? He is by no means terrible in possession, but the point is that Guardiola has decided he is not quite good enough for his system. Bravo fits the mold.

The right goalkeeper will set the tone right from the back, his positioning and passing will help City both defend and attack.

That is why those who suggest City needs to improve in other areas of the pitch before worrying about Joe Hart are also missing the point. Yes, Hart is a better goalkeeper than, say, Aleksandar Kolarov is a center back, but once again it comes down to suitability. Hart is, for now and possibly forever, not a Guardiola goalkeeper. Whether he is the England No. 1 or not is irrelevant, and whether City needs to sign a right back, or a center back, or a midfielder, should not come into it.

The goalkeeper is absolutely vital to Guardiola's footballing philosophy. Without the right man between the posts, the Catalan will not feel able to get City playing how he wants them to play. For a man absolutely obsessed with the most minor of details, there is no way one man's popularity — no matter who he may be — will force him to back down on such an important issue.

City fans were overjoyed when it was confirmed Guardiola had chosen the club as his next destination. They knew about his exploits with Barca and Bayern, they had seen the type of football he can get his teams playing, they could dream about the trophies. They will surely have known, too, that he is as ruthless as anybody in the business.

City signed up for the full Pep Guardiola experience, and there will be no compromises. Hart will be the first at the Etihad to attest to that, and the fans will have get used to it.