Manchester City youngsters James McAtee and Liam Delap know they will have to buck a trend if they are to succeed at the Etihad where others have failed.
The pair of 19-year-old friends, considered the most likely to succeed among the current crop of the champions' Academy graduates, have both been loaned out this summer to clubs in the Championship – arguably the most competitive league in European football.
Midfielder McAtee has already begun to impress at Sheffield United and, less than 50 miles away, striker Delap has played his first minutes at Stoke City.
Their short-term aim is to play regularly at a high standard, to continue their football education in a pressurised environment and then, long-term, to return to City and play in the Premier and Champions League – both have already had a brief taste of life at football’s top table.
However, if they are to become permanent members of Pep Guardiola’s squad – they have both made appearances in the Premier League and Uefa Champions League – McAtee and Delap are going to have to overcome something of a hoodoo.
During the great Catalan manager’s six-year reign at the Etihad Stadium not one youngster has been loaned out and returned to regular first-team football.
Newcastle 3 Manchester City 3 - player ratings
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NEWCASTLE RATINGS: Nick Pope - 8, It’s not often you’ll see a goalkeeper get this score after conceding three, but Pope made a plethora of impressive saves and interventions, including tipping Erling Haaland’s effort on to the post and stealing the ball from Ilkay Gundogan’s toes. AFP -
Kieran Trippier - 6, Left Ilkay Gundogan alone in the box for the opener but went on to put in a strong defensive performance after that and scored a stunning free kick for Newcastle’s third. Was shown a red card for a cynical tackle on Kevin De Bruyne as he attempted to run through but it was downgraded to a yellow. Reuters -
Fabian Schar - 5, Could have done more to deny Gundogan for the opener and was booked for a late challenge on Phil Foden after being beaten to the ball. However, he battled well. Getty -
Sven Botman - 5, Some of his passing was off in the first half, but the Dutchman made a good header to find Callum Wilson in the opposition box, then made a good recovery after failing to deal with Phil Foden’s cross. Was saved by Pope after Haaland got behind him and struck over the crossbar. Action Images -
Dan Burn - 5, Put in a good defensive display for large periods but completely lost Bernardo Silva for Newcastle’s equaliser. Provided Botman with a good knockdown late on. Got away with an under-hit back pass in the final stages then went off after Botman kicked the ball into his face. Getty -
Joe Willock - 6, Gave the ball away cheaply leading to a good chance for City and he then made a good burst forward but waited slightly too long to play Wilson in. Put a good shift in. AFP -
Bruno Guimaraes - 7, Was booked inside eight minutes for a cynical foul on De Bruyne but did well to ensure he could make an impact without risking a second. Was unlucky not to get more after closing Rodri down. Getty -
Joelinton - 8, Got through so much impressive work in the middle both in attack and defence, encapsulated when he forced Kyle Walker into a mistake by pressing him at the end of the first half. Was booked for a late challenge on Haaland. Getty -
Miguel Almiron - 7, Hit a horrible shot over the crossbar after being teed up by Allan Saint-Maximin, but got his goal by touching the ball into the net with his thigh. Made a great run to cause panic for Ederson. Getty -
Callum Wilson - 7, Scuffed a shot straight into Ederson’s arms but then took a great touch and provided a composed finish to put Newcastle ahead. Getty -
Allan Saint-Maximin - 9, Troubled City’s defence all game and it was his running and quality final pass that created the openings for Newcastle’s first two goals. Then won the free kick for their third. AP -
SUBS: Chris Wood (Wilson, 70’) - 6, Had some good touches but no opportunities to get on the scoresheet. Getty -
Sean Longstaff (Willock, 70’) - 6, Got forward well to make a cross but it was blocked and worked hard for the team. Action Images -
Jacob Murphy (Almiron, 83’) – N/R, Put in some good work down the right to help his team earn the point. EPA -
Emil Krafth (Saint-Maximin, 94’) – N/R, Was beaten by Phil Foden but the cross came to nothing. Getty -
MANCHESTER CITY RATINGS: Ederson - 5, In addition to conceding three times, he was beaten to the ball by Almiron after coming out of his goal wildly, having to be bailed out by Joao Cancelo. EPA -
Kyle Walker - 3, Had a torrid time attempting to deal with Saint-Maximin and needed to do better in the build-up to both of the first two goals. Overhit his cross in the final seconds when City were attempting to work an opening for the winner. Getty -
John Stones - 3, His poor pass started the move that then saw him get beaten by Saint-Maximin for the first, and the Frenchman got past him too easily for the second. Was booked for sliding in to stop Saint-Maximin on the edge of his own box for the free kick that Trippier scored for Newcastle’s third. His quick thinking from the corner started the move that resulted in City’s second. AP -
Nathan Ake - 6, Was dominant on the ground and in the air before being forced off prematurely due to injury. Getty -
Joao Cancelo - 5, Was booked for a mistimed tackle on Almiron and he then did nothing to stop the Paraguayan scoring the equaliser. He slightly redeemed himself by making a great run and block to deny the same man. Reuters -
Kevin De Bruyne - 8, Had a good free kick attempt stopped by Pope. The Belgian’s cross created the chance for Haaland’s goal and he played an absolutely exquisite pass to find Bernardo Silva for the equaliser. Getty -
Rodri - 7, Hit two shots from range that did very little to trouble Pope and was unable to stop Newcastle breaking forward at times. Made a good header to deal with Trippier’s free kick delivery and did well to touch the ball into Haaland’s pass at the other end for City’s second. AFP -
Ilkay Gundogan - 7, Finished well for the opener after being afforded plenty of time in the Newcastle box and made some other good runs into dangerous areas. EPA -
Phil Foden - 6, Caused problems in the first half but was selfish and had a shot saved from a tight angle when Haaland was in space in Newcastle’s box. Was involved in lovely link-up play at times. EPA -
Erling Haaland - 7, His brilliant running despite being pulled back by Willock created a chance for De Bruyne but the Norwegian then snatched at an opportunity after good work from Gundogan. Was unlucky to see his shot tipped on to the post after coming up with a brilliant touch, but there was no stopping hi clinical finish that gave City hope. Reuters -
Bernardo Silva - 8, Showed brilliant composure and precision to pick out Gundogan for the opener. His under-hit pass almost got City in trouble but he made a great run and provided a tidy finish to equalise. EPA -
SUB: Ruben Dias (Ake, 21’) - 5, Was unable to stop Wilson putting Newcastle ahead then couldn’t keep his header down at the end of the first half. Unlucky to see his header go straight at Pope. EPA
The two youth products who are currently in his squad – Phil Foden and Cole Palmer – made all their progress on the perfectly manicured training pitches at the City Football Academy.
Other recent hopefuls like Gavin Bazunu (now at Southampton), Patrick Roberts (Sunderland), Lukas Nmecha (Wolfsburg), Arno Muric (Burnley) and D’Margio Wright-Phillips (Stoke) left on one or more loan deals and never came back to play regularly for the first team before securing permanent moves at a high level elsewhere.
Others in a similar position to McAtee and Delap, though more probably facing a make-or-break season in terms of their permanent futures with the champions, are defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis, who is in his fourth loan spell, this time at Burnley, and Tommy Doyle, who is with McAtee at Sheffield United – his third temporary home after making his City first-team debut in 2019.
McAtee and Delap, meanwhile, are still held in very high regard by Guardiola and his inner circle and their departure is as much to do with the manager’s fondness for operating with a small squad than any lingering doubts about their ability to make the grade.
Both had the choice from several loan suitors this summer as City batted away significant cash bids for their promising duo. Tellingly neither has a "with a view to buy" clause in their Championship deals.
They can also take comfort from the fact that, while loaned-out players have subsequently struggled to make the grade at City, there are many examples of big names who left their parent club for a while and come back to become not just local legends but internationally renowned superstars.
For example, current Everton manager and former Chelsea midfielder (and City player) Frank Lampard scored his first ever senior goal while on loan at Swansea in the 1995/96 season.
Famously Harry Kane, the striker preparing to lead England into the Qatar World Cup later this year, had four fairly nondescript loan periods at Orient, Millwall, Norwich and Leicester before finding his feet and goalscoring boots at Tottenham Hotspur.
And there are many more success stories to be found should any of the current youngsters on loan need reassurance.
Ashley Cole played for Crystal Palace in the Championship before making his mark at Arsenal as perhaps the Premier League’s best-ever left-back and David Beckham, one of the most famous players of the modern era, wasn’t always at Manchester United or Real Madrid. In his early days he was loaned out to Third Division Preston North End, who had current West Ham manager David Moyes in their ranks.
Beckham’s teammate at Old Trafford Rio Ferdinand similarly had a loan spell at Bournemouth and fellow top Premier League centre-half John Terry was once loaned out to Nottingham Forest.
Sometimes in football the road to the top isn’t always straight.
