Will Pep Guardiola realise Joe Hart isn’t as good as England wants him to be?

Much more than the ball squirmed past Joe Hart as Gareth Bale gave Wales a 1-0 lead over England in Lens last month. By making such a high profile blunder the Manchester City goalkeeper also allowed any assurances over his position as his club’s number one to slip through his fingers. The world was watching, including Pep Guardiola.

That is only an assumption, but given what we know about the Catalan’s meticulous ethos as a coach it’s almost certain that Hart’s mistake was noted by the new City boss. Guardiola has plenty to ponder ahead of his first season in English football and now he must weigh up whether Hart is good enough to be his number one.

It might not necessarily be a question of being good enough for Hart, though. Under Guardiola he will be a stylistic misfit. At both Barcelona and Bayern Munich Guardiola’s ideology as a coach could be illustrated by his choice of goalkeepers. Both Victor Valdes and Manuel Neuer are of the so-called ‘sweeper-keeper’ mould, using their feet almost as much as their hands.

They are crucial not just in their shot-stopping but in their structural integrity to the team as a whole. Valdes and Neuer are both integral to what Guardiola has achieved as the defining coach of his times. Hart, however, is not this kind of goalkeeper.

There’s no denying Hart’s ability as a instinctive shot-stopper, but he is desperately short in areas where Guardiola demands so much from his goalkeepers. Unlike Valdes or Neuer, he will not play as a sweeper-keeper, he will not see much of the ball at his feet and will not be used as an outfield pawn by Guardiola.

What’s more, glaring errors have creeped into Hart’s game over the past few seasons. His mistake at Euro 2016 against Wales was just the latest in what is a lengthening list of fumbles for club and country. Guardiola must be concerned with how unreliable Hart has become.

Manuel Pellegrini was wary of Hart’s blunders. Willy Caballero was signed as an alternative to the English goalkeeper, with Pellegrini frequently switching between the two. While Hart was generally favoured as the number one a sense of uncertainty compromised Hart’s position under the Chilean right up until his departure at the end of last season.

That doubt looks likely to persist this summer, with City making moves to sign young Argentinean goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli. The 24-year-old, who has impressed over the past two years at Real Sociedad, fits the mould of what Guardiola looks for in a goalkeeper, possessing great reflexes and a natural touch for the ball in equal measure.

The weight of English expectation has burdened Hart ever since he first broke into the Man City starting lineup. The nation remains desperate to this day for Hart to become a goalkeeper of David Seaman or Gordon Bank’s stature and standing. England so badly wants Hart to grow into their greatest number one in a generation, keeping company with the true greats.

It might take an outsider like Guardiola to conclude that Hart isn’t as good as England wants him to be. Both stylistically and on the basis of his form, Manchester City need a change between the posts this summer. There are very few truly elite goalkeepers on the market right now, but Guardiola must find one, certainly in the long-term.

City boast the strongest squad in the Premier League, but they lack a key lynchpin as Guardiola looks to impose his famed philosophy at the Etihad Stadium. The former Barca boss must cast envious glances every time he passes Old Trafford. The perfect goalkeeper for Guardiola indeed plays in Manchester, but for Manchester United. David De Gea is the epitome of what City needs.

It could be the case that Guardiola has to make do with Hart as his first choice goalkeeper. There is much to be overhauled at the Etihad Stadium and finding a new number one might fall down the priority list.

However, Guardiola is renowned for his nerve in making big, sometimes unpopular decisions. The call to drop Hart from his Man City starting lineup might be just another one he has to make at his new club.