Gary Neville has described the challenge awaiting Enzo Maresca at Manchester City as the "ultimate test," warning that the club will demand "nothing less than winning" from their incoming manager.

Maresca steps into an enormous shadow. Pep Guardiola spent a decade at the Etihad Stadium, collecting 20 major trophies — including six Premier League titles — before departing as one of the most decorated managers English football has ever seen.

The 46-year-old Italian is not entirely new to the environment, having served as one of Guardiola's assistants during the treble-winning 2022/23 campaign. He arrives with his own silverware credentials too, having guided Chelsea to the Conference League title and the FIFA Club World Cup during his one full season at Stamford Bridge.

Yet Neville believes the weight of expectation at City operates on a different level entirely.

"Nothing less than winning is going to be accepted at Man City with what has gone on at the club over the last 10 years. With the players and the squad they have at City, and the fact they won trophies last season, it's going to put Maresca in a very different position to what he has been in before," Neville told Sky Sports News.

Neville acknowledged that Chelsea carry expectations of their own, but argued they do not yet match the standard set at the Etihad Stadium. He did, however, offer encouragement, pointing to the squad rebuild already underway following back-to-back Premier League campaigns in which City failed to claim the title — the first such drought of Guardiola's tenure.

"Towards the end of last season Man City were just starting to emerge with a new young team. The back four started to look like they'd pulled it together with Nunes, O'Reilly, Guehi and Khusanov and obviously they have some really good attacking players in Cherki, Semenyo and Doku in behind Haaland. If he can get the midfield right and get the buy-in from the squad, he's got a great chance of doing something at City," Neville added.

Neville also drew a parallel with Arne Slot's experience at Liverpool — where Slot succeeded Jurgen Klopp and won the Premier League title in his debut season — as evidence that inheriting a strong squad from a legendary manager can yield immediate rewards, even if sustaining that momentum proves harder.

Where City still need to strengthen

The imminent arrival of Elliot Anderson in a deal worth £116 million is expected to bolster City's midfield further. The club are also reportedly targeting an additional forward and a right-back to provide competition for Matheus Nunes.

Neville believes defence remains the one area still requiring attention. "It looks like they are okay at the top end of the pitch and Anderson is coming in to reinforce the midfield," he said, before questioning whether one more midfielder and extra defensive cover could complete the picture ahead of the new campaign.

"Man City will score a bagful of goals whoever the coach is," Neville concluded, "but it's about making sure they combine as a unit to suffer the endurance you have to go through to win a Premier League title."